Priestess of the White aotft-1

by Trudi Canavan

  23

  The sky was the blue-black of early evening. Stars blinked and shivered all around, but the cause of their disturbance was only visible when looking west, where hundreds of winged forms could be made out against a sky still aglow from the sunset.

  These forms glided down to the Open, to the level area at the middle of the rocky slope known as the Flat. Fires had been lit in a large circle and their light set the faces of the Siyee aglow.

  Auraya recognized many of these faces now. She had talked to Siyee of all ages, positions and tribes. Not far from her stood the trapper of the Snake River tribe who had described how his people had been driven from their fertile valleys by Toren settlers. Farther away stood the old matriarch of the Fire Mountain tribe who had shown Auraya the forges her people used to make arrowheads and knives from the abundant mineral deposits in their homeland. Landing now were three young men from the Temple Mountain tribe who had approached her to ask what they must learn to become priests.

  “There has never been a Gathering this large in my lifetime,” Speaker Dryss murmured to her, “and I have attended them all.”

  She turned to regard the old man. “Speaker Sirri explained to me that only Speakers or those chosen to represent them are required to attend a Gathering. I am not surprised more have come, however. What you decide tonight could change your way of life. If I was Siyee, I’d want to be here to hear their decision.”

  “True, but I’m sure a few are here just to catch a glimpse of the Gods’ Chosen,” he replied, chuckling.

  She smiled. “Your people have been welcoming, Speaker Dryss. I confess I’m half in love with this place, and wish I did not have to leave.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You do not miss the comforts of your home?”

  “A little,” she admitted. “I miss hot baths, mostly. And my friends.”

  He opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Speaker Sirri turned to the line of Speakers.

  “It is time, I think. If we wait for stragglers, the night will end before we do.”

  The others nodded in agreement. As Sirri stepped up onto Speakers’ Rock the Siyee below stopped talking and looked up expectantly.

  Sirri lifted her arms. “People of the mountains. Tribes of the Siyee. We, the Speakers, have called you here tonight to hear the words of Auraya of the White, one of the Gods’ Chosen. As you know, she has come to us to discuss an alliance between Siyee and the Circlians. Tonight we will hear her words and voice our thoughts. In seven days we will gather again to make our decision.”

  Sirri turned and looked at Auraya expectantly. Stepping forward to stand beside the woman, Auraya looked down at the Siyee people. Since she had arrived she hadn’t needed to read their minds to discover their doubts and hopes. They had spoken of them openly. Now she let her mind skim over theirs.

  They were hesitant, sure that there would be a penalty whether they agreed to an alliance or not. They were a timid people, who rarely resorted to violence. They were also a proud people. While they did not want to go to war, where it was likely some would be killed, if they did they wanted to be seen as valuable and effective. It was this pride that she must appeal to now.

  “People of Si, Huan’s creation, I have come to your land at your invitation to learn about you, to tell you something of my own people and to explore the possibility of an alliance forming between us.

  “I have learned much about you and have come to admire you for your tenacity and peaceful ways. I find myself no longer unbiased - I would dearly love for there to be a link between my people and yours. I am dismayed by the Siyee deaths at the hands of landwalkers. I can also see many ways we may enrich each other’s lives through trade and an exchange of knowledge. I find myself thinking, selfishly, that an alliance would be a wonderful excuse to neglect my duties as a White and visit Si more often than needed.”

  This brought smiles to many faces. She paused, then made her expression serious.

  “An alliance requires agreement on several issues, and the first I will address is war. If we, the White, have an agreement with you to protect your lands, we can end this incursion of settlers without bloodshed by demanding the King of Toren take action to stop it. For such assistance, we ask for your promise of help in return, should we and our allies be threatened by invaders.”

  She saw grim expressions on all faces, and nodded. “I know you do not believe you can be of much assistance in war. It would be as ridiculous for Siyee to engage landwalkers in hand-to-hand combat as it would be for me to do so. My strength is in sorcery, yours is in flight.

  “Your ability to fly makes you more suitable as scouts. You can report on the positions and movements of enemy troops and warn of traps and ambushes. You can carry and deliver small precious items - cures or bandages for the wounded, messages to fighters who have no priest to relay orders to them.”

  The mood of nearly all Siyee was the same now. They had responded well to her words, some with enthusiasm, some with a cautious acknowledgment that she was right. She nodded to herself.

  “It is difficult to ask something of you that may one day bring death and grief to your families, just as it will be difficult should I ever have to ask the sons and fathers of my own people to fight in our defense. I hope never to see the day when a threat forces such terrible choices upon us.

  “So you may wonder, then, how this alliance will benefit your people in times of peace. We can offer you trade, knowledge, and access to the Circlian priesthood. Many of you have expressed doubt that you have anything of value to sell. This is not true. You manufacture unique items that will be of both practical and artistic value outside Si. You have deposits of minerals that could be mined. You have rare plants that have curative properties. Even the soft blankets in the bower you have built for me would fetch a high price in Jarime. These commodities are but those that I have noticed in the few short weeks I have been here. An experienced trader would see more.

  “Then there are the benefits that come with the exchange of culture and knowledge. We have much to learn from each other. Your methods of governing and of resolving disputes are unique. The Circlian priesthood offers education and training in healing and sorcery. In. return we only ask you to share your healing knowledge with us so that we may better help our own peoples.”

  Auraya paused and let her gaze run over the hundreds of faces. “I hope that our lands may be united in a pledge of friendship, respect and mutual prosperity. Thank you for listening, people of Si.”

  She stepped back from the edge of the outcrop and looked at Sirri. The Speaker smiled and nodded, then raised her arms again.

  “The Speakers will now talk with their tribes.”

  Auraya watched as the line of Speakers broke. Each leapt off the outcrop and glided down to their people, leaving her alone. She sat down and watched as the crowd separated into tribes.

  Once again, she let her mind touch those of the Siyee, listening in as they argued and debated. Though they had been stirred by her words, they were still naturally cautious.

  The changes she had spoken of both excited and frightened them.

  They should consider this carefully. It is unlikely their world will ever be the same, even if war never comes. Landwalkers would come here and leave their ideas behind - both good and bad. They would want to carve a road into Si in order to make the journey easier. The Siyee would need to be careful; they could exchange invading settlers for greedy, unscrupulous merchants - especially if they decided to set up more mines.

  I will have to make sure that never happens.

  She was surprised at the strength of the protectiveness she felt. It had been only a few weeks since she had arrived. Had these people charmed her that much?

  Yes, she thought. I feel like I belong here. I keep forgetting how different I am, and when I do I almost wish I could shrink to half my size and grow wings.

  She looked up at the enormous trees, but caught a sliver of thought and quickly looked away. Someone was up there
. A boy, waiting anxiously for his moment to appear. Auraya had already glimpsed enough of Sirri’s thoughts to know the Siyee leader was planning a surprise for later in the Gathering.

  Some sort of demonstration, Auraya thought. Something she believes will convince the Siyee to agree to an alliance.

  She resisted the temptation to read the boy’s mind, instead concentrating on the Siyee. Time passed and gradually the Speakers left their tribes and flew back to their former positions. When the last of them had returned, Sirri came back to the outcrop and the Siyee quietened.

  One by one the Speakers talked, expressing the opinions of their tribe. Most of the tribes were in favor of the alliance, but a few were not.

  “All tribes must agree on this,” Speaker Sirri stated. “And we have not. Before I call an end to this Gathering, I ask you to listen to me. I believe our reluctance to open our lands to the landwalkers stems from our inability to fight them. Why should we risk our own lives in war when we cannot harm our enemies? Why should we allow landwalkers into our land when we can’t drive them out if their intentions prove to be malicious?”

  Auraya regarded the Speaker thoughtfully. She knew Sirri wanted the alliance, but these two points would only dissuade the Siyee from agreeing to it.

  Sirri raised her arms. “We can fight. We can defend ourselves. How? Let me show you.”

  She looked up at the tree the boy was waiting in, then into the edge of the forest, and nodded.

  From high in the tree, Tryss could hear the voices of the people below, but he could not make out their words. He had given up trying to and instead had searched the crowd for Drilli. He found her standing with her parents.

  He hadn’t spoken to her for over a week. Her father had sought Tryss out and ordered him to stay away from her. She was not going to marry a boy from another tribe, he had declared, and certainly not one with strange ideas who spent his time in idle daydreams. She could do better.

  His cousins had made it clear who had revealed his and Drilli’s liking for each other, but they could be lying just to annoy him. Anyone watching Tryss and Drilli at the trei-trei would have had to suspect they were growing close. They had flown together for most of the night.

  He looked down at his invention. Would Drilli’s parents change their minds about him if he abandoned inventing and started acting more like other Siyee boys? Would he give it up if that was the only way he could see Drilli?

  The question bothered him. He pushed it away, but kept finding himself considering it. He looked at Drilli. She was beautiful and smart. Surely he would do anything...

  Hearing Speaker Sirri’s voice again, he dragged his attention away from Drilli. The Speaker looked up at him, then down at the Siyee holding the cages of breem, and nodded.

  The signal. Tryss’s heart leapt and started to pound. He searched the ground, looking for movement. There!

  He dived. Pushing thoughts of the watching crowd out of his mind, he thought only of the small creature that he had spotted. He had to concentrate. His harness was new and a bit stiff, he had only lamplight by which to see the animals and breem were fast.

  Leaves whipped past his ears. He spread his arms and swooped out from between the branches of the tree. Drawing a dart into his blowpipe, he took aim and blew.

  The breem squeaked as the dart hit its leg. It continued limping on but the poison would soon finish it. Tryss had spotted a second breem and turned to follow it. This time the dart sank into the center of the creature’s back. He felt a surge of triumph and flapped his wings to gain a little height, looking for more of them.

  Two darted out of the crowd from the other side of the Flat. He missed the first one, but hit the second. Curving around, he blew a dart at the first again, but it swerved at the last moment and the dart bounced off the ground harmlessly. The creature disappeared between the legs of the watching Siyee.

  Frustrated, Tryss gained altitude again. He saw the last two breem scamper into the Open and turned quickly. Diving toward them, he tightened his grip on the thumb straps of the new addition he’d included with this harness. He’d only had a few hours to practice with it and it was much harder to aim.

  The two breem stopped in the middle of the Open, aware only of the Siyee that surrounded them. Tryss took aim, flexed his thumbs and felt the springs snap open, realizing too late that he’d unintentionally released both. Small arrows shot forward. One speared a breem, the other skittered over the ground and wedged itself into the wall of the outcrop...

  Which he was about to fly into. He arched his back and felt rock brush his hip as he barely managed to avoid a collision. The maneuver had lost him height, however, and he was forced to land abruptly, in a way he hoped looked intentional.

  The Siyee were utterly silent. Then someone in the crowd began to whistle enthusiastically, as the crowd did during the aerobatic contests of the trei-trei. Others joined in and Tryss found himself grinning as the Open echoed with the sound. He looked up at Speaker Sirri. She smiled and nodded with approval.

  The Speaker raised her arms and the whistling subsided.

  “People of the mountains. Tribes of the Siyee. I believe you, like me, can see the potential in what Tryss has shown you tonight. What he has invented is a weapon. Not the kind of weapon suited to landwalkers, like those we discarded long ago. One made for us. Not only is it an excellent hunting tool, but it is a weapon that will allow us to fight with pride and effectiveness, whether that be in our own defense or that of our allies.

  “It is late, tonight, for us to discuss the potential of this weapon and how it may alter our views of the White’s proposal of alliance. I suggest we do so in another seven days, when we gather to make our decision. Are you in favor of this?”

  A shout of assent came from the Siyee. Sirri looked at her fellow Speakers. All nodded.

  “Then it will be so. This Gathering is ended. May you return safely to your homes.”

  The Siyee erupted into excited conversation. Tryss looked up at the priestess, suddenly curious to see what her reaction was. She was looking at Sirri, however, wearing a thoughtful frown that soon disappeared as one of the other Speakers turned to address her.

  He felt a tug on his arm and turned to find Sreil grinning at him.

  “That was fantastic! Why don’t you ever join the aerobatic team each trei-trei?”

  “I, um...”

  Someone saved him from answering by shaking his arm. “Is it heavy? What’s it made of?”

  He found himself standing in the center of a crowd of Siyee who wanted to examine the harness. Their questions were endless, and often repeated, but he made himself stay and answer them.

  It’s not just about demonstrating it, he told himself. I have to convince them to try it themselves.

  But he longed to get away from them and find Drilli. Whenever a gap formed around him, he searched for her, but in vain. She and her family had gone.

  24

  Not long after Danjin entered Auraya’s room there was a knock at the door. Mischief was asleep on his lap, his usual energy suppressed by a bout of a common veez illness. Putting the creature aside, he went to answer the door. To his surprise, Rian was standing outside.

  “Adviser Danjin Spear,” the White said. “I wish to speak to you.”

  Danjin made the gesture of the circle. “Would you like to speak to me here, or somewhere else, Rian of the White?”

  Rian nodded. “This will do.”

  Up close, Rian appeared to be no older than twenty, and Danjin had to remind himself that this man’s true age was nearer to fifty. It was not so easy to forget who Rian was, however. He carried himself as if conscious and proud of his position, and, unlike Auraya, he was always serious and formal. His way of looking at others without blinking was uncanny.

  “The observations of your family in regard to the sale of weapons to the Pentadrians have proved accurate,” Rian said. “Do you believe they may have other useful information?”

  Danjin pursed his lip
s. “Perhaps.” But whether they would tell me is a question I can’t answer, he added.

  Rian’s eyebrows rose. “Do you believe they would be willing to act as spies for the White?”

  Spies? Danjin realized he was staring at Rian and lowered his eyes. Would they? He considered how his father and brothers might react to the idea and felt his heart sink. Of course they would. They’d be delighted at this confirmation of their worth. Merchants of information as well as goods.

  “I believe they would.” But you’ll have to use those mind-reading skills to make sure they’re telling you all they know, he couldn’t help thinking. They might hide information they can reap an income from, or if it might damage their current business.

  Rian nodded. “I will arrange to meet them, then. Do you wish to be involved?”

  Danjin considered, then shook his head. “My involvement would complicate the arrangement unnecessarily.”

  “Very well.” He turned toward the door, then paused. “What do you know of Sennon, Adviser?”

  “Sennon?” Danjin shrugged. “I have visited the land several times. Mostly by sea, but I have crossed the desert twice. I speak Sennonian. I have a few contacts there.”

  “The Sennon emperor signed a treaty of alliance with the Pentadrians yesterday.”

  Once again, Danjin found himself staring at Rian, this time in dismay. He recalled Auraya’s first meeting with the Sennon ambassador. The man had invited her to visit. It had been ridiculous to expect a new White, untrained and not yet familiar with her position, to travel all the way to Sennon. Perhaps one of the other White should have gone. Reminding the emperor that a powerful alliance backed by the gods lay beyond the mountains to the west might have prevented him from signing an alliance with the Pentadrians.

  “You think we should have made greater efforts to befriend the Sennon emperor and his people,” Rian said, frowning.