People of the Raven(171)

“Ready!” White Stone’s remaining warriors nocked spears in their atlatl hooks.

“Let them get closer, closer …” When the Raven People were less than two tens of paces away, he shouted, “Cast!”

Several went down instantly, but the others charged forward, screaming like gutted birds.

“Use your clubs!” he shouted, and as his men rushed to obey, tens of spears clattered onto the ground.

The war chief who led the enemy warriors headed straight for White Stone. He was stocky, with a scarred face and granite-headed war club.

White Stone lifted his ax, braced his feet, and waited for the man to come to him.

“Meet your death!” The Raven warrior swung his club at White Stone’s head.

White Stone sidestepped, pivoted, and drove his ax into the panting man’s back as momentum carried him around. The Raven warrior let out a surprised yip as the blow severed his spine. He tumbled to the ground, screaming, his upper body flopping helplessly. Several others went down around White Stone as Sand Wasp waded into the onslaught.

Then, abruptly, the few remaining Raven warriors broke and ran.

“Hold!” White Stone bellowed to keep his warriors from dashing in pursuit. Nevertheless, a handful did, carried away by the moment. He ground his teeth. Better if they were killed by the fleeing Raven warriors than if they had to face his wrath for disobeying orders. At the calls of their fellows a couple turned back, glancing sheepishly in his direction.

Cimmis came striding down the line. His gray bun had come unpinned and hung around his wrinkled face. White Stone watched as Matron Kaska lifted the hem of her cape and fell into step behind Cimmis.

As Cimmis passed the Four Old Women, he ordered, “Lift these litters! Be ready to move at my command!”

In less than five heartbeats they’d hoisted the litters and stood stiffly waiting.

“Where is Rain Bear?” Cimmis demanded when he arrived. His sharp old gaze darted over the dead and wounded that scattered the slope.

“I didn’t see him, my Chief.”

“Where could he be? Still in the trees?”

White Stone shook his head. “It isn’t like Rain Bear to hide in the trees while his men go out to meet the enemy. He usually leads the charge.”

“Hunter?” Cimmis sharply called. “Go and search the bodies for Rain Bear.”

“Yes, my Chief!”

White Stone turned to watch Hunter kick over the first body and barely heard the soft grunt behind him.

He turned back in time to see Sand Wasp stagger as Kaska repeatedly drove a stiletto into his back. The war chief didn’t even try to fight back, but wavered as his knees buckled and he collapsed at her feet.

Sand Wasp gasped, “Forgive me, Matron. I did not wish to … to do it, but …” His gaze flickered to Cimmis, as if caressing his face.

White Stone clutched his ax a little more tightly and noticed the two new shiny copper nuggets that gleamed on the dying war chief’s throat.

Kaska shouted at her warriors, “You obey my orders now, and mine alone! Return to your positions. We must make it to Wasp Village as soon as possible!”

White Stone glanced at Cimmis and raised a questioning eyebrow. Kill her now?

The great chief shook his head.

White Stone wasn’t sure he agreed, but perhaps this really wasn’t the time.

Cimmis whispered, “I’ll have my special agent attend to it tonight. When everyone else is asleep.”

White Stone nodded.

Kaska’s warriors muttered, stared forlornly at Sand Wasp, then started back to regroup in front of the litters.

Kaska had turned her hard glare on Cimmis, knowing full well he was going to kill her, and calmly went back to climb onto her litter.

“That’s a brave woman,” White Stone said softly.

Cimmis ground his teeth. “Yes, much too brave. I want her separated from her warriors.”

“But my chief, we need every—”

“It would demoralize our men to have to kill their own people, War Chief. Do as I say.”

He bowed stiffly. “Of course.”

Occasional screams still rose from the firs down the slope, but White Stone had no way of knowing if they were torn from his men, or from Raven warriors.

Hunter trotted back up the slope and said, “My chief, I have looked into the eyes of everyone lying on this slope, alive or dead. Rain Bear is not here.”

Cimmis wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Then who are these people? They are Raven warriors, aren’t they?”

“They are Raven warriors,” White Stone said. “It took me a few moments, but I recognized the man who attacked me. He was the war chief of Shell Maiden village.”

Cimmis seemed to be considering that. “I may have underestimated Rain Bear.”