She's the One Who Cares Too Much

by S. R. Cronin

  Ryalgar took one look at the commotion and didn’t hesitate. She found a large rock to stand upon, held up a cone-shaped piece of carved wood my grandmother gave her to amplify her voice, and began to shout instructions. As she worked her magic of organization, my father walked towards me with his arms open wide to hug me.

  “No.” I barked it out with more vehemence than I meant and saw the hurt on his face. I knew Ryalgar had told him what I could do because she felt she had no choice. Now he’d overcome his fears to offer me this hug and I’d rebuffed him. I felt awful.

  “I’d love to hug you, Dad, but look.” I opened my cloak a sliver as he came closer.

  “Surely you didn’t bring a newborn out here with you?”

  “It’s okay. The Velka said he’d be safest with me. Come. Meet your grandson, Votto.”

  My dad came close and his scowl at my rejection softened as he peeked at the tiny human asleep under my cloak. He studied the baby, then gently touched the child’s forehead without saying a word.

  “He looks a lot like his father, doesn’t he?” I said.

  My dad nodded. “I hoped he’d have your beautiful red hair.”

  “Coral. We need you.” My sister’s voice broke the spell. I closed my cloak as I turned to do my part.

  “Maybe he’ll have your beautiful disposition instead,” my dad added as I walked away.

  We started out trying to make the animals go to sleep, the way we’d done with the donkeys a few anks ago. At first nothing worked, other than the luskies’ singsong words making the farmhands yawn a lot. As the excitement wore off and we all got bored, a few of the donkeys took the opportunity to nap. We couldn’t tell if it had to do with our efforts or not.

  Eventually, a couple of the horses without riders nodded off while standing up, as horses often do. My dad told me years ago horses napped on their feet because they can’t get up as fast as other animals.

  “I think we’re back to the idea of only being able to get a creature to do what it wants to do,” the woman I knew was Ewalina told Ryalgar. “These donkeys and horses are tired, so now they’re happy to comply with our suggestions.”

  My dad agreed. “When we started, everyone was full of anticipation. Animals pick up on that. No creature wants to sleep if something exciting is about to happen. It’s not safe. Plus, they could miss the chance for food. They’re not stupid.”

  Joli lowered her voice so only Ryalgar and those standing near her could hear.

  “Why not do this napping thing instead of shooting their horses while they sleep? Use luskies to keep the Mongol’s horses slumbering for days, with no arrows needed?”

  “I wish,” Ryalgar answered. “You didn’t grow up with horses, did you? A sleeping horse can’t hear your suggestion and it will wake up to eat. Besides, the Mongols would wake them. No, I hoped we could use this later on, to somehow bring the remaining horde to a stop. Now I’m having trouble seeing how it could help us at all.”

  Ewalina agreed. “This isn’t a sleeping potion, that’s for sure.”

  “Yeah,” Joli laughed. “It’s more like a sleeping suggestion. What good is that?”

  “Then why not suggest they do something besides sleep? Something they want to do?” I asked. Everyone turned to me in surprise. “What else does a horse want to do?” I added. I guess it was a naïve question. Several of the farmhands responded with crude gestures and laughs.

  Joli turned to them in irritation. “Besides that. Although now that you mention it …”

  “No!” Ryalgar said. “We are not going to try to get eight hundred horses into a prucking frenzy.” Several of us giggled at the image and even the farmhands laughed and came in closer to listen.

  “Could we make these eight hundred horses go wildly hungry?” Ewalina asked.

  “I’m guessing they’re too well trained for that,” my father said.

  “If you scare them, they’ll be more likely to ignore their training. Act from their instincts.” One of the farmhands had stopped smirking and was taking this problem seriously.

  “You’re right,” Ryalgar said. “But I don’t think you can scare them into eating. Or mating. How about just scaring them into bucking?”

  “That’s it,” my dad said. “A well-trained horse will seldom throw its rider, but if you startle it enough and then add your people’s mumbo jumbo, maybe ….”

  And so part two of Ryalgar’s master plan was born.

  In our enthusiasm, we threw everything at the problem. All the luskies chanting in their deepest voices “Throw your rider!” All the singers howling and screeching exhortations at the top of their lungs to do the same. Then we added a flaming torch a couple of the farmhands devised and the sudden sound of everyone else hitting anything they could find with a stick.

  By mid-afternoon, several riders had hit the ground hard enough to sustain minor injuries but everyone grinned, and none more than those who’d been thrown by their own affectionate horses.

  “It’s going to take a lot more fire and noise for the numbers we’ll be dealing with,” Ryalgar said, “but at least we know it can be done.”

  “It’s not something you can keep doing,” Ewalina pointed out. “Already these horses are less inclined to respond.”

  “I know. This needs to be a one-time event. We’ll place a blockage of some sort on the way to Pilk, then we’ll do this once, as well as we can.”

  “And what will keep these thrown riders from getting back on their horses?” Joli asked. Then she looked at Ryalgar. “You have a plan for that, don’t you? Of course you do.”

  Ryalgar smiled. “It looks like the cow herders of Bisu aren’t the only ones needing training from the Svadlu. The farm folk of Vinx will need some, too.” She looked around at the group. “Okay. Now we’re going to try this with as many riders at once as we can. We need to make sure the sounds of the luskies and the singers can penetrate the noise because it’s going to be so much louder with hundreds of horses.”

  I looked over at the farmhand standing next to me. He’d been thrown twice, and the sprain in his wrist would likely cause him pain for days. Both he and the horse standing next to him reeked of confusion and fatigue.

  “Ryalgar?”

  “What?” She wasn’t happy to be interrupted.

  “It’s time to stop for the day.” I didn’t mean to say it as a command; I just knew one more attempt could push riders and horses beyond what was safe.

  I could see the argument forming on her lips when she stopped and thought about my words.

  “It has been a long day,” she said. “And everyone needs to be home by dark. Good point, Coral. Sometimes my determination gets the better of me.” She gave me a warm smile and turned to the whole group. “Change in plans. We’ll meet again in two anks to look into the problems of noise. Let’s see if we can gather more people next time so our testing can be more realistic.”

  Everyone turned away, grateful to be headed home.

  As Votto and I rode back into the forest, I began to suckle him under my cloak. Had I forced Ryalgar into her decision? Had I nudged her into it? Or had she simply seen the wisdom in what I said?

  I had no real way of knowing.

  Three anks after Votto was born, his father sent for me.

  “Your husband wishes to meet his son,” the older Velka said. “He didn’t send word; he came to the marketplace in person to find out if you’d be well enough in one ank to ride to the forest's edge and meet him at the new wall being built between Gruen and Pilk. I told him I’d ask.”

  I was well enough already and the woman knew it, but I appreciated how she’d left the decision to me. I wanted to introduce Votto to his father, but Davor had chosen the same day Ryalgar had for her second experiment.

  “Please tell him I’d like an extra ank for my recovery, and I’d like to give Votto time to grow stronger before we travel. Ask if I could meet him there in two anks instead. It will be Noruz then, and he and I could celebrate the spring equinox togeth
er.”

  Yes, I was trying to shame him into spending one holiday with me instead of with his new love from Tolo. I knew it was petty, but on some level I thought producing a son for him ought to buy me the status of being seen on his arm during a public occasion.

  The woman gave me a knowing smile. “I’ll convey to him your concerns for your health and your child.”

  An ank later I bound Votto to my chest and prepared for our second ride. In nine days he’d grown heavier. No surprise, given he fed all day. Others told me not to worry, every baby ate according to their own natural rhythm. I had to admit, the chubbier he became, the cuter he got.

  Clouds hung low in the sky as we emerged from the forest, but the air was mild and still. Puddles of mud dotted a landscape still wet from melting snow. Everyone had worried about injuries last time, but today the farmers had done something about it. Many brought straw-filled wagons and we arrived to mounds of straw being spread to cover the mud and to lessen the impact of the falls.

  This time I brought a mask of my own, and a scarf to cover my hair. Strands of orange popped out on every side, but at least my efforts made it clear I didn’t wish to be recognized. I stood with the other luskies.

  My father stopped his work spreading straw as soon as he saw me and headed my way. Unless I asked him to ignore me after today, he’d continue to make it hard to hide my identity.

  Knowing Votto slept under my cloak, he reached his arms out towards me and I offered him Votto wrapped in his blanket. Dad took the bundle without hesitation and began making faces and noises as he held the baby, trying to get him to smile. When Votto finally gave my dad his first grin, both of us got tears in our eyes.

  “Thanks, Dad, for all the extra people you talked into coming!” Ryalgar strode over to us, oblivious to the moment she interrupted.

  “My pleasure,” Dad answered. “People talk, dear. Everyone is scared about the Mongols. Nearly everyone knows you’re doing something to keep the people safe. They wanted to come.”

  I looked around and counted at least fifty horses and riders. Celestine had been one of four singers for the first experiment. I don’t know how she’d done it, but today she was one of forty, all warming up with vocalizing exercises. We’d had six luskies last time. This time we had fourteen, including a man who had to be the famed lone male luski from Tolo.

  A dozen Velka had somehow brought two large gongs and a giant drum through the forest to this spot. Off to one side stood several reczavy from the edges of K’ba. The reczavy were known for their circus-like performances, many of which included fire. This group looked ready to start a blaze that would frighten any number of horses. I couldn’t imagine who in my family convinced the reczavy to help us, or how in the world they had managed it.

  Ryalgar took her position on the rock, the wooden cone in her hand. We began.

  By our third attempt we knew a large number of trained horses could be startled and nudged into throwing their riders. Ryalgar had brought more of the cones she used to amplify her voice, and results improved when the singers and luskies both used them. Fire and noise worked best in combination, but if only one was used, fire was better. Smoke helped too.

  Ryalgar had two more things she wanted to try before we called it quits. She’d been having the riders stay far apart, not wanting to chance anyone being trampled. She needed to know if the horses would behave differently if they were closer together.

  And, she needed to know if the luskies and singers could change their song at the end, and encourage the horses to run far and fast once they dumped their riders. She decided to combine both questions into a trial run with unridden horses bunched together. Given the hassle of getting the horses back, this was a one-time experiment best conducted at the end of the day.

  We were nearly ready to begin when a cloud of dust in the distance showed another group of riders coming to us. No matter who it was, being discovered wasn’t good. Ryalgar didn’t hesitate.

  “All the Velka, into the forest. Take the gongs and drums. Luskies go with them. Disappear now.” They all moved towards the trees except for me.

  She turned to the singers. “Grab horses and wagons and head towards Pilk. You’re just passing through. On your way to a show. You have nothing to do with us.”

  They obliged, with haste.

  She turned to the reczavy, but they were already gone.

  “How’d they do that?” She shrugged and turned to the farmers and farmhands. “Please make up something about what you’re doing with fifty horses and all this hay. It doesn’t have to make much sense. Whoever they are, just give them some answers so they’ll move on.”

  Dad spoke up. “I’ve got this. You get out of here, Ryalgar. You too, Coral.”

  As we turned to go I heard him say, “Oh, Heli, it’s the Svadlu.”

  Chapter 11. An Awkward Meeting

  Two days later the same older Velka who’d delivered Davor’s first message came to my cottage to tell me my husband wished to see me immediately.

  “He sent word instructing you to be at the new wall between Pilk and Gruen by midmorning tomorrow.”

  “That’s odd. Should I go?”

  She shrugged. “What do you think?”

  Well, I had made a promise. Defying his brusque order would feel good but gain me nothing but trouble. So I packed a few extra things in case he expected me to leave the forest and come with him to Pilk, then I walked over to the lodge and made arrangements for an escort,

  He stood in the sunshine, leaning against the rock wall waiting for me. I handed the reins of my donkey to my escort, promising to let her know soon if she should wait or go. I left my pack with her.

  Davor gave me no more than a fleeting smile before his eyes settled on my brown wool cloak. He wanted to see his son. I knew the Velka had passed reports along about the baby’s gender and health, but as I took a groggy Votto out of his carrier, Davor studied the infant in my arms.

  “You didn’t lie to me at least,” he said. “He’s definitely mine.”

  “He is.” Then because I thought I should add more, “He’s a good baby. Happy. Healthy. Eats well.”

  Davor nodded. “You’ve done a fine job with him, Coral. He’s more than I could have asked for. Because of that, I hate to do this to you now, but I don’t have much choice.”

  Several bad alternatives ran through my head.

  “What in Heli is your father up to?” he asked. “Fifty horsemen at the forest’s edge doing some sort of training? Is he trying to start his own make-shift army to fight the Mongols? We do not need this sort of interference from our citizens.”

  That’s what had upset him? I almost laughed in relief.

  “I can’t think of a man less likely to start an army than my father,” I said, opting for a truth.

  “I agree, but one of our squads came upon a bunch of men, horses, and straw in the middle of nowhere a couple of days ago, with your dad in charge. You need to go to your parents’ house and find out what’s going on.”

  Scump.

  Was more truth my best option? I thought so. “He wasn’t doing anything except helping my sister Ryalgar.”

  “What? The one who’s a Velka? The one who asked me all the military questions when I met her at your wedding?”

  “I didn’t realize she’d done that. But yes, her. She’s also the one who’s given me a place to give birth and has seen to it your son was cared for and safe. That sister.”

  Davor took a deep breath. “I’m grateful for her help regarding my son. But let me assure you, if she’s planning trouble of any kind from inside the forest ….”

  I placed my eyes in front of Davor’s. “The last thing my sister is planning is trouble.”

  “Then what is she doing conducting exercises with horsemen?”

  “Trying to help you.”

  “Huh? What in Heli’s name makes her think I need her help?”

  “She’s looked at a map. She’s talked to people. She’s pretty varmin sure t
he Svadlu will end up giving Vinx and the nichnas around it to the Mongols thinking they don’t have a choice. She knows that will leave the Velka surrounded by enemies, and she thinks if she can help you, you’ll have a better chance of winning your battle.”

  Davor burst into laughter. “Well, if that doesn’t top everything. Now I’ve got old ladies and farmhands trying to help me. Prucking goat scump.”

  “Davor, there’s no harm in what she’s doing. I promise. If you talk to her, she’ll tell you all about it. It’s no secret people are afraid. They’ve heard stories. She’s giving them something positive to do.”

  “Look, if they want to do something positive, why don’t they join the Svadlu? We could use more men. More women, too,” he added.

  “She’s coming at the problem in different ways. Not like a soldier.” When Davor looked alarmed by this idea, I added. “It’s nothing harmful. Nothing you’d object to.”

  He shook his head. “Okay, Coral. Because she’s been so helpful with our baby, I’ll give her a little leeway, but I need to know more. Tell her the two of you must come to Pilk for Noruz.” I’m sure the enthusiasm showed on my face. “Not to celebrate with me. I’m sorry, honey cakes. Let her know she and I will have a serious conversation then, and it’s going to be about what she is and isn’t allowed to do as a citizen.”

  “I’ll tell her. So does this mean you’re now totally in charge of training the troops for the Mongol invasion?” I thought a slight subject change would be helpful.

  He spat on the ground off to the side. “No, that idiot Nevik is still around. I’ve been taking him out for drinks lately, pretending I like him, so he’ll give me less trouble.”