by Guy Antibes
An Eagle officer raised her hands and rode without touching her reins to Pol.
“We were told you were a murderer.” The officer glanced back at the fallen Lake officer. “Did you give Horani as much chance as you gave her?”
“Even a demonstration of my abilities,” Pol said. “The woman is filled with hate. I would hope that you are a reasonable person.”
The Eagle looked at the line of Blue soldiers. “I respect the Blues, but we were told to fight you, and I follow orders. Is there a way around a battle?”
“Fight me. I will fight anyone in your army according to your rules. If that means no magic, then no magic. If you attack our forces, there will be no quarter given.” Pol looked evenly at the Eagle. “Do you understand? Surrender will not be an option.” Pol’s words were harsh, but then he thought of something. “Let me confer with my officers.”
Pol turned back and returned to Fanira. “Come with me. I can shield us both if you stay close.”
She nodded and joined Shira and Pol on the return. The Eagle officer and a Lake officer waited for them.
Pol let the three factions talk to one another. He did not think the Bureaucracy or the Fearless would be considered neutral parties in the discussion. Fanira described Pol’s actions, including the healing of her nose.
“The Foxes said much the same thing,” the Eagle officer said. “Elder Furima could barely be contained.” The officers nodded and smiled at each other. That gave Pol hope.
“We can’t turn away or even join your cause without some conflict,” the Lake officer said. “Gari’s demeanor matched Horani. The rest of us fight with passion, but rarely anger.”
“I can meet your champions without magic,” Pol said. “But it must apply to both sides.”
“But you are a great magician.”
Fanira laughed. “But he is also a great fighter, even without a sword.”
“I have just the person. You don’t mind fighting another man?”
Pol nodded. “I have fought many.”
“Then let your surrounding forces come in closer, so they can see the matches,” The Eagle commander said. “You have my word that we will fight on your side should the Lakes break the truce we are now negotiating for the challenge.”
The Lake officer nodded. “I agree. We know the consequences of dishonor.” She looked back at the officer, still lying on the ground. “How did she die?”
Pol pulled out a splinter. “I teleported this into her heart.”
“I thought it a spell.”
“I can do that, too, but it is too easy,” Pol said.
The three of them nodded.
~
Pol, with his hat removed and his light hair and complexion, contrasted with his opponents. The Eagles sponsored a tall man, well-muscled and well-scarred. The Lake fighter was a woman, not particularly large, but she walked with power and grace. Pol thought she might be the more formidable opponent, especially if she had magic.
Keeping his shields intact, he joined the commanders of the Lake, Eagle, Blue, Bureaucrats, and the Fearless faction on the road, along with the challengers.
“You all agree that there will be no fighting of any kind, including arrows, spells, tweaks, or swords until the challenges are over,” Shira said. “You saw what Pol can do if you cheat.”
The Eagle and the Lake commander nodded.
“What if we win?” the Lake commander said.
“Think of the glory,” Pol said.
“What if we lose?” the Eagle commander said.
“Then you have the option of joining us or going on your way. If we come up against each other another time, we might not be so charitable. Let’s get this over with.”
He pulled out his Demron sword and a long knife. “No magic?”
“No magic,” both commanders said nearly simultaneously. They looked at each other, and Pol liked the fact that he saw worried looks on their faces.
Everyone went back to his or her forces except for the three contestants.
~~~
Chapter Twenty
~
T he wind blew across Pol’s face as his opponents began to loosen up. Pol watched them, assessing their capabilities while they went through the Shinkyan version of practice forms. Pol had seen enough, so he limbered up with stretches that turned into Kirian forms. The nomads of Zasos didn’t use anything specific to warm up. Each warrior devised his own way of getting ready.
Pol saw that as a disadvantage, since fighting was mental as well as physical. He did notice that his opponents observed his warming up. The Demron sword attracted the woman’s eyes. If she recognized the sword, then she must be a Sister. He would have to watch her. Pol shielded his mind against intrusion, but unless the others sported a shield that would stop a blade, he would fight them without one.
“You are a pattern-master?” the woman asked.
Pol nodded. “I am, but I won’t use magic unless you do,” he said.
“You used magic against the Blue commander, though.”
“She did the same. If you want to fight using magic, wait for the results of my match with him,” Pol turned to the Eagle and bowed.
“I am ready,” the Eagle said. He flexed his muscles. Pol stood taller, but the man was more broad, but not over-muscled.
Both of his opponents would be fast. Pol would have to be faster. “What denotes a victory? I have no desire for this to be a death match.”
“Significant first blood,” the Eagle said.
“That is acceptable for me, too,” the Lake soldier said.
“Broken bones?” Pol said.
Pol’s comment startled both of them. “We don’t fight that way,” the woman glared at Pol.
“So be it. Let’s get this done,” Pol said.
He backed up and let the pair come at him. Both held only a sword without a shield or even a scabbard for balance. For Pol, that was an advantage, as long as they faced him.
The man attacked first, with the woman lagging behind. Pol expected a magical attack when he was fatigued from fighting the man. If Pol fought himself, he would be running to the rear to fight Pol from behind, but this pair did not want to fight as a team.
Pol began the dance with a parry and a thrust, and then the match took on its own rhythm. It would only last long enough to spot an appropriate opening. The man was fast, but not as fast or as skilled as Pol. Few were.
He blocked a downward blow with his sword and twirled at the same time to open up a slice in the man’s stomach. His opponent dropped his sword and backed away, finally falling on his backside, clutching his stomach.
The woman took advantage of Pol observing the man’s fall with a lunge. She scored his knife arm with her blade, but it just brushed his skin, opening a cut, but it was not deep. The blood welled, but it did not flow.
Pol jumped back, ready for a magical attack, but she did not attempt one. She drove Pol back with a flurry of thrusts and swipes. Her sword was an extension of her arm, and Pol was sure she would defeat Shira and Ako in a duel.
He began to use his knife to disrupt the sweep of her blade and a harder deflection with his Demron sword. Both of his weapons were perfectly suited to Pol, as well, and he kept up with the woman until she began to slow just a bit.
She stepped back to gather herself, and Pol felt the pressure of mind-control.
“Naughty,” he said. “No magic. I can detect if you are trying to manipulate my mind. I will overlook it if you stop,” Pol said. “You will not match me if I use magic.”
Her eyebrows rose, and the look of fear plainly showed on her face. “I, I am bound to defeat you.” Her chest heaved as she caught her breath.
Pol shook his head. “That is why I am on this journey. I’d rather you be bound to Shinkya first and to the Lake faction second.”
She grit her teeth. Pol flashed a glance at the fallen Eagle. He was failing. Pol had to put an end to this match to save him. He became the aggressor. She fell back, her confidence sha
ken, perhaps, by their brief conversation.
She twirled to deliver a forceful slash that Pol avoided. He grabbed her sword hand and slammed the blunt edge on her wrist. The two ridges shredded her skin. She gasped in pain and dropped her sword. Blood began to pour down her arm.
“Hold it. I’ll fix that after I work on the Eagle,” Pol said.
He put his shields up as he knelt next to the Eagle. The man was in a little better shape than Pol had feared. After ripping the man’s tunic open, Pol found the sliced damage and applied a quick fix. The skin was sealed, but the Eagle had already fainted.
His shield repelled a blow to his back. Pol turned back and looked at the Lake warrior holding her sword in her left hand. Her face twisted more in fear than in hate. She tucked her broken wrist into her tunic.
Pol picked up his sword. “Do you want to fight with magic? You will not be able to land a blow. I’ll give you the chance to surrender. If the Lakes have threatened you or your family, I will take you under my wing and protect them.”
Pol saw the confusion on her face. He knew then that he had to work on her mind. He saw the sheen of mind-control on her brain and eliminated it. The spell was not particularly sophisticated. Pol was sad that the technique had leaked into Shinkya.
She staggered. Pol spelled sleep, and she fell into his arms. He laid her on the ground and yelled to Shira. “Mind-control on the Lakes! Remove it immediately, please.”
Pol quickly checked the Eagle soldier, but his mind was clear. “Just the Lake faction.”
He attended to the woman’s broken wrist. He examined her arm. Both forearm bones were clean breaks. Pol fixed those first and then worked on repairing the smashed tissue on her arm. The shredded skin finally got his attention. He rose and walked into the Lake soldiers, following Shira, Ako, and Val as they began to eliminate the spell.
The Lake commander shook her head. She sat on the ground. Most of the Lake horses had walked away from the soldiers and moved to the back of the army like a large herd.
“We were ensorcelled?” she said.
Pol nodded and looked at the Lake soldiers. Some stood, and others sat on the ground. “You were indeed. Someone placed mind-control on most of you.”
“We have not been honorable,” the commander said. “Our General was ensorcelled. Is that why she ordered us to violate the parley?”
“Perhaps. We won’t know since she didn’t survive, but the chances are good. Can you remember who might have done it?” Shira said.
“The Ambassador visited our unit with his wife a few days ago.”
Pol knew the answer, but he asked the question. “Did he speak to your entire army? Were you riveted by his speech?”
She nodded. “He doesn’t like you.”
“Our Elders gave us instructions to engage you if you left Tishiko. I can no longer lead this army.”
“What if your army joined us? Not as Lake but a new faction of your own choosing. The Lakes will not exist for much longer,” Pol said.
He had given Barian and Horani a chance, but he suspected Barian was now a Winnower creature. The mind-control was not a ward, but it was easily administered, just as the Abbot at Tesna Monastery had done it when Pol lived there with Shira.
“Can we tell you tomorrow?”
Pol nodded as Val, Shira, and Ako returned.
“The archer was mind-controlled, as well,” Val said.
“I will ride to Tishiko and then return here,” Pol said. “It’s time to dismantle the Lake faction and deliver on my promise to Horani and her husband.”
Pol knelt down as his Lake opponent began to stir.
“You are recovered, I hope.”
She looked down at her blood-covered wrist. “That was significant, and you broke the bone, as well.”
“To save your life,” Pol said. “You were under mind-control, so I forgive your violation of the rules.”
“You could have killed me with a clear conscience,” she said.
Pol shook his head. “No. It would not have been clear. The enemy is one you have not even seen yet, but they controlled you. Go and discuss where your allegiances lie. I wait for your answer.” He looked at the Lake commander. “Not all of you have to choose to join us, but if any of you return to the Lake compound, you will likely be ensorcelled again.”
The commander showed her distaste of that option with her expression. “I will follow you, but there will be others who have relationships in the faction.”
Pol nodded. “We can’t always be kind to our enemies. They must understand that.”
She bowed to Pol and gathered her troops together.
Pol talked to the two Eagle healers who stood by their defeated challenger. He was still asleep when they carefully placed him on a stretcher.
“Keep him asleep for at least a day,” Pol said. “I’m not so skilled with his injuries inside, but everything is patched up. Let him recover.”
Both of them nodded. “You are a master healer, Great Ancestor. That means a lot to us.”
Pol bowed back to them as they took the fallen warrior back to their lines. The Eagles began to pitch tents on one side of the road. Pol stood watching the armies. He had kept them from a pitched battle, but the forces needed to train. He would have liked to talk to the remaining leaders later that night,whenever the Lakes made their decision, but Pol had to return to Tishiko before any soldiers did.
Not quite an hour later, the Lake leader emerged from their discussions.
“We will all follow you. There are important people to us in the Lake faction, but they are safer in Tishiko.
Pol saw a few Lake riders take off to the East. “Not quite all.”
“Perhaps. What would you have us do?”
“I leave that up to Fanira. I don’t think there is a faction army any further north?”
“No. The swamps begin not far from here.”
Pol shivered as he remembered his own battle in the swamps not long ago. “They will give you a rune book. Shira and Ako can train you. We can communicate nearly instantaneously. I have business in Tishiko, and I will meet you on the road. My rune book will have your location.”
“Is that possible?”
Pol smiled. “Someone has to write the location inside. You might like the concept.”
Shira walked up with Ako. “We visited the Eagle soldiers. No mind-control among them.”
“Could their Elders be controlled?”
Shira shrugged. “Perhaps, but they are very loyal to my mother, like the Lakes. Soldiers are a bit more pragmatic.”
Pol gazed at the Lake soldiers. “If left to themselves.”
~
The returning Lake soldiers were still more than a day behind when Pol and Demeron slipped into the Fearless compound in the early morning, just before daybreak. Pol gave Demeron a quick rub-down before he sought out the Chief Elder.
“I’ll be back for you sooner than later. Get some rest and something to eat while I’m gone,” Pol said.
Demeron nuzzled Pol. Take care, Great Ancestor.
“Not you, too!” Pol patted Demeron’s jaw and left the stable.
He had a guard roust the Chief Elder out of her bed to give a detailed description of what happened in the Northwest. She knew the gist from a rune book message.
‘What do you intend to do?” she asked.
“I made sure Horani and her husband understood what would happen if they betrayed me. If Barian has become a Winnower, he will have betrayed the Emperor and the Empire.”
“You will kill both of them?”
Pol nodded. “Our plans for Shinkya will end up costing needless lives if they aren’t stopped.” He did not tell the woman that he would also be visiting the Lakes. If the Elders were not mind-controlled, they would suffer the same fate as the Ambassador.
Pol slipped out of a discreet door, guarded and discreetly warded, despite the Queen’s directive. The streets were mostly empty as Pol made his way over the Palace wall and into the Imperial Co
mpound.
He slipped through the familiar side door, surprised that he encountered a ward that he had to remove. Barian must have decided that he did not have to restrain himself any longer.
Pol located Barian and Horani’s bedroom. A cook had begun early in the kitchen, but no one else stirred in the darkness. Pol looked at the warded door. Barian’s work was simple, but wards were wards. He disassembled the tweaks first and then the base of the ward before opening the door.
The pair slept in separate beds. Pol looked down at them and found that neither had any evidence of mind-control. A glint around Barian’s neck attracted Pol’s attention. He put them both into a tweaked sleep before he slipped his fingers around the chain and pulled out the Winnow Society medallion of a scythe over a pentagon.
Pol didn’t need any more evidence. The medallion spoke of Barian’s betrayal, but Pol wanted to know when he converted. Evidence pointed to the fact that he had voluntarily been won over.
He woke Barian up and tweaked a truth spell.
Barian’s eyes revealed the expected distress of seeing an enemy in his bedroom.
“What do you want?” he said.
“Information. When did you become a Winnower?”
“I had been sympathetic to their cause before I came to Shinkya. A high-level member of the Society visited me about a year after you left Tishiko, and I became an initiated member.”
“What does that mean?”
“I learned about wards and mind-control.”
“Can you place wards on a person’s mind?”
Barian made a face. “No, just mind-control.”
“Couldn’t Horani teach you?”
Barian shook his head. Pol could tell he struggled to keep from telling the truth. “She was forbidden to tell me or to use them in my presence. How did you find out?”
“Silly man,” Pol said. “I can see mind-control in a person’s mind. You ensorcelled the entire Lake army.”
“Ah. Does that mean you are here to kill me?” Barian’s face filled with fear.
Pol nodded. “You are a traitor to Hazett and your erstwhile friend, Ranno. Your wife will pay the same price. What of the Lake Elders? Are they controlled by you?”
