by Paul Heisel
Chapter 11 - Proposal
Clouds gathered in the morning, the dark thunderheads looming high above. On the road outside of the inn, Feln inspected the impressions left by the dragon. The dragon, between its weight and claws, had torn deep gouges into the paved street. It looked to him as if the dragon had landed and searched the area briefly. He felt a pang of apprehension, reflecting on Iristi's comment that the presence of the dragon meant it was here with purpose. He wondered if the presence of the dragon had anything to do with him or the belt he possessed. He was starting to worry.
The innkeeper, now his best friend, told him the north road that went directly to Hiru along the river was considered too dangerous because of the wilderness. Bandits monitored that road and robbed the unprepared, and the forests were haunted and filled with ancient ruins. The other road across the bridge went to the east toward the mountains, would take him along the foothills and through ancient forests. There were passes through the mountains that would take him to Ashimo, if that's where he wanted to go. The innkeeper commented the eastern most roads went to Hiru as well, though it wasn't the most direct route, it was the safest. Feln decided to go along the mountains, as traveling directly north along the river seemed like a poor decision, besides, he needed to be headed toward the mountains anyway. On the road it didn't take long for Feln to hear the sounds of a horse and a groaning wagon coming up behind him. Iristi came to his side, slowing the horse.
"I see you travel by walking," Iristi said. "You must be a monk. They don't use beasts for travel. If you were a samurai, you would at least have a horse."
"My origins are of no concern of yours. Safe travels."
"Sending me on my way so quickly?"
"We have already determined we can't help each other, nor are we willing to exchange information. Traveling together wouldn't be beneficial."
"Spoken like a true monk. I would prefer your company, if you'll allow it. You may ride with me and rest your legs. I won't tell any of your brothers that you rode in a wagon instead of walking. No one will think lesser of you."
Feln wasn't a fool. "I accept your offer," he said. With that, he grabbed on the side rail and vaulted gently amongst the covered contents. He sat next to Iristi, placing his katana out of the way.
"I feel safer with you here," she said. "My uncle said you killed the horse demon by yourself. That is an incredible feat. It killed dozens before you had arrived."
"There was luck, I believe, when I fought the horse demon."
"One doesn't wait for luck," Iristi said. "One goes and finds it. You are as skilled as any samurai, yet you have the demeanor of a monk. I suppose now, to round out your talents, you're going to tell me that you're a playwright too?"
Feln smiled and reached into his pack and pulled out his new diary. He waved it at her.
Iristi threw her head back and laughed, her hat spilling off her head and into the back of the wagon. Twisting, she retrieved it and pushed it down on top of her head.
Feln caught himself gazing at her as she turned into him, her shoulder was almost touching. She had cleaned up from the previous day of travel, and despite the common clothing, she was radiant. Any passerby looking at her from a distance would think she was a commoner, but she was the opposite, anything but common in his estimation. It was her playfulness that caught him off guard. The way she spoke to him was as if they were long lost friends. "A journal of my travels," he explained. "I'm not a playwright. I do love books though. At home, my favorite place is the library. In fact, I've been told on occasion that I spend too much time there."
"You surprise me," she said. "Most ranan can do nothing but fight, this is why they never become a lord or own land. Some samurai are scholars, but most are just good at fighting. Yes, they have land and subjects, and they build armies to protect their lands and family. Perhaps you'll surprise me in the future with one of your many hidden talents?"
He sighed. "I'm sure I have a few surprises in me. Not many talents though."
Lightning streaked in the distance, the rain-filled clouds overhead gave a thunderous shout and it started to pour. It came down in buckets and showed no signs of stopping. They traveled along the road all of the day, the weather slowing them as they had to stop at times to avoid the brunt of the downpour. It was now evening and they were still miles from the nearest town, Iristi cursing that they should have stopped early in the day and not braved the weather at all. Feln shrugged it off, the weather didn't bother him, and so they stopped in a forested area away from the road for the evening. They both were soaked and the rain continued to come down.
Along the way Iristi had opened up and explained to him that she was on her way to Hiru, going there as an emissary to make peace with the leadership. Hou had a history of discontent with Hiru's authority, and her city had taken steps recently towards becoming a sovereign province. A short time ago, their leader, her betrothed, had been murdered as a result, or that's what she suspected. Inside the wagon, she had a great gift to bestow upon Xian-er-Ku-Hiru, one of the renowned Favored Ones loyal to Chang, and it was her hope that it would mend the rift between Hiru and Hou. Feln figured the story, although true, was incomplete. There was more to it and she wasn't telling all of it.
Feln used part of the wagon and large boughs of trees to make a shelter. It was makeshift, but kept a small area dry enough for him to contemplate a fire. He took the draft horse to a meadow and let him graze, then began searching underneath wayward pines for dry fuel. Feln was soaked to the bone and cold, but as he reflected on his past, not the worst weather he had ever encountered. Hail was the worst, and at least it wasn't cold enough to snow. After a short time his search yielded dry wood, which he protected with his robe and carried back to the wagon. If he could get a fire going, it would be a better evening. Though he didn't mind camping, he wished they would have found a town. It didn't matter now. They were here, stuck in the forest, left to brave the elements at least for tonight.
#
Iristi watched as Feln put together an impromptu camp. He operated with military efficiency, setting up a shelter for them in no time at all. With the horse in tow, he departed to find dry wood. She thought he had to be a monk, one of the warrior types, and that narrowed down the possibilities of where he had come from. Most likely he was from Bashino, which wasn't far from here, just over the mountains into Ashimo in the northwest part of the province. As she recalled, there was a extensive monastery in Bashino that supplied monks and warriors to fight the constant conflicts that had gone on for the past twenty years.
At last Feln returned. He was soaked and carrying wood under his robe. He put the wood beneath the wagon, keeping it safe from as much rain as possible. She kneeled under the shelter, helping Feln arrange the wood. His soaked robe was open, and his dark garments underneath looked wet as well, but he showed no signs of it bothering him. Iristi saw a glint, a belt, one of the belts of a Favored One. She lost sight of it in the folds of his clothing, and then as he leaned over, she caught clearer view of it. The design was gold intertwined dragons and she recognized it as being one of the seven belts of the Most Favored. It wasn't common knowledge that these belts were different from the Favored One belts, and rarely were the Most Favored belts displayed in public. She only knew this because of her betrothed, Wafu, had explained this to her as they had prepared for independence from Emesia to create their own province. The intrigue was followed by confusion, as this made no sense, why would a Most Favored be in Hou? Perhaps it was a fake. She dashed that notion. No one in their right mind would pretend to be a Favored One, much less a Most Favored. The penalties for such impersonation were severe. Death, she thought.
The logical part of her mind began turning, and she figured she could deduce who he was. One Most Favored she had seen before, thus he couldn't be the Most Favored from Emesia - Chang. The Most Favored of Furawa was getting on in years, so it couldn't be him. Safun used to be a woman, but no news ever came out of there. He definitely wasn't the Emper
or. That left Hikimi, Shisaru, or Ashimo. Iristi searched her memory, trying to figure out if Feln was one of them. Hikimi - the man was said to be fat as a pig, and she doubted he had lost weight. That left Shisaru and Ashimo. She didn't know either of them, their ages, or their descriptions. It didn't make sense; why would a Most Favored risk capture in another province?
Still, his presence here didn't make sense to her. If he fell into enemy hands, the ransom would be unfathomable. He could be forced to give up armies, land, or rights. There was one thing she hadn't considered, that it wasn't a Most Favored belt. It could be the special belt reserved for the Warlord of Pyndira. The warmth left her body. If he was the Warlord of Pyndira, she could be in for a long trip. The Warlord of Pyndira, Dett-al-Nutahi-Shiyuki, was the Emperor's son and had a reputation for cruelty. He had become a Warlord at a younger age compared to previous Warlords, surviving the trials of combat that came with the ritual. He had been directing the Emperor's armies for a decade now, using might to keep some semblance of order. He was touted as the most incredible fighter ever to have laid hands upon a katana. His skill in battle, it was said, was exceeded only by his treachery.
This Feln, cleverly disguised as a monk, could be the Warlord of Pyndira traveling in Emesia on a secret mission for his father. It was no wonder he dispatched the horse demon so quickly, and why he acted so friendly towards her. It was no accident he had been in Tero, knowing fully from his network of spies that she would be going to Hiru. Perhaps the Emperor had sent him to recover the great prize she was taking to Hiru. It also explained the presence of the dragon, a beast controlled by the Emperor sent to fetch the Warlord once he had taken the prize. Iristi wasn't sure what she should do, now that she was stuck here in the terrible weather, alone, with the most powerful man in Pyndira.
When she got over the initial shock, she regarded her thoughts as nonsense. There was no way Feln could be the Warlord of Pyndira, in Emesia alone without protection, without reasonable cause, without personal guards and Furies to protect him. Besides, they couldn't know of her plans to travel to Hiru, this was all a coincidence. Feln was lost, or that's what she thought. Maybe he was a monk with a Favored One belt that resembled a Most Favored belt, maybe he was out of his element and simply trying to get back home. Still, the belt looked to be one reserved for a Most Favored. It was time to find out who this man really was.
#
Feln made a fire and sat by it, using his chi to absorb the heat. His body felt warm all over and he was beginning to dry out. His robe was draped as near the flames as practical - he didn't want it to catch fire. Sweet pine smelling smoke drifted out of the shelter, disappearing into the darkened skies. All at once the rain subsided, leaving them in the silence of the forest. He didn't know if he should be worried about the area they had camped in, but based on Iristi's calm he guessed this area was safe. Iristi was quiet now, more reserved than she had been before. He could sense her watching everything he did, as if she were measuring him. Was that good or bad? He didn't know. With the wood he had collected, he fed the fire occasionally, keeping the flames at a controllable height. It didn't take long for them to become drier and more comfortable.
They ate food Iristi had brought, rice cakes and fruit, which Feln hardly found satisfying. While Iristi walked outside to stretch her muscles, Feln ate one of the honey fish cakes Oka had sold him. It was denser and filling. He felt better as he tossed the casing wax into the fire.
"It's going to be colder tonight," Iristi said from outside the shelter. "At least the rain has stopped. For now."
Feln stood and emerged from the makeshift shelter, thinking it impolite to speak with Iristi without seeing her. He knew from his reading about Pyndira, and his own teachings at Waskhal, that politeness and honor were important no matter where you were. "I'll gather more wood," he said. "It'll keep the fire going far into the night and we won't have to worry about the cold too much."
Iristi removed her hat and flung her hair in all directions. She gathered it up, twirling the long black strands and tying them with a ribbon. Two shorter strands fell down, framing her face. The light from the twin red moons caught her, illuminating her smoky features. Feln raised an eyebrow, the transformation was stunning. It was as if she could change her looks from mundane to goddess-like whenever she wanted.
"That's kind of you," Iristi said. "When you return, perhaps we can make an arrangement. I think I need your help."
"I'll be right back." Feln dipped underneath the shelter, grabbed a loose brand, and shoved it in the fire. It was ablaze after a few moments. Iristi dipped underneath the shelter as well, the fire casting flickering lights across her face. She handed him a small axe and returned to the warmth of the fire.
Using the brand as a torch didn't last long, but it did help him find a stand of trees that had been flattened, by wind or beast he didn't know which, and he found branches buried beneath layers of wood that would be dry enough to burn. With the small axe, he hacked apart enough tinder and small logs to last the night. Feln cradled the wood in his arms and estimated he would need to make several trips to get all of it. He returned to the wagon and dumped the wood underneath, then brushed off the debris from his fighting clothes. He saw his robe there, stiff and dry now, grabbed it, and put it on. It felt heavy as it wasn't completely dry.
"I have a two more trips to make," Feln said. "Everything all right?"
"I'm fine. Why don't you let me help? No sense in you doing all of the work." Iristi rose gracefully and walked with Feln into the forest. "I can barely see," she said. "What happened to the little torch you had?"
Feln didn't respond that he could see well. He knew it was the belt, possibly the moonlight, maybe his own chi, or a combination of those that assisted him. He wasn't sure. "It's not far. Stay close and you won't become lost."
Iristi drifted closer to him, and he felt her delicate hand grip his elbow. She came closer, slid her arm around his arm, and locked with his elbow.
They found the wood and began piling it in their arms. Feln stacked the wood quickly, balancing the load in his left and stacking with his right. Iristi was doing the same. Their eyes locked. Iristi stacked faster, determined to get the last of the wood. Once she had her arms full, she took off at a run. As she departed, Feln heard her wonderful laugh.
"Last one to the camp is a stink bug!"
Feln couldn't help it, he had to smile. He went after her, arms full of wood. The woman ran as quickly as she could through the uneven forest floor and wasn't hampered by the burden of the wood too much, but Feln was swifter and stronger. At the last moment, he pulled up and let Iristi reach camp first. She came to a halt, her hair undone by the running. She sighed and dropped the wood underneath the shelter, then twirled her hair back into its original position, securing it with the ribbon.
"I thought you couldn't see," Feln said, depositing the wood underneath the wagon. He took Iristi's woodpile and moved it to a better spot.
"A little deception," she said, smiling.
Feln put a brand on the fire, stoking it. He mixed the embers and arranged the wood for optimum burning in a crisscross fashion. It was now putting out heat, and it spread forth. Feln sat on his heels. Iristi did the same, staring at him from across the fire with those dark eyes.
"You wanted to talk about an arrangement?" Feln asked.
"Yes, but perhaps first I should tell you some of my story."
"Of course," Feln said. "Please, I would like to hear it."
#
The cooler night air came at once, chilling them and forcing Feln to put more wood on the fire. Iristi was curled up on the ground, comfortably nestled inside a blanket. The wind blew stronger. The wagon creaked and the nearby trees popped as trunks and boughs moved. The makeshift shelter held together though. Feln reached out his hands, drawing in the warmth and spreading it to his body with his chi.
Iristi told him that she was to be married against her will to Hiru. She was the great treasure, the prize, she was taking
to Hiru. With her marriage to Hiru, their city would become politically bound. Hou would become an extension of the capital city. The alliance would save the city from the sorry state it was in, preventing further loss of trade and lives, and it would solidify the political turmoil that had torn Emesia apart in recent times. All governmental power would shift from their council to Hiru's rule (she called him Xian-er-Ku-Hiru), uniting the north and south portions of the province. Iristi didn't see the shift of power to be a bad thing, as they needed to be united against Furawa and Hikimi anyway.
Intertwined with this was the horrific death of her betrothed. She was engaged to him, a new leader of Hou, a great businessman who had brought ideas and prosperity to Hou. He was a warrior, one of the important samurai, and had many willing followers. Hou built a strong economy and massive military force, and it collected a talented array of leaders. Their plan, albeit simple, was to build a large enough following so that Hiru couldn't afford to invade Hou as there would be too much bloodshed. To avoid a civil war, Hiru would have to recognize Hou as a separate province, effectively splitting Emesia in two. Once they established a new province, they were going to create a new ruling family. Her and her betrothed were to be the heads of this family, then they would seek the official approval of the Emperor.
This never happened. They found her betrothed in a field, dead.
Assassins came to his home, fought through numerous guards, captured him, stripped him naked, cut off every appendage to let him bleed, and decapitated him as the final insult. Iristi was visiting her uncle at the time, so she considered herself lucky to not have fallen under the sword. Her betrothed suffered a terrible, ritualistic death that sent a clear message; division of Emesia wouldn't be tolerated. Though there was no way to prove Hiru was behind the terrible deed, no other explanation sufficed.
After her betrothed's death, all support for Hou vanished. The followers no longer wanted to dedicate their armies to their cause, so they went elsewhere. Without them, Hou didn't have the backing they needed to continue with the plans to secede from Emesia. Departing with the great warriors went the increased trade they enjoyed, and slowly the economy faltered as the lands around Hou became unprotected. When the trade slowed, people in and around Hou began disappearing, and it was her guess many simply moved back to where they had come from. Bandits arrived in great numbers to the wilderness to the north of Hou, substantiating the rumors that Hiru had emptied the northern prisons of rabble and set them loose in the south as a punishment. Farms in those areas were defenseless against these roving bands of criminals. The militia from Hou tried to keep order, but they didn't have enough men to do the job that needed to be done, either in the outlying areas or in Hou. They made sacrifices, so the militia spread out to defend the smaller villages and the roads. They had to keep trade going, despite what was going to happen by leaving Hou thinly protected. Crime increased, but trade, at least, flowed freely.