That alone would have made the armor more than serviceable for war, but Jouka's plates were studded with thick, rusting iron spikes that almost looked as if they had been driven through from the underside so that the sharp points wavered dangerously with every movement of the wearer. The suit was complete nail studded gauntlets, tack-covered arms, even a metal helm, a full skull mask of hammered iron, gingerly tucked under one arm. The helm sported features of smooth anonymity, with barely the trace of a mouth, nose, and chin. The whole thing was marked by the needle-sharp points that projected to an even length about the skull, like some strange cultist's mask.
"What is that?" The question, full of disbelief, exploded unconsciously from Martine's lips.
"This, human, is my badger fighting suit," Jouka said proudly, almost thumping a thorny fist against his spiky chest.
"A what?" She knelt to have a better look.
"My badger fighting suit," came the fierce reply. "Sometimes badgers dig into the warren and we have to kill them."
"In that?"
"It is an old Vani tradition, Martine," Vil answered, coming up behind the pair. "'The Vani corner the badger or wolverine, usually by penning it inside a room.Then one of the warriors goes in and tries to kill it. By custom, the lucky fighter is armed with just a knife and that outfit." The man nodded toward Jouka's armor.
"Lucky?"
"It is a great honor to kill a badger," Jouka huffed. "I have killed two badgers already"
"It's how their men become true warriors," Vil pointed out.
"But why the suit?" Martine asked as she gingerly touched one of the spikes.
"Badgers do not like the spikes, human. It gives the fighter a fair chance."
"A chance? Against a badger?"
Jouka glared up at her as if she had questioned his
manhood. "Have you ever fought a badger, woman? Do not-"
`The Vani call him tukkavaaskivo-`little mean one,' Vil cut in quickly. `The animals are not be trifled with. I've seen a wolverine take on a bear twenty or more times its size and win," the man added.
The gnome nodded sagely. "A bear will run where a badger turns and fights. The Vani fight like badgers, too." Having arrived at the east gate, he cut the conversation short.
In the chill hall, an assemblage of gnomes were gathered into rough-and-ready companies. The militia broke ranks the minute Jouka and the others entered the hall and besieged the spiky gnome with questions, demands, and suggestions. In the cramped chamber, Vil and Jazrac towered over the clustered gnomes packed around them. The little warriors bristled with an assortment of weapons, mostly stubby spears. Short swords, their hilt grips well worn with use, hung in the undecorated scabbards of many others. There was a suggestion of armor under the shapeless layers of their dirty white parkas. Armets, pot helms, skullcaps, and other wondrously incongruous headdresses bobbed among them. The air reeked of gnome sweat, oil, and stale beer, the latter no doubt consumed to fortify more than a few before they set out.
With all the voices raised at once, Martine did her best to listen, but the tumult was a blend of shouting so thickly accented that the Harper gave up all hope of understanding.
At last Jouka, who would serve as commander of the raid, restored order. Organized back into their companies, the gnomes stood tensely expectant while Jouka huddled with his chosen captains.
"I didn't think the gnomes had this many warriors," Martine said to Vil. There were about forty of the Vani packed into the little hall. "They don't," Vil said softly. "You can't count most of these fellows as warriors. Most of them are farmers. A few are hunters who know the valley well, but fighters like Jouka are precious few"
The aforesaid gnome, in the middle of his captains, nodded toward the humans. "The humans are welcome, too. Master Vil you know. The woman can use a sword as well." There was a murmur of surprise from some of the more traditional farmers. "The thin one is a wizard… or so he claims."
Martine felt that Jouka's introductions were somewhat strained, as if he were unwilling to admit their skills. However, the gnome added finally, "They know how to fight, brothers, and every sword will help us. They will travel with me. That way they cannot get lost." A weak chuckle rose at their expense from the gnomes.
"Elder Sumalo is no longer as young as he once was," Jouka continued, "so we will have no priest. If your brothers are hurt, you will have to bring them back to the warren for healing. Sumalo will be ready for you. My brother, Turi, and the human wizard are our only magi."
"Is Turi a good mage?" Martine whispered to Vil.
The warrior shrugged. "Good enough, if you need illusions tricks of light and shadow, phantoms those sorts of things. Better get yourself ready to go," Vil added with the barest nod to Jazrac. "Does he need skis?" Jouka was already herding his chattering fellows outside as Vil took his skis from the pegs.
"Not at all," Jazrac cheerily replied, overhearing the question.
Stamping their ski-clad feet to drive out the cold, the gnomes waited impatiently outside for the humans. In the morning chill, their frosty breath caught in their beards and mustaches, coating them with a snow-whitened glaze. The waiting gnomes said little, their gazes fixed grimly on
the woods. Their old eyes held no fear, only determination for the mission before them.
Jouka gave the signal to move out. The outer doors parted. "We go!" barked Jouka, barely waiting for the humans. Expert skiers, the Vani set a brisk pace, each following in the track of the gnome before him. Martine was surprised how quickly the short-legged folk could shoot across the snow as she and Vil labored to keep pace. Only Jazrac traveled without the long boards, instead drifting over the surface of the snow, held magically aloft, floating alongside Martine and Vil.
"I thought such magic could be used only for brief periods," the former paladin rumbled. "We're likely to be traveling all day."
The wizard ignored Vil's evident irritation. "Thats true of spells, yes, but a ring of flying is much more useful." To demonstrate, the wizard made a pass by the skiing warrior, rising slowly until his feet were level with the man's helmeted head.
Singularly unimpressed, Vil growled, "I've seen flying wizards before. Archers call them flying pincushions." Martine chuckled, for wizards tended to be pretty useless as fighters. It was their spells and not their fighting prowess that made them powerful.
Appropriately chastised, Jazrac resumed skimming over the snow, stirring up a thin cloud of ice crystals as he went. As she pulled alongside her skiing companion, Martine couldn't help but notice a sardonic smile on Vil's lips.
After half an hour of nonstop travel, Jouka whispered back the command to halt. Her throat rasped raw by the fierce cold, Martine was thankful for the slightest break in their march. She wanted to spit, but her mouth was parched by the arid winter air. Her sides burned and her legs felt ready to buckle, reminding her of just how little experience she had had on skis. Knowing the gnome hadn't halted the column just for her benefit, Martine somehow resisted collapsing into an exhausted heap. Instead, she slowly drew her sword for battle, her fingers muffling the scrape where the scabbard's metal lip rubbed the blade. The sword's edge nipped her finger, a sharp sting that she ignored as several drops of blood rolled down her finger and plopped, overlapping, on the snow. The white crystals melted and then spread into a pink areola at her feet.
Jouka carefully issued orders to form a search line. The instructions that followed were simple; the gnome knew he couldn't expect anything too complicated from his militia. They were to fan out in a line. If they saw anything, they should freeze and stay hidden, then signal those to their left and right, who would pass the signal down the line. Most of all as the gnome said it, he looked pointedly at the three humans no one was to act on his own. No individuals were to rush to the attack, but rather wait until the command was given. To be certain they understood, Jouka had his warriors repeat the instructions. Only when he was completely satisfied that all the farmhands and carpenters understood did Jouka begin posting the gnomes to their positions.