Right now things like that are of no concern to you. Your difficulty lies in recognising your limits: you can only undertake what you can pay for or you may literally die. Later you’ll have to learn how to alter the framework of the bargain that binds you."
"And how do I do that?"
"The same way you’ve acquired any real knowledge up till now, from experience. Normally you’d have years of training to deal with these things. But there’s no time for that, so you’re being forced to respond moment by moment to whatever comes up. The world you're trying to understand surrounds and pervades you at every moment: the best thing you can do is experience it with your eyes and your mind wide open. It’s a good way to learn, if a little dangerous.”
The Tinker stood up and stretched. “Enough explaining. Forget everything I’ve just told you and hold onto what I said back in Suntoren. Remember? About ‘a blind man swinging a sword’. That sword keeps popping into your hand: don’t use it, it’s the last thing you should do. Almost any alternative would be better.”
He turned his head then and looked down at Caldar. His unfathomable gaze had the same force the youth recalled from their first meeting, piercing clearly through him; yet even as he sat transfixed, the dark eyes became luminous with an enormous warmth and soundless laughter began to bubble in their depths.
"Come on, little orphan. Let's go and mess about with our patients in a simpler way. Rasscu's lucky he's still got the use of his private parts after embracing a lion like that."
The herbs seemed to be already working. Both the men were sleeping quietly now, their fever broken. Tariska and Berin were also asleep, making up for a troubled night, their place as nurses taken by two fierce-looking Sarai. There was little to be done for a while, so Caldar suggested that they should take a look at the other casualties, Mederro and Sarai alike.
"It's alright, Tinker," the youth said, smiling at his companion. "I'm not deaf, I heard what you said. But watching you is the best chance I'm going to get for a while of learning something practical about herbal medicines. It might save me from all sorts of problems in the future."
In the next few hours the youth in fact learned a great deal, enough to confirm his complete ignorance about plants. He despaired of ever knowing enough to dare use them as the Tinker did, until the old man took pity on him and promised to show him a few of the simplest and most useful. The wounded themselves were embarrassingly grateful: the Mederros simply because they felt better for the medicines and salves: the Sarai, who would never admit to being in pain in the first place, because the Zeddayah himself as well as Sholomik were serving as their doctors.
When the Tinker finally called a halt at the end of the afternoon Caldar was tired, physically this time. He was sure he had covered every inch of the surrounding hillsides and must have gone up and down the slopes a hundred times at least. They returned to find Berin and Tariska up again, sitting in the entrance to the Tinker's tent, talking to Rasscu, who smiled a greeting to the 'doctors'.
"Being nursed again," he said in a weak voice. “Feels like going back three years.”
"I know, Rass," Caldar replied. "Just as long as no one tries to marry me off tonight."
"No one's told me that story," Tariska said, full of curiosity.
"Let me," Rasscu said at once. "These two keep it a secret, because it had them really worried for a while."
"Later," the Tutor said firmly. "Now will you all go away, while I take a look at these wounds. Not too far. Stay within call. I might need more hot water or even more herbs."
The efficacy of the Tinker's medicines was remarkable. The injured Sarab was pronounced well enough to be carried back to join his friends and Rasscu was taken gently outside on his stretcher to get some fresh air. At Tariska's prompting, he gave a hilarious account of Caldar's near betrothal to Hreshin and was just concluding, when Remakkib strode over from the Sarai camp.
He waited until invited by the Tinker to enter their circle and then sat down opposite where the Tesserit lay on his stretcher. After a formal inquiry about Rasscu's health, he began without preamble. "I have talked to the injured herdsman who has just returned to our camp, as well as to the other guards who were on the hillside last night. I am not sure it is possible to believe everything they say, yet the tracks on the ground confirm their story. Do you know what happened last night?" The question was addressed to the Tinker.
"No. I've been waiting for you to tell me."
An odd remark, Berin thought, with Rasscu, the main participant, lying beside him. Remakkib clearly caught a strange nuance in it too, hesitating for a moment before settling into his narrative.
"In the third hour after midnight, the cattle became increasingly restive and the sound of a mountain lion was heard on the mountainside. They are normally wary of man and it is rare for them to attack a guarded herd, but the guards increased their vigilance, patrolling to and fro. This herdsman, Raabla, says that out of nowhere he suddenly saw a large lion moving in on the herd. Raabla is a brave man, and, although I utter words which should not come from any Sarab, I think a foolish one. He ran forward, sword in hand, to stand in its path and the lion attacked him at once. You have seen his wounds. The second bite was in his arm and the animal was dragging him away like prey. Raabla remembers only the animal dropping him and roaring. After that he lost consciousness."
The Sarab stopped and stared hard at Rasscu's wounded body, as if trying to decipher some important secret there. "The other guards had seen and heard nothing until the lion roared. Then they came as quickly as they could. The nearest man said he heard the terrible screeching of the fighting cat when he was still a hundred paces away. He approached warily, a wiser man than Raabla, and could not believe what he was seeing in the moonlight. A man and a mountain lion were whirling to and fro, locked in combat. When he came closer, he could see that the man was armed only with a dagger and clung tightly to the beast as he stabbed it repeatedly. The lion finally bore him down and was about to rake him with its talons, when the last thrust went home and it fell dead."
Once again Remakkib paused, this time surveying his audience with something close to a smile. Three rapt young faces contrasted with the expressionless reactions from Rasscu and the Tinker.
"The guard had just started trying to pull the dead lion off what he assumed was an equally dead man, when his comrades arrived to help him.” Remakkib looked across at the Tesserit. "That was a large beast, my friend. It was lucky for Raabla that you had gone up to the cattle."
"When I heard the lion, I just went.” Rasscu answered the unspoken question. “I'm a herdsman too."
"And why did you not take your sword?"
Rasscu smiled into the Sarab's eyes without replying and a moment later Remakkib responded. Then the Sarai leader turned to the Tinker and said formally, "I said that I would give my answer today. You have my word; whatever happens on the Harb, I will aid the Rahidor and follow him in the service of the Talisman. Now, if you will excuse my departure, I must make plans for tomorrow. We have already lost a day and I would like to move deeper into the mountains before the army recovers its courage."
"Remakkib." The Tinker's call arrested the tall warrior just as he stood to go. "Tell your men not to speak of the Rahidor's coming when they reach the Harb. It is not wise to raise too many hopes before the Council gives its ruling, and it may take some time before the blind see what is in front of their faces."
The Sarab paused for a moment, then with a quick nod of agreement he said, “They will find it hard to contain such news, but I will tell them.”
They were cooking supper when Idressin came back, having spent the day talking to the Mederros. He was uncommunicative about it, so Tariska and Berin resumed telling Caldar about what he had missed the previous evening: Rahidors, Barrada and the Tinker's speech to the Sarai. Once Rasscu had been carried back into the tent to rest, the two older men withdrew to talk while the others sat up late poking the embers under the stars.
Muc
h later Rasscu awoke, surrounded by the quiet breathing of his companions, all except Berin who was snoring gently. Every little sound was so clear, his hearing seemed unnaturally sharp. Maybe the Tinker's concoctions had this effect. Another tiny noise at the edge of his consciousness drew his attention and resolved itself into voices. Idressin and the Tinker, talking in the next tent. With natural courtesy the Tesserit was about to turn his attention deliberately away, when a single phrase hooked him.
"If you had to send Hennis beyond the wall, why not do it yourself, why call the others?"
"The Stone was too close and too strong, it was hard even for all four of us in union. And it was taking everything we had to shield the young group, even when I got them all together in that cell."
“The Ajeddak Stone was never like this.” The Tinker’s voice was slow and full of questions. “The Spinners must have taken control of it centuries ago, then activated it when the time for the Talisman was near. Even so it’s hard to believe the Watchmen could transfer that much power over such a distance.”
“It’s hard to believe they sent a Spinner to Karkor too, though Meruvai warned us.” After a pause Idressin went on, “It still doesn’t add up. Power from the Spinners is no real surprise. When we were escaping through the chamber at the end, they channeled nearly enough through the Stone to kill us all. But the first time I was in there with Berin and Tariska what came through was not force, it was subtlety.”
“You don’t think the Spinners are clever enough for that?”
“Yes, they’re clever, but not subtle. It’s not like them.”
A short silence, then the Tinker’s voice resumed. “I’ve no ideas about that. Let’s just keep it in mind. Right now it’s your group that worries me. You ran a great risk summoning the others. The Terrechar will be watching Pepper for the least false move. In fact he should come out: he’s balancing on a hair up there and we can’t afford to lose any of you now. And you yourself took a deeper hurt than you know from Hennis’ death: you were still drained when the shadow showed itself in the catacombs. But for Barrada's intervention…"
"Come, come, Tinker. I remember the teacher of my teacher telling me cautionary tales about the madcap ventures of one of his pupils. Now who was that I wonder?"
There was a soft laugh. "Ah yes. I wonder. Madcap perhaps, but never mad enough to get mixed up in politics. For a while I thought your name was going to get you all killed. Forty years keeping your head down and you have to come out into the open at a time like this.”
“It wasn’t by choice: it seems they were onto me all the way from Tarkus. Anyway ‘Fordosk’ was quite useful in Karkor: I had little time left to get them all into the dungeons with me and using the authorities to round us all up was the quickest way.”
“You won't be able to come back to Karkor for a long time."
"With a Spinner there drawing that kind of power from the Watchmen? And maybe another one on his way? I'm in no hurry. Besides we'll be busy elsewhere. Now tell me, why are the Spinners after the First Talisman? It doesn’t make sense. And what’s their source for the prophecies, d’you think? They were uncomfortably accurate about time and place. We should warn Meruvai. If they know as much about the next,……."
There was a sigh and a long silence. Rasscu buried his head in his blankets and heard no more.
They had a visitor early the next morning. Cloud had moved in overnight and one quick look at the wet hillsides rising into a grey drizzly canopy sent the youths back to bed. Almost at once a well-known voice outside remarked loudly, "Alright for some. Ten tents among the lot of us and this bunch of young idlers get one." Harol's head poked through the flap. "Oh, sorry, Rass. Didn't realise you were in here too. That explains it. They sent you off to get chewed up by a lion so they could use you to jump the tent queue.”
A chorus of "Good morning, Harol" was followed by a pointed request from Caldar that she should leave and come back in a couple of hours. Better still, Berin suggested, she could start their fire and bring them a nice hot cup of tea in bed.
"Rass is the only one I'd care to bring anything to in bed," came the swift reply, "and he's not up to it at the moment."
Tariska raised her head in astonishment to look at this cheeky little imp, got a broad wink from Harol, and subsided giggling.
"We're off in half an hour. That's what I came to say. Or rather I came to say goodbye."
That made them all sit up, except Rasscu who tried to twist his head round to see her, but desisted, wincing.
"Come inside, Harol," Caldar insisted. "Come on, it's miserable out there. Your virtue's safe with us."
"Don't I bloody know it," the girl muttered, as she ducked inside.
"Now," Caldar went on, as they hunched up and made room for her. "Tell us. Who's leaving? All the Mederros?"
"Every last one of us. It's unbelievable, but there's not a single wounded man who can't travel. That Tinker is one hell of a doctor." Instantly contrite, she put a hand on Caldar's arm. "And you too, Caldy. Though what you did was different: the guys say they'll never forget what you did on the march. And that farmer!" She shivered. "I still don't care to think about it too much." Turning her head to Tariska, she said, "It was like Caldar gave him a new body, right next to us."
"Why are you leaving so suddenly, Harol?" Caldar asked, preferring to change the subject.
"The Sarai go north from here and we've got to go south." the girl replied prosaically. "The Sarai have started moving out already. They probably didn't want to disturb a group of important people, so they'll leave you till last. Wake you with a cup of tea, no doubt, about midday."
"We'll miss you," Caldar said simply, and to their surprise the tiny girl blushed and hung her head. They waited for a clue as to what had caused such unexpected embarrassment.
"No, you won't," Harol got out in a muffled voice. "I've seen you people doing things I don't begin to understand. I didn't truly believe all that stuff about a Talisman, and although I talk tough, I've never been near a real fight before. There I am, acting the professional guide, and you two could've made your own way to Karkor quicker without me. I'd started to think, maybe, we could've been friends, but compared to all of you, I'm such a fraud."
"We're all frauds, Harol." Caldar's words were gentle. "Frauds together, so we might as well be friends too."
The girl eyed him doubtfully for a moment, then perceiving his obvious sincerity, gave him a fierce hug, which she repeated with Berin and Tariska. When she moved over to Rasscu, the Tesserit raised both arms defensively.
"No, Harol, no. I'm in no condition for more embraces. The last one had claws."
The girl sat back and sniffed contemptuously. "I've heard of your sort. Prefer animals to a nice warm female body. No matter. I'll bide my time. Tempt you a little bit now and then. When you're panting for it, I'll say I'm sorry, I've got this date with a randy marmot who's been whistling at me."
"It would be good to see you again," the Tesserit said with genuine affection.
"Well, of course you will, dummy. What d'you think I'm talking about? Sammar and Remakkib were sitting up half the night working out some system for 'coordinated operations', Sammar called it. Under the overall command of the Rahidor, he said. That's you, isn't it? Well, I'm a fully-fledged Mederro section commander now, so I'll be working under your command too." She fluttered her eyelashes at him outrageously.
"Hoi! Anyone home? Caldar? Is Harol in there?"
It was Sammar's voice. Harol leaned forward, gave the Tesserit a quick chaste kiss on the cheek, and scrambled over to the tent door. The others followed her out to say goodbye to Sammar, who was talking to Idressin.
"You must explain to me sometime, A'Delzir," the Mederro was saying jovially, "the difference between my unacceptable kind of violence and yours. Rasscu's brand of it I like. He was a great help with a bow in his hand at the cattle market.”
"Yes, his knowledge of violence is deep, if a little narrow," the tutor replied evenly.
The rebel leader was eager to be off, and after expressing his undying gratitude again to them all for saving his men, he strode away with Harol to join the column which was setting off up the slopes towards a mist-wreathed pass.
Looking around, they could see that Harol had been right. The cattle had already gone and the Sarai camp had shrunk to a quarter of yesterday's size.
"Remakkib came over earlier, while you were asleep," Idressin explained. "He's gone ahead with the main Sarai force. We're going to follow more sedately with the wounded. There are about eight who can't walk, including you Rass, and Raabla. They've left a couple of hundred men to look after us, and the rearguard from the gorge is going to trail us a day or so behind. Oh, and by the way, Caldar, the Tinker's gone with Remakkib. He says you know enough about herbs now to look after the wounded without trying anything spectacular. I think that's the word he used.”
It took them more than three weeks to thread an intricate, yet gentle, route through the Pattaka range, a series of fresh sunny days which had the casualties mending fast. Then as they swung further east, the weather broke and a chill persistent rain followed them down out of the mountains and onto the rolling grasslands below.
When at last the downpour eased and the low clouds began to lift, they caught sight of the plateau still fifty miles ahead. The enormous wall, which slowly rose to fill the whole horizon, was as awe-inspiring to the young travellers as the first time they had seen it nearly a year before. This time they would also see what lay beyond the rim.
Each day the land became drier and sandier, peopled only by the occasional shepherd with his flock. These solitary nomads were Zytas, one of the tribes of Chettiswa Sarai who lived in the Pardenn, the land below the plateau’s western cliffs. Every encounter appeared to be the excuse for a rest in the sun and a friendly exchange of news.
This tranquil progress was interrupted one morning when they were less than ten miles from the cliffs. One of the forward scouts came loping back down to the main party, who were following the line of a shallow dry valley. Caldar noted that the raiders always used whatever concealment the country offered, even when there was no apparent danger. It was well that they had.
The Tears of Sisme Page 80