be prepared to be her guardian. Fern's jaw betrayed the anger he was suppressing. Carnelian decided it was too much to ask. He glanced up past the fire at Akaisha. He would ask her. Besides, he owed her an explanation as to why he felt he had no choice but to go with Osidian.
When he saw Akaisha leaving the hearth he waited a little while. Eyes watching him rise, quickly lost interest as he slipped into the darkness.
When Carnelian's vision adjusted to the dark, he saw Akaisha moving towards the rootstair. When he caught up, he reached out to touch her shoulder. She jumped.
'It's only Carnie, my mother.'
She pressed a hand to her chest. 'What're you doing stalking me in the dark?'
'I wanted to talk to you alone.'
'I'm going to relieve myself, child.'
Carnelian did not know what to say.
She sighed. 'I suppose you could walk some of the way with me.'
He remembered to put his shoes on before they left the rootearth. As they climbed the rootstair, he ordered his thoughts.
'Mother Akaisha, if I were to go tomorrow with Crowrane's hunt, would I go with your blessing?'
The night was very black so that, although Carnelian had made this journey many times he still did not know the steps so well that he was free from the fear of stumbling.
Akaisha did not speak until they had reached the Crag. 'You must not go.'
The path round the Crag was lit by starlight. 'I know it is likely to be dangerous.' 'Well then.'
'My brother is determined to go.' Their footfalls were no louder than the sighing of the cedars.
The party of the Elders who wish you dead daily dwindles,' Akaisha whispered.
'If it was up to me, my mother… but my brother will not be swayed by me or any other. For him it's a matter of honour.'
Akaisha gave a snort. 'Honour? Why does honour so often serve only to turn men stupid?'
Carnelian could think of no reply.
'What if I forbade him?' asked Akaisha.
'You'd have to be prepared to restrain him with force.'
They had reached the top of the Westing rootstair. Without hesitation, Akaisha plunged into the blackness beneath the mother trees.
Then I can only pray the Mother will protect you.'
Akaisha had to slow her pace to allow Carnelian to find his way safely down the stair. Though he had to concentrate his mind in his heels, he was still aware of the illuminated underside of the cedars that made it seem as if shadowy halls were laid out on either side.
At last they reached the flat ground before the Westgate, where he knew he must part from Akaisha. The stretch of the Homeditch the women used lay off to the left along the Homewalk: that which the men used, to the right, towards the Childsgate, overlooking the strangely barren rectangle which the Tribe called the Poisoned Field.
Akaisha brought them to a halt. 'It will be hard for my son to work under the Bloodwood Tree without your company.'
'I cannot abandon my brother.'
She clasped his arm. 'Harth may be behind this; Crowrane certainly is or he would have returned with his hunt. That he did not and that Loskai made his challenge when poor Mossie was on duty seems altogether too much of a coincidence. You have one narrow hope. Their plan was certainly to take you out hunting. That they agreed to the Master's counter-challenge has forced them to change the rota. It takes two hunts to fetch water and so you will be going out with not only Crowrane, but also Galewing. When the Assembly voted on your fate, Galewing was the only man who supported me.'
Carnelian pondered this.
Her hold tightened on his arm. 'Do what you can to keep Ravan from any trouble that may arise.' Carnelian put his hand over hers. 'I will.' They let go of each other.
'I'm relieved Fern isn't coming with us,' said Carnelian. 'I wouldn't have been able to stop him getting involved.'
'I'm glad some good has come to him from his punishment. When I imposed it on him, it seemed just, but now I can only see that it is wasting much of what little time he has left.'
Carnelian became confused. Time left?'
He could sense her surprise. 'Surely… surely you can't be unaware of the collar round his neck?'
The collar…?' Coldness flooded his stomach. Fern had deserted from the legions.
'When the Gatherer comes next year, Fern's life will be forfeit.'
'I hadn't imagined…' He remembered the anger Sil had shown him which he had not understood.
'You hadn't imagined the vengeance of the Standing Dead would seek him out?' she said with incredulous anger.
That they could find him.'
'You yourself revealed to us our name pricked into the palms of our service men. How do you think it got there?'
They give it over when they are recruited,' Carnelian said. He stared into the night. 'I just didn't… I'm so stupid.'
'It seems the Standing Dead are unaware of much of the suffering they inflict upon the world.'
Carnelian burned with shame. 'Couldn't we hide him?'
She gave a hollow laugh. 'If we did, they'd take a child in his place.'
How small was the mesh of the net the Masters had cast over these people. 'Will they… punish him here?'
'Most likely they'll take him to Makar where, as an example to others, they'll hang him, mutilated, upon a cross.'
The flat resigned tone of her voice was chilling. 'If that's all?' Akaisha said.
Carnelian saw her shape begin to turn away and reached out and fumbled in the darkness for her hand.
'Perhaps, my mother, while I'm away you might take care of Poppy for me.'
He felt some tensing in her hand and then it was gently pulled away. 'You shouldn't care for her so much, Carnie.'
'I don't share your prejudice against her,' he snapped.
Akaisha took him by the arm. 'It's not that… It is only that when the Gatherer comes she might be selected for the tithe.'
Carnelian felt he could bear no more pain. 'Fern told me the same thing. But surely she's Twostone.'
'She ceased to be that when I accepted her into my hearth.'
Then why did you risk her by…?' He paused remembering Ebeny. 'You don't want to lose more of your kin?'
'My grand-daughter is my heart.'
Carnelian knew it was cruel to say more but could not help himself. 'And Poppy has the kind of prettiness the Gatherer likes.'
She snatched her hand from his arm. 'I'll look after her for you,' she said and walked away.
When Carnelian returned, he did not want to go to the hearth where he would have to face Fern and made his way instead to his hollow. Osidian was there already asleep with Poppy. Carnelian lay down between them. Poppy moulded herself into his side. Her warmth stirred a panic in him that she might be taken away to Osrakum. Panic turned to anger. How could Akaisha be so selfish? She was no better than Harth and all those others who hated him and Osidian.
Carnelian's heart beat faster as he imagined the dangers the next day would bring. Above him stars twinkled in and out of existence as the breathing night stirred the branches of the cedar. He saw again Osidian breaking Ranegale over his knee. Loskai had had to witness that. How could he judge him; judge his father and mother's desire for revenge? Plainsmen had to endure, repeatedly, the rape of their people. It tore at him that, in
