The Standing Dead - Stone Dance of the Chameleon 02 (39 page)

Later,
a
dozen
aquar
appeared
in
the
gate
that
was flanked
by
earther
horns
and
that
opened
from
the
fern-meadow
onto
the
plain.
They
approached,
crushing
the ferns
in
a
wide
arc.
Ropes
hitched
to
their
crossbeams pulled
taut
radiuses
from
a
common
centre.
The
riders kept
looking
back
over
their
shoulders.
When
they
had come
closer,
Carnelian
was
able
to
see
the
boulder
of flesh
and
hide
with
which
they
were
ploughing
up the
meadow:
another
vast
earther.
Riders
trotted
up
to
the head
of
the
butchered
one
and,
slinging
ropes
over
its horns,
they
made
their
aquar
tow
it
away.
The
drag-cradles
with
their
heaped
rotting
gore
were
hitched
up and
pulled
away
too.
Soon
the
new
earther
was
being tugged
into
position
on
the
rusty
earth
under
the Bloodwood
Tree.
The
riders
showed
it
off
to
the
women, proudly.
Among
them
he
saw
Krow
and
they
exchanged smiles.
Someone
beside
the
youth
scolded
him.
Startled, Krow
looked
round
at
two
riders
who
Carnelian
realized were
Loskai
and
Crowrane.
Father
and
son
fixed Carnelian
with
a
look
of
hatred
that
chilled
him
to
the bone.

Poppy
trailed
after
Carnelian
as
he
returned
with
Fern, Akaisha,
Whin
and
the
others
to
their
hearth.
As
he
came within
sight
of
the
mother
tree,
anticipation
of
seeing Osidian
filled
him
with
dread.
He
put
his
hand
on
Fern's shoulder.

Tm
going
to
see
my
brother.'

Fern
nodded
and
Carnelian
glanced
round
at
Poppy, who
had
stopped
a
few
steps
down
the
rootstair
and
was gazing
up
at
them.

'Could
you
please
take
her
with
you?'

Fern
shook
his
head
disapprovingly,
but
smiled. Carnelian
crouched
and
beckoned
Poppy.
The
girl
came slowly
up
the
steps.
Even
crouching,
Carnelian
had
to look
down
at
her.

'Will
you
go
with
Fern,
Poppy?'

The
girl
looked
up
at
the
Plainsman
and
then
back
at
Carnelian
,
then
gave
a
solemn
nod.
Fern
offered
her
his hand.
She
would
only
take
it
when
Carnelian
gave
her
a nod
of
approval.
He
let
them
go
ahead
of
him.
He
could
not help
smiling
each
time
she
glanced
round
to
make
sure
he was
following.
He
parted
company
with
them
when
they reached
the
rootearth
of
their
hearth.
He
gazed
off
at
his sleeping
hollow,
hesitated
and,
then,
reluctantly,
began walking
towards
it.

Even
though
he
had
anticipated
finding
Osidian weakened,
what
Carnelian
saw
shocked
him.
The
body lying
long
and
pale
in
the
hollow
did
not
give
the
impression
of
someone
sleeping,
but
rather
seemed
a
corpse lying
in
a
sarcophagus.

Leaping
into
the
hollow,
Carnelian
bent
over
it.
He sought
a
pulse
on
the
neck;
the
bony
wrist.
Unsure
he could
detect
any
life,
Carnelian
began
shaking
Osidian with
ever
increasing
violence,
until,
coughing,
he
came alive.
His
green
eyes
swam.
Carnelian
felt
himself
being examined.
Osidian's
forehead
creased.

'It's
you,'
he
sighed.

Carnelian
was
shocked
by
how
quickly
he
had deteriorated.
'You
must
eat,'
he
said.
He
leaned
close
and looked
into
the
glass
of
Osidian's
eyes.
'You
must
eat.'

Carnelian
stumbled
to
his
feet
and
almost
broke
into
a run
so
that
he
might
not
hear
Osidian
forbidding
him. People
were
gathering
for
the
evening
meal.
He
saw Akaisha
with
Whin
and
others
of
the
women
talking among
the
steam
and
smoke
rising
from
the
pots.

'Akaisha,'
he
said
as
he
approached.
'Mother.'

The
women
all
looked
at
him.
He
could
see
his
fear reflecting
in
their
eyes.
Akaisha
reached
up
to
touch
his face.
'What
is
it,
Carnie?
Why
do
you
stare
so?'

Carnelian
calmed
himself.
'Osidian,
my
...
my
brother, he
is
dying.'

Whin's
face
became
leather.
'He's
been
keeping
to
your sleeping
place,
lying
between
the
roots
like
one
already dead.'

Carnelian
searched
Akaisha's
eyes.
He
did
not
want
to believe
she
wanted
him
to
die,
though
he
understood
how it
would
rid
her
of
a
burden.

'He's
not
eaten
since
we
arrived
and
was
already weakened
by
the
fever.
You
will
let
me
take
some
food
for him?'

Whin
spoke:
'No
one
has
stopped
him
coming
to
eat with
us.'

Carnelian
did
not
want
to
explain
why
Osidian
had
not. 'He's
not
like
me.'

Akaisha
nodded
slowly,
her
eyes
seeming
to
search deep
into
him.
'Even
though
you
are
brothers.'