by Joe Jackson
Delkantar agreed, and he and Lion took point again. It wasn’t long before the group caught up to them once more, the two rangers kneeling to look at the tracks they’d found.
“I know their populations are swelling and their hunting parties are spreading far and wide,” Delkantar said, pointing to the confusing mass of tracks. “They’re getting desperate. I can find few traces of animal tracks, but bands of gnolls have been passing through almost every day. And yet there’s few traces of droppings. These people may be starving, Max.”
Max folded his arms across his chest and sighed through his lupine nose. “Then we have no time to lose. If the Caerumach chieftain will not accept our aid, we may need to force the issue. Otherwise, we risk the gnolls going to war to take what they need, either from us, our kwarrasti neighbors, or perhaps even the city of Flora.”
“Definitely don’t want that,” Galadon grunted. “Will they attack us for food?”
“We may find out soon enough,” Lion answered, pointing to the northwest.
A band of gnoll hunters watched the party from a distance, but Max headed their way without hesitation. Galadon dismounted to lead his charger, following Max. Leighandra and the others fell into step behind the paladins. The gnolls didn’t look unwelcoming – certainly not as much as the ones who’d chased them from the road up north – but Leighandra still kept some of her reservations, especially in light of Delkantar’s assessment.
Her worries were apparently for naught. The gnolls became excited when they saw Max, yipping and – amusingly to Leighandra – wagging their short tails. The hyena-folk were awed, even submissive as they stood before Max and greeted him in their language. All of the anger and distrust that stemmed from the golden bands marking him as a prince when he walked among the northern gnolls was completely absent here. Leighandra wished she could understand what was being said, but the gnolls’ body language left little doubt about their dispositions.
Max’s face fell when the gnolls spoke to him, and Audrei put her hand to his shoulder and whispered in the luranar tongue.
Realization dawned on Leighandra. I think I know what they’re talking about, she thought, and she stepped up beside the luranar prince.
He regarded her when she touched his pauldron. “Max, I know you don’t like this sort of attention or superstition, but bear in mind… we’re going to need these people to help us at some point. Maybe just let them think what they wish, be what they need you to be in appearance, if not in fact. I can’t say I know much – or anything, really – about their faith, but you may be able to bolster it if you play along.”
Max sighed again, and glanced at his wife and then Galadon, both of whom nodded. He considered the gnolls who were watching him with great interest, and then began to take off his armor. Galadon and Lion helped the luranar paladin strip off his armor and the undergarments from the waist up, and he stood straight while the gnolls inspected him. They circled, looking at the stripes on his back and yipping excitedly, some even sniffing at him or reaching out tentatively to touch him.
At last he began to speak to them in their language again, and the gnolls perked up. Soon, furry fists were thrown in the air, and several of them began letting out their hyena-like howls. Max put his hand to Audrei’s shoulder this time, and gestured toward her, and the gnolls bowed politely toward her. Audrei turned to Alissiri and they began taking out the supplies for cooking. The gnolls helped them build a fire, and Max and Galadon left them to their work.
Leighandra smiled. “You told them about Prince Roltek?”
Max nodded, contentment playing upon his lupine countenance. “Yes, they are heartened to hear that their underchief is not only alive but fighting bravely in the north. To hear that he and Kas’Yari are working together was welcome news. With the gains my brother-in-law and his underchief have apparently been making, they are seeing fewer refugees come down this way, and so things are stabilizing. And, best yet, their overchief has finally reached out to my brother and requested aid.”
“But they’re still hungry?”
“Yes, they are still not eating properly; it will take time before our tribe’s aid reaches all of their settlements. So we will share a meal with them before we move on. They asked us to go with them to the village, but I might never make it home if we go there…”
Leighandra chuckled when she saw his expression. She turned and looked at the gnolls, considering what she’d thought of them before undertaking this adventure. Did they lack the social niceties Leighandra expected of the other peoples of Terrassia? Certainly. But there was far more to them than the vicious savages they were reputed to be, even in her tales and songs. She finally prompted Max, “They are a proud people, aren’t they?”
“Very much so. Others think of them as savage and stupid, and in fairness, there can be truth to that at times. They have a very structured society with many expectations and norms that are often counter to what my people and yours consider acceptable. Once you understand the specific differences and know what is expected of you when dealing with them, though, they are not as bad as they are often made out to be.”
“I think their language is a large part of why people look down on them.” Max turned a curious gaze on her. “There’s something lyrical about your language, but theirs… it sounds guttural, threatening even, and I suspect they could say, Good day, it’s nice to meet you and it might frighten those unfamiliar with it.”
“Interesting point,” he admitted.
They approached the others, settling down in preparation for a meal, though Lion and Delkantar departed to check for tracks to see if the local hunting was truly depleted. Audrei and Alissiri worked on cooking up a stew, but Audrei paused and smiled when Max wrapped her in a hug from behind. Leighandra loved watching the two of them, especially now as they were so close to home after so long. It made her wonder how homesick Starlenia and Delkantar might be getting, and even Yiilu to a lesser extent.
We could all do with a visit home to loved ones…
Even Alissiri, blind as she was, watched the luranar with amused interest. It was clear she and Audrei had established a budding friendship, and Audrei’s joys were becoming the medusa’s joys as well. She took over the cooking while Audrei and Max shared an intimate moment, yet her many snakes allowed her to watch both. Curiously, the gnolls didn’t seem to pay any attention to the woman’s odd appearance.
“I can’t wait to meet your little ones,” Starlenia said. “They must be disgustingly cute.”
The two luranar beamed. “Just wait until you have some of your own! There’s nothing like it in the world,” Audrei said.
“What makes you think I don’t?”
The luranar woman cocked her head. “I asked you… I asked all of you if you had husbands or children, and all of you said no.”
Starlenia cracked a half-smile. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, sweetie, but I lie. A lot.”
Yiilu turned to stroke Vo’rii’s head and muttered, “Some of us noticed.”
“Yeah, you don’t say,” Galadon chuckled.
“Why hide such a thing from your friends, though?” Audrei pressed.
Starlenia shrugged. “When I’m away from home, I hide everything from everyone. It’s not a slight towards you all. It’s just a defensive thing. If I get in trouble with the shakna-rir, or some demon god, or gnolls,” she said, glancing at their guests, “or whoever else, I don’t want them going after my family. In the same line of thought, if something happens to me, I don’t want you trying to find them to make things right or any such nonsense. I’m not a young woman, and my children aren’t pups. They were raised to be strong and independent, and if I don’t come home for whatever reason, it’s not going to ruin them.”
Max bobbed his head. “The same is true to some extent with our children. My family is quite large, and they are and will be well taken care of, should anything befall us. Keep your secrets if you must, Starlenia, but know that we consider you our friend, and you may sha
re with us whatever you feel you need to.”
The rogue showed what Leighandra suspected was a very rare genuine smile. “I could say the same to you,” she returned.
Lion and Delkantar returned empty-handed a short time later. “Not much out there. Even the gnolls’ traps are empty and look to have been set for some time,” Delkantar said. “If they’ve been getting a lot of refugees down this way, that’s not so surprising. So, vegetable soup it is… again. No offense, Audrei.”
“None taken,” she returned, then slipped free of her husband’s arms. She turned to give him a quick muzzle rub, which got the attention of all the gnolls, and then she joined Alissiri in tending the boil.
The meal was a festive affair despite yet another language barrier being added. The excitement of the luranar, and of the gnolls in consideration of the luranar, spilled over into Leighandra and their friends. The companions ate lightly, leaving the majority of the food for the hungry gnolls. They ate ravenously, sparing no apology or embarrassment over their hunger. When they finished, they rose and gestured toward their village on the other side of the river.
Max thanked them but declined. The gnolls began chattering back and forth, and soon took their leave, rushing back to the village. No doubt they’re excited to share Max’s news with their people, Leighandra thought. That and the fact that they’ve seen and touched Max’s stripes.
She sighed as she thought of that, wondering if maybe now the gnolls’ superstition might bother Max less. If showing the marks on his back and arms was the easiest way to rally them to his cause, he may as well take advantage of it. She just hoped his pride didn’t get in the way.
~ * ~ * ~
The travel continued to get easier until early afternoon of the next day, when they reached the lip of a hillside. Down before them, stretched between two wide, blue rivers, was a lush valley like nothing Leighandra had ever seen. Laeranore was beautiful, but it was a forested land of enchantment. This was open land, gloriously green under the tender touch of the sun, farmed and tended by the luranar people. The hills to the north and the east funneled the two rivers through this place, and the resulting natural bounty was a splendor to behold.
There were waterfalls and ponds where the luranar had built partial dams, and even from a distance Leighandra could see farmland, grazelands, and, near the joining of the rivers, a sprawling village. Hundreds of tents, teepees, and other semi-permanent dwellings dotted the area. Though the luranar didn’t build a traditional city, Leighandra could see their population was fairly large – a pittance compared to Solaris or the shakna-rir empire, yes, but larger than she thought. If there were more clan villages to the east, the number could be even larger.
Two armed luranar guards strode up and bowed to their prince. They addressed him in the luranar tongue, but otherwise didn’t impede the group’s travel. Max and Audrei walked down the hillside hand in hand, and led the companions across a sturdy stone bridge into the central land. Galadon hopped down off of Galrinthor and led him by the reins, and Yiilu called Vo’rii to her side, probably leery of the wolf getting too comfortable around the lupine folk.
“Welcome to Talvor’s Valley,” Max said to his friends, gesturing toward the village. “Come! Let us introduce you to the king, and then you will get to meet more of our family.”
Many of the luranar came out of their homes or stopped what they were doing to greet their prince, and Leighandra was pleased to see they didn’t bow or grovel before him. Their greetings were respectful yet casual, and in contrast, it was Max who typically answered with a bow of his head. The chronicler looked over at Lion to see if he was taking this lesson in, and found the shakna-rir youth was quite fascinated.
At the center of the village was a wide, open circular area with a wooden cross in the middle, and Leighandra paused when she beheld it. There was something to this display, with its purple robe hanging over the crossbar and a crown of thorns looped over the top. She knew so little of their faith, but the fact that this symbol of it was at the center of their village said a lot. It was something they looked at every day, the center of their lives, and that was an adherence to faith that Leighandra could respect.
Standing near the display was a tall, muscular black luranar with green eyes who watched the party’s approach with that same stony-faced, folded-arms posture Max was known for. He wore a thin silver circlet on his head, perched between his ears. More curiously than that, he was dressed in casual leather breeches and an open vest, far from any kingly display Leighandra had ever seen or even heard of. He had a taller gnoll woman with him, though her posture and demeanor told Leighandra that she was a servant to the ebon luranar.
Just how many gnolls might there be among the luranar? she wondered. And are they all servants? Kas’Yari had been adopted into Audrei’s family; is that commonplace?
Max approached the black male and bowed before him, as did Audrei, though she let her husband greet him first. “My king,” he said before straightening out.
“Welcome home, Max,” the king said, taking his younger brother in an embrace. He then repeated his welcome for Audrei. “You have been busy, I see. Who are your companions?”
Max introduced his brother first. “My friends, this is King Terist Talvorus,” he said, and Leighandra and the others bowed. “Terist, these are my friends: Starlenia, Yiilu, Leighandra, Delkantar, Galadon, and Lion. This other one is called Alissiri, though she does not speak the human tongue. She can understand ours to an extent. We are taking her to the archmage Karinda Bakhor after we are finished here.”
The king was considering the medusa with a hand to his chin. “I’ve never seen one like her before. I can only imagine the tales you must have to tell. Come! Take off your armor, set aside your burdens, and let us prepare a feast to welcome you home, my brother.”
“Hold the feast for a moment, Terist,” Max said with an upraised hand. “As glad as I am to be home, I came here to see to something I have neglected for far too long, and to say something to you that has long needed to be said.”
The area quieted until only the wind broke the silence. “Speak freely, of course,” King Terist said, as curious as everyone else to Max’s sudden change in demeanor.
Audrei was staring wide-eyed at Max, and Leighandra wondered if the woman had any idea of what was coming. The chronicler expected it was going to be something confrontational, and now she questioned the wisdom of coming with Max if that was why he returned home. The last thing the group as a whole needed was to get caught up in something political that didn’t involve all of the nations.
“You have dishonored this tribe and our family for years, and every member of this tribe has stood by and allowed it to happen. No longer.”
“Oh boy,” Starlenia muttered, taking a subtle step back.
King Terist folded his arms across his chest again. “What’s this about?”
“By lying with this woman you do not call your wife,” Max continued with a gesture toward the gnoll female, who ducked her head submissively, “you have disgraced our family, this tribe, and – worst of all – her. I have wanted to say something for years, but kept my thoughts to myself out of selfishness. For the last several years, rather than help you do what is right, I have fled from my own duties and responsibilities, and left them piled upon you. And in so doing, I have disgraced our family, our tribe, and the memory of our father. In this, both of us have failed.”
The black luranar cocked his head, but then he nodded slightly. “You know I cannot take her as a wife while I am king. The queen must be of Talvorus blood.”
“I know,” Max agreed. “And that is why I have come home, Terist: to take the crown from you, to at last claim my place as the king of our people, and to free you of the bondage that has kept you from doing the right thing, for you and for Shashni.”
The gnoll female gasped. “You… you would welcome me into your family, my prince?”
Max turned to her and held his hands out, palm up, and grasped h
ers when she placed them in his. “I would welcome you to my life, my family, and this tribe as a sister, Shashni. All I ask of you – and I realize it is much to ask with how I have ignored your needs all this time – is that I be allowed to perform the ceremony.”
The much larger female pulled Max in and hugged him tightly, his face disappearing into her broad chest. “Of course! Thank you, thank you!” she cried.
Max politely extricated himself from the gnoll’s bosom and turned back to his brother. “I was never going to pressure you to take the crown; it’s a weight I would wish on no one,” Terist said, and Leighandra didn’t miss the way Galadon nodded. “But you are ready, my brother. Our father brought you up well, and I think every man and woman here will agree that you just demonstrated the most important trait of a king: the ability to put his peoples’ needs before his own. In this, I am proud to call you my brother, and will gladly abdicate the crown and its authority to you at sundown.”
They embraced, and Leighandra put her hand to her mouth. She’d had no idea this was what was tearing at Max inside. He always seemed to have so much on his mind, and she’d often attributed it to trying to live up to his father’s reputation and standards. Had this also been a large part of it? She thought of all the things Max had discussed with Galadon, all the human knight’s references to being a king and how Max had reacted to them. Max had become so much more relaxed when Audrei joined them, and now Leighandra had to wonder what he would be like with one weight added but a heavier one shed.
She joined the others as they took turns being more personally introduced to the king, even if Terist was only going to be such for a little while longer. When more formally introduced, Terist recognized Galadon and his relationship with Kalamaris, but the details were left until later. The gnoll woman, Shashni, was beside herself with excitement; could the luranar and gnolls interbreed? Leighandra hadn’t seen anyone in the village thus far that looked like they might be crossbred, but then there were only a few gnolls in the camp at all, and none of them looked like they were spouses to the wolf-folk.
