People of the Earth (89 page)

 
          
 
"Badly," Fire Rabbit grunted.

 
          
 
Wind Runner stared at the ground. "I'm
betting on something else. When word does get out, the Earth People will know
that we've taken the north. They'll know that we've killed a lot of their
warriors and that no one has bloodied us

           
 
in a fight. Think of the effect that will have
on them. They already think their Power is broken because of what Sage Ghost
tells us happened at their Gathering."

 
          
 
"'And what do you think?" Hot Fat
asked.

 
          
 
"I think"— and I'm gambling—
"that most of them will run. Why try to fight for what is already lost? If
I know these Earth People, they'll worry about their lives before they'll worry
about their honor. At the very least, the knowledge that they'll die will
weaken their blood if they do decide to come against us."

 
          
 
"What about the other two tens of Black
Point warriors?" Fire Rabbit asked. "What happens with them?"

 
          
 
"They stay with me. We have to guard our
main camp. We don't know who's behind us. The best scouts are scouring the
trails, but I don't want to be caught by surprise."

 
          
 
"And if the Hollow Flute show up on the
Badwater
, or on the
Spirit
River
? Do you want to tackle them with only two
tens of warriors?''

 
          
 
Wind Runner shook his head. "If they do
show up, I'll send someone to the top of
Green
Mountain
. That's the highest point around. From what
the captives say, you can see a fire at the top from anywhere in the
Red
Earth
Basin
. If you see a big fire up there some night,
come running. During the day you should be able to see a column of smoke. Keep
watch. By the time the Hollow Flute reach us, most of our strength should be
assembled here again."

 
          
 
Black Moon nodded, respect in his eyes.
"And we'll know where they are—but they won't know where we are."

 
          
 
"Exactly." Wind Runner smiled.
"And here's another thing to consider. If the Hollow Flute do appear,
we'll have taken many Earth People camps, and all those Earth People women will
be without husbands. We can send a runner to the Hollow Flute and make them a
gift . . . yes, a gift of territory and women. By the Power of Trade, they'll
have to give us something in return. Think about it. What could they
give?"

 
          
 
Black Moon whooped and clapped his hands.
"What could they give? They wouldn't dare raid us—not with that much
obligation!" An awed look crept across his face. "By Thunderbird, no
one has ever given a gift that indebted an entire clan before. Families, yes,
but a clan?"

 
          
 
Wind Runner studied their faces as Black
Moon's words sank in. Even Fire Rabbit was grinning.

 
          
 
"Tomorrow morning," Black Moon said.
"That will be the time to leave."

 
          
 
Talk lasted for a while longer before One Man
left, followed by Fire Rabbit. Wind Runner stood and stretched before offering
Aspen
his hand.

 
          
 
They walked out into the evening. Wind Runner
looked back at
Green
Mountain
to the north. "I think it'll
work."

 
          
 
She took his arm. "It's a good plan. And
I'm almost sure the Earth People will run rather than fight. It's in their
nature. They're not warriors."

 
          
 
He nodded and lifted her chin with his finger
to stare into the depths of her dark eyes. "I don't know what I ever did
without you. I'm starting to believe that no one can stand against us."

 
          
 
She laughed, the sound bubbling and happy.
"I don't think they'd dare!"

 
          
 
Dogs began barking on the other side of camp,
and people called out greetings.

 
          
 
Wind Runner and
Aspen
followed the sounds and met a travel-worn
Snail Shell as he came panting into camp. Sweat had streaked the dust that
coated his body and breechclout, but he clutched his weapons in a death grip.
Scratches from the sagebrush formed a crisscross pattern on his legs. The
snail-shell tattoos in the man's cheeks contrasted to his dark, flushed skin.
He met Wind Runner's measuring gaze and nodded, gasping for breath.

 
          
 
"Looks like you've been running,"
Wind Runner said uneasily. A cold premonition made his stomach churn.
Aspen
had laced her fingers into his. Now her
grip tightened.

 
          
 
"I have." Snail Shell walked around
to cool down and catch his breath.

 
          
 
"Hollow Flute?" Wind Runner asked.

 
          
 
Snail Shell took a water sack offered by One
Man as the
warleader
arrived, and drank deeply before
shaking his head. "No, Wind Runner. I saw a man and a woman."

           
 
One Man cried, "You ran all the way back
here because you saw a man and a woman! ''

 
          
 
Snail Shell's eyes narrowed. "I thought
Hot Fat would want to know that a powerful Dreamer is coming. I saw her call
the animals. I tell you, they walked surrounded by birds, and antelope, and
coyotes. An eagle came down to circle around their heads."

 
          
 
Wind Runner rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Spirit People? Did they wear Earth People clothing?"

 
          
 
"The man did. The woman dressed in the
manner of the Wolf People—with pants and a short shirt. They're back
there." Snail Shell jerked his head to the north. "Maybe a day's
journey. They are headed right for us."

 
          
 
Wind Runner drew a deep breath. "Maybe
we'd better go see what Hot Fat has to say."

 
          
 
"And tomorrow?"
Aspen
asked.

 
          
 
Wind Runner said, "If it's a real
Dreamer, Hot Fat will be of more use than all of our warriors."

 
          
 
Fingers of dread tightened around his heart.

 
          
 
"This is the last time I'll ask
you." Brave Man smiled down at the bound Black Point warrior. "Where
is your clan? Where are Wind Runner and his woman?"

 
          
 
The wounded warrior glared up stonily. His
teeth remained tightly clamped, the muscles standing out on his sweaty jaws.

 
          
 
Brave Man sighed and looked around at the
Broken Stones, who watched with excited eyes. Beyond them, the rolling
sandhills
shimmered in the hot sun, sagebrush and
grease-wood wavering in the rolling heat. The mountains to the west seemed to
float on a silver sheen.

 
          
 
Brave Man cocked his head at the man. A wicked
dart wound discolored the warrior's swollen leg, clotted blood streaking the
skin. In the process of dragging him back, the wound had caked with sand and
dirt.

           
 
"Put his feet in the fire," Brave
Man ordered before taking a last look at the man. “Or would you prefer to tell
me?"

 
          
 
The Black Point shut his eyes.

 
          
 
"Do it," Brave Man told Flying Hawk.

 
          
 
Two warriors grabbed the struggling captive
and hauled him to the smoldering embers of last night's fire. Long Bone tossed
more brush onto the coals, leaning down to blow them to life.

 
          
 
The warrior shrieked as they muscled his feet
into the flames. His moccasins smoked and curled, blackening as the heat ate
into the thick leather. He bucked and a hideous scream tore from his lungs.

 
          
 
"Where?" Brave Man thundered,
limping over to stare down into the man's glazed eyes. "Where?"

 
          
 
A choked rattle issued from the man's mouth,
his face contorted. Sweat beaded as Long Bone and Five Darts pinned him. He
kicked frantically, stirring the coals.

 
          
 
"South!" he screamed. "In the
name of Thunderbird!"

 
          
 
Brave Man made a gesture and his men dragged
the captive from the flames.

 
          
 
"Where in the south?" Brave Man bent
down, peering closely.

 
          
 
The Black Point writhed on the sand,
whimpering. "South of
Green
Mountain
. In the
Red
Earth
Basin
. Two days' walk." Then he sobbed and
trembled with the searing pain.

 
          
 
Brave Man straightened. "Beyond
Green
Mountain
." He studied the southern horizon,
noting the rounded caps of granite that blocked the view. Two days' walk? For
his camp, burdened as it was with the old and children, it would take four.

 
          
 
"Break camp!"

 
          
 
Brave Man stalked toward his lodge, Pale Raven
keeping step with him. "And the Black Point warrior?"

 
          
 
"Leave him. Bound, just as he is."

 
          
 
Her dark eyes locked with his for a moment,
and she nodded.

 
          
 
With an infected wound and cooked feet, the
bound man wouldn't last more than a day. The coyotes could finish him. Even
Pale Raven shivered at the thought.

           
 
A woman screamed.