hesitant.
'Please stop this,' she said.
Suddenly Loskai shoved Carnelian, causing a hot surge of anger.
'You're not so scary now are you, Master?'
Before he had time to react, Carnelian felt someone at his side. 'You touch him again and you'll have me to deal with.'
Loskai stepped back, regarding Fern with an expression of mock fear, and then, spitting in contempt, he advanced on Osidian, taunting him in Vulgate.
'Loskai, where's your father?' said Mossie.
Osidian lifted his head and looked at Fern, then Carnelian, as if Loskai were not there. Carnelian felt the green eyes in the red-painted face were asking him a question. Enraged at being ignored, Loskai threw a punch into Osidian's ribs. Osidian hardly flinched, his gaze remaining fixed on Carnelian.
'Why's he not defending himself?' muttered Fern.
When Krow stepped forward, protesting, Loskai turned on him. 'Stay out of this, Twostone.'
Leering, Loskai threw a harder punch into Osidian that forced a groan out through his clenched teeth. Carnelian relived the slavers' tormenting of Osidian. In a blind fury, he fell on Loskai, punching him, hurling him to the ground. A pair of hands pulled him off. Still enraged, Carnelian fought loose of their grip and felt his elbow connect with bone.
'Carnie, it's me…' he heard. He saw it was Fern. With something like surprise, he gazed down at Loskai lying on the stained earth, his face bloody, his eyes unfocused with shock. The Plainsman rolled over, pushed himself up, facing Carnelian. He spat bloody teeth onto the ground.
'You've only yourself to blame, Loskai,' said Fern.
Mossie and the other women had their hands over their mouths.
'You at least are here at an Elder's command, but these two…' Loskai indicated the Standing Dead with his chin. 'Why are they here if it isn't because they fear to be men? Are they scared to leave the safety of our ditches?'
'What is the savage raving about?' Osidian asked, casually, in Quya. Carnelian translated Loskai's words.
As Osidian's gaze fell on Loskai, it caused the Plainsman to go pale. 'You should be careful what you ask for, barbarian. If it's really what you want, I'll come with you, tomorrow.'
Loskai tried a laugh. Tomorrow…? Everyone knows tomorrow our hunt rests.'
Osidian gave Loskai a look of contempt that stung him into saying: Tomorrow it is then. I'll persuade my father.'
He turned and swaggered back to join his fellows, among whom Carnelian saw Ravan, a turmoil of emotion on his face.
'I'll be reporting this. I'll tell the Elders all about it,' said Mossie.
Carnelian felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Fern looking horrified.
The Master doesn't know what he's doing.'
'He knows exactly what he's doing.'
'Loskai didn't do this by himself. Why do you imagine his father's chosen not to be here? He sent his son to bait you.'
Carnelian had already come to the same conclusion. Glancing at Osidian, Carnelian could tell his mind was made up. 'Nevertheless, I will have to go with him.'
Fern clasped his hands over his head. 'Can't you see they're just trying to get you away from my mother's protection so they can kill you?'
At that moment, Poppy appeared, all eyes and concern.
Carnelian picked her up and reassured her. 'Everything's fine. Really.'
He regarded Fern over her shoulder. His friend looked miserable. Carnelian shrugged and put Poppy down. 'Look, I've gone and covered you in blood.'
He sent her off to wash herself. Carnelian saw the bruise already developing on Fern's jaw and indicated it with a grimace. 'Did I do that?'
'It doesn't matter,' said Fern, morose.
Osidian was already returning to the drag-cradles. Brooding, Carnelian followed him.
At the hearth that night, Carnelian was agonizing over whether he should go with Osidian or not when he felt a tugging on his robe and saw it was the boy, Blue, wide-eyed. 'Carnie, is it true you almost killed Loskai today?'
Fern leaned out past Osidian. 'All he did was make him lose a couple of teeth, Blue. Loskai had it coming, he started it.'
'Yes, he started it,' said Poppy fiercely, making Carnelian laugh.
Skai looked at Carnelian over his brother's head. 'But you are going out with Father Crowrane's hunt tomorrow?'
'I haven't decided yet,' said Carnelian.
Sil's eyebrows rose and she looked up and down the men's bench. 'Isn't Father Crowrane supposed to be warding tomorrow?'
'I heard he's swapped with Father Kyte,' said Whin's husband, Ravenseye. Tomorrow, his hunt is to fetch water with Father Galewing's.'
'Why the swap?' asked Sil.
'Apparently, Loskai persuaded him,' growled Fern.
His wife regarded him with puzzlement, thought a moment, then looked up to the head of the hearth. 'Mother Akaisha, if Carnie goes, I don't suppose there's any chance you'd allow Fern to go with him?
It would be just one day away from his punishment.'
'Although I set the punishment, I acted on behalf of all the Elders and can't set it aside on whim.'
'Could you not ask the other Elders?'
Fern glanced at Carnelian. In his eyes Carnelian saw not only his friend's embarrassment, but also a yearning he could not read.
'I've said all I'm going to on this matter, child.' Akaisha's gaze fell on Carnelian. There are others, perhaps, you should be challenging, others who made commitments they now seem happy to set aside.'
Carnelian hung his head. It was true that to go with Osidian, he would be reneging on the promise he had made to Fern to share his punishment until its end. It did not matter if what she had said to Sil was true or not. Carnelian knew that Akaisha would do anything she could to stop her son becoming embroiled. Carnelian lifted his head. Ravan was looking past him to Osidian. The flicker of the fire showed the bones underlying the marble of Osidian's face. Carnelian remembered the question he had read in Osidian's eyes before the fight. A direct appeal to the love they had sworn to each other. There really was no choice. How could he let Osidian go into danger alone?
'Ravan dear,' said Whin. 'Do you think you could stay and help us tomorrow? We are going searching for herbs in the Eastgarden and need an escort.'
Angrily, Ravan shook his head. 'My place is with my hunt.'
Poppy approached Osidian, offering her bowl. 'I've left some for you.'
Osidian's gaze did not move from the heart of the fire and the little girl's face fell. Carnelian reached out, took her arm and drew her to him. He pushed the bowl gently towards her. That's kind of you, Poppy, but he's eaten his. That's yours.'
She gave Carnelian a piercing look and mouthed: 'But he's so thin.'
'So are you,' he mouthed back sparking several chuckles. It pleased Carnelian he could no longer so easily see Poppy's bones. Her eyes were bright and the bruising under them was now only the merest shadow. He had been avoiding considering the impact his decision would have on her. How hard would it be for her if he were not to return?
Poppy sat down with her back against his legs. Peering over her shoulder, he watched her dig her spoon into the bowl. When he lifted his eyes, they meshed with those of Sil, who was smiling warmly. He thought perhaps she might be prepared to adopt Poppy. He looked past Osidian at Fern. His friend liked the girl and might
