The Horsemen's Gambit

Chapter 21

After leaving Kirayde, all of them still puzzled by the odd behavior of the village's eldest, Tirnya, Enly, and Jenoe led the Qalsyn army deeper into Mettai lands. They continued to follow the banks of Ravens Wash, believing that most Mettai settlements would be found within sight of the river. They found no more villages that day, however, and though they set out at first light the following morning, by midday they had yet to see any other settlements.

"They may be clustered nearer to the lakes," Jenoe said at one point. "In the years following the end of the Blood Wars the Mettai were pushed pretty far north."

Neither Tirnya nor Enly said anything, and they continued on.

By nightfall, they still had found nothing, and Tirnya's frustration mounted. She'd thought that by arguing for a set time period in which to search for potential allies, instead of agreeing to visit a certain number of villages, she was helping her cause, making it more likely that they would find Mettai who were willing to help them. Now it seemed that she might have miscalculated.

Clouds began to move in as the soldiers made camp and by the time Tirnya went to sleep it had begun to snow, further darkening her mood. If the weather turned against them, her father might insist that they start back toward Qalsyn, even if that meant visiting no more villages.

When they awoke the next morning, the first of the new waning, all the camp had been covered with a light dusting of snow. The skies, though, had already started to clear, and while Tirnya's father made jokes about how poorly Tirnya's mother would have fared under such circumstances, he said nothing about returning to the city.

Tirnya had also feared that the cold might dampen the spirits of the soldiers, but as the men broke camp that morning, they threw snowballs at one another, acting more like children on an outing than grown men marching to battle.

For the first few hours, the snow hindered their progress some. But by midday, the air had turned warm and much of the snow had melted, allowing the men who were on foot to walk faster. Still, they came upon no settlements. Tirnya kept her eyes fixed on the northern horizon, straining her eyes for any sign of the Mettai.

Finally, late in the day, she spotted a town ahead of them. At first, both Enly and her father thought she was imagining it, but eventually they saw it, too. This came as a great relief; for just a short time, she had started to fear that in her eagerness to find the Mettai she really had started to imagine things.

Once more Jenoe marched his army to the outskirts of the village before continuing on into the heart of the settlement with Tirnya and Enly. As they rode up the lane leading into the center of the settlement, Tiryna felt her hopes rising. This village was similar in size to Kirayde, but it didn't look nearly as prosperous as Pyav's village. Several of the houses were in disrepair, and the land around the village didn't appear as fertile. Many of the garden plots were filled with wispy grasses, and the few animals they passed looked underfed.

"This is the one," Tirnya said quietly.

Her father looked at her. "You think so?"

"Look at the homes. Look at the garden plots. They need us as much as we need them."

"I'm not sure that's reason enough to make them our allies," Enly said. Tiryna looked at him sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that we're going to be counting on these people in battle. We need them, yes. But we should be able to trust them. If they're just doing this because they need more fertile land-^"

"That's as good a reason as any," Tirnya said. "You're just looking for ways to keep us from succeeding. One day you say that the Mettai won't ally themselves with us because of how they've been treated. Now you're saying that if we can overcome their doubts by offering them a better place to live, we shouldn't trust them. So by your reckoning, the only Mettai worthy of being our allies are the ones who are too principled to join us."

"That's not…" Enly stopped and looked at Jenoe.

The marshal raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I agree with her. We came prepared to offer them land, because we knew that might be the best way to win their support. This is war, Enly. We're fighting for land ourselves. Yes, there's more than that at stake for Tirnya and me, but essentially, we're trying to win back the Horn and Deraqor. Why should we expect more of the Mettai?"

"I suppose," Enly said, not sounding convinced. He looked at Tirnya. "I'm not trying to keep you from succeeding. I just… I'm suspicious of magic, be it Mettai or white-hair. I don't like the idea of going into battle depending on sorcerers to save my life."

"Would you rather face an army of sorcerers without any magic on your side?"

Enly tipped his head, acknowledging the point. "No. I'd rather have nothing to do with magic at all."

"Then you shouldn't have come," Tirnya said, facing forward again.

As they approached the village marketplace, they saw that several people were standing in the middle of the lane, apparently waiting for them. One of them, an older woman with short white hair and a narrow face, raised a hand in greeting. But Tirnya noticed that most of the men and women standing behind her held axes, hoes, spades, and hammers. They looked like they were ready for a fight.

Jenoe raised a hand in return. "Greetings," he called to the woman. She said nothing.

"Friendly place," Enly said under his breath.

The three riders dismounted a short distance from the villagers and covered the remaining distance on foot.

"I take it you're the eldest of this village," Jenoe said.

"I am," the woman answered warily. "My name is Fayonne. And you are?"

"Jenoe Onjaef, marshal under His Lordship Maisaak Tolm in Qalsyn. This is my daughter, Tirnya, and His Lordship's son, Enly. What village is this, Fayonne?"

"Lifarsa. We saw your army from a great distance. If it's supplies you need, you've come to the wrong place. We haven't food to spare, at least not enough to make a difference to so many."

Jenoe smiled. "No. We're well provisioned."

Fayonne had a sharp chin and large, wide eyes, which she narrowed now, making her face look feline. "Then why have you come?"

Jenoe asked her about the pestilence, of which she'd heard a good deal, and then spoke to her briefly of the history of house Onjaef. Like Kenitha, in Shaldir, Fayonne understood immediately what he had in mind.

"You intend to take back your land," she said. "You're going to fight the Fal'Borna."

"That's our intention," Jenoe said. "And we'd like to propose an alliance with the Mettai. We're going to fight against sorcerers, and we'd like to have magic wielded on our behalf as well."

"How much do you know about Mettai magic, Marshal Onjaef?" the woman asked.

"I'd be the first to admit that I know very little. I know that it's blood magic, that you need to cut yourself in order to wield it. Beyond that…" He opened his hands and shrugged.

"Our magic doesn't work the way Qirsi magic does. Some would say it's not as powerful, although we Mettai know better. But it is different. We have no Weavers; we can't combine our powers in any way."

Jenoe looked at Tirnya, a question in his eyes. She nodded.

"We understand all of that, Eldest. We still wish to discuss an alliance."

Fayonne, in turn, glanced back at those who were standing with her before facing the marshal again. "Very well," she said. "What would we get in return?"

Tirnya suppressed a smile. At long last, they'd found what they were seeking. Her eyes flicked toward Enly, who was already looking at her, the expression in his pale eyes unreadable.

"If we manage to take back Deraqor and the Horn," Jenoe said, "we can offer you land. I don't know where exactly." He looked around at the village. "I can promise you, though, that it will be more fertile than the land you have here."

The eldest eyed him for several moments, her tongue pressing her cheek outward. "I'd like for us to discuss this further, and I need to talk to my Council of Elders. You can remain here for the night?"

Jenoe nodded. "Of course."

"Good. Again, we can't feed all your men. But if the three of you will return at dusk, we'd be pleased to have you as our guests for the evening meal."

"You honor us, Eldest. We'll look forward to supping with you."

The woman nodded, her expression so grave one might have thought that she'd told Jenoe and his army to leave at once.

The three riders turned and started back down the lane toward the army, saying nothing until they were certain that the Mettai couldn't hear them.

"Seems you were right," Tirnya's father finally said.

Tirnya grinned. "Yes."

"They were very quick to agree," Enly said, not looking nearly as pleased as Tirnya felt. "They must be desperate to leave this land."

Jenoe glanced around, frowning slightly. "I can't say that I blame them."

"Neither can I," Enly said. "But still, there's something odd about this place. I can't see any reason why the land here should be any worse than it was in Kirayde or Shaldir. But clearly it is."

"Maybe the soil gets worse as one moves northward," Tirnya said. Enly shook his head. "I've never heard that."

"And since when are you an expert on farming?"

"I've never heard it, either," her father said.

Tirnya wanted to tell them both that they were being foolish. They'd found allies for their war. The rest hardly mattered. But she could imagine what Enly would say to that. In the end she simply said, "Well, then perhaps they have some other reason for wanting to leave."

Even that wasn't enough to end their discussion.

"Exactly," Enly said pointedly. "And I, for one, would like to know what that reason is before we ride into battle with them."

"We'll learn what we can at supper," Jenoe said.

Enly nodded his agreement. "What will you promise them?"

"No more than I have to."

"Father!" Tinrya said.

Jenoe held up a hand. "I'm just saying that there's too much we don't know right now. How much land will we win back? Which parts of the territory will be easiest to take? I can't promise them much, because we don't know yet what we have to offer."

He had a point. Still, Tirnya had hoped that her father at least would join her in celebrating their good fortune. Instead, he sounded nearly as doubtful as Enly.

They reached the army a few moments later and immediately Enly and Tirnya informed their lead riders that they wouldn't be marching any farther this day and that the men should begin to make camp. As word of this spread, cheers went up from the soldiers. Not wishing to be near her father or Enly for now, Tirnya remained with her soldiers.

She hadn't spoken much with her lead riders in the last few days, and she missed their company. Oliban returned to her a short while after she'd given the order to make camp, trailed by several of his men.

"Th' men are askin' if they can hunt, Captain," he told her. "They'd like some game for their suppers."

Tirnya considered this for just a moment. "I don't see why not." She smiled at the soldiers. "Good hunting."

"Thank ya, Captain!" the men said, before hurrying off.

She and Oliban watched them go.

"So these are th' ones, eh?" Oliban asked after some time. "These Mettai I mean."

"It looks that way," she said. "Their leader wanted to speak with their Council of Elders, but she seemed eager to help us."

"So we'll be goin' t' war after all."

Tirnya eyed him a moment. He'd kept his tone light, but it seemed an odd way to phrase the question. "Were you hoping we wouldn't?"

"No, Captain," he said quickly. "We was jus' wonderin'. That's all."

She nodded, though she didn't quite believe him. "Well, as I say, we'll be speaking with their leader again this evening. I'll let you know what happens."

She turned away from him and began to walk among her men. Many of them shouted greetings to her that she acknowledged with a wave or a smile. But she spoke with no one.

At dusk, she joined her father and Enly, and the three of them rode back into the village. Once again, they found the eldest waiting for them in the marketplace. Several torches had been mounted on poles, which were arrayed around a long table. It seemed they were to eat right there, out in the open, despite the chill creeping into the night air. The eldest had been joined by perhaps ten men and women, most of them white-haired like Fayonne. They were already seated, leaving four spaces at the table's center. All of them stared at Tirnya and the others, but they didn't smile or say a word. They just watched.

"Welcome," Fayonne said. "Thank you for coming."

The words were kind enough, but once again there was something grim in the woman's manner. In spite of herself Tirnya wondered if Enly might be right about this village and its people.

Fayonne indicated the table. "Please, join us." She led them to the table and sat, clearly expecting them to do the same.

There were already loaves of bread on the table and a bowl of dark stew at each place. The eldest picked up her spoon, dipped it into the stew, and held it up, glancing at Jenoe, a thin smile on her lips.

"Again, welcome," she said. "Enjoy."

With that, she began to eat, as did the other Mettai.

Jenoe nodded to the two captains and picked up his spoon as well. Tirnya followed his example, tasting the stew tentatively. It was awful. It had been heavily spiced with some herb that burned her tongue but didn't quite mask the sour taste of whatever meat had been used in the dish. What few vegetables there were had been badly overcooked, and the meat was tough and stringy. She reached for some bread at the same time Enly did.

Her father had taken one spoonful, and now he laid his spoon back down on the table and looked at the eldest.

"Have you and your council come to a decision?" he asked.

"We have," the eldest said, in between spoonfuls. One might have thought it was the most delicious meal she'd ever had. "We'll join you in your war against the Fal'Borna, and in return we want land, gold, and horses."

Jenoe raised an eyebrow. "I see."

"Surely you can offer us all of that and more," Fayonne said. She put down her spoon and took a sip of water, which was, Tirnya realized, the only thing there was to drink. "I see your army, your weapons, your horses, and I think to myself, 'Here are people with riches to spare.' "

Jenoe smiled faintly and toyed with his spoon. "Our wealth isn't as great as you might think. But as I said when we first spoke, we can offer you land. If you help us against the Fal'Borna, you'll share in the spoils of our victory."

"Horses and gold, too," the woman said.

"If those are among the spoils," the marshal said, after eyeing her briefly, "then perhaps we can offer them. But I make no promises."

The woman frowned, but after a moment she nodded once. "Very well. When do we leave?"

Tirnya's father opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Forgive me, Eldest. I'm certain that you're a skilled sorcerer. But we're marching to war, and right now we have no spare horses to offer you. I believe that you'd be best off sending some of your younger men and women with us. And then after-"

"No!" Fayonne said, shaking her head. "We're going with you. That's what you said before."

Jenoe glanced at Tirnya, looking doubtful. "If you feel that you need to accompany us, I suppose you can."

"Not just me," she said, her voice rising. "All of us! Everyone!"

The marshal's eyes widened. "Everyone?" He laughed nervously, though his forehead was creased deeply. "You can't be serious."

She started to answer, but stopped herself, glancing at the elders. Tirnya couldn't see many of their faces, but she thought she saw several of them shake their heads.

A moment later, the eldest gave a small breathless laugh that clearly was forced. "No, of course I'm not, Marshal. I'll come with you. As eldest it's my place. But other than that it will only be the youngest and strongest of us."

Jenoe looked around the table, much as Fayonne had done a moment before. "All right," he said, sounding unnerved.

"Why are you so anxious to leave this place?" Enly asked.

Fayonne looked at him sharply, torchlight shining in her dark eyes. "Wouldn't you be?" she demanded.

"Other Mettai have refused us."

"Enly!" Tirnya said, glaring at him.

"They have a right to know," he said. He faced the eldest again. "Other Mettai have told us they want nothing to do with our war, but you… You didn't hesitate at all."

Fayonne regarded him for several moments. "Are all the men of Qalsyn like you?" she asked. "Are all of you the same?"

Enly gave a sour look. "Of course not."

"Then why should you expect all Mettai to be?"

"I don't, but as I say, these other Mettai-"

"Their villages were more prosperous than ours, weren't they? Their land was more fertile?"

Enly conceded that point with a nod. "Yes, it was."

"There's your answer." The eldest picked up her spoon and took another mouthful of stew. "Please," she said. "Eat. There's plenty."

None of them ate much more, and before long they were riding back to their camp, trying to make out the lane as their eyes adjusted to the night. "Something's not right here," Enly said quietly.

"I agree," Jenoe told him.

Tirnya couldn't bring herself to argue with them. Despite how eager she was to ride to war, she knew it as well.

"We could ride farther north," Enly said. "There may be other Mettai who'll agree to join us."

"And what if there aren't?" Tirnya asked. "We've struck a bargain with them. We asked them to ride to war with us and they agreed. Now you want us to break our word?"

"We could tell them that we want to find more Mettai to join us," Jenoe said.

She shook her head fiercely. "We're not going to find any others. You both know it's true. You're right, Enly: They are desperate. That's why they agreed. And before you argue that this makes them unfit in some way to march with us, I'll remind you that war often fosters alliances of convenience. How often did the Fal'Borna and J'Balanar fight together against the sovereignties?"

For a long time neither of the men spoke, until finally Tirnya's father said, "She makes a valid point."

"I know," Enly said. "I just hope their magic is worth all this."

"I just hope," Jenoe said, "that we're not forced to eat any more of their food."

Tirnya and Enly laughed.

"When we left earlier my men were on their way to hunt some game," Tirnya told them. "We can eat when we get back to camp."

As it turned out, though, Oliban and the others had found precious little to eat, and most of the men had been forced to cobble together an evening meal from the stores the army had carried from Qalsyn. Before going to sleep, Tirnya ate a bit of dried meat and cheese, but not enough to get the taste of the Mettai stew out of her mouth, and not enough to keep her stomach from growling as she lay down under the stars.

Tirnya slept poorly, plagued by hunger and vague, disturbing dreams of white-hairs and Mettai. She awoke well before dawn and spent the rest of the night staring up into a cloudless sky, wondering if they were making a mistake by trusting these strange, desperate people.

They broke camp with first light. As Jenoe and Fayonne had agreed, the Mettai appeared on the road just as the sun was rising. The eldest walked at the head of their company, and with her were at least fifty younger men and women, all of them carrying travel sacks on their backs, and many of them bearing axes and long daggers, as well as the knives they carried on their belts.

Tirnya stood with her father, watching the Mettai approach. "Whatever else you might say about them," she remarked, "they look like they're ready to fight."

Jenoe nodded but said nothing. Many of the men around her had stopped what they were doing and were watching the Mettai approach. Some of them merely looked curious, but a good number were eyeing the villagers with suspicion, even fear.

Fayonne led her people directly to Tirnya's father, stopping just in front of him. "We're ready to march when you are, Marshal."

"Thank you, Eldest," he said. "My daughter was just saying that you and your people truly look like warriors."

The woman regarded him solemnly. "You honor us, Marshal." She glanced at the soldiers. "But your men don't seem happy to see us."

"It might take some time for them to get used to you," he said.

She nodded. "No doubt. We'll have to get used to them, too."

Jenoe took a long breath. "Yes, I suppose so." He forced a smile. "We'll be marching soon. You can take whatever place you'd like in our column."

"We'll walk behind you," Fayonne said immediately. She turned and spoke quietly to the Mettai man behind her. He nodded, and started leading the rest of the Mettai to the far end of the camp. "Thank you, Marshal," she said, facing Jenoe again. "We'll speak again at the end of the day." With that, she turned and left them.

Jenoe shook his head slowly, watching Fayonne walk away. "What was it Enly said last night? 'I hope their magic is worth all this'?"

"It will be," Tirnya said. "They may be strange, and they may he driven by needs we don't understand. But they're sorcerers. By the time the Fal'Borna realize what's happening to their armies, we'll have taken back Deraqor." She nodded, as if convinced by the logic of her own argument. "I'm certain of it," she said, her voice low.

"I think you may be right."

Tirnya looked at her father.

"I don't relish the idea of riding to war with these people," he went on. "But I can't imagine the Fal'Borna will be expecting this. It might just work."

She continued to stare at him, saying nothing.

"What?" her father asked, a slight grin on his face.

"I'm surprised. I thought you didn't like this idea."

"I thought so, too," he said. "But now that we're here, and the Mettai are with us, I'm starting to reconsider."

"Really?"

He nodded. "We're riding to Deraqor. I've dreamed of this since I was a child."

Tirnya smiled, feeling better than she had in days.

Let Enly doubt their plan. Let those Mettai who had refused them doubt it as well. Tirnya knew it would work. Yes, Fayonne and her people were strange. Their reasons for agreeing to this alliance clearly had far more to do with the desolate conditions in which they lived than with any affinity they felt for Jenoe's army and their cause. But the Mettai of Lifarsa were marching with them: fifty sorcerers added to an army of two thousand of Qalsyn's finest soldiers. Soon they would join forces with another two thousand men from northern and southern Stelpana, and together they would cross the Silverwater into Qirsi land.

Tirnya wasn't foolish enough to think that the coming battles would be won easily. But they would be won. Just as the early battles of the Blood Wars had been won by Eandi and Mettai fighting as allies.