Jaran

by Kate Elliott

  The next morning, Yuri met her for the riding lesson. He was flushed as he jogged up to her. He did not wait to catch his breath before addressing her.

  “Tess. We leave day after tomorrow. Ilya would have liked to leave tomorrow, I think, but he could not deny Konstans the celebration for his first child.”

  Tess’s breathing constricted with excitement and apprehension. “But is it too soon? Can I ride well enough?”

  He shrugged. “You could travel with the tribe this year. They’ll be riding southwest, behind us. Perhaps you could find another tribe going east or north, who could take you to a port this spring. Or wait for us. We won’t be gone over a year.”

  “A year? How far are you going?”

  “To the shrine of Morava. And then on to the western sea where the khepelli will sail back to their own lands.”

  The western sea? Tess dug in her memory, seeing the huge inland sea whose northeastern reaches bordered the southern edge of the vast bulk of the northern continent—these plains. And southward, far south on a bay protected by a minor archipelago, lay Jeds. “No, Yuri, I have to go with you. If the khepelli can sail out from the western ports, then I can as easily sail south to Jeds from there. I’ll go speak with Ishii now, and then talk to Bakhtiian. There’s no point in waiting.”

  “Tess.” He laid a staying hand on her arm. “At least wait until morning. There’s no point in spoiling the dance. Ilya gets in a foul mood when things don’t go as he wants them to. Men are riding in from another tribe. A scout brought the word. You won’t get a chance to speak with Ilya today in any case.”

  Tess acquiesced and went to help the women prepare for the dance. Any celebration was a great occasion. The arrival of a dozen men from another tribe could only add to the excitement. Indeed, most of the tribe had gathered at one end of the camp to greet the visitors. Tess found a spot next to Elena and Sonia and watched as the ten men rode in, dismounted at a prudent distance, and were escorted into the bounds of the camp itself by Niko Sibirin and another older rider. There, they waited for Bakhtiian to arrive.

  The men of Bakhtiian’s jahar filtered over in twos and threes to engage in that easy, informal flow of talk carried on between acquaintances who have the same complaint in life. Boys peered at them from behind tents; little girls clustered in packs and stared. The old women ignored them; the married women looked at them from the corners of their eyes; and Marya Kolenin, who wore bracelets around her ankles to show how many lovers she had and who had once kicked a man as hard as she could in the groin to stop him putting the mark of betrothal on her, went right up to them and pulled the eldest’s silver-flecked beard. Everyone laughed, including the visitors.

  “There he comes,” breathed Elena, distracted from this interplay.

  Bakhtiian was walking down the rise toward them, the sun bright on his face, his scarlet shirt catching points of light. He had a way of walking that drew the eye to him, that made his surroundings seem merely a stage for himself. He had a great deal of grace, but for the first time Tess realized that not all of it was unconscious. He was purposefully making an entrance. She laughed.

  He glanced at her and then away.

  Elena elbowed her. “Why are you laughing?”

  “I remembered a thing said by an ancient poet of my people,” said Tess, “that my brother used to say to me, about the name of vanity being man.”

  Elena put her hand on her necklaces. “What made you think of that?”

  Sonia saved Tess from having to reply. “Come, Tess. They will go on all day with men’s talk, which is far more boring to listen to than to watch. We’ll go clear a dance circle, and then I think you ought to wear one of my tunics, just for tonight, to please Mama.”

  It took most of the day to collect enough fuel for as great a fire as the celebration warranted, and the rest of the day for each woman to dress out her one fine tunic with elaborate braids and headpieces and gold and jade earrings. They polished their hand mirrors and traced their eyes with dark kohl. Even the men brought out their best embroidered shirts and fastened tufted and beaded epaulets to their shoulders. Sonia put on six fine necklaces on each arm, and, a thick copper bracelet incised with a spiral pattern, and she wove green ribbons through the two chains that strung her mirror onto her belt.

  Food was shared out at every tent. The entire holiday atmosphere was intensified by the brief appearance of the young mother and infant, escorted by the proud father once through camp. Then the musicians settled down by the dance circle, the fire was lit, and the music began.

  Nikolai Sibirin, as the eldest rider in jahar, led out his wife. Other married couples joined in, and the unmarried women solicited the unattached men. Light illuminated bits of body and face, changing as the dancers turned. The first ring of watchers was shadowed. Beyond, all was darkness. Tess watched until Yuri came up to her.

  “Really,” he whispered, “the women are supposed to ask, but since we’re kin of a sort perhaps you’ll dance with me.”

  “Yuri, I don’t know any of your dances.”

  “Well,” he said, much struck by this, “that’s true.”

  “You go on. I’m happy just to watch.”

  He left. Tess faded back into the farthest ring of light. The drums were heavy, a strong, rhythmic pulse, the lutes a thick texture through the middle with the pipes shrilling a high, exuberant melody harmonized in fifths and octaves over the rest. Though she enjoyed watching, she found herself longing to dance, but she did not have quite enough courage to put herself forward. The steps they danced were not so different from patterns she already knew, and she grew so interested in analyzing them, even in trying a few surreptitiously, that Cha Ishii’s sudden appearance at her side took her entirely by surprise.

  “Lady Terese.” He bowed. She started. In the darkness, he had her completely at a disadvantage because she could not see the fine shades of color on his skin. “If I may speak?”

  “Cha Ishii.” To regain her composure, she took a moment to give permission. “You may. I am surprised to see you here.”

  “It is indeed a primitive display. But I will be brief. We leave day after tomorrow. I wish you to know that once we return to space, we will see to it that the duke is made aware of your presence out here. To that end, I can supply you with a ring-shaped beacon of human manufacture that we will activate once we have returned to the Oshaki.”

  Thereby, Tess thought, leaving it to be your word against mine that you were ever here in the first place. She shook her head. “No, Cha Ishii, that will not be necessary.”

  “But you have no such technology with you. Our instruments showed—” He broke off, and Tess wished dearly that she could see what emotion he was feeling now.

  “What instruments do you mean?”

  “Those aboard the Oshaki, of course. A slip of the tongue, Lady Terese. Forgive me for disturbing you with my hasty temper.”

  “Of course. There is no need, Cha Ishii, for a beacon because I am coming with you.”

  The music stopped. After laughter and applause, the lutes began a slow melody accompanied by a sinuous line dance.

  “It is too dangerous a journey, Lady Terese. I strongly advise against it.”

  “With you to look out for my interests, Cha Ishii, I have absolutely no doubt that I will arrive safely, with you, in Jeds.”

  The implication of that comment left him without a reply for a long moment as the dance shuffled on behind them. “I cannot allow this,” he said at last.

  “Do you have something to hide? Surely not, Cha Ishii.”

  “We have nothing to hide.”

  “Then you can have no objection to my coming.”

  “Bakhtiian will not let you go.”

  “You are paying him. If you request that I go with you, then he cannot refuse.”

  He pressed his hand together, palms touching, to convey his disapproval of this scheme. His voice remained expressionless. “Lady Terese, I must strongly object—”

  She s
et her hands, fist to palm, in that arrangement known as Imperial Command. “Cha Ishii, I am the heir to this dukedom. You cannot object.”

  He lowered his hands. “I obey,” he said finally, bowing to the precise degree due her rank. “If you wish, I will inform Bakhtiian of my decision now.”

  “Now?” She looked to her left, around the circle made by those of the tribe who weren’t dancing, and saw Bakhtiian standing nearby, watching them. She sucked in a big breath, blew it out through full cheeks. “Very well. We may as well settle it now.”

  Ishii bowed again and walked over to Bakhtiian. They conferred together. Standing next to Bakhtiian, Ishii looked angular and stiff; Bakhtiian had tilted his head at such an angle that he did not appear to be looking up.

  “Tess! Are you sure you don’t want to dance? This next one is very easy, really—” Yuri stopped beside her and followed the direction of her gaze. “What’s that all about?”

  “Ishii is asking that I come along.”

  “Oh,” said Yuri, sounding apprehensive as Ishii took his leave of Bakhtiian and disappeared into the gloom. Tess grinned at Yuri, but a moment later Bakhtiian walked across and halted beside them. He looked as if he was quite angry but trying very very hard to pretend that he was not.

  “Terese Soerensen. When we first met some days past I formed the impression that you had no experience riding horses. You cannot travel with us if you cannot ride.”

  Tess found that she had enough malice in her soul to enjoy a slow smile at his expense. “But I can ride. Surely Mother Orzhekov told you that Yuri has been giving me lessons. I’m no master of the art, but I can stay on a horse well enough to travel with your jahar, I believe.”

  “She can, Ilya,” said Yuri impulsively. “She’s very quick.”

  Ilya glanced, quick as lightning, at Yuri. “Then I congratulate you,” he said to Tess, “although I won’t presume to guess how you persuaded the priest to request that you come with us. I don’t think you made a friend by doing it.”

  “Do you mean yourself?”

  “I was speaking of the priest,” he said impassively. “I have never found it advisable to offend those who are under the special protection of the gods.”

  “On that count I have no fears.”

  A high voice broke into their circle. Little Katerina ran up to Bakhtiian, laughing, wanting to tell him something. He crouched beside her, whispered in her ear, and she looked wide-eyed up at Tess and ran away again. The music wound to a close and there was much laughter and a round of singing as the musicians broke off to rest.

  “We shall see.” Bakhtiian stood up. “It is against my instinct and all my better judgment, but this is the priest’s choice, not mine.” A single gold necklace shone at his throat, winking in the inconstant firelight as he turned to regard Yuri. “Yurinya. You will see that Terese Soerensen takes proper care of her horse, that she eats, is warm, and is always ready to ride. Do you understand?” It sounded more like a threat than a request.

  “Yes, Ilya. Of course, Ilya.”

  “Terese Soerensen, until such time as we arrive at a port and can put you on a ship, you will abide by my decisions and my orders. You don’t know this land. I do. You will ride with me and at other times will stay with Yurinya. If for some reason you can’t ride with me, you’ll ride with Nikolai Sibirin. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. I know I’m inexperienced, but I’ll learn.”

  “You’ll have to. Yuri, come with me. Excuse us.” He took Yuri by the wrist, as if he was a child, and dragged him away so fast that Yuri stumbled over his own feet and could only manage a brief, despairing glance at Tess before he vanished with Ilya into the darkness of the camp.

  Tess had a sudden premonition that Yuri was in for a bad time. She circled the crowd, seeking Sonia, and found her talking easily with one of the men who had ridden in that day. Sonia had laid a hand on the man’s arm as casually as if he were her husband, and their heads were close enough together as they spoke that it gave them an intimate appearance. When Tess hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt, Sonia glanced up, saw her, and excused herself immediately.

  “What is it?”

  Tess told her.

  “Ah. You were right to come to me. Ilya will be furious at being outmaneuvered. You wait here.”

  “No, I ought to come with you.”

  “As you wish, but stay in the shadows. It will be better for Yuri if Ilya does not know you fetched me.”

  Tess followed Sonia into camp. Tents surrounded them, cutting off the distant glow of the great fire. There was no sound, no movement, except for the wailing of a child that faltered and stilled. Tess had to move slowly, hands out to either side, fingers occasionally brushing the coarse fabric of a tent wall. Sonia had lost her, but as the music started up again behind, she heard voices ahead, a quiet counterpoint to the distant melody of celebration. She stumbled over a guy-rope and froze, stopped by the voices coming from right around the edge of the tent.

  “You deliberately used my aunt’s authority to undercut mine.” Bakhtiian’s tone was so cutting that Tess instantly regretted ever asking Yuri for help. “Of course I would not object, since I did not suspect what you and she were planning.”

  “I didn’t think—”

  “Obviously you didn’t think, Yuri. Women don’t ride with the jahar. Her inexperience will slow us down and could be dangerous.”

  “But that’s why I gave her the lessons.”

  “If she couldn’t ride, there would be no question of her traveling with us, would there?”

  “But you just said yourself that—”

  “Have you ever bothered to ask yourself why she is here? Or wonder why the priest says she is a spy—”

  “You don’t really believe—”

  “Had I finished speaking?”

  The pause that followed was both heavy and uncomfortable. Into it, the distant music metamorphosed from a slow, pacing number into a frantic tune.

  “Well, Ilya,” said Sonia, walking into their silence with all the aplomb of an angry and protective older sister. When Sonia spoke, clear and carrying, Tess abruptly realized that they were all speaking in Rhuian, a family quarrel that no one else could understand. “Have you finished bullying Yuri how? Or shall I leave until you are done?”

  “This is men’s business, Sonia.”

  “Is it, indeed? When two men meet in the dark to discuss a woman, I call that women’s business. Yuri, you may go.”

  “I haven’t given him permission—”

  “Ilya. Must I speak to Mama about your manners?”

  “Go on, Yuri,” he said curtly.

  Tess, standing frozen behind the dark wall of a tent, did not see in which direction Yuri fled.

  “You have made your point, Sonia,” said Bakhtiian coldly. “Have I your permission to leave?”

  “Certainly, Ilyakoria. But I am curious as to why you were so insistent that Nadine and I travel the long path to Jeds, alone, need I add, where we might have encountered any danger, and in lands where you know very well how they treat women. We cannot even be sure we will ever see Dina again.”

  “Knowing Dina, we will undoubtedly receive an envoy from the Prince of Jeds himself requesting that we remove her before she destroys the entire city.”

  Sonia chuckled, despite herself. “That is very probably true. Don’t distract me. What I mean to say is, if you risked us, then whatever excuse you give Yuri about Tess not going because she is a woman is the most ridiculous nonsense I have ever heard.”

  “Do you suppose she can use a saber?”

  “I suppose she can learn, well enough to defend herself, at least. I do not expect her to become such a paragon of saber fighting as Vladimir, or yourself, dear cousin. And I will give her my own bow and arrows, since a woman can use them to protect herself without any shame. What is your real reason?”

  “I don’t trust her. There are great things in front of us, in front of our massed armies, if we can get so far. I must rid my
self of those last few riders who don’t understand that we must unite, that the old ways no longer protect us. And I need those horses. What if she acts to harm the priest, to disrupt this journey, to ruin all the work I’ve done so far?”

  “Why should she care? She is a merchant’s sister, traveling home to Jeds. She says herself that it was a foolish impulse that led her to follow the priest off the ship, that she only meant to protect her brother’s trading rights.”

  “Do you believe this story?”

  “I trust Tess.”

  He did not reply immediately. “She lied to us once. She is not their interpreter. She’s still lying, Sonia.”

  “How can you know?”

  “I feel it in my gut.”

  “And you’re never wrong.” Sonia’s voice came cold and flat and sarcastic. “Never you. Never Bakhtiian. You never listen to anyone else.”

  “I would listen to others if they had anything worthwhile to say.”

  “If you’d listened to others, Natalia and Timofey and your parents would still be alive.”

  The tension was so palpable that Tess felt it as loudly as any words. Bakhtiian made a sound, like the beginning of speech, and then fell silent, as if he were so furious that he could not even talk. She took a step back, suddenly sure that her presence here would do Sonia no good if it were discovered.

  “Come out,” said Bakhtiian, as if her thoughts alone had alerted him.

  “Ilya—” Sonia began, protesting.

  “Whom are you protecting?” he snapped.

  Tess knew that however much she did not want to walk around the tent and see either of them, in such a mood, she could not leave Sonia to end this conversation alone.

  So she joined them. Sonia stood, hands drawn up into fists on either side of her waist, pale, facing Bakhtiian. He had heard the scuff on the grass and he turned; instantaneously took a step back away from Tess, surprised to see her. He froze, as though touched by some stilling hand.