by S. R. Cronin
See. This is proof we need to reign in this behavior more. Look where it leads.
I knew Ryalgar’s mind. She found intimacy with a stranger awkward and she felt at home with the Velka. She’d never join the reczavy.
“What’s she doing there?”
Acquiescence showed in Mom’s eyes as she finally told me the truth.
“Looking for Gypsum. We learned she dropped out of school two eighths ago, and her friends thought this is where she’d gone.”
This made sense. It explained my father’s embarrassment, too.
“Why send Ryalgar after her?
“To see if it’s true. To make sure she’s okay. To beg her to leave.”
I nodded and said no more. Once you have the facts, caring about people can mean walking away from further conversation.
Celestine arrived at the farm late in the ank, and I noticed both of my parents’ frustration with her. She’d had been gone more than she’d been around, and had done a poor job of reassuring my parents as to her whereabouts. But she and I now shared a bond we’d never had. We could combine our vocal skills into something important.
I suggested we try to learn more, and she jumped at the chance. Olivine’s group had left by then, and the barn was ours. It was full of bugs, mice, squirrels, a few cows, some cats, a goat, an old owl, a nest of swallows, a couple of lizards, a few rabbits, and some harmless garden snakes.
“What do animals want to do?”
We came up with a short list. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Screw. Amuse themselves. Groom themselves. Make themselves more comfortable.
“I think this covers humans, too,” she said. I had to laugh.
We made ourselves a sort of sitting area in the barn, setting blankets, a couple of stools, and a small table amidst the hay. Then, over the next three days, as we ate, drank, and visited in the barn, we tried to get every creature interested in anything on our list. We discovered the insects and spiders could care less about us, and the snakes and lizards weren’t far behind. We didn’t impress the swallows but the old owl was susceptible. The rest of the animals responded to various degrees, each preferring some commands over others. The goat would munch on anything within reach within seconds, while the rabbits would start to have sex after only a few notes. It took no effort to get the cats to groom themselves, and was almost impossible to get a squirrel to do so.
“I don’t know how this helps, but it sure is fascinating,” Celestine said. “The smarter the creature, the more susceptible it is.”
“I agree. It bodes well for working with horses. Animals don’t get much smarter.”
“We need to get back to practicing with them.”
“Yes, but we also need to stop throwing people off before someone breaks a leg. Or worse. Here’s what I think we should do.”
She and I spent a happy afternoon plotting out ways to practice without putting anyone in danger, and ways to use fire better, and how to simulate the noise of an invasion. Now that Ryalgar was busy elsewhere, we got excited about our ideas because we thought we were in charge of these practices. It seemed reasonable, but we were about to learn we were wrong.
Chapter 13. Another Person in Charge
I'd been back at school for an eighth when an unknown horsewoman rode up to my cottage one evening. Days had grown long again with Keva passed, and I sat on the porch rocking Votto and singing to him, hoping he'd fall asleep before dusk so I’d have time to tend to the flowers growing in my yard.
From a distance the rider reminded me of Ewalina, another tall, thin, and unknown woman who’d ridden up to my doorstep long ago. That had ended well.
“Hello.” I greeted her with a wave. Any similarity to Ewalina ended as she got closer. This woman was younger and wore her brown hair wound into an uncommonly severe bun on her head.
“Who sent you?” I asked, hoping for news of a friend or relative.
She looked surprised I would question her. “Your sister, Ryalgar.”
She dismounted from an excellent mare, young, large, and worth a good bit of coin.
“Your sister has put me in charge of you.”
What? I was in charge of me, even though I had a husband who believed otherwise. I hardly needed my sister’s friends deciding they ran my life too.
“I’m here to inform you of your training schedule for the summer, and when and how I’ll need you. Here. I’ve written it all out so there’ll be no confusion. Read it now so you can ask questions if you have them.”
I stared at her. I didn’t know where to begin, given her rudeness.
“Ryalgar said you could do this?” It was the nicest thing I could think of.
"Your sister and I have an arrangement. We’re co-leading the Velka’s efforts to stop the Mongols.”
I didn’t believe that. Ryalgar wasn’t inclined to co-lead with anyone, and no one knew it better than me. If she’d been forced into this, she’d have gone out of her way to let me know about it.
I gave the woman a skeptical look. She tethered up her horse while we talked, and settled her bony backside into my other porch chair, uninvited.
“Please. Have a seat.” If she caught my undertone, she ignored it. “My name is Coral...”
“I know your name.”
“Yes, but I don’t know yours.”
She smiled as though she found me amusing, but said nothing. I had asked her name, by offering her mine. Didn’t she understand how people interacted? I glared at her. “What’s your name?”
She bristled at my scowl. "Let me warn you, I'm well versed in the powers of luskies, so don't try anything with me.”
Ahh. That explained her brusqueness. She feared me.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. I have manners.” I gave her a smile sweet enough, I hoped, to make her wonder if I coaxed her. I did, but only a tiny bit. I wanted to know what she could detect.
“My manners aren’t so good after a long ride. Forgive me. My name is Hana.”
I glanced over the paper she’d given me, with dates and places listed in a bold hand.
“I have to work around my teaching schedule and, as Votto grows, I’ll need someone to watch him, too.”
“I’ve accounted for the teaching part, and it’s a trivial matter for me to bring someone to watch Votto, and any other little ones, if we have to. Can you do this?”
I looked at the times and places she’d listed. I could.
“I’ll be there. I’d like to talk to you about something else before you leave. Celestine and I are concerned about injuries. We want to look into using bags of sand instead of riders.”
“Of course we’ll use bags of sand. We’re not throwing any more healthy Ilarians to the ground. And we’ll only bring in the Reczavy at the end. As we move into the dry heat of summer, we don’t need to be starting fires where we can’t control them. Plus, I’d as soon deal with those people as little as possible. Point forward, our group will be sensible and well-disciplined.”
I caught the implication that it hadn’t been up until now.
“Fine.”
I waited. Nothing happened. I had clearly said “before you leave” but she continued to sit in her chair, showing no signs of getting up. I hated to be rude but …
“I need to get my little one to bed. Feel free to water your horse before you leave.”
She looked surprised. “It’s a long ride here and it’s late. I thought at the least I could sleep on your floor.”
I’d been raised to be hospitable, and even though my home was small and my child young, I’d have offered most people a spot for the night. But my instincts said don’t trust her and I valued those instincts more every day.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have the space and, with a baby this small, I don’t let strangers in my house. I’m sure you understand.”
She didn’t look like she understood at all, and something in her demeanor gave me the impression she’d expected me to offer her my bed. Who was this woman?
“You’ve enough light le
ft to get anywhere in Vinx. There’s a wonderful little inn near the market stalls. Have a safe ride.” I gave her a wave as I walked inside and closed the door behind me.
I worried she’d follow me in. If she thought she had a right to do so, I knew nothing I could say would make her leave. But she didn't know that. Her fear of me made me think she had a more grandiose idea of what a luski could do. She'd learn otherwise as she worked with us, but, for now, I saw the advantage in letting her think my abilities were stronger than they were.
I didn’t have to dwell on Hana for long. A few days later Olivine visited, and a few days after that, Davor arrived.
I sat on the porch nursing Votto to sleep as he rode up, still hoping to tend to the flower patches I hadn’t found time for yet. He rode in like he was coming home, without the wave and yell of greeting given by a visitor. I noticed it.
He tethered his horse and brushed the dust off his clothes as he walked over to me.
“Hi, Coral. It’s good to be home.”
Really? I’d probably spent a hundred and fifty nights in this house and he’d spent less than ten. Home?
“Has something happened to your home in Pilk?”
“Sort of.” I waited. He said no more. “Did you sell it?”
“I never owned it, honey cakes. I rented the place because I always thought I’d build a home in Lev, on my family’s land. Someday.”
“Of course. Did your landlord kick you out, then?”
He laughed. “No one kicks out a Mozdol. I chose to leave, if you must know.” His sigh was long and sad. “Remember the woman from Tolo I mentioned?”
“The one you want to marry after you divorce me? Yes, I remember her.” He missed the sarcasm in my voice.
“She and I are not as well-suited as I once thought. My job is part political, you know, and I need someone with a certain amount of polish. Someone refined, who can enhance my reputation in Pilk, not destroy it. So she and I won’t be marrying.”
I had no idea what a soon-to-be ex-wife was supposed to say to that. Good? or You poor dear? or Do you want me now instead? or simply Tell me what happened?
I didn’t say any of those.
“They are stubborn, those women from Tolo. I’ll give them that. When we discussed how it was time for us to part ways, she wouldn’t go. I mean, she refused to pack up her things and leave. I suppose I could have thrown her out by force, or called the Svadlu in to arrest her, but either would have looked horrible for me, and she knew it. So what could I do? She gets the place through Tirga, longer if she wants to keep paying the rent. Me, I have to find some decent lodging, and that takes time. Pilk Center is so overcrowded these days. Suitable rentals are not easy to come by.
“I see. So you’ll be living here until then?”
“Mostly. I have a few buddies who can put me up when I have to be in Pilk, but yes. This house is my home for now.”
Great. Hadn’t Nevik said Davor found a new woman? I guessed the replacement lady was thoroughly refined, yet didn’t have lodging to share.
“It’s small, but hey, we’ll make the best of it, right?” He gave me his most charming grin. “I could handle eating your cooking for a while. You do still cook, don’t you?”
I nodded. The truth was I often didn't bother, opting for apples, cheeses, and bread I bought from the market. Experience showed Davor would not only fix things up around the house, but he’d also bring fresh food with him. Good food.
While he chopped wood, I could make dinner. It wouldn’t be that bad. As an added plus, his presence would stop some of the tongue-wagging in Vinx, and discourage the last few would-be suitors to back off. I was willing to bet he’d tire of the arrangement before I did.
Davor stayed at the house three out of five nights that first ank. We shared the bed because there was no other place to sleep. Votto and I took the side against the wall, and I turned towards Votto and nursed him the first night as Davor came to bed. I hoped it made my lack of interest clear. Whether it did or not, he made no move towards me, sleeping soundly in his clothes and remaining on his side of the bed.
After the first night, the smell of a man nearby wakened urges I thought were gone, at least as far as Davor was concerned. I knew I was as entitled to seek my pleasure with him as he was with me, but my instincts told me the mere suggestion of desire would unnecessarily complicate my future. I refrained, and if he had any similar thoughts, he refrained too. I suppose having a baby in the bed with us helped.
My first practice session under Hana’s command, if that was the right word for it, was scheduled for the ank-break after Davor arrived. I hoped he had plans, but no, he’d be around all three days.
“What could you possibly be practicing with the Velka that would be of any use?" he asked as I prepared to go. I was excited because he’d offered to watch Votto if I left the baby well fed and I returned before noon. My body ached for the freedom of riding Nutmeg at a gallop, and I hurried to make my exit before he changed his mind.
“Why, of course, I’m included because I’m a …”
Pruck. I’d never told Davor I was a luski. I suppose Ryalgar could have told Nevik …. but Nevik could hardly afford to discuss anything Ryalgar told him with anyone.
Did I want to tell him now and get it out of the way? Did I want to tell him ever? I wasn’t sure of the answer to the last question, but I knew I didn’t want to complicate getting out the door now. So I lied. No, that’s not quite true. I told him several truths that in no way answered his question.
"They're working on ways to control horses. I'm good with animals. I grew up on a farm. I rode every day to teach school, remember?”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad approach when your attackers are all mounted, I guess. I hope you ladies and all your tricks are wildly successful. See you by noon, honey cakes.”
Off I rode, as fast as I could, with the wind dancing through my long hair and the sun on my face. I even screamed a few times, as loud as possible, because there was no baby to wake and it felt so good.
Hana did have Ryalgar’s flair for organizing, I had to give her that. She also had a more cautious approach with people and animals. Despite our rocky interaction at my home, I had no quarrel with how she conducted our practice session.
We had a dozen horses who’d never been exposed to our luski-singer entreaties, a couple of dozen singers, and six of the luskies we’d recruited. I noticed all but two of the other luskies opted to not wear their masks with this smaller and safer group, so I didn’t either. It was easier to work without the silly thing on my face and a scarf on my head.
Hana paired each luski with four singers and gave each team two horses and two heavy bags of sand. Then she told us to figure out what we could.
She walked around observing and asking questions, stopping us all several times to share bits that one group or another had discovered. We learned and gained confidence in what we could do. She had little to say to me, but she said nothing hostile. I concluded she took her responsibilities seriously and wanted no trouble. I was all for that.
Only one thing bothered me about the entire session. Hana seemed to lack curiosity about the singers and their role. Most of her questions concerned the luskies and exactly how they did what they did. Did she think she could teach herself to become a luski?
I wondered if I could find a way to visit my sister in the forest. Soon. I wanted to talk to Ryalgar and learn why she’d agreed to share her responsibilities with Hana. I really wanted to share my observations about Hana’s fascination with luskies. Then again, maybe Ryalgar already knew.
Chapter 14. More Good Sense Than Most
One morning on the following ank-break, Sulphur came to visit. Davor had left the day before, saying he’d be in Pilk the next few days. I reassured Sulphur with that news as she tended to her horse. She laughed.
“I picked this day to come because I knew he had big meetings going on in Pilk. But really, he’s gotten used to me, and he doesn’t treat me so poorly any
more.”
She looked better than she had when she’d visited half a year ago, back when she was desperate to join the Svadlu. She even looked better than when I’d seen her in the forest before Votto was born, when we argued about who should be protecting Ilari.
I guessed being a Svadlu agreed with her.
We exchanged pleasantries while I brought some breakfast wine and pastries out to the porch. I sensed she struggled with something on her mind. As she took her first gulp, she came out with it.
“I came here because I need someone I can tell a secret to.”
What was this about? Military secrets? Davor? Svadlu betrayals?
“I need someone I can trust.”
“You can trust me.” I said it without thinking, which is always an unwise thing to do.
“Iolite’s left school. No one knows it yet. She finished her studies early and now she’s somewhere safe where she shouldn’t be disturbed.”
“Why? Why not?” Given the various frailties that came with Iolite’s condition, my parents would be worried sick if they knew she was anywhere but on campus.
“Especially by Mom and Dad.”
I didn’t have to reply. Sulphur saw my horrified look.
“She’s working with the Svadlu and being incredibly brave, Coral. And this is her choice. No one else in the family knows, but if something happened to me … I could get sent into a skirmish, and things could go poorly. I want you to keep Iolite’s secret safe. Just in case.”
Goat scump. I didn’t want to know this secret.
“I can’t bear this,” I said. “I’m too worried about her.”
“And I’m worried about you,” Sulphur replied. “You and everyone else with a part in this inane defense scheme.”
“Do you know what part I’m playing?”
“Celestine and I talked. She told me you can do something downright frightening with your voice, something most people consider to be no more than a scary myth.”
