Tuyo

by Neumeier, Rachel

  I folded my hands at the small of my back so I would remember to stand straight and not bow my head. These things had become easier for me with the passing of the days, but I could tell already that the example of the inKera warleader would make the Lau customs harder again. I said to Lord Aras, “He awaits your will, my lord.”

  Lord Aras nodded to me. He said, “Recently Dumau Sen and Erem Sen were both attacked and burned. In both cases, prior to the attacks, the house guards of the lords of those counties were lured into the winter country and did not return. In one case, two entire talons were apparently destroyed. Were the inKera involved with any of this?”

  I repeated this question in taksu. Hokino answered immediately, “My people were those who came against Dumau Sen. I led the war party that burned the town.” He did not look up, but watched Lord Aras closely from beneath lowered lashes.

  Lord Aras nodded again when I translated this. He said, “I would like to know the manner in which Hokino inKera persuaded the lord there and his house guard to cross the river, and how he destroyed them. That many soldiers should have been a difficult target for Ugaro. I would have expected some losses, but certainly not a complete loss of so large a company. Yet the reports that I’ve seen suggest this must have happened. I would like him to explain this.”

  When I translated all this, Hokino made no answer, but he bowed to the floor of the tent to show that his silence was not born of contempt for the victorious warleader. Even in his submission, he was proud; even in his weakness, he was strong. I thought his people had been lucky in their warleader. Though the inKera were enemies and the inGara might wish to see a lesser man as their warleader, I was sorry Hokino inKera would soon be put to death.

  Lord Aras showed neither offense nor impatience at Hokino’s refusal to answer. He merely said, “Both towns were destroyed on the same night, and half a dozen villages in between, all at the same time. How many tribes took place in those attacks?”

  Again, Hokino refused to answer.

  Lord Aras asked more questions regarding the manner in which all these attacks had been coordinated and the manner in which those attacks fit into the greater strategy Royova inVotaro might have in mind. Of course Hokino answered none of those questions, though he bowed low with each refusal. Lord Aras did not strike him for his defiance, though this would not have been remotely forbidden by his promise of generosity. I could see that Hokino was beginning to think him too cowardly to act as a warleader should.

  “He is a patient man, and slow to punish insolence or any fault,” I warned Hokino. “But he is clever, and he can be ruthless when he chooses.”

  Hokino gave me a measuring look and a slow nod. “I thank you for the warning, Ryo inGara. I know you do not owe me advice.”

  “Our people are enemies, warleader, but we are not bitter enemies,” I answered. “No one of inGara would say inKera is anything but an honorable tribe. I am sorry so many of your warriors have fallen into the hands of the Lau, and I will help you if I can.”

  Hokino bowed his head to me. “I am glad to acknowledge that the son of Sinowa inGara is a generous man. I will not answer the warleader’s questions. I cannot tell whether he is angry. If he is, I offer myself as tuyo so that his anger will fall upon me and not upon my men. I understand he does not like torture. But if not that, then perhaps he might accept me as the kind of tuyo he made of you.” His voice tightened. “I would obey him. I would swear to it. I do not speak his pidila tongue, I do not see what use I could be to him, but I would give myself to him if he would spare the lives of another ten warriors beyond the ten he promised. Twenty young men will not be important to this war. Will you tell him of my offer and ask him for that much in return?”

  I was not surprised he would make that kind of offer. He was a good warleader and a brave man. I said to Lord Aras, “He will answer nothing, but he offers himself as tuyo to appease your anger, if you will release the twenty youngest warriors rather than the ten you first promised. He offers this even though he knows you would not put him to a tuyo’s death. He would swear to obey you. I think he would rather die any death. He is very proud. But he would do as he says, and he would keep his oath.”

  Lord Aras tilted his head, studying Hokino. “You Ugaro are a stubborn people, Ryo. I won’t accept his offer, but I’ll make one of my own. Tell him I’ll release the ten youngest, as I promised, and also one more of his warriors for every question of mine that he answers.”

  I looked at him in surprise. I had not expected such an offer, but it was like him: clever and ruthless and generous all at once. I turned back to Hokino, repeating the suggestion.

  Hokino looked at Lord Aras, then at me. Then he thought about this. He said, “I cannot answer everything, but I will answer some questions. My warriors slipped across the river very quietly and stole a handful of Lau children from their home. They left one to run and say what had happened. This tempted the soldiers there to come into the winter country. That is one answer. Once they crossed the river, my warriors showed the soldiers the children, pretending to carry them away, but slowly, so the Lau would forget caution. Those with the fastest horses rode ahead of the slower, wishing to come up on the small number of Ugaro they thought fled from them. That prevented the Lau from coming together in their formation when our bowmen began to shoot. They all died, in return for very moderate losses among my warriors. That is two answers. After the soldiers were out of the way, others of my warriors entered the town and fired the buildings and the granaries, driving the people out with empty hands to beg succor from their kin and driving the fat cattle across the river into our own country. That is three answers.”

  “It’s just two,” Lord Aras said when I told him all this. “I already knew that third part. But here’s another question: what did his people do with the children they stole as bait?”

  When I asked him this, Hokino did not have to think before answering. He said at once, “My eldest son had those children in his charge. His wife’s nature is gentle. So that the tale of the battle would please her, he returned those children to the southern bank of the river and let them go with the rest of the people of Dumau Sen.”

  Lord Aras was smiling. “I think we have reason to be grateful for the respect that Ugaro warriors show their wives. That’s good to know. Where is Hokino’s eldest son now? Is he among the prisoners?”

  Hokino stilled when I asked that. He looked carefully at Lord Aras from beneath lowered lashes. Finally he said, without expression, “My son is among those warriors. That is another answer.”

  Lord Aras nodded. “That’s fair. But this is same question: Is the young man among the ten youngest?”

  When I asked that, I added, “You should look Lord Aras in the face. I know it is hard to do. But the Lau consider that this is correct.”

  Hokino raised his gaze to meet the warleader’s eyes. “Tell him my son is not among the ten youngest. Tell him that was a different question.”

  When I told him that, Lord Aras smiled. He said, “It was just one question. However, I already remarked that in Dumau Sen, most of the townspeople were allowed to flee, especially the women and children. Because Hokino inKera showed those people mercy and because his son showed mercy to the children he had taken, I shall spare the twenty youngest warriors I now hold. And four more, one for each of the questions Hokino has answered.”

  Hokino bowed low enough to touch his face to the floor, but he said, “That was six questions I have answered.”

  Lord Aras smiled again when I translated this. “I count only four,” he said. “But I have other questions I wish to ask. In Erem Sen, most of the townspeople were killed and their bodies thrown into the fires. What made the difference? Was this merely a preference of one warleader and another, or was there some other reason mercy was shown to the people of one town and not the other? Ask him that. I’ll count it as two answers.”

  Hokino listened carefully to this question. He said, “He should count it as three answers. Tell hi
m the people of Erem Sen had created a very bitter feeling. They had committed a grievous offense. He may know of this already, but if not, it should be widely known, so I am glad to explain. Tell him that the lord of that county sent word that he wished to speak to someone important in the hope of resolving the problems with trade that began the war. The daughter of Koro inKarano went to Erem Sen to speak to that lord—”

  “Darra inKarano?” I was so astonished and alarmed I interrupted Hokino. Of course, as her mother had passed into the land of the shades, Darra often spoke to her father regarding all the matters that were the proper concern of women. It is women who handle all matters of trade, among tribes or between their own tribe and the Lau. I demanded, “Was harm done to her?”

  Hokino gave me a long look. A young man should not interrupt an older man, nor should any warrior interrupt a warleader. I began to apologize, but he lifted his bound hands to stop me and said, “The offense was too slight to require notice. One expects a young man to be hard-tempered in such a matter. I regret I must tell the son of Marag inGara that this young woman was insulted in a serious manner. The women decided that the precise nature of the insult is not fit for the ears of men, but I can say that Darra inKarano is strong in her body. It is her heart that was hurt, but she is angry and bitter, not distraught or subdued.”

  I nodded. Nothing could subdue the fierce heart of Darra inKarano, but I wished very much that I could go to her and ask the names of the man or men who had insulted her. I would be glad to skewer their hearts on a spear and give them to her to ease her own heart. I suppose Hokino saw this in my face, because he said, “You understand that the feeling after that was very bitter. Royova inVotaro himself came there with many of the warriors of his tribe. The lord of Erem Sen was lured into the winter country in much the same way as we used in Dumau Sen, and killed there. He is dead, and I know that many of the people of Erem Sen were killed, but from what I have heard, the hearts of Darra inKarano and all the inKarano and inVotaro are still filled with bitterness. I ask that the warleader consider all this five answers.”

  I drew a slow breath. I was not surprised Royova inVotaro had gone personally to destroy Erem Sen. Everyone knew Royova had been close to Sovig inKarano and that he now cherished Sovig’s daughter. I explained most of this to Lord Aras and said at the end, “That is surely enough to count as five answers.”

  “Yes, I think it is,” Lord Aras agreed. “Everything about that tale is important, and I’m glad to know what happened there. If Marotau is truly dead, that’s especially important—though I don’t believe we can count that as confirmed.” He looked at me, a searching gaze. “But I’m sorry the young woman was offended in some serious way, Ryo.” I bowed my head to show I accepted this expression of regret, and he went on at once, “Please ask if Royova inVotaro himself sent the inKera against Kosa Sen, and if so, whether he told the inKera to slaughter the people here as was done in Erem Sen.”

  I corrected this. “He would not tell them. He is not their lord. He would ask, and the lord of the inKera would decide whether he thought it good to agree. I will ask whether Royova inVotaro made this request of Soro inKera.”

  “He did ask that,” Hokino answered readily. “We were glad enough to take the honor of the raid for inKera, but we would not have killed all the people. My brother and I consider it better to turn the Lau women out into the countryside to ask for help from their kin or charity from strangers. That burdens you Lau more than if we killed them—and it pleases the hearts of our wives.”

  Lord Aras picked up his scepter, tracing the gold inlay as he sometimes did when he was thinking. He said, “Well, I’m grateful for the gentle hearts of the inKera women, but Royova’s heart sounds anything but gentle. That’s certainly inconvenient. I imagine Koro inKarano also isn’t likely to be in a mood to discuss terms of peace with any Lau now.”

  I nodded. This was undoubtedly true.

  “I certainly have many more questions now than I did this morning, but unfortunately the inKera warleader isn’t going to be able to give me the answers to those questions.” He leaned back in his chair and absently traced the gold inlay again, from one end of the scepter to the other. Everyone else was quiet. One of the soldiers shifted his weight and received an admonishing glance from Geras.

  Hokino inKera waited, his bound hands resting on his thigh, his gaze on the floor and his shoulders relaxed. I knew he would stay like that without moving for the whole afternoon if required and never so much as sigh with impatience. A very proud man. I stood still, my hands folded behind my back, and waited as quietly, though it was hard. I wished to ask many more questions of my own. But I said nothing. I thought later I would ask leave to speak further to Hokino about all these things, but for now it seemed better to be patient.

  Finally Lord Aras laid the scepter aside. He said to me, “Ryo, my primary purpose in freeing some of the inKera is to use them to send a message to Koro inKarano. So far, I’ve agreed to spare twenty-nine men. But I think I may need to make a more dramatic gesture in order to get his attention. Suppose I spare all their lives. Would Hokino carry a message to the winter king for me? And would freeing all these men be enough to persuade your king to read a message from me and take my words seriously, even if he’s angry with all Lau on behalf of his daughter?”

  I stared at him. He met my astonishment with patience, waiting for me to think about what he had asked. I did think about this. Finally I said, framing my answer to say what I thought important, “No matter his anger, our king will certainly listen carefully to any message if you speak of sorcery.” This was true, and it was what I wished to say. But I had to add, “But whatever your decision in that matter, it is not remotely necessary for you to spare all the warriors, far less Hokino inKera himself. No Ugaro would spare the life of an enemy warleader taken in a raid. Our king would never expect you to be so generous.”

  Lord Aras tapped his fingertips restlessly against the arms of his chair. He said, “Yet isn’t it true that an unexpectedly generous gesture might catch his attention? I need your king to believe I’m sincerely trying to end the war between our peoples. I’d like him to believe my suggestions are made with the wellbeing of both our peoples in mind.”

  This surprised me again. “He will hardly believe that, my lord. No matter what you do or say. He might believe that you think destroying the sorcerer is more important than defeating Ugaro. That would be more reasonable.”

  “I see. Very well, Ryo, yes, I will send him word of the sorcerer. And I’ll assure him my most urgent intention is to bring down that sorcerer. That’s certainly true.” He gave me a searching look. “I truly don’t have any desire to see harm come to your people, Ryo. If you help me persuade your king of that, you’ll have done him a service.”

  I thought this was true, but I was not certain. Everyone knows the Lau are a deceptive people. I did not say so. I said, “I am certain Koro inKarano will agree that the matter of a sorcerer is more important than any other matter. Especially if sorcery perhaps caused the lord in Erem Sen to act offensively toward his daughter.”

  “I can’t claim that,” Lord Aras said at once. “I don’t know what happened there. I can assure the winter king that I’ll investigate the matter. That will be true. Ryo, you told me the inKera are enemies of your people, but I think you would prefer that I spare them all, including Hokino. Am I right to think so?”

  I glanced at the warleader. I did want that. He was a brave man. I said to Lord Aras, “My father quarreled with his brother. That is not enough to create bitterness. If you choose to be generous, that would please me.”

  He nodded. “Well, I imagine I can think of enough questions to let him earn the lives of all his men. Let’s see how many he’s willing to answer.”

  The afternoon was well advanced before Lord Aras finally acknowledged that he had learned everything he could from the inKera warleader. Even with the awareness that the Lau warleader could still order them all put to death if he should beco
me displeased, Hokino had refused to answer some questions. But Lord Aras had been patient. He had only asked different questions, until it became clear he meant to spare all their lives. Hokino was still cautious because he did not trust Lau. But he bowed to the floor when Lord Aras said it was enough, and held the gesture for ten breaths. When he finally straightened, he said to me, “I would not have expected such generosity of a Lau. This warleader is not the same as others of his people.”

  “I believe you are correct,” I said at once. “But he is not that different. He has many reasons for everything he does.” Turning to Lord Aras, I said, “He does not understand your generosity, my lord. May I explain now about the sorcerer, and about the letter you wish him to carry for you?”

  Lord Aras looked at me, his expression serious. He said finally, “Yes, go ahead. I don’t believe it’s likely to do any harm if he knows all this, and it may be useful.”

  I let out my breath. “Thank you, my lord.” I turned back to Hokino. “Warleader,” I said in taksu. “Lord Aras agrees I may tell you: he believes a powerful and dangerous sorcerer has arisen from among his people. He believes this sorcerer is the source of the trouble between Ugaro and Lau. I do not know what he will do, but I will tell you also that this sorcerer is his first concern, but his second concern is ending the war between our peoples. I cannot swear before the gods that this is true, but I can swear that I believe it is true.”

  Hokino stared at me. Then he stared at Lord Aras. He drew a breath, but then he did not speak. I was not surprised. I would not have known what to say to that either.

  Lord Aras said to him in slow, careful taksu, “Do not speak any other people. Do not let any Lau come not far from you.”

  I was startled because I had not realized he spoke any taksu at all—and now I knew that if I had spoken of the sorcerer without permission, he might have understood me. Heat rose up my face. But I corrected his words quickly to be sure the inKera warleader understood: “Lord Aras suggests you hold this suspicion close. He suggests you should not let any Lau approach you, in case this man is the sorcerer and he realizes he is discovered. Of course you will speak to your brother; of course the inKera will send word in every direction, especially to the inKarano. Lord Aras understands that. He wishes you to tell Koro inKarano everything. He wishes you to carry a letter to our king for him. That is why he has been so generous to you—though I spoke the truth when I told you his nature is generous.”