My mind reassured on that point, all of a sudden I remembered Lady Luned’s other claim: Rhys needed me. Me? Arisha, Wood mage, Sikhandi noble and his helpless prisoner? It was utterly preposterous, surely I stood for everything he fought against! Hardened warrior and peaceful mage, we were as different as day and night, scorching sun and dispassionate moon, fire and water. I frowned as none of the comparisons satisfied me. We were just completely incompatible, I decided in the end.
The next lord knelt down and for some reason Rhys’s hands caught my attention – strong and sinewy, used to wielding sword and bow. Yet they could also be surprisingly gentle. Involuntarily I remembered how his fingers had briefly touched mine while playing Tafl. For a while there, we had been like perfectly matched dancers, moving as if possessed of a single will. A heady feeling…I frowned. Surely that had been a fluke! With some relief I reminded myself how we always seemed to end up quarrelling whenever we talked.
Finally it was Pellyn’s turn. Looking none too happy, he took his place in front of Rhys. My mind sharpened on the present. So he hadn’t been able to stand back, just as Rhys had predicted. I wondered how many of the people looking on realised what they saw the beginning of? Lady Luned certainly had a rapt expression on her face as she watched her grandson receive the man’s homage.
“I, Pellyn, son of Peredur, son of Penahr,” he said, “swear to take Lord Rhys, the Eagle of Aneirion, as my overlord, to command me at all times. My sword is his until death claims me. And if I fail this oath, may the seas rise up and drown me, may the sky tumble and bury me and may the earth open up and swallow me.”
In response Rhys spoke the threefold oath in his own turn, promising to respect Pellyn’s honour and to come to his aid in times of need. At the end he pulled the man to his feet, and they stepped to the edge of the platform together to receive the crowd’s cheers. It was deftly done, yet surely Pellyn had to notice how the cries were all for the Eagle.
Oh yes, a lord worth following! Maybe one day, the people now crying out Rhys’s name would tell their children and grandchildren of having been present on this occasion, marking the beginning of something not seen in this country before.
“Feast with me tonight!” he called out, to be greeted with loud yells of approval.
His friends crowded round him, Taren grinning broadly and Cerwen standing beside him, her face alight with pride in her cousin. Even Owena was there, smiling shyly as she clasped Kestrel’s arm. Their blond hair glinted in the sun, and their finery shone in many hues. I couldn’t help feeling like an outsider, a quiet island amongst the cheers reverberating back from the castle’s unfinished walls. For a moment I longed to be part of that bright circle, but common sense reasserted itself. Like a bird of passage, I was only stopping here for a short while before moving on. Our lives might touch briefly, but soon that would all be nothing but a memory. For some reason the thought gave me a funny pang.
Rhys came over and knelt in front of Lady Luned’s chair. She reached out a shaky hand and stroked his hair. “Your father would have been so proud of you.”
Rhys quickly lowered his head, but I saw the flash of grief on his face. “Thank you, Grandmother.” He raised his eyes to me. “Prince Bahram’s envoy has arrived,” he said. “I will receive him now.”
My throat went dry. I nodded.
He hesitated. “You must understand, Arisha, I can promise nothing.”
“I know.” It struck me how we were like two Shah chariots of opposing colours, each set to move on their own colour squares, destined never to meet. Neither of us had any choice.
Rhys interrupted my thoughts by rising and signalling the herald to blow his horn again. He moved back to the edge of the platform and raised his arms. Slowly quiet ensued. “Bring forward the messenger,” he called.
Three riders threaded their way through the crowd, causing whispers of surprise to rise in their wake. In front of the platform a small space had been cleared where the men dismounted. The two guards, Angor one of them, took the horses’ reins and stepped back, leaving Navid to face Rhys. He was dressed all in traditional white, holding the baton of truce in one hand, and though he must have heard the hostile hisses from the crowd, he stood erect and proud, looking up at Rhys. A brave man!
I took a step forward to reassure him, and his eyes flickered my way and widened, though he gave no other sign of recognition. Rhys lifted his hand and the crowd fell silent, a brooding quiet that vibrated with hidden anger.
“You wished to speak to me?” he said.
Navid bowed his head. “Yes, Lord Rhys. My name is Navid tal Emad, Master of Archers of the Victorious Fifth. The thrice renowned Prince Bahram, brother to glorious Emperor Firooz – may he reign ten thousand years – sends me.”
“And what does the thrice renowned Prince Bahram, brother to glorious Emperor Firooz – may he reign ten thousand years – want?” Rhys’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but the barks of laughter this called forth seemed to ease the mood of the crowd. Instead of being poised on the edge of violence, they settled in for a bit of entertainment.
“It has come to my master’s ears that you hold one of his subjects captive,” Navid answered.
I took another step forward, but without looking at me Rhys lifted his hand to stay me. “So I do,” he assented.
“My master has authorised me to negotiate her release,” Navid said.
“And what does the thrice renowned Prince Bahram offer in return for his subject’s freedom?”
Rhys’s voice held no note of compromise. I began to feel annoyed at the two men discussing my fate as if I weren’t present.
Navid held out a scroll bound with a cord of imperial black and gold. “This sets out the terms, my lord.”
Wynn ran to collect the scroll, and Rhys read through it slowly. His face darkened. What had Prince Bahram written? Rhys crumpled the paper. “Five talents of gold in ransom for Lady Arisha? Your master is generous.”
“What?” My question got swallowed by exclamations of surprise from our audience. Five talents was a lot of money, enough to buy a couple of elephants!
“Do you accept?” Navid asked.
Rhys regarded him for a long moment, and I saw his jaw clench with anger. “No.”
No? Not sure whether I felt pleased because he would not sell me like a piece of merchandise or irritated at not being consulted, I held my peace for the time being.
Navid wiped sweat from his brow. “Please, Lord Rhys, let her go. I offer you ten gold talents.”
My mouth dropped open. What had got into Prince Bahram to propose such a huge ransom for me? The crowd began to comment on the offer in loud voices, and to my annoyance some of them seemed to think that Rhys should accept it.
However, he cut off all discussion with a curt motion of his hand. “Enough! If I wanted heaps of gold from Prince Bahram, I could simply turn myself in.” Laughter greeted that jibe. “Return to your master,” he told Navid, “and tell him the Eagle of Aneirion does not haggle over money like a trader. As for yourself, you’re a brave man to come here alone and unarmed. My men will make sure that you reach your camp unharmed.”
“No, wait!” I called and hurried to catch Rhys’s arm. “You can’t just send Navid back like that. I want to talk to him!”
Shaking off my grip, he regarded me through narrowed eyes. “I can do anything I want!” I realised he was still furious, though he held his temper under tight control.
Impulsively I said the first thing that came to my mind. “Rhys, why are you so mad?”
He bunched the crumpled paper in his fist. “That’s none of your business!”
Had Prince Bahram insulted him in his letter? Surely that was a foolish thing to do if he wanted to negotiate my release. “May I see the prince’s scroll?” I asked. “Perhaps there is some misunderstanding?”
“No,” he snapped. When I regarded him in surprise at his sharp tone, he bit his lip. “Arisha…”
Navid fell to one knee. “Please, my lord
, she’s an innocent woman, she has no part in our wars.”
The poor man was worried about me! “Rhys, let me talk to him,” I pleaded.
Rhys hesitated, visibly striving to get his temper under control.
I touched him on the arm. “I promise not to give any of your plans away.”
He sighed. “Arisha, you don’t know my plans.”
Oh! I felt rather disconcerted, but rallied quickly. “Well, that’s all the better, isn’t it? In that case I can’t give anything away…please?”
He seemed to struggle with himself. “All right, but only briefly.”
“Thank you!” I exclaimed.
“And I’ll be present all the time,” he added.
It seemed fair enough. “Of course.” Yet I hesitated, for I didn’t want to conduct a private conversation with everybody listening. “But where?”
Rhys jerked his head. “We can use Dillan’s hut.”
NINETEEN
Rhys sent Navid and the guards on ahead, but held me back a moment. “Arisha, just remember you’re my captive,” he said in a low voice.
“What do you mean?” I asked with a frown.
“You value this Navid’s opinion, don’t you?” he asked back.
I nodded. “He’s a good man.”
“It might look odd to be too friendly with the enemy.”
Abruptly I realised what he was trying to tell me. “What!”
“Traitor is an ugly word,” he added.
“I’m no such thing!”
He took me by the elbow and led me down the stairs from the platform. “I know that. But you don’t exactly act like a poor, downtrodden prisoner, do you? Your Navid might think you’ve changed sides and fallen victim to my…charms.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
A corner of his mouth quirked, the first sign of amusement I’d seen all day. Rhys laughed. “Are you telling me I need to try harder?”
“Don’t be silly,” I shot back, but suddenly remembered Lady Luned’s words and to my mortification felt a blush spread across my cheeks. He watched with interest, only making my face burn hotter. The man was impossible!
Luckily we reached Dillan’s hut that moment, and I quickly ducked inside. The guards stood on either side of Navid, holding him by the arms as if they expected him to jump us. However, Rhys waved them back. “Oh, let go of the man.” His mood seemed to have improved for some reason.
Released, Navid enveloped me in a hug. “Arisha, how are you?” he asked. “Yasaman has been frantic with worry for you!” He smelled of cloves, and for a moment the typical Sikhandi scent flooded me with a wave of homesickness. I squeezed him back, glad to see his familiar face. Even the extravagantly styled moustache that Yasaman and I liked to make fun of was precious to me.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
He looked at me searchingly. “How have you been treated? They haven’t…”
“Lord Rhys has granted me guest rights,” I interrupted firmly. “No harm has come to me.”
Navid released a breath of relief. “You have no idea how worried we were when we got word of your capture! What about the elephant, I suppose they…” Again he hesitated, for he knew how much I loved Hami.
“He’s below in the village, probably stuffing himself with delicacies,” I answered his unspoken question. In fact captivity agreed with Hami, especially since the boys who helped me look after him had discovered his sweet tooth and spoilt him rotten.
Navid threw a glance at Rhys. “So they spared him?”
In answer Rhys simply raised an eyebrow, as if to say that surely Navid did not expect him to give away such an advantage. However, now I wanted a question answered myself and plucked Navid’s sleeve to gain his attention. “Navid, whatever possessed Prince Bahram to offer such a sum of money for me? Has he taken leave of his senses?”
That called forth a snort of amusement from Rhys, but Navid hesitated. “It’s not Prince Bahram actually,” he answered, “but your grandfather.”
“What?”
“The prince felt he ought to inform him of your disappearance. Abbot Kambiz sent a message back demanding we do everything possible to free you.”
“But he doesn’t even know me,” I pointed out, amazed by this turn of events.
“Apparently, as your closest kin, he feels responsible for you.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “But ten talents of gold, that’s madness.”
Rhys chuckled. “As much as is on my own head, surely you don’t value yourself any cheaper?”
I ignored his levity. “So the ransom was my grandfather’s idea?”
Navid nodded. “Abbot Kambiz insisted, and as evidently he’s well connected at court, Prince Bahram agreed to send an envoy.” He stumbled to a halt. “That is, of course Prince Bahram also cares for your welfare.”
Poor Navid, not exactly the born diplomat! But I knew perfectly well that Hami’s loss had probably hurt the prince far more than mine. And Navid had been chosen as messenger because he came from a humble family and thus was expendable. How Yasaman had to worry! I felt sudden anger at the prince using my friend like a pawn in a game of Shah.
Navid slipped an arm round my shoulders and turned to face Rhys. “Lord, I beg you to release Lady Arisha. Her family misses her.”
The appeal seemed to impress Rhys no more than the earlier offer of ransom. He merely folded his arms on his chest. “Do they?”
“Her betrothed misses her!” Navid added. “Surely you do not want to keep a woman from her rightful place?”
Had Navid hit me over the head, I couldn’t have been more stunned. “What!”
Navid threw me a look of warning. “Arisha, Lord Sattar has offered you his hand. Prince Bahram accepted on your and your grandfather’s behalf. It’s for your own good.”
Shaking my head in complete disbelief, I caught a brief glimpse of Rhys’s face. Though he had gone white, he did not seem surprised. But then a hot wave of fury welled up within me and made me forget everything else. “How dare he!”
“Arisha, be reasonable,” Navid begged. “After what has happened–”
“Nothing has happened!” I shook off his arm. “He has no right!”
“He’s our prince…”
“I don’t care! I will freeze in the Ninth Hell before I marry that slimy, conceited toad!”
Navid opened and closed his mouth. “But Lord Sattar said…”
“Why do you think I ran away with Hami?” I snapped.
“Lord Sattar mentioned something about letting his ardour get the better of him.” Navid licked his lips nervously. “In fact he apologised to the prince.”
“To the prince? He should apologise to me! Just wait till I get my hands on that lecher. Next time Hami tries to drown him I will hold him under myself.” I jabbed a finger at Navid’s chest. “And you can return to Prince Bahram and tell him that I’m not a slave to be bought and sold and that he can forget about his ten talents of gold.” Surely I had steam coming out my ears by now.
There was a snort from Rhys. “Arisha, he offered the money to me, not to you.”
I whirled round on him. “I’m warning you! If you dare hand me over to that…” Words failed me for a moment, but I had visions of Hami tearing down the gate to the village and trampling everything in sight. No, I would tear it down myself!
Rhys grinned, as if secretly pleased with something. “I value my well-being too much to risk offending you, Arisha.” He nodded at Navid. “You’ve heard the lady. Tell her grandfather that we value courage. She will come to no harm here.”
Navid’s eyes popped, and he looked uncertainly from one to the other. “But…”
My outrage had abated somewhat, but I wanted to hear no more arguments from him. “Enough. It’s settled. Angor?”
Angor, who had followed the discussion with an expression of bemusement, jumped. “My lady?”
“You’ll make sure Lord Navid gets back safely, won’t you?”
“Yes, my la
dy!”
“Good.” At Navid’s stricken expression, I relented and took his hands. “My friend, I know you mean well, but there is no way I will marry that toad. Just tell Yasaman not to worry about me.” I was hit by a sudden concern. “She’s still in the camp?”
Navid nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Which meant right in harm’s way! I pressed his hands. “Navid, please send her back over the mountains. The Aneiry wouldn’t attack a convoy of women.” I appealed to Rhys. “Would you?”
He hesitated. “Not if they travelled under a flag of truce.”
I turned back to Navid. “Please send her away, it’s just not safe.”
“I know that!” he answered, and it came out in a wail. He looked at Rhys. “Would you really let them leave?”
“Yes.” Rhys nodded at the white baton Navid had thrust through his belt. “If they carry that, I will grant them free passage. But only the women. Abuse my trust, and I will show no mercy.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with a gesture, his face hard. “No, Arisha. None.”
Navid bowed his head. “We won’t abuse your trust. Thank you, Lord Eagle.”
Rhys motioned to Angor. “My man will arrange matters with his captain, but the women need to depart at once. Do you understand?”
Some kind of message seemed to pass between the two men. “I understand,” Navid answered. He obviously still wasn’t happy about leaving me behind, but resigned to the fact. After a last embrace he said his good-byes. “Take care, Arisha. But perhaps you’re safer here anyway.”
The guards escorted him outside, leaving me feeling strangely unsettled. His familiar face had brought back my old life, one I had no intention of returning to, yet what lay ahead of me? I looked up and realised I was alone with Rhys in the hut. Unaccountably the room suddenly seemed much smaller than when filled with Navid and two hulking guards.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Thank you. Yasaman was very kind to me during Father’s illness.”
Rhys shrugged. “It’s nothing. I prefer having the women gone, for things happen in the heat of battle that would not otherwise…”
Elephant Thief Page 19