The Warriors Path

by Brian Thomas

  Mika’s mind raced, trying and failing to identify a link back to the Sun Palace which it couldn’t robustly deny. Feng’s quite impressive plan to threaten the trade income of Houses Guang and Tanyeu would certainly seize their attention and cause them to distrust their neighbours and especially each other, not knowing who else might be secretly encroaching on their monopolies. Based on previous history it was likely to start pre-emptive action between potential competitors just to ensure that such incursions didn’t happen. Sabre rattling between rival Houses at its noisiest, he conjectured. The most effective strategy for division amongst the Great Houses. “And if tortured or questioned by truthsayers, this man Zanwen genuinely believes his licences are forgeries, proving our innocence.”

  Feng nodded desolately. “Yes. If he is careless, greedy or just unlucky. He knows only that he has secured a forged licence, which the Sun Palace is ignorant of and would punish him severely for using.”

  Mika looked up from the document in satisfaction. “It is very clever Feng and I believe it would work if this Zanwen may be gulled in to taking the risk. You have done well, if he will pick up the bait.”

  Feng was astonished and sat with an open mouth unsure what to say. Did Mika not understand what he had been telling him, that the licences were already being used? Before he could think of what to say the scribes working around them kowtowed. The empress stormed into the copy room making straight for Mika. Feng took the opportunity her entrance provided and threw him self to the ground with the clerks, while Mika bowed low, unable to offer a greeting before she spat out her demands.

  “You had better have something good for me Mika. Those conniving lickspittles are carving up my family’s possessions between them while you sanction what they steal! I will not wait any longer. Tell me what you have or I will see another in your position who is able to think of a plan for me.”

  Mika was not surprised Butterfly had already heard of his negotiations with the two ambassadors, the walls of the palace were as porous as a sponge but her indiscretion was unnerving. “I acted on the emperor’s direct instructions Excellency.” Seeing her already florid features become even angrier, he added hastily, “But our own counterstroke is well in-hand and will make them suffer far more than they have gained with their connivance.”

  Mika was relieved to see the heat quelled in the fiery woman, her anger turning to agitated curiosity as she pressed him. “Well, what is it?”

  Mika lowered his voice. “It depends upon secrecy and discretion to keep the Sun Palace safe Excellency.”

  Butterfly’s eyes flashed as she spat back. “I am not some kitchen servant to be kept in the dark. Tell me, I want to know.”

  Mika bowed and gestured to the scrolls, continuing to whisper for discretion’s sake. “Forged trading licences to undermine their monopoly trading, Excellency. The two Houses will bleed income and it will be untraceable to the Sun Palace.”

  Butterfly gave a cursory glance at the lengthy documents, not wishing to read them through. “And this will work?” she asked dubiously, though obviously pleased some scheme was underway.

  Mika nodded confidently. “Indeed, Excellency. It will transfer income from their treasuries to the Sun Palace treasury and they will only know of it when their own season’s incomes are diminished as a result.” In an attempt to overturn Butterfly’s lingering scepticism Mika added, “It could conceivably ruin them if they lost their most lucrative trade whilst also engaged on their other costly scheme to secure your family’s estates, Excellency.”

  Butterfly seemed satisfied, impressed even, but scowled accusingly at Mika again. “But how long will it take if,” she gestured dismissively at the licences on Feng’s writing desk, “the documents are still here? I want a fast result Mika!”

  Mika hesitated not having considered how long it would take before the impact of the licences would be felt. In the quiet as Mika hesitated Feng spoke hesitantly from his kneeling position. “These are copies, your Excellency. The original forgeries are already in play and will be affecting their trade now.”

  The empress glanced down at Feng, frowning before she recognised him. “Ah, it seems my message was well received after all.” Nodding to Mika her anger was slowly replaced by a cold and tight-lipped smile as she added distractedly. “I like the concept of making them bleed their income without them even being aware of it until too late and this will match my own plans very well.” Calming noticeably she added quietly, “You have done well Mika.” Butterfly favoured Mika with a conspiratorial smile, sending a shiver of concern down his spine.

  Wondering what other plans she had put in play that he might later have to deal with Mika enquired cautiously. “There is no risk that our separate schemes might conflict Excellency?”

  Butterfly regarded Mika from hard eyes, her cold smile almost slipping away at his prying. But she relented, obviously pleased with her own scheme and deigning to reward Mika with knowledge of it in return for his own plan. “While you are busy making them bleed, metaphorically, I have ensured the Wah family soldiers have been enhanced and that they have a leader with backbone, who will ensure Guang and Tanyeu haemorrhage literally. They were fools to think we would just watch our territories be carved up between them and not retaliate. When they turn south to face the anger of my House they will be vulnerable before the wolf I have also loosed in their northern territories. He is the true weapon which will bite deep in their back. They will rue the day they thought to take advantage of our misfortunes.”

  Mika inwardly flinched. The problem he had just resolved at great loss of face was to continue it seemed and, worse, the empress also hatched some unsubtle scheme on the empire’s northern borders.

  Deciding to push his new goodwill with the empress he ventured cautiously. “The northern borders of the empire are in part guarded by Houses Guang and Tanyeu. One must always bear in mind that it is they who take the brunt of any incursions from the nomad hordes. If they were unable to defend their borders this duty would fall on the empire generally and be something of a piric victory for the Palace your Excellency.”

  Butterfly scowled at Mika. “Don’t patronise me Mika, I am not a fool. Be comforted that while I use an axe in the south to cleave their ranks, I have employed a stiletto to drive through their traitorous heart in the north. My eyes in the north will ensure that when the task is done the balance will be restored.” Obviously pleased with her plans the empress left the copy room at a considerably more sedate walk than when she had entered.

  Mika relaxed his tense shoulders as he watched her go, again thinking how inappropriate her name was and fearing her unsubtle and obvious scheming might come back to haunt them. Satisfied at surviving his present dilemma and philosophically shaking off any foreboding for the future he looked down at his subordinate. “You have done well Feng and thought quickly there at the end. See that these licenses are issued to this Zanwen as we discussed, without further delay.”

  Feng, completely bemused by what had happened blinked at Mika like an owl. Misinterpreting his hesitation Mika smiled back. “Do not be concerned, I shall see your diligence and quick thinking is well rewarded.”

  Mika left the copy room and Feng belatedly remembering his manners bowed deeply, pinching his arm to see if he dreamed or if all that had just transpired was real. Instead of losing his head it seemed he was to be rewarded for his crimes. Unconsciously stroking his neck again Feng forced his hand away when he realised. He slipped the forged licences back into his drawer.

  His sense of relief making him light-headed Feng promised himself if he did not yet understand what had happened or why, he soon would. In the meantime he would celebrate his changed circumstances on his return home this evening. A journey he had not expected he would be able to make ever again.

  Chapter 29

  Shushan was leading a guard detail supporting Bulusi and his sons as they scouted the woods in the mountains. A scouting mission they also sought the raw materials needed to make new bows. I
ncluding Bulusi and his sons there were ten of them, all armed with bows and swords. Bulusi had been heartened at the timber stocks he had discovered in the hills and they were on their way back to the stockade to bring one of the wagons and a team of men to fell a number of trees he had already marked for felling on their return. They had left the tree line far behind and were now crossing a broad area covered with knee high grass. It would be some distance before they would enter more trees on the far side and start the climb which would take them over a ridge and on to the trail leading to their own valley. Bulusi was in the middle of explaining to Shushan the importance of selecting the right wood to ensure the bow’s stave naturally contained compression and tension qualities, when one of the men called their attention to horsemen ahead.

  Shushan looked where the man pointed with mixed excitement and apprehension. She had never seen a horse before and the only people likely to be riding them in this area were going to be nomadic barbarians. The nomads periodically ravaged settlements in the northern lands of the empire, especially the smaller settlements without substantial walls. Though some of the larger settlements traded with the nomads even they were occasionally attacked and it was assumed trade visits were often not much more than scouting missions for future raids. As a result there was little communication and no trust between nomads and the Hansee, each loathing and fearing the other for their own reasons.

  Shushan strove to see the riders clearly though it was obvious her group had already been spotted by the horsemen and they had changed direction to intercept them. There were twelve horsemen in the group and she was astonished at how quickly they were closing the distance between them, drawing their swords and wielding them over their heads even as they did so.

  Shushan glanced around. They were in long grass that came past her waist and there was no cover they could reach before the horsemen were upon them. It was obvious what they intended once they arrived. “Quickly, form a line, no two lines, one behind the other. The second line is to fire after the first. Do not stop once you have fired but the first shot from each line must be a volley! Keep your bows lowered and hidden by the grass until they are closer.”

  The men silently formed up and prepared their bows, knocking arrows in place and taking up the tension, masking what they did in the tall grass. Shushan could feel the ground vibrating under her as the hooves of the charging horses pounded towards them, their riders now screaming and their faces set in vicious snarls as they bore down on their prey anticipating an easy victory. The size of the men mounted on top of their horses was truly intimidating and she could feel an almost overwhelming urge to drop her own bow and run but instead she said quietly, “Be steady, our only chance is to kill them before they reach us.” She was pleased her voice did not reflect any of the sick fear she felt as the men grew closer at an alarming rate.

  Bulusi who stood beside her said quietly, “It will seem too late but wait until you can clearly see the white of the men’s eyes. They expect us to run but if we do we are dead. If we hit them when they are close it will be them that die instead. But it must be before they realise the danger and get clear.”

  Shushan did not take her eyes off the charging men bearing down on them. So close? Was Bulusi mad! Her mouth dry and her legs almost shaking she said to steady her own nerves as much as the men, “Steady….steady…Aim,” The bows lifted out of the long grass and paused for a heartbeat, the targets so close now it would have been difficult not to hit them. “Fire!”

  The tension on the bows was released instantly sending the arrows flying towards the charging horses, the second volley following before the arrows from the first rank had struck. Not looking at the effect all of them were knocking new arrows as the first and then second flight hit the packed group of riders at about twenty-five feet from them.

  The arrows striking at short range threw the riders back and the charge into confusion. Some of the riders pulled back on their mount’s reins causing the beasts to rear up, their nostrils flaring and teeth bared just as the second flight of arrows struck them. Those men that had not been hit by an arrow got caught up in the chaos caused by those that had. The charge stalled and another round of arrows were loosed in to the melee. None of the men had survived the charge without taking an arrow and some now had two or three shafts protruding from them. Only two men remained on their mounts but they struggled to control them as their horses had also taken arrows. One of the two mounted men took two more arrows simultaneously, toppling him back from his seat as the last remaining horseman managed to turn his mount only for it to stumble over another flailing beast on its side, an arrow lodged in its neck which was spraying blood in regular spurts.

  Suddenly all was quiet apart from the snorts and champing of the remaining rider-less horses at their halters. Four of the horses were trotting away from the scene, their heads held to one side so as not to step on their trailing reins. The dust cloud stirred up by the charge began to settle over the scene of carnage.

  Shushan cautiously walked over to the fallen men, her nose twitching at the unfamiliar smell of the horses and nomads as she drew nearer to them closely followed by her men. They had all been training with their bows for many months, almost a year for some of them while Bulusi and his men had used a bow most of their lives. Only Bulusi had ever seen the impact of orchestrated shooting at a mounted enemy before. He looked at the pile of men and horses. One of the horses struggled to rise but unable to do so flailed its legs out, causing further damage with sharp hooves and its bulk. The dead bodies began to empty their bowels, further adding to the miasma that was death.

  Bulusi supported his weight with both hands on one end of his bow stave and spat clear some of the dust from his dry mouth. She had done well but he could see Shushan was pale after the brief action and sought to distract her while she recovered. “They saw our plain clothes and knew we weren’t soldiers. As they got closer they saw us bunch, probably thinking we cowered in fear of them the long grass obscuring us and the bows. By the time they realised we weren’t going to run and had bows it was too late. It was quick thinking to mask the bows until they were close.”

  One of the men was still alive looking up from his back at Shushan, snarling in pain and hate while trying to bring his sword to bear even now. Shushan stepped on his wrist, pinning it to the ground as she looked steadily back into his black eyes. The man was wearing a simple leather breast-guard with two arrows protruding from it, though both had pierced the protection to puncture his lungs. There was no fear in the man’s eyes, only hate for the dirt diggers he had thought to slaughter and disgust that it was a woman who now pinned his sword arm to the ground. Slowly the light and expression left his eyes, his hand relaxing to release its grip on the sword.

  Looking at the other dead nomads Shushan could see they were strong men used to a hard and violent life. All of them showed some scar or other from past conflicts. There was no questioning their bravery and they had looked terrifying as they had thundered in against her group. But now, they were just dead. Shushan wondered if she were skilled and strong enough to stand against men like this with her sword, questioning if she had their courage. The nomads’ swords were heavier but of an inferior quality to the empire weapons they had themselves. Though, being able to attack from the height of a horse gave them a great advantage.

  Since the battle in the old town where she had come to the aid of Zun and Bulusi Zun had stepped up the length and difficulty of her training, often bruising her with the practise sword to emphasise a point or punish her for a poor manoeuvre. Zun always schooled his own features so as not to inadvertently give her advance warning of his intentions during a bout but often explained tactics. Zun did not have a frightening face and never had she seen him snarl or show his feelings when he trained with her. Other than to goad her with his mocking smile. Nevertheless, she thought him infinitely more deadly than any of these men at her feet.

  Thinking of the training sessions she did with Zun she regained her
confidence. Shushan knew with Zun’s regular tutelage she was improving. She was clearly second sword after Zun in their settlement, despite the warnings he constantly gave her about true contests being different and the advantage a man’s superior strength would give him. Shushan looked down at what had been undoubtedly fierce warriors, now dead, deciding it was not going to be bravery and frightening looks that killed her in a fight but an expert hand and a sharp blade.

  Suddenly she felt a new confidence even though it was archery which had killed the enemy this time. The enemy now had a face and she had seen them beaten. “Gather their armour and weapons, anything of value.” she commanded her men who were busy congratulating themselves, no doubt pleased to have survived, as she was. Looking across at the surviving horses now peacefully cropping the rich grass she sent men to try and collect them if they could. Shushan turned to Bulusi. “They were after something else when they saw us, let’s go and see if we can find what it is.”