“How much would the Themyri be able to tell them about that?” Thekila asked, riding beside him.
Vatar pursed his lips in thought. “Not much, I think. The Themyri, when they raid, are usually more interested in the herds than the villages.”
Thekila cocked her head to the side. “Then it’s probably coincidence. Which means, they may not know to press that advantage, unless they’ve learned it from the Bear Clan warriors. Even so, Nertan’s always been fairly cautious. They might wait and try to consolidate what they’ve gained before another attack. But that’s just a guess.”
“A good guess, I think,” Vatar said. “Let’s get the gardens planted and then gather at Zeda.” He looked around at the oak-studded hills. “The plains around Zeda will favor mounted men against even a greater number on foot. There’s too much cover here.” He looked up at an eagle circling high above. “And some of us will be better able to keep watch for intruders out there.”
“And the Bear Clan warriors?” Pa asked.
“Those who are dead are beyond our help,” Vatar answered. “Those who have been captured . . . perhaps we can free them if we win this battle. Those who have been cheated into joining the Exiles . . .” He grinned. “There may be something we can do to break that hold and set them against the Exiles from within their own ranks.”
Chapter 48: Battle Plans
Vatar dismounted, waving the others to stay mounted. They’d all ridden out—all eight of them—to scout for a possible place for the coming battle. This place appeared to have all the features Orleus had suggested he look for. Large, flat open space to favor the horses. A slight, rolling rise on either side, and even a small hillock on the side nearest to Zeda. He squatted down to investigate the ground. There weren’t very many rocks bigger than a child’s fist. Still, maybe they could get the women and children out to gather those up and remove them, so the Exiles wouldn’t be able to turn them into ammunition. “I think this spot is about right. It’ll favor mounted warriors over those on foot and keep the enemy away from Zeda—and the women and children. And provide us a place to work from where we can see the battlefield. We just need to lure the Exiles into coming to us here.”
The others dismounted and followed him up onto the nearer rise.
“So what’s the plan?” Theklan asked.
Vatar sank down to sit cross-legged in the grass, gesturing for the others to sit too. “Well, we need to refine that. Pa and the other chiefs will have responsibility for the physical side of the battle. I . . . I’m not sure there’ll be time for any help to come from either Caere or Tysoe. And I don’t expect any from the Valley. So the eight of us have to determine how to use our abilities to the greatest effect.
“Since Kiara and I are the only two who can strip the Exiles’ Transformations, we need to be on opposite sides of the battlefield. That way we’ll be able to cover the largest area. These two rises will give us the best field of view.” He didn’t like that. He’d rather have kept Kiara with him, so he could protect her, but that wasn’t going to be possible. Too much of the plan depended on abilities only he and Kiara had.
“And the rest of us?” Zoria asked.
Vatar looked around again. “Unless someone has a better idea, I think we should position ourselves around the battlefield on the higher ground. Three, including me, on this rise. Three, including Kiara, opposite. And two on that little hill, with the shaman.”
Balan pulled up a blade of grass and stuck it in his mouth. “To do what?”
“Kiara and I will be busy with the Transformations. We likely won’t have time or concentration for anything else. And Kiara can’t even borrow the ability to move objects with her magic. The rest of you will have to deal with any distant manipulation the Exiles attempt.”
“And protect Kiara—and you,” Thekila put in. “Since your abilities are key to keeping the Exiles from using shape changes to overwhelm the Dardani.”
“So, who goes where?” Sharila asked.
Vatar chewed his lip and looked around the circle. “Zoria and Sharila have the least experience in any kind of a fight.” Not that Terania had much more, but the girls had become friends over the winter. They’d work best together. “I think you two should be with the shaman. The older chiefs—the ones too old to be in the fight themselves—will almost certainly be there, too. So your job, in addition to distant manipulation, will be as liaison. You can relay to us any changes the chiefs make to their battle plan. Tell them what we’re doing. And be in a position to send someone for the healers, when necessary.”
Sharila and Zoria both nodded at this.
Thekila glanced at Vatar and then added. “You can help in another way, too, I think. Though we’ll have to coordinate this with the shaman. If Vatar or Kiara let you know when they’re about to strip a Transformation, you can alert Baraz. If he’s willing, he could make some sort of dramatic gesture, which might go far to helping the Dardani to believe he’s the one doing it, not us.”
Vatar smiled at her. “Clever. I never would have thought of that.”
She hugged his arm. “I know. Sometimes, you’re too honest for your own good.”
Balan chuckled. “And the rest of us?”
“I’ll be with Vatar,” Thekila said in a tone that didn’t allow any argument.
Vatar nodded, suppressing a sigh. He’d have liked to send her to safety, but he knew he couldn’t—not that she’d let him, anyway. Even if they weren’t so desperately in need of her remarkable magical Powers, that wasn’t possible. Hadn’t been possible since they chose to bind themselves. Now, neither of them would survive the other for long. Putting himself in danger was risking her life, too. And distance or walls were no protection from that. He drew in a deep breath and let it out. In that case, it was better to have her at his side than anywhere else. He tried to offer her a smile, but he was afraid it came out more like a grimace. “Of course.”
“And I’m going with Kiara,” Theklan said firmly.
Kiara opened her mouth, possibly to object.
Theklan went on before she could. “Whether you want it or not, I’m going to be there to protect you.”
Vatar gave that a real smile and a nod. Theklan had been trained by Orleus, after all. And had proven his courage long before his manhood test. And, whether Kiara understood it or not, Vatar knew Theklan would rather die than let anything happen to her.
“That leaves two of us,” Balan said.
Vatar hesitated. Of the two, Balan was unquestionably the best fighter. He wasn’t sure Terania would even know one end of a spear from the other, even if she weren’t only about half present. He wanted the younger man to help look out for Thekila. But he also wanted his strength and speed to protect Kiara. Terania was more likely to be a liability wherever he placed her right now. But, Thekila had also been trained by Orleus. And, while Kiara was used to dealing with predators, she’d never been taught to fight other people. No. Balan should go with Kiara. He opened his mouth.
Terania cut him off before he could say anything. “I’ll go with Theklan and Kiara.”
Vatar bit his lip against his first reply, glancing aside at Thekila and working hard to keep his thoughts from leaking through their bond. What he believed about one of her oldest friends would hurt Thekila. More. But that didn’t make it untrue.
The first Bear Clan warriors to escape had been either the oldest or the youngest (most only months past their manhood tests), sent as a rear guard for the women and children. In the few seven-days since they’d heard of the Exiles’ first attack, a handful more had made their way to other clans, carrying stories of the Exiles’ brutality. It seemed to be the only way Nertan or Wartan could conceive of to control so many independent-minded Dardani. But, at least for some, it had backfired.
That was how they’d learned Teran’s fate. Wartan had slit Teran’s throat while he lay unconscious and helpless. In the coldest of cold blood. Vatar’s fists clenched at the thought. That he hadn’t much liked the man did nothing to reduce hi
s indignation at the manner of his death. And he could feel the dragging weight of Thekila’s grief through their bond. But the news had had a far more devastating effect on Teran’s twin, Terania. Their twin bond might not have been quite as deep as the one between himself and Thekila, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t have similar consequences. From the way she’d acted since, Vatar strongly suspected Terania was suicidal. How could he depend on her to guard Kiara and Theklan?
Terania looked directly into Vatar’s eyes, as if she sensed his objections. “I may not be as strong as Balan. Or have his training. I have been almost an older sister to Thekila since their mother died shortly after Theklan was born. But I was half a mother to Theklan. He’s the nearest I’ll ever have to a child. And Kiara has his heart. I will die to protect them.”
Not ‘she would die’, Vatar noticed. Not a conditional oath, if circumstances required her sacrifice, which any one of them might make. But a certainty. That was what he was afraid of.
Thekila touched his arm again. “Let her. Sometimes passion can be stronger than training.”
And there was no way he could argue against that without voicing his concerns about Terania. Vatar bit his lip harder and nodded.
“I guess that means I’ll be with you two,” Balan said cheerfully.
Chapter 49: Through the Eyes of Eagles and Lions
Kiara rode with her eyes closed, allowing Theklan to lead her horse as she had led his a little while ago. Their task was to give advance warning of anyone approaching Zeda from the south or west. Vatar and Thekila were doing the exact same thing to the east and north. She wasn’t entirely happy about being paired with Theklan again, but only the four of them who possessed both kinds of magic could do this. The other Valson couldn’t look through the eyes of any animals. And of course Vatar and Thekila were going to work together. Which left her with Theklan, like it or not.
With the eyes of the eagles, he’d spotted a group of riders coming from the southeast—which could be Exiles from the forest or could be the Eagle Clan, which would be the last of the clans—excepting the Bear Clan, of course—to reach the Zeda Waterhole. Mounted meant it was probably the Eagle Clan, but the Exiles had captured quite a few horses when they took the Bear Clan village and they’d have women and children with them as well. It was important to be sure. The eagle’s view from high up didn’t allow Theklan to distinguish individuals.
It had taken her some time to persuade a lone male lion near enough to get a closer look through his eyes. Now the lion crouched in the tall grass not far from the column of riders, looking up into their faces until Kiara found one she recognized, even though she was already nearly certain of the answer. She huffed out a breath and then spent another moment persuading the lion away from the herds. Getting the beast killed seemed like a poor repayment to her totem Spirit.
“Well?” Theklan asked as she opened her eyes and reached for her reins.
“It’s the Eagle Clan. I recognized Ariad.” She glanced in the direction she’d been spying a moment before, trying to gauge the distance. “I think they’ll make it to Zeda before nightfall, but not much before.”
Theklan nodded. “I’ll alert Balan. The other clans can at least get a start on setting up their huts, so they’ll be ready for them.” After a moment, he passed her his own reins. “We might as well continue our sweep.”
Though it wasn’t nearly as likely, it wasn’t impossible for the Exiles and their captive fighters to circle around and attack from the south or west. Especially since they’d attacked the Bear Clan from the direction of the Forest. Under cover of those trees, they could move north or south with little chance that any of the Fasallon or Valson trying to protect the Dardani could give warning. Which was why they were out here. Alone. Together. Not looking at each other. At least, Kiara was doing her best not to look at Theklan. And not to touch his hand when they passed their reins back and forth.
Except right now. She could steal a glance at him while his eyes were closed, concentrating on the eagle circling high up, and he’d never know it.
“There’s something to the south,” Theklan said in a distant voice. “Too far to be sure of anything. Could just be the dust kicked up by a large herd of wild horses.”
“Too far for me to find a lion to get a closer look, then,” Kiara said.
“Probably. We can check on it again in a little—” He broke off, opening his eyes wide and staring into hers.
At the same instant, Kiara heard Vatar’s voice in her head, not waiting for her to answer. “Enemy spotted. Get back to Zeda. Now.”
Kiara guessed Theklan had heard a similar warning. Probably from Thekila. Without a word, she passed his reins back and they turned their horses for Zeda, pressing them into a gallop.
Chapter 50: The Battle Is Joined
Vatar directed his attention to the cloud of dust that was all he’d been able to see of the advancing enemy a moment ago. Shapes—horses in the lead and few of the Themyri on foot—were evident now. He sent a Far Speech alert to Kiara to be ready. It wouldn’t be much longer. As he’d feared, no help had yet arrived from either Caere or Tysoe. No one expected any to come from the Valley. He just had to hope that their preparations and their plan were good enough. It was too late to change anything now.
The Exiles sent the mounted Bear Clan warriors in first. Nearly all of them, as far as Vatar could tell, which could have been devastating. No Dardani wanted to fight another. Not like this. They were led into battle by a charging black bear. That was the weak point. Time to see how well their plan was going to work. Leaving Thekila and Balan to defend themselves and him, he concentrated on the wrongness of that bear. He sent “Now” by Far Speech to Sharila as his fingers curled and he peeled that wrongness back like skinning a rabbit—or a bear.
Between one stride and the next, the bear form disappeared, leaving a young man. Front feet suddenly turned into hands, the man tumbled head over heels several times before landing on his back, stunned. Ha! Loran. Vatar had more than half expected that.
The first horse—ridden by one of the younger Bear Clan chiefs—almost trampled Loran. The horse lifted off and jumped over the unexpected obstruction, nearly unseating his rider. The other riders split to either side to avoid the prone man, obscuring Vatar’s view.
Loran’s continued health was not his principle concern, however. He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted. “They’ve lied to you. The Spirits are on our side, not theirs.”
A couple of the riders reined their horses around to stare in Vatar’s direction uncertainly.
“If you don’t believe me, ask the shaman.” Vatar pointed to the center of the Dardani line, where the shaman stood in clear view. The one authority these warriors might trust over their own senses. It didn’t hurt that all of the Bear Clan warriors who’d already escaped from the Exiles’ control were there, too, defending the shaman.
The Bear Clan riders followed his gesture, then seemed to all decide at once. They wheeled their horses around and charged the Themyri raiders coming up behind them.
Vatar let out the breath he’d been holding as he’d waited for their decision. Dardani would not have to fight Dardani after all. Not today. Now, he just had to make sure they all understood—really understood and believed—that the ones they were fighting against were not their totem Spirits nor the chosen of those Spirits. That meant going on to strip the next Transformation to come into his range.
The next was a lion—white this time. Then a black wolf that almost put the Wolf Clan warriors to flight. He didn’t recognize either of them, once they’d turned back to humans, though he’d half expected the wolf to be Platan. Cleary not, though, since the human behind that Transformation was a woman.
He was a little worried that he’d lost track of Loran, while the Bear Clan milled around, undecided, and that he hadn’t yet seen Platan. Of course, it was perfectly possible that Loran had limped off the field and that Platan was just elsewhere on the battlefield. But that pr
ickly feeling between Vatar’s shoulder blades made him doubt it would be anywhere near that simple. He twitched his shoulder. No time for Fore Sight now.
As he watched arrows arc supernaturally far and change direction in midflight, he thought for a moment that removing most of the rocks from the battlefield had been a mistake. Then he felt Thekila draw a little on his Talent to enhance her own as she and Balan dealt with that threat. Arrows and spears dropped to the grass to be trampled under hooves. That was almost as good as his shield.
Vatar went back to looking for another Transformed Exile to unmask. There was a black lion halfway across the battlefield, or maybe a little farther. He thought that might be a little far for his Talent to reach, but he saw nothing nearer, so he closed his eyes in preparation to try.
At the sound of a growl behind him, his eyes snapped open and he spun around. Balan was going down beneath a black wolf. The growl, though, had come from a black bear that stood on its hind legs to strike with its claws at Thekila. Vatar had a sinking feeling that he’d found Loran and Platan.
Thekila thrust with the spear he’d made for her, but, just as he had when Vatar fought him years ago, Loran—if this was Loran—was using a second Transformation to make the bear appear full-sized. Thekila’s thrust connected with nothing but air. The bear grabbed the spear in its jaws and snapped the shaft in half.
Without a second thought, Vatar shoved his spear, which had a heavier shaft, into Thekila’s hands and shifted into the black-pointed white lion. The difference—one of the differences—between his lion and Loran’s bear was that the lion actually was full-sized. The other was that Vatar had been practicing how to move and even fight in this form off and on for more than a year.
Perhaps due to the gift that allowed him to sense Transformations and undo them, Vatar also had a better sense of just where the “real” bear was under that second, masking Transformation.
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