'My hollow seems to have acquired another mouth to feed.'
She looked at him surprised. When Carnelian explained, she looked thoughtful.
'It was obvious yesterday she'd taken to you, Carnie.'
'Will anyone mind?'
'I can't see why they should, do you?'
Carnelian shook his head.
She beamed. 'Well then.' She plucked up another cake and gave it to him.
He thanked her and returned to the hollow. In his absence, Poppy had snuggled into Osidian. Carnelian wondered how Osidian would react to the girl. He woke her gently. Poppy yawned, rubbed her eyes and then came suddenly awake in a stare. He thought of welcoming her, but then considered he should not do so until he was sure Osidian was not going to reject her. To reassure her he gave her a cake with a smile.
Osidian was next. Carnelian had to shake him. Osidian opened his eyes and for a while could do nothing more than gaze up into the branches of the cedar. When, at last, he sat up with a groan, Poppy looked at him as if he had suddenly come up out of the ground. Carnelian offered him a cake. Osidian's eyes fell on Poppy, who smiled winningly at him. As he turned away from her, Poppy's face fell and Carnelian reacted by cupping her cheek in his hand. She backed into his leg, making sure to keep an eye on Osidian. Carnelian offered him the cake again. To Carnelian's relief, Osidian took it and bit into it.
The cakes were finished by the time Fern appeared. Osidian greeted him with cold eyes. Fern addressed Carnelian as if Osidian were not there.
'Are you sure he's going to be strong enough?'
Carnelian was not sure, but was determined he would not allow him to remain in the hollow. When it came time for them to leave, Osidian refused any help. Grimacing, he rose and then stood looking none too steady. 'Where's Ravan?'
'He'll be on warding duty around the Koppie today with the rest of his hunt,' said Fern.
Carnelian saw in Osidian's raised eyebrows that he had expected Ravan to join them. Osidian caught Carnelian's look and smiled.
'So our little friend thinks it too humiliating to work with us.'
Carnelian was half pleased that this might lead to a break between the two.
They moved towards the rootstair, Osidian tottering after them. Poppy would not leave Carnelian's side. Together they descended the stair with Fern. Osidian followed them, taking each step as if it were his last.
His face wet rust, Osidian stood naked beneath the Bloodwood Tree. His pallid skin could have been soaked cloth wrapped around the frame of his bones. Carnelian and Fern looked at each other. Neither could imagine where Osidian was even finding the strength to stand, never mind for the day's work. Akaisha called out to them. Bloodied, she stood by the butchered corpse, the black boulder of its liver bleeding at her feet. Carnelian saw her look of concern as she watched Osidian advancing with them. Sil could not hide her distress. Even Whin's forehead was creased with something like pity.
Carnelian decided to act. He took Osidian's stick arm.
'You're too weak,' Carnelian said.
Osidian pulled his arm free and continued his advance upon the liver. Soon he was wrestling with it. Its blood smeared all across his chest. Carnelian saw Osidian was intent on lifting the whole mass of it himself and rushed in to help. Fern was soon there beside him. As they heaved the quivering mass to the drag-cradles, they had enough of a struggle coping with its weight themselves to have any energy left over to worry about Osidian.
They toiled in the withering heat. Carnelian had become accustomed to the itch of flies walking upon his sweating skin. The stench no longer seemed unbearable. It was different for Osidian. Carnelian's wonder at his strength dulled into an ache of fear. Osidian's limbs seemed so thin they might snap; his muscles so wasted he should have been unable to move. Yet he worked as hard as Carnelian did, as hard as Fern. Carnelian could not rid himself of the conviction that such miraculous strength was consuming what little life Osidian had left.
Carnelian almost cried with relief when Akaisha announced their midday rest. He threw down what he was carrying and made a show of moving from the drag-cradles to the welcoming shade of the Bloodwood Tree. As Fern and he headed for it, Carnelian kept turning just enough to make sure Osidian was following them. As soon as Carnelian reached the trunk he sat against it to encourage Osidian to do the same. Osidian slid down painfully. His eyes stared unblinking from his ochred face. Sil and Poppy brought them food and water. At Carnelian's urging, the girl made sure Osidian ate his share. Unable to look at him any more, Carnelian rested his head against the bark of the tree and closed his eyes. He allowed himself to drift away upon the waft of the women's chatter. The leaves of the Bloodwood Tree sighed a soothing air.
Half drowsing, he became aware of the women calling out a name. It took a moment for his mind to assemble the sound into a name. 'Ravan.'
Carnelian opened his eyes and searched among the shifting shades until he found the youth. Ravan was standing in the blaze just beyond the shadow of the tree.
Carnelian followed his line of sight to Osidian. The glint of Osidian's eyes showed he was watching the youth. When Osidian closed his eyes, Carnelian saw the veneer of anger on his face. When he looked for Ravan, he was gone.
People grew used to seeing the two Standing Dead accompanying Fern down to the Bloodwood Tree. Poppy did not like to leave Carnelian. When Akaisha and the other women of her hearth went away to work upon the ditches, Poppy remained behind. Akaisha was happy someone would be there to take care of her son and Carnie. Sil's gratitude towards the Twostone girl soon turned to friendship. Poppy lost her bony look. As he worked, Carnelian would send her down to help hang the djada ropes out to dry. It warmed his heart when he saw her begin to be welcomed by the other children. She helped them chase the ravens away from the racks back to their nests on the Crag. She made friends. She smiled. Carnelian knew joy the first day he heard her laugh. Poppy did not forget 'her men', as she called them. Every day, as the heat became unbearable, she insisted it was her privilege to bring them their meal. Fern, against his better judgement, grew fond of her. Even Osidian tolerated her, as if she were a pet Carnelian had adopted.
The fear Carnelian felt for Osidian had abated, as each morning found him stronger. He rarely spoke. Even when they lay together in their sleeping hollow, Osidian revealed nothing of what he was feeling. Exhausted from the work, Carnelian did not have the energy to prise him open. He told himself Osidian needed to make his own accommodation with their new life. In the evenings, around the hearth, he sat in his place on the rootbench between Fern and Carnelian. He ate everything he was given and never asked for more. Neither he nor Ravan acknowledged each other's existence. Mostly, Osidian looked deep into the fire as if he were watching some drama being played out there. At first his brooding presence had unsetded everyone, but after a few days he became as familiar a part of their world as the boulders that sat upon the hillside in the grasp of cedar roots.
Every three days or so, men would drag a new earther in from the plain. Many aquar were needed to drag the corpse into position under the Bloodwood Tree. The first time a set of hunters came they would look at the Standing Dead only from the corners of their eyes. Carnelian could see himself how terrible Osidian looked. Gigantic, clothed in gore, his blood-matted hair barely concealing the green fire of his eyes. With each succeeding visit, Carnelian began to notice that the men were losing their fear. Seeing the Standing Dead labouring where they themselves would not, they were beginning to feel contempt. For the time being, their disrespect was only in their eyes, but Carnelian knew this could not last and he feared for the effect any mockery would have upon Osidian.
It was Loskai who started it. He had returned from the hunt with other men, among whom Carnelian could see Ravan busying himself checking the knots on the tow-lines. Krow was gazing at Osidian. The hunters were filthy from days out on the plain. Fierce pride shone from their faces as they delivered the immense horned corpse to the women.
Loskai moved towards Osidian, pointing. There he is. There's the white bastard who murdered my brother.'
He turned to survey the faces of his companions. 'Neither looks so impressive now.'
He swung round and regarded Osidian and Carnelian, his lip riding up his teeth.
Carnelian bore the goading, his attention on Osidian, watching him, nervous of his reaction.
The women were gathering round. Mother Mossie appeared among them her hands half-raised, her face
