On the edge of the pack, was a woman with springy blond hair. She looked a few inches taller than Sadie and was stocky and muscled. Sadie assessed the woman. With her build, she might not be light enough on her feet to do well in a traditional fencing match. But in a real battle, her strength would be an asset. Like fighting with a tree trunk, Sadie mused.
However, as the Seagem soldiers spotted the men from Ocean’s Glory, their faces shuttered. Several reached for the swords that no longer hung at their hips. Keeping alert, they moved toward the food.
A burly soldier, whom Sadie remembered as missing an arm, waved the hand Withea had regrown. “I am Nilte, a captain in Seagem’s guard.” He bowed to Boerk and his men in an obvious gesture of peace.
Boerk rose to his feet and moved around the table. “Welcome, men of Seagem.” He bowed. “And lady warrior.” He dipped a second bow to the stocky woman. “I see you have been blessed by Withea’s grace, and the Goddess has healed you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “We cannot even make amends for the wrongs we have done your people.” Lifting a hand, he waved to include his men. “In our blind loyalty to our Goddess and our king, we acted without conscience and without honor, committing atrocities that will forever stain our souls. We have dedicated ourselves to the Goddess Withea and vowed to make amends as best we can. We pledge our lives to overthrow Ontarem and rescue any person from Seagem who yet lives.”
Nilte grimaced. “Before our visit with the Goddess, we would have fallen upon you with our swords and fought ’til our deaths. The Goddess has filled us in on the situation with Ontarem… how with Besolet’s blessing the Evil One enslaved your king and forced the invasion…” He stopped talking, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The man who’d previously been shell-shocked laid a hand on Nilte’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Lial,” Nilte said to his companion before turning to Boerk. “You were betrayed by your own Deity. Perhaps you of Ocean’s Glory have lost much, as well.”
Boerk gave a solemn nod. “We have indeed.”
Am I being too hard on Thaddis? Sadie bit her lip.
Lial’s blue eyes sparked with intelligence. “Withea has redeemed my faith in Deities. The Goddess healed our bodies, as well as our pain and anger. Not completely. We wouldn’t want to give up our grief for those we loved and lost. But She has restored us enough to bear the presence of our enemies.”
“We are not your enemies,” Boerk shook his head. “Ontarem is.”
Lial frowned. “Perhaps in time we will come to believe that. In the meantime, Withea has ordered us to work with you and—” he stumbled over the name. “Thaddis. We will do as the Goddess commands.”
At the mention of Thaddis’s name, Sadie’s heart clenched.
“Come, eat.” Boerk gestured toward the food table. “You must be famished after…your healing.”
Nilte nodded. Keeping his eyes on Boerk, he crossed to the table and picked up a plate. Once he served himself, his men followed. When they’d served themselves, they took a seat at the table farthest from away from everyone, their backs to the wall facing the soldiers from Ocean’s Glory. After a while, the men seemed to relax and become less wary, although they remained alert.
Feeling the tension between the two tables of soldiers, Sadie finished the last of her food. Her heart ached for what these people had suffered and for the man who’d caused all the pain yet now perhaps suffered the most of all.
Much had been accomplished today…the first steps to the healing these people needed so desperately. Recent enemies ate, if not precisely at peace, at least in the same room.
It was a start.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next day, with her sword and scabbard attached to a custom-made belt, Sadie approached the courtyard. She’d left Cheta behind in the room, to the dog’s disgruntlement. But she couldn’t risk the animal’s safety near the sharp weapons of sparring men.
The soldiers from Seagem and Ocean’s Glory had arrived before her and already lined up facing each other, hands on sword hilts. Twenty feet gapped between the rows, as if they prepared for a battle against each other. Or a lethal game of Red Rover. She imagined the game from her childhood, trying to lighten her mood.
Philan and Boerk stood a few feet in front of their men, but kept their hands at their sides.
Sadie glanced around but didn’t see Thaddis. An unwanted stab of disappointment made her quicken her pace to join everyone. Just as she reached the edge of the courtyard, as if she’d conjured him up by thinking of him, she saw Thaddis, wearing a sleeveless shirt and pants, walking down a path from the other side of the guest “egg,” and her traitorous heart thumped a beat-beat.
She looked away and kept moving to join the others, wishing she could be more like the Seagem soldiers who seemed more able to forgive Thaddis—to accept that Ontarem caused the man to kill and pillage.
Boerk greeted Sadie with a wide smile and a nod.
Philan flashed her a cocky grin, his blue eyes sparkling. He took her hand and bowed.
Sadie pulled back before he did something flirtatious like kiss her hand. But she couldn’t help returning his smile, wishing she could feel attracted to him instead of to the deposed king of Ocean’s Glory.
Philan’s gaze fell on Thaddis and his expression hardened. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his jaw.
Thaddis paused, holding up his hands in an I don’t want to fight with you gesture, then continued toward the leaders. Reaching the three of them, he said a quiet good morning, which both Philan and Boerk politely returned. He flicked a glance at her and hesitated before giving her a small bow. “Day’s greeting, Sadie. I hope you slept well.”
She had…dreamlessly for once, either because Guinheld was drained from Her healing of Seagem’s soldiers and couldn’t spare the energy for othersense weapons training, or because the Goddess allowed Sadie a reprieve after her ordeal with Ontarem. “I did, indeed, thank you.”
Philan fisted his hands on his hips and glared at Thaddis. “I will not kill you, destroyer, as you deserve because I am Withea’s Tanmargis. As such, I have vowed to do Her bidding, which for now means to work with you.”
“I’m grateful for your forbearance,” Thaddis said, straight-faced.
Sadie glanced sharply at him. Was that sarcasm she heard in his tone? But Thaddis’s expression remained serious.
Boerk studied Philan with interest. “I am also Withea’s Tanmargis.” He rubbed his forehead. “Your Princess Daria and her husband also belong to the Goddess. The ranks of Her priesthood are expanding.”
Thaddis looked from one leader to another, then, with a shift of his body, included Sadie in the conversation. “The Zacatlan guards join us today. Guinheld wants us to combine forces.”
Philan glanced around. “We’re hardly a force,” he said, his tone ironic. “And I don’t have the impression that Zacatlan has many guards.” He raised an eyebrow. “Do they?”
“Thirty,” Thaddis told him. “Half will remain behind and half will go with us.”
As he spoke, the Zacatlan thirty came trotting toward them from the direction of the temple, looking Sadie thought, like actors from a movie of ancient Greece. Tall and muscular, male and female alike wore white tunics with pale leather belts, swords at their sides, and sandals that laced up their calves.
Sadie wondered if, like the warriors of Scotland, they wore nothing underneath those tunics. Might be interesting to find out.
One man and one woman wore silver circlets around their heads. They must be the rare warrior priest and priestess. Sadie did a quick head count. Fifteen from Zacatlan, ten soldiers from Ocean’s Glory, the eighteen from Seagem who’d been healed, plus her, Philan, and Thaddis. Forty-six. “Philan’s right. Hardly an invading force.”
Philan made a waved a hand between him and Thaddis. “But what a force, Sadie,” he said, his tone only half ironic. “The finest fighters in the land. Trained by my esteemed grandsire.”
Sadie raised her
eyebrows. “No disrespect to your esteemed grandfather… But Seagem’s fine fighting skills weren’t enough when faced with superior numbers. Nor did those skills save Indaran or you from—” she looked at Thaddis “—from Ontarem.”
“I know,” Thaddis said, his voice heavy. “But now we have what we did not before.”
Boerk tilted his chin. “The Goddess Withea.”
“And not just Her,” Thaddis’s voice hardened. “Besolet can no longer aid Ontarem.” He clenched his fists. “And unlike before when I blindly allowed myself to be taken…this time I will fight to the death before I’m captured.”
Philan shot Thaddis a skeptical look, studied the former king’s expression, and nodded, appearing to accept the truth of his words.
The female soldier from Zacatlan, whose silver circlet around her head proclaimed her warrior-priestess status, stepped forward to join the conversation. “And Guinheld will lend her efforts to the cause of overthrowing the Evil One, as will I.” The woman towered over Sadie, at perhaps six feet one or two inches. With her strong features, she wasn’t beautiful, but she possessed a regal bearing that gave her an air of elegance. Her short silver curls feathered around her head. She gave Thaddis and Boerk a neutral nod of greeting and a brief bow angled toward Sadie and Philan.
Philan returned the gesture, and Sadie waved her hand in acknowledgment.
“I am Meleda, captain of Zacatlan’s guard. I regret I was away from the city on the Goddess’s business and did not earlier bid you welcome, Sadie of Earth and Philan of Seagem.”
“Perhaps it’s just as well,” Sadie said dryly. “Guinheld’s already kept me busy fighting day and night. If you and your contingent—” she nodded toward the warriors from Zacatlan “—had been around, I’d probably be…” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think of what I’d be. Flat on my back maybe.”
Meleda laughed. The sparkling gray eyes and amusement softened her face, making her look attractive. “Guinheld and Devore have caught me up on all the excitement.” Her expression grew sober. “I hear we are to prepare for war. I look forward to expanding my fighting repertoire as well as giving my people additional training. I only wish we had months instead of one day.”
“One day?” they all echoed.
“Guinheld and Withea have been in contact with Arvintor. He believes Ontarem’s army is about to launch a major strike against the nomads, both to decimate them and to capture the powerful ones and enslave them in His temple.”
“Did Arvintor say which powerful ones?” Thaddis asked.
Meleda glanced from Philan to Thaddis. “You will find this welcome news. Both heirs of Seagem live. The king and princess, as well as their mates, are reunited.”
Sadie watched Thaddis’s face infuse with apparent joy, with relief, before sadness darkened his golden eyes. Her heart ached for the estrangement between the two men who once loved each other as brothers.
~ ~ ~
Meleda’s news hit Thaddis like a blow. He rocked back on his heels, trying to absorb what the warrior-priestess had said. Dare he rejoice? “Indaran?”
“Aye,” Meleda nodded. “Seagem’s king is free from Ontarem’s bondage.”
Thank you, thank you, thank you, God, Goddesses! Thaddis wanted to fall to his knees and weep with joy and sorrow. Indeed, the emotion bubbled up in his chest and into his throat. With great effort he contained the feelings. Now wasn’t the time to break down. “You’ve just lifted an fourteen, nay, almost fifteen-year-old burden from me, Meleda.” His voice sounded hoarse.
“Mates? What mates?” Philan asked. “Withea told me Daria had chosen a husband, but with everything else, that fact didn’t penetrate my mind.”
Meleda glanced at Sadie. “The royal heirs of Seagem have taken mates from Earth—brave of heart and strong in othersense.” Her expression turned solemn. “Tomorrow we leave for Ocean’s Glory. From there, we will sail to the islands to free Yadarius.”
Boerk frowned. “Will the Goddess Guinheld allow us to go through the temple window to Ocean’s Glory? If not, by the time we ride through the desert to the city, provision the ships, set sail….”
For the first time, a shadow briefly crossed Meleda’s face.
Thaddis wondered if the warrior-priestess felt any apprehension about leaving the safe cocoon of Zacatlan and venturing out into the wider world. The dangerous wider world.
Meleda resumed her air of calm composure. “The Goddesses will allow us to travel through the temples.”
“Good,” Thaddis said. “We’ll add soldiers from Ocean’s Glory to our team, pick up supplies… We can’t just set sail for the islands. We must divert Ontarem’s attention from our mission. We’ll send the fleet against the seadogs. That will keep the Evil One occupied.”
The warrior-priestess directed a level look at Thaddis. “If we free the SeaGod, we are to sail from the islands to Louat to help Arvintor.”
Thaddis lifted his eyebrows. “That will be quite a journey. We must come up with a plan to ensure the greatest possibility of success.” With a tick of gladness, he realized if all went well he’d soon see Indaran again. Then dread smothered his good feelings. His foster brother probably wouldn’t feel the joy when they came face-to-face. Better not think about our reunion.
Thaddis glanced around. “Enough talking. We have little enough time to prepare. We’ll start with warm-up drills, then break into two groups composed of…” He circled his hand to encompass the people from three different lands. “Everyone will work together. Philan, you’ll take one group. I’ll take the other. Then we’ll switch.” He stared at Philan, daring the man to challenge him.
Philan glowered but didn’t object.
Relieved, Thaddis turned to the soldiers and began dividing them into two groups. Without saying anything, Philan walked over to stand in front of the farthest bunch, which of course included Sadie. A spurt of jealousy made Thaddis turn away. No sense pining for what I can’t have. It’s probably just as well that Philan is interested in her… But his heart didn’t agree with his logic. To distract himself, Thaddis began directing his people into workout formations.
Everyone obeyed with promptness that spoke well of their discipline.
As Thaddis led his group through basic open-handed warm-up drills, his thoughts raced. He tried and discarded different ideas for the day’s practice. He needed to assess each person’s abilities, help him or her achieve the highest level of fighting skill possible in one day, and build cohesiveness as a single army.
All formidable tasks to accomplish in so little time.
~ ~ ~
Sword in hand, Sadie worked through the various exercises, both familiar and unfamiliar. The grip for Ganawen, as she’d named the blade, felt comfortable and right in her hand, and from the last few days of training, she’d become accustomed to the heavier, shorter swords used on Kimtair. As she moved in formation with the others a sense of power arose within her, twining with a connection to each individual. She was part of this team in a way that felt far different from how she’d felt on the Olympic team.
My life will be in these people’s hands, and theirs in mine.
Philan called for a break.
Sadie sheathed the sword, grateful for the rest.
White-robed Zacatlan teenagers moved though the crowd handing out towels and glasses of a tart, thirst-quenching beverage.
Sadie took one and drank deeply.
Thaddis’s group hadn’t stopped, and an Ocean’s Glory/Zacatlan pair struggled to do a partner exercise everyone else seemed to have mastered.
Unable to look away, Sadie observed Thaddis working with his team. He never lost patience, never raised his voice. When his demonstration of what he wanted the pair to do didn’t work, he swung around and touched Philan on the arm.
A head jerk, hand signal, and spoken word was all it took for Philan to fall into a defensive position that allowed Thaddis to show the stab/block/slice/parry routine he wanted the pair to learn. The two leaders flo
wed through the drill, as if they’d worked together countless times. Everyone else stopped their activities and turned to watch.
Sadie couldn’t help feeling awe for what she was witnessing.
Like Indaran and Micfal in Sadie’s othersense dreams, these two had a natural strength, speed, and grace honed through years of practice. She watched their muscles gleaming with sweat, athletic grace, and powerful sword thrusts.
Breath caught, heart beating heavily, Sadie stared, longing for all that had been with Tharon.
At a word from Thaddis, the two ceased. They backed off and fisted their hands to their chests.
Philan exchanged a mischievous look with Thaddis. For a moment, the years dropped away, and Sadie saw the young men they’d been. Then, obviously remembering, Philan moved away, his expression hardening.
Thaddis stared after him with a sad look. Then he apparently shook off his sad mood, turning to work with the soldier nearest him.
Philan faced his team. “Break’s over,” he barked.
Thaddis motioned for them to gather round. “This time, instead of combining into two teams, we need to work in a different formation. Once we reached Ontarem’s city of Penutar, the plan I’ve developed calls for breaking out a small group of fighters, who’ll charge to the temple.”
With a thrill of excitement and fear, Sadie realized she’d be part of that group.
Thaddis organized the fighters into a large triangle, pointing out where he wanted each person to stand. Then he made a smaller arrow inside, with Philan at point, Boerk and Meleda at the tips. He directed Sadie to stand behind and angled to Meleda, and he took the place across from her.
For the next hours, the soldiers worked on moving in a wedge and learning to fight in formation. Thaddis had them change positions or close up ranks, depending on which soldier “died.” Then he divided them in half again, and had them practice moving against opposition. He continued to switch people in the outside triangle around. In the end, exhausted, everyone had developed into an efficient fighting wedge.
A bell sounded for dinner. Before the fighters left, the adolescents again distributed drinks and towels.
Harvest of Dreams (The Gods' Dream Trilogy) Page 26