Zara the Wolf

  "Sit, please. I didn't invite the Honorable Monk to our first meeting, as I wanted to form my own opinion of you. I found you honest and believe I know you as well as one can understand someone without walking in their shoes … or being a Cheyo Monk." He smiled. "But for this session I require my advisor. Zara, I believe the Sirens were your assignment from Duke Wetzel, so what did you find?" the duke asked, and sat back and closed his eyes. I did the same, and the room turned blue and I saw the Monk floating naked in a lake with several water animals swimming next to him. His legs looked as if they had grown together.

  "Welcome, Zara the Wolf. As you can see, the Cheyo Monks are all deformed in some way. Maybe it makes it easier to close out the world and find peace. And what you see is the time when we were happy. You're a contradiction to us. Your strength comes not from your happiest times but from your hate of the Ojaza, yet I find no hate in you." The Monk talked and I heard but not with my ears.

  "We visited the city of Ayus first…" I went city by city, describing each incident with a Siren. Somehow, as I talked about each incident it was replayed in the blue dimension. The duke didn't interrupt through the entire telling. When I finished, he opened his eyes.

  "Honorable Monk?"

  "The Wolf is very strong and balanced. I'd say strong enough to take on anyone except a Monk. Her real advantage comes from her real life experience as a warrior, which the Sirens lack."

  The duke stared at me for a long time. "Well, Zara, how do you suggest we go about eliminating the Sirens?" he said, and closed his eyes, indicating he was willing to wait for an answer. Having no answer, I closed my eyes and sought a quiet mind. It took a long time to settle the chaos. When I finally felt at peace, the Monk appeared.

  "You're in a difficult position. Royalty frequently believes that ordering someone to do something will make it happen. If it does, it's only as they expected; if it doesn't, they punish the individual for not obeying their orders—whether the orders were unreasonable or the individual incapable. Duke Phipps is more reasonable than most and not only looks for a person he believes capable of doing the task but is willing to provide the resources necessary to be successful." The Monk stroked the animal floating next to him. "You have little choice. You're a commoner and have no liege lord to turn to. Not that it matters. Even if Wetzel were your liege lord, his problem is the same as Phipps's, so he would support Phipps. Your only other option would be to go into the mountains and join the Indians, which may seem like a good idea right now." His words were for me only. We were alone in the blue dimension.

  "What about you?" I asked the Monk. "You have far more power than me."

  "But I don't have the experience you have. Even I agree with Phipps—you are the best person available. I understand you don't want the job, but unfortunately, your wants and desires don't matter to royalty. They have a need, and you're a commoner and expendable to them." He laid his head against the animal next to him and said no more. I agreed.

  "I have no idea, Your Grace," I said, hoping honesty would somehow help.

  "The dukes will give you whatever support you need, but we need a plan, and you're the best person to develop one. Don't take too long. Every day we wait gives the Sirens a chance to go on the offensive," Phipps said, and rose, ending the discussion. And another day you are at risk, I mused. I walked back to Shelly's room in a trance.

  "What are you going to do?" Shelly asked as the door closed behind us.

  "The Monk suggests I may want to seek sanctuary in the mountains with the Indians," I said, realizing it was a real option. I hated the Ojaza but not every mountain tribe.

  "You wouldn't, would you?"

  "I believe Duke Wetzel would give me a choice; Duke Phipps won't."

  "But if you don't, the Sirens will take over."

  "Then they will be the royalty. Nothing will change for the commoners," I said, knowing it was harsh although true. Shelly folded into a meditation posture on the floor and I followed. Shelly's ladies came and left when she didn't greet them. The dinner hour came and went. And the castle noise slowly died as the hour grew late.

  "You're right," Shelly said as the room turned blue. She sat on a bed, books spread everywhere, reading. She looked up and smiled. "So this is the Monks and Sirens’s world. I like it—peaceful and relaxing—a good place to think. You could survive in the mountains; I couldn't. I would miss you."

  "It's a harsh life but simple. But not where I'd fit; I would be running away. The Ojaza called me a slave that would be a warrior. They had it wrong. I was a woman that wouldn't be a slave. Now the duke believes I'm a commoner that would be royalty. He's wrong. I don't want to lead. I'm just a woman that wouldn't be a commoner."

  "Meaning you're stubborn." Shelly laughed. "But I think the Indians were easier to overcome than the duke will be."

  "I don't wish to overcome him, just not let him make me into something I'm not."

  * * *

  "You won't develop a plan?" Phipps rose out of this chair, shouting.

  "I'm not a leader and wouldn't know how to develop a plan. You and your advisors are best qualified to develop one. I will assist you in any way I can."

  "Phipps," the Monk said softly from his seat in the corner. "If threats would work against her, Zara would still be a slave in the Ojaza camp. I believe she's right. Her best use is not in developing a plan or in implementing one, although she would be valuable in helping develop and implement one."

  "I agree, Your Grace. I've spent months traveling with Zara. She has never shown an interest in leading, although Duke Wetzel gave her the authority. But neither I nor the caravan would have survived without her advice and jeopardizing her life to save us." Shelly said, risking the duke's ire.

  "My initial reaction is to throw you in the dungeon. But you have some strong allies, and on reflection, you would be of little value to me in the dungeon." He stopped for a drink of wine and to think. "Be back here in an hour, both of you. I'll have my advisors here and we can discuss the problem. Send in one of the guards, Lady Shelly."

  Shelly and I rose quickly and left.

  "Thank you, Lady Shelly. Dukes can be nasty when they are contradicted."

  "I can be stubborn too. You're my friend. I'd be nothing if I wasn't willing to stick up for my friend and fellow slave." She smiled.

  * * *

  When we returned, we were introduced to the duke's advisors.

  "Gentlemen, let me first make the introductions and state the purpose of this meeting. Baroness Shelly was sent by Duke Wetzel along with her companion Zara with instructions to visit every major city and look for Sirens." He held up his hand to stop any questions. "Sirens are people the Trasslat Monastery let go for lacking the talent to become Cheyo Monks. Someone has collected these people into a secret society intent on overthrowing the royalty. While they aren't Monks, they have talent and are very dangerous." Phipps paused for a drink of his wine before continuing. "Captain Higgins is the senior captain of my military and an experienced leader."

  Higgins was an elderly man, with graying hair, a mustache, an angular face, and eyes I would wager didn't miss much.

  "Sergeant Rhodes is a senior sergeant with experience and knowledge of Monis and Arucci."

  Rhodes was a broad-shouldered man with a muscular build and a rugged square face that had seen more than one fight.

  "Baron Bradley is the senior baron in my domain and a longtime friend and advisor. He led my army in several battles and knows the royalty at Monis and Arucci."

  Bradley was the oldest man in the room. He remained expressionless during the introductions but had given Shelly and me a long evaluating look when we were introduced.

  "Minister Connar, who is also a trusted friend and advisor."

  Connar was thin and elderly. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were constantly assessing everyone.

  "And of course, the Honorable Monk. Zara, you should start. Everyone here would benefit from knowing something about you and why Duke Wetzel selected yo
u, and what you encountered as you visited each city."

  "Your Grace." I bowed to him where he sat at the head of the long oblong table. "The Ojaza killed my parents and … " I went on to give a short description of my life with the Ojaza, the caravan I accompanied to Calle, negotiating Shelly's release, and accepting Duke Wetzel's take-a-look assignment. That took the better part of two hours and required Shelly to confirm my account of her release. Then I recounted our journey from Calle to Kariso, with Shelly helping to verify my accounts of several incidents. When I finished the room was quiet.

  "Now that you have the background, we need to develop a plan to ensure Monis and Arucci are free of Sirens and to find the head of their organization. Let's break for dinner and take the evening to think about what you've heard. The Honorable Monk assures me that what we heard here today is true. We will meet back here tomorrow an hour after breakfast. You are not to speak to anyone about what you've heard here except to the people in this room."

  * * *

  "Duke Phipps, why don't we just take half the troops and demand entry in the name of Duke Brodka and the duke's council? Once inside, Zara can point out the Sirens, and we can execute them. The same at Monis," Captain Higgins said, smiling as if the solution were obvious and he didn't understand the need for this meeting. I guessed he never considered that the Sirens might be in control and that they would not consider Brodka or any duke their liege lord.

  "What if Earl Meade's not in control?" Shelly asked.

  "A few kids couldn't have gotten control of Arucci, Lady Shelly," Higgins said in a condescending voice.

  "Then how do you explain the Arucci troops attacking my caravan?"

  "Lady Shelly has a valid point, Captain Higgins. We can't assume the enemy is stupid or that they will cooperate with our plans. If they do, that's all good, but we must assume they won't and be prepared to deal with a worst-case situation. Arucci troops attacking a caravan doesn't sound normal, especially when the caravan was a full day's ride from the city," Bradley said, smiling in Shelly's direction.

  "I served at both Monis and Arucci, and I can tell you we are not going to breach the city walls with less than several hundred troops and siege engines. And you can't starve the castle while they have access to the city, because they grow most of their food inside the walls and have access to a water supply from the mountains. You'll have to get someone into the city that can hold open the gates. That won't be easy," Sergeant Rhodes said, looking to the duke for support.

  "Zara, do you have nothing to contribute?" the duke asked, looking angry. Passing the problem off to me hadn't worked, and his advisors were confirming there wasn't a simple solution, so I was the problem. That only emphasized my reason for trying to avoid royalty. Right now, the Manola community was looking better and better.

  "I believe the Trasslat Monastery needs to participate in the solution, since they are partly responsible for the creation of the Sirens." I mentally braced myself for an attack by the duke's Monk, but nothing came. Everyone's head turned toward me, probably expecting me to be struck dead.

  "The Wolf has a point," the Monk said with obvious amusement. "The Trasslat Monastery—not me or any other individual Cheyo Monk," he added by way of clarification. The discussions went on all day and eventually coalesced around taking a party of fifty mounted troops including Sergeant Rhodes and led by Captain Higgins. Baron Brady would be in charge, with Shelly and me as advisors.

  "I think Duke Phipps would have preferred you proposing a solution," Shelly said when we entered her room. "You're not in his good graces right now." She laughed. "Funny we're concerned about the duke's mood but not yours or mine ... "

  "Because he has the power, so our feelings aren't important—and that is the reason I prefer to stay clear of royalty," I said, which was true in general but not specifically, since I liked Shelly.

  "And I thought you liked me," she said, trying to look hurt.

  "I did when you were a slave, but now you are a baroness." I shook my head and closed my eyes, trying my best to look sad. Shelly laughed.

  "Commoners are much like slaves under the nobility. They ... we can make the rules as we go along. Phipps could have had you thrown in the dungeon or whipped or both for not complying with his wishes, even though you are not one of his subjects, but you are on his land."

  "That is why the Sirens exist," I said.

  "Why?"

  "Because they have been abandoned."

  "But they failed ... "

  "Would you discard a noble who was a poor hunter, or swordsman, or poor at reading?"

  "Baroness Shelly's first rule, Zara the Wolf is not allowed to leave her."

  "Or?" I asked, feeling she was only half joking.

  "I'll cry and sulk." She didn't smile. "I enjoy hearing your perspective. It helps me to see my prejudices and others’, and it's what I'll need to be a good leader. I don't want to change the world, but I want … need to understand it."

  "You should return to Calle, Lady Shelly. I fear this isn't going to be as easy as Duke Phipps or Captain Higgins believes. You can't help, and you could get killed."

  "You need me to keep you out of trouble," she said, fists on her hips and a stubborn look on her face.

  "Without you there, I could just leave if I didn't like the way things were going."

  "And live in the mountains, because you'd be a wanted woman. That would be a waste—and that is the reason I'm going."

  "If I leave and you are along, they will blame you," I said, having begun to understand the nobility.

  "I'll take that chance." She folded into a meditation posture and I followed, too exhausted to argue and doubting it would accomplish anything. Sometime later, she appeared in the blue dimension, sitting on her bed reading. "Thank you for helping me find this place. It's very peaceful," she said, smiling but without looking up from her book.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Expedition to Arucci

  When Shelly and I entered the courtyard, Lieutenant Eaton and Lutz were there with their troops. Baron Bradley had decided to use packhorses rather than mules, which would have slowed us down.

  "What are your orders, Lady Shelly?" Eaton asked. Shelly had merely told him that she would be joining the duke's expedition.

  "Baron Bradley is in charge of the duke's campaign. We are along as advisors and to help if we can. Lutz, I’d like you to join us, but you are free to leave if you want."

  "I'll stay, Lady Shelly. Zara's an interesting person to be around." He laughed and walked off, talking with Eaton. At Bradley's invitation, Shelly and I joined him at the head of the patrol.

  "I'm glad you decided to join me and to bring your troops," he said as we walked the horses through the town and out the gates.

  "It avoids a potential conflict. My companion is commissioned by Duke Wetzel to chaperone and protect me." She smiled sweetly.

  "That would have been a problem. Judging by the tales of your journey, Zara could leave anytime she wanted, and we could never catch her. That would be unfortunate since I, unlike others, believe she will be essential in resolving this issue." He nodded good-naturedly in my direction.

  It took five days of hard riding to reach the Trasslat Monastery. We arrived well after sunset and Bradley decided to wait until morning to disturb the Abbot. I doubted the Abbot was concerned with night or day or the normal hours the rest of Aesona kept, but it was a nice gesture on the baron's part. In the morning, Bradley, Shelly, and I approached the front gate and asked to see the Abbot. A meeting was arranged with only a minor delay. When we entered her hut, I noticed Sonya standing off to the side of the Abbot. We nodded to each other.

  "Please sit," the Abbot said. "I understand you wish to speak with me about the ones you call Sirens."

  "That is right, Honorable Abbot. We have been led to believe that they attempted to take control of Hipula but failed; however, they might be in control of Arucci and Monis ... "

  While Bradley talked, the Abbot engaged with me in
the blue dimension. As before, she opened me like a book. I didn't resist, having nothing to hide. "You have grown in strength, Zara. I find that troubling, because it means the Sirens may have also grown since they left here, and it will have been through hate, not love. Your strength, however, feels neutral."

  "... Zara feels—" Bradley continued, but the Abbot interrupted.

  "Zara feels I have failed the students of talent and that has spawned the Sirens, therefore I should be part of the solution. I agree I failed the students. Whether I should help is not clear. We have always been neutral."

  In the silence that followed, I engaged with the Abbot in the blue dimension. "You don't wish to take sides in case the Sirens win. You would willingly support them as you do the current dukes," I said, preparing to fight no matter how useless.

  "Relax, Zara. My power is based on love, not hate. I would only attack you in self-defense, which is the same reason I can't help you. And yes, I feel an affinity for the talented ones. I did not force them to leave out of hate but only because they would waste their time here trying to be what they could never be. I'm sympathetic to the problem and would help but am unable."

  "But you have solved that dilemma," I said, beginning to understand the Monks’ basic problem. They posed a threat to some who would like them eliminated, but a Monk would be slow to defend himself thus making him vulnerable. The Abbot was quiet for a long while.

  "Sonya and Joanna, another Cheyo Guard, have agreed of their own free will to accompany you. Sonya will protect you. She believes as I do that you are worthy of protection. You do not seek to eliminate the Sirens for the dukes’ sake but because the dukes are the lessor evil. Joanna will protect Lady Shelly to reduce your worry in the event of trouble."

  "Thank you, Honorable Abbot, for your support." I rose, forcing Bradley and Shelly to rise and exit with me.

  "What happened?" Bradley asked once outside.

  "The Monks would be of little value in the conflict, since they won't harm anyone except in self-defense—and even then they would be slow to act. The Abbot has agreed to let two Cheyo Guards accompany us."