The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (51 page)

Carnelian
became
aware
Crowrane
and
Galewing, standing
together,
were
watching
him
while
speaking
to each
other.
He
was
sure
they
would
not
make
their
move until
they
were
far
from
the
dangerous
shore.

Osidian
and
Ravan
were
still
in
the
lagoon
filling waterskins.
Wading
out
to
them,
Carnelian
saw
Osidian was
gazing
at
a
nearby
island
crowded
with
crested
sauri
ans.
'Are
they
nesting?'

'Yes,
Master,'
Ravan
replied.

Their
eggs
would
make
good
eating.'

'Such
roosts
are
impregnable.'

Aware
of
Carnelian's
presence,
Osidian
turned
and acknowledged
him
with
a
frown.
'What's
wrong?'

Still
brooding
over
Fern,
Carnelian
did
not
answer quickly.

'My
Lord
seems
distracted,'
Osidian
said.
'Is
it
that
he fears
the
saurians,
or
perhaps,
the
savages?'

The
shift
into
Quya
was
shocking.
'Both
are
unsettling,' Carnelian
said
in
Vulgate.

'Is
my
Lord
missing
the
blood
and
gore
of
his
previous employment?'
Osidian
said,
insisting
on
Quya.
'Is
it
then your
savage
friend
you
miss,
Carnelian?'

Carnelian
groaned.
'Why
do
you
even
now persist
-?'

That
some
matter
is
perturbing
my
Lord
can
easily
be read
from
his
face.'

'If
you
must
know
...'
Carnelian
was
aware
Ravan
was there
trying
to
glean
what
was
being
talked
about.
'I
discovered
last
night
that
when
the
childgatherer
comes,
his brother,'
he
indicated
Ravan,
'will
have
to
be
handed
over for
punishment.'

'You
are
being
melodramatic,
Carnelian.'

Carnelian
flared
into
anger.
'He
saved
your
life
not once
but
several
times.'

Osidian
grew
pale.
'How
often
do
you
intend
to
throw that
back
in
my
face?
The
savage
broke
the
vows
he
swore of
service
to
my
father.
Crucifixion
is
the
price
the Commonwealth
demands
for
such
sacrilege.'

Carnelian's
anger
cooled
to
ice.
'You
knew
this
was going
to
happen?'

Osidian
raised
an
eyebrow.
'You
did
not?
One
would have
thought
it
common
knowledge
even
among
exiles.'

Carnelian's
dislike
of
him
at
that
moment
must
have showed
in
his
face,
for
suddenly
Osidian
discarded
his waterskin
and
began
wading
back
towards
the
shore.

Ravan
looked
horrified.
'What
did
you
say
to
him?'

Seeing
Osidian
already
leaving
the
water
and
striding into
the
midst
of
the
Plainsmen
alone,
Carnelian
became frantic.
He
discarded
his
waterskin
and
bounded
back
to shore.
Osidian
was
already
mounted
and
guiding
his aquar
away
through
the
perimeter
of
Plainsmen
riding guard.
Carnelian
raced
for
his
own
beast,
threw
himself into
her
chair
and
made
her
rise.
He
aimed
her
along
the shore
in
pursuit.

Perimeter
guards
rode
to
intercept
them.
'Where
in thunder
are
you
going?'

Crowrane's
voice
came
floating
from
somewhere
near the
drag-cradles.
'Let
them
go.'

The
men
scowled,
shrugged
and
moved
their
aquar
out of
the
way.
Beyond
their
protection
Carnelian
felt exposed.
The
raised
voices
had
disturbed
the
herds. Carnelian
became
aware
another
aquar
was
shadowing him
and
saw
it
was
Ravan's.

The
ground
was
being
shaken
by
immense
footfalls,
the air
was
wafting
thick
with
the
stink
of
the
saurians
and rasped
by
their
cries.
He
and
Ravan
skirted
the
denser clumps
of
them
keeping
as
close
as
they
could
to
the shore.
When
they
caught
up
with
Osidian,
he
did
not acknowledge
their
presence.
Carnelian
feared
the
anger he
had
provoked
was
going
to
get
them
all
killed.

'Let's
ride
back,
Osidian.
Out
here,
we're
vulnerable.'

Osidian
spoke
without
taking
his
gaze
from
the
island roost.
'I
have
faith
in
my
God.'

When
the
roost
was
perhaps
only
a
javelin
cast
from the
shore,
he
brought
them
to
a
halt.
Flamingos
were
an undulating
pink
commotion
obscuring
the
water.
Beyond them
rose
the
island
upon
which
Carnelian
could
clearly see
the
saurians
with
their
swept-back
scarlet
crests.

'Bellowers,'
said
Ravan,
his
eyes
round.

Osidian
turned.
'Are
they
noted
for
their
ferocity?'

They'll
defend
their
nests
against
even
the
most malevolent
raveners.'

'Excellent.'

Bewildered,
Carnelian
and
Ravan
followed
Osidian back
to
the
relative
safety
of
the
drag-cradles.

'What
did
he
say?'
Osidian
asked
Carnelian,
all
the
while regarding
Loskai
with
a
look
of
amusement.

'Something
along
the
lines
of,
you
must
be
mad.'

'Ask
him
if
he's
afraid.'

Carnelian
did,
somewhat
reluctantly.