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“We must give her to Sigurr,” said Hannil, a wildness in his eyes unmatched by the calm in his voice. “One female is a small price to pay for our freedom, and if she pleases him, he may perhaps keep her for use.”

“You are insane,” breathed Ceralt, sickened by what Hannil intended. “How can you believe. . .?”

“I do believe!” Hannil blazed, hand to the dagger at his silvered belt. “I will do as the dark god commands and save us all! The wench is mine and you may not interfere—as I have not interfered in that which was done with your wench! Stand back now and do not seek to halt us!”

Ceralt stirred as though to move against the other male, yet many hands came to hold him where he stood, Lialt’s and Telion’s among them. That he failed to struggle proved he knew the futility of such an act, for Hannil’s males moved feverishly about the female Deela, who screamed and wept as the leathers were cut from her. The males moved in great haste, as though having made their decision, they now raced frantically to see the thing done before promised wrath fell upon them.

It was but scant moments before the weeping, naked female stood before the carving, the hands of males keeping her from fleeing her fate. I had no clear understanding of what that fate would be, thinking perhaps they intended spilling her blood upon the carving, as tribute to he whom they called dark god. That no battle was to be involved was somewhat unseemly, yet Hosta, too, will take the lives from enemies slowly, in retribution for acts performed against the Hosta clan. That these males offered up the female was clear, yet the next of their actions also clarified how she was to be offered up.

“No!” I cried, seeing three of the males, Hannil included, lift the female toward the waiting arms of the carving. They clearly intended placing her for use by the carving, and I could not bear the thought. So evil that face was, so sunk in pleasured cruelty, not even the pretty, foolish, female Deela deserved being done so.

“Jalav, hush,” said Ceralt, holding me by the arms to keep me beside him. I had attempted to move to the female’s aid, yet he and Lialt and Telion would not allow this. Their arms circled me and held me as I struggled, impossible to escape, impossible to deny. None had heard my outcry, for all had eyes only for that which occurred upon the carving.

Deela screamed as though possessed, throwing herself about, terror in every fiber of her being. The three males who held her lifted her from her feet, raised her above the circled, outstretched arms of the carving, then lowered her within them to the lap below. The carving’s manhood seemed to pulse in the flickering torchlight, evil and expectant, poison-filled and demon-raised. Slowly but inexorably was Deela’s womanhood slid toward it till her body blocked its view, her screams unending echoes in our ears. Hannil himself moved before her, his hand between her thighs, and truly could I see his positioning of her upon the cold, stone shaft. The carving’s desire was too large for her, far too large for any female of flesh, yet Hannil took her thighs, his males her bottom, and as one, pulled and pushed her upon the spear that cleft her body. Deela choked as saliva dripped from her opened mouth, her eyes wide and staring, her screams abruptly cut off. She choked again, and a third time, and then her hands went to the stone arms about her, clutching them in madness.

“It moves within me!” she choked out, and then her screams returned increased twofold. “It moves within me! Merciful heavens, it lives within me! Hannil! Hannil!”

The males released her and took a shuddering step backward, yet Deela had not been freed. She had been given over to the circling stone arms, from which she was never to escape. Her body began a movement in rhythm, as though she were truly being used, and I cringed back against Ceralt’s chest, sunk in a fear the likes of which I had never before encountered. All thoughts of warriorhood were gone from my mind, all fear felt till then no more than a child’s small dream. Sooner would I face a lashing of a thousand strokes than approach that carving, and had Ceralt’s arms not held me to him so tightly I would have run from that place though every Hosta war leader ever to live stood about me in judgment.

Surely all those who stood about thought to see a rapid ending to the gift they had placed upon the carving, yet such was not to be. Deela’s movement continued on and on, her voice now screaming, now choking, now whispering hoarsely, now laughing. The sight was enough to cause madness in the watchers, the sight of a female’s use by a carving. No word was spoken by any in the group, till a shifting torch shone redly upon the stone.

“See there!” said Hannil of a sudden, his finger apoint toward the carving’s knees. “Sigurr’s use has returned her virginity and taken it all in one stroke! She gives him her virgin blood, her use now his alone for all eternity!”

Hannil’s voice rang out in a laugh, madness clearly to be heard, Deela’s maddened laughter adding to his. I could bear no more of those sights and sounds; tearing myself from Ceralt’s arms I ran stumbling toward the corridor we had come by, my hand to my mouth to hold my insides within. After no more than a step or two, Ceralt was again beside me, his arm about me in support, his broad face as pale and sickened as mine must have been. I clung to him in my illness, faintly aware that many others followed us, knowing little of what occurred about me till we had again passed into the main cavern. The females stood about, and those few males who had remained to guard them, and all drew back from us upon seeing our faces.

“What has happened?” demanded Famira, the only one to immediately approach us. “Ceralt, Cimilan, Jalav—what has happened?”

“We have begun to pay Sigurr’s price,” said Ceralt, his voice thicker than usual. “Famira, help me with Jalav.”

Though the words would once have given me insult, no thought of refusal came when Famira approached to offer her aid. I trembled in Ceralt’s arms, my head awhirl, my thoughts in chaos. Deep within I knew what lay ahead of me, yet my mind refused to consider the possibility, my flesh shrank from the very hint of it. Was my fear, then, to be the cause of Ceralt’s loss, a fear before which I was no more than a child or a slave-woman? Fear should be thrown off and denied, faced and conquered; this fear was one which I could not even begin to think of in such a way.

I lay for many reckid upon Ceralt’s furs, my eyes closed, my arm across them. Famira sat near, prepared to aid me should I need her, unspeaking other than that. The males had gathered in the center of the cavern, all of them together save the two who had been Hannil’s closest. They two had attempted to take Hannil’s riders from Ceralt’s side, yet the other males had refused to hear them. Hannil was High Rider no more, and none other was able to stand in his stead.

I lay unmoving and unthinking upon the furs, attempting to deny that which had happened, attempting to put it from my memory for all time. It was an action no warrior was well used to, and slowly, slowly, the fact returned to me that I was a war leader, pledged to the service of Mida. It mattered not what such service might be, only that I performed it, and well. Few were called to Mida’s service to perform tasks easily done. That I wished to remain unmoving with the lanthay fur cradling my back had no bearing; were I to continue in Mida’s service, naught save that service must concern me.

It took an effort, yet I soon sat in the fur upon which I had lain. Famira clucked and berated me for failing to continue the rest Ceralt had decreed, yet Ceralt had said I must lie still till the illness was gone. The illness had gone as far as ever it would; lying longer in place would accomplish little good. No longer than a moment did I sit considering what next action must be taken, yet in that moment I saw four males returning with torches, obviously having been about examining the crevasses Famira and I had begun upon. I felt it needful to hear what word they brought, therefore did I rise to my feet and walk to where the balance of the males sat.