Warsworn (6 page)

Keir strode in, signaling me with a hand to remain seated. He accepted kavage from Marcus, nodded to a few of the leaders, and then moved to kneel next to me. He shook his head at the question in my eyes. "I know no more. The scouts are outside, we will hear their report together."

I leaned forward, speaking in Xyian. "Keir, Iften is talking against Gils. I'm afraid that he will try to use him as a pawn against you!"

Keir frowned, and replied in the same language. "What is a'pawn'?"

I blinked, then shook my head at my own stupidity. How could he know, since I doubted he knew the game. "It's a piece in a game. A pawn is an unwitting tool. An innocent person used against a friend."

"Ah." Keir stood and moved to stand before his blanket, waited until he had the attention of the group, and then sat, sinking down onto the pad. While Iften was second in command, there was no place made for him at Keir's side.

The rest seated themselves, and Keir waited a breath before calling them to order. There was less formality at this senel then there had been in the past, but I could see Marcus at the back, and he had Keir's token in his hands.

Keir spoke, silencing the group. "I have called for the scouts who met with violence, to hear their truths." Keir gestured to Marcus, who pulled aside the leaves. Two men entered, walked to stand before Keir, and knelt, heads bowed.

"Ortis."

At the sound of his name, Ortis stood. "Warlord, I assigned the scouts sent to cover the front. I sent these two warriors, Tant and Rton forward along the road to the village."

"A village sworn to us?" Keir asked.

"Aye. The headman, the leader…"

"The mayor?" I asked, using the Xyian term.

Orris nodded. "That is the word he used, Warprize. The mayor had sworn fealty to you some weeks ago, Warlord. The walled village, where the goats roamed around the well."

Keir chuckled. "I remember. They called it Wellspring. The mayor almost soiled himself during the oath." There was a soft murmur of laughter at that.

A walled village meant that it was a remnant of my ancestor, Xyson. Few of those guard forts remained on the main road, fewer still had managed to retain a complete set of walls.

"Tant. Rton."

The other two men lifted their heads. I recognized Tant, since he'd been the scout that found me on the road, following Keir. His eyes widened to see me sitting there, and he looked down, clearly uncomfortable.

The other man, Rton, spoke first. "We approached the village to find the gates closed, Warlord. We hailed them with a shout, but there was no response."

Rton glanced at Ortis, and continued. "We moved closer then, and I dismounted to approach the gates, when someone started throwing rocks at us from the walls. A voice cried out, and then more rocks, and finally an arrow arched over the wall."

"What did the voice say?" Keir asked.

"I have no city talk, Warlord. But it sounded angry and defiant." Rton gestured nervously. "I mounted, and we moved off but there was no pursuit."

"Our orders are, we meet resistance, we retreat and report." Tant spoke up quickly, almost defensive. "So we circled round the walls and came back at a run."

"How many warriors were on the walls?"

Tant and Rton exchanged looks. Tant shrugged. "Didn't see any, Warlord."

Rton nodded his agreement. "They never exposed themselves to us."

"This wall," Iften spoke up. "How is it made?"

"Stone at the front and around the gates." Rton spoke with confidence. "Wood to the sides and back. They've built wooden structures inside, that sometimes take the place of a wall."

"Easily overcome?"

Tant nodded. "Easy enough, Warleader."

"Shouldn't we talk to them first," I argued, "before you make plans to destroy the village?"

"What else can this be, but defiance of the Warlord?" Aret asked.

"So much for their pledges and honor. Typical." Iften's voice was scathing.

Yers spoke, his face reflecting his conflict. "If they have defied the Warlord and broken their oaths they must be punished."

Keir looked grim. "Is there anything more to report?" Ortis shook his head, and Keir dismissed the two scouts. When they were beyond the leaves, he spoke. "Joden, what say you?"

Joden sighed. "Warlord, your path is clear. If this is defiance, and a breaking of their vows, they must suffer the penalty. But we know from experience that the different languages can cause problems of understanding." He gave me a look, and I nodded in return, sharing the mem-ory. Joden continued. "I say, be on a war footing, but approach the village again with a speaker of their tongue. Be sure of the offense before dealing punishment."

"I agree." Keir glanced over at me. "We will give them a chance to explain their actions. But if they have shattered their vows, we will be ready. Ortis, what chance of ambush?"

"The scouts all report no activity, Warlord."

Keir turned to Iften. "Ready a warforce, Iften. As many as you think you need. If we are denied again we will attack, and raze the village to the ground. Any other truths we need to address?"

"A discipline problem, Warlord. The warrior Gils-" Iften scowled, but Keir cut him off.

"Now is not the time for a discipline problem, Iften."

"Especially when the man is my responsibility and not yours." Yers chimed in.

Keir stood, and we all stood with him. "The senel is over. Prepare to move out."

I moved closer to stand next to Keir, biting my lip. The warleaders left swiftly, as Iften called for them to get organized. Once the area was clear, I turned to Keir. "Keir—"

"No." He didn't even look at me.

"Keir, it has to be someone who speaks Xyian. It should be me. I am a Daughter of Xy. Queen of Xy."

"And touched by the moons if you think I will allow you to approach those walls." Keir focused on me, his gaze intent. Marcus, Epor and Isdra were glaring at me. Even Rafe and Prest, who entered the shelter of the tree once the warleaders had left, were glaring at me.

I smiled sweetly at them.

"This is going to be a problem, isn't it," Keir asked.

"Yes," the others chorused.

Keir growled. "Lara, if the village is rebelling, and if this is an organized response, they will try to pull others to their cause. Who would they want to kill first and foremost?"

"You," I answered promptly.

That stopped him, but he gave me one of those patient looks. "And after me?"

"Iften."

"No." He frowned, upset. "Do not play with me, Lara." He put his hands on his hips. "Perhaps the best answer would involve chains and a tree."

I glared right back at him. "Keir, you need someone who speaks Xyian. I am the best choice."

"You are not. A warrior, someone who speaks Xyian and can defend himself is. You would have me send a boy to do a man's job."

I flushed, but he held up his hand. "It's a saying of my people, Lara. Send the right person for the task the first time. I will send a speaker of Xy. We will give the village a chance to surrender and explain themselves. You will be kept back, until we know more." He fixed me with a look. "I will be obeyed, Warprize."

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to argue, but the words never emerged. Marcus launched himself at my throat.

In an instant I was down on the ground, flat on my back, my breath gone from my lungs.

Marcus's thin body was on top of me, pinning me with all the considerable strength in his wiry frame. Worse, he had a blade at my throat, the metal cold against my skin.

I opened my mouth, trying to gasp in air, my heart hammering in my chest. No one else moved.

"This is no child's game," Marcus hissed, his voice as harsh as I had ever heard. "You have no skill, none—and death comes in an instant."

I just stared at him, his disfigured eye, his puckered skin, frightened and wide-eyed.

"Do you understand?"

I nodded carefully and swallowed hard, very aware of the sharp blade pressed against the pulse of my neck.

Marcus pulled back and just as fast as he took me down, I was up on my feet and in Keir's arms. I clung to him, shaken. "That was harsh."

"And the elements are not?" Keir asked me softly.

"Better you learn at my blade than at another's." Marcus brushed off my back.

I shrank from his touch, trying not to cry. "Keir…"

"Harsh, but the lesson is true, Lara." He tightened his arms around me.

I buried my face in his chest and tried to get myself under control. "I'll do as I'm told."

Keir chuckled. "At least until the shock has worn off." He drew in a deep breath. "It won't stop you from flinging yourself to the aid of others, I know. All I ask is that you think before you do, and that you let us protect you. Yes?"

"Yes."

He leaned down and nuzzled my ear. "Ah, my Lara. I took you from your sheltered den, kitten."

"No." I straightened, wiping my face. "I left my den and chased you, remember?"

Keir smiled and kissed me gently. "I will send someone to speak to the village. You will stay with your guards, toward the center of the main army, back from the front."

Rafe cleared his throat. "I have enough of that tongue, Warlord. I am willing to go."

Marcus spoke up as well. "I can fill his place as Lara's guard." Keir looked at him and Marcus shrugged. "You will have no need of me, and it takes four to watch over this woman." Marcus gave me a wicked grin, but I looked away.

Keir lowered his head to speak softly in my ear. "Lara, understand this. I will send Rafe to the gates. But one rock, one arrow, one word of defiance and I will destroy the village."

"Keir, there are innocents there." I leaned back to look into his face. "Women and children who have no part in this. If we can talk to them, we can convince—"

"I will not take back an oathbreaker, nor will I leave one unpunished."

"But—"

He released me. "What would the penalty be, Lara, if a village broke its oaths of fealty to the King of Xy?"

I looked away. "I do not know. It hasn't happened that I know of."

"Because the penalty is severe. My hand can rest lightly on this land, but not on those who defy me. I will do what must be done."

With that Keir was gone.

I waited under the tree as Marcus hurriedly put out his small fire and two of the others gathered up the blankets. My feet were still tender, and I shifted my weight from one to the other as I stood there. They weren't really painful, but they reminded me that they weren't completely healed.

As we emerged from under the tree, one of Yers's men approached me, leading a large brown horse. "For you, Warprize. From the Warlord."

I looked over to where Keir was standing, talking to Yers, Rafe and some others. Our eyes met and Keir gave me a small, hopeful smile. I smiled back, recognizing a peace gesture, and took the reins.

The horse was a glossy brown, with a brown mane. What caught my eye about it was a white line of hair that curved down its chest to run between its forelegs. On looking a bit closer, I saw that it was an old scar. The horse shook its head as I got closer, and buried its nose in my hair and took a deep breath. The hairs on its muzzle tickled my neck. I tried to move away, but the horse followed, breathing out and in again, filling my hair with its warm sweet breath.

"He likes you." Marcus had handed off the packhorse to another warrior, and now sat astride his horse, with a shield on his back and a sword at his side. He looked my animal over with a considering eye. "A good, steady animal. You shouldn't have a problem with him."

Which I took to mean that the animal would be slow, and one a sick granny couldn't fall off of.

But at least I wasn't being toted around like a sack of flour anymore. I pulled myself into the saddle, noticing that this horse had a number of scrapes and scars on its legs and hindquarters.

He'd seen quite a bit of action in his day. "What is his name?"

"Name?" Marcus gave me a funny look. "We call them 'horses'."

The others moved in around me. I noticed that Marcus placed himself so that his blind side was covered by Isdra. "I know they are horses, Marcus. What is this one's name?"

"I suppose you will now tell me that city dwellers name all their horses." Marcus rolled his eye, and the others chuckled.

I closed my mouth.

"Tens of thousands of horses," Marcus continued, "and we should name them all. Pah."

Rafe laughed out loud. "Now tell all, Marcus. We name stallions and mares."

"Lead stallions. Lead mares. Not entire herds." Marcus gave my horse a withering glance. Its ears were flicking back and forth, as if following the conversation.

"But how do you tell them apart? Or get them to come to you?" I asked as I mounted.

"What's to tell?" Marcus asked. "Rafe's black, Prest's brown with the notched ear, Isdra's roan with the scarred whither. And they come because that is the way of things. And while you might think so, they don't all look alike. Any more than people do."

I gave him a look, and would have asked more, but I was interrupted. "We're to move to the center, Warprize." Epor's tone was firm.

"I understand." We headed out to join the main body of the army. "How far to the village?"

"Not far," Isdra replied. "The Warlord will take the warforce and form up before they send Rafe to the gates."

"He will send word, Warprize." Marcus added.

Resigned, I nodded, and concentrated on guiding my mount.

We traveled for sometime before we passed a stone pillar, about waist high, with a hollowed top, which marked the boundary of the lands claimed by the village. A glint of light off the tip caught my eye. It could just be rainwater, but…

I tugged on the reins and started to work my way through the other warriors, urging my horse into the gaps between riders. He went willingly, shouldering aside the ones too slow to get out of our way. There was some loud swearing behind me, Epor from the sound of it, but I didn't stop. Marcus, too, was cursing, but it was too late for him to try and stop me. I broke through the line of warriors and turned my horse back. Urging him to a canter, I headed back to the pillar. Marcus and Prest were behind me, I could hear them urging their horses on.

I reached the stone to see that the hollow was filled to the brim. I didn't bother to dismount, just leaned over and dipped my fingers in the fluid. If it was water, well and good. But it hadn't rained, and…