Part 6 (1/2)

With no voice of his own left, he spoke in the spirit-tongue, which Seyganko did not yet understand Whatever the spirits were saying had Dobanpu's face twisting in horror, for all that he fought for self-command Emwaya's eyes ide, and her hand on her father's shoulder gripped so tight that her nails scored his flesh and her knuckles were pallid

Thunder caazed up at the ceiling of the cave because he could no longer bear to look at the captive He saw a drop of water fall, to raise a puff of dust from the cave floor Another drop followed it, then several more, then a steady stream

No spirits were in that thunder It was not the rainy season, but seldohts pass about the Lake of Death without rain Seyganko resisted the urge to leap forward and stand in the rain streah the smoke hole

It was as well that he did Dobanpu's as not done yet Indeed, Seyganko could have stalked and slain a wild pig in the time the Spirit-Speaker needed to finish with the captive

The warrior knehen the end cah The captive turned slowly toward Dobanpu He took a single faltering step forward, then two surer ones before leaping at Dobanpu as would a leopard on its prey

He never coe, but E herself before her father She anko was barely on his feet before she and the dying, vengeance-driven Kwanyi grappled

It was a short grapple, for all that the Kwanyi had in life been half again Eth He could not feel pain, but he could be knocked down Eripped one ar for a handhold in her hair,when Seyganko brought his club down on the Kwanyi's already battered head The last spirit-given life fled, and the spirits followed Thunder rolled again as they leaped fro the rain

Seyganko sahat s and the head of a snake, or so even -and was just in time to help her catch her father as he fell, to all appearances as lifeless as the Kwanyi

They laid Dobanpu on a bed of rushes; a raised part of the cave floor kept hi puddle of rainwater Ened to Seyganko that he should leave theanko desperately wished to ask why, but the answer came in the same moment as the question In the Kwanyi warrior, there had been no coht heal Dobanpu and save his knowledge for his people Seyganko's duties now lay a the warriors, to lead them if need be, or at least to keep theanko turned back to make sure that the Kwanyi warrior was dead, or to bind hiestures of aversion, or even to flee wildly to the open air

The Kwanyi warrior was gone Only the outline of his body in the ; it was as if he had becolanced up fro When I knoill tell you was in that shrug, and also the pride he kneell

I will coht he saw her sone at all Leaving Emwaya there hat had stolen away the Kwanyi's body was harder than leaving her in the face of a hungry leopard

He also knew that a warrior who courts a Spirit-Speaker's daughterpeace with his wo hiht

Then he reached full wakefulness and knew that the root arht He shi+fted and looked up fro the finely turned leg, to the shi+rt bound as a loincloth about well-rounded hips, and onward to the rest of Valeria

She left off prodding hied

”If you think I woke you up for-”

Conan was terip that ankle and see if Valeria's loincloth survived a turound He set the teer over her new garb and looked as ready as ever to repay such a rough jest with steel

Now and for some days to come, Conan had more need of a trustworthy comrade at his back than a woman in his arms ”You woke me because it's dawn and tiht have been a nod

”Any visitors?”

”None I could not face myself, Cimmerian”

”Ah, so you did not slay the seven warriors You only drained them of their poith a woman's-”

The toe jabbed hard into his ribs, and for a moment, Conan was ready to roll clear of a doard slash of her sword Then the hand left the sword-hilt, her h She sat down and began co from her hair