Shadows in the Cave (33 page)

Shonan could watch in utter stillness forever. His two young warriors were fidgety—their version of stillness was restless. If they stood guard, an enemy with silent eyes would see them. Shonan ignored them and put all his energy into his eyes.

He would have liked to spot all four sentries. Not that he knew there were four. Galayi outfits customarily posted outlooks to the east, south, west, and north. He himself had often thought he should break this routine to confound enemies. The Brown Leaves might have any number of sentries, placed anywhere. On the other hand, their experience with the Amaso people, who never fought back, might make them careless.

Eventually, he saw two of them, across the trail from each other. The near one was alarmingly close. Had the man been good, he would have spotted them and raised the alarm. But he lounged against the trunk of a tree, unwary. Apparently, he was being annoyed by mosquitos. He made a lot of itching and scratching motions. Shonan felt the same insects but never slapped or scratched.

The man across the trail was more subtle. He stood between boulders so close they formed a slot. His body was concealed by the deep shadow. But he turned his head every once in a while, up the trail, down the trail. Maybe he felt an obligation to look in several directions. Maybe his neck just
got stiff. Either way, he moved his head, not his eyes. Too bad—that choice might get his throat cut.

Shonan put his lips against the ear of the young man who loved his dead daughter and said, “Come with me.” He motioned Fuyl to stay put.

As Shonan led Kumu the short distance, he was aware of the spirit of the young man behind him. Kumu was nothing but intensity and excitement. He had a true warrior spirit. He grinned, and his crooked tooth caught the moonlight.

Shonan brought them to about ten paces behind the sentry, undetected. The enemy leaned on the trunk with his left shoulder, exposing his entire back. Shonan indulged in a smile inside. It really shouldn’t be this easy, but for Kumu’s sake he was glad.

The sentry cursed and slapped a shoulder. What a fool, making noise while on guard.

This was an easy throw. He nodded the go-ahead.

Kumu cocked the knife well back. As he hurled it, the sentry said, “Damn it!” and jerked down.

The knife sliced across his back and bounced into the night air.

The sentry screamed and reeled.

Shonan sprang forward and thunked a knife into the idiot’s back. As the fellow arched backward and fell, Shonan hefted his throwing knife out. Then they started running.

The man across the trail hollered the Brown Leaf war cry. So did the other sentries.

Sprinting by, Shonan waved to Fuyl to get going. They hit the trail and ran like hell.

Shonan knew.
We’re tired, and they’re fresh.

Sprinting was not long-distance running, but they had a new elixir of energy. Fear charged up and down their bodies, driven by their blood. It raised their legs, pumped their arms. Three men against a dozen, three against a score—that would fan the flames of any man’s fear.

Shonan chortled as he ran.

Up the trail to the crest, down the hill to Any Chance River. Shonan sorted things out while he ran—hell, he thought best when he was running.

Before long they crouched in the darkness next to the Any Chance, no more than a man’s height from the whoosh of the river. To avoid showing any tracks leading into these woods, they’d waded into the river, slipped downstream a score of steps, climbed out, and crept back to this good position.

Shonan liked their spot fine. The pine trees were open enough for Fuyl to hurl one of his darts. They were also open enough for the enemies to see the three Galayis, if they looked. With luck they would inspect the riverbank first, their backs to the Galayis in the shadows, and …

Shonan nudged each of the young men with an elbow. He could feel Fuyl’s intensity like a bed of coals.

Then the Brown Leaves came in silence. The
whisker-whisker
of the river covered the noise of their running footsteps, but the moon showed their shapes. Speed as a weapon, silence as a defense against ambush. Shonan knew that the Brown Leaf leader would be thinking about ambush, but what could he do about it?

The five enemies took a brief look at the riverbank. Fuyl was waiting, as Shonan had instructed, until two of them were lined up behind each other. Four of the enemies knelt or sat down on the bank for the short drop into the water. The most observant turned toward the three shadowed Galayis.

Before Shonan could urge him, Fuyl let the dart fly. It
pierced the observant man’s belly, stuck out beyond, and hit another enemy in the ear.

Shouts, moans, and wails.

Shonan, Fuyl, and Kumu used the racket to run half a dozen steps and slip into the water. In a moment they were swimming downstream as quietly as possible. Shonan didn’t know whether the Brown Leaves had seen them. He didn’t care. They had struck a blow. The Brown Leaves might think the Galayis had followed the trail back toward their village and search in that direction. They might figure out the trick of going downriver and come that way. Regardless, they would come slowly and carefully—too slowly.

Shonan arched his back as he swam, stretching. Everything was right. His young companions were good men. They would get to the ocean at about dawn, sleep briefly, and run back to the village. Shonan looked forward to the run—he always felt good
doing
something. Time enough to rest at the village. And the story of their two attacks on the enemies would boost the courage of the fighting men there.

Eagle Aku took a predawn cruise. He saw the Brown Leaf army getting itself ready to march. He looked for Maloch, who could turn himself into the Uktena. For some reason even eagle eyes couldn’t pick out the dragon this time. He couldn’t quite think of Maloch as human, doing as Aku’s marching companions were doing, taking a morning piss, lashing gear onto their dogs, stretching stiff muscles. The Uktena wasn’t human.

Tonight the Brown Leaves will be at our last camp, tomorrow in our village
.

He winged back along the trail to his own camp but didn’t see his father, Fuyl, or Kumu. Probably they were catching some sleep, well hidden.

His own outfit was just now ready to move out on their final leg to the village. For them this would be the last, long day of carrying Salya.

Aku turned toward the sea and flapped into the wind toward home. Yes, Amaso felt like home, because Iona was there.

He wanted to see her alone, and as he came to the village, he got an idea. He lit on top of an oak snag and watched her hut. One of her sisters came out and walked toward the river
carrying gourds. So the whole family was inside. This was his chance.

He flapped to the village circle and landed atop the family hut. He put his beak to the smoke hole and said in his own voice, “Iona.”

“Aku?”

He pictured her looking around wildly.

“Iona,” he said in his crude Amaso speech, “meet me below the pine tree.”

It was the phrase they’d used dozens of times for the same place.

“Aku?” she cried out. “Are you up there?”

Before she could see his eagle face, he flew to the trees lining the river. He made the transformation to the Aku shape she knew. Soon he crept up the sand dune, jumped, grabbed her, and rolled over and over. She kept herself from shrieking. They spent a long time kissing.

As the sun reached its height, Shonan, Fuyl, and Kumu trotted into Amaso. The Galayi members of the village came running to the common to greet them. Shonan had been gone so long that many thought the Red Chief must be dead, and his strange son with him. Amaso members of the village hung back, looking for the seer, Oghi, and not seeing him.

Quickly, the stories spread. A Brown Leaf army was on the march toward Amaso. Shonan and the two young men had struck at the Brown Leaves last night and killed two or three. Some Amaso people thought that would only make the beast more angry, and they wanted to flee. By now everyone had learned to communicate, and the Galayi members
told them that Shonan would do everything that could be done. But even they looked worried.

Shonan looked around for his bird-man son and didn’t see him.
Damn, just when I could use his eagle eyes.
The Red Chief looked around the crowd. “You, Cyz, and you, Amar, pick two Amaso men you know. Go back along the trail until you meet our party coming in. If they have seen the enemy, two of you run back and tell me, the other two watch them and come back just ahead of them. If not, all four of you follow the trail until you see the Brown Leaves. They’ll probably camp at the Junction tonight. Run back and let me know for sure.”

The scouts went. Shonan, Fuyl, and Kumu lay down for naps.

Later a hand rocked the Red Chief’s shoulder. Shonan opened his eyes abruptly and looked into Oghi’s face.

Shonan sat up. “Is our party in already?” He meant the Galayi bearing Salya’s body.

“I ran ahead,” said Oghi. Shonan could see he was sweaty.

“What’s up?”

“I said I’d show you a surprise.”

“Okay. Is Aku here?”

“I know where he and Iona are.”

The sea turtle man waded ahead of Iona, Aku, and Shonan across the river. On the far side they were all soaked to the waist.

“Are we going to the cave?” said Iona.

“Yes.”

“I like the cave,” said Iona, “but it will be underwater now.”

Oghi started up the hillside. “When the tide’s out,” Oghi
told the others, “there’s a beach to walk. For now we use the cliff.”

The sea splashed against the foot of the palisade. Aku couldn’t tell how deep the water was. They walked several hundred paces along the top. Then Oghi led them on a path that angled down and around the corner.

“Pretty special, huh?” said Iona, grinning.

The cave entrance was shaped like an axe, wide at the bottom and pointed at the top. The base was about ten big steps wide, and sloshing with seawater.

“It’s our hideaway,” said Iona.

“Not exactly,” Oghi said, “but there’s a surprise.”

“How deep is the water?” said Shonan.

“At low tide the bottom is sand.”

“You can walk it,” said Iona.

“High tide?”

“Usually a little over a man’s knees.” He met Shonan’s skeptical gaze. “I know the tides. So did my father and grandfather.”

“How far back does it go?”

“More than a hundred steps.”

“That’s not much room for a couple of hundred people, and the mouth is too wide to defend.” Shonan looked around. “Worst of all, it’s a trap. No water, no food, no way out except into the arms of your enemies.”

“That’s the surprise. Iona, take the Red Chief you-know-where but don’t show him you-know-what.”

“Let’s go,” the girl said, tapping her feet. She had a touch of the hoyden.

“Be serious,” said Shonan.

“Oh, we are serious,” said Oghi, “and we’re also having fun. Go.”

Iona led the way, scrambling up the rocks. Shonan cast a
suspicious eye back and disappeared over the rim of the cliff.

Oghi said, “Aku, become Owl.”