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People of the Nightland(28)



They had watched too many of their warriors die that way for Keresa to have said such a thing in jest. She really hated the man.

He said, “It boils down to this: That’s probably Windwolf hiding in that hole. Nashat said to take him, no matter what. He’s there, guarded by seven Lame Bull warriors. We’ll never get a chance like this again.”

Keresa studied the sleeping warriors. “If we attack, it means war with the Lame Bull. There will be no going back.”

He nodded, a sick sensation in his guts. Nashat hadn’t told him to incite hostilities with the Lame Bull. If he did, and it went wrong, he’d be back in the cage. “As I see it, we have three choices. First, we could go back and say that we couldn’t be sure Windwolf was here. The problem is that neither Maga nor Goodeagle would keep silent about it. Second, we can pull back, wait, see if Windwolf leaves alone.”

“Assuming we see him leave,” she countered. “But all bets are off if Windwolf’s warriors are out there in the trees somewhere, waiting on word from their war chief. We could find ourselves caught between two forces.” She looked at the sleeping warriors. “And in our condition, even if we fought our way out, they could run us down.”

“The third option is to take him now, tonight, and hope the Lame Bull don’t follow and kill us.”

She nodded, drawing a weary breath. “I know.” She hung her head. “We need a diversion. Something to draw off the Lame Bull. No matter what, we have to distract them long enough to kill Windwolf, cut off his head for proof … .”

He raised an eyebrow at the reluctance in her voice. “Yes?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

He sighed, staring up at the full moon. “I know. We should hate him for the pain he’s caused us. But by Raven Hunter’s black cloak, he’s fought brilliantly and bravely.”

She stiffened, giving him a stony gaze. “Let’s be about it. The sooner we’re back home, the sooner we can sleep for a week.”

Kakala drew a line in the air with his finger. “You and I will take three warriors and capture Windwolf. I want Maga and the remaining ten warriors to make a feint at the main village. His job is to keep them occupied. We will rush that hole, kill as many of the guards as possible, and chase the rest off. After Windwolf is dispatched, you hold off the Lame Bull until I cut his head—”

“War Chief?” Maga hissed from above.

He and Keresa scuttled up the slope, slipping around the patch of forlorn roses to the boulder Maga hid behind. Keeping low, they peered over the rock.

“What?”

“There.” Maga pointed.

Kakala’s eyes narrowed as a white-haired elder trotted down the trail and ducked into the rockshelter. “Blessed Spirits, who is he?”

“Just another old man,” Maga decided. “Doesn’t matter.”

Keresa muttered a curse. “Killing Lame Bull elders will add to their wrath.”

“Impress on the warriors that this is a raid to get Windwolf,” Kakala added. “Remind them that the fewer Lame Bull People we kill, the less likely the others will be to pursue us.”

Keresa shot him a glance from the corner of her eye. “Aren’t you the one who insists that accidents happen when darts fly?”

He whispered, “Don’t remind me, remind the warriors. If we can just get Windwolf, nothing else matters.”





Ten

Windwolf watched the single flame on the oil lamp flicker. “Chief Lookingbill, I have to ask: I know that you turned down Skimmer’s request for an alliance. Why now?”

Lookingbill spread his old hands wide. “Because for the first time, my people will agree. Like yours, they firmly believed that the Prophet had no reason to attack them. This idea of raid after raid, in endless succession, was beyond their comprehension.”

“But not beyond yours?” Windwolf asked.

“In the beginning, yes.” Lookingbill stared sadly at the lamp. “But Ti-Bish has changed the world. The miracle is that it worked. We have acted as if the old ways would eventually be respected. That everything would return to the way it was.”

“I understand.” Windwolf sighed. “Like you, I have finally come to the realization that our world is dying, Chief.” He lifted his eyes. “Take a close look when you leave here tonight. Enjoy the rest of the full-moon ceremony. You, and your people, will never see another.”

Lookingbill’s eyes widened. “You mean that, don’t you?”

Windwolf nodded. “For two years my people have fought the Nightland warriors. Among their ranks, I have even seen Sunpath warriors. Like Goodeagle, they have come to believe Raven Hunter’s Dream, and have willingly joined to fight beside Kakala, Karigi, and the rest. They believe the Prophet is going to lead them to the paradise of the Long Dark.”