Until this day, when Abbot Olin’s messenger had delivered a note, obviously written to convey a sense of distress, that Jilseponie Wyndon had been appointed bishop of the city of Palmaris, and more pointedly, that the woman was being openly courted by King Danube Brock Ursal.
„Abbot Olin fears that she may become queen of the kingdom,“ Merwan Ma remarked. „Does he believe that this will propel her to the leadership of the Church, as well?“
„It would be unprecedented,“ Yakim Douan replied gruffly, shaking his head yet again. He had no idea of the significance of any of this, but whatever might happen, the present news was more than a little distressing to the man. Could he risk Transcendence with apparent turmoil brewing in the north, not only with the Church, but with the kingdom itself? And if the worst-case scenario came to pass, with a new Honce-the-Bear that was hostile to Behren, might he be forced to delay Transcendence even more?
The Yatol bowed his head, hiding his frustration from his attendant. He wanted to be done with this body! He wanted to feel again the energy of youth, the excitement and enjoyment of lovemaking, even the thrill of the new relationships he would find with the same group of Yatols and Shepherds who now called him God-Voice.
But now it was obvious to Yakim Douan that all of his efforts, including sending the small army to Yatol Grysh, would be for naught. He could not and would not attempt Transcendence until the situation in To-gai and in Honce-the-Bear was resolved, and he could get an honest view of the dangers he might face in the vulnerable decade before he came to true power.
„We cannot be overly concerned with the situation in Honce-the Bear,“ he announced to Merwan Ma a moment later. „Recall Ambassador Daween Kusaad, that we might discuss the situation at length. And ensure that a steady stream of messengers flows between Jacintha and Abbot Olin in En-tel. A steady stream. I will know week to week what is transpiring within the kingdom and the Abellican Church.
„Yet there is little that we can do to influence the happenings in the north, other than continue to provide our friend Olin with the funds he needs to wage his campaign. Our attention, therefore, must be focused on settling the issues within To-gai.“
„Yatol Grysh has likely received our soldiers by now,“ said Merwan Ma.
„Yatol Grysh is a wise man and a powerful leader. He will use them well, I do not doubt.“ He ended nodding, instead of shaking his head some more, as satisfied as he could be that he was doing all that he could to facilitate the environment he needed for the desired Transcendence. He took a deep breath and considered the road before him. He would visit the hematite regularly from that day on, he decided, to ensure his health and his comfort.
„Soon enough,“ he muttered, and when he caught Merwan Ma’s inquisitive look at the curious remark, he just waved the attendant away.
Three Chezhou-Lei warriors had assembled in his room in Dharyan. Unprecedented.
But while he was amused by the presence of Wan Atenn’s two peers, Yatol Grysh was not overwhelmed. These great warriors were his servants, after all, fiercely loyal to the Chezru Chieftain and to those Yatols serving under Yakim Douan.
„I am surprised by your appearance, Woh Lien and Dahmed Blie,“ the Yatol said after Carwan Pestle had served drinks to the three and all had settled into the comfortable chairs in the audience chamber.
„By law, a twenty-square must be led by Chezhou-Lei, Yatol Grysh,“ Wan Atenn put in.
„Yet I did not expect a twenty-square!“ Grysh replied lightheartedly, and he looked right at the two visiting Chezhou-Lei warriors as he continued. „An eight-square would have allowed us to secure Dharyan throughout the winter and spring.“
As he finished, he looked to Carwan Pestle, who had been briefed on how Grysh wanted this meeting to proceed.
„Perhaps this is a sign that the God-Voice desires us to do more than secure Dharyan, Yatol,“ Pestle suggested, and as he finished, he looked to Woh Lien, the older and more experienced of the two warriors.
„We were sent to Dharyan to serve under Yatol Grysh, as Yatol Grysh deemed fit,“ the Chezhou-Lei warrior said, quite openly and without hesitation. „Whether the strength of the force is a signal to you, Yatol Grysh, is beyond my knowledge.“
Grysh nodded, appreciating the openness. A wry smile found its way onto his plump face. „We will see how far your forces will take us, Chezhou-Lei Woh Lien. Has Chezru Douan determined the date of your return to Jacintha? „
„He has not.“
Perfect, Grysh thought. „Then you are to return when I release you?“
The warrior nodded.
„You understand that, while here, you are both subject to the commands ofWanAtenn?“
The two visiting warriors looked to each other, then to the third Chezhou-Lei, offering deferential nods. „The hierarchies of our order are determined outside the boundaries of the Yatols,“ Woh Lien explained. „In those hierarchies, noble Wan Atenn is already placed above the two of us. If that hierarchy was different, Wan Atenn would readily and gladly submit to my will.“
Grysh started to respond that he was glad of that, but he stopped and sat there smiling instead, realizing that these two had been selected by Douan specifically, and that the Chezru Chieftain had well understood the politics of the Chezhou-Lei. Well done, God-Voice, Yatol Grysh silently congratulated.
The Yatol of Dharyan was convinced then that Douan had sent him the forces along with a clear message: secure To-gai once and for all. Put down the pockets of insurgence swiftly and definitively.
„You carry with you supplies enough to get through the winter months?“ he asked.
„And more,“ Woh Lien replied. „We are trained to forage, Yatol, and to hunt. Chezru Douan was concerned that our numbers not strain the resources of Dharyan, and so they shall not.“
„That is good,“ said Grysh. „Then let us put the word out that you have come delivering supplies to me, that we might help the outposters through the difficult season.“
„If that is what you deem necessary.“
„That is what I deem necessary to tell the people,“ Grysh explained „Our task will be much more difficult if the upstart Ru believe that I have eight hundred new warriors under my command. So, as far as the populace is concerned, I do not. Each of you will section thirty-two soldiers to Wan Atenn, that the eight-square I requested will be filled.“
„As you order, Yatol,“ said Woh Lien, and Dahmed Blie echoed the thought.
„Has word of the massacre at Douan Cal been made public?“ the Yatol asked Carwan Pestle.
„Limited, perhaps.“
„See that it does not spread. Allow the people to know that Douan Cal was attacked, but not that it was eliminated, else it will become common perception that the soldiers are in response to that attack.“
„The outpost settlement was eliminated?“ Woh Lien asked.
„Our enemy is a Ru called Ashwarawu,“ explained Wan Atenn.
„A mighty leader?“ Woh Lien asked.
„A coward, who strikes at the vulnerable and retreats to the shadows. But of late, he grows bolder, and his attacks come nearer and nearer to Dharyan.“
„He will attack us, but only if he believes that we are vulnerable,“ said Yatol Grysh. „Thus we will make great fanfare of the arrival of a permanent eight-square, and then I will send the eight-square out hunting for him. Though, of course, they will not find him.“
„And while they are out, perhaps Ashwarawu will strike for the greater prize of Dharyan,“ reasoned Wan Atenn.
„Where the jaws of death will be waiting for him,“ said Grysh. „There are a series of caves to the north, farther into the foothills, where one of your remaining forces can go. As for the other…“ He looked to Carwan Pestle as he finished.
„Delvin Plateau,“ the man replied.
„Ah, of course,“ Grysh agreed, and he turned to Woh Lien. „Delvin Plateau is a small village nestled halfway up the rise that separates the To-gai steppes from the lan
d of Behren. Few know of it, and it is so easily defended, with a cliff on one side, a sheer wall on the other, and only a narrow road allowing access, that Ashwarawu will not go near to it. But from there, if you are alert, you will be able to sweep down to Dharyan in a single night’s march.“
The Yatol sat back then, nodding, considering the possibilities. Suddenly the idea of going out in pursuit of Ashwarawu seemed a foolish thing to do. Especially if he could somehow manage to lure Ashwarawu in to him.
Of course, other possibilities remained wide open to him. It occurred to him that he could merely send the three mighty Chezhou-Lei warriors out in pursuit, and likely have Ashwarawu’s head served to him within a it this plan he had just improvised appealed to Grysh more. Better to >t Ashwarawu and his foolish rebels in one devastating sweep. Better to crush Vi resistance at its core.
Yatol Grysh silently congratulated Chezru Douan again, and fully ex-ected that his life on the frontier was soon to become much easier.
Her new Family
They pretend that they search for you, but none wish to find
you,“ Barachuk said with a wry grin. He and Tsolona had
-Iv. been coming out of the village every night since Brynn’s
abrupt departure, knowing she would return. Now, a week after the fight to
liberate Runtly, they had been rewarded.
„You killed a Chezhou-Lei warrior,“ Tsolona added, but her tone, unlike that of her husband, was not mirthful. „And a Yatol. The Order of Chez-hou will seek you forever after, and the Yatols will not readily accept the loss of one of their own.“
„One of their own,“ Brynn spat in reply. „Daek was To-gai-ru, yet he turned against our ways, our customs. How deep is the rot that has affected our land?“
„Not as deep as those like Daek would wish,“ said Barachuk.
„To our people in the village, you are a hero, Brynn Dharielle,“ Tsolona added. „Our hearts bleed for the horses, trapped in barns and paddocks. To see a To-gai-ru warrior and her horse so defeating the designs of the cursed Wraps brings joy to our hearts, reminds us of who we once were -
„And who we shall be again,“ Brynn promised, hardly able to voice the words, for Tsolona’s reference to the Behrenese as the „Wraps“ had spurred many distant memories within the woman. It was a derogatory term the To-gai-ru had long used against their desert-dwelling enemies, a reference to the Behrenese custom of wrapping their heads in great turbans. Some To-gai-ru wore turbans, as well, but none as elaborate in design as those fancied by the wealthier Behrenese. It wasn’t just the word, but the manner in which Tsolona had spoken it that so inspired the memories in Brynn, for at that moment, the old woman had sounded so much to Brynn like her own mother!
„The Wraps are many, and are mighty, and their wealth has brought them the services of To-gai-ru like Daek,“ Barachuk warned. „Your victory was but minor, and will be no lasting victory at all if you are hunted down e Order of Chezhou.“
„Let them come,“ Brynn said grimly. „I will line the steppes with the Oled heads of Chezhou-Lei dog warriors.“ P „You cannot fight a war alone.“
Brvnn paused and considered Barachuk carefully, recognizing from his
,ne that he was deflecting her declaration and not trying to halt it alto-
ther She studied him hard, and he turned from her gaze to look over at his wife, who gave a nod.
„You have heard of Ashwarawu?“ Barachuk asked.
Brvnn wore a curious expression. She understood the word, but as a word and not as anyone’s name, as Barachuk was apparently asking. „He who kills without mercy?“
„Ashwarawu gathers warriors as he roams from village to village,“ Tsolona explained. „The Behrenese fear him.“
„He would welcome a fighter of your skills,“ said Barachuk. „Already, word of your deeds here are spreading across the windblown steppes.“
„You speak as if an invitation has been extended.“ Brynn’s voice reflected her caution. She had come into To-gai hoping that some sort of underground movement was already afoot, but she didn’t dare allow herself too much hope at that time. For she knew nothing, really, of this leader, Ashwarawu, and nothing of the force he was assembling.
„Ashwarawu’s ears are large, my young friend, and his invitation is open to any To-gai-ru who will raise sword against the hated Wraps!“ Tsolona declared, raising her voice so loudly that Barachuk grabbed her and „sshh’d“ her, fearing that the guards of the village would hear.
„We know where he is,“ the old man whispered to Brynn. „Or we know, at least, where you can go to be found by Ashwarawu.“
Barachuk then rattled off a series of questions to Brynn, trying to figure out how much she knew of the region and the familiar landmarks. He frowned with every shake of Brynn’s head, though, for the young ranger had no points of reference at all south of the mountains. It was just too long ago.
Finally, Barachuk just stepped up to her and physically turned her about, facing her south by southeast. „Three days,“ he explained. „Two if your horse is swift. You will find an ancient riverbed - we have not yet seen enough snow to cover its unmistakable designs. Follow the riverbed east. You will cross through several ravines, and in one, you will see to the south a mountain face that seems the profile of an old man.“
Barachuk’s Mountain,“ Brynn remarked, drawing a smile from the old man and a cackle from Tsolona.
A fine name, though I doubt any but you will call it that!“ Barachuk replied. „But there, in that valley, Ashwarawu will find you.“
„Or I will find him,“ said Brynn, and she grinned, not expecting the two to take her seriously. They didn’t understand her knowledge of tracking, of reading the slightest signs of passage. She had no doubts that if she got anywhere near to Ashwarawu’s forces, she would find them with ease.
She took the supplies from the old couple, gave each a warm and sincere hug, then gathered up Runtly and began the long trek to the south.
„How did you find us?“ the fierce To-gai-ru warrior demanded, scowling down at the seemingly unremarkable man from horseback.
„Perhaps you are not as well hidden as you believe,“ the man in the tan tunic and sash of a Jhesta Tu mystic replied, and he gave a little shrug, as if it did not matter.
„I ask you only one more time!“
The mystic shrugged, and the rider growled and seemed as if he was about to run the mystic down, but then came another voice, one that quieted the rider.
„How he found us is not as important as why he found us,“ said Ash-warawu, walking his strong black-and-white pinto to the forefront. „What do the Jhesta Tu see in our struggles that would so interest you, mystic?“
„I was To-gai-ru before I became Jhesta Tu,“ Pagonel replied.
„And that means you are loyal to our cause?“
Another shrug, pointedly noncommittal.
„And what of the Jhesta Tu who claim Behren as their heritage?“ Ash-warawu asked. „That would include most of your order, would it not? Are they now riding hard from the Mountains of Fire to pledge allegiance to the Chezru Chieftain?“
Pagonel gave a small laugh at that, and took note that Ashwarawu seemed to relax, just a bit. „Hardly that,“ he said. „Likely they would be killed before they ever neared Jacintha. Our order and the priests of Yatol hold little agreement.“
The volatile man at Ashwarawu’s side started as if he meant to say something, but the warrior leader held up his hand to silence him. „Allies against a common enemy? „
„The Jhesta Tu do not name the Yatols as enemies,“ Pagonel replied. „Though neither would we deign to name them as friends. We orbit different realms, to the satisfaction of both.“
„Yet you are here.“
The simple statement gave Pagonel pause, for in truth the mystic, so fresh from enlightenment, still had not sorted out why he had come to To-gai, and why he had sought out Ashwarawu and his fierce band. All along the path of his travels, on
ce he had hit the midpoint of the steppes, he had heard tales of Ashwarawu and his gang, of vicious retributive strikes against Behrenese outposters. Pagonel had learned why this fierce young man he was surprised at how young Ashwarawu really was! - had earned a title of someone who kills without mercy.“
The mystic would be lying, to himself as well as to others, if he did not A ‘t that he was intrigued by Ashwarawu and the renegade warrior band. ‘ ‘H* there was more to his journey to find Ashwarawu than mere intrigue,
„Why did you find me, mystic?“ Ashwarawu pressed. „I have no need to wait how long have I heard stories of the Jhesta Tu witches. Some sorcery rought you to me, I do not doubt. The question I must answer is whether 3r not that sorcery is being used to the benefit of the Wraps. Are you a spy? Do you seek to lead the Wraps to me, telling them also the strength of my forces?“
„No to both,“ Pagonel answered simply and without hesitation. „I have
come to To-gai to learn.“
Ashwarawu’s eyes opened wide at that surprising proclamation. „What is there to learn, mystic? How to fight? How to die?“
„Or perhaps, how to live.“
The young Ashwarawu rocked back a bit on his horse at the simple response and spent a long while studying the mystic, head to toe.
„You have come to learn,“ he said slowly, and he seemed to be measuring Pagonel with each passing syllable. „To learn which side you must choose?“
„I did not know that the Jhesta Tu were involved with the struggle between Behren and To-gai.“
„You said that you were To-gai-ru!“
„I once was, and perhaps will yet be again,“ Pagonel answered. „I do not know. For now, I am Jhesta Tu, and nothing more, and I have come to watch and to learn. And nothing more.“
Transcendence Page 25