The Treason Blade (Battle for Alsaar Book 1) (4 page)

Eira frowned.
She saw the expression on Lysandr’s face had become one of confusion but he
quickly wiped it away and looked down in his glass. Even Ber seemed taken back.
Eira thought over the words. If it would help ease tension for the beginning of
Ishar’s stay, perhaps it would be wiser. She nodded.
“Fine.
If it will make everyone more settled I will assign—” She let her glance roam
the table. Ber, Gavin, and Glyndwr might be too quick to seek trouble. Lysandr
had too many other duties that she could not take him away from. Her eyes came
to rest on one of them. “—Traevyn. He will guide you during your days in the
compound and out among the surrounding countryside until Varyk returns.”
Traevyn’s glance revealed no emotion at her words. He kept close at hand his
emotions at the prospect of his new duties. “When Varyk returns, I am sure he
will agree with my earlier decision. However, I will leave it in his capable
hands, but only if this pleases you, Ishar?”

Ishar nodded.
“This will be fine but I insist Traevyn be a willing guide.” She glanced across
the table toward the quiet warrior who watched her with probing black eyes.

Traevyn
looked at her silently for a moment and then nodded. “Eira oversees the holding
when Varyk is away. I will do as she wishes.”

His words appeared intended for more than only her
ears, Eira thought, even though they did answer Ishar’s question. Ber scowled
again and Lysandr’s frowning gaze flickered to Traevyn. The servants had paused
at Ber’s interruption. Eira now motioned for them to continue. The meal
progressed. Voices drifted from murmurs to bellows with laughter as the men
spoke of weapons practice and hunting. Ishar took great detail in her food and
engaged Eira in small talk.

Eira had an inclination that Ishar was slightly
irritated at the thought of a guide but had chosen the recourse only to stave
off harsh feelings by the people of Taryn and the Raanan warriors. To Eira this
spoke of someone who felt the coming talks of peace were necessary and worth
the added effort put forth to deflect hostility. She had seen the rage in Ber’s
eyes and heavy concern in Gavin’s, Glyndwr’s and Davaris’ eyes at the thought
of Ishar’s free movement. With a little time, Eira was certain Ishar could win
over the men. There was no need to start the talks with growing enmity. She
smiled. Let them watch her. Eira had a sense within her that the Haaldyn would
prove honorable. It was necessary. Their future depended on it.

Traevyn had not spoken again since his words to
Ishar but Eira saw that his black eyes watched her intently, studying the bent
head of the Haaldyn as if trying to understand her. If it was unsettling, Ishar
refused to let it show. Davaris spoke from the other end of the table and she
saw Ishar look up with a distracted expression. Perhaps Ishar had been more
unsettled by Traevyn’s steady stare than she first thought. Eira looked on as
Ishar turned and focused her gaze on Davaris with a raise of her eyebrows.

Davaris
repeated the question. “Do all Haaldyn women wear their hair like you? What few
Haaldyn I have seen without a helmet appeared to wear it in such manner.”

Ishar looked
thoughtful, as if unsure how to phrase the answer. She spoke slowly as if
choosing her words with care. “The women you saw were warriors so the answer
would be no.” She added, “Only a woman who has chosen to become a warrior cuts
her hair. And some warriors keep it long, but it must be braided or put up in
such a manner as to keep it out of the way in battle. However, in everyday existence
a Haaldyn woman keeps her hair long, though she will always wear it braided
and, if possible, piled high or even covered.” She paused. “For us, only the
wædym wear their hair loose and flowing.”

Davaris
blinked.
“The wædym?”

Ishar winced.
She turned to Eira and grimaced. “Perhaps this was not the best topic on which
to start our goodwill.”

Eira gave her
an encouraging smile. “Please. Go ahead. If we never discuss our differences,
how will we begin to understand each other?”

Ishar nodded. She still paused before continuing.
“Then please forgive me but among my people the word is an insult. Among the
Haaldyn, the only women who would wear their hair long and flowing in public,
for other men beside their husbands to see, are the women who sell their favors
on the streets to strange men.”

Jaya dropped
her knife to the table with a clatter. Eira also looked surprised. Ishar
continued quickly. “I mean no insult to any of you; however it was probably
things such as this and other culture clashes that kept us at the war we fought
for so long. As to the term I just mentioned,” Ishar looked directly at Jaya
and then at her, “I personally do not view either of you as such but I will
admit that seeing your long and flowing hair is unusual and strange to me.”

Jaya cast a
bemused glance down the table and blinked. “I have grown up hearing tales about
the Haaldyn all my life, and they made your people emerge in my mind as a
people beyond our understanding. Yet here, you appear so similar to me now in
your actions that these stories seem just that: a storyteller’s yarn. Then you
say something strange and I began to believe those stories once more.”

Eira nodded.
“Which is the reason why Ryen has sent his daughter to us: to dispel these
rumors and let us at the truth so all may understand each other and give us
room to unite.” She sighed. “You are right though, Jaya. Sometimes it is easy
to forget we have the cultures of three peoples in this room.” Lysandr cast his
gaze upon her and Eira smiled graciously, “Forgive me,
make
that four peoples. There are differences among us all and before we can work
together as one group we must learn to understand each other better so war does
not come between us as we face a common enemy. We Lute, Britai and Raanans have
learned to do so. The Haaldyn are not
so
different as
we are,” Eira stated as she fingered her cup gently.

Ber was not
one to let go so easily of a target.
“Why the tattoo?”
His voice whipped hard from the other end of the table.

Eira saw even Lysandr winced. She sighed and waited
for the coming explosion Ber seemed determined to provoke.

Ishar sent a
wary glance down the table. “What about my tattoo? I take it you mean the one I
have upon my left cheek?”

Ber nodded,
“Yes. Why do you have it?”

Ishar
shrugged. “It is the symbol of warrior status among my people. It is a mark of
honor borne by both men and women.”

Lysandr had
closed his eyes as if in prayer. Eira was not certain what Ber would offer up
next but she doubted it would indicate acceptance of the Haaldyn. He did not
fail her expectations.

“I heard it
means you cannot be a wife and mother.” His tone was one of suspicion. What
people did not understand, they feared, Eira realized. She frowned at his
words.

Ishar tilted
her head in thought as she spoke. “When a Haaldyn woman chooses to become a
warrior, she sets aside the desire for being a wife and mother. She can become
a wife and mother at a later date if she so chooses, but only if she retires as
a warrior. There is a mark added to this tattoo that signifies her choice. It
is our belief that we cannot serve two masters. Our focus must be on one thing
at a time. For now, my choice is on defending my people from the threat of the
coming Tourna.” Throughout the entire conversation, Ishar kept her tone light
and her voice calm.

Eira herself
was taken aback by the explanation. “Why can you not be both?” She asked,
puzzled. “Do your men not do this?”

Ishar
shrugged. “Some men hold off from taking wives until later also. Women are not
the only ones to follow this practice. However, it is felt among my people that
a mother nurtures and shapes a child. A father provides protection and loves
his children, but it is our mothers who define our lives. If I was a mother and
a warrior, my thoughts would dwell on my children when they should be with my
warband, fighting in battle. Such thoughts can get one killed, and who would
raise my children when I am at war? No Haaldyn woman would willingly give up
her children to another. It is a foreign concept to us. Why would I allow
another woman to shape the lives of my children, my future?” Ishar shook her
head. “No, when a woman decides her path, the tattoo helps remind her of her
foremost duty. It does also help indicate those who stray from this path. This
happens at times and the tattoos mark such a person who might attempt this as a
betrayer of the warrior code.”

“What happens
to such a woman?” Davaris asked, shocked.

Eira herself
was stunned by Ishar’s remarks. She had not realized such differences were
between her and the Haaldyn woman. Eira continued to listen as Ishar explained.

Ishar took
another sip of her drink. “You must understand. When a person becomes a warrior
and joins a warband, the warband is seen as one. Our individual actions do not
just affect ourselves but that of the entire group. Anyone who brings shame to
themselves brings shame to the entire warband. In the case I just spoke of, it
would be left to the discretion of the warband to determine the individual’s
fate, be they man or woman. The warband would be judged by the choice they
made. The very least that would happen is the person would be relived of
warrior status and a second tattoo would be placed upon their right cheek,
signifying their shame.”

“The very worst?”
It was Glyndwr who spoke up. He sounded
curious.

“The warband
could order banishment or even execution.” Ishar kept her words simple. “If the
offender was a woman who chose to become a wife or mother while under warrior
status, her punishment would be dictated by the warband and the man who had
participated with her in this shame would also be punished, but if he was not a
warrior, it would be left to the local magistrate.”

“Some women
try to be wives and warriors at the same time?” Gavin asked.

Ishar nodded.
“They have the opportunity to retire as a warrior but chose rather to defy the
law.”

Davaris’
voice was soft as he spoke. “What if the woman was not a wife but found to be
with child?”

Ishar paused
and sighed. “Then more than likely,” she stated simply, “The woman would have a
mark of shame placed upon her right cheek and be allowed to live.” She took a
swallow of liquid from her glass. “We value the life of a child, no matter what
the parent has done. We do not kill them.”

There was
silence at the table as all took in her words. Eira tried to think of a way to
return the conversation to a lighter note and failed.

Ishar
continued. She focused on keeping her voice light. “Punishment would happen
also to any man who dishonored his warband. You must understand
,
hair lengths may vary so a warrior is known by their
tattoo and the standard of the warband which is upon their chest. Warriors and
their warband are judged by these marks and held to a high standard of honor.
Any sign of dishonor is unacceptable.”

Lysandr had
stopped eating by now. “You lead a warband?” At her slight nod, he continued.
“You have had to determine judgment on a fellow warrior?”

Ishar studied
the table for a moment. She looked back up. “We are both warriors. We both lead
warriors into battle. We cannot have a weakness within our ranks that will risk
the lives of others.” Ishar took a deep breath. “To answer your question, yes,
I have had to bring a warrior before the others for judgment. But it was not a
woman.” She paused,
then
continued, “My warband
already had a strong contingent of dedicated men and women when I was selected
as leader. Over time, battles claimed lives and I had to choose and add new
warriors. I have watched many of them grow into hardened combatants.” Ishar
shrugged. “I looked for strengths when I chose these men and women, but I also
tried to look for deadly weakness.” Her glance took in Lysandr. “I have seen
leaders who overlook such weaknesses as something minor that can be trained
out. I know better. By the time a soldier has earned the right to be chosen as
a warrior, some things are ingrained unto death.” Eira watched as Ishar lips
tightened for a moment. There was a bitter look in her eyes as she continued.
“I overrode that judgment once and unfortunately it cost others.” Her eyes turned
toward Eira. “He was a relatively young warrior. We were in Lute land and
encountered a Lute raiding party. We engaged them in battle. When they
scattered, so did we, searching out our then foes. Later, after we gathered
together we came upon a destroyed Lute village. It had been deserted of
warriors. There were only the bodies of the old and children lying about. Since
we were the only Haaldyn in the area, I knew one of my warriors had to have
done this horror. Among us, as I feel would be among you, this was considered a
dishonorable act, the killing of the old and weak, even in time of war. Ishar
narrowed her eyes. “He did not even have the sense to hide what he had done.
This young warrior came forward. He bragged of it.

Eira felt the
blood drain from her face at the words.

Gavin spoke
up quietly. “What happened?”

Ishar turned
toward him. “We did not kill him, if that is what you think.” Eira saw surprise
flicker in Gavin’s eyes and Ber’s narrowed. Ishar continued, “We burned the
dead in Lute manner and left him staked out on the ground for the Lute to find
upon their return.”