The Warriors Path

by Brian Thomas

  When Zun’s caravan eventually joined them Shushan and her men supplemented what was left of Captain Rong’s guard to see it home safely. Zun left with Zanwen to meet Ronan, hoping that he would still be waiting for them at Tanyel city, with his goods still available for trade. Despite the hubris of victory Zun and his men were pleased when they could at last leave the site where so many had died.

  Chapter 46

  Commander Kayto used a foot to stir the ground and reveal the patch of dried blood beneath the surface layer of dust. The evidence of battle was everywhere. The droppings from stressed horses littered the ground like blossom after a spring frost and no patch of ground seemed free from the impression of hoof-prints.

  Scanning the ground and surrounding area while he walked towards the steep-sided cut in the valley wall it was simple enough to guess what had happened. He was on the expected route of the season’s last caravan returning home for House Guang. A rich one by all accounts that carried the season’s combined takings in specie from their trade with the barbarians. The caravan’s tracks had deviated sharply towards the break in the valley wall, no doubt when they discovered the large body of horsemen chasing them, which could only mean barbarians or raiders.

  Kayto did not believe there were enough renegade Hansee along the entire northern territory borders to generate this many horse tracks. So it was most likely a nomadic horde. The remnants of discarded weapons used by steppe warriors, particularly their arrows, lay all around the battlefield confirming his assumption that many of the riders at least had been nomads.

  As Kayto got closer to the gully entrance he was able to make out the shallow defensive walls where the defenders had made their initial stand, obviously thrown together in a hurry and no great obstacle. Kayto examined the rough barrier and there was hardly a part that did not bear some evidence of dried blood. It was everywhere. The defenders would have been pressed back and Kayto walked doggedly into the shallow gully, where he saw the two burial mounds.

  Firmly planted on the top of the smallest mound was a pole bearing the blood soaked and tattered remains of an emblem for House Guang. Behind the mound were the remains of two jiao, box litters bearing the Guang emblem. One was smashed almost beyond recognition. The wretched state of the more ornamented of the two was a pathetic caricature of the House’s wealth and pride. Both were peppered with holes where arrows had penetrated the flimsy wooden sides, the tattered and blood stained remnants of the interior silk screens wafted forlornly in the light breeze. The lingering scent and the shattered remains of the delicate furnishings implied they had contained women rather than men.

  Kayto snapped an arrow buried deep in the scarred and notched wooden frame of the nearest litter. The interior of the boxes were covered in dried blood, enough to show that more than one person had given their lives within their elaborate but flimsy interiors. A box light enough to be carried offered no real protection. That was the role of the guard, which would give their lives rather than let attackers this close to the occupants they were assigned to protect. For the two litters to have suffered as they had confirmed without further evidence to the contrary that the Guang guard had probably been overrun by the far superior numbers of the horde. Though, curiously someone had cleared the site, honouring the dead of House Guang.

  Going over to the second and larger mound, presumably for the barbarian dead, Kayto took a closer look at a nomad standard which had been carelessly planted upside down on top of the mound. The standard bore the sign of the Bear Clan, hardy fighters. Though Kayto grudgingly admitted that all the nomad bands were hardy fighters. The Bear Clan standard was further evidence, if any were needed, that nomads had made the attack; but it was unlike the nomads to bury the fallen, as they had been here.

  The Sun Palace official came over to join him and Kayto had to resist the urge to walk away, or even beat the man to the ground. This massacre and, who knew how many more that would follow, were a direct result of the political manoeuvrings of worms like this palace flunkey manipulating the lives and deaths of others with no concern for the misery they caused.

  “Are you able to determine what has occurred here, Commander Kayto?” the man asked in distaste, holding a scented handkerchief to his nose to mask the smell of emptied bowels and death which still lingered.

  Kayto looked to the burial mounds and shattered box litters. Biting back on the response he wanted to make, instead reporting, “A Hansee Empire caravan came from the west. It saw hostile horsemen pursuing it and sought refuge here.” Kayto pointed to the piled rocks and scrub. “Assembling what defence they could, they were nevertheless overrun and the fighting continued up the gully.” He then pointed to the tattered standard on top of the smallest mound. “That is the standard for House Guang. The box litters also carry their emblem and would only be used for important members of the House. I think they contained women.” Indicating the mound which Kayto assumed contained the dead nomads, he continued, “Many more of the attackers were killed than the defenders. Win or lose, the nomads got a bloody nose here and the site has been cleared. The Guang dead have been buried honourably.”

  The official looked at the collapsed piles of stones and brush which had formed the impromptu barrier between the caravan and the attacking nomads, singularly unimpressed. “So was the caravan overrun or not Commander?”

  Kayto shrugged, frowning as he looked around. “We did not pass survivors on the way here and if they had returned directly to the Guang palace they would have gone the way we came. For the litters to be left behind in such disrepair must mean they were hard-pressed, their position desperate and someone at least died within them. The burial mound for the Guang soldiers is large, beyond that I could not say.”

  The official frowned in irritation at Kayto’s reluctance to declare a definitive outcome for the encounter and having to linger around the unpleasant after smell of recent battle while he questioned further. “So, they were overrun by barbarians who then buried the dead but you remain sceptical that this is something the barbarian’s would do?”

  Kayto frowned as he looked at the upright Guang standard on the smaller mound and the Bear Clan standard, planted upside down on the larger of the two mounds. Such signs of respect and disrespect did not occur accidentally. “No, not the nomads,” he replied cautiously, “nomad raiding parties do not carry spades, they do not expect to return for many years and so leave the dead to rot where they fall.”

  Heavy with sarcasm the official asked. “Then the Guang soldiers won, fought off their attackers and they did the burying themselves?”

  Kayto ignored the sarcasm. He was not sure what had happened. He shook his head uncertainly. “The Guang guard was too small to have withstood the number of nomads that attacked them in the open and without proper defences as they were, unless they had help. The most recent tracks are all of mounted men.” Kayto knew there were no such Hansee mounted forces in the area but thinking of his recent encounter with the barbarian caravan on the edge of the empire’s border he ventured speculatively, but without real conviction, “Another caravan guard perhaps?”

  The official sniffed haughtily. “Come Commander; you cannot have it both ways. First the guard is too small to survive the nomad assault and are beaten. Then you believe they are saved by a mysterious mounted force but we have no sign of the Guang caravan returning as they should if they survived and no evidence of your mysterious saviour. No barbarian trader would enter this far in to the empire and what such mounted empire force exists in this region likely to do such a thing? Logic tells us it cannot be the latter but perhaps the mounted men who did the burying are the bandit band we have heard so much about, finding a vestige of their past honour and treating the dead of fellow Hansee honourably.”

  Kayto looked sharply at the official. It was not the first time the flunky had made reference to the new bandit force plaguing this part of the border and his interest in it was deeply worrying. “In my experience such men are little more than animals and ha
ve no honour or even understanding of the concept. If they have been here it is more likely that they were acting in concert with the nomads or scavenging from the dead.”

  The official stiffened at Kayto’s rebuttal. “Then if it were not them Commander, who came to their aid or later buried their bodies with the respect due?” Not having an answer Kayto remained silent and the official added imperiously, “I have seen enough here Commander, to convince me the Guang caravan is perished and that my investigation on the border is completed. You will escort me to House Guang where I will convey this tragic news to Master Guang personally, along with the empress’s condolences. From there I will secure an imperial guard back to the Sun Palace and you will resume your previous duties along the border.” Relieved that he could at last return to the luxury of the palace in good conscience the official couldn’t prevent an element of pomposity affect his tone as he summed up his assignment in this Spirits’ forsaken backwater of the empire. “You fulfil an important task in keeping these savages from penetrating our borders, Commander. I will report as much to the palace. Be assured that your superiors will hear of your own professional and competent implementation of their instructions for the province.”

  Kayto stiffened and bowed. Flunky the man might be but what he reported back could as easily result in Kayto’s promotion or execution for dereliction of duty and incompetence, as the official thought appropriate. Despite the flunky giving him his previous orders making an incursion by nomads almost certain Kayto would not have been too surprised if he were to subsequently be made the scapegoat for those incursions. In any event, Kayto would be pleased to see the official return to the Sun Palace which would allow him to do his job of protecting the empire’s North-Western borders.

  Shamed that the nomad incursion was undoubtedly a result of his neglect of the border due to the official’s “inspection” Kayto could easily imagine the accusing looks of the restless spirits haunting the site of such desperate carnage as he left.

  It was four weeks later before Commander Kayto and the official were able to present themselves before Master Guang. Commander Kayto and the empress’s representative strode between Guang’s armoured guards lining the route from the elaborately carved doors of the audience chamber to Guang’s throne. Kayto’s boots sounding loud on the tile mosaics as they were admitted. The guards forming the aisle were from Guang’s personal life guard, bearing eight foot spears with gleaming iron points they stood rigidly to attention and were a testament to their master’s power and the wealth of his house. When they reached the last pair of soldiers Kayto and the official lay prostrate on the shining tiles of the floor, offering obeisance before one of the most powerful Masters in the empire in his own House. Eventually, they sat up, sitting back on their heels, careful to follow established protocol before a master in his own home. They remained silent, waiting for their inscrutable host to initiate proceedings.

  Guang examined the unlikely pair with trepidation for what their presence before him might imply. A representative of the empress kneeling before him together with the commander for the border guard was enough to set alarm bells ringing on its own but coupled with the delay in the return of the season’s final caravan left Guang dreading the reason why they were here and that the events might be connected. Ignoring the palace official for the moment Guang focused on the commander, who looked the experienced and competent professional his own generals had reported him to be. “Commander Kayto. I have heard many reports of your excellent service on our northern border and I am surprised to see you here now, rather than diligently carrying out your important duties.”

  Kayto rose to his knees and then bowed his forehead to the ground, impressed Guang had even heard of him let alone remembered his name and thought well of him. Rising to his knees he said, “This man brought new orders from the Sun Palace. I am to accompany him while he completes his investigations. Following which I revert to my original orders. I return to the border following this audience Master Guang.”

  Guang’s heart missed a beat and he felt a fearful dread in the pit of his stomach at what the commander had said. While the mock conflict with House Tanyeu had long since been settled, new and ongoing disputes with House Wah had raged. With the continued fighting in the south Guang had redeployed their forces to strengthen the south, placing a greater reliance on the imperial guard in the north. Guang had over the last few months been receiving reports of the intermittent and poor level of patrols by the imperial guard along the northern border. It was only far more recently they had identified this dereliction appeared worst in the areas which would expose both House Guang and Tanyeu more than elsewhere.

  The commander appeared confident under Guang’s scrutiny but, nevertheless, radiated discomfort and frustration. Guang kept tight control of his features as he turned to the man beside the commander, every inch a flunky of the imperial palace, skilled in etiquette and oily words but no more trustworthy than a pan of hot oil in a wooden house. “And what was the purpose of your investigation, of sufficient importance to distract the guard defending the northern borders to the empire?”

  The official bowed his head to the floor before speaking, with all the confidence of the power he represented. “It came to the attention of the empress that there was increased bandit activity occurring along the empire’s northern borders. I was commissioned to investigate this intelligence, primarily to assess the imperial guard’s ability to defend against such danger should the reports prove correct, and the competence of its officers to quash any confirmed threat.”

  The official paused for effect and irritated at the delay Guang asked impatiently, “And?”

  The official bowed again before continuing. “It is my understanding that until recently the Great Houses forming the northern border applied greater resource to their protection. Supported by the deployments from the Great Houses the numbers of imperial guard were adequate for their purpose. I am pleased to report that Commander Kayto is a most diligent and professional officer, well able to keep the threat in hand during normal circumstances. I have no doubt that in due course he will bring the increased level of banditry I have confirmed back under control. However, the redeployment of the Great Houses’ forces from this area has in the meantime left these northern territories vulnerable to incursions from barbarians.”

  Guang’s mind raced as he considered his own reports of the worsening bandit situation. The attacks were too recent to have triggered an investigation, let alone for the investigation to have been completed, especially from as far as the Sun Palace. Guang could not believe the empress would have better information relating to his province than he had himself. To have instigated the investigation the empress must have known far earlier than he, before the increased activity had even began in fact.

  Guang’s feeling of dread grew and it became harder to retain the iron control on his emotions. “The empress shows remarkable foresight in this important matter. We are grateful for her intervention and for bringing it to our attention. Please assure the empress that we will act on the findings of your investigation and the intelligence you have brought to us.”

  The kneeling official bowed again. “It is with great regret, I must also inform you such action may already be overdue and that a caravan of yours was attacked by a nomad horde. It is apparent, however, that the barbarians received heavy losses and returned from whence they came. So while there is no further immediate threat your caravan would appear to be lost.”

  There was a general fluttering amongst the officials behind Guang but he revealed nothing himself as he asked, “Lost?”

  The man kneeling before him bowed again. “It is difficult to be certain but there appear to be no survivors as we neither met any on the way to the battle scene or on the way here, Master Guang.”

  Guang was barely able to contain his swirling anger and fear as he turned to Commander Kayto. “Is there no hope then, Commander?”

  Kayto genuinely felt for the old man before him
, who though he schooled his features feared the loss of someone close to him. It was obvious to Kayto that Master Guang referred to the occupants of the litters. “I am unable to say for certain, Master Guang.” Seeing hope flare in the man’s eyes, he added reluctantly, “but I fear you must prepare for the worst. Your soldiers were greatly outnumbered and fought bravely, slaying many of the enemy before it appears they made a final stand around two litters.” Kayto saw the hope die in Guang’s eyes as quickly as it had flared. He knew if his men had to make a last stand around the litters against superior numbers then all was lost. Kayto was again reminded of the contempt he felt for those who played their political games which put the very safety of the empire at risk. He wondered what comfort he could offer and added with as much compassion as he dare. “If the occupants of the litters did perish, the end would have been quick, Master Guang.”

  Guang nodded slowly, lost in his own thoughts when the kneeling official added. “We saw the devastated remains of the litters Master Guang and the empress would want me to convey her condolences. She has also suffered grief as a result of the conflicts in her family’s previous territories and would wish me to pass on her deepest sympathies for your loss now.”

  Guang slowly turned to face the man who had spoken and his rage flared beyond his ability to mask it as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Long after he and Master Tanyeu had agreed with Mika to end the conflict the disenfranchised Wing-Ho forces, which had quite suddenly become better organised and more numerous, picked up the confrontation. No doubt the empress’s influence and now, while he had redirected his own forces to defend against these new attacks in the south, she had redirected the imperial guard in the north consequently leaving his province vulnerable. Eventually bandits or nomads would discover the weakness and attack as they had just done against his caravan. The empress’s spidery tentacles did indeed extend far. Now her conniving had cost him his favourite daughter and this puppet before him dared to gloat at her success, while in his own home!