Kavio
The bear-masked warriors kept coming.
Kavio and Rthan stood back to back, surrounded.
"Grab on!" Rthan shouted.
Kavio locked elbows with him. Rthan spun, and Kavio lifted his feet.
He kicked in a full circle, striking every face around them.
Then he rolled off Rthan's back, and they both landed punches at the same time—each knocking down a warrior on the opposite side of the fallen ring.
They shared a grim smile. A rare moment of understanding.
"Watch out!" Rthan suddenly yelled, and tackled Kavio.
A spear flew through the air, slicing into the space where Kavio had stood a second earlier.
"You saved my life," Kavio said.
"Now we're even."
"The fight isn't over yet." Kavio grinned. "I might still get you back in my debt."
"Fa!" Rthan braced himself as the enemy regrouped. "I'm more likely to save your scrawny neck again."
More bear-masked warriors came from one side. Vultho crept behind them, barking orders but staying far from the front lines.
On the other side, the rest of the Yellow Bear warriors gathered. These were the ones who had traveled with them as part of the peace party.
In theory, they answered to Kavio. But he didn't know how many had been working with Vultho all along.
If it was twelve against twelve, they had a chance. But if all two dozen Yellow Bear warriors joined Vultho…
Even two strong Zavaedies couldn't win those odds.
Kavio looked the men in the eye. "Are you with me or him?" he asked. "Will you fight for Vultho's betrayal—or the true honor of Yellow Bear?"
Vultho stepped forward with a sneer.
"Kavio, you fool. They are all with me," he said.
"Did you really think any warrior of Yellow Bear would follow this doomed peace mission? I lost a clan brother at the Assault on the Tor of the Stone Hedge. You think I would forgive that with a basket of shells? I want blood."
His voice turned sharp. "As for you, Rthan, I will make you cry like a baby again—like I did before, when my vengeance was served at the Victory Banquet. I wish I could take credit for killing you both out in the open, to earn more glory. But for now, it must remain secret."
"You'll lie," Kavio said. "You'll blame Blue Waters for breaking the truce. You'll say they killed the peace party."
"For now," Vultho agreed, smug. "But one day, everyone will know. I, Vultho, killed the hero of Blue Waters and the son of the White Lady.
"Once Hertio is dead—he's old, fat, and has few clans left—the elders will name me War Chief. Then all will know the glory of my deeds."
Rthan pointed his spear at him. "Will they also know you were on the New Moon Raid?"
Too many bear-masked warriors blocked his aim.
Vultho laughed. "I killed many that night. Even Nargano's daughter."
Rthan roared. He surged forward like a bull.
The bear-masked warriors raised their spears to block him.
But before they could strike, the peace-party warriors raised their own weapons and shouted:
"For Kavio and the true honor of Yellow Bear!"
They charged the traitors.
Rthan smashed through the front line and kept going.
"We can still beat them!" Vultho shouted. But he was already backing away, hiding behind his warriors.
Then a new voice rang out—strong and steady.
Brena.
She stood on the roof of a hut, her bow ready.
Twenty women from Jumping Rock climbed up beside her, each armed with bow and arrow.
Even white-haired Auntie Baldy was there, though her hands trembled as she held her bow.
"Gremo and Svego are with the children, safely hidden," Brena called. "We will fight by your side!"
A hail of arrows flew.
The bear-masked warriors scrambled for cover.
Vultho found himself exposed, no one left to shield him.
Rthan came at him fast.
"They're too strong!" Vultho screamed at his henchmen.
"You just figured that out, fishbait?" Rthan bellowed. "You're going to die, you murdering bastard!"
"Retreat!" Vultho shouted.
He turned and fled, dragging his wounded and dead with him.
Rthan would have chased him all the way to the Tors of Yellow Bear.
But Kavio grabbed his shoulder.
"Rthan! If you kill Hertio's kinsman, this whole peace journey is lost!"
"It's already lost!" Rthan snarled, pulling away.
"No! Look!" Kavio shouted. "Vultho acted alone, with only a few of his own men. The others stayed loyal. That means Hertio did not order this."
He stepped in front of Rthan.
"If we can seal a treaty, we can tell Hertio what Vultho did. We can ask for Vultho's life to be forfeit legally. But if you kill him now, in revenge, Hertio will never give you that right."
"I don't care about Hertio!" Rthan shouted. "I have deathdebts to pay!"
"And so did Vultho," Kavio said coldly. "From your attack on the Initiates.
"If this is going to work, both sides have to give something."
Rthan breathed hard. His body was still full of fury.
Kavio's voice dropped. "Please, Rthan. Help me make this work."
Rthan looked up. On the rooftops, Brena was hugging the women of Blue Waters.
She still held her bow, ready. But her face was calm.
Rthan looked at her for a long moment.
Then he gave a single, sharp nod.