Draggah (36 page)

“
What about the tribe?
”

“
Everyone will be fine,
”
Lexi said. 
“
We managed to save all but a few of the captives.  The Rogu captured most of the attacking raiders.  But some of them that escaped have come back.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Te
’
sumee says that it is customary for a tribe to deal captives for captives,
”
Lexi said. 
“
But we have a lot more of them then they have of us.
”

Tiberius saw the reasoning behind the entire ordeal.  One tribe raids another, taking their women, sometimes children or other valuables.  Then, if one of their number gets captured in the raid, the raiders can then trade the least valuable hostages back to the tribe they were taken from.  That way very few, if any, of the raiders would be lost in the attack.  They would be at full strength when they returned to their own tribe to hunt for food and defend their people.  The raids were aggressive and even violent, but not deadly.

“
So what do they need me for?
”
Tiberius wondered out loud.

“
Te
’
sumee says you must conduct the negotiations,
”
Lexi said. 
“
Apparently the raiders are angry with us.
”

“
Angry because they attacked us and were defeated, I suppose,
”
Tiberius said.

They could see Te
’
sumee and several other Rogu warriors standing at the edge of the camp.  They were looking out across the plain.  Once Tiberius and Lexi made their way around the last of the tents, they could see the opposing warriors almost two hundred yards away.  They had several captives, all women, along with some stolen goods as well.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
Tiberius asked.

“
Tiswanee,
”
Te
’
sumee said in a tense voice. 
“
The raiders have returned to trade for their kinsmen.  It is our way, but they have a grievance.  They claim that Rafe killed two of their Rogu last night.
”

“
I guess they shouldn
’
t have attacked our camp,
”
Tiberius replied.

“
It is not done, Tiswanee.  The Hoskali are not killers.
”

“
They attacked us in the night,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
They stole from us, kidnapped our women and children.  Two women from our tribe would be dead if I hadn
’
t been able to heal them.  They did that.
”

Te
’
sumee looked at Tiberius with a frown.

“
You can
’
t honestly tell me it
’
s okay for them to attack us but we can
’
t fight back,
”
Tiberius said.

“
We fight back,
”
Te
’
sumee said. 
“
But we do not kill.  Never on purpose.
”

“
Fine, I get that.  But what is done is done; I can
’
t bring people back from the dead.
”

“
Here they come,
”
Lexi said.

“
What is customary here?
”
Tiberius asked Te
’
sumee. 
“
Should we just give them their captives back and call it even?
”

“
I do not know, Tiswanee.  This has never been heard of.
”

Tiberius shook his head as he walked out to meet with the raiders.  He had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down.  Lexi had stayed at the camp with several of the Rogu.  Te
’
sumee and one other warrior walked out with Tiberius.

“
Peace,
”
said the big raider who was obviously the leader of the attacking group. 
“
Is this your Swanee?
”
he asked, eyeing Tiberius suspiciously.

“
I am Tiberius and I lead this tribe.  Who are you?
”

The big man eyed Te
’
sumee, who nodded to confirm what Tiberius had said.  Then he straightened his shoulders and spoke in a loud voice.

“
I am Bu
’
yorgi, head of the Rogu and Velora of the sky tribe.  You have one among your people, a rider of horses and wielder of steel.  He has committed crimes against my people and must be made to pay.
”

“
Crimes against your people?
”
Tiberius said angrily. 
“
You raided our camp under the cover of darkness.  You stole our women and children, clubed their parents, and stole their property.  You have no right to accuse us of anything.
”

“
We will have justice.
”

“
And we will have our people back,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
Let those captives go or you
’
ll never see your comrades again.
”

“
Is that a threat?
”
the big warrior asked in surprise.

“
Of course it is, you dim witted idiot.
”

“
Tiswanee,
”
Te
’
sumee said in a pleading tone.

“
Your insolence has no limit, strange one.  I will not bargain in good faith with one such as you.
”

“
No,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
We will not bargain.  You will hand over everything you took from our camp.  Every captive and every bit of property you stole.  Then I will decide what to do with your pathetic Rogu.
”

“
You go too far,
”
Bu
’
yorgi said. 
“
You are no Swanee.  I will not accept this insult without blood.
”

Tiberius was angry, but he felt the threat from the larger man.  Tiberius didn
’
t even have a weapon, yet he had insulted a much larger foe as if he had no fear.  A nervous tremor ran up his spine.  He wished that Rafe were with him.

“
Let us find a peaceful solution,
”
Te
’
sumee said.

“
No!
”
shouted Bu
’
yorgi. 
“
I demand a Tuscogee.
”

“
You challenge me?
”
Tiberius said.

“
I will fight your champion for the right to lead your tribe,
”
Bu
’
yorgi said. 
“
If I win, you will be outcast and your tribe will be joined with ours.
”

“
And if I my champion wins?
”
Tiberius said. 
“
Then you will become our slaves?
”

The big warrior
’
s eyes narrowed.

“
It will be as you say, Swanee,
”
he said, spitting after saying the last word as if it were foul in his mouth.

“
At dusk,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
Right here.
”

Bu
’
yorgi nodded and then turned around to walk back to the small group of raiders behind him.  Tiberius was shaking all over, mostly from anger, but also from fear.  He knew he couldn
’
t defeat the larger man without using magic, and he wasn
’
t sure he could use his magic effectively enough to defeat such a seasoned warrior.

He looked at Te
’
sumee as they turned back toward the camp.  The leader of the Rogu looked pale.  Tiberius couldn
’
t tell if the tribesman was angry or afraid.

“
What is wrong with you?
”
Tiberius asked. 
“
Did you really expect me to just roll over and give in to that ogre
’
s demands?
”

“
Ogre?
”
Te
’
sumee asked. 
“
What is this word?
”

“
An ogre, you know, a big scary creature.
”

“
Bu
’
yorgi is a great warrior, Tiswanee.  Perhaps greater than your Velora, perhaps not.  I do not know, but I am sure that Rafe will not be ready to fight the Tuscogee.  I will fight in his place.
”

“
No,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
You won
’
t.  Rafe will do it.  I
’
ll see to his wounds.
”

“
Are you sure he will be ready?
”
Te
’
sumee said. 
“
The Tuscogee is a Hallinsae.
”

“
A fight to the death,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I know it.  Rafe will be ready, or I
’
ll fight in his place.  No one else will die because of me.
”

“
We cannot allow it, Tiswanee.  It would shame the entire tribe.
”

“
What
’
s the difference,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
If we lose, I
’
ll be killed.  I might as well fight for my life.
”

“
No, it cannot be.  You must have a champion.
”

“
Then we better hope Rafe is ready,
”
Tiberius said.

Chapter 27

Tiberius

“
You did what?
”
Lexi said angrily.

“
I did what I had to do,
”
Tiberius replied. 
“
The idiot was angry because Rafe killed two of his warriors.  But they almost killed two women from our tribe.  They kidnapped half a dozen more.
”

“
So you insulted him?
”

“
I confronted him,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
There
’
s a difference.
”

“
Ti, have you taken into consideration that the Hoskali do things differently than we do,
”
Lexi said as they walked back into the camp. 
“
Surely you could have found a way to deal with this without making things worse.
”

“
I didn
’
t make things worse,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I did the only thing I could.
”

“
Is that right?
”

“
Yes, it is.  You remember what you told me about that dagger of yours?
”

Lexi and Tiberius both looked down at the finely crafted Wangorian dagger that Lexi kept tucked into her belt.

“
About the night you stole it.  Remember that?
”
Tiberius asked.

“
That was different,
”
Lexi said.

“
You didn
’
t have to fight those men,
”
Tiberius said, ignoring Lexi
’
s reply. 
“
You could have given them the dagger.
”