'How long does the training take?'
'A cycle if we're not interrupted by the misdeeds of our neighbours,' Thunder replied. 'That bunch of marvels what is getting themselves reborn with you tonight started in the Moon of the Hungry Wolf. It's now the Moon of Falling Leaves.' He counted on his fingers. 'That makes thirty-two moons which is four short of what we should have. That is because the unprovoked aggression of our Gormish neighbours caused us to speed things up.'
'What have they done?'
'Done.'
Thunder feigned surprise.
'You don't wait for things to be done. You could be dead by the time that happens. It's not what's been done ... it's what's going to be done that matters.' He tapped the bag which had held the stones of destiny. 'That's why it's important to have a good Augury Master.'
'What about spies?' Tom asked.
Thunder pulled at his moustache.
'Yes ... there are persons who supply valuable information concerning the intentions of our enemies.'
'So. Why do you need an Augury Master?'
'The common people prefer a simple explanation.' Thunder dropped his voice. 'There's no need to trouble them with unnecessary details and put your sources of information at risk. You stick to the main facts.'
'Like whether the victim falls to the left or right when the sword is pushed into him?'
'That's right. But you need an Augury Master to say what it means. They speak in riddles so it's not too difficult to put a correct interpretation on anything they say.
Tom turned to another subject.
'What sort of things do the young warriors learn in their thirty-six moons of training?'
Thunder took a deep breath. 'How to pass though enemy territory unobserved. How to stalk and take game in the presence of an enemy. How to kill an enemy and remove his head. How to seize cattle ...'
He ticked off points on his fingers and reached his left thumb. 'Right. That brings us to the end of the first quarter which, you will note, is the time a baby spends in its mother's belly.' He took another deep breath. 'In the second quarter, special attention is paid to commands and messages. How to listen to and remember what is said, without getting it all stuffed up like some people we know. How to send and receive messages by smoke or flame ...'
The recitation continued. Tom noted that, in the fourth quarter, special attention was given to weapon craft.
'You didn't say anything about chariot craft,' he said.