Iwa pressed her cheek against Yaroslav’s shoulder, taking comfort from the soft beat of his breath. All she wanted to do was stay here, safe in the cave, and look after him. She closed her eyes and tried not to think of Jarel gazing at the ground with his legs splayed out before him so that he looked like some giant bug. Maybe she’d been missed already, and who knew what the krol would do once he’d found that she’d gone.
He needs the women if he wants to plant the crops, Iwa tried her best to console herself, but the image of the women stuffed into the boat wouldn’t leave her. What if Alia has told the krol about Katchka’s mushrooms? Almost too frightened to speak, she tried her best to forget Grunmir’s warning. I couldn’t be all that important. Only Katchka cares if I come back at all. Alia probably wants to see the back of me for good, anyhow. That way she won’t have to decide if she wants to tell the krol about the plan and Katchka can spend the rest of her days dreaming about her empty revenge.
Maybe he wouldn’t believe Alia’s story. The idea of gathering enough mushrooms to poison the woyaks seemed laughable, but the krol had not struck her as a reasonable man. Suddenly the notion of uniting the clans to drive away the woyaks seemed a better idea.
As she lay next to her father, she couldn’t help but glance up at Jarel, as his thick fingers twisted clumsily round each other. The last thing she wanted to do was leave the cave, not now that she’d found her father. This was so unfair.
‘I could come too,’ she murmured despite herself, her words stuttering as she fought to get them out. ‘I’ve been a captive in their ship. I can tell the clans about it all. If they found out about how the women are treated, they’d be bound to fight, especially if they realise that their women could be captured too.’
‘Maybe.’ Jarel chewed at his lower lip. ‘This will be a hunters’ council.’
‘Then you’ve got to get them to listen to me.’ Jarel glanced away but Iwa had a hold of his arm. He wouldn’t be able to convince the hunters of anything; Iwa realised. A helpless half cripple hardly counted amongst the men. He was little better than her in the eyes of the hunters, but at least she’d seen the ships first-hand and she knew how things were back at the camp and what they could expect from this krol. Jarel didn’t understand, she could see that. He could only really guess at things and his words would carry little weight. At least with her there would be a chance.
‘Talk to Kazik,’ she said, speaking quickly so as to keep the uncertainty from her voice. ‘Women have been allowed to speak in the hunters’ council before.’
‘Only under exceptional circumstances.’
‘And aren’t these circumstances exceptional enough?’ She was sure of it now. Not that the hunters would be likely to listen to her. I have to get them to come to the cave. Once they hear what Yaroslav has to say… Hadn’t they always followed his council, especially in matters where they knew little?
Carefully she began to rehearse her speech. She’d have to be clever, now more than ever. She remembered the tricks she used to play, the ways she’d found to get round the clan. ‘Let me talk to them,’ she said, feeling her confidence gather. ‘I can get them to come here.’ She turned to Yaroslav. ‘The hunters have always listened to you. You need to tell them about the Poles and the way that they’ll destroy the forest.’
‘If only it were that simple,’ he replied.
No. Iwa hugged him to her. He couldn’t give up, she wouldn’t let him. ‘You will find a way,’ she said, ‘I know you will.’
‘It will take all the power of the clans,’ he said softly, ‘and even then…’ His voice trailed off into the cave’s gloom.
‘You’ll find a way to make them see reason,’ she said. ‘They’ll listen to you, they have to.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘We’ll leave you some fish,’ she said, getting up, ‘and the best of the kill. Move over to the fire, you’ll need to keep it going. I can stay until Jarel gets word, but you’ll have to look after yourself after that.’ Only then did she look over to Jarel and see the doubt in his face. ‘You’ve got to let me talk to them at least.’
But still he didn’t move, his hand playing with a stray twig as he watched the flames flicker. ‘You’ll have to come with me now,’ he said, though his voice was no more than a whisper. ‘We can go back to my camp, Kazik will send word there. The meeting will be called quickly so as not to leave much chance of betrayal, and there’ll be little time enough for us to get there, so you’ll have to come with me.
‘I have food to last you the night,’ he nodded to Yaroslav, ‘dried meat, nothing more. Kazik should come to me before nightfall tomorrow. After the meeting we can bring some more for you.’
He got up to go, but Yaroslav grabbed his arm. ‘You need to convince him of my words. The fate of the clan, of all the clans rests with you.’
‘We’ll talk with Kazik: he will be honour-bound to listen. I’ve made my first kill and so my voice is to be heard. I’ll be sure to tell him what you’ve said, but this is something we need to decide as a clan, if we are to remain one at all.’ With that he left to get the meat.
Iwa made ready to follow, but Yaroslav reached out for her. ‘I don’t know what goes on in the camp of this Krol Gawel of yours,’ he said, ‘but I do not
