People of the Longhouse(104)
Sindak leaned forward. “Is she all right?”
“She was alive the last time we saw her.”
Towa bowed his head and exhaled in relief. He put a hand over the sacred pendant beneath his cape. “Then we must continue on, War Chief, though we will understand if you want to take these children to safety first.”
Odion whirled to stare at Koracoo. “I’m going with them, Mother.”
Koracoo stood for several moments, staring out into the darkness, before she heaved a sigh and said, “It’s too dangerous to take the children with us. Dangerous for them as well as for us. They’ll distract us and slow us down. I am inclined to send them back—”
“No, Mother!” Odion cried.
“I agree,” Towa interrupted. “Someone must get these children to safety, while the rest of us continue on the trail.”
“Towa’s right,” Sindak said. “If we aren’t on Gannajero’s trail at dawn, we may lose it forever. I suggest that you, War Chief, and Gonda take the children home, while Towa and I go after Zateri.”
Tears silently ran down Odion’s cheeks. “Zateri isn’t the only one. You have to free all of the children. All of them! How are you going to do that? You need us. We know Gannajero’s meeting places, and how she hides her trails. We know how she thinks, and what her men look like. You don’t know any of these things!”
Sindak’s brows lowered. The boy was right. Having that kind of knowledge might make the difference between life and death. “If you can describe her men to us, we—”
“No.” Odion shook his head. “You have to take me with you.”
“You have to take us with you,” Baji said.
Sindak frowned. That little girl had a gaze that could lance right through a man’s vitals. She was a born clan matron or warrior. He’d hate to have to stand before her in a council meeting ten summers from now. On the other hand, looking into those eyes across a bow wasn’t going to be a pretty sight either.
“My inclination,” Koracoo said, “is to send the children to Atotarho Village with Sindak, while we continue searching for the other children.”
Shocked, Sindak objected, “But you need me the most, War Chief. I’m the best tracker, and I—”
Gonda said, “If any of us has to go, it’s you. You bring out the worst in people.”
“I bring out the worst in you. Let’s look at facts: I’m not the one who’s spent the past half-moon staring at his feet with his war club dragging the ground. And despite your woeful conduct, I’ve been nice!”
“That’s what you call being nice? You obviously don’t grasp the problem.”
Sindak scowled and said, “War Chief, Gonda is the expendable member of this party. He should take the children to the closest Standing Stone village, and remain there until we come for him.”
All of the children had started to whimper and sniffle. Koracoo glanced around the fire. “Towa? You’ve been quiet.”
Towa looked up from where he’d been glaring at his hands. “This entire discussion is irrelevant to me.”
Koracoo’s brows arched. “Why?”
“Well, you’re not going to like this, Koracoo, but our chief ordered us to obey all of your orders—except one.”
Koracoo’s chin lifted. “Which one?”
“He said that if you ever ordered us to stop searching for his daughter, we were to go on without you.” Towa watched her hands tighten around CorpseEye and added, “I’m sorry, but neither Sindak nor I have the luxury of retreating with the children. We must find our chief’s daughter and bring her home.”
Her gaze slid to Gonda, probably considering Sindak’s proposal, and Gonda suddenly straightened. “Koracoo, think about this. You’re asking one man to sneak through a war-torn country with three children and miraculously get them to safety. With two of us, it might be possible. But not one man.”
Towa said, “He may be right. There are thousands of warriors on the trails.”
Gonda added, “It’s regrettable, but the children are probably safer traveling with us—”
“—right into the jaws of death,” Sindak finished for him. “Really, War Chief, this is silly. None of us is safe if we’re stumbling over children while we’re trying to draw back our bows. Send Gonda away with the children.”
Gonda leaned forward and gave Sindak a smile.
Sindak waited for him to speak, and when he didn’t, asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was imagining your head in a stew pot.”