‘What did she mean?’ asked Kebra. The sea is our only hope.’
‘We would never reach it. The Krayakin are less than a day behind us, and the Ventrian army is moving across the mountains. Three thousand men are on the march, and more than two hundred cavalry have been sent to cut us off from the coast.’
Kebra knew the strength of Nogusta’s Third Eye and he sat silently for a moment, absorbing the information. ‘What then can we do?’ he asked. ‘We cannot fight an army, and we cannot escape it. Is our plan merely to run until we are exhausted – like an elk tracked by wolves?’
‘Who is being tracked by wolves?’ asked Bison, rising from his blankets and walking across to join them. Before Nogusta could explain the situation to him the giant saw the sleeping priestess. ‘Kreya’s Tits!’ he exclaimed. ‘Look at her! She’s thin as a spear. What have I missed?’
‘A great deal, my friend,’ said Kebra. Slowly he explained the events of the last few minutes, the glowing
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around the priestess, the healing of his eyes, and the sores on Conalin’s back and arms, and lastly, the news of the march of the Ventrian army. Bison ignored the last news.
‘She healed you? What about my ear? It hurts like the devil. You could have woken me up. What kind of a friend are you?’ He dropped to his knees beside the priestess and shook her shoulder. Ulmenetha did not stir. ‘Well, this is nice,’ said Bison, glancing up at Kebra. ‘So far I’ve been bitten by wolves, burnt by magick and kicked by a horse. And you get your eyes healed. Is that fair?’
‘Life is not fair, Bison,’ said Kebra, with a smile. ‘As any one of your large number of wives would testify.’ His smile faded. ‘The question is what are we going to do?’ At that moment Axiana cried out. Beside her Pharis awoke and moved to her side.
‘What is it, my lady?’ she asked.
‘I think . . . the baby is coming,’ said Axiana.
Axiana was frightened, and called for Ulmenetha. The black warrior, Nogusta, moved to her side. ‘She cannot come to you now,’ he said, taking the queen’s hand. ‘She is sleeping, and cannot be woken.’ Fear turned to panic in Axiana.
‘The baby is coming! I need her!’ Her face spasmed as fresh pain seared through her.
‘Move aside, man,’ said Bison, dropping to his knees beside the frightened girl.
‘I don’t want you!’ shouted Axiana, horrified. ‘Not you!’
Bison chuckled. ‘As I’ve just been told, life isn’t fair. But I’ve birthed babes before, and a large number of horses, cows and sheep. So you’ll just have to trust me.’ He turned to Nogusta. ‘I want you to make a screen
around her. Give us some privacy. And you, girl,’ he told Pharis, ‘can help me.’ Bison drew back the blanket covering the queen. Her gown was wet. ‘The water’s broken,’ he said. He looked across at Nogusta. ‘Could we get a little urgency going here?’
Nogusta nodded and rose. Nogusta and Dagorian cut long branches from nearby trees, then stripped them of leaves. Plunging them into the earth around the queen they tied blankets to them, creating a roofless tent around her. Several times she cried out. Pharis emerged and moved to the stream, filling a bowl with water, and returning to the tent.
Little Sufia sat in the doorway of the tent, staring wide eyed into the interior. Conalin walked over to her, lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the wagon. The child was nervous and frightened. ‘They are hurting her,’ she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
‘No they are not,’ said Conalin, soothingly. ‘A baby is coming. It’s inside her, and it is going to come out.’
‘How did it get inside her?’ asked Sufia.
‘It grew from a very small seed,’ said Conalin. ‘And now it is ready to live.’
A long shriek came from the tent. Sufia jumped. ‘Why is she hurting?’ Sufia began to cry. Kebra walked to the wagon. ‘It is all right,’ he said, ruffling the child’s blond hair.