“Yes, now.” He dropped heavily to the ground. He laid his bow and empty quiver aside, but kept his spear in his hand and looked angrily at Inlènu*. “Tellges was with me, we had been hunting when the murgu attacked, we were just returning to the sammad. We fought until our arrows were gone. They came at us with the death-sticks. There was nothing more we could do. All behind us were dead. I made him leave, but he hung back, did not run fast enough. They followed and he turned to fight. He fell. I came on alone. Now tell me—what are these creatures?”

“I am no creature, I am Tanu,” Kerrick said angrily.

“Like no Tanu I have ever seen. No hair, no spear, tied to that marag . . .”

“Silence,” Herilak ordered. “This is Kerrick, son of Amahast. His mother was my sister. He has been a prisoner of the murgu.”

Ortnar rubbed his mouth with his fist. “I spoke in haste. This has been a day of death. I am Ortnar and I welcome you.” His face twisted with an expression of grim humor. “Welcome to the sammad of Herilak, much reduced in numbers.” He glanced up at the darkening sky. “There will be many new stars there tonight.”

The sun was low now and the air was cool at this altitude. Inlènu* laid aside the well-gnawed bone and looked in Kerrick’s direction.

“Humbly ask, low to high, where are the cloaks?”

“There are no cloaks, Inlènu*.”

“I am cold.”

Kerrick shivered as well, but not from the cold. “There is nothing I can do, Inlènu*, nothing at all.”

CHAPTER TWO

Inlènu* died during the night.

Kerrick woke at dawn, shivering with cold. There was a beading of dew on the grass and mist was rising from the stream. When he turned towards Inlènu* he saw that her mouth was gaping open, her eyes staring sightlessly.

The cold, he thought. She died in the night of the cold.

Then he saw the pool of blood under her head. A spearpoint had been thrust into her throat, silencing her and killing her. Who had done this cruel thing? Herilak was still asleep but Ortnar’s eyes were open, staring coldly at him.

“You did this!” Kerrick cried out, jumping to his feet. “Murdered this harmless creature in her sleep.”

“I killed a marag.” His voice was insolent. “It is always a good thing to kill murgu.”

Shaking with rage, Kerrick reached out and seized Herilak’s spear. But he could not lift it; the big hunter held fast to the haft.

“The creature is dead,” Herilak said. “That is the end of it. She would have died soon of the cold in any case.”