In the fracas that followed, no one seemed to care that Alaysha was present. In fact, with the amount of people hanging about, she was able to slip in to the witch's lodge without being noticed, thinking to check on Gael. Two other warriors stood next to his bed, holding the blanket away from him, running their hands down his bare legs, cupping his calves and other parts that made Alaysha's face burn with shame for him. They were clearly inspecting goods, and when one of them tilted his chin and spied the mark, the other noticed and made a curious sound of shocked pleasure.
He was so still. He'd been barely conscious when they arrived, yes, but not this completely still. She would've thought him dead except for the poking and prodding of the other two women that indicated their interest in him. She waited until they were finished, both of them coming to some agreement with each other as they left the dwelling. Neither of them looked directly at her as they left. Alaysha moved close, laying her palm on his chest. Heat came off of him and waves; his heart thrummed in his chest. Alive, and most definitely drugged.
She did a careful inspection with her fingers, testing behind his neck where he'd been struck by Cai, feeling for scabs that might indicate a good amount of healing. What she felt at the base of his skull was a small bandage that she slipped off and probed tenderly with her fingers. The knot on the back of his head had gone down and in its place was a hole about the size of her fingernail. When she touched it, he groaned and tried to twist away. It must still be sensitive. She had the feeling there'd been more to his healing than magic; she heard about shamans who drilled holes in people skulls to make them docile, but she'd not heard of them doing so to heal. A little flutter went through her chest. What if the bone witch had done this to Gael so they could use him and then murder him without trouble.
She watched his eyes roll about beneath his lids, dreaming. She hoped they were pleasant, but the way his arms were twitching, she doubted it. She ran her hands down his chest, holding the blankets off of him with her forearms and peering beneath. Bruising where his ribs were; so he had indeed broken at least one of them. His clavicle might have been slipped as well; it showed a fair amount of bruising that had already turned yellow. She didn't want to look at his back. She only hoped they'd put some ointment on his contusions and scrapings.
She laid the blanket down gently and reached for his jaw, letting her fingers trail to the back of his ear. "I'll get you out of here, Gael," she said to him.
"I doubt you'll be able to," said a voice from behind her.
Bodicca. She'd expected Cai or Thera. Alaysha didn't bother to turn around. The reality of all she now knew was almost too much to process. "You loved my father?"
"Always."
"And you knew of his connection to this place?"
"Of course. It's both of our connections."
It explained so much to Alaysha, Yuri's cold manner, his brutal method of decision-making. "And Corrin?" Alaysha's voice almost broke on the name.
She heard Bodicca moving, coming closer, but with obvious effort. Theron had done a wonderful job of getting her mobile, maybe even of healing her back to some degree, but it was obvious from the way she moved that the only thing keeping her upright was incredible concentration.
"I know that's what he named him, but I had no use for him. He had no honour."
Alaysha turned on her finally. "And honour means something to you? You who helped my father kill his own mother, who probably helped him murder mine, and my nohma, and how many others, Bodicca? How many lives have you taken for my father?"
"I would have taken all I needed to and no more. Same as you."
Alaysha grunted at that but the woman wasn't satisfied.
"I would think after spending time in this village, you would understand. It's obvious you know nothing." Bodicca showed her a back still raw and weeping, but covered in honey to contain the fluid within the sores. Theron hadn't even put linen on it to protect it, but then where would he have gotten linen in the burnt lands? The woman headed toward the door, but Alaysha wasn't done with her yet.
"You brought Yenic here to what I now discover is certain death; Gael will die as well."
Bodicca spoke over her shoulder, twisting just enough that Alaysha could see her face and the haggard tiredness that ringed her eyes. "Bringing your lover here was the safest place for him. In the end, you'll see that." She turned her attention to Gael. "A warrior is a ready and willing sacrifice for the people they have committed to." She shrugged. "Better to focus on Yenic. Leave that man's fate to himself."
It was long moments before Alaysha could breathe again, and when she could, she pulled the air of the lodge in slowly, trying to gather strength from it. The fragrances of myrrh and sulphur mingled, stinging her nostrils. She heard a sound behind her and turned to see Thera laying yet another fur atop the mound on the cot. The witch said nothing, merely strode toward her and cast another handful of rubble onto the smouldering fire. More sulphur. The stink became unbearable.
She lifted the flap and went into the sunshine. Alaysha could see the crowds of the Enyalia becoming more scattered throughout the courtyard. Stock women pooled together, tapping their spoons against their biceps. The sense of something coming, the tension in the air, was palpable even from inside.
Yenic. He was probably even now being brought the square. She inhaled deeply and reached down to kiss Gael on his cheek. The prickle of new grown beard took her by surprise. He was always clean-shaven. Her throat tightened up. And even if she wanted to say goodbye, she couldn't.
She let Thera pass her by and said nothing. The woman was preoccupied, even in her duty. But it wasn't the solstice that had her mind; it was something Uta had said, something Theron had said. The twin. Could Thera really care about a brother she'd never met? Could she be concerned that she had a twin at all?
The entire village seemed to be more focused on the youth standing on a broad stump that had been drug from the forest and set to rest against the backdrop of luscious foliage. The flowers that drooped from the stems called to mind a rainbow and a variety of leaves with every color and shade from dark green to Moss, with every texture from spongy to spiked, could have given a viewer pleasure. It might well offer pleasure to the women of Enyalia, but for Alaysha it only brought anxiety.
Yenic himself was naked and she could see someone had gone to the trouble of smudging the shadows of his muscles with soot, making them stand out more plainly. He projected his usual arrogance, but Alaysha could see in his features the shade of distaste. He would show them he didn't care, but beneath she could tell he was silently planning their deaths.
Several Enyalia were circling him, going about much the same routine as the women inside had been doing to Gael. The inspection was thorough. For long moments the Enyalia examined the potential and a handful of stock women had begun to grow impatient. Alaysha could hear them complaining, the mumbling becoming louder. Finally, Cai stood in front of him and indicated for Thera to stand next to her. Both women divided the crowd into several distinct groups: one of stock women, all who held onto spoons; one of very large, very broad and almost mannish Enyalia, and a final group of shorter, more squat Enyalia, who Alaysha noticed had far fewer circlet on her forearms and thighs than the first group. As she scanned the groups, she realized that the hardier warriors, obviously the strongest with the same ones who had been inspecting Gael as he lay unconscious.
The remainder were to cast for Yenic. She had the ludicrous thought that Gael would be impressed that he was being saved for only the best of the Enyalia while Yenic was getting the leavings. The thought didn't last long. If she was to act, she had to act now.
She stepped in front of Cai and threw down the only thing she had on her person that she could use to show she was a warrior: the small blade she used for scoring apples. She been allowed to keep it as a token of respect while her sword had been spirited away somewhere during the initial journey.
"What is this, little maga?"
"I wish to cast for the man," she said, hoping she was using the right terminology.
Cai shook her head while Thera just glared at her. Alaysha thought she heard Bodicca somewhere to her left chuckling heartily. She didn't spare anyone else a glance, rather kept Cai's gaze as directly as she could.
"Not possible."
"Why not?"
"You're not Enyalia."
"You told me Enyalia is your word for a warrior. Do you disagree that I'm a warrior?"
Cai said nothing for a moment and in the space of time it took for her to consider, Enud stepped forward, the circlets on her thigh chattering loudly. In one thrust, she had pulled them free of her leg and threw them down next to Alaysha's blade. "If the woman wants to cast, let her cast."
Cai looked at the group of Enyalia that Enud had come from. Most of them shrugged indifferently, others made no motion of protest. It seemed none felt challenged enough to care. Then from the group, she turned to Thera. The bone witch shrugged indifferently. Alaysha noticed Enud stealing a look at Uta who stood to the side, her face a careful mask of disinterest.
"Because the solstice has so few men, we will spare only five of our warriors to cast for this man. Understood?"
Some of the Enyalia began to grumble then, but Enud's hard glare stopped some of the smaller ones immediately. "We understand."
Cai sent Alaysha a look of sadness. "It seems it's done, little maga. Fight well."
Three other Enyalia came forward, their circlets in hand, and threw them into the same pile, making a grotesque lump of teeth and sinew. Cai turned to Thera and extended her arm, touching the bone witch's fingers briefly, and then joining with her hand. The bone witch lead out a series of undulating shrieks that brought the hair on Alaysha's arms to a full stand.
The whole of the village backed off as though they'd been given a command. Both Cai and Thera linked hands. In one voice they declared the solstice.
"This man has been cast for. The woman who remains when the battle is done shall have the right to this man, to his seed, his life, and finally his death."
It was only when two of the warriors came forward and knelt before both leaders, kissing their feet, taking their leaves of their Enyalian oaths that Alaysha realized that these women planned to battle to the death.
And that in casting, she had pledged the same.