‘I have absolutely no intention—’ Iwa started, but Yaroslav held her firmly.
‘I mean it, no heroics, or foolishness either. Say what you have to and help Jarel convince the others, but don’t get caught up in anything more. I don’t want to lose you to some woyak’s axe.’
‘I promise.’ Her voice trailed away as Jarel returned with a sliver of meat.
‘There is enough here to last until morning, if you’re careful,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back after we speak to Kazik.’
Yaroslav lay back and coughed: a trace of phlegm dribbled from the side of his mouth and ran down his chin. Iwa used the side of her sleeve to wipe him clean. She so desperately wanted someone to talk to, someone who’d understand all about Jezi Baba and believe her, but at the cave mouth Jarel waited.
If only she could have spent more time with Yaroslav. She still didn’t trust the effects of the berries either – what if something went wrong? He might need help. Most of the healing herbs could turn against you if you mixed them wrongly or gave too many by mistake. True, Yaroslav seemed fine, already his skin had regained some of its colour and he was warm to the touch, but sometimes people only appeared to recover before Veles, the god who guarded the cave of the ancestors, came and took them.
She didn’t know how the berries worked, nobody did, not even Katchka. And, as she prepared to go, she couldn’t help but feel the chill in the air.
‘Remember, now,’ Yaroslav whispered hoarsely, ‘no heroics.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Iwa said as she laid the water skins by his side, ‘I’ll be back soon.’
‘But do you think the other clans will listen?’ Iwa said, as they made their way down the forest path. It was near dark and the shadows had started to lengthen with the setting sun, but they were cautious all the same.
‘I’m not sure I believe it myself,’ Jarel muttered. ‘They can’t be that powerful; not to cut down the trees, the forest spirits wouldn’t let them.’
‘Krol Gawel has the protection of Piórun. Somehow I don’t think the Leszy care to match wits with this thunder god.’
‘Then is there anything we can do?’
Iwa paused and wondered if she should tell him about Jezi Baba, but why would he believe her? The night hag didn’t show herself easily. Nobody had seen Jezi Baba before, not even Katchka. Sometimes one of the old ones would glimpse her shadow out of the corner of their eye, but that was all. Kazik and the others were going to have enough problems understanding about crops and woyaks without her babbling on about night hags. If only Yaroslav had been strong enough to come with them. She rehearsed what she was going to say. They’d all need careful handling, the older ones especially.
‘Look,’ Jarel said, ‘I think it’d be best if you let me do most of the talking. Wait on the sidelines and I’ll signal when it’s time for you to speak.’
‘Thanks,’ Iwa said sarcastically, kicking at a stone. This was all so unfair; why did nobody ever want to believe her? It wasn’t as if she’d ever told any really big lies. ‘But I know the camp better than any. Your hunters were too busy running in the night to scout it out properly. I can tell you where they sleep and where they keep their weapons.’
She stopped short. Of course it was obvious that the woyaks went into their great ships to sleep, and she didn’t really know where they kept their weapons unless it was by their sides. But if he guessed the truth, Jarel didn’t let on.
This was even more unfair. Surely she must have come across some scrap of knowledge which might be useful? She’d found out about their plans and a few of their names, but little else.
She was about to take another kick at the stone when Jarel pushed her flat against a tree. Iwa opened her mouth to protest, but he motioned her to silence. A knife glistened in his hand as he cast furtive glances into the undergrowth. What? she mouthed, but Jarel remained silent, his grip tightening as he pinned her to the bark.
‘Somebody follows,’ he whispered eventually, ‘I’m sure of it.’
‘I didn’t hear anything.’
‘Maybe I was mistaken.’ But still he didn’t move. Before them was a clearing, the ground littered with a mass of leaves and branch wood. ‘Get across as quick as you can.’ Jarel motioned with the knife. ‘I’ll keep watch, just in case.’ Cautiously she stopped at the edge. ‘Quickly,’ Jarel hissed urgently.
Without a look back she broke out of the undergrowth and into the clearing. With a crash the world tumbled in around her, leaves and wood falling as she plummeted to the ground.
Blinking, she recovered her senses. Her eyes were filled with dirt and there was a numb buzzing between her ears. ‘Are you all right?’ a tiny voice called inside her head. She struggled to her knees and tried to speak but her lips were fuzzy and filled with the taste of rotten leaves. ‘Are you all right?’ This time she realised it was Jarel. Only then did she shake the dust out of her eyes. It was a bear trap. Even in the dark she should have seen it; the thin cover of leaves and dead wood drawn over a deep pit.
‘Jarel, you idiot,’ she hissed, still trying to keep her voice down in case they were really being followed.
‘At least the fall hasn’t damaged your temper.’
Iwa got to her feet and winced as a stab of pain stung her right leg. Carefully, she leant against the side of the pit and rolled her foot in the air. Luckily it didn’t appear to be bad, nothing more than the trace of a bruise beginning to swell about her ankle.
‘Get me out of here,’ she said,
