The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (46 page)

'I'm
going
to
relieve
myself,
child.'

Carnelian
did
not
know
what
to
say.

She
sighed.
'I
suppose
you
could
walk
some
of
the
way with
me.'

He
remembered
to
put
his
shoes
on
before
they
left
the rootearth.
As
they
climbed
the
rootstair,
he
ordered
his thoughts.

'Mother
Akaisha,
if
I
were
to
go
tomorrow
with Crowrane's
hunt,
would
I
go
with
your
blessing?'

The
night
was
very
black
so
that,
although
Carnelian had
made
this
journey
many
times
he
still
did
not
know the
steps
so
well
that
he
was
free
from
the
fear
of
stumbling.

Akaisha
did
not
speak
until
they
had
reached
the
Crag. 'You
must
not
go.'

The
path
round
the
Crag
was
lit
by
starlight. 'I
know
it
is
likely
to
be
dangerous.' 'Well
then.'

'My
brother
is
determined
to
go.' Their
footfalls
were
no
louder
than
the
sighing
of
the cedars.

The
party
of
the
Elders
who
wish
you
dead
daily dwindles,'
Akaisha
whispered.

'If
it
was
up
to
me,
my
mother
...
but
my
brother
will not
be
swayed
by
me
or
any
other.
For
him
it's
a
matter
of honour.'

Akaisha
gave
a
snort.
'Honour?
Why
does
honour
so often
serve
only
to
turn
men
stupid?'

Carnelian
could
think
of
no
reply.

'What
if
I
forbade
him?'
asked
Akaisha.

'You'd
have
to
be
prepared
to
restrain
him
with
force.'

They
had
reached
the
top
of
the
Westing
rootstair. Without
hesitation,
Akaisha
plunged
into
the
blackness beneath
the
mother
trees.

Then
I
can
only
pray
the
Mother
will
protect
you.'

Akaisha
had
to
slow
her
pace
to
allow
Carnelian
to
find his
way
safely
down
the
stair.
Though
he
had
to
concentrate
his
mind
in
his
heels,
he
was
still
aware
of
the illuminated
underside
of
the
cedars
that
made
it
seem
as if
shadowy
halls
were
laid
out
on
either
side.

At
last
they
reached
the
flat
ground
before
the
Westgate,
where
he
knew
he
must
part
from
Akaisha.
The stretch
of
the
Homeditch
the
women
used
lay
off
to the
left
along
the
Homewalk:
that
which
the
men
used, to
the
right,
towards
the
Childsgate,
overlooking
the strangely
barren
rectangle
which
the
Tribe
called the
Poisoned
Field.

Akaisha
brought
them
to
a
halt.
'It
will
be
hard
for
my son
to
work
under
the
Bloodwood
Tree
without
your company.'

'I
cannot
abandon
my
brother.'

She
clasped
his
arm.
'Harth
may
be
behind
this; Crowrane
certainly
is
or
he
would
have
returned
with
his hunt.
That
he
did
not
and
that
Loskai
made
his
challenge when
poor
Mossie
was
on
duty
seems
altogether
too
much of
a
coincidence.
You
have
one
narrow
hope.
Their
plan was
certainly
to
take
you
out
hunting.
That
they
agreed to
the
Master's
counter-challenge
has
forced
them
to change
the
rota.
It
takes
two
hunts
to
fetch
water
and
so you
will
be
going
out
with
not
only
Crowrane,
but also
Galewing.
When
the
Assembly
voted
on
your
fate, Galewing
was
the
only
man
who
supported
me.'

Carnelian
pondered
this.

Her
hold
tightened
on
his
arm.
'Do
what
you
can
to keep
Ravan
from
any
trouble
that
may
arise.' Carnelian
put
his
hand
over
hers.
'I
will.' They
let
go
of
each
other.

'I'm
relieved
Fern
isn't
coming
with
us,'
said Carnelian.
'I
wouldn't
have
been
able
to
stop
him
getting involved.'

'I'm
glad
some
good
has
come
to
him
from
his
punishment.
When
I
imposed
it
on
him,
it
seemed
just,
but
now I
can
only
see
that
it
is
wasting
much
of
what
little
time he
has
left.'

Carnelian
became
confused.
Time
left?'

He
could
sense
her
surprise.
'Surely
.
..
surely
you can't
be
unaware
of
the
collar
round
his
neck?'

The
collar
...
?'
Coldness
flooded
his
stomach.
Fern had
deserted
from
the
legions.

'When
the
Gatherer
comes
next
year,
Fern's
life
will
be forfeit.'

'I
hadn't
imagined
...'
He
remembered
the
anger
Sil had
shown
him
which
he
had
not
understood.

'You
hadn't
imagined
the
vengeance
of
the
Standing Dead
would
seek
him
out?'
she
said
with
incredulous anger.

That
they
could
find
him.'

'You
yourself
revealed
to
us
our
name
pricked
into
the palms
of
our
service
men.
How
do
you
think
it
got
there?'