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could not seem to get my balance. They came like huge black birds, the water breaking like glass. One hoof struck me, a glancing blow-more like a quick hot hand, brushing back the hair from my neck. I fell again, and the hook-knives came flaring over me.
\A man roared, and Maggur flung himself at them seemingly from out of nowhere. I glimpsed Giltt. Little Kel was there too, or his arrow. A “guard jumped forward from his saddle, and fell near me, the flight just showing between his shoulder blades. But Maggur was spinning down also, out of sight, and the two remaining blacknesses had reached and caught my arms.
I was lifted up by them, carried backward between them very fast, across the river. I was aware that they would half stun me on the nearest tree, then finish me as slowly as they had time for. It pleased them to do this to me, perhaps because I had killed some friend of theirs-if such men had friends or lovers.
But then a shock went through them. I looked up and saw Darak behind us. Both his knives had gone, flung one into the back of each of my captors. They toppled and their grip was still tight on me. I thought I should be torn in two, but the grasp lessened at the last second, and I fell backward into the water with them.
Darak leaned over me and lifted me up.
“Both your knives are gone,” I said. It had seemed foolish of him to let go both of them to save me.
“The fight’s over,” he said.
I stared around me, and it was true.
“Maggur,” I said. “He came at them, and fell-”
Barak’s hand came swift and fast across my face. I stumbled and he caught my belt to steady me.
“I came at them, too, bitch. Thank me for it.”
“I thank you,” I said.
I picked my way among the debris in the river, past him, back to the bank.
They cleared the bodies from the water and burned them, then organized the stuff in the wagons. I did not see any of this. Kel and I sat together in the shade, under a leather awning, where Maggur lay. Of the bandits only four were dead, but one of them was Giltt. My attackers had managed it as he ran at them, and I had not even seen them do it. Other wounds were few and not serious. Only Maggur had been badly hurt.
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“There was a fourth one, Imma-he swung at Maggur from the back with an iron club they carry. I got him too, after.”
I had wiped the blood away and cleaned the deep cut, and the skull seemed whole under my fingers, but Maggur did not wake up, and I could sense a sort of death on him.
We sat a long while, Kel and I. Then he said: “Immacan’t you … ?”
“What?”
“They said you’re a healer.”
A little bright shock went through my brain.
“You think I can save Maggur?” I asked softly.
“Of course.”
There was no doubt in his face.
There was mist in the morning, and Darak came.
He glanced at Kel asleep, and Maggur sleeping too, healthily and deeply.
‘Today we are merchants,” he said. “We go on to the South Road, protected by our skull-guard, of course. The bandits are rife hereabouts they tell me.”
His voice was light, his face cold.
Suddenly he said to me: “Is that brute your lover?”
“Kel?”
“No. The other one.”
“No,” I said. “Except he loves me a little.”
Darak’s mouth was set and sneering. “Of course, goddess.”
He bowed to me.
There was no one near to see. Kel and Maggur slept. I struck Darak across his set sneering mouth.
“Take back your blow,” I said. “I never deserved it of you.”
He looked as if he would kill me, but he did not kill me. I had not hurt him, and no one had been near to see. Otherwise it would have been different.
Part III: The High-Lord’s Way
1
The woods were gone, and the river which fed them was gone. The hills moved behind us in a slow procession, and before us lay the open plains. Yellow-brown as old parchment rolled the curve of their backs, farther off they melted into lavender and purple. The odd tree, leaning, its branches spreading low and still, the occasional rocky place, or little stretch of grassland sprung up by some muddy pool, stood out like isolated figures on a gameboard. It was to be like a game-hurrying from one watered square to another, across the parched listless land.
It was a merchant caravan again, now under Darak’s leadership, and he was a merchant’s son from Sigko, one of the northern towns, where these goods had come from. I had turned over the stuff myself-weapons and armor pieces, or raw metals in great bars. The bandits had picked a few items each, in payment for the battle in the ford. I took a longknife, larger than I was used to but with a weight I knew I could carry, given practice. It was fine workmanship, the great blade seared and inset with a silver leopard. The hilt was made from some white stone, highly polished but roughened a little around the grip so it would sit tight in the hand. The sheath and sling, which went across the breast and back to hang under the left arm, were crimson velvet over leather, the buckle and notches were gold.
When I chose this knife, no one stopped me, or laughed, even though Maggur was still in his shelter. Despite the ignominious ending of my fight, I had done some skillful damage, The talk was mainly of how I had yelled my battle cry and ridden straight in among the guard, the long-knife wheeling in all directions at once. This was not as they thought, and I would not discuss it. They were probably glad the madwoman was not a boaster too.
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But I think none of them considered me a woman any longer. A few’women still journeyed with them, as a comfort, but dressed more somberly now, as prostitutes, and the men spoke of them in front of me, quite freely-not as a taunt, or to brag, but as if they had forgotten my sex, and expected me to tell the next tale.
All their clothes were altered. Darak wore black, the rest of them somber blues and clerical greens, stripped from the bodies, or provided beforehand. The men who rode as the guard had put on their covering, but kept the skull masks off their faces as long as they could. Only I remained unchanged, colorful, an oddity.
We were on the plains two days when I went to Darak’s tent. His captains would be there, I knew, but things were different now. No one would flinch when I came because I was female.
There was talk and laughter inside, and the clink of the bronze beer jug going around.
I lifted the flap and went in.
It was a big tent, the inside leather painted too, with red running deer, and high up a sunburst, which meant power. There were fine rugs on the floor, low chairs, and I recognized the carved table I had seen in the village. The five men glanced up, interested. Darak looked me hard in the face, then continued with what he had been saying. Ignoring that I had been ignored, I walked to a vacant chair-more stool than chair, but there was no help for that-and sat down.
They had taken their cue from Darak. They ignored me, and the talk went on-elaborate plans, which were really very simple in essence, of how they should get the stuff along the South Road, sell it in part before Ankurum, their goal, and what was to be done in Ankurum itself. It was a dangerous adventure. Their eyes were alight. The jug came around and I took it as it was bypassing me, and, easing it up under the folds of the shireen, drew a mouthful from one of the open tubes set in the sides. I did not want this drink, but that jug-one of their symbols-could not be let by so easily. I swallowed the viscous, bitter swill, wanting only to spit it out, then handed the jug on to the man it had been going to. There was a little silence. Then Darak stood up. He looked strange, nobler in the black full tunic, black leggings and boots.
“Drink, and get out,” he said pleasantly to his captains.
The discussion was over. They had covered all points, but I guessed a meeting such as this would have gone on much long-
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er normally. They would have perfected details, unnecessarily perhaps, told jokes and stories of other ventures, and drunk very deep.