Elephant Thief

by Lia Patterson

  The setting sun painted the air above the clearing golden before Owl returned. I was braiding the eagle feather back into my drying hair, watching the swallows above us gliding and diving, when suddenly Duach lifted his head and she emerged from the shadows of the woods without a sound.

  Cerwen jumped up. “What did you find? Has a battle taken place?”

  “No battle yet,” Owl replied. “But the Sikhandi fort…” She shook her head in disbelief. “I was scouting here less than two moons ago. The walls are twice as high now. And so thick!”

  “Prince Bahram is an Earth mage,” I reminded her. He had been growing the walls even before I left and he must have intensified his efforts since.

  “But they are solid stone!”

  I shrugged. They would be. “So what is Rhys doing?”

  “He has surrounded the place.” She swept bare a piece of ground and drew with a stick in the soft earth. A square for the Sikhandi fort, with the river flowing in a gentle curve around it, and a line for the road that forded the river at the small island where I used to bathe Hami. “The main force guards the road south, Raven has the left flank, Kestrel the back and Lammergeyer the right.”

  Despite the grave situation that description made me grin for a moment. My nickname seemed to have stuck to Lord Pellyn. But my amusement fled as I studied Owl’s crude map. Had Yasaman and the other women taken Navid’s warning and left? I could only hope so. For the moment Prince Bahram seemed content to sit out the siege, but if he got desperate, he would try to break out south – exactly where Rhys was waiting for him. After all he was an excellent Shah player.

  “So what do we do now?” Cerwen asked.

  “We can’t take the elephant any closer without being spotted,” Owl said, “but I’ve found a way to lead you safely to the Eagle, just as I promised.”

  I hesitated. Would he listen to me any more now than last time? “No, I don’t think so.”

  Owl’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why not? You said you wanted to talk to him.”

  “I do, but if we just turn up there, he’ll send us back straight away.” That much had come clear to me from thinking on Grandmother’s words. “I have to give him no choice but to listen.”

  “And how are you going to do that?” Cerwen asked.

  Slowly I tapped on the crossing lines that marked the island lying in the middle of the ford. “By being where he can’t ignore me.”

  “Impossible,” Owl declared. “That’s right in the path of any Sikhandi sortie. He’d never let you go there.”

  “Nevertheless, that’s where I need to be: right between the two opposing forces.” The centre of the Shah board, where the battle was lost or won.

  Owl frowned. “From there you could just stroll into the Sikhandi fort! How do I know you won’t betray us?”

  “You don’t. You’ll just have to trust me.” Not something that came easy to her. Well, otherwise she still had the choice of shooting me. When she chewed her lip, trying to make up her mind, I indicated the eagle feather in my hair. “Or if you don’t trust me, trust Rhys’s judgement instead.”

  She snorted. “He’s a man and you’re a pretty woman.”

  “Well, trust Grandmother Luned.”

  “She’s old.”

  Really, what did she want! “In that case trust Duach,” I snapped. “I would have thought that you of all people should understand how a person’s parentage doesn’t have to determine her allegiance, Khotai!”

  She rocked back on her heels. “I am not Khotai!”

  I gentled my voice. “I know that, Owl. Yet don’t you see, I might have been born Sikhandi, but I am my own person. This conflict needs to end, but betraying Rhys is certainly not the way to achieve it. Give me credit for that much sense.”

  She nodded grudgingly. “Very well.”

  That moment Duach decided to investigate what held our attention and stuck his nose in our map. Cerwen chased him away. “But how will you get there anyway? Half the army lies between us and the ford.”

  A very valid point and one I could not answer yet. “Rastam tal Nasar would probably advise to go for the weakest point,” I thought aloud.

  We all studied the map. Then our fingers met at the same place.

  Cerwen shook her head. “No. He’ll never let you pass; he hates the Sikhandi!”

  I grinned, as a plan slowly took form in my mind. “So he does, but even more he hates the idea of seeing me at Rhys’s side.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I will prove to him that he’s been right all along. That should please him.” It would be like jumping a knight over an unsuspecting pawn. The man was a lousy Shah player. He would never see it coming.

  The decision taken, I rose. “Lammergeyer it is.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  We had another cold camp that evening, but before dawn Owl and I set out again. It had been agreed that to sound believable, I needed to tackle Pellyn on my own, but Owl would take me as far as the first post of sentries.

  I gave Cerwen a quick hug before we left. “You take care.”

  Briefly she touched the feather in my hair. “And you, Lady Eagle.”

  I raised my eyebrows at that. The appellation seemed a bit premature, for perhaps after what would happen today, Rhys might want nothing more to do with me. Not that he had asked me to be his lady anyway, I reminded myself.

  Or received an answer, my pride added.

  We joined the road again while night still covered the lands like a heavy blanket and all lay quiet except for the trees whispering to each other in a slight breeze. Far away a fox yipped, but apart from that we could have been alone in the world. I had decided to walk, with Hami following behind me out of sight, for I didn’t want the sentries to take me for an enemy out of hand and shoot me. However, I missed that reassuring bulk at my back.

  After a while Owl stopped. “We’re almost there. From here you go alone.”

  I swallowed hard. My last chance to change my mind and take the safe route to Rhys instead. But no, as Grandmother had said, this thing needed doing.

  “Fine,” I said, “I will see you later.” She would take Cerwen round to Taren’s position, and we all hoped to meet up again in the camp.

  I half expected her to threaten to kill me if I betrayed them, but instead she gave my arm a quick squeeze. “Good luck.”

  She disappeared into the bushes before I could even thank her. The night seemed to close in on me, yet in my heart I felt lighter. I was not without friends. That moment the fox yipped again, as if reminding me that I needed to get going, and with a deep breath I started walking. Behind me, the invisible bond connecting me to Hami stretched out, another reassuring sensation.

  Of all the things that could go wrong, starting with Pellyn’s sentries shooting me by mistake, I refused to think. Involuntarily the thought came to my mind that if Rhys could see me, he would be furious. I could almost hear him berating me for giving in to my stupid impulses!

  According to Owl, the road should take me right up to the first of Pellyn’s positions. Remembering that she had instructed me to make plenty of noise in case the sentries were inattentive, I cleared my throat and began humming a tune. After all I wanted to be recognised. Yet for some reason only one song came to my mind.

  “Almond eyes, almond eyes, weeping at our sad good-byes,” I sang, feeling completely ridiculous, “by the dawn I must be gone, for the emperor calls me on.”

  My voice wobbled and I hoped they would not shoot me just to shut me up. If Owl shadowed me in the bushes, as I half suspected she did, she would probably die from choking down on laughter.

  “Who goes there? Declare yourself!”

  Though I had been expecting it, the yell startled me. I moistened my lips. “My name is Lady Arisha. I want to speak to Lord Pellyn.”

  Two men coalesced out of the shadows, their faces blackened with soot, and uncovered the shutter of a lantern to look me over. I had put on my green silk robe to be easily recognis
able. One of them whistled through his teeth in surprise. “It’s the Eagle’s Sikhandi captive,” he called over his shoulder.

  A short pause. “Bring her in,” somebody replied from the trees farther down the road.

  So far, so good, but I still needed to prepare them for Hami’s coming. “I’ve got my elephant following me,” I said, “but he’s harmless.”

  This led to further discussion, but at least when Hami finally ambled up and started to chew on the bushes, they did not try to shoot him. Several more men had joined the two sentries and one of them, a grey-bearded veteran, seemed to be the leader of the group.

  “Why do you want to speak to Lord Pellyn?” he asked suspiciously.

  “It concerns a private matter that I would like to discuss with him alone,” I answered. “Why don’t you let him know?”

  “He’ll be asleep,” the man objected.

  “He won’t mind waking up for me.”

  One of the other men chuckled. “No, I bet he wouldn’t. You may wake me up anytime you want to, my pretty.” The others laughed at that.

  But I had lived in an army camp long enough to know how to deal with his type. It would be best to let them know at once that I was having none of that. “Watch your tongue, soldier,” I snapped, using my coldest voice. “I wear the Eagle’s feather.” The thing was proving unexpectedly useful!

  Murmurs of surprise greeted my words. “So she does,” one of them exclaimed.

  “Shut up, all of you,” the leader growled. “This is for Lord Pellyn to decide.”

  He sent one the men running off to the main camp and led me along the road to where they had taken shelter in an old, ruined farmhouse. A fire burnt in the courtyard and they offered me food and drink, but I declined. However, I sat down and warmed my hands at the fire, grateful for the warmth. The men watched me curiously, but offered no more suggestive remarks.

  In a remarkably short time hoof beats approached from down the road, and the messenger cantered up. His horse shied at the sight of Hami, but I quickly calmed it down. “Lord Pellyn wants to see her at once,” the man called.

  My plan was working out perfectly! “Excellent,” I said, turning to the leader of the sentries. “My thanks for your hospitality.” I included all the men in a brilliant smile. Then I tapped Hami’s leg and he boosted me up. “Let’s go.”

  The messenger had to urge his horse on sharply to keep up. Inwardly I smiled. Control of a Shah board went to the person who acted, not reacted. We passed two more sentry posts, but they let us by without any delay, and the camp still lay mostly dark and asleep when we got there; only in the east the first promise of dawn lightened the sky. The messenger led us up to a big tent in the centre where I dismounted. Hami shifted uneasily, probably picking up my tension, and I stroked his trunk in reassurance while I told him to wait for me quietly. I couldn’t help wondering if he recognised the place and knew how close he was to the other elephants. Had he missed them? By nature male elephants were solitary creatures, but Hami had spent all his life amongst a group of them.

  The messenger held open the flap to the tent and I ducked inside. A small ante-room led into a bigger space holding a trestle table pushed to one side. Pellyn sat in a big chair that looked ridiculously like a throne while his mother stood behind him, one hand resting on his shoulder. Either side, cloths curtained off what I guessed to be further rooms.

  “Hah, it really is the Sikhandi wench!” Lord Pellyn crowed. “We’ve got her.”

  I smiled coolly. Let them think they had me at their mercy. My plan relied on the fact that they would only see what they wanted to see. “Lord Pellyn, Lady Enit,” I said, inclining my head. “Greetings. I am here to put a proposal to you.”

  “A proposal?” he sneered. “Why should I have anything to do with you?”

  “Because I can offer you something you won’t be able to refuse: the Eagle of Aneirion.”

  That caught their attention. “What do you mean?” Pellyn asked. He did not realise it, but already he had lost control of the game. What a lousy Shah player!

  “You want him to marry your sister, don’t you?” I asked back. “Very well, I will let you have him…under certain conditions.”

  A gasp from one of the curtains caught my attention. I saw Owena’s pale face peeking through.

  “Certain conditions?” Lady Enit asked with narrowed eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  Ah, I had thought that would catch their interest. “I need to get into the fort,” I said. “Let me pass with my elephant, and Rhys is yours.”

  “Are you mad?” Pellyn exclaimed. “That would be helping the enemy. Out of the question!”

  I actually thought better of him for his refusal, but of course I couldn’t let him see that. “Consider what I have to offer,” I pointed out. “With your sister marrying Rhys, you will be the uncle of any future King of Aneirion.” I could see the impact of my words hitting him. Good. I needed to keep them off-balance, or they might realise that what I offered them so blithely wasn’t mine to give at all.

  “So you want to run back to your prince,” Lady Enit breathed. “I was right all along. Traitress!”

  I gave her a chilly look. “We all have our loyalties.” And hers were more than dubious.

  “Wait till I tell Lord Rhys,” Pellyn spat. “You won’t be so high and mighty anymore.”

  “Go ahead.” I laughed in his face. “Who do you think he’ll believe? The woman he’s given his feather to or you, who’ve been chasing him so blatantly all this time? And gone about it most clumsily if I may say so.” I actually enjoyed adding that last barb, yet it was slightly disturbing how easily I could twist all my actions to be those of a traitor.

  I pushed that thought away and leant closer to Pellyn. “But think what would happen if I went over to the enemy. Rhys would be unbalanced, hurt…in need of consolation.” I smiled. “By the right woman of course.”

  That got him thinking. He looked up at Lady Enit, who frowned and bit her lip. “She might have a point…”

  “Mother!” Owena had taken a step into the room. “You can’t possibly consider her offer.”

  She had a frilly, white nightgown wrapped around herself that made her look as pale as a ghost, but when she lifted her hands imploringly to her mother, I suddenly noticed a fading bruise on her cheek.

  “What have you done to her, you brute!” I exclaimed.

  The next moment I cursed myself for falling out of my role. However, only Owena shot me a startled glance, the other two ignored me.

  Lady Enit glared at her daughter. “It’s all your fault that we find ourselves in this situation. If only you had played your cards right–”

  “But I don’t want to marry him!” Owena wailed. “He’s so harsh and cold–”

  Cold? I nearly fired up in Rhys’s defence, but stopped myself in time. At least I now knew that he had never kissed her.

  “Stupid girl!” Lady Enit snapped. “What did you expect? He’s a warrior, of course he’ll be rough. If you want something fluffy, get yourself a lapdog.”

  “Please Mother! I–”

  Pellyn hit the arm of his chair with his fist. “Your wishes don’t signify in the least! This was for the good of the family, but like a fool you let the man slip through your fingers by not trying hard enough.”

  I raised my eyebrow at that. Did they think Rhys such an easy catch? My temper stirred. They treated the poor girl atrociously!

  Owena started crying. “But Kestrel offered–”

  “Not another word!” Pellyn raised his hand, and she shrank back. “You will marry Rhys and that’s final.”

  I cleared my throat. “Haven’t you forgotten something?” Now real anger warmed my stomach. “Or rather someone?”

  They glared at me, while Owena sobbed quietly.

  “Oh, do get out of my sight!” Lady Enit suddenly snarled at her daughter. “To think I birthed such a useless wimp! What did I ever do for the Lady to burden me with such ingratitude?”


  She deserved nothing better, I thought. Staggering back to her room Owena, blinded by tears, stumbled over the hem of her nightgown. Quickly I stepped forward. Under cover of assisting her untangle herself, I bent closer.

  “Don’t worry,” I whispered. “You’ll get to marry Kestrel. I’ll help you.”

  Owena stared at me in astonishment. I risked giving her a wink before gently pushing her in the direction of her room. Then I straightened up to face the other two.

  Bullies! But they did not intimidate me. “So, have you considered my words? I haven’t got all day.”

  That riled them. “You’re not going anywhere until I say so,” Pellyn shot back.

  “You think so? And what will happen once Rhys hears of Hami’s presence in your camp? An elephant is rather difficult to miss.”

  Obviously he had not yet thought that far. No wonder he did so poorly at Shah! “I can tell you what will happen,” I added. “Rhys will want to see me, and your chance will be lost for ever. If you want to accept my offer, you must do so now.”

  They wavered. “Why are you so keen to get back your camp anyway, when Rhys is eating out of the palm of your hand?” Pellyn asked suspiciously. “What have you got to gain?”

  Finally he showed some sense, but I had come prepared. From the sleeve of my gown I fished out Prince Bahram’s letter and threw it in his lap. “I want to be with my betrothed.”

  Eagerly he unfolded the missive and scanned it. “So that is what made Rhys so angry!” he exclaimed. “What did you tell him?”

  “That the engagement had been arranged against my wishes. He believed every word.”

  They nodded in understanding. Fools! As if any woman would choose Sattar over Rhys. Lady Enit bent down to whisper in her son’s ear. I could tell she was taken with my proposal, even if he still seemed dubious.

  “What do you want me to do?” Pellyn finally asked me.

  I had them now! But I was careful to keep the triumph off my face. “All I ask is that you let me lead Hami through your camp. After that I’ll cross the river and do the rest.”

  He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. “What if they blame me for letting you escape to strengthen the enemy?”