“Salt recognizes Temia,” Lord Salt said.
Kate turned back, knowing her surprise was ludicrous. Everyone on the Council and in the audience had the same expression, as if the world had shifted beneath their feet.
Salt looked around at them all as if he was mildly surprised by their reaction. He turned back to Kate and bowed, equal to equal.
“Welcome back to the Council, Temia,” he said.
During the long tense moments in which she asserted her right to lordship, everything hung in balance. The world never seemed so bright, so edged, as during those moments. She could be captured, imprisoned, tried for treason, the brothers hanged.
When Lady Trieve threw in her support, Kate let herself breathe a little, though she knew they weren’t out of danger. Still, she gave Lady Trieve a small smile and Lady Trieve permitted a smile back. You know what I’m here for, and you got it much faster than anyone else.
She made scrupulously sure that she did not do much more than let her eyes graze across Lord Terrick, but she was as aware of him as she was of Colar. Lord Terrick was smart too, and not to be underestimated; he would know that Temia was not seeking a position at Council simply for old times’ sake, but he would think it was just to get back at him and his House. He wouldn’t understand–not until it was too late–what Temia’s real goal was.
But what’s Salt up to, I wonder? She would discuss it with Balafray and the others later. They would have to play their cards carefully around Lord Salt
Salt beckoned to a servant and they brought her a chair and wedged it next to Lords Shay and Saraval. She sat across from Lady Wessen and the old woman now eyed her with sharp discontent. Kate felt the same way she had with some of her sterner teachers. She hid her discomfort by placing her hands on the table in front of her with steepled fingers.
“Under discussion, Lord Temia, was the disposition of Favor,” Salt said. He made to pour her wine.
“No thank you,” Kate said automatically, then had a second of indecision. Should she have accepted? She’d had the occasional glass with dinner with her parents since she was fifteen.
He gave an avuncular smile. “Wise child. No offense, of course. You must keep your wits about you. I know I’ve often felt that way with this crowd.”
Kate noted who laughed and who looked pained. “I’m aware of the conflict over Favor,” she said.
“Of course you would be,” Salt said. Ouch. He meant her broken betrothal and the reason for it.
“And so it would seem that there’s little to discuss,” Kate said. “Temia of course supports Trieve’s holding over Favor. It is Lady Trieve’s by right, by birth, and for the sake of her heirs.” She smiled at Lord Salt. “I wonder that it was ever in dispute.”
“Ah, youth!” Salt said. “So optimistic–so hopeful! This is the Council of Aeritan, Lady Temia. We can dispute everything, including your right to sit among us.”
In other words, I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.
“How many crows do you really have?” Kenery butted in abruptly. She could have kissed him. Salt would have had her on the defensive in a few minutes and he gave Kenery a sour look.
“One does not have crows, Lord Kenery,” Kate said. “But if you are asking how stands my army, it is sufficient to my needs.”
“I would like to thank you, Lady Temia,” Lady Trieve said. “Not just for your alliance, given in good faith and good heart, but for all that you do for Aeritan.” Someone snorted in disgust but Lady Trieve turned to look at all of them. “Lady Temia will see to it that the crows are no longer the scourge of Aeritan. It is only right that she comes to my aid, since her crows attacked Trieve so grievously last year.”
“Exactly why I want to know how many she has and what she plans to do with them,” growled Kenery. “And your right to Favor is still in dispute, my Lady.”
“General Marthen was very good with the crows too,” Salt said, ruminatively. Kate hoped that her face stayed calm. “Is that something he taught you–among other lessons?”
Oh, the implications of that.
“He was the best strategist in all of Aeritan,” she said, parroting what Colar told her. “I would have been a fool not to have learned from him. But there’s much more to war, you know. I believe that I may have described some of that to the Council last year.”
Dead silence. She could see by their expressions that Saraval and Terrick remembered that day.
“Yes, I heard about that,” Salt said, still as urbane as ever. “Quite remarkable. And then there were those weapons. Whatever happened to them? Oh yes, dispersed by the Council before you returned to us. A shame. All squirreled away now, no more for latecomers. Smiths are making more, no doubt.”
Kate smiled politely. “When an Aeritan smith can reverse-engineer a semi-automatic rifle, that will frighten me, Lord Salt. But that won’t happen. Pretty soon you’ll run out of ammo, and the guns will be good only for clubbing people with. And I’ll still have my crows.”
“My,” Salt said. “You are a bloodthirsty minx. Now I understand why Terrick sent you away, eh Terrick?”
Kate glanced over at Lord Terrick but remotely, as if she could barely care.
At the other end of the table Lord Tharp stirred restlessly.
“Salt, you are enjoying this, but the rest of us want to get on with it,” he rasped. “Why you recognized the girl is your own game, but I don’t want to play it. We’re here to decide Favor’s fate. We’re the Council–for high god’s sake, can’t we just vote?”
“No,” Salt said through gritted teeth. “Favor’s fate is Aeritan’s fate. We can’t just vote. You might as well just leave it to this child and her ragtag band of inhuman monsters.”
Behind her Balafray and his brothers swelled with rage. Kate prayed that Grigar could keep them all in line.
“Fine,” Tharp retorted. “Then let’s adjourn. I’m hungry and I’ve been sitting here for hours watching you act as if you are the High King.”
It was funny, Kate thought, as what was unsaid was so much more important than the words out loud. For instance, the reaction when Tharp said High King spoke volumes.
The last High King was Temia.
And at last, they were all beginning to wonder what her game was.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Dispatch riders thundered out of Salt in earnest, crisscrossing the countryside with messages from the lords to their armies. Kate paced her tent in the crow’s encampment, almost bouncing off the walls of the tiny space, fraught with excess tension. She wanted dispatch riders, but that took money, and she was almost all out. Running a country was not cheap. She needed financing.
“Where is Grigar?” she muttered. How long did it take to deliver a letter and get a yes or no? She had sent him with a letter to Lady Trieve, the better to plan their alliance. She had put Temia at Jessamy’s disposal, but she needed to ensure the woman returned the favor, so to speak.
“Chick, slow down,” Balafray said. He tried to catch her elbow. They were all crowded inside, too tense for jubilation. The tent was gloomy and musty and smelled of sweat and oiled armor. Ossen and the younger brothers watched with wide eyes as she paced.
“Girl,” Tamra said, her voice stern. “He’ll be back soon.”
Soldier’s god, she needed them to stop talking so she could think.
“Stop, Balafray,” Kate said, shrugging off his hand. “Let me be. I have to figure this out.”
Next steps. Meet with Lady Trieve, if she would have her. Mobilize the crows, but keep them at hand. In the meantime, they had to mount an expedition to support Favor, but also had to keep a force to protect Temia. She had cursed the House’s remoteness when crossing the river toward Salt. Now, it might be the only thing that saved them. If they had to, they could retreat toward Temia, though crossing the river would be difficult... She had an image of the crows driven into the waters to drown. Our retreat will have to take us north, where the river narrows. She could leave that to
the clan leaders; she had no doubt they knew how to melt away when under attack. If they didn’t go malcra, that was.
She wheeled about on her fine boot heel. “Balafray, we need to continue to call the crows in. Can we do that with the runners we have or do we have to send others out?”
The elder brother gave her his ugly, avuncular smile. “Girl, calm yourself. Rejoice. You’ve set the Council back on their heels. We crows will take care of the rest.”
“Don’t be a fool,” she snapped. Her head was buzzing with her plans of attack, retreat, regroup. She registered his surprised anger but remotely. “We’ve done nothing but worry them. We might even have united them all against us, even Favor and the rest. We have to cement our position, and I don’t have enough money to do it.”
Ossen spoke first. “Money, Kett?” Her voice was almost timid.
Frustration boiled over. “Yes, Ossen, money. You need money to wage a war, and we don’t have any. All I have is an old horse and the clothes on my back.”
“Girl!” Balafray was angry now. “You are acting like them! You are a crow, remember. We are the spirit of Aeritan, and though they may kill us, they cannot destroy us.”
“I’d rather not put that to the test,” Kate said through a clenched jaw. Her head started to hurt. “You know what? Fine. I’ll figure this out by myself. I’m going to get some fresh air.”
She pushed open the tent flap, leaving them silent in her wake.
The crow army spread out around her, and as always it shocked her. So many people, so many tents, some barely more than a ragged blanket draped over a pole. Men, women, and children were crammed together, as ragged and tattered as their namesake birds. Here and there a sword or armor gleamed, but mostly the crows had little else. The spirit of Aeritan, Kate thought. Even the spirit of Aeritan needs food and clothing.
The fresh air did lift her spirits a bit though. The sun lowered over the city’s walls, and the wind kicked up. It had a bite to it and she wrapped her cloak around her, the hem floating around her legs. It felt good to be warm. The cloak was not just for show. The tailor had done a fine job of giving her a good warm cloak.
How could she get them to understand? They were still in a precarious position. She didn’t want to have to fight. She wanted to use the crows’ reputation as savage warriors to her advantage. The problem was, the crows thought differently. They wanted to fight. Grigar was right; this was an army that lived on the edge of blood lust .
Right. She had to cement her alliance with Trieve and Wessen as quickly as possible. Where was Grigar?
She heard movement behind her and turned. It was Tamra and Ossen.
“We told them to sit tight and be still, or else,” Ossen said.
“Thanks,” Kate said. “Sorry.” She reached out and squeezed Ossen’s hand and Ossen squeezed back.
Tamra snorted. “You can’t overturn the world in a day, girl. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time.”
Wise words, except they didn’t have time for that. A shout got their attention and they looked up. Grigar returned, waving a letter. He came straight up to her, and his brothers poured out of the tent to surround him. Grigar held the letter up high when they reached for it.
“Ivar you fool, back off. You can’t even read. Arlef, you too.”
Balafray snarled and they fell back. Ceremoniously, Grigar handed her the letter with a bow.
“She said she wants to meet with you, and asks you to come to see her.”
Kate chuckled.
“She just didn’t want to be seen coming to me,” she said.
“But she had a pretty excuse for it,” Grigar said, grinning. “Your coming to her would make it clear that you have the right to move freely in Salt.”
“Ah, good point.” She scanned the letter again. Lady Trieve had a fine hand and chose only a few words where others would have been more long-winded.
Lady Temia, greetings. I am looking forward to our meeting. I am sure you have as many questions of me as I have of you. Please join me this evening. We await your arrival.
Lady Trieve, and what a pretty flourish she added to the name. Lady Trieve had a well-trained hand. And was that a royal we? Probably not–she meant that she would not be alone. So she would have to bring her own companions. Grigar of course, Balafray for the intimidation factor, and Ossen, for her friendship and to have another woman involved–not to mention to counter Balafray’s frightening presence.
“Tamra, will you keep an eye on things here?”
The crow snorted. “They’ll not stir without my permission.”
Anticipation stirred up the butterflies in her stomach and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Lady Trieve was smart, and she had reason to be favorably disposed toward Kate already. It was a lot of goodwill right there.
She just had to make sure she didn’t squander it.
“I had expected treachery from Kenery,” Terrick said in his dour way. “Not you, Salt.”
“The crow army sits outside my walls, Terrick. What would you have me do?”
They were in Salt’s chambers, the door closed and guarded against listeners. Colar watched his elders, his cup of wine unheeded at his elbow. He was listening but with only half his attention. All he could think about was Kate. He had never seen her so beautiful, so sure of herself, yet looking as if she were edged with ice.
She never even looked at him.
“It is not treachery to complain about the way you’ve used me, Terrick,” Kenery said, complaining. “I’ve done my part. I’ve given my daughter, lent my name, and committed my men. You’ve dragged me all across Aeritan and abused my wife and daughter. And now it looks as if we are outsmarted. Well, you can’t blame Kenery. I am blameless in this venture.”
Salt looked as if he had a headache. He closed his eyes and pressed a finger against his forehead. “Did you have no notion whatsoever of the girl’s plans, Terrick?”
“Leave the girl out of it,” Terrick snapped. Colar knew the signs. His father was on his last nerve.
Salt laughed. “I’d say the girl is very much in it. She sat there cool as you please, and told us all to go to the soldier’s god’s hell. If I had known she could raise an army, I wouldn’t have sold your son to Kenery after all. We could have just used her.”
Kenery tried to object, but since he couldn’t figure out if that was an insult aimed at him or at Terrick, he subsided.
“Look,” Salt went on, “What I mean is, what’s her game? Is she getting revenge for hurt pride, or is something more going on?”
“Ask the boy,” Kenery said, jerking his head sullenly at Colar. “He’s insulted my daughter enough over the little slut. He knows her nature better than anyone.”
Colar threw his cup of wine at Kenery’s face. The lord started and sputtered, wiping the stinging wine from his eyes and making things worse. Kenery bellowed with pain and lunged. Colar rose with a smooth motion and drew his sword.
“Stop!” Salt ordered.
“Colar!” Lord Terrick shouted at the same time.
“Tell the old fool to back down,” Colar said. He kept on his guard.
“You bastard whelp,” Kenery choked.
Salt looked between the two. “Kenery, sit down. This isn’t helping. Here.” He threw a fine linen cloth at the lord and Kenery used it to mop at the wine.
“Colar,” Terrick said again. His eyes narrowed as he kept his attention on Colar.
“Not until he sits and keeps his hand off his sword,” Colar said.
Kenery growled and flung his hand back exaggeratedly. “Satisfied?”
Slowly, Colar sheathed the sword.
“Enough of this,” Terrick said. “We need a plan.”
“Here’s my plan,” Kenery said, and the aggrieved tone was back. “We annul the puppy’s marriage to my daughter, and I take my men home. This is all your mess, Terrick, and none of mine. I’ll have nothing more to do with it.”
Why not? Favor would go back to Trieve,
his father would go back to Terrick, and Janye could return to her spiteful, bickering, hateful House, where no doubt her father had another thuggish guardsman he could marry her off to. Everything would return to normal, except for Kate, sitting in her House in the north, Lord of Temia.
“No,” growled Lord Terrick. “You are in it if I have to hold your feet to the fire, Kenery. Favor is ours. The crows are rabble. They are nothing against a trained force. Even added to Favor’s scant men and Trieve’s, we still have them.”
Kate to the north, Lady of Temia, himself to the south, Lord of Favor.
“Lord Kenery,” Colar said, “When Favor is mine, I will send Janye home with pleasure.”
The look the old bull gave him was sour with frustrated rage. Salt gave a cough that was suspiciously like a laugh.
“Well then,” Salt said, as urbanely as ever. “Now that that’s squared away, we can shift our pieces into place. Tactics, my lords. Tactics. More wine?”
Colar pushed himself to his feet. Soldier’s god, he wanted to get out of there.
“I have my own tactics for the moment, Lord Salt. Let me talk to her. I’ll find out for sure what she’s up to.”
Salt gave an appreciative nod, and Kenery glared. His father looked at him with narrowed eyes, as if he didn’t know what to make of his son. Colar bowed and left them to their plans. He had no intention of finding out what Kate was up to, but he did intend to find her.
He hadn’t taken more than twenty paces when he ran into his wife and mother-in-law loitering at the end of the hall. Cursing inwardly, he gave a barely respectful bow.
“Colar, dear son,” Janye’s mother said, with an anxious smile. “Does this mean your council is over with Lord Kenery? We hoped to see him soon, you see.”
“We are still busy, my lady mother,” he said. “I’m away on related business.”
“I see. Well, do you think it would be an impertinence to knock?”
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