The cool, indifferent Quya made Carnelian boil. He would tell Akaisha and she would put a stop to Osidian's madness. He looked around him and saw the hollow-eyed determination on every face. Even if Akaisha believed him, would she be able to tell the mothers to forget their lost children?
He felt empty as he regarded Osidian. 'You will at least fight with them?'
'I will lead them to victory.'
'Lead them? Did Ravan not tell you that they rejected you?'
Osidian smiled again. They will follow me.'
Carnelian felt tired, not understanding what he meant, not wanting to understand.
'And you, my Lord,' Osidian said. 'Who will you fight with?'
Carnelian clasped his head in exasperation. 'How many sides are there?'
'Either you will choose to stand with me or else number yourself among the savages. Which will it be?'
Carnelian considered whether he might refuse to fight at all. But could he watch Fern and the others march out and remain behind? The waiting would be unbearable. He searched Osidian's eyes for any glimmer of the boy he had loved, but all he saw was a Master.
He shook his head. 'Not with you.'
Osidian turned away.
Carnelian stood there for some moments, considering all the arguments he might make, the appeals, but he knew the Master would never listen and, desolate, he went off to find Fern.
Carnelian wandered sick at heart through the encampment. Fresh edges were being struck onto the flint blades of their spears and javelins. Aquar were having their saddle-chairs adjusted. Unnecessary equipment was being removed. Men were taking turns hornblacking each other's faces.
Carnelian's heart sank when he saw Fern approach with Sil and Poppy. The girl looked like she wanted to run to him, but Sil was holding her hand. Fern offered Carnelian a freshly honed spear.
'Will you fight with us?'
'Do you really want this?' Carnelian said.
Looking unhappy, Fern shrugged. 'It's happening. To try to match the Bluedancing's numbers everyone's going: from the eldest to the youngest. We need every warrior we can get. Will you fight with us?'
'Warriors?' Carnelian snorted and when he saw Fern's dismay, he reached out to take the spear. 'Of course I'll fight with you.' j
Poppy ran into him. 'You mustn't go, Carnie. You mustn't.'
He crouched, holding her away from him so he could look into her eyes. 'You wouldn't want Fern to go by himself, would you?'
Poppy looked at Fern and then back at Carnelian. Sil put a hand on Poppy's head. They'll take care of each other.'
The girl looked up at Fern. 'You promise?' 'I promise,' said Fern.
As Carnelian rose, Sil looked at him with a question in her eyes. He gave her a nod in answer, then put his hand on Fern's shoulder.
'Come, paint me for war.'
The Ochre warband had a ferocious aspect. Swarthy sinews, midnight faces and, already, something like the joy of battles had come upon them. Seeing them round him laughing, even Carnelian began to believe in the possibility of victory.
'Who can stand against such prowess?' one man cried, and was greeted with much punching of the air.
As they mounted up, Carnelian looked among the women searching for Osidian and was puzzled when he could not see him anywhere. Searching among the warriors, he saw Ravan and Krow. He frowned. It was strange to see them separated from Osidian.
'Our prayers go with you all,' Ginkga cried, making the best of a bad situation.
Take your strength from the Earth and your courage from the Sky,' cried Harth, looking morose.
Akaisha was trying to conceal her worry. 'May the Mother and the Skyfather bring you back safely.'
Cacophony broke out as women called out their men's love names; mothers the names of their sons; daughters their fathers'. Catching Akaisha's eye, Carnelian gave her a salute and she replied with a curt nod. Sil was there beside her and Poppy. He waved at them and they waved back.
The warband rode out on this swell of anxious love, perhaps two hundred of them, following the trail their enemies had left churned into the mud.
The pace dropped as the camp fell out of sight. Word was passed round that they must conserve the strength of their aquar for the coming battle. Their ardour seemed harder to keep alight once they were all alone cantering across grey desolation. Even the sky seemed to be against them, dashing its downpour mercilessly against their faces as they rode along the muddy trail.
Sharing the increasing feeling of unease, Carnelian looked to the Elders who were riding up ahead. For a while now they had been in discussion amongst themselves, often looking back with anxious faces. At last they broke apart and began falling back, calling a halt. It was Galewing, frowning, who announced that they had chosen Crowrane to be their leader. Loskai looked smug as his father surveyed the warband.
'Organize yourselves according to your hunts.'
As everyone moved their aquar in the direction of their hunt leader, a melee ensued in which unease flared to anger and loud recriminations. Shouting commands, the Elders rode round the edges trying to untangle the situation.
Eventually, Carnelian found himself with Fern, Ravan, Krow and the others of his old hunt in a clump in front of Crowrane. Loskai regarded them with satisfaction. One of the youngsters asked if their raid was going to be like hunting and Crowrane slapped him down in a way that only served to betray how thin was his composure.
'What do we do next?' asked Ravan, loudly.
Crowrane fixed him with a scowl. 'We send scouts to locate the enemy.'
All the Elders who had been auxiliaries wanted to go. Confusion reigned once more, until Galewing's hunt was nominated to go scouting. The rest remained behind under Crowrane's authority. With Loskai as his lieutenant, the Elder busied himself making all manner of elaborate arrangements that seemed to serve no purpose but to make them acknowledge he was their commander.
As they waited, they dismounted and walked about. Carnelian surveyed the people round him with foreboding. Even through their warpaint, the youngsters seemed pale and sick. Most of the men were convincing as warriors only when they were conscious they were being looked at. There was nothing to do; nothing to think about except the coming battle.
Carnelian noticed Krow kept scanning the blank horizon. What was Osidian up to? He was amused to see the youngsters drawn to Fern, whose brass collar perhaps lent him a military aura.
When the scouting party was sighted returning, Crowrane gave in to the pleas of the youngsters that the warband should ride to meet them. As they closed on the scouts, whose faces were swathed, Carnelian could tell by the cast of their shoulders that they were not bringing good news.
Galewing pointed over his shoulder. They're there,' he said, trying to sound calm. They march across the Plain. We can be fairly certain they didn't see us.'
'Let's attack them now,' Ravan declared, causing everyone to look at him.
Crowrane fixed him with baleful eyes. 'You don't know what you're talking about. If we come at them across the open plain they'll have all the time they need to receive our charge. For any chance at victory, we need surprise.'
'This is madness,' cried Kyte. Carnelian could see the way his gaze shifted here and there among the warband as if he were already counting casualties.
'I have to agree with Father Kyte,' said Galewing. 'We don't have the numbers nor the training. We have nothing. We must forget this and return to our people while we still can.'
Ravan rode forward, regarding the Elders with a contemptuous gaze. 'All my life you've claimed to be soldiers, but now I can see you never did anything more than catch thieves in the marketplace or stand guard upon a gate.'
The voices of the Elders rose in protest but Ravan's young voice could still be heard above them. 'We're no less brave, nor less skilled with weapons than the Bluedancing and don't you remember this morning, Father
