The Iron Princess (The Twilight Empress Book 1)

by Niall Teasdale

  The tree-man gave a shrug – particularly expressive with his broad shoulders. ‘I thought all they ever did was sleep and stuff their faces.’

  ~~~

  Xian waited until she was sure that Ayah was asleep before she allowed her physical body to drain away into the spirit world. Then she went looking for Leshak.

  He was sitting on the stone platform outside, apparently just watching the dark forest around him, but he saw Xian as soon as she stepped around in front of him, even though a mortal could not have seen her invisible spirit. ‘Another one, Xian?’ he said.

  Xian settled onto the stone near him. ‘You should really attempt to learn a few civilities, Leshak. “Hello, Xian,” you could say. “How have you been these last few years?”’

  ‘Never seen the point in it. What makes this one special?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Xian replied with amusement flashing in her eyes. ‘She’s not at all special. Just a young woman with a stubborn streak and a knack for talking to spirits. Still, I believe she can do it. She’s… an interesting combination of naïve and world-weary.’

  ‘Huh.’

  ‘Oh, I know I’ll not persuade you one way or another. I just want you to talk to her and keep an open mind.’

  ‘I’ve said I would.’ Leshak frowned. ‘I’ve never understood this… obsession of yours.’

  ‘Coming from the man who trained the first of them, that seems odd. They need another with the strength to guide them and… and I want to be the one who gives that to them.’

  ‘Because the last one worked out so well.’

  ‘He is exactly why they need another. You have to know he’s up to something. Or have you become so isolated here in your forest that you aren’t paying attention to the world outside?’

  ‘I know enough. I said I’d talk to her, Xian, and I’ll talk to her. Now, leave me in peace. I’ve never understood your need to talk so much either.’

  Xian rose to her feet and started back toward the stone hut where Ayah lay. ‘That, old friend, is because you don’t really understand people. Perhaps some time with a new student will change your mind.’

  36th Day, Second Marita.

  There was light coming in through a small window at the back of the hut when Ayah opened her eyes. The strange, glowing crystals which lit the room at night were dark now. Ayah had never seen anything like them, but they gave better light than the window did, and she got dressed more or less by touch.

  Xian had, it appeared anyway, got up first and left Ayah to her own devices. Figuring that it might be brighter outside, Ayah picked up the bag with their food in it and went out through the curtain over the door to find Leshak sitting in the middle of the stone platform. His legs were crossed and his hands were resting on his knees, and he did not appear to be doing anything except perhaps meditating. Beside him were various rough pottery bowls with fruit, nuts, and some other less recognisable things in them, but Ayah was not sure about taking any of them and decided to just settle down where she was to eat in the sun which was now streaming down into the clearing. It figured that it would be sunny when she had somewhere to take shelter.

  Leshak had other ideas and, if he had been meditating, it did not stop him noticing that Ayah was there. He raised a hand and pointed down at the bowls. ‘I’d imagine you need food. Humans seem to need a lot of food.’

  Ayah dropped her bag beside the door of the hut and walked over. She paused and gave a formal bow to her host. ‘Good morning, Dashi Leshak. Thank you, I would enjoy some breakfast.’ She sat down, crossed her legs, and picked up a peach. Then she wondered how the spirit had got fresh peaches this early in the year but decided it was best not to question it.

  ‘I’m just Leshak,’ he said. ‘We don’t use your human titles.’

  ‘As you prefer.’ The peach was crisp, firm, and very tasty. Ayah made sure to swallow before speaking again. ‘Was this place made by spirits?’

  ‘Humans made it a long time ago. They would come here to commune with nature and the spirits who live in the forest. As with many things humans do, the practice became corrupt and the humans who lived here used their position for personal gain. Eventually, I grew sick of their antics and chased them out, but I find the structures useful and there is still a hint of the original purpose of these stones left in them.’

  Ayah munched on her peach and looked up at the standing stones. With better light, it was apparent that there were carvings in the stone. They looked like they were some form of writing, but it was like nothing Ayah had ever seen before. Except that she felt like she should know what they were saying. ‘Is that writing on the stones? I don’t recognise it, but it feels like it’s writing of some kind.’

  ‘It’s one of the early attempts by humans to write down the speech of spirits. Each stone represents an element and the writing indicates which is which. There was writing and other markings on the stone beneath us, but those carvings have worn away over the years.’

  ‘Oh.’ Ayah looked around and then pointed toward the stone at the back with the huts to either side. ‘So, that one’s Earth?’

  ‘That one is Wood. They placed the start of the cycle there in the “prominent” position since this was supposed to be a place for communing with the forest.’

  ‘So, um, you’ve been around for a really long time, I take it?’

  ‘Since the spirit world separated from this one. I was born when the forest was.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ayah said again. ‘And Xian wants you to teach me Wood Form? I… I’m not sure I’m really, um, worthy? That’s not really the right word, but I don’t have a better one. It’d be like being taught Water Form by the ocean. I’m little more than a child to you.’

  Leshak rumbled with what might have been laughter. ‘Human, Nahad, the first Immortal, is little more than a child compared to me. So is Xian. When you get to be my age, you start to realise that being “worthy” has nothing to do with how many years you’ve lived. Why do you want to learn Wood?’

  ‘I don’t. I mean, I do, but I want to learn all of them. I just… I’ve always wanted to. I learned Earth Form because everyone in my village does. My mother taught me healing. I learned Metal from the village smith. I always wanted to travel and learn the other Forms. As many as I could. I didn’t really plan on leaving home quite so soon, but I’ve always wanted… It’s kind of an obsession, you know? Everyone at home used to say I have a stubborn streak.’

  ‘No deeper motive? You’ve set yourself on a long, difficult road. Isn’t there a destination at the end of it you’ve thought of?’

  Ayah frowned and picked up an apple, turning it in her hands. ‘My father died in a bandit raid when I was young. It hurt. Someday I’ll probably have a family and I never want them to have to go through what I did. If someone comes to my home, I want to be able to keep myself and my family safe. But… Well, beyond that and the sheer joy of knowing… No, it’s just something I feel like I have to do.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Leshak said. And Ayah had absolutely no idea what he meant by that.

  ~~~

  ‘Very well, girl, let’s see what you can do.’ Leshak loomed over Ayah, even in his most human size. He stood there on the stone platform and waited for Ayah to attack him, and she had a sudden vision of him fifty feet in height and doing the same. How could anyone stand against this man?

  ‘I’m usually more of a defensive fighter,’ Ayah said. ‘Most people are bigger than me, so I wait for them to attack and counter.’

  ‘A wise strategy but let us imagine that you prefer a direct assault.’

  ‘There is no way I’ll knock you down.’

  ‘Humour me.’

  Thinking this was as stupid a thing as she could imagine, Ayah stepped forward and pushed her hands forward into Leshak’s chest. He did not even attempt to block her or evade the shove, but he also did not move even a fraction of a hand across the stone. That was about what Ayah had expected and she felt rather sullen about it.

  ‘Good techniqu
e,’ Leshak said. ‘We need to work on your basic strength. Again.’

  Feeling like an idiot, Ayah pushed her shoulder into Leshak’s chest as she hooked his right leg. She put all she had into it… and nothing happened. It was rather like trying to uproot a tree.

  ‘Not afraid to put all you have into your attack when it’s needed,’ Leshak commented. ‘That can be the only way to win.’

  From the side of the platform where she was watching the session, Xian said, ‘There is a school of thought among Fire practitioners that that’s the only way to ensure victory. I prefer to stay unbruised.’

  ‘Huh,’ Leshak grunted. ‘Defend yourself, girl.’ Then his huge fist was coming at Ayah’s chest. Ayah stepped back quickly and tried to block the blow, but still she felt his knuckles strike her ribs. He was pulling his punches: she had a strong feeling that if he was not, she would have broken ribs. She had more room to work with now and as another blow came at her, she dodged away from it, backing and turning to remain within the ring of stones. Several more times he swung at her and she dodged away. Then another blow landed and Leshak stepped back.

  Ayah stood – her stance still defensive but solidly rooted as she had been taught – and watched the tree-man for a second or two before she decided that he was not going to attack again. She relaxed and rubbed a hand over her ribs. Yes, he had been pulling his punches, but she expected to see bruises when she undressed for bed.

  Leshak was nodding slowly as though assessing things in his head. ‘You’ve seen her fight, Xian?’

  ‘With a sword,’ Xian replied. ‘Fast and bold but precise. Ferocious when she needed to be. And having to kill a man affected her.’

  ‘She’s killed?’

  ‘A sorcerer.’

  ‘Ah,’ Leshak said, dismissing the issue with a single word.

  ‘I… reassessed my views after talking to Xian,’ Ayah said. ‘I… I don’t like killing. But perhaps it’s the only way to protect myself or others sometimes.’

  ‘I have nothing against killing as such,’ Leshak replied. ‘Death is a part of nature. I don’t even begrudge hunters in my forest so long as they hunt for their own pot. Killing should have a purpose.’

  ‘Well, that’s what I think,’ Ayah agreed. ‘That sorcerer… Well, what he had planned would have hurt a lot of people beyond what he was going to do to the spirit.’

  Leshak gave a grunt. ‘You’ll never hear me argue against killing a sorcerer, Ayah. We’ll begin your training tomorrow.’

  Ayah blinked and her jaw dropped as a reaction to the mental whiplash of such an abrupt shift in the conversation. ‘I… Uh, thank you.’ It occurred to her that the spirit had used her name instead of ‘human’ or ‘girl.’

  ‘Don’t thank me,’ Leshak replied, turning toward the forest. ‘Meet me out here at dawn tomorrow. Get plenty of rest because you are going to need it.’

  37th Day, Second Marita.

  Once again, Ayah sat on the stone platform outside her hut. There was a peach in her hand and she could not quite figure out why Leshak had wanted to start so early when his first act had been to tell her she should eat breakfast.

  ‘Tell me, Ayah,’ Leshak said, ‘what do you know of Wood Form?’

  ‘Um, well, it’s about flexibility and persistence. But flexibility from a solid base a bit like Earth.’

  ‘Earth is all about solidity. Earth is stubborn and refuses to budge until enough force is applied to break it. Wood takes a more flexible attitude, as you say. Imagine a sapling that has taken firm roots. In a storm, it bends to absorb the force of the wind, springing back when the storm passes. Given time, it may drive its roots deep, breaking even the rock beneath it. It is persistent like the vines which grow over buildings unless cut back. Your Earth Form is all about keeping your feet while you attempt to take down your opponent. You’ll forgive me for saying that it is a brute-force style of fighting. With me, you will learn to grip like the vine and use your opponent’s own body against him. You’ll learn to defend against the techniques I’ll teach you. And you will learn to strike an opponent who comes close when the opportunity arises.’

  Leshak paused and Ayah got two full bites of her peach down before he added, ‘You will come away from every day’s training with bruises and aching joints. If you last a month before you want to give up and go home, I’ll be most surprised.’

  Ayah contemplated that statement until her peach was just a stone. ‘You’re probably right, Leshak. I will want to go home. But want is all it will be. I said I’ve a stubborn streak. I’d prefer it if you didn’t physically break me, but my ribs are still a little tender from yesterday and that hasn’t stopped me coming out here today.’

  ‘I expect we’ll see. Eat your fill and we’ll start work. And don’t worry, I’ll not be hitting you in the ribs today.’

  3rd Day, Second Jenshu.

  It was the first Sky Day Ayah had spent training with Leshak and, as she walked out of the hut a little later than usual, she realised that she was not just getting a lie-in. Leshak was not waiting with bowls of fruit and other foods, but Xian was there and she smiled as she spotted Ayah coming through the curtain.

  ‘We’ve decided you need a rest from grips, grapples, and locks,’ Xian said.

  ‘That’s… good,’ Ayah replied. Her arms were still feeling the effects of the various joint locks Leshak had demonstrated the day before, and for several days before that. ‘It sort of implies that you’re going to teach me instead.’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘You’re going to teach me Fire Form?’

  ‘In the long term, you will be able to call yourself a Fire Form practitioner, but for now, I am going to teach you to dance.’

  Ayah sat down and picked up a peach. ‘I already know several dances.’

  Xian waved the comment away. ‘Not this one. It’s not common in the Plains with no really good reason. The Fire Dance dates back almost to the separation of the worlds.’

  ‘I’ve heard of that. Isn’t it supposed to be… Well, a bit lewd?’

  ‘A reputation which is largely undeserved. Largely.’ Xian frowned. ‘It’s misunderstood. Somewhat misunderstood.’ She looked up at Ayah with a serious sort of expression which was something Ayah rarely saw on the fox spirit. ‘Fire is the element of energy. Fire is energetic and expansive, dynamic and powerful and restless. But if you watch the way flames dance, there is a sensuous quality to them. The dance combines all these elements and I will teach you it for a number of good reasons. One of those is that it can be performed as a meditative exercise. Following the forms of the dance precisely brings your mind to stillness. You will need to learn to meditate.’

  ‘I know how to meditate. My mother showed me how. I just happen to be really bad at it.’

  ‘The dancing will help. Also, to perform the dance, one must know the forms of stance and strike used in the martial style of Fire Form. When you do learn Fire Form formally, you’ll have a head start, so to speak.’

  ‘Okay. Well, it sounds like it’ll give me a rest before Leshak starts trying to break my arms again. You know I’m going to need real break days once in a while, right? If I keep going like this, I’ll burn out.’

  Xian nodded. ‘We know. We’ll take time out once in a while. You need more protein in your diet than Leshak is likely to provide and he doesn’t really like people hunting here. But you’ll find that time passes quickly in these woods and that the food Leshak provides keeps you going better than food from outside. I think that when the worlds divided, this forest divided less than the rest of the world, though I’ve no proof that’s the case.’

  ‘There is a bit of a weird, dreamy quality to this place,’ Ayah agreed.

  ‘I think you’ll find your time here passes all too quickly. You’ll leave again thinking it was only yesterday you arrived.’

  Ayah swallowed a bit of peach and raised a finger in objection. ‘That is not going to happen. I have aches and pains that are at least three days old and I can’t imagine
that’s going to change any time soon.’

  Interlude: The Girl Who Talks to Spirits

  The Iron City, 21st Day, Third Tolesh, 206.

  Late autumn in the Iron City could be a bit of a chore. The air sat heavy over the city and it tended to keep the clouds of smoke from the smelting plants in. Parts of the city stank. Of course, parts of the city always stank, but the wintery weather could really make you wish you lived elsewhere.

  The Western Plains, for example. Colonel Tingzhe knew the Plains relatively well. They could get very cold in the winter, but autumns were good. Even the snow in the winter did not smell of ironworks. He wondered once again why he had allowed himself to appear competent enough to be promoted. Garia City had been a good posting. The view through his office window had not been unpleasant. The view from his current office window was full of tall chimneys belching smoke.

  He turned back to his review of reports coming in from various parts of the Empire and other places and, perhaps because he had just been thinking of the Plains, he paid more attention than he might to a couple of notes one of his subordinates had pinned together for his attention. They were concerning rumours which had reached the ears of intelligence officers in Garia City concerning events in a couple of towns in the Plains. Someone had reported them because that was their job. Someone else had noticed a connection and flagged it for the attention of the head of the Imperial Office of Military Intelligence. That head was currently Colonel Tingzhe.

  The first of the notes concerned a bandit attack on the town of Saventi, somewhere near the middle of the Plains. There had been a sorcerer in the middle of it all, apparently trying to conduct a ritual and bringing a horde of amaroqs along with him. And then some unnamed girl had stepped into the fray, slayed the sorcerer, and calmed the spirit the sorcerer had been trying to control. The story had to be embellished: the person originally reporting the story had said just that. The girl’s hair was the colour of flame and her sword shone in the moonlight. She had killed four amaroqs to get to the sorcerer and beheaded him with a single swing of her blade. But a word to the town’s water spirit had stilled it. The stuff of legends and, likely, it was little more than a legend, but people did not make up legends about the now: legends were about things which happened back then.