Well of the Damned (4 page)

“They’re
already assembled in the council chamber, my liege,” the boy
said.

“Aw,
hell,” Gavin muttered. The meeting. He was expected to name a
new Supreme Councilor of the Militia, with three people hoping to be
appointed. Someone was going to be unhappy but hopefully not
disgruntled enough to leave his service. He rode back to the rear
door of the palace, where a stable hand took Golam to be wiped down,
and serving staff awaited with towels and dry slippers. Two women
followed him, wiping the trail of water from the polished marble
floor as he walked to the residence wing, where he continued to dry
off and dress for the day.

The
clothes made for him were styled like the loose-fitting tunic and
trousers he’d preferred as a warrant knight, though they were
adorned with elaborate stitching that seemed to him a waste of
thread. His adviser and longtime friend, Edan Dawnpiper, had insisted
he dress more like a king than a battler, and so Gavin offered the
compromise. The high-collared jacket with narrow cuffs he couldn’t
abide for anything but formal occasions, not only because during the
late summer it was too hot, but because it was too snugly tailored.
Despite having a contingent of ever-present guards, his years as a
battler had developed and reinforced certain habits, and dressing in
clothing that didn’t hinder his movement was one of the
strongest — and one he wasn’t willing to change. This
occasion, however, warranted the jacket, and so he let Quint hold it
while he shoved his arms into the sleeves.

Dressed
in clean, dry clothes and with his hair toweled and combed, he slid
his sword into its ceremonial scabbard, the only dry one he had left,
and went downstairs to the meeting room where the new councilors
gathered, argued, and occasionally agreed on the topic of the day. He
apologized for his tardiness and then took his seat at the head of
the table.

Halfway
down on the left sat Jophet Renaun, formerly Captain of the Guard for
the Lordover Tern. Lilalian Whisperblade of the Viragon Sisterhood
sat across from him, her hard, blue eyes unwavering beneath a
pale-blond brow while she waited for him to begin. Beside Lila was
Tennara, an experienced battler with wisdom lines beside her eyes and
thin mouth. Edan sat on Gavin’s right, quill in hand and paper
and ink before him. He’d taken it upon himself to record
meetings until he could interview and hire a suitable scribe. The
ever-watchful Daia Saberheart was present as well, sitting in her
customary seat to his left. Her eyes were so pale a shade of blue
that nearly everyone who found themselves a target of her steady gaze
couldn’t help but squirm. The candidates kept their eyes on
Gavin, conspicuously not looking at each other, or at Daia.

“We’re
here to form the new Council o’the Militia,” Gavin said,
“starting with me naming the new Supreme Councilor. Afore we
start, does anyone have anything to say?” No one spoke.
“Awright. We have three people interested in the job: Jophet
Renoun, Lilalian Whisperblade, and Tennara Sikuaral. Let’s
start with Jophet.”

He
looked at Jophet, a man he’d first met when attempting to free
Daia from wrongful imprisonment by her father, the Lordover Tern.
Though his brown hair had grayed at the temples, and his blue eyes
were framed with wrinkles, he exuded strength and competence.

Jophet
cleared his throat and stood. He talked about receiving instruction
in swordsmanship from his father, who’d been an armsman for the
Lordover Lavene. He’d been a warrant knight in his youth,
giving aid to people on the hope of payment by valour-gild. After
taking a bride, he pledged service to the Lordover Tern and was
promoted through the ranks, eventually earning the title Captain of
the Guard thirteen years earlier. “In my eighteen years of
loyal service, I’ve trained many armsmen, some of whom were
happy to join the royal army, and some who preferred to remain
warrant knights. I believe I’m most qualified for the position
because of my many years serving in a similar capacity for the
lordover.” He nodded and took his seat.

Next,
Gavin looked at Lilalian, a stern blonde whose unwavering stare
matched the sort of intensity and perseverance he looked for in a
leader. She’d inherited command of the Viragon Sisterhood when
its previous leader had been murdered by Brodas Ravenkind, but she’d
also turned the Sisterhood against Gavin and his allies under
Ravenkind’s influence. She’d recently begun cropping her
hair very close to her head, probably to eliminate the need to braid
it or otherwise keep it out of her way. Though Gavin could understand
the practicality of it, he found himself hoping Daia wouldn’t
do that to her hair. “Lilalian,” Gavin said, “you’re
next. Tell us why you’re the right person for Supreme Councilor
o’the Militia.”

Lilalian stood and bowed to Gavin,
thanking him for his consideration. She spoke of co-founding the
Viragon Sisterhood with Aminda Battlehard and serving as
second-in-command for twelve years, of developing the training
program, sash hierarchy, and the trials to determine promotion
readiness. “In my capacity as captain, I was personally
responsible for training most of your guards as well as your
champion. Anyone can see they’re impressively strong, skilled
battlers.” She hesitated as if she were about to say something
else and then sat down.

Finally,
Gavin lifted his chin at Tennara. He liked the calmness he saw in her
haze, admired her strength and maturity, and appreciated her skill as
a fighter on the mornings he watched from a window while his battlers
exercised and practiced in the courtyard. “Go ahead, Tennara.”

The
elder battler stood. Like Lilalian, she bowed to the king, and then
also nodded at Daia and Edan. “I have a great deal of respect
for both Jophet and Lila for their accomplishments. As for myself, I
have no experience leading groups of battlers, nor training them in
swordplay. I was the first woman ever to serve as a warrant knight in
Thendylath, and I did so for eleven years. When I heard about the
formation of a guild of women battlers in Sohan, I relinquished my
warrant and joined the Viragon Sisterhood. I was the third battler to
join the guild, and I was witness to many of the problems Aminda
faced. I became her confidant and sounding board, though in an
unofficial capacity, and helped to make most of the policies and
choose some of the officers.”

“That’s
a lie!” Lilalian blurted.

All
eyes turned to Lilalian. The hush of shock settled over the room.
Even Edan’s quill stilled for a moment before it took up its
scritch-scritch
across the paper once again.

“May
I continue?” Tennara asked calmly.

“Go
on,” Gavin said. “Try to control yourself, Lila.”
He meant it as a jest, but no one even smiled.

“Though
I don’t have the experience of group leadership in an official
capacity, I believe I have the qualities you’re looking for:
perseverance, integrity, and the understanding of what it takes to be
an exceptional battler.” With that, Tennara looked directly at
Daia and gave a slight nod. “I’ve identified such
individuals whom others wanted to dismiss, and advocated for the
dismissal of women our trainer promoted — women who, when faced
with difficult circumstances, embarrassed the Sisterhood with their
cowardice or lack of expertise.” She sat back down, and all
eyes turned to Gavin.

“That’s
unfair,” Lilalian said, standing. “Biela was accepted
into the Sisterhood on a trial basis, and paid for her training with
no guarantee that she’d ever be accepted. She was on her first
mission — with two other, more experienced battlers —
when that incident happened. She ran off, ending her provisional
membership.”

“Lila,
the details don’t matter right now,” Gavin said.

“She
just attacked my credibility and suitability for this position. The
other woman—”

“Sit
down.”

Lilalian
took her seat but shot Tennara a glare first. “I beg your
pardon for my outburst, Your Majesty. I stand behind my decisions as
captain.”

“Including
the decision that led to Aminda’s death?” Tennara asked.
“You’ve never had to account for your actions that day.”

Gavin
looked at Daia. “Is that true? Have you ever heard the story
o’how the guild leader died?”

“No,”
she said. “Cirang named me a murderer, and the Sisterhood was
hunting me, remember? By the time you released Lila from Ravenkind’s
influence, I’d already left the Sisterhood and pledged fealty
to you.”

“Shall
we get back to the matter at hand?” Edan asked. “If King
Gavin sees the need for a hearing, we should schedule it for another
day.”

“Yeh,
you’re right,” Gavin said. “This is going to be a
tough decision. I have three excellent candidates here. Is anyone
present willing to speak on their behalf?”

Daia stood. “I am. I have
personal experience with all three. Jophet served the Lordover Tern
with honor and dignity for many years. In the last three weeks, he’s
been invaluable in coordinating assignments for the battlers who’ve
come to join the king’s service, providing structure to a
somewhat chaotic environment.

“Lilalian
served as captain at the Sisterhood during the eight years I was a
member. She has provided exceptional training, discipline and
guidance to me and dozens of battlers and prospective battlers.

“Tennara
is an excellent battler, and she stood up for me when other officers
in the guild were inclined to dismiss me solely on the basis of my
family name. She’s calm and rational, able to quickly evaluate
any situation and respond appropriately to get it under control.”

Gavin
nodded as he stood, and Daia retook her seat. Each had qualities he
valued and needed, but one stood out from the others as the best
choice. “Jophet, you got a lot o’experience leading and
training men as the lordover’s captain. You gave me your
loyalty the first time we met, risking imprisonment for defying the
Lordover Tern’s order, without any guarantee o’support
from me. You’re a natural leader, and when you see something
needs doing, you do it.

“Lila,
you have many years of experience that would be very useful, but I
have concerns about your judgment. We don’t know the facts
o’what happened to Aminda, but we know she was murdered in your
presence.

“Tennara,
your experience, skill and calm head make you invaluable to me, but
you’re more suited to serve as my wife’s champion. I’ll
be considering battlers for the role soon. I hope you submit your
name.

“My
choice for the Supreme Councilor o’the Militia is Jophet
Renaun.”

Gavin
offered Jophet his hand, which the new Supreme Councilor shook firmly
and enthusiastically, while maintaining an optimistically stern
expression. “Congratulations, Jophet.”

“I’ll
serve you to the best of my ability for as long as you would have my
service, my king,” Jophet said, pumping Gavin’s hand
firmly.

Lilalian
reached across the table and offered her hand as well. “I
respect the king’s decision, and I offer my service in whatever
capacity would suit you.”

Once
everyone had offered his congratulations to Jophet and took their
seats, Gavin said, “As Supreme Councilor o’the Militia,
you’ll report directly to me. You’ll attend the cabinet
meetings every week and be ready to report your status. You can say a
few words now if you want.”

Jophet
stood and bowed to Gavin before beginning. “I humbly thank you,
Your Majesty, for this tremendous honor. And for the rest, thank you
for your support. The first thing I have in mind for the militia is
to appoint two council members to aid me in developing and
implementing a training program, so that all our soldiers will be not
only skilled battlers, but men and women who unite around a set of
rules of engagement and conduct both on the field of battle and off.
I believe experienced battlers with leadership skills will be most
appropriate for these positions, and I’ll increase their number
as our militia grows.”

He
went on for a while, talking about his strategies for training people
and promising to judge all battlers on their skills and not their
gender.

Gavin
watched Lilalian with his hidden eye the way the mage Jennalia had
taught him. He hoped Lilalian would put the decision behind her and
work to make herself invaluable to Jophet in his new role, perhaps as
one of his new councilors. While on the outside, she appeared to
accept and even support Jophet, her haze, the mystical bubble around
her body, said differently. It was white, like most human hazes were,
but with sparks of red like bloody lightning in the clouds.

Chapter 6

The
lordover’s office was tidy, almost to the point of being stark.
He had neither paintings of his family on the walls nor honors he’d
received in his youth for bravery or intellect or skill with a
weapon. The deep red cherry desk was wide and heavy, possibly built
or assembled in the sizable room, for it looked too big to carry
through the doorway. In fact, everything looked bigger than usual —
the chairs, the bookcase, even the oil lamp on the desk looked large
compared to similar items in other homes and offices.