Kavio
In the morning, they were supposed to begin their boat journey. But they could not find their Blue Waters guide, Svego. His tent was empty. The pack was neatly rolled, so it looked like no one had slept there the night before.
"I last saw him speaking with your henchman," Rthan said to Kavio, angry. "If that brute harmed the Keeper of the Staff of Peace…"
Right then, Svego came out of Gremo's tent. He was whistling.
Gremo came out a moment later. He looked like a new man. Before, he had been dirty, hairy, and messy. Now he looked strong and handsome. His muscles were oiled. His long hair was clean and brushed, like an Olani. His face was shaved smooth, showing a sharp jaw.
Even Kavio had to admit—Svego had been right. Gremo was a handsome bastard.
"Looks to me as though the Keeper of the Staff of Peace has been using his staff in all sorts of new ways," Kavio said dryly.
Rthan grunted. He did not look at either Olani again.
The biggest change for Gremo was not his shaved face, or even who he had slept with. He no longer pulled the boulder behind him.
Before Kavio could ask, Gremo turned his body. Kavio saw a smaller rock tied to Gremo's back with cords and magic. It was the size of a rucksack, only a part of the old boulder.
Kavio was surprised but happy. Gremo had been claimed as Olani. That solved the problem. Gremo had magic, but he had never passed his Initiation. Still, if he was Olani, then he was Tavaedi. That made things simple. Kavio took it as a good sign for the journey. Better than a crab, anyway.
Svego took them to where the Blue Waters warriors had hidden the canoes. They would use these to go down the river, back to Sharkshead, the tribehold of Blue Waters.
Kavio watched the land carefully when they crossed into Blue Waters territory. Totems tied to tree branches and some marked rocks showed the border between the tribes.
The peace party followed a different part of the river than the one near the Dam. They went northwest.
The land looked the same. Fens lined the riverbanks. Hills of spruce, pine, and oak rose beyond. Wild sprites and dryads played in the same way. The sun still shone bright.
Then they reached the first Blue Waters clanhold on the route.
Blue Waters homes looked completely different.
Kavio's people built square houses out of adobe, half underground. The Yellow Bear tribe built cone-shaped houses high on hills, far from the river.
But the Blue Waters people built over the water. Each group of huts sat on wooden decks held up by posts. Wobbly wooden paths connected the decks and the piers, where many canoes were tied.
Instead of fences, the decks had walls made of bone. Fish skeletons painted blue, red, and black hung on top.
The houses looked like crouching animals. They were made of seal fur stretched tight over frames of bone and stick.
The whole place smelled bad—like old fish, wet animals, smoke, tar, and dung.
Warriors rushed out of the houses like termites.
They were big men. Most were naked except for tattoos and seal fat on their skin, which made their muscles shine like oiled leather.
Kavio tensed. He gripped his obsidian knife. This was the first test—would the enemy clan respect the peace staff?
Svego lifted the feathered Staff of Peace and walked toward the warriors. He talked to them for a long time.
Then he came back.
"We have permission to pass through their lands," Svego said. "But we must cross their last totem before sunset."
"How far?" Kavio asked. It was still early, but he did not want to risk it. A warrior must not break his word. A warrior's word was his shield. His oath was his spear.
"Not far," said Svego. "We can reach the next clanhold by afternoon. It is an ally of this one. A larger clan. They will host us for the night."
Kavio told the others.
The peace party stopped briefly to rest and drink at the river. Then they pushed the canoes back into the water and kept rowing as the sun climbed higher.
The next clanhold was just as Svego had said.
It was three times larger than the first. The fortifications were stronger too.
The people had not built their homes on the river. Instead, they had brought the river to them.
The houses stood close together. A moat surrounded them, fed by a channel dug from the river.
That was impressive—but the wall around the clanhold amazed Kavio even more.
The fence looked like it was made of rib bones. Each one stood as tall as Rthan.
"What beast has bones so large?" Kavio asked Svego.
"Those little things?" Svego waved a hand. "Wait until you see the tribehold."
Tavaedies came out to greet them. They wore masks and robes covered in tiny shells.
This was a better welcome than warriors. Kavio let go of his tension. He had not even known how tight his fists had been.
Still, he did not fully relax. They were deep in Blue Waters land.
He counted the enemy Tavaedies. He studied the walls of the hold. He thought about his own people.
Which danger would be the worst for his plans?
Rthan walked beside Brena. Their hands almost touched, though they did not look at each other.
Vultho was sulking. Kavio knew he would cause trouble.
Svego touched Gremo's arm before going to talk to the Blue Waters Tavaedies. That was interesting.
Gwenika whispered something to Dindi. Dindi looked around with eyes wide as the sky.
Kavio felt uneasy. He feared Dindi might do something strange and ruin his plans.
But that was not fair.
She noticed everything, but she was quiet and did as she was told, like a good handmaiden should.
Still, he imagined pushing his pile of rocks across the floor, closer to the pile of Nargano.