to hang us as traitors anyway.”
Kumul spurred his horse on so he did not have to listen.
“Or probably just cut our heads off as soon as we’re captured!” the crookback shouted after him.
Damn!
Ager thought angrily.
That was about the worst way to go about convincing Kumul of anything.
Jenrosa came abreast of him. “What was all that about?”
“Policy discussion,” Ager said offhandedly.
Jenrosa snorted. “You two have never disagreed before.” She glared at him pugnaciously. Even the freckles on her face seemed to glare at him. All the sun she was getting riding on the plains was making her look more Chett than Kendran, except for her sandy hair which was starting to look as if it had been bleached.
Ager shrugged, smiled easily. “He doesn’t like the Oceans of Grass. It’s making him crabby.”
For a moment they rode together in silence, then Jenrosa said, “It’s more than that, isn’t it?”
“Some,” Ager admitted, unwilling to say more. Jenrosa was silent, but her presence demanded an answer. She was very good at getting what she wanted. “Don’t worry about it. Eventually one of us will come around to the other’s thinking. Well, I’ll come around to his; that’s how it usually works.”
“It was about Lynan, wasn’t it?” she persisted.
“When are our discussions about anything else? Where is he, by the way? I haven’t seen him all morning.”
“With Gudon, behind the riders.”
“And with Korigan, too, I bet.”
“No. She leads. You don’t like her, do you?”
Ager thought about the question. “I don’t dislike her, necessarily. I don’t think Kumul likes her much.”
“Kumul is like a father watching his only son being wooed by a woman he doesn’t approve of.”
Ager nodded. “I hadn’t seen it like that, but you’re right.”
“Kumul told me about his confrontation with Lynan. He doesn’t know whether to be angry or sad about Lynan standing against him.”
“Last night was difficult for other reasons.”
“He told me he and Korigan had argued.”
“Did he tell you about what...” Ager’s voice faded.
“What’s wrong?”
Ager pointed toward the van of the column. Jenrosa looked and saw that the lead riders were galloping forward toward the nearest crest. She watched them reach the crest and then disappear over the other side. Other Chetts started joining them. The horizon was slightly hazy with dust.
“Rendle?” she asked.
Ager did not answer but dug his heels into his mount. Jenrosa did her best to keep up, but he was a better rider and pulled ahead. She watched him reach the crest and then suddenly pull up, his horse’s hooves digging into the soil. A few seconds later she was by his side and looking down. Her breath caught in her throat.
Some five leagues away was the biggest herd of cattle she had ever seen. She had no idea how many beasts there were, but they seemed like a dark tide on the yellow and pale green plain.
Lynan and Gudon appeared by her side. Lynan’s eyes widened despite the bright sun.
“It is bigger than I remember,” Gudon said in a kind of hush. “Little master, this is the wealth of the White Wolf clan.
My
clan.”
As well as the cattle, Jenrosa now could also make out what looked like two long trains of small brightly colored insects, one on either side of the main mass of the herd. Soon she could see they were large tents carried on wide carts, each cart drawn by four or more horses. Single horses carried Chetts around and in and between the cattle, keeping them moving and together. There seemed to be almost as many Chetts as cattle.
“How large is your clan?” Jenrosa asked Gudon.
“One of the largest,” he said proudly. “We have been riding with the Left Horn, Korigan’s personal guard of one thousand warriors. There is also the Right Horn and the main group of five thousand warriors, the Head. Unless we are at war, the Head always stays with the herd, while the two horns take turns scouting
Kumul spurred his horse on so he did not have to listen.
“Or probably just cut our heads off as soon as we’re captured!” the crookback shouted after him.
Damn!
Ager thought angrily.
That was about the worst way to go about convincing Kumul of anything.
Jenrosa came abreast of him. “What was all that about?”
“Policy discussion,” Ager said offhandedly.
Jenrosa snorted. “You two have never disagreed before.” She glared at him pugnaciously. Even the freckles on her face seemed to glare at him. All the sun she was getting riding on the plains was making her look more Chett than Kendran, except for her sandy hair which was starting to look as if it had been bleached.
Ager shrugged, smiled easily. “He doesn’t like the Oceans of Grass. It’s making him crabby.”
For a moment they rode together in silence, then Jenrosa said, “It’s more than that, isn’t it?”
“Some,” Ager admitted, unwilling to say more. Jenrosa was silent, but her presence demanded an answer. She was very good at getting what she wanted. “Don’t worry about it. Eventually one of us will come around to the other’s thinking. Well, I’ll come around to his; that’s how it usually works.”
“It was about Lynan, wasn’t it?” she persisted.
“When are our discussions about anything else? Where is he, by the way? I haven’t seen him all morning.”
“With Gudon, behind the riders.”
“And with Korigan, too, I bet.”
“No. She leads. You don’t like her, do you?”
Ager thought about the question. “I don’t dislike her, necessarily. I don’t think Kumul likes her much.”
“Kumul is like a father watching his only son being wooed by a woman he doesn’t approve of.”
Ager nodded. “I hadn’t seen it like that, but you’re right.”
“Kumul told me about his confrontation with Lynan. He doesn’t know whether to be angry or sad about Lynan standing against him.”
“Last night was difficult for other reasons.”
“He told me he and Korigan had argued.”
“Did he tell you about what...” Ager’s voice faded.
“What’s wrong?”
Ager pointed toward the van of the column. Jenrosa looked and saw that the lead riders were galloping forward toward the nearest crest. She watched them reach the crest and then disappear over the other side. Other Chetts started joining them. The horizon was slightly hazy with dust.
“Rendle?” she asked.
Ager did not answer but dug his heels into his mount. Jenrosa did her best to keep up, but he was a better rider and pulled ahead. She watched him reach the crest and then suddenly pull up, his horse’s hooves digging into the soil. A few seconds later she was by his side and looking down. Her breath caught in her throat.
Some five leagues away was the biggest herd of cattle she had ever seen. She had no idea how many beasts there were, but they seemed like a dark tide on the yellow and pale green plain.
Lynan and Gudon appeared by her side. Lynan’s eyes widened despite the bright sun.
“It is bigger than I remember,” Gudon said in a kind of hush. “Little master, this is the wealth of the White Wolf clan.
My
clan.”
As well as the cattle, Jenrosa now could also make out what looked like two long trains of small brightly colored insects, one on either side of the main mass of the herd. Soon she could see they were large tents carried on wide carts, each cart drawn by four or more horses. Single horses carried Chetts around and in and between the cattle, keeping them moving and together. There seemed to be almost as many Chetts as cattle.
“How large is your clan?” Jenrosa asked Gudon.
“One of the largest,” he said proudly. “We have been riding with the Left Horn, Korigan’s personal guard of one thousand warriors. There is also the Right Horn and the main group of five thousand warriors, the Head. Unless we are at war, the Head always stays with the herd, while the two horns take turns scouting
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