Chapter 91

I went back to Red with my escort and when I mounted and started off they followed. As we moved off south of camp again they spread out some and got a little ahead of me. I made Red walk this time and if the wolves got too far ahead I called them back and they actually came. Merita and Maia had done a lot more with them than I'd have thought they could. They were actually well behaved.

I just rode and looked casually until we got to the marshy area where the other stream joined the river. When I was south of the confluence I dismounted and looked the trail over carefully. I couldn't see any tracks other than those we had made.

I remounted Red and crossed the shallow river then dismounted again on the other side. The wolves didn't cross right away and were pacing back and forth on the other bank. I called to them and they bucked up their courage and jumped in to swim across.

I spent some time checking for sign on this side also, but didn't see any. I led Red toward the wooded area that started just below the side stream and ran back up into that valley. The ground was softer as we approached, but it was still firm enough for good footing.

I wanted to look around in the woods, but they were too close and too tangled to lead Red into, and since I was alone there was no one to hold him. I had some hobbles, but wasn't about to hobble him and then leave him alone. I walked as far as I could take him into the woods, but didn't see anything interesting.

Satisfied I wasn't going to see anything this way I remounted and crossed back through the river and then headed farther south. After a couple of more miles I decided I wasn't going to find any bad guys today and I turned back toward camp.

The wolves cheerfully examined everything again as we made our way back. I hadn't seen a damned thing out of the ordinary, but I still had the nagging feeling things were going too good to last and I decided I'd try to ride down this way every day or get someone else to do it.

It might not hurt to check upriver either. We didn't have any idea whether anyone was living north of us and up the river's valley wasn't the only way to get up there anyway. In fact I was pretty sure the traveling would be good on the upper plateau.

We had taken our safety for granted since we came here, but I didn't think we could get by with it much longer. At first it had seemed everyone was friendly. Jakado and his group had changed my thinking. He probably wasn't the only one around who would take advantage if he could. He was just the first one I had run into.

Ameliea was still riding when I got back to camp so I asked her if she wanted to go upriver with me for a little way. She did and she had Bonehead fall in beside Red. We rode without speaking until we came to the ramp.

"Let's take this trail up to the plateau," I said.

"What is up there?" she asked.

"It is a big level grassland mostly. There are often bison, aurochs, and horses to be seen."

We headed up and it didn't take long to reach the top. I could barely see what I thought was a heard of bison a mile or more from us. There was a rather large group of Aurochs a little closer and I also saw a band of horses. I was glad enough I didn't see any cats and I hoped if there were some about they were busy hunting. Maybe coming without the M1 hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"This must be a wonderful place to hunt," Ameliea said.

"It is, I have killed many bison up here already."

"What do you use to kill them? You never carry a spear," she asked.

I knew she was fishing again and I knew I wasn't going to tell her yet. She probably thought I might let it slip since I was sure she understood I hunted with the same weapon I used for protection - the weapon I used to kill Jakado.

"I use the same thing I used to kill Jakado. I am sorry I had to kill him, but it seemed plain to me he would have killed me if I hadn't," I said.

"You are right. He would have killed you if he could. Jakado was a much better man before Cardiato made the spearcasters. After everyone learned to use them Jakado got the idea he could do as he wished since his weapon was so much better than a spear.

"At first he got two camps to join us by convincing them we would be better off together with the new weapon. He intended to force Barbo to join us though," Ameliea said.

"He would probably have succeeded if the timing had been different. I'm sure he would have had to kill Barbo though. Barbo was stubborn. If his men had come to Barbo's camp a day earlier it would have been much more troublesome for me. I still think the outcome would have been the same, but maybe not."

"I knew Jakado was not planning his moves very well. He should have known at once, when he found out Raalto was taking his camp to join another one something unusual was happening.

"He didn't even send anyone to see where your camp was. Though I do not care for Cardiato I do know he is smarter than Jakado was," she said.

"Do you think Cardiato will cause us trouble?"

"I shouldn't tell you until you tell me about your weapons. I will though, because, even though I don't know whether I like you or not I am sure I don't like Cardiato. He is smart and he is cunning. He will cause you trouble if he thinks he can come out on top. If he doesn't think he can he will try to become your friend.

"You were going south this morning to see if anyone had followed us here from their camp weren't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I went south to see if anyone from any camp had come toward us."

"It will be a few more days before Cardiato can make sure he is the new leader. The two leaders from the other camps will also want to be leader. Cardiato may have to kill them or at least one of them. He will be the recognized leader within a few days though," she said.

"I guess we should start paying more attention to our surroundings then. Are you going to stay here or have you decided yet?" I asked.

"I am going to stay here and you probably knew it already. I wasn't angry at you for killing Jakado, but I didn't intend to appear anxious to go. If Cardiato hadn't come for me before you left I would have come out and found you. If not I would have left on my own. I would not stay with Cardiato. I do not trust him," she said.

"I still meant what I told you. You can stay as long as you like and in any capacity that you want. The only thing I demand of you is you not take another man unless you move from my cave," I said.