Warlord

by Elizabeth Vaughan

  “I will not be stopped, Keekai.” Keir’s voice was low and determined, and his grip on my hand tightened. “I will break their power over my people.”

  Keekai stopped and turned her head. She looked so much like Keir in the firelight. “That is why I fear for you, Keir of the Cat. They will kill you if they can.”

  Keir’s nostrils flared. “Let them try,” he grated.

  With a shake of her head and a swirl of her cloak, Keekai left the tent.

  In the silence that remained, the fire crackled and flared up.

  “Skies,” Keir growled. “This is the work of the winds.” I leaned in close and he pressed a kiss to my temple. “Lara, I—”

  I reached out and put my fingers over his lips. “The last few weeks, since the plague cleared, have been blissful.”

  Keir closed his eyes and nodded, his lips brushing against my fingers.

  “We’ve both been avoiding this, haven’t we?” I whispered softly, my eyes tearing. “Neither one of us wanted to face this. Both our faults.”

  Keir didn’t open his eyes. “I didn’t want it to end.” He pulled in a deep breath, and reached up to take my hand and press a kiss to the palm. “I thought we had time, at least until we reached the Heart.”

  “And now, we have tonight.” I took a shaky breath. “After the celebration, we will talk. All night, if we have to.”

  His bright blue eyes looked at me from beneath his black hair. “I am tempted to defy them. I would not have you go. Keekai is an Elder, and powerful, but you—”

  I twisted my hand in his, until our palms were together. His large, callused fingers were a marked contrast to mine. I slowly curled mine until my fingers interlocked with his. “Two peoples into one, Keir. You and I, working together, for ourselves and our peoples.”

  He pulled me into his arms. “Tonight, after the celebration. We will talk.”

  I pulled back just enough to look up into those wonderful blue eyes, and gave him a smile. “Just remember, you promised to dance for me, Warlord.”

  The gleam was back. “I did, didn’t I?”

  Much of the celebration was a blur. It was as if I was two people, one watching from a distance and the other wrapped in worry and fear for the future. A platform had been built, so that we could see out over the firepits and the dancing grounds. Keir conceded the center seat to Keekai, and sat to her left, I was next to him, and the other warleaders were also scattered about the platform.

  Although Keekai had joined us, the warrior-priests were seated together off to the side. They seemed intent on keeping themselves apart.

  Marcus made himself busy, directing his helpers to offer water for washing and giving thanks. As he offered to pour the water for me, Keir leaned over, and murmured a question. “Iften?”

  “In his tent. Being tended to by the warrior-priests. They use their powers to perform another healing,” Marcus said. His tone expressed his opinion of that bit of news.

  I snorted softly, which earned me swift smiles from Keir and Marcus, and a frown from Keekai. Keekai opened her mouth, but Keir held his hand up. “Marcus, see that Iften is taken a share of the meats. And enough for the warrior-priest as well.”

  Marcus scowled, but jerked his head in acknowledgment of the order.

  Keir stood and held his hand up. The warriors quieted until all that could be heard were the crackles of the fires.

  “We gather this night, to thank the elements. We thank them for the gift of the hunt, and for our return to the Plains. HEYLA!”

  “HEYLA!” roared the warriors in return.

  “Lail of the Badger, stand forward.”

  The scout that brought word of the ehats stepped in front of the platform.

  “I doubted your words, Lail, and I take back those words before all. On the morrow, you will have a full backstrap, with my thanks.”

  With a wide smile, Lail bowed before Keir, and then returned to be congratulated by the warriors around him. Marcus was offering kavage, and must have seen the question in my eyes. “The choicest part of the meat, Warprize. A true honor.”

  I nodded my understanding, as Keir continued. “Tomorrow, we rend the bodies of our kill, and divide the spoils of the hunt. But tonight we celebrate their spirits.” Keir gestured to the firepits. “By tradition the first meats are mine. But I would grow fat as a city dweller if I ate the first meats of four ehats!”

  Laughter, and a few sly looks my way. But I joined in the laughter as well.

  “I would share this honor with my warriors,” Keir continued. “Let us eat and share in the ehat’s honor and strength. Then we will dance to thank the earth and the skies, the wind and the rain for their gifts. For we are of the Plains and we are home!”

  “HEYLA!” The warriors all started to gather about the pits. Talk and laughter rose around us as they were served. The warrior-priests may have held themselves apart, but I noticed that they took their share of the food.

  Marcus had our portions, served with fried bread and gurt on the side. The other warleaders were served as well and we all started to eat. The meat was sliced thin. I rolled a piece up and popped it in my mouth. It was good, better than I expected. I hurriedly ate mine, and licked the juice from my fingers.

  “You honor your warriors.” Keekai spoke around a mouthful, obviously enjoying the taste.

  “They are worthy of honor.” Keir picked up a piece of the meat and ate it.

  Keekai nodded, and turned to Marcus for kavage. I leaned over, and stole a piece of meat off of Keir’s platter. He gave me a surprised look, but said nothing.

  “So, has Joden survived the summer?” Keekai asked, scanning the crowd. “I would hear him sing if he will.”

  “He did.” Something in Keir’s tone told me that he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of Joden singing. “Keekai …”

  She turned, those blue eyes intent.

  “Isdra and Epor have gone to the snows.”

  Keekai looked down at her meal. “Word of this has reached the Heart, Keir. As has the manner of their deaths.” She drew in a deep breath. “The Elders will not make this easy for you, Keir of the Cat.”

  Marcus moved closer, and Keekai held out her mug for more kavage. I got a clear look at her right wrist. It reminded me of the old cheesemaker in Water’s Fall. Suddenly Keekai’s talk of her ‘misery’ made perfect sense.

  I leaned over and took another piece of meat from Keir. I popped it in my mouth, and spoke around it. “I want to see the dancing. We don’t have anything like pattern dancing in Xy.”

  Keekai nodded her agreement, her mouth full. “This game called ‘chess’. That is of Xy, yes?”

  “Yes.” I gave Keir a fond look. “I taught it to Keir, and some of the others.”

  “It is a form of battle, that requires quick wits and careful planning,” Keir added, taking a bite of some of the fry bread.

  Keekai’s mouth quirked. “Ah. That must be why the warrior-priests have not yet learned it.”

  Keir threw his head back and I joined in their laughter. Then Tsor leaned forward, and asked Keekai of the news of the Heart, and they started to talk of people and places that I had yet to know. A shiver of fear ran down my spine suddenly. There was still so much I didn’t know about these people, still so much that was strange and new. Could I really leave Keir in the morning?

  I stared at my kavage. I’d first tasted it in the healing tents, with Rafe and Simus and Joden. I’d learned to enjoy its bitter flavor, especially in the morning when the day was dawning clear and cold.

  I looked at the gurt on my platter. The little white pebbles looked innocent enough, but for some reason, I’d never get used to their dry, bitter taste.

  I gathered up some of the gurt on my platter, and added it to Keir’s as I took another piece of meat from his platter. He was talking to one of the warleaders, but shifted enough so that I could reach it easily.

  I was afraid. That was the truth. But I’d been afraid when I’d walked the halls of the castl
e, to kneel at Keir’s feet for the claiming ceremony.

  I snagged the last of the heart meat from Keir’s platter, and he gave me a grateful look.

  I could do this.

  “Who will dance?” Keir stood tall, at the front of the platform. The food had been eaten, and the warriors had settled around the dancing area.

  To my surprise, Rafe stepped forward. “We would dance the elements, to thank them for their gifts. We have covered ourselves to honor the Warprize and her ways.” Prest, Ander and Yveni came up to stand behind him.

  I raised an eyebrow at their idea of ‘cover’. They all had the barest of scraps for loincloths, and Yveni had tied a strip of leather over her breasts. Still, I smiled and nodded my head to them.

  “Dance!” Keir commanded, and they bowed their heads and moved to stand an arm’s length apart, forming a square and facing each other.

  A warrior sat nearby, and placed a drum before him. The crowd grew silent as the drumbeat sounded, a slow steady beat.

  “Earth!” Ander called out, and a warrior walked out of the crowd, bearing two bowls filled with dirt.

  “Air!” Yveni cried out as well. She received two bowls as well, filled with something that gave off a steady stream of white smoke.

  “Water!” Rafe called out, and was handed two bowls filled to the brim with water.

  “Fire!” Prest was the last, and his bowls held flames that leaped and burned.

  I leaned forward, eager to see what form this dance would take. I assumed it was another form of pattern dance. To my joy, it was and it wasn’t.

  Together they started to move, slowly, raising the bowls above their heads and stepping out a pattern together, moving as one. I held my breath, for what was easy with a bowl of dirt, was not easy to do with a bowl of water.

  They lowered the bowls, now starting to move their bodies, bending and twisting down, only to work their way back up to a standing position. It was amazing to watch Prest, his body gleaming in the light, sweat glistening all over, as he moved. And while Ander and Yveni had the easier dance, with air and earth in their bowls, they still had to match the movements of Rafe and Prest. I could see the tremble in the muscles of Rafe’s arms as he fought to make sure that not one drop of water spilled from his bowls.

  After a few minutes, one stepped in the center, and the other three formed a triangle around the single dancer. I realized that they were mimicking their elements. Ander’s movements were slow and steady, like the earth that he held in his hands. Yveni, when she took the center, moved as the wind moves, first one way and then the other, with no real set pattern. Rafe was as fluid as water. Prest was fire, first still and quiet and then bursting out in action as the flames in his bowls grew higher.

  Finally, they stood there, facing each other, their bodies gleaming and their chests heaving from their efforts. With not one bowl spilled.

  Ander held up his bowls. “Death of fire, birth of earth.” He tipped one of his bowls into one of Prest’s, dousing the flame.

  Prest held up his other bowl. “Death of air, birth of fire.” He tipped the burning coals into Yveni’s bowl, and placed the bowl on top, smothering the smoke.

  Yveni turned with her other bowl. “Death of water, birth of air.” She tipped her other bowl’s contents into Rafe’s, sending up a burst of steam from his bowl.

  Rafe held his other bowl high. “Death of earth, birth of water.” With that, he turned to Ander, and poured out the water onto his remaining bowl.

  Keir jumped up, and the crowd rose with him, screaming their appreciation. I was up too, amazed that my bodyguards could dance so well.

  Rafe, Prest, Ander, and Yveni turned in their places, and bowed to each of the four directions. Then they were running, their smiling faces proof enough of their joy. They disappeared into the crowd.

  We all settled back, except Keekai, who stood and called out, “Where is Joden?”

  There were many cries, and people’s heads turned, until finally Joden stood before us. “I am here, Keekai of the Cat.”

  Keekai laughed. “Well and true but why are you not singing, Singer-to-be? Why not sing of the hunt?”

  There were many calls to this, as people shifted so that they could see Joden clearly. He was seated next to a warrior-priest. I was fairly certain it was the one that had claimed to heal Iften.

  Joden shook his head, his broad face gleaming in the light. “The song of this hunt will take time to make, Keekai. But I would sing, if you wish.”

  “I wish it so!” Keekai laughed out loud. “A song of your choosing, Singer.”

  Joden shrugged off her compliment, looking around at his fellow Firelanders. His gaze drifted over to where I was sitting with Keir, and I felt Keir tense beside me. I turned my head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

  Keir looked at me ruefully, then leaned forward just enough to whisper in my ear. “He who can praise can also mock.”

  I turned back to see Joden glance at us. It seemed to me that he knew Keir’s concern. The warrior-priest next to him leaned over and made some comment for Joden’s ear alone. I bit my lip. Would he … ?

  Joden drew a deep breath, and walked forward. He turned in a circle raising his right hand, palm to the sky. “May the skies hear my voice. May the people remember.”

  The response rose from the crowd. “We will remember.”

  Joden lowered his hand, took a deep breath, and then he laughed, a deep strong laugh, and spread his arms wide. “The sun is rising and I have slept well. The day calls to me—but my belly rumbles. What shall I have for breakfast?”

  Everyone laughed, delighted, and started to shift their positions, sitting with their legs crossed, and patting the ground next to them. Keir relaxed, and got into position as well, his smile catching my eye. “You will see.”

  With that Joden started the first verse, about a root found growing by streams. The verse told us what to look for, and how to peel the bark back and scrape out the soft white insides. I laughed, for this was clearly a teaching song, but the tune was infectious and everyone joined in on the chorus. Keir started clapping, slapping his hands on his thighs, and then on the ground beside him.

  Everyone started following that pattern as well, slapping their thighs and lifting their hands to sway to the music. It was like dancing except no one got to their feet—instead everyone swayed to and fro, laughing and chanting. It didn’t take me long to follow along.

  Joden started the next verse and sung about berries, red berries that were sweet, green ones that had to be boiled first. And a warning to avoid the white berries, for they would make the shit run down your leg!

  Joden hunched over, wrapped his arms over his lower belly, and groaned. He swayed back and forth, groaning aloud, and repeated that verse.

  The warriors laughed, and followed right along. I laughed and clapped as well, but stopped when Keir rose from his seat in the middle of the song.

  “A dance, Warlord?” Keekai smiled at him.

  “A dance, Elder.” Keir looked at me with his eyes half closed. He reached out and stroked my cheek. “For my Warprize.”

  I smiled at him, but Keekai grunted. “Afterwards, you will teach me chess.”

  Keir turned his head so only I could see, and rolled his eyes. But then he looked at me with eyes that burned, even as he answered her. “After I dance, Elder.”

  I blushed, and looked away, biting my lip. He chuckled, low and deep, and I watched as he left the platform and disappeared into the crowd.

  5

  The warriors stamped their feet and raised their voices, demanding more from Joden. So he sang two more songs after the breakfast song. One was a rousing song about a trouble-maker named Uppor, and how he stole something from each element to create horses for the Plains. The crowd loved it, especially the part where they all joined in the chorus.

  The last was about traveling at night, under a full moon and a sky full of stars. Joden’s voice soared above us, making my eyes travel up to see the stars t
hat were spread out over our heads. The song seemed to hold us all spellbound. It took my breath away.

  I wasn’t the only one. There was a profound silence when Joden’s last note quivered in the air. He bowed and walked back into the crowd, with Keekai’s grateful thanks. Neither song had been about Keir, so I’d relaxed, grateful to my friend for staying neutral. Whatever his doubts about Keir’s plans to unite our peoples, I couldn’t see Joden being unfair or cruel.

  “Ah! The battle dance!” Keekai gestured and I followed her arm to see a group of warriors taking the field, with wooden swords and shields in hand.

  Keekai turned slightly. “Your pattern, Marcus?”

  Marcus said nothing, but he came to stand behind me, cloaked as always, his arms crossed over his chest. I looked at him, and he gave me a slight smile from the depths of his cloak. With a nod, he turned my attention back to the dancing field.

  Two groups of warriors faced each other, lined up on either side. Keir stood before the one group, dressed in his black leathers, but without his cloak. Yers faced him from across the field. Both held a wooden sword and shield, as did each of the warriors behind them.

  Keir raised his arms. Yers raised his in response, and silence covered the crowd. Then they dropped their arms together.

  At the signal, both groups leaped forward, charging, swords high, yelling blood-curdling war cries.

  They came together with a clash, and I would have jumped to my feet had Marcus not put his hand on my shoulder. “Watch.”

  There was a wild burst of drumming and only then could I see a pattern to the confusion. Each warrior faced another, exchanging blows with their swords, defending themselves with their shields. It was a fight that was also a dance. I relaxed slightly, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sight of Keir and Yers trading blows.

  For all that it was a dance, it was clear that the warriors were giving it everything they had, from the sounds of grunts and the crack of wooden swords against shields. For all that it was a pattern, it held a fierce wildness that I’d not seen before. Each pair moved about the other, striking wherever they could, the cracks of wood on wood adding to the beat of the drums. Keir was intent on his dance, his body moving with all the power and grace he was capable of.