That evening the army of Ortelga, led by Ta-Kominion, began crossing the strait: a grimy, shouting horde a few thousand strong, some armed with spear, sword or bow, some carrying nothing but mattocks or sharpened stakes: some-mostly servants, these-moving in bands under their masters for officers, others mere gangs of drinking-companions, or ruffians slouching with club and bottle for company: but all eager to march and ready to fight, all convinced that Bekla was destined to fall to the revealed power of God, by whose will they were to have full stomachs and never toil again. Some wore crude armour – scooped-out caps of fire-hardened wood, or rough- edged plates of iron fastened across their chests – and most had, scratched or painted somewhere about them, the rough likeness of a bear's head.
At the dangerous points in the broken causeway Ta-Kominion had had ropes stretched between wedged stakes or anchored rafts and at these there was sousing and horseplay, until a man was swept downstream and drowned. As darkness came, those still gathering on the. island shore fell to drinking and singing as they waited for moon-rise; and Ta-Kominion's henchmen made a last search through the town, rousing up any who remained in two minds or seemed inclined to feel that they might be leaving more than they could gain.
On the mainland shore other groups were mustering from the outlying lands: a party of foresters and woodmen, armed with their axes, mauls and crowbars; a baron named Ged-la-Dan, whose substance came from the coloured quartz – topaz and aquamarine – for which his men dived in rocky bays downstream; and a factor and his porters, just returned from their trading-post in Gelt with a load of iron ore, who were quick-witted enough to auction themselves as guides to the highest bidders among the leaders.
Women, too, made the crossing, laden with arms, clothes, arrows or bags of food got together at the last minute, beg, borrow or steal. Some of these, confused by the crowd, wandered here and there in the torch-lit twilight, calling the names of their men and dealing as best they could with importuners and thieves.
Ta-Kominion, having asked Fassel-Hasta to count the numbers and do his best to organize the force into companies, himself set off to re-cross the causeway, ignoring the surly nod and grunt with which the older baron left him. For some hours past he had been drenched through, first standing up to his waist in midstream to see the ropes fixed and then remaining at the gaps, less to encourage the rabble, most of whom were in high spirits, than to establish his authority and make sure that they knew him and would know him again. Already wearied by the work of the previous night and day, he was now intending a second night without sleep. He waded ashore on Ortelga, commandeered the nearest hut, bolted the food that was brought to him and then slept for two hours. When his servant, Numiss, woke him, the moon was well risen and the stragglers were being guided and coaxed across. He sat impatiently while Numiss changed the dirty cloth bound round the deep, jagged wound in his forearm; and then made his way upstream the length of the town, until he came to the shendron's post under the zoan tree.
There was no shendron there now, not even a woman or an old man, for Ta-Kominion was not concerned to set guards round Ortelga. Waiting, however, under the tent of leaves he found, as he had expected, two of the Tuginda's girls with a canoe. Numiss and another had been despatched that morning, as soon as the fight was over, to cross the strait, find the Tuginda and ask for guides to be sent to the zoan tree after moonrise.
As the canoe moved obliquely across the midstream current and on into the slack water under the further bank Ta-Kominion, sitting in the stern, could make out, away to his left, the dull glint of weapons held high out of the water, an occasional splash – the sound reaching him an instant after the quick glitter in the moon – and the onward creeping of the line of black shapes as the last of his followers made the crossing. Coming ashore he stumbled, struck his arm against a tree and stood biting his lip as the pain slowly subsided. All day he had made light of the wound but now, when one of the girls unfastened the leather strap of her quiver to make him a rough sling, he was ready enough to do as she bid, bending his head meekly to let her tie the knot behind his neck.
The girls had become adept at moving in the dark. Whether they were following any path or how they knew their way he could not tell and was beginning to feel too feverish to care. His arm throbbed and his hearing seemed continually to change, now magnified, now dulled. He walked behind them in silence, revolving in his mind all that still remained to be done. At length he saw, far-off, the leaping of a fire between the trees. He went towards it, halting as his guides were challenged and answered with some password. Then he stepped into the firelight and Kelderek came forward to meet him.
For a few moments they stood looking at one another, each thinking how strange it was that in spite of all that had passed he should not yet be familiar with the other's face. Then Kelderek dropped his eyes to the fire, stooped and threw on a log, speaking diffidently as he did so.
'Crendro, Ta-Kominion. I am glad that you have won Ortelga, but sorry to see you wounded. I hope you found the girls waiting?'
Ta-Kominion nodded and sat down on a creeper-covered log. Kelderek remained standing, leaning on a long stake which the girls had been using to stir the fire. 'Is the wound serious?' 'It's of no importance. Others were luckier – others who won't be afraid to fight again.' 'How long did the fight last?'
'I don't know. Longer than it took you to get across the strait, I dare say.'
He pulled a splinter from the log. A turn of the breeze blew the smoke into his face but he ignored it Kelderek stirred the fire and shifted his feet At length he said, 'Most of the Tuginda's stuff is still on the other side. The women left it this morning when they followed us across the river.' There was another silence.
'It puzzles me,' said Kelderek, 'that last night, in spite of his hunger, Lord Shardik would not go on through the forest. He must have caught the scent of food from Ortelga, yet he turned back from the Dead Belt and took to the river.'
Ta-Kominion shook his head as though the matter were of little interest to him. 'What has happened to Bel- ka-Trazet?' asked Kelderek. 'Oh, he took to the water, like you; not quite so quickly.'
Kelderek drew in his breath and clenched his hand on the stake. After some moments he said, 'Where has he gone?' 'Downstream.' 'Do you mean to pursue him?'
'It's not necessary. He isn't a coward, but to us he can be no more dangerous now than if he were.' He looked up. 'Where is Lord Shardik?'
'Over there, not far from the road. He reached the road this afternoon but then went back into the forest. I was near him until moonrise, but I returned to meet you.' 'What road?' 'The road to Gelt. We are not far from it here.'
Ta-Kominion got up and stood squarely in front of Kelderek, looking down into his face. His back was to the fire and, with his long hair falling forward, he seemed to be wearing a mask of heavy shadows, through which his eyes burned cold and harsh. Without turning his head he said, 'You may leave us, Numiss.' 'But where are we to go, my lord?'
Ta-Kominion said nothing more and after a moment the red-haired fellow and his companion slipped away among the trees. Before Ta-Kominion could speak again Kelderek burst out,
'My place is with Lord Shardik, to follow and serve himl That is my task! I am no coward!' 'I did not say you were.'
'I have walked beside Lord Shardik, slept beside him, laid my hands upon him. Is that work for a coward?'
Ta-Kominion closed his eyes and passed his hand once or twice across his forehead.
'I did not come here, Kelderek, either to accuse you or to quarrel with you. I have more important things to speak of.'
'You think I'm a coward. You have as good as said so!'
'What I may have let slip is nothing to do with our affairs now. You'd do better to put such personal ideas out of your mind. Every man in Ortelga who can use a weapon is across the Telthearna and ready to march on Bekla. They'll start soon – before dawn. I shall join them from here – no need to return to the camp. We shall be at Bekla in five days – perhaps sooner. It's not only surprise we need. We've got no more than three days' food, but that's not the whole of it either. Our people have got to take Bekla before they can lose the power that's burning in their hearts. Whose, do you suppose, is that power?' 'My lord?' It had slipped out before Kelderek could check himself.
'It was the power of Shardik that took Ortelga today. We were lucky – there were many who saw him before he crossed the causeway. Bel-ka-Trazet was driven out because he was known to be Shardik's enemy. The people have seen for themselves that Shardik has returned. They believe there's nothing he won't give them -nothing they can't do in his name.'
He took a few uncertain steps back to the log and sat rigid and frowning, fighting a sudden fit of giddiness.
