The tents were open on the sides. Tau hadn’t turned his head, but he knew that. Still, it was bloody hot. Bloody bleeding hot.
“Truth? I thought it was clever,” Jayyed told Anan. “It would have worked on any other Ihashe scale. How many men would you use to assault a Gifted’s position, if you saw she had four Indlovu with her?”
Tau let his eyes close. His head still hurt and it felt like it was twice its normal size.
Anan grunted. “You think they expected more men to splinter off?”
“You would have sent more men,” Jayyed said. “I would have sent more men. Hadith, though, Hadith sent Tau, Uduak, and four others.”
Anan chuckled. “Goddess take me, but I swear I’d let a Sah priest snip away one of my seeds to have seen the faces of those five Indlovu when they dashed round the dune and charged into forty-nine Ihashe!”
“The entire crawl over they must have been thinking how easy it would be,” Jayyed said. “They’d show up, their Gifted would blast as many fighters as she could, and the five Indlovu would take care of the few she couldn’t hit. Then they’d go back to help the men they left as ambush.”
“Eight Indlovu,” said Anan, awe in his voice. “He ran after their inkokeli and into seven others. Then he fought them!”
Jayyed chuckled. “You say it like he won.”
“You didn’t see it, Jayyed. I know we’ve watched him in the practice yards. What he does… What he… It was eight Indlovu, though, eight… and he had me believing he could do it. A Noble lost most of his tongue. The other still hasn’t woken from the knock Tau gave him… and their inkokeli? Goddess wept, you can see into the fool’s mouth through the hole in his cheek.”
“Tau is exceptional, I’ll grant that. He’s no Ingonyama, though, and, being foolish enough to fight eight men, he’s lucky to have come out of it with little more than scrapes, cuts, and a demon of a headache. He’ll be fine, this time, but if the Indlovu had three more breaths alone with him we’d be attending a burning tonight instead of a celebration.”
“Ack, an inyoka has warmer blood,” Anan said, “but I know you, and I’ve never seen you as proud.”
There was a pause. It was long enough that Tau thought it might be a good time to let them know he was awake.
“I’m not sure I have been,” Jayyed said.
Maybe it wasn’t the best time. Tau heard footsteps and then shuffling feet as Jayyed and Anan turned to face whoever was approaching.
“Umqondisi. Aqondise.” That was Hadith.
“Hadith, Uduak, Chinedu, Yaw, well met,” said Jayyed.
“Awake?” Uduak asked.
“Not yet.”
“Why is his head wrapped?” said Yaw. “Was his skull cracked?”
That was, Tau realized, why his head felt so damned heavy. It was bandaged.
“Nothing broken,” said Anan. “The bandages are to hold down swelling and to stop the bleeding. Scalp cuts bleed like a woman on her moon.”
Tau had had enough of people talking about him. He turned his head toward the voices. “I’m awake,” he rasped. “Can’t sleep with Uduak’s booming voice in my ear.”
“Not near an ear,” rumbled Uduak.
“Tau!” said Chinedu, coughing. “We… did it!”
Tau knew, wanted to hear it anyway. “What?”
“The Queen’s Melee!” answered Yaw, throwing a fist in the air. “The Queen’s Melee! We’re in!”
“First time in…,” started Hadith. “How long has it been?” Tau was sure Hadith knew how long it had been to the day.
“First time for Lessers in twenty-three cycles,” Jayyed told them. “And the Ihashe have never placed at the melee. Never.”
“Time for new traditions,” Hadith said.
“The world burns,” said Yaw.
“It will,” Tau promised, receiving broad smiles from everyone but Jayyed, who looked away.
“Goddess’s eyes, Tau,” Yaw said, “why’d you charge into eight Indlovu?”
“I was chasing one,” Tau told him. “Didn’t know he had friends.”
His sword brothers laughed.
“Good to know you’re not completely mad,” said Hadith.
Yaw wore a large grin. “I’m telling it the other way. In my story you see all eight of them and you charge! I was there, wasn’t I? Who can say it went different?”
Hadith shook his head. “You and your stories.” He turned to the big man. “Uduak?”
The big man nodded. “Thirsty.”
Hadith stroked his chin. “Thought you might be.”
“Only one thing… for it,” said Chinedu, coughing and grinning.
“Only one thing,” echoed Yaw.
Hadith looked to Tau. “Drinking houses and celebration. We achieved something that may not earn us a page in the history books, but it merits a footnote and a hangover, at least. Tau, if you can stand, you can drink.”
“You’re not at risk of punishment for the duel,” said Jayyed. “Kellan Okar did not seek restitution and the time allowed for him to do so has passed. Make no mistake, if you go to the city, and I’m not sure I should allow it, you need to be careful.”
Tau considered going. He needed to see Zuri, but Jayyed’s mention of Kellan Okar took him to darker places. He thought about the beating the laugher and his seven Indlovu had given him. They’d intended to kill him and he’d been unable to stop them. He needed more time in Isihogo.
“Not sure I can handle enough liquor to split costs with you drunks,” Tau told his brothers.
They looked disappointed, and Hadith wasn’t ready to surrender. He tried another angle. “Tau, take the day to yourself. It’s earned. We have time. It’s two moon cycles to the melee.”
“Yes,” Anan added. “Today you lot secured our place. Means we don’t skirmish again until the melee. That’s good for us. We can focus on training hard and careful. No injuries and a well-rested scale, ready for the real show.”
“Both the Northern and Southern Isikolo as well as the citadels will attend the melee,” Jayyed told them. “It’s the largest gathering of initiates in each cycle. The Guardian Council will be in attendance and even the queen will come to observe. It’ll be a difficult contest but I can’t say I’m not excited to be participating instead of watching.”
That settled it. “Aqondise Anan, are any of the other scales returning to the isikolo?” Tau asked.
Anan hesitated, probably thinking Tau should celebrate with the others. “Some of the scales that came to watch will leave soon. The second skirmish is under way and I imagine they’ll march once it’s over.”
“May I return with them? I hope to rest and return to training as soon as possible.”
It was Jayyed who nodded assent, and Hadith, his opportunity to sway Tau gone, sucked his teeth. Tau appreciated that his sword brothers wanted him with them. He had to go back, though. He had to be ready if he was going to kill Kellan Okar in the Queen’s Melee.
CHAPTER TEN