Fern looked uncertain and Carnelian could see even Loskai wavering.
Roaring, Ranegale flung himself on Osidian who fell backwards with the Plainsman on top of him. As Carnelian lunged forward to pull the man off, Fern grabbed hold of him. Carnelian struggled loose, snarling, and would have attacked his friend if it had not been for the expression of shock on his face.
'We've no quarrel,' said Fern.
Carnelian turned to see Osidian struggling to push Ranegale off him. The Plainsman butted him in the face and Osidian's nose turned red.
'His blood,' Carnelian cried out, in outrage.
Fern grimaced apologetically. 'You mustn't interfere.'
'But he's still weak,' moaned Carnelian.
Loskai leered. 'If the Master wins, we'll follow him wherever he leads.'
He lost his leer when at that moment Osidian managed to roll Ranegale off him.
Ravan bared his teeth. 'Hurt him, Master, hurt him.'
Carnelian formed part of the ring of bodies shifting around the fight. He could not bear to see Osidian hurt more than he had been already. He looked round at Fern pleading with his eyes, but his friend shook his head.
They'll have to sort this out some time.'
Carnelian saw the truth in that. A cry from Ravan made Carnelian turn back to the fight. Ranegale was holding a knife. Carnelian stared at its feint and stab. Another blade landed in the mud beside Osidian's foot. He saw it, but ignored it. Lunging ferociously, he caught Ranegale, then with appalling strength lifted him clear of the ground, then hurled him down.
Carnelian saw Ranegale had lost his knife; then his uba was torn away to reveal the pit above his mouth, the crusted eye socket, the earless holes in the side of his head. The man's hands trembled up to hide his disfigurements. Osidian stood over him. The Plainsman made to snatch the second blade but Osidian's foot struck like a snake, crushing his wrist. Hanging his hand, whining, Ranegale stared, tearful panic in his eye. He shrieked as Osidian took hold of him. The Plainsman struggled but could not break free.
'Let him go,' wailed Loskai.
Osidian knelt, bending the man backwards over his knee.
Carnelian shuffled forward. 'Osidian, you are victorious. Let him go.'
Loskai fell to his knees. 'Please, Master…'
Osidian gave no response and like a machine continued inexorably to bend Ranegale's back.
Carnelian threw himself on Osidian, trying to release his hold on Ranegale. Clawing blood from Osidian's thigh, the Plainsman flung his head back, his disfigured face shaping a silent cry of agony. The crack as his back snapped made everyone jump. Carnelian let go of Osidian's arms and stood back. Osidian rolled the man off his knee into the mud and rose. Gaping, Carnelian glanced at Ranegale splayed at his feet. Osidian was staring at the broken man as if he had come across him by surprise.
Ranegale begged his brother to kill him, but Loskai, staring, backed away. They all stood as if forced to watch the man's agonized attempts to stand. He scrabbled with his arms but his legs seemed to have been turned to stone. Loskai helped prop him up, but each time his brother collapsed back into the mud so that he began to look nothing like a man at all but rather some loathsome worm crawled up from the swamp.
'Kill me, Loskai,' shrilled Ranegale.
Loskai was doubled up, reaching out, stamping. 'We can carry you home, Ranegale. Perhaps the Elders can fix you.'
'I'm broken,' Ranegale squealed. 'Do it,' Ravan screamed at Loskai. Among the sobbing youths, Krow stood silendy watching.
Fern turned snarling in the direction which Osidian had taken when he had disappeared into the gloom. 'Were you possessed to do this?'
Though in shock, Carnelian knew it was guilt that made him speak. 'Have you forgotten it was Ranegale who wanted to leave your kin to rot?'
Fern lowered his head and looked at Carnelian from under his brows. 'And you believe that justifies this?'
Rage rose in Carnelian. Fearing he might unleash it on his friend, he turned and ran, hunting Osidian along the trail he had left in the mud. Slipping, he fell. The impact cleared his mind. Mercifully, he had come far enough that he could barely hear Ranegale's cries. Should he have stopped the fight? What Osidian had done disgusted him, but would any other Master have acted differendy? This Osidian was not the boy that he had loved in the Yden. What Carnelian feared most was that it was he who was responsible for the transformation.
The first thing Carnelian noticed when Osidian came into view was his bony spine pushing through the soaked cloth on his back. Coming closer, he could see the brown scar he wore around his neck. Pity mixed with dread as Carnelian moved round to try and look into his face.
'It was necessary he should die,' Osidian said, looking at his hands as if they were not his own.
'He is not dead yet.'
They will kill him.'
Carnelian hoped this was true. 'And now you will lead them?'
The face Osidian turned to him was one Carnelian recognized. Relief washed over him.
They embraced, clinging to each other.
'Where have you been?' he muttered into Osidian's shoulder.
'Where I would never wish to have you go, my blood.'
Carnelian pushed Osidian away to search his face. 'I know you now, but Fern was right, you have been possessed.'
Osidian raised his brows and, wearily, he laughed. The sound warmed Carnelian like the sun in winter.
'Would my Lord deny me a modicum of bitterness considering the way our lives have gone recently?'
'It is good and natural you should feel remorse.'
The change that came over Osidian was like sudden cloud shadow. 'You believe I could do wrong by hurting a savage?'
Carnelian backed away from the fire in his eyes.
'I have been touched,' he said in an ominous tone.
'Forget that now,' said Carnelian, trying to bring the brightness back.
'I am consumed by an inner night.' Osidian looked away and peered into the glooms between the trunks as if he were seeing something there.
'Just nightmares. You have had nightmares and as you said, how could you not? But you have woken now and left them behind.'
Osidian looked a little like a child, so that Carnelian wanted to embrace him again but he did not dare.
Osidian shook his head. There is no waking.' He pierced Carnelian with his eyes. 'You yourself have seen the signs.'
They guide us to sanctuary among the Ochre where we can live together free from the oppression that would have been ours in Osrakum even if we had not been taken.'
Osidian's eyes widened. 'Do you really imagine the God cast me half-divine from my throne so that I might keep house with you among filthy savages? Is that really the full measure of your heart?'
Carnelian withered beneath his glare.
Osidian looked away. 'He prepares me for some great purpose.' His gaze fell again upon Carnelian. 'Did He not come Himself to me?'
Carnelian frowned at the divine pronoun. 'Do you mean the monster who attacked us?'
'A form He put on when He descended from the sky.'
Carnelian drew back. 'Why? Why would He come to you in such a form?'
'Why? To anoint me with His blood, as my brother was anointed when the Wise made him God.'
Fern and Loskai were hoisting Ranegale's mud-smeared body up into a treefern when Carnelian and Osidian returned. Several heads turned. Most ducked back afraid, but Ravan and Krow lingered, watching Osidian with a fascination that made Carnelian uneasy.
As the Plainsmen sang their laments, Carnelian felt Osidian move from his side. He was peering up through
