Conseh rubbed its chin and nodded. "As with the pida bug, if its head is removed, its many legs are without direction."
Uhe looked around at the faces of its warmasters. "The Irrvedah makes light, noise, and free with melon wine this night. Conseh, you will have your first undermaster order its sedenve to darken their skins with mud, and have them carry only their butcher axes. They will wait until full dark and then they will move east. Have them memorize well the positions of the traps on the mountainside in order that they may avoid them. The sedenve then shall move quietly through the eight thousand Irrvedah and capture Tocchah alive."
There was a murmur of surprise among the warmasters. As soon as they quieted, Uhe continued. "Those of our warriors who are captured must not reveal the plan. If any are wounded, they are to be put to death. Any who are captured alive must end their own lives."
Uhe pointed again at the map. "The Third and Fourth Denve will hold this place here where we now stand, and the Tsien Denvedah shall move west, and they must run. Before morning’s light, the Tsien Denvedah must reach the western end of the eleven thousand Irrvedah to the north, go around it, and then spread out on the high ground behind them. It is vital that knowledge of their action not be known until I choose to reveal it."
Uhe stood and looked at Conseh. "I will march with the sedenve that seeks the capture of Tocchah."
The first warmaster stood. "Is that, wise? Should you die, what of the Denvedah?"
Uhe looked down at the map. "In answer to your second question, Conseh, if I fall, you will take my place, and your first undermaster will take the place of first warmaster. The Denvedah shall continue to fulfill Aakva’s Law of War."
Conseh then asked: "And in answer to my first question?"
"Is it wise?" Uhe clasped its hands behind its back. "I have a message to bring to Tocchah."
"All of us have been taught since the womb how to memorize. Anyone can bring Tocchah your message. Again I ask you, is it wise?"
Uhe studied many things, including the dark places in its mind. The ruler of the Denvedah concluded its search and faced its first warmaster. "I shall not wait for your runners to bring me Tocchah’s answer; I will be there myself to receive it. In answer to your question, it is probably not wise. Nevertheless, I have given my order, and the order stands."
After the details of the plan had been discussed and the warmasters had been dismissed, Conseh remained behind. "Uhe, in case you fall, what is the message you wish to bring to Tocchah?"
Uhe lowered itself to its sleeping skins and looked up at nothing. "I am not certain. I will be certain only when I see Tocchah."
Conseh went to the opening of the tent. "I must see to your orders." The first warmaster stopped at the entrance and looked back at Uhe. "It is hard to wait for the results of one’s orders, is it not?"
Uhe closed its eyes. "Yes, Conseh. It is hard. Call me when your first sedenve is ready."
Conseh left to do its ruler’s bidding.
That night, Tocchah, ruler of the Irrvedah, sat before its fire studying the flames for Aakva’s message. The rogues of the Mavedah had not acted as the servants of Aakva had predicted. The lack of food for one day would not harm the warriors, but constant reports of complaining came to Tocchah’s hearing.
Why had the Mavedah not attacked?
Could they fear the Irrvedah? Tocchah studied the facts and put aside its fantasies. Enough was known to say with conviction that the Mavedah feared nothing.
Then why had they not attacked?
Why, why, why?
Tocchah stood and walked beyond its fire. It stopped as it saw the fires of its warriors on the mountainside across the valley. Tocchah waved its hand at the fires in disgust. "Warriors, dah!"
They celebrated a victory that did not exist. Most of them, farmers, harvesters, and fruit pickers, had never faced war. Although they had trained hard to meet the Mavedah, they still knew more about planting than fighting. Yet they celebrated; celebrated the fact that they had not been attacked.
Tocchah looked up at the mystery of the stars. The Mavedah would not be captured alive. But there were a few Irrvedah that fought for the Mavedah that had been captured. And they spoke of the hand of the God of the Day Light. Its name was Uhe, and Uhe ruled the Mavedah, which now called itself Denvedah. The prisoners spoke of Aakva’s new Law of War, and that this was Uhe’s charge.
Tocchah looked down into the blackness of the valley below. It was clear that the warriors of Uhe were well-trained, and that they had numbers far exceeding those that Tocchah had been able to bring to oppose them.
But why then oppose them? Would the Irrvedah defeat the Mavedah? No.
Would the invaders go back to the Madah? No.
Any injury inflicted upon the Mavedah would be more than compensated for by the captured Irreveden who would join the enemy’s ranks.
Even the Diruvedah would not be served by feeding warriors into the ranks of the Mavedah, and the Irrvedah had no interest that would be served by protecting the Diruvedah.
Tocchah looked again at the stars. "Yet we stand here to fight the Mavedah. Aakva, I ask your children of the night, how did the Irrvedah come to this pass?"
The ruler of the Irrvedah listened to the laughter coming from the next mountain, and it lowered its head. How many would die in order that the living could proudly say that they went down fighting?
And how would such serve the living if, in truth, what they fought was Aakva’s true law?
Tocchah turned and looked around at the emptiness of the light cast by the fire. The ruler of the Irrvedah had dismissed its council of masters, no longer being able to stand the empty boasts of ignorant minds. Tocchah’s own staff had been given permission to join the celebrations of the warriors who had never warred, leaving only a few guards.
"And do I leave myself thus exposed by design?" Tocchah addressed again the stars. "Do I invite my own removal from this play?"
The sounds of hunter’s feet brushed the night air, and Tocchah felt its chest tighten. Unless the feet belonged to Mavedah, there was no need for skulking in the brush. And no clumsy farmer of the Irrvedah could walk so quietly.
Tocchah faced the darkness. "Come out, Mavedah. I am ready for you."
Seven blackened figures emerged from the brush beyond the firelight. The feeling that many others remained in the brush was with Tocchah. One of the figures spoke to the ruler of the Irrvedah:
"You are Tocchah?"
"I am."
The blackened figure spread its hands, then let them fall to its sides. "I missed greeting you at the Darker Wood. I greet you now, Tocchah. I am Uhe, ruler of the Denvedah. I come to tell you of Aakva’s new Law of War, and to ask you to join me in fulfilling the desires of the God of the Day Light."
"You would have me hand over my people and their lands without a fight? What must you think of the Irrvedah?"
"I think the Irrvedah to be growers and eaters of plants." The dark figure swept its hand to indicate the terrain behind the fire. "With me there are over a thousand of my warriors facing the backs of your celebrants." The figure pointed across the dark valley toward the Irrvedah’s fires. "Upon the face of the next mountain, and in the valley between, there are four denve; over thirty thousand Denvedah."
Tocchah feared even to think of the eleven thousand Irrvedah to the north, should the dark figure discover them. It was a caution without purpose.
The blackened figure continued: "To the north, behind the eleven thousand Irrvedah you have facing us, I have placed my Tsien Denvedah; over fifteen thousand of my best warriors. I answer your question now, Tocchah. I think you and your people to be reasonable. I would have them join Aakva’s cause."