Markan Empire

by Nicholas A. Rose

  Kelanus and Kestan exchanged a look, expecting more questions.

  "If you are prepared to disobey orders, others may see that as an excuse to do likewise." The young lieutenant from Marka was still to be won over. Perhaps he never would be.

  "Lieutenant Yulman." Kelanus gave that mirthless smile again. "If I am wrong, my neck gets stretched. That letter ensures yours won't be. Disobeying orders is fine if you are shown to be correct and if you are prepared to face the consequences if you are wrong. Until we turn west, we have time to aid Trenvera – or whoever is attacked – before they are overrun. Personally, I doubt it will come to that."

  Yulman had still not finished. "Another thing concerns me. If the Re Taura mob are merely a diversion, how do they communicate with the Eldovans?"

  "I would love to learn that secret." Kelanus nodded. "After all, I doubt if they use sylph scouts. I suspect a great deal of collusion between the Eldovans and Re Taurans."

  "How then?" pressed Yulman.

  "Somebody is holding the Eldovans together over a large area. After Hingast died, they should have broken and scattered for home."

  "Janost and Hanan are skilled commanders," pointed out Yulman. "I'm sure they could hold the army together."

  "In one place, yes. But scattered? And communicate with Re Taura? And keep contact with Mirrin in the west? He lurks there because he has been told to lurk there. The lines of communication between these discrete parts of the Eldovan army are in fine fettle." Kelanus smiled.

  "How?" Yulman looked unimpressed that his question remained unanswered. He glanced at Tynrasa and Shyamon. "We know they don't use sylphs."

  Kelanus reflected that this man was intelligent and curious. A good mixture. He would keep his eye on this youngster; if he survived he deserved to go far.

  "Not sylphs, and human messengers run the risk of interception. And too slow for effective control. They do not stay in one place long enough to train up birds." Kelanus paused. "I'm afraid that only leaves sorcery or the Gifted."

  Another mutter met his words. These men deserved to know the full truth: that one, probably two, of the Ten marched with the Eldovans. Both had gone over to evil. Yet he could not, dare not, inform them of this. Morale was always fragile and if that little snippet made its way out of the tent, panic could follow.

  "When you leave this tent, gentlemen, you will inform your men of everything we discussed here."

  A mutter of assent met his words. He watched Tynrasa, and the sylph scout nodded.

  "Those of you who have fought alongside me before know the routine. That has not changed.

  One or two of the older officers nodded their heads.

  Kelanus looked around the tent. Not every man had been won over, but he knew they would obey. They would fall on him like a pack of starving dogs and tear him to pieces if he'd guessed wrong, and proclaim him a hero if he'd got it right. It was ever thus.

  Kelanus gave them all a warm smile. "Gentlemen," he said, "I will now seal the letters."

  Shyamon lit the candle from one of the lanterns and moved forward.

  Tynrasa watched, face expressionless, earpoints in their normal erect position. What he thought of Kelanus's plan did not show, but, as a scout, tactics and strategy were not his problem.

  Kelanus dripped wax onto the first of the letters and pressed his ring into it. He moved on to the next officer, who had a question. This might take an hour or so, but it was necessary.

  ***

  Chapter 15

  Escape

  When, despite her orders, Nicolfer saw Belaika drinking from a stream during a rest stop, Sandev saw her first dissension within the army. Nicolfer stormed to Mirrin and interrupted a meeting between the general and his officers.

  Sandev hovered.

  "General," began Nicolfer, "I left instructions that the sylph prisoner is not to be watered."

  Sandev hoped she saw disgust twisting Mirrin's face as he regarded Nicolfer, and trusted her attitude appalled him. "Too late," he told her. "During your latest jaunt, I gave orders to water him. Sylphs die fast when thirsty; even I know that. What value is he dead?"

  Sandev suspected Mirrin had aimed the "even I know that" her way. He'd not even glanced at her, but he must know she loitered within earshot.

  "I need answers and he is unwilling to give them." Nicolfer's jet eyes glittered dangerously.

  "You'll get no answers from him dead." Mirrin glared back. "The boy gets his share of rations and that includes water. Prisoners under my command are not abused. If you want answers, employ other tactics. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the Supreme Commander and let him decide. Until then, I'm in charge. End of discussion."

  Sandev shifted on her feet. "Other tactics" sounded ominous.

  Jet eyes locked with dark brown, but Nicolfer eventually subsided. "You have already forbidden the use of torture," she complained.

  Sandev relaxed.

  "Not the best way of getting answers from a sylph anyway," replied Mirrin, peaceably. "Thought you already knew that."

  Sandev suspected Nicolfer had begun to pout.

  "I am reluctant to damage my prize," complained Nicolfer. "Only compulsion is left to me."

  "Your prize?" Mirrin's eyebrows lifted. "Camanda captured the scout. Any ransom money is his."

  When the army moved on again, Sandev mulled over the exchange. Pleased to learn Nicolfer was not in charge, she still wondered what tactics the woman might try next to lever answers out of the scout.

  Despite Mirrin proving himself to be more sylphitarian than she had given credit for, she still worried for Belaika's immediate future. Nicolfer would find a way to learn what she wanted, and only follow the letter of Mirrin's orders. She might even ignore them, given the chance.

  Sandev hovered near Belaika's cage that evening, ready to intervene should Nicolfer's interrogation of the prisoner turn nasty. Haema sat ready with paper and pencil but, as so often before, Nicolfer left frustrated.

  Sandev hurried ahead, reaching Nicolfer's tent first. The woman glared at her, before a sudden flash of light from the inner compartment heralded a new arrival.

  Dervra stepped into the living compartment.

  "You should take more care," hissed Nicolfer. "Somebody might have been there."

  Dervra ignored Nicolfer and his icy eyes glittered at Sandev. "You. Out."

  Sandev obeyed with pleasure. Despite her short time in Nicolfer's tent, it had already grown darker outside. She looked towards Belaika's cage, tempted to visit him, but she must also consider Gajaran's feelings. Sandev could hardly win the infertile over if the sylph thought she always colluded with Belaika.

  Though the other five ownerless sylphs had some sympathy for the captured scout, Gajaran's views had hardly changed at all. To her, he was a demon.

  When she glanced again at Belaika's cage, she saw Shashi conversing with the inmate. Sandev could not shake off the suspicion that Mirrin's sylph spied on behalf of her owner. Did Mirrin have tactics of his own to pry information about the whistles out of the scout?

  Sandev considered. Mirrin was certainly clever and subtle enough to use another sylph to trick Belaika. But she doubted if he would succeed. Male sylphs usually ignored infertiles and their flattery. Surely Shashi did not fancy the lad? Infertiles weren't supposed to have such feelings. Just as well, since male sylphs also rejected overly curious infertiles. Sandev decided Belaika must look after himself a little longer.

  "Keep walking and do not turn around."

  Sandev started, but obeyed. The low voice had spoken in the sylph language. Male and female sylph voices were often hard to tell apart, but she felt certain this one belonged to a male.

  "You are Sandev?"

  "Yes." She kept walking, if a little more slowly. "Taking me anywhere in particular?" She felt a flash of irritation that the boy had not added the customary "ya" to her name.

  "Sylphs' latrines."

  "Who are you?" she demanded.

  "Not impo
rtant. Is your escape planned?"

  "Why should I tell you? An insolent sylph I have never before met?"

  She heard muttering and doubted it was complimentary.

  "If you have a plan, I do not need to work one out. If not, I must reconsider."

  "Reconsider what?" Sandev almost turned around.

  "Belaika's escape."

  Sandev stiffened. "You have orders? A scout?"

  A low chuckle. "You already know those answers."

  Sandev made up her mind. She must smash the block to her gift before she could contemplate escape. "I'm not ready to leave," she said. "Implement your plan without me."

  "Very well."

  "You must take great care with whatever it is you're planning to –"

  "Talking to yourself, Sandev-ya?" A fresh voice broke in and this one definitely belonged to a female.

  Sandev spun around and found she was alone with the newcomer. The mysterious sylph had melted away.

  "Heard you talking," said Haema.

  "Just practicing." Sandev smiled. "All my little speeches are carefully rehearsed so I always sound my best."

  Haema gave her a doubting look and her earpoints lashed a couple of times before settling again.

  "What are you up to anyway?" Sandev hoped she did not sound too defensive.

  Haema's earpoints went bolt upright. "The latrines are this way," she replied. "Should I not be here?"

  Sandev smiled. "Of course. You startled me, that's all." As she turned away, her mind was troubled. How had the other sylph managed to disappear so easily?

  ***

  Velisar-y-Denran looked across the camp towards Belaika's cage. These people were disgusting; a cage was no way to keep a sylph, no matter what he represented or had done. He pitied Belaika; the shame of being the first – and so far only – captured scout must weigh heavily. But at least he had not lost his spirit.

  The guards had been changed for two new men. The old ones had grown less vigilant since the early days of Belaika's captivity, probably because he had not attempted escape. The new guards made Velisar's task harder, as visitors were less tolerated than before, and these guards felt less comfortable about their prisoner chatting.

  Had their orders changed?

  Velisar thought of the sylph girl who had clearly fallen in love with the young scout, and felt a quick flash of anxiety. A complication he could do without. She seemed determined to escape with Belaika.

  But the girl was not – so far as he knew – Velisar's problem. That unfortunate distinction fell to Belaika.

  If the scout reciprocated the girl's feelings, leaving her behind would be difficult. Only one way to find out.

  Anxiety flared again as he decided to speak with the captured scout. If the answers were those he dreaded, then he must take an additional risk and speak with the sylph girl.

  Silently, he moved closer.

  These Eldovans were not lax. Their perimeter guards were vigilant and patrolled in a random pattern. He'd had no problems getting in, but it might not be quite so easy to get out with three, and when one was untrained, that made life harder still.

  The most important thing was to release Belaika from his imprisonment.

  He had almost given up his plans when he learned Sandev was captive here as well. How did one of the Ten get trapped? Why was she here? Did she have a plan of her own?

  She did not want rescuing, so she must have something planned. Sandev must look after herself however. He would have enough trouble for him escorting one, and likely two, sylphs to safety.

  ***

  Sandev approached Nicolfer's tent and wondered if she was still closeted with Dervra. She had tried and failed to discover what they were plotting, but their plans were bound to be unfriendly.

  She hoped the tent might even be empty, as both could physically project themselves. If they were away, she could continue to work a way around her block. She knew how it was made and put in place; now she must puzzle out how to break it.

  She had a few ideas, but feared Nicolfer would detect her struggle. But if Nicolfer was not here...

  She carefully poked her head into the tent and, as suspected, found it deserted of even ownerless sylphs. Sandev could deal with the block unhindered.

  She only wanted to discover how to deal with the block, not actually break it. Now Mirrin's army headed east, it paralleled more detachments who, as time passed, would gradually merge into one large force.

  Once she knew her precise location, she would break free and deal with her captors. She had worked out the second part of her plan, but the breaking free part gave her trouble.

  She felt along the edge of the block until she found what she expected. It felt like a ragged edge, where the Gift merged with the part made with sorcery. Difficult to believe that Gift and sorcery were the same power; the practitioner of one could rarely understand how the other worked.

  Unless that practitioner was born with the Gift and had learned sorcery. Nicolfer practiced both and had used both to make the block. Grayar often displayed a talent for working through these things, but of course he wasn't here.

  So, if she...

  Sandev tutted. She had almost broken the block. Once it had gone, she would never be able to put it back and the second part of her plan would be useless. She tried to reach the Gift and then knew how to destroy the block. She smiled to herself.

  When ready, she could break out of Nicolfer's trap.

  But for now, she must bide her time.

  Moments later, something flashed in the other part of the tent. She was pleased she had not decided to break the block now. Nicolfer had returned.

  Nicolfer's jet eyes were pitiless as she poked her head into the living area of the tent. "Alovak," she demanded.

  "As you command." Sandev left the tent.

  Nicolfer seemed to delight in sending her on sylphs' errands. Perhaps she thought giving Sandev such menial work might demoralize her. But such things did not bother her in the slightest. These menial tasks said more about her captor than the woman realized.

  Nicolfer would hate to be treated this way. She filed the snippet away; one day it might be useful.

  As Sandev left the tent, she sensed Nicolfer watching her go.

  ***

  Belaika dreamed first of Eleka. He missed her and hoped to see her again soon. Then he dreamed of flying; all sylphs dreamed of flying. Well, male and female sylphs dreamed of it, infertiles claimed they never did, despite having no fear of falling, in common with the other sexes.

  He woke and lifted his head.

  Something had disturbed him. His night vision was far superior to anything humans managed, so when he looked around, he could see. The guard had not woken him. Belaika looked the guard's way for a few moments.

  Myrad and Girran, doubtless pleased to enjoy full nights' sleep again, had been moved to new duties. The two new guards – Jaegar and Hynan – were not as tolerant of their prisoner. Belaika was sure the men had been changed at Nicolfer's insistence.

  This guard – Hynan tonight – looked to be asleep.

  Only two of the tents visible to Belaika glowed, where candle lanterns were lit within. The solitary campfire still burning flared like the sun to his eyes, theatening to spoil his night vision.

  Outside the cage, as far away from Hynan as possible, a gray shape lurked. Belaika's breath caught before he realized he looked at a sylph, gray thanks to his scout paint. The other's eyes glowed faintly when he glanced towards the fire, which showed he too could see in the dark. Belaika glanced warily at the guard before scrambling across the cage.

  "Velisar?"

  "Keep your voice down." Velisar's kept his voice so low that the other could barely hear. "Have you promised help to another sylph?"

  "Yes."

  "Who?"

  "Haema. She sleeps alone not far from Nicolfer's tent."

  "I know where. Can she be trusted?"

  "No idea." Belaika grimaced.

  "She had better
not be a mistake."

  "What about Sandev?"

  Velisar's voice dropped even lower. "Has her own plan. Be ready. Tomorrow."

  "What about Haema?"

  "I will speak with her. Sleep. Save energy."

  Belaika blinked, but the scout had gone. Sylphs were good at disappearing from view, and Velisar was the best. One moment he stood beside the cage, the next gone.

  He looked back towards Hynan. The guard looked his way.

  "Why are you wandering about?" demanded the human. "Settle down; there's nowhere for you to go."

  Belaika shrugged and returned to his blanket.

  "That's better. Remember I'm watching you."

  Not as well as you think, reflected the scout.

  Belaika wished Mirrin's force might display more slack, but he was aware this efficient and disciplined army knew its work much better than the force Hingast had thrown at Marka the previous year. Escaping might not be as easy as he hoped.

  Tomorrow.

  His heart skipped a beat as he thought of freedom. To again feel the wind in his hair without being tethered like a goat.

  And Haema was coming with him.

  ***

  Haema-y-Jinsla turned in her blankets. Unsure what had woken her, she slumbered, trying to remember more than the barest details of her dream. She had been flying with Belaika on one side of her and – bizarrely – her owner Jinsla on the other.

  She felt a pang of grief, certain of Jinsla's fate.

  The nights were still cold, so she felt grateful the tent granted to her was among the smallest. Though unused to tents, she suspected the heat in this one might be stifling in full summer, but it kept out the worst of the chill now. She stirred again, vaguely aware of the tent flaps moving as if in a breeze. Had she not secured the ties properly?

  She was no longer alone in the tent.

  Fear flared momentarily. Had Nicolfer come to force her into betraying Belaika's secrets? But she faced something a lot more frightening than Nicolfer: the unknown.

  A gray ghost with glowing eyes loomed over her.

  As she opened her mouth to scream, a hand smelling of forest and earth and sinabra clamped over her nose and mouth. She couldn't breathe. Her blankets contained her struggles.

  Her mewling quickly faded as realization of imminent death grew. She had minutes – longer than a human – but she would still die.

  "Shut up!" hissed a voice. "Sunut, sunut!"