“I do not know—but I fear. The determination of their advance, the strength of their attack causes that fear. Would they dare risk so much if they did not plan damage of some kind? We must see to our defenses.”
“That we must do.” Malsas< turned to Stallan. "I understand even more why Vaintè risked her own life to save yours. You were the one who designed the defenses of this city, Stallan, is that not true?" "It is, Eistaa." "Then strengthen them, reinforce them. You speak for the Eistaa. Demand anything you need. The safety of our city is between your thumbs." "I shall not let it slip, Eistaa. With your permission I shall see to it now." Malsas< looked after her retreating back with confusion and disbelief. "It is hard to understand affairs in this new land of Gendasi. Nothing is as it was in Entoban*. The natural order has been violated with ustuzou killing Yilanè. Where will this end, Vaintè? Do you know?" "I know only that we will fight these creatures. And we must win." Yet try as hard as she could, Vaintè still could not keep the movements of doubt from what she said. All there could see the fear clearly in what she said. Herilak held up his arm when he heard the shrill scream from the forest ahead. The hunters stopped as well—then looked around in fear as the scream echoed again: a heavy thudding shook the ground beneath their feet. "Do you know what that is?" Herilak asked. "I think that I do," Kerrick said. "Go forward slowly now because the first fields should be just ahead." The trees were close together here and the game trail that they were following wound between them. Herilak led the way with Kerrick close behind him. The thudding sounded again and more screams—then Kerrick called out. "Stop here! See those vines ahead, across the trail? They stick to the skin and can't be pulled off. I was caught by them once. Warn the others. We are at the outermost fringes of the city now." They went forward cautiously, though any sounds they might have made would surely have been drowned out by the tumult in the meadow ahead. At the forest edge they stopped and looked with awe at the open field beyond. Two immense creatures, each larger than the largest mastodon, were circling each other in the high grass, while a third looked on. Their wrinkled hide was yellowish-brown, their wide heads were heavily armored, while blood-red, bony plates covered their backs. One of them lunged at the other, snapping a horny, toothless beak, screaming loudly. The other turned sideways, swinging its tail around so that the great bony club at its tip lashed out. It hit the earth with a ground-shaking thud as the first creature moved aside to avoid it. "Ruutsa," Kerrick said. "They do that when they are fighting over a mate. That's the female, there, eating grass. I know this field—I know where we are!" He stamped a flat spot into black soil, then bent and scratched lines on it with the tip of his stone knife. "Herilak, look—this is what the city is like. They have a model there that I have studied so long that I know it by heart, even now. This is what it looks like. The sea is here, these are the beaches, then the wall. Here is the ambesed, a big empty space where they all meet." Herilak watched intently as Kerrick sketched the city, then the fields about it. "The fields surround the city in circles, wider and wider, and the ruutsa are right here." Herilak looked closely at the scratched lines, tugging at his beard in thought. "Are you sure that is where we are? It has been a long time since you left this place, they might have changed the fields, moved the beasts around." "Never, not the Yilanè. What is, is, and never changes. Little things may be different from day to day, but once a thing is set it is that way forever." "Then I believe you, since you are the only one who knows the murgu so well…" A cry of pain cut him off and they turned to see one of the Sasku hunters rear up, then fall heavily to the ground. They ran to his aid and Herilak reached to tear the thorn-tipped vine from his arm: Kerrick stopped him.