Needs of the Empire

by Christopher Mitchell

  She summoned the last of her strength and followed the man down. Kellach were gathered round the bases of the two ladders, and as soon as everyone was on the ground, Laodoc and Daphne were put onto stretchers and carried away from the fires.

  Daphne was set down by the edge of the courtyard, and Bridget knelt by her side, as Karalyn burrowed in to hug her mother.

  Bridget held a mug of water to Daphne’s lips and she drank.

  ‘Can you find me somewhere to rest?’

  ‘Sure,’ Bridget said. ‘We’ll put you in one of the cottages close by.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You crazy cow,’ Bridget said. ‘You did it.’

  Daphne shut her eyes and held her daughter close as her stretcher was lifted, and she was asleep before they had reached the cottage.

  She awoke in a strange bedroom, with Killop sitting on the bed next to her, his boots off and his feet up. Karalyn was sitting on a wide chair, her eyes on Daphne.

  ‘Good morning,’ Killop said. ‘How you feeling?’

  ‘Not bad,’ she said, stretching. Her back ached, as did every muscle in her arms and legs. ‘A bit sore.’

  He shook his head and passed her a tray from a table.

  Daphne smiled. ‘Breakfast? ’

  ‘More like lunch,’ he said. ‘It’s nearly noon.’

  ‘When did you get here?’

  ‘A few hours after you. In time to see the mansion burn. Bridget told me what you did.’

  He frowned at her.

  ‘What else could I do?’ she said. ‘I couldn’t leave him to die.’

  ‘I know,’ he said, ‘but I’m glad I wasn’t there to see it.’

  ‘How is the old guy?’

  ‘Not doing so well. He’s resting in bed.’

  ‘I think he might have given up.’

  Killop nodded.

  ‘What happened at the border?’ she asked.

  ‘About half an hour after you left, the New Free attacked. They didn’t get far. They’re not a proper army, they didn’t know what they were doing. The stumps in the clearing broke up their lines, and we hit their front ranks with arrows. The rest ran away.’

  ‘Just a diversion.’

  ‘Aye,’ he said. ‘Looks like their target was the mansion all along, and they must have thought there was a chance of getting at you and Laodoc as well. I came up here after the last of the New Free had fled back into the forest. We passed Dean and Liam on the way. The lad was disappointed to have missed it, but I think he was relieved as well.’

  ‘And the mansion?’

  ‘Gutted. Will have to be knocked down. We’ll clear the ground and rebuild it.’

  She gazed at him while she ate, unable to tell if he truly believed that.

  ‘I have to go,’ he said. ‘The clan leadership’s having a meeting.’

  ‘I’ll come. I know I can’t vote, but I’d still like to listen.’

  ‘Aye, if you’re up to it.’

  She swung her legs out of bed, her joints aching. She grimaced.

  ‘I will be after a quick smoke.’

  Bridget had set up a long table in one of the cottages that flanked the courtyard opposite the blackened shell of the mansion. The herald sat near the head of the table, with Dyam, Draewyn, Brodie and Brynt flanking her. Daphne walked in behind Killop, and she noticed Draewyn raise an eyebrow in her direction. She smiled, and took a seat at the far end of the table by the window.

  Killop strode over to Bridget, and sat down next to her.

  ‘Chief,’ Bridget nodded. ‘Daphne. We’re meeting to decide what to do after last night’s attack. We’ll go round the table. Chief, you first.’

  ‘We finish the palisade, and guard the pass over the mountains that the raiding party took. Losing the mansion is a blow, but there were no casualties, and we can rebuild it later if we choose to. The New Free are a disorganised rabble…’

  ‘Not so disorganised that they couldn’t plan a raid through the mountains in winter, and burn the big house to the ground,’ Brodie said.

  ‘Quiet,’ said Bridget. ‘You’ll wait your fucking turn.’

  Brodie scowled.

  ‘It’s true they must have a Holdings mage-priest with them,’ Killop went on, ‘but their fighters are untrained and undisciplined. They won’t be able to break into the estate again if we finish the wall and guard the mountains.’

  Daphne noticed more than one present shake their heads.

  ‘Thanks, Chief,’ Bridget said. ‘Me next. We should evacuate Slateford immediately, and lead the Severed Clan to the haven in Domm.’

  Killop’s face fell, and he clenched his fists on the surface of the table.

  ‘We tried,’ Bridget went on. ‘Slateford was a great idea, and we did the best we could, but Rahain is in the middle of a vicious civil war, where both sides fucking hate us.’ She glanced over at Killop. ‘We need to cut our losses. We have wagons and transports to carry everyone, and enough food for the journey. If we stay any longer, we’ll eat our way through the reserves, and we won’t have enough to get to Domm. We need to leave now.’

  She turned to Brodie. ‘You next. ’

  ‘I’m with you, Herald,’ he said. ‘I’m sick of Rahain. I want to go home.’

  Bridget nodded. ‘Draewyn?’

  ‘I think we should wait for spring,’ she said.

  Daphne glanced at the Domm woman in surprise.

  ‘If we decide to leave then,’ Draewyn went on, ‘we’ll be able to hunt and forage, and the weather will be kinder for the old folk who’ll be coming along. And I don’t like the idea of giving up, not at least without a fight. The attack last night was just meant to frighten us, and I don’t scare easily. I vote with the chief.’

  Bridget nodded, her lips pursed. She turned to Brynt.

  ‘I vote to go,’ he said. ‘Sorry, Chief.’

  ‘Dyam?’ asked Bridget.

  The pale, blonde woman kept her eyes down.

  ‘I think we should go.’

  Bridget blew out her cheeks.

  ‘I hadn’t finished,’ Dyam said. The table fell into silence. ‘I agree with what Bridget said, we’ll never be welcome here. We should join with our brothers and sisters in Domm. However, I’m willing to place my trust in Killop, our chief. He’s led us well. If he judges that we should stay, then I vote with him, despite my personal feelings.’

  Bridget frowned. ‘Three votes apiece. The final decision is yours, Chief.’

  Daphne gazed over the long table at Killop, who sat with his head bowed.

  ‘I want to speak to Daphne first,’ he said.

  The others got to their feet and filed out of the room.

  ‘Don’t be too long,’ Bridget said.

  When they had gone Daphne got up and walked round to Killop. She put her right arm over his broad shoulders, and waited in silence.

  ‘Damn Brig and Domm,’ he said, his eyes staring at the tabletop. ‘They set me up. They want me to make the decision to leave.’

  ‘Maybe,’ she said, ‘or maybe it just turned out like that.’

  ‘I could order them all to stay. ’

  ‘You could, but many would probably leave anyway.’

  ‘I could resign the chiefdom.’

  Daphne said nothing.

  He looked up at her. ‘I’ll not be parted from you and Karalyn again. If you refuse to go to Kellach Brigdomin, then I won’t go either.’

  She walked over to the window and sat on the ledge. She lit a cigarette and gazed out at the smoking ruins of the mansion, and the dozens of Kellach out clearing up.

  ‘You’re their chief,’ she said. ‘You have to lead them home.’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘We’ll be with you.’

  Chapter 31

  The Last Time

  O utside Plateau City, The Plateau – 19 th Day, Second Third Winter 506

  Agang remembered the view.

  The strong tall gates of Plateau City loomed a few hundred yards ahead of him, the great w
alls extending on either side. He noticed that the flags flying from the highest turrets were different. When he had led his own invasion, the Holding colours of green and gold had flown from the walls, but now the five-pointed star of the empire was emblazoned upon the flags being whipped about in the cold breeze.

  Beyond the outer walls rose the domes and towers of the imperial palace, and to its left stood the even higher pinnacles of the new cathedral.

  Agang’s wagon had been parked close to the spot where his own command tent had been based the previous year. He was no longer caged, instead his wrists and ankles had been tied to the back of the open-topped wagon. Flora sat on the bench opposite him, a yard away. Her crossbow was resting on her knees, pointing in his direction, but her attention was on the city. All around them, masses of Sanang warriors were passing, taking up their positions around the imperial capital. Those who came close to Agang’s wagon ignored him, as they were so used to the sight of him on the journey from Sanang that they had grown bored of taunting him.

  Keira had set up her command tents in a circle, with Agang positioned on the western edge by the road. When they had arrived, Agang had watched as the leadership council had gathered in the firewitch’s tent. There they had remained all morning, while the warriors of the huge army moved round them like a river, to enclose the city on its landward side.

  Agang stared at the city gates. ‘Do you think they’ll talk?’

  Flora turned to him, her face-paint masking her emotions. ‘I doubt it. What could the Emperor possibly offer that Keira would accept?’

  ‘But the people trapped inside,’ he said, ‘are they all doomed to burn?’

  Flora shrugged. ‘Didn’t seem to bother you when you were besieging the city.’

  ‘But I didn’t have a firewitch with me,’ Agang said. ‘And my army was a quarter the size of hers, maybe smaller. I knew we didn’t have a chance of getting through those walls, I just wanted to force the king into recognising us as equals.’

  ‘By trying to starve the city to death?’ Flora said. ‘Think I’d prefer being burned. At least it would be quicker.’

  Agang frowned at her. ‘Tens of thousands of your Holdings kin are in there.’ He pointed at the city. ‘Do you feel nothing for them?’

  ‘I just want it to be over.’

  ‘And what will you do then, Miss Flora? Where will you go?’

  ‘I’m trying not to think about what happens after.’

  ‘That’s the problem with you lot. You’re not thinking of the future.’

  He gazed out over the hordes of warriors swarming past the firewitch’s wagons and tents. Almost every eye among them was directed at the high walls of the city. Some walked with their mouths open, the imperial capital being the biggest settlement they had ever seen, its towers and battlements dwarfing the highest structures in Sanang.

  Leah walked out of the command tent, her face closed. She saw Agang and Flora, and approached the wagon. She pulled a flagon of ale from under the driver’s bench and took a drink, eyeing the army as it passed.

  ‘They should all be in position by sunset,’ she said. ‘The Emperor has built new walls since we were last here, enclosing the old Kellach camp.’

  ‘So your kin are also inside the city?’ Agang asked.

  ‘Forty thousand, apparently,’ Leah frowned.

  Flora blinked. ‘That sounds like all of them.’

  ‘What’s Keira going to do?’ Agang said. ‘She can’t be thinking of killing her own people.’

  Leah nodded at the command tent. ‘That’s what they’re arguing about in there.’

  Flora lit a cigarette, her head bowed.

  ‘When will it all end?’ Agang said. ‘Every land in this world has seen pain and destruction, and here we are, waiting while the army commanders discuss how many thousands of civilians to butcher. What is there that can be worth all this death?’

  Leah snorted. ‘And you think you’re blameless? You’ve caused your own share of suffering.’

  ‘I’ve changed.’

  ‘How convenient for you. You found wisdom just when you lost the power to do anything about it.’ She leaned back on the wagon. ‘And now you sit there and preach to us about right and wrong. Pity you didn’t learn that while you were still king.’

  Agang scowled.

  ‘But,’ she went on, ‘you have a point. There’s been too much death. Plateau City is where it ends.’

  ‘Or where the world ends,’ Flora said, ‘if Kylon’s right.’

  ‘Aye.’

  Raised voices came from the command tent, and B’Dang stormed out, Echtang trailing behind.

  ‘Stupid fucking bitch,’ B’Dang ranted.

  ‘Hoi!’ Leah shouted. ‘Watch yer fucking tongue. ’

  B’Dang glared at her, then turned his gaze to Agang. He swaggered forward.

  ‘Very soon,’ he said, ‘you will watch what you were too cowardly to do.’

  ‘And you’re leading the charge, are you?’ said Agang. ‘I’d like to see that.’

  B’Dang laughed. ‘I’ll be thinking of you when I’m pissing on the Emperor’s corpse. Because, once we’ve fucked the city over, I’m coming for you, slave.’

  ‘I’ll be waiting.’

  ‘I’m going to enjoy hurting you,’ B’Dang grinned. ‘Watching you beg and scream and weep like a woman.’

  Leah tutted. ‘Haven’t you got anything better to be doing?’

  B’Dang leered at her. ‘I’d like the chance to make you beg and scream.’

  Leah punched him in the face, sending him sprawling backwards onto the dirt.

  She turned to Echtang, who was standing open-mouthed. ‘Get that arsehole out of here.’

  Echtang said nothing. He glanced at Agang, then bent over and picked up B’Dang’s unconscious body. Agang watched him carry the chieftain away, wanting to say something, but afraid that any words of his would only drive the young man further away.

  Flora nodded at Leah. ‘Nicely done.’

  ‘Fuckwit had it coming.’

  ‘He did indeed. Got any food?’

  The canvas doors of the command tent were flung open and Keira strode out. Kylon was walking after her, with a countenance as grim as ever, his long black coat trailing in the dirt. Fern got up from where she had been sitting by the entrance, and followed the firewitch.

  Keira gazed out over the mass of Sanang warriors flooding past, and they began a low chant of ‘kill-kill’ as they marched. The river of bodies stretched back along the road for miles, and ahead, the masses of warriors that had already passed were following the route round the walls to the south, sealing the fate of the city with every step.

  Every hundred yards along the path they were taking, great unlit bonfires rose above the heads of the warriors. The closest was being built twenty yards to the side of the command tent, growing higher as warriors added the bundles of wood they had been carrying for days.

  Out on the waters of the Inner Sea, to the west of the great gates where they were camped, there were no ships or vessels to be seen. The wind was throwing up torrents of spray onto the city’s sea walls, and the leaden clouds overhead were casting the stormy waters in grey shadows flecked with white.

  Hodang emerged from the command tent, and hurried to Keira’s side.

  ‘My lady,’ he bowed, ‘I would be honoured if you would allow me to organise the herald for you.’

  Keira smirked at him. ‘Aye. Go for it, wee man. Remember to put in everything that I said.’

  ‘Of course, my lady,’ Hodang bowed again. ‘I’ll see to it at once.’

  He turned and ran off to another tent.

  Keira shook her head, and glanced at Agang.

  ‘Did he behave like that when you were king, eight-thirds?’

  ‘Mostly,’ Agang said. ‘Has he started whispering in your ear about how magnificent you are?’

  She laughed. ‘Aye. I nearly smacked him one. He’s fucking lucky to be alive.’

  She walked over to
the wagon and picked up the flagon of ale.

  ‘You sending a herald to the city?’ asked Leah.

  ‘Aye.’

  ‘Waste of time,’ muttered Kylon.

  ‘Fucking shut up,’ Keira spat. ‘We’ve got all day, haven’t we? It’s not like we’re going anywhere. We may as well see if they want to talk.’

  ‘Are you offering terms?’ Agang said.

  ‘I just want to see if…’ Keira paused, and frowned.

  The others stared at her in silence .

  Kylon stepped forward. ‘She wants to offer the city the chance to let the civilian population evacuate before she unleashes her might upon the Emperor and church.’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, her eyes defiant. ‘So?’

  Kylon shook his head. ‘And how many priests and One True Path would slip out with the genuine civilians? There would be a flood of refugees, how would we know who was hiding among them?’

  ‘So we slaughter them all?’ Keira said. ‘Fucksake. That can’t be right.’

  ‘We must prevent the Creator’s plan,’ Kylon said. ‘We can’t take any chances, otherwise all of this will have been for nothing. But this is where it finishes, Keira. After this, we’re done. We can go home, or wherever the fuck you want. But we have to do this first.’

  Hodang appeared back in the clearing.

  ‘My lady,’ he said, bowing, ‘a herald is being sent to the gates of the city as you requested.’

  Keira smirked at Kylon.

  ‘It’s done now,’ she said, ‘and you can fucking lump it. Let’s see if they want to talk, and we’ll take it from there.’ She turned. ‘If anyone wants me, I’ll be in my tent getting drunk.’

  Twenty minutes later, Agang and Flora watched as a lone figure emerged from the mass of passing warriors, heading towards the great gates of the city.

  ‘There he goes,’ Agang said.

  They were too far away to hear the message that the herald shouted up to the battlements, and after a few minutes the herald turned, and hurried back to the command tents. He arrived in the clearing, and reported to Hodang, who was standing waiting for him.

  ‘I delivered the words you asked for,’ the herald said.