Here and there across the littered field were flutters of movement the trembling of limbs as death finally took hold of an eviscerated warrior, the lazy flap of wings as a carrion-eater feasted on the carna ge, the rippling of a clan banner whose broken staff was driven through the chest of the standard-bearer.

Baiquhain raised the clan banner high.

Then the thread of direction sent her to retrieve the clan banner from where it still hung on the centerpole.

"Under what clan banner do we now rest?"

At midmorning of the fourth day on the steppes they came on a sprawling tent camp, a temporary city, with miles of scattered clusters around clan banners.

Mine lights burned in niches and cast the shadows of clan banners upon the domed roof.