ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) (14 page)

Closing her eyes, she concentrated fiercely.
Slowly, one piece at a time, a picture unfolded in her mind, and she stared at it in astonishment. She had learned more from Korg and the Leader - and from
Lief
- than she had realized
.
But was
her plan
possible? Even more, would she be able to do it?
Lief
could play his part; of that she was certain. She was less sure
that
she would have the strength, the presence, to play her own role. Nor was she certain she liked what she would have to do. Still, to save the infant it must be done. Later, she reassured herself, she would be able to spend time with the villagers, to speak with them of the Goddess and try to convince them to return to Her ways. But for now -

“
How do you see me?
”
she asked
Lief
abruptly.

Lief
looked surprised at the question but he answered readily.
“
I see a small, well-built woman with long hair that glows with a hint of fire in the sun, with eyes the blue-green color of the sea, a woman who is very strong but does not yet know the fullness of her strength.

“
But it is there, the strength - and the power,
”
he told her seriously, seeing the uncertainty in her face.
And the fire, the passion,
he thought to himself, but he
did not
say those words aloud lest he distract her from her task.

“
It will have to be,
”
Zena
answered grimly.
“
Without it, the plan I have thought of cannot succeed. Nor can it succeed without you.
I will need Hular and Durak, too. I  hope they will come in time.
”

She could not do it without her
sister, or without the Goddess
as well,
she thought to herself. All of them must help if her idea was to work.

“
I am very glad to have you with me,
Lief
,
”
she told him gratefully.
“
You have helped me more than you can know.

“
Now,
”
she continued in a low, determined voice,
“
this is what we must do.
”
  Bending her head close to
Lief
’s
, she explained the details of her plan.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

Durak pulled Rofina into his arms for a last embrace
;
then
he
steeled himself to watch her walk away.
H
e was still afraid for her in a way he
could not
define, but at least
now
he knew the separation would be temporary. The next day they would meet again in the big, flower-filled meadow as they had each day since that first time, and then they would leave this place and travel together to his village. Rofina would be safe there and they would be happy together. The realization filled him with joy. Soon, he thought deliriously, he and Rofina need never be apart again.

He set off eagerly to look for Mara and her mother, so he could tell them that Rofina had agreed to come with him when he returned to his tribe. Perhaps they would come as well, which would surely please Rofina.

His joyous face told Mara what had happened even before he spoke.
“
Rofina wishes to come with me!
”
he burst out, before she could warn him to be careful.

Her cautious eyes made him remember.
“
Where can we speak?
”
he whispered urgently.
“
We must speak.
”
Mara
’s
eyes swept the area carefully; then she nodded and led the way into their hut. Runor sat in one corner, winding flax onto a spindle. Her hands
did not
cease their practiced motions when she saw Durak, but her face was welcoming.

“
I feel excitement in you,
”
she remarked, raising her eyes to his face.

“
It is Rofina,
”
Durak answered, careful now to keep his voice low.
“S
he has said she will return with me to my tribe. I hope you and Mara will come too. This
is not
a good place for you to be. Korg frightens me, though
I
am
not sure why.
”

“
The Leader
is more frightening
,
”
Runor said quietly,
“
for he believes that what he does is good. He cannot see the reality, only his vision, and so he cannot easily be stopped.
”

“
Korg
’s
vision,
”
Mara said bitterly.
“
The Leader follows Korg, though Korg makes it seem the other way.
”

“
Where did they come from, Korg and the Leader?
”
Durak asked curiously.

Runor hesitated.
“
I have heard that they come from the same tribe far to the north and are brothers
,
” she answered finally
.
“
All we know with certainty is that
they now
travel from one village to the next telling people of the Great Spirit.
”
She hoped this was enough to satisfy Durak. Not to anyone
, not even Mara,
would she tell the rest of what she knew.

“
And people believe
what they say
,
”
Mara added
somberly
.
“
Not all, but
some
. And once
these people
began to worship the Great Spirit, others
in the village
follow out of fear. To go against the teachings can be dangerous.
”

Durak shuddered.
“
Perhaps that is why I am so afraid each time when we separate and Rofina must return to the Leader.
”

“
Does she return willingly?
”
Runor
’s
voice was sharp.

Durak frowned.
“
I am not certain,
”
he admitted reluctantly.
“
I know she
does not
w
ish
to leave me, but she
does not
seem to mind returning to him, either.
”

“
That may be because she is so accustomed to being there,
”
Mara said slowly.
“
Or it may be...
”
She stopped uncertainly, aware that
her
half-formed thought that the Leader had made it impossible for Rofina to leave him, made no sense.
“
It may be that Rofina still tires easily,
”
she said instead, to reassure Durak.

Runor heard the uncertainty in
Mara’s
tone and looked up quickly. Had
Mara
guessed what she herself
had
finally
realized
? Probably not, she thought, studying Mara
’s
puzzled face, and it was better so. Mara was too burdened already. Only if she could leave this place would those burdens fall from her.

For the first time, the import of Durak
’s
words became real to Runor. Never before had she dared to hope that they could actually leave the village. But now, if Rofina had agreed, it might be possible. Rofina might never be truly saved, but Mara... Mara
’s
life would change if she were among Mother People. All that bitterness would drain away.

Runor straightened her bent shoulders and turned to Durak.
“
We will go with you,
”
she announced abruptly.
“
The time has come.
”
Her lined face lit up with unexpected joy.
“
To be among Mother People again is more than I dared to hope for, but perhaps it will happen after all.
”

“
But will Korg and the Leader let Rofina leave so easily?
”
Mara asked dubiously.

“
I
cannot
see how they can stop her.
”
Runor made her voice positive, but Mara did not look convinced.
Runor was not convinced either, but they had to try.

“
Korg and t
he Leader leave soon for the village west of here, where
Zena
and
Lief
have gone,
”
she
added
.
“
T
hat would be a good
time for us to take Rofina away
.”

“
That is an excellent idea. I will arrange it with Rofina tomorrow,
”
Durak promised.
“
W
ith the Leader
and Korg
gone, we should have no trouble.
”

“I hope you are right,” Mara said, still sounding doubtful.”

The next day when Rofina came to the field,
Durak
saw at once that something was wrong. There were dark shadows under her eyes, and her hands picked ceaselessly at her clothing, at her hair. They were shaking
badly.

“
Did not
you sleep, Rofina?
”
he asked tenderly, taking
her trembling fingers into his own big hands
to steady them.

Rofina nodded.
“
I
did not
sleep,
”
she agreed.
“
I think I should go back now.
”
She pulled her hands away.

“
But you have just come! Let us lie here for a time so you can rest. Then, we can make our plans. Your mother and Mara will come with us to my tribe. That will be fine, will it not?
”

“
I cannot come,
”
Rofina said tremulously.
“
I cannot leave the Leader.
”

Durak
was bewildered.
Yesterday, she had wanted very much to leave, had smiled like an eager child and assured him she would come. Now everything seemed to have changed. He took a deep breath
and tried again.

“
Rofina, it
is not
good for you to stay here,
”
he told her gently. He stroked her arms, her back and shoulders, to soothe her, then urged her to lie down so the tall grasses would hide them. He
did not
think anyone knew of their meetings, but he
did not
want to take chances.

Rofina knelt, but she
would not
lie down
.
“
I must stay here,
”
she w
himper
ed, and her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
“
I must. They will not let me go.
”

“
Then I will take you with me anyway,
”
Durak said stoutly.
“
They cannot stop us.
”

Covering her eyes with shaking hands, Rofina began to weep. Durak pulled her into his arms to comfort her
and
felt the terrible resistance of her body
, so stiff with misery it could not bend
. Over and over, he assured her that it would be all right, that he would find a way to take her without the Leader
’s
knowledge or Korg
’s
, but the
crying
only worsened.
Rofina
wept
with total, helpless abandon, and Durak
did not know
why. Finally, he stopped talk
ing
and simply held her.

Limp now with exhaustion, she
let him lower her to the ground and after a time she slept. Every few moments, her body twitched, as if some terrible fear, or perhaps a memory, was buried deep inside her that
could not
be controlled.

When she woke, she insisted that she must return to the Leader right away. Durak tried to dissuade her, but that only made her weep again and moan with fear. Reluctantly, he let her go without speaking further of their plans. This time, his heart contracted with anguish when he watched her walk away. Before, he had been certain she would come again the next day; now, he
did not
know.

When he told Runor what had happened, she
did not
seem surprised. This, too, he
did not
understand.

“
Wait until Rofina is more rested, and then try again,
”
she advised him.
‘s
till, we will take her with us anyway if we must,
”
she added grimly.
“
There is no choice now.
”

Dusk had come already, but Durak was too restless and upset to think of sleep. Instead, he decided to hide in the trees and watch the Leader
’s
hut. He was certain now that something was terribly wrong with Rofina and that the Leader was involved, or Korg, and he had to know what it was.

“
Be careful,
”
Sorlin warned him,
looking
worried
.
“
I
do not
trust these people.
”

“
I will be careful,
”
Durak promised, and headed into the thick trees to find a place that gave a good view of the huts. For a long time, he saw nothing but the usual activities in any village - people going to the bushes, speaking softly around the fires, and tending them. Then silence fell. Briefly, he fell asleep, but uneasy dreams of Rofina weeping for him, of Rofina tormented by Korg,
soon
woke him
.
Rubbing his eyes to dispel the images, he waited
again
. Just when sleep had almost conquered him a second time, a sound came, not from
the Leader’s hut
but from the woods some distance away. The sound was so low he would not have heard it had he not been listening hard. It was the drums again, he realized, not the hard pounding he had heard before but a soft, seductive sound that drew him forward.

He moved cautiously through the trees, determined not to let even a footfall betray him. Still, when he came to the place he almost gasped and gave himself away. Before him was a low fire and beside it sat Rofina. Her beautiful face, white and pleading, was turned up to the Leader, who murmured soothing words. Korg crouched beside them, mixing some kind of potion in a small bowl. No sound came from Rofina, but her eyes begged. Finally, Korg handed the cup to the Leader, who placed it gently against Rofina
’s
lips. She drank greedily and the tension in her face began to relax.
“
That is good,
”
she murmured. Sighing, she slipped to the ground and closed her eyes.