She gripped his arm. “So he can’t walk. Did he make it back?”
Sindak gave her a wry smile that barely cut the sadness in his eyes. “He’s in the council house. It—it’s a long story. When the shooting stopped, two of my warriors carried him there.”
She loosened her grip and let her hand drop. She let out a relieved breath. “Then Bahna, our Healer, is already caring for him. I’ll check on him later.”
“We need to speak, Jigonsaseh. What is your plan for dawn?” His soaked cape conformed to his muscular shoulders.
Jigonsaseh surveyed the people flooding back through the gates with armloads of arrows, packs and belt pouches. Tutelo was also herding her flock of children with the last water pots toward the gates. Soon, everyone would be back inside, and she could at least get a deep breath into her lungs.
“You think he’ll hit us just after dawn?” she asked, fixing him with tired eyes.
Sindak used his wet sleeve to wipe soot from his nose. “I think we’ll be lucky to make it to dawn.”
She leaned back against the palisade. Warriors stretched up and down the catwalks, talking, ruffling ash from their hair. Bone-weary, there would be little rest tonight. She had to think despite that. “How will he organize the attack?”
Sindak slung his bow and sank against the palisade beside her. “Right now, news is passing around every campfire. Rage and indignation are building … as well as fear. Few of Atotarho’s warriors will be able to sleep, and they’re already exhausted. Even more than we are.”
“More than we are? How can you say—”
“Please let me finish. Negano is definitely War Chief. Gonda and I heard his warriors talking about him.” He took a deep breath. “Even though we struck him hard tonight, Negano knows he still greatly outnumbers us. But he’ll be cautious tomorrow. He won’t commit all of his warriors to the assault on the palisades.”
“Five hundred shooting at us will keep us plenty busy.”
“My guess is he’ll commit one thousand, Matron. With our losses today he’ll be wagering that the terror alone will be enough to shock our meager forces—”
“Yes, and we will have our hands full dragging the dead and wounded off the catwalks.” A familiar sinking sensation invaded her belly.
Sindak leaned closer to her. Softly, for her ears alone, he said, “That means Negano will be leaving two or three hundred in camp, as reserves. If he’s smart, they’ll all be grouped together, but if he’s not…”
She fixed him with intense eyes. For a while, she didn’t say anything. “Do you think Negano knows which Hills warriors switched sides?”
“No. Many fled the battle. He knows most probably went home. But I suspect Negano hopes a few just ran away briefly and plan to return.”
She massaged her forehead as she forced her exhausted brain to think.
Sindak said, “It’s a suicide mission. I don’t know how many we can kill, but getting away again—”
“I don’t want you to kill anyone.” She lowered her hand, and considered him. “You’ve enough on your souls, old friend. We need another way. A smarter way. I want you to help me make them sick to death of Atotarho.”
Sindak’s bushy brows pulled together over his hooked nose. She could see him sorting through the possibilities of what else she might want him to do. “Are you thinking of kidnapping the old man, poisoning cook pots? Whatever it is, if we’re going to do it, we have to hurry. My warriors need to get out of this village and into the forest before—”
“I agree. But I have another idea. Meet me under the porch of the Bear Clan longhouse. I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll get them organized as quickly as I can.” He spun around and jogged down the catwalk, tapping his warriors on the shoulders, speaking with them briefly, moving on.
Down in the plaza, Kittle’s arms moved, pointing to people, assigning them duties. Already women searched the belt pouches and packs they’d looted from the battlefield, separating out anything edible. Elders stacked arrows and quivers along the palisade walls. Tutelo had groups of children carrying water jars, making sure they were equally distributed to each longhouse and the council house.
Jigonsaseh turned and walked down to where Deru stood speaking with Wampa. The woman warrior shivered in her wet dress.
“War Chief Wampa, you did excellent work tonight. Now, I want you to return to your chamber. Warm up, eat, get some sleep. Deru will wake you in a few hands of time. Until this is over, I want one of you on the catwalks at all times. Switch off sleeping when you can.”