The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (44 page)

'Please
stop
this,'
she
said.

Suddenly
Loskai
shoved
Carnelian,
causing
a
hot
surge of
anger.

'You're
not
so
scary
now
are
you,
Master?'

Before
he
had
time
to
react,
Carnelian
felt
someone
at his
side.
'You
touch
him
again
and
you'll
have
me
to
deal with.'

Loskai
stepped
back,
regarding
Fern
with
an
expression
of
mock
fear,
and
then,
spitting
in
contempt,
he advanced
on
Osidian,
taunting
him
in
Vulgate.

'Loskai,
where's
your
father?'
said
Mossie.

Osidian
lifted
his
head
and
looked
at
Fern,
then Carnelian,
as
if
Loskai
were
not
there.
Carnelian
felt
the green
eyes
in
the
red-painted
face
were
asking
him
a question.
Enraged
at
being
ignored,
Loskai
threw
a
punch into
Osidian's
ribs.
Osidian
hardly
flinched,
his
gaze remaining
fixed
on
Carnelian.

'Why's
he
not
defending
himself?'
muttered
Fern.

When
Krow
stepped
forward,
protesting,
Loskai
turned on
him.
'Stay
out
of
this,
Twostone.'

Leering,
Loskai
threw
a
harder
punch
into
Osidian
that forced
a
groan
out
through
his
clenched
teeth.
Carnelian relived
the
slavers'
tormenting
of
Osidian.
In
a
blind
fury, he
fell
on
Loskai,
punching
him,
hurling
him
to
the ground.
A
pair
of
hands
pulled
him
off.
Still
enraged, Carnelian
fought
loose
of
their
grip
and
felt
his
elbow connect
with
bone.

'Carnie,
it's
me
...'
he
heard.
He
saw
it
was
Fern.
With something
like
surprise,
he
gazed
down
at
Loskai
lying
on the
stained
earth,
his
face
bloody,
his
eyes
unfocused
with shock.
The
Plainsman
rolled
over,
pushed
himself
up, facing
Carnelian.
He
spat
bloody
teeth
onto
the
ground.

'You've
only
yourself
to
blame,
Loskai,'
said
Fern.

Mossie
and
the
other
women
had
their
hands
over
their mouths.

'You
at
least
are
here
at
an
Elder's
command,
but
these two
...'
Loskai
indicated
the
Standing
Dead
with
his chin.
'Why
are
they
here
if
it
isn't
because
they
fear
to be
men?
Are
they
scared
to
leave
the
safety
of
our ditches?'

'What
is
the
savage
raving
about?'
Osidian
asked, casually,
in
Quya.
Carnelian
translated
Loskai's
words.

As
Osidian's
gaze
fell
on
Loskai,
it
caused
the Plainsman
to
go
pale.
'You
should
be
careful
what
you
ask for,
barbarian.
If
it's
really
what
you
want,
I'll
come
with you,
tomorrow.'

Loskai
tried
a
laugh.
Tomorrow
...
?
Everyone
knows tomorrow
our
hunt
rests.'

Osidian
gave
Loskai
a
look
of
contempt
that
stung
him into
saying:
Tomorrow
it
is
then.
I'll
persuade
my
father.'

He
turned
and
swaggered
back
to
join
his
fellows, among
whom
Carnelian
saw
Ravan,
a
turmoil
of
emotion on
his
face.

'I'll
be
reporting
this.
I'll
tell
the
Elders
all
about
it,' said
Mossie.

Carnelian
felt
a
hand
on
his
shoulder
and
turned
to
see Fern
looking
horrified.

The
Master
doesn't
know
what
he's
doing.'

'He
knows
exactly
what
he's
doing.'

'Loskai
didn't
do
this
by
himself.
Why
do
you
imagine his
father's
chosen
not
to
be
here?
He
sent
his
son
to
bait you.'

Carnelian
had
already
come
to
the
same
conclusion. Glancing
at
Osidian,
Carnelian
could
tell
his
mind
was made
up.
'Nevertheless,
I
will
have
to
go
with
him.'

Fern
clasped
his
hands
over
his
head.
'Can't
you
see they're
just
trying
to
get
you
away
from
my
mother's protection
so
they
can
kill
you?'

At
that
moment,
Poppy
appeared,
all
eyes
and
concern.

Carnelian
picked
her
up
and
reassured
her.
'Everything's fine.
Really.'

He
regarded
Fern
over
her
shoulder.
His
friend
looked miserable.
Carnelian
shrugged
and
put
Poppy
down. 'Look,
I've
gone
and
covered
you
in
blood.'

He
sent
her
off
to
wash
herself.
Carnelian
saw
the bruise
already
developing
on
Fern's
jaw
and
indicated
it with
a
grimace.
'Did
I
do
that?'

'It
doesn't
matter,'
said
Fern,
morose.

Osidian
was
already
returning
to
the
drag-cradles. Brooding,
Carnelian
followed
him.

At
the
hearth
that
night,
Carnelian
was
agonizing
over whether
he
should
go
with
Osidian
or
not
when
he
felt
a tugging
on
his
robe
and
saw
it
was
the
boy,
Blue,
wide-eyed.
'Carnie,
is
it
true
you
almost
killed
Loskai
today?'

Fern
leaned
out
past
Osidian.
'All
he
did
was
make him
lose
a
couple
of
teeth,
Blue.
Loskai
had
it
coming,
he started
it.'