Engaging Evil (Warriors of Vhast Book 2)

by Cary J Lenehan

  She addressed those left in the village, “The rest of us will not make contact with them. We want their horses and equipment, but we don’t need the bandits. We will let them through the gate and then kill them. I will take a position on the hill beside the gate where I will not be seen. The horse archers will hide on the other side of the gate until I signal the attack with an arrow, and then come out.

  “Basil,” she said, “Take anyone left who can hold a weapon, close the gate, and hold it until we return. You have Bianca, the priest and any of these here to help you.”

  Basil nodded.

  Addressing the crowd Rani finally said, “The rest of you. If you can use weapons, get some and join in. Draw only from that pile,” she pointed. “Those are the weapons without magic. Until we know more about the magic arms it may be dangerous to handle them. If you are used to armour and have time, and I think you will, you should change. Any questions?” There was no reply. “Well…move.”

  The village is starting to look like a kicked ants nest as people begin to run in every direction. Soon Thord is headed out of the gate again on his sheep, followed closely by Hulagu and the two Khitan girls, along with Theodora and Ayesha, all mounted. Rani started to head out and discovered that she had been joined on foot by all of the men from the village, with bows and hastily grabbed spears and swords. They were weighing their new weapons and testing draws and feeling the balance as weapons were swung.

  “Thou goest not out on foot on thine own,” said one…which one? He had been with Ayesha…Robin…that is right. He has a soft but very odd accent I have never heard before and he uses the Hindi words in a way that they are not usually used. “We all doth be a knowin’ which end of an arrow points at the enemy and we all be a having family to avenge.”

  Rani nodded in acknowledgement. Good amendment, although later we need to talk about chains of command and how such a suggestion would have been a better one if it had been made a few minutes before. They obviously do not know what I am. It is touching in a way, but it seems that they think they will protect me.

  ~~~

  She reached the gate with Stefan and Bryony close behind her and let them out before going back and looking up at the steep ridge beside it. It grew steeper as it went closer to the little river and eventually became the cliff face against the road. No-one would be charging up there in a hurry. It has been neglected and is covered in bushes, large and small, and even the occasional small tree. Looking further afield, there are some woods on our side of the gate, a little way up the valley, mainly on the left hand side, but also extending on to this side of the little river. The riders can hide there and they look like they are doing that. They will take a while to come into action but by then the bandits’ attention should all be fixed on me and my men. They will be taken unawares from the rear. It will work. She moved back away from the gate to where she could get up the slope safely, and directed the men to find cover to fire from. They quickly scattered across the hillside. They then settled down happily to wait.

  At least they will obey a straight out order.

  ~~~

  Stefan

  Bryony had taken the lead and went up the hill track first. Astrid appeared at the top and looked about to draw her bow on the girl until she saw Stefan behind her. “You have decided to join in. Good. Where is Basil?”

  “He be back in t’valley in charge of t’wall. He can still do but little ’n’ could do even less out here. With luck, he will only have to cope with village full of women. T’is be Bryony. She be hunter as well.” Stefan went back to concentrating on getting up the path safely. I must focus on why we are here and ignore the sight there ahead of me at eye level. It is way more than distracting. The trousers may not be hers, and may not fit well, but they fitted her more than well enough. She has a very nice butt.

  When they got up Stefan said, “Let me a take over from you. T’ey be not expectin’ to see woman up here. T’ey will just think t’at I be new recruit, put out on borin’ job.” He explained the plan. “T’is be Astrid t’ Cat,” he said to Bryony, and had to smile when he saw Bryony’s reaction to Astrid’s teeth. He had forgotten his own. He took position and allowed Bryony and Astrid to sit out of sight and get acquainted. As he went Astrid dismissively told him, “It looks like we are just in time. There are six of them, all southerners, so they probably will have to dismount to use a bow. They will be here in less than half an hour and they will clearly see whoever is standing up well before that.”

  He took the watch spot. Behind him he could hear a stumbling conversation. My God, it may be part Hindi, part Dwarven, but they both have awful accents. His attention soon was on the advancing riders. Was that my name? Why did they both drop their voices? One of the riders spotted him and waved. He waved back. “T’ey be a comin’ up to t’ path,” he muttered in a low voice. “Be ready.”

  The riders came up the path. They didn’t expect him to come down as they blindly went straight past with another wave. I hope that none of the riders look back.

  Stefan sprang towards the track down to the river path. “Come on,” he urged the girls. “We need to be a gettin’ in place quickly.” The last rider had disappeared by the time they got to the bottom and formed a line. There is not room for all three of us. Astrid does not like being second row. “You be taller t’an me an’ canna reach past me,” said Stefan. “Neither of us could a reach out an’ attack past you.” Keeping together they began to advance. Before they had even taken a few steps they heard an explosion.

  “That sounds like one of Rani’s arrows,” said Astrid. “They are very strong,” she added admiringly. “That will probably mean that one of the riders is down.”

  ~~~

  Rani

  Rani sat on the hillside behind a rock. Everything is in place, now we just have to wait. I cannot see the gate from here, but if I cannot see it, then the riders will not see me either. They should assume that all is well and be totally off their guard. It is warm sitting on a rock in the sun… The jewelled spider she had been staring at gave the little glows and a little buzz that meant that the path was being used. It suddenly gave a chirp and she pressed its centre. My mind was drifting. Concentrate…we are on. She stood and gestured to where the men were and saw them take their places. She nocked an arrow, but did not draw it yet.

  The first rider came into view. He is definitely Hindi, although in different colour; he is dressed just the same as Sanjeev’s cavalry had been, but not looking quite as neat… The second and third are wearing something like Haven-style dress, but are not from there…they are probably from the independent villages along the coast. The fourth is from Freehold, by his armour, although he is riding with his helmet off; the fifth is from the Swamp, wearing the green stained leathers that are popular there, and the last is another Hindi cavalryman. The two Hindi have their chain veils held up by the nasal of their helms…I will shoot the one from the Swamp…at least there will be one less of them soon. The men are riding oblivious to us, the Freeholder is pointing around the valley, obviously showing the men their new home. They are paying no attention to the surroundings and are quite ignorant to danger. It is the perfect ambush. She drew. My men are more alert than I thought. They have been watching her and did the same. None stepped out, none loosed. At least they have some discipline as well. She waited behind her bush. I have an explosive head on this arrow…below me and about fifty paces away…let fly…again…my men are firing as well…seconds for them. My first arrow hit…spectacularly. By the Gods, I forget things. I need to get the others back from Astrid…only one more left. Those I brought from Haven are still on my horse. At least this one is not wasted. She had hit the man in the head and it is now gone.

  The riders reacted. Four were clutching at arrows. The last is the Freeholder and he is just looking around, his mouth open. Rani obliged him by putting an arrow into it. I was not the only one. One of the others has seen the same shot and taken it. Two down. The Hindi cavalrymen, predictably,
had reacted best. Despite each having two arrows in them they are spurring their horses away from the ambush to get to where they can see what is happening. Unfortunately for them, the first thing they can see is a sheep and four horses charging towards them with archers firing at them. Now they have turned and are coming back—behind them the rain of arrows is still coming down. Now the other two riders are down.

  The men are looking at the gate. What they see there seemingly convinces them to try going the other way. Astrid must be in place. They tried to escape towards the village but discovered that now they were being shot at from both the hill and the riders. Splitting, they found that they each had two horses following them. On the flat ground it was obvious that Thord’s animal was almost useless and he quickly drew Hillstrider up and began to head back towards the gate in case they made a break for there. They did try, but did not make it. Two of the Khitan, the women, quickly began to gather the horses. Seeing the result, Rani gestured her men down the hill. The gate beeped again. I hope that it is Stefan and Astrid and…the other girl. She opened it.

  Soon they were all joined on the field, the bodies laid across their own nervous horses. They gleaned the field for shafts that had missed and, after Rani had checked with Astrid to see if there was anything else in sight, with the day getting late, she brought everyone back to the village.

  There is a lot of cheering from the women on the wall. The bandits had not stood a chance. It is obvious that my trap worked well…even if they had any, not the slightest bit of magic was used by their opponents and all of the bandits were down in a couple of minutes.

  It seems the women liked watching that.

  Chapter XI

  Rani

  We need to strip the bodies outside the wall and leave them to be buried. We can bring their gear in and add it to one pile or another. Luckily people are already getting used to me giving instructions. Dharmal is still alive—just—so he stays in place for the nonce. It is plain to the women that the new entertainment is already over and they are drifting back to Dharmal or to prepare a meal and do other work. I don’t have to worry about the horses, the Khitan are already looking after that. I cannot believe that, even with those that were here for some time, and those who have arrived over recent days and weeks, there are still many empty houses. It is obvious, from the amount of empty space around, that this had once been quite a large and prosperous settlement. Rani began making notes on a wax tablet for watches. Ayesha is again about to lead the Caliphate women in prayer. This time she is even bolder. With women working all over the village, she has climbed up to the gate and called for them to come out just as loud as the callers-to-prayer do. Already startled heads are beginning to appear.

  “I have heard many at home make such a call,” said Theodora to Rani quietly, “but never yet a woman. I wonder what her teachers will say to her if they find out. Now I must go back to the roof. We are nearly done there, but I haven’t charged it yet. I want to know what we are doing next. So, when we work that out, let me know.”

  Rani watched the women at prayer and then, when it was over, approached Ayesha. “You have never told us your full name and where you are from—your real one that is, not the one you were going to tell us.”

  “I am really called Ayesha…Ayesha bint Hãritha al Yãqũsa. I am from a little town on the Khãbũr Rũdh. That is all there is to tell really.”

  Rani nodded and moved away. Even to me the names of the town and the father are significant in conjunction with each other.

  ~~~

  Astrid

  Astrid strode straight through the village gate and up to Basil. Why am I nervous about what he will say? Before he could say anything she leant over and kissed him and, as she moved away she put her finger to his lips. “I am getting married within a few days.” He looked surprised. “You have until tomorrow to decide if I am going to marry you or if I have to find someone else.” She took her finger away.

  “You want me to marry you?” he asked. She nodded. “Even without knowing what my secret is or anything else about me?” She nodded again. “Then you can have the answer now. I will be your husband as soon as the Father is free to arrange it.”

  He rose and Astrid gathered him in her arms and kissed him…long and hard.

  ~~~

  Bianca

  Hulagu and Bianca entered the stables almost at the same time. Bianca was looking at the other two women who were following silently behind. Who are they?

  Hulagu sighed. “Bianca,” he said. “These are Anahita of the Axe-beaks and Kãhina of the Pack Hunters. You remember Malik. He is her cousin.” He paused. He looks unsure what to say next. “They are now my slaves; we call them köle.”

  Well, that is…interesting. People think that I am one of them but, I really don’t know much about the customs of the Khitan. Why are they slaves?

  “It is our custom…oh, I don’t really know how to explain it, but because of what has been done to them and the way they were rescued, if they do not become my köle then they can never go back to the tents. If I make them köle and then go and find them acceptable husbands, who come from a tribe that they can marry into, then eventually they will be able to re-join their families with honour. I cannot marry them.” He stopped.

  “So, you have adopted them? They are not your women?”

  “No, they are my slaves and I may, or may not, sleep with them, but that is beside the point. I may not marry them, but this way they can possibly get their lives back.”

  Bianca turned to the Khitan girls. “You are happy with this?”

  “He didn’t want to do it,” replied Kãhina, “but we demanded that he do his duty. What I want to know is why he feels that he must explain this to you…a town dweller? What are you to him?”

  Bianca held her tongue. That is a very good question from a slave woman. We have never talked about what we are to each other. I don’t want to marry him and I don’t want to bed him. What he does is his own business. I guess I am just shocked at the way all three of the Khitan take the situation, but they are supposed to be odd. I have a feeling that I will soon be jumping around fires again.

  Hulagu saved her the trouble as he spoke up. “This is Bianca of the Horse. She is from among the Latins but she travels under my guarantee and that of my clan. I speak for her deeds and she may be spoken to.” It is now the turn of the other two to look shocked. I think he has just introduced me as if I was one of them, not as a city dweller at all.

  “The Horse?” asked Kãhina.

  Hulagu nodded. “Bianca, stand next to Sirocco or Firestar.”

  She did, patting Firestar’s nose. What is he up to now?

  “Now, Kãhina, you stand next to the other horse.” She moved a little but halted. She stopped when she was shown teeth. She just realised what he is.

  “You may have noticed that while she rode one horse the other two just followed. Several of these horses are hers and they are getting as bad as these three. Horses love her and these battle horses, which were not raised as hers, and even Theodora’s battle horse, allow her to treat them as if they were little puppies. She may be a Latin, but at heart she is Khitan. She saved my life and one day you can ask her to tell you how she found out about this place and why she was chosen to question Dharmal. You will be impressed. She denies it, and she does not look it, but I think she is a Khitan foundling left in Freehold somehow. Your cousin accepted her and he likes her. You must do the same. I want you to treat her as if she were your sister. I do.”

  The other two girls came over and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek,

  I knew it…there is no doubt about it…fires will be lit and there will be jumping around them. These two will want to be cleansed and they will insist that I join in. At least I now know how I stand with him…as his sister…damn Hulagu. I hope this fire business will not put my soul further into peril. I’ll ask the Father when I talk to him tonight. If it will, I have to stop it. Anyway, why doesn’t anyone say something about
Ayesha and her horse? It follows Ayesha around just as much as mine do for me. Is it because hers is not a war-horse or just that I have more horses? Why does my new brother think of me as Khitan? I look nothing like them. I have blonde hair and blue eyes and only dress like one by accident.

  Well, to be really honest, it is nice to belong and perhaps I am sometimes acting like one as well…sometimes…just a little bit at least.

  ~~~

  Rani

  At least the freed women kept their promise. They kept it to the letter. Dharmal was finally despatched just as the last rays of the sun disappeared. Although I had thought that he had completely lost his reason when Verily unmanned him, and then stuffed his organs into his mouth and forced him to swallow them, he was still aware enough that he almost welcomed the knife that gave him peace in this world as he bled out through opened veins. The blood flowed down a drain nearby. It being too late for anything else he has been left hanging in the frame until the morning. The women thought that, seeing he had ordered it for so many others, it was only just that he should have the final honour of hanging there overnight as a lesson. I hate it, but it seems to mean a lot to them.

  Next to secure things…

  Rani had the magic items all locked up in the inner room of the guard house until they could be looked at. She had the rest of the weapons and armour, those that no-one had already laid a claim to, locked in the outer room and ordered everyone to make ready for the night.

  ~~~

  Looking at everyone, this night, perhaps for the first time in many, many, years, there is genuine rejoicing in this hall next to the main house. All of the women are here, not just the chosen playthings of the night and the servers. Some of the girls have even brought out musical instruments and begun to play. The cooks and servers will get to join in when they have finished and before they have to clean up.