Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, a Fantasy Adventure

by C. R. Daems

  "Our sister, has given us an interesting problem, brothers. She violated the call to war by not breaking her contract. She has insisted that non-Clan members attend her judgment and has taken actions without the approval of the council. In her defense, she returned on her own and submits herself to our judgment. Ironically, Council Member Anton Talon gave her his place on the council. She is, therefore, both a council member and the accused." Dragos paused for questions or comments.

  When the council remained silent, he continued. "Aisha Talon, you have heard the charges. What do you have to say in your defense?"

  I stood. "First, let me introduce the two non-Clan members. This is the hi'Lady Rhiannon, of Granya, and this is fir'Warrior Awotwi, third son to the hi'Lord of Jaddah and betrothed to the hi'Lady. The reason I have asked for them to be included will become apparent soon."

  They each stood and made a slight bow toward the Council as I introduced them before reseating themselves.

  "For you to understand my actions, I need to start at the beginning. Master Dragos assigned me to be a bodyguard for pri'Rhiannon but posing as a mountain-woman chaperone … " I went on to explain the cyanide poison, identifying Third Lady Castor's involvement, enlisting Ferox as a spy, and Ferox's warning of a possible attack on the trip to Valda. I told of my warning to hi'Lord Varius and Master Taras and the attack on the caravan.

  "How many attacked, Aisha?" Master Jiang asked when I paused for breath.

  "I believe they must have had at least three hundred fighters based on what I saw and the way they overwhelmed the caravan even though the Granyans and Talons were prepared for an attack."

  "How many attackers were killed?" Jiang asked.

  "I don't know. Their losses had to have been heavy. Maybe half."

  "How did you escape?" Jiang asked.

  "At the cost of the lives of the detail guarding pri'Rhiannon. Leszek Talon and his guard were on high alert, and I had prepared a kit for both pri'Rhiannon and myself. When the attack started, Leszek and I could see that they could not hold. I slipped out the back of the tent while the detail held off the attackers. I fled with pri'Rhiannon into the forest." I continued my explanation of the subsequent chase, the fire, and my decision to cross into Jaddah.

  "Twice clever, Raptor Sister," Jiang said to nods from the others.

  I continued to tell about my encounter with the four warriors and our trip into Zenjir. Then concluded with my killing of Baqir's cousin and his proposal to Rhiannon.

  "I think hi'Lady Rhiannon should continue, as this is her story."

  "Thank you, Aisha. First, I would like you to know I owe my life to the Talons, specifically to Aisha Talon, who saved my life at least twice. She advised me to propose to hi'Baqir an alliance." Rhiannon then explained the marriage proposal and the alliance to overthrow hi'Radulf and his supporters and create a family triad of Jaddah, Granya, and Valda. She concluded with Aisha's plan of attacking Dassel.

  "Your reasoning, Aisha?" an older member, I did not recognize, asked.

  "They had to be overextended, Master…"

  "Master Syasya, Sister."

  "The kingdoms maintain about nine hundred fighters each. Hi'Lord Radulf would have had seven hundred of those at Dassel. I believe he sent about five hundred to attack Granya. That left Dassel vulnerable with only around two hundred fighters. With Anton Talon's help, if they could lure a hundred or so out and ambush them, the Valda commander would be forced to call on hi'Radulf for reinforcements, which we could ambush—"

  "Shadow tactics," Syasya interrupted.

  "Yes, senior Brother. Sec'Tadzio would feel safe withdrawing his fighters from Terni, leaving it vulnerable. If we attacked Terni and killed the nobles and remaining fighters, Tadzio would have to reinforce his home. Again, the fighters would be open to ambush. Livorno is also vulnerable because it was loyal to hi'Varius, so hi'Radulf would have had to leave a small guard there. I thought a combined force of Talon, Jaddah, and Granya would be able to reduce the enemy to no more than three to four hundred with few losses using shadow tactics. That would be too few to defend Valda or Granya."

  "And that is why you refused to break your contract with hi'Lady Rhiannon?" Dragos asked.

  "She wanted an alliance with the Talon to avenge her father and the Talons who died defending them. I thought it was in the best interest of the Raptor Clan to keep her safe until you could consider her proposal. When I proposed this to Anton, as a member of the Council, he agreed. The hi'Lady's goals are in line with those of the clan, we thought. Perhaps the best way to gain both goals is to work together."

  "And sending Anton Talon to Dassel?" Syasya asked.

  I nodded to Awotwi, who stood up. "My father, hi'Lord Baqir, agreed to support hi'Lady Rhiannon based on the betrothal between her and me. Anton Talon and my older brother discussed Aisha Talon's idea to attack Dassel with him. Everyone agreed with Aisha Talon's belief that it was vulnerable, and the shadow-fighting approach gave them a huge advantage." Awotwi finished and sat back down.

  I stood again. "Anton Talon thought it was in the Raptor Clan's interest to help the Granya-Jaddah alliance."

  Master Dragos rose. "If you, hi'Lady Rhiannon, and fir'Warrior Awotwi, would step outside for a moment, the council needs to decide the issue of Aisha and Anton's actions." He waited until they left.

  "Aisha, Anton has given you his vote. How do you vote?" Dragos said with a slight smile.

  "I refrain from voting for me or Anton. I will only say that both of us acted in what we thought was the best interest of the Raptor Clan's call to war. I stand ready to do the will of the council." I sat.

  "Jiang?" Dragos asked.

  "I say Aisha and Anton have already taken the war to the clan's enemies while we only sit around and talk. I declare them Raptor Sister and Raptor Brother," Jiang said and looked around the room to general nods of agreement.

  "Does anyone else have anything to add?" Dragos continued when no one spoke. "Aisha, my sister, you continue to amaze me. I would have thought you were the least likely to survive to become a member of the clan. In fact, I was not alone in that assumption. Yet you survived. I thought yesterday that you had exceeded your authority and violated clan law. Again, I find I was wrong. We, the Raptor Clan Council, not only find you innocent of breaking clan law, but this council holds your actions in high esteem. Now, let's bring our allies back in and plan the destruction of our mutual enemy."

  I didn't know whether to cry or jump up and scream with joy. I decided neither would be held in high esteem.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Dahab: Raising an army

  The council resumed a few minutes later, when Rhiannon and Awotwi rejoined the meeting.

  Master Dragos motioned to Master Jiang to address the council. "Well, Aisha, I would like to hear what action you think we should take next. As I remember your ten years at the Aerie, you were not the strongest student nor the fastest nor the best with weapons. Yet you survived against all odds. My impression was that you were the best planner. Your opponents relied upon their speed and strength, on pure skill, to their peril. It is, therefore, not surprising that we, the senior Talons, discussed a plan to rush off to Granya to confront the hi'Radulf without seeking any alliances. You see, Sister, we are again relying on our speed, strength, and skill to win."

  "The advantage of not having great speed or strength," I said, "is that I don't learn to rely on them. I anticipate the actions of others and play to their weaknesses, which my masters advocated. Hi'Radulf and sec'Tadzio have also relied too much on speed and strength to take Granya. They created a weakness, which we can take advantage of with our allies." I nodded to Rhiannon and Awotwi.

  "Which is?" Jiang prodded with a smile.

  "Dassel and Terni, for the same reasons. They left them undermanned and vulnerable. As soon as sec'Tadzio and hi'Radulf realize that, with our help, they will have to send fighters to support those cities, exposing themselves on the road. We have already attacked Dassel. We should attack
Terni as soon as we can and should consider Livorno. This will weaken their hold on Savona, where their real strength lies." For the next two hours, we worked out the details of the attack on Terni and Dassel. The first part of the plan sent Rhiannon to Dahab to be seen recruiting a retaliatory Granyan army. At my insistence, Rhiannon would be escorted by a group of Talons, Awotwi, and his warriors. The objective was to gather enough support for an attack on Terni. The attack on Livorno would wait until the Granyan army was larger. Awotwi kept one hundred of Dahab's warriors to supplement his force and Rhiannon's Granyan force for the planned ambushes.

  * * * *

  When I stepped outside of the tent with Rhiannon and Awotwi, Leszek was waiting.

  "Hi'Lady Rhiannon. I am so glad to see you again and well." Leszek bowed. "I heard you are now engaged to a son of hi'Lord Baqir. Congratulations."

  "Thank you, Leszek. I am pleased to see you again."

  "With your approval, I have been assigned to head your guard."

  "Yes, Leszek Talon. I would be delighted to have you in charge of my detail. Together, we shall avenge our dead." Rhiannon turned to her betrothed. "Leszek Talon, this is fir'Warrior Awotwi, third son of hi'Lord Baqir."

  "Greeting, fir'Warrior Awotwi." Leszek bowed to Awotwi, showing respect.

  "Greeting, Leszek Talon," Awotwi replied. "I have heard how you helped save my future wife in the Hazwood Forest. Thank you."

  "Leszek, have you heard word of Healer Luminita?" I asked.

  The muscles of his jaw knotted. "No. I can't search for her and my son with the clan at war."

  "Since you are accompanying hi'Rhiannon, you may be in luck. I think we will be going to Terni shortly, and maybe Livorno."

  "That is beyond what I could have hoped for." He kept his face calm, but knowing him as I had come to, I could guess at his feelings.

  "Leszek, have you picked a detail? We need to tour the city for the next two days, announce hi'Rhiannon's presence, and recruit Granyan fighters for her army."

  "Yes, eight Talons are ready now." He motioned with his arms to his right and left, where Talons stood.

  I waved them closer.

  "Talons, this is hi'Lady Rhiannon. We are going to be touring the city for the next two days. People will need access to her, but we need to control who is allowed next to her. Watch Leszek and me for direction. This is fir'Warrior Awotwi, who is part of hi'Rhiannon's party. He will also have a number of personal guards, which he will identify," I said. "Let's be off."

  Awotwi was very helpful in identifying inns around Dahab where we would most likely find refugees from Granya. In addition, he sent out runners to spread the word that hi'Rhiannon was in Dahab gathering a Granyan army.

  The next day as we broke fast, the light of dawn still faint in the sky, an older man in a Granyan captain's uniform approached slowly. When he was near Rhiannon, he dropped down on one knee in front of her.

  "Hi'Lady Rhiannon, I thank the gods that you are alive."

  She smiled. "I'm more grateful than I can tell you to find so many of my people loyal to my father and me."

  "I am Captain Symon. We were told you had been killed, along with your father, by the Jaddahans, who sec'Tadzio defeated. He claimed to have asked for hi'Radulf's support in keeping the peace in case more Jaddahans crossed the border. When sec'Tadzio started replacing Livorno nobles faithful to your father, many of us decided it was time to leave. Many more will join you when they find out sec'Tadzio lied and you are alive. My men and I acknowledge you as the rightful ruler of Granya and pledge our loyalty to you." The man bowed his head to the ground.

  "Rise, Captain Symon, and join us. We have much to discuss. This is fir'Warrior Awotwi, an ally of Granya and mine. This is Aisha, my…advisor, and Leszek Talon, senior Talon of my guard."

  "Captain, do you know approximately how many loyal Granyan troops are in Dahab?" I asked.

  "I've been recruiting since that Jaddahan warrior, Kibwe, told me that you survived the attack. We have as many as one hundred and forty fighters, knights, and nobles. Most are bivouacked at a temporary camp to the north of the city."

  "You were stationed at Livorno, Captain?" I asked. We needed as much information as we could get. The captain might have first-hand information.

  "Yes, Aisha Talon." He pulled out a chair and seated himself at the table with us.

  "What is the situation there?"

  "When the others and I left Livorno, hi'Radulf had added some fifty Valdan troops to supplement the twenty-five Granyans who remained."

  "Hi'Lady, it would be good for you to visit the camp," I suggested. We could tour the city today and make sure everyone knows of your miraculous return from death, then visit the camp tomorrow." Raising a small army might be easier than I had anticipated.

  Dahab had eight inns and three markets. At the first inn, Rhiannon talked with a few ex-Granyan fighters. They gathered around her, kneeling to pledge their loyalty and exclaiming over her return. At each subsequent inn, the number grew as the rumor spread that the heir to the Granya kingdom was alive and in Dahab. Rhiannon met with nobles, knights, and common fighters. The markets buzzed with talk about the alliance between Granya and Jaddah.

  "I never knew it took so much effort to talk," Rhiannon said when we returned to the Cool Sands Inn later that evening. "I'm exhausted."

  "You did well, hi'Lady," I said. She had been natural, which endeared her to everyone who stopped to talk. "You accomplished a lot today. Everyone knows you are alive and about the meeting tomorrow. Besides, many have had a chance to get to know you and will spread the word."

  "Do you think they liked me?" Rhiannon showed concern on her face.

  "I think they like the fact that you were real and natural. The real question is whether they will follow you into war. I think they will." Liking Rhiannon wasn't enough. They would need a reason, and the reason was likely different for each person.

  * * * *

  Although young, Rhiannon looked the part of a hi'Lady as she approached the camp with ten Talons and another ten Jaddah warriors. Awotwi had brought a large open tent that his warriors set up. Rhiannon sat under the tent's awning on a large rug woven with a mosaic design of greens, maroons, and yellows.

  The nobles seemed to have organized this meeting. One by one, they approached Rhiannon, introduced themselves, and pledged their allegiance. Then the two captains took their turns.

  "Aisha, what now?" Rhiannon whispered to me when the last captain finished and everyone seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

  "These men and women are pledging to die for you, hi'Lady Rhiannon. It would be nice if you recognized their sacrifice. That will make you someone they know personally. It will make them clan." I didn't understand kingdoms or nobles, but I did understand clan allegiance.

  Rhiannon rose and took a couple of steps toward the crowd of fighters. "I am the only surviving heir of hi'Lord Varius. In their greed, men from Valda along with sec'Tadzio killed—no, slaughtered—our countrymen, our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends. I pledge to you that I will see them pay for their evil against Granya and her people. Are you with me?"

  I thought the roar could be heard across Dahab. Everyone stood as Rhiannon continued.

  "Thank you. I would ask each of you to come forward, one at a time, give me your name and position, and your pledge to me and to Granya." When Rhiannon finished, everyone remained in silence. Then one person approached, kneeled, and pledged his loyalty. The rest followed. Rhiannon spent a few minutes with each one. Even in the shade of the canopy, sweat dripped down Rhiannon's face because of the noonday heat, but she received all of them in turn.

  "Thank you, Aisha. I didn't know what to do, but that felt right, and it was very interesting." Rhiannon stood and turned toward the nobles and captains, who waited off to the side.

  "Hi'Lady Rhiannon, we are proud to follow you. Your father would be proud of you this day. Those fighters will follow you anywhere." Second Lord Lucjan spoke wit
h the nods of the others. "What do we do now hi'Lady?"

  "Advisor Aisha?"

  "Hi'Lady, sec'Lucjan will need to organize these men and women into a fighting company, find a leader for each group, and assign men to them. Time is short, but some training will be necessary. Your Jaddahan warrior allies and twenty-five Talons will join them. Master Jiang agreed to lead the attack on your behalf while you are in Granya, raising additional support. In the meantime, we must keep your enemies off balance." I faced Rhiannon but made sure I spoke loudly enough to be heard by everyone.

  "It is unusual for the Talons to be leading. They are usually guards," Lucjan objected. The sigils I sensed were what I expected, mostly war and endurance. No one had a sigil of illusion and I relaxed somewhat. Mine must stay unused. I smothered a smile at imagining the chaos that would ensue if I did.

  "Under normal circumstances, you are right, sec'Lucjan," I said directly to sec'Lucjan and, loud enough, to the others. "Right now, Granya has too few fighters to harass hi'Radulf and sec'Tadzio. Hi'Rhiannon has built an alliance with the hi'Lord of Jaddah and the Master of the Talons. Even so, she doesn't have enough troops to storm the castles in Granya and win. But the Talons have effective war strategies. We will deal with hi'Radulf and his alliance with minimum losses to hi'Lady Rhiannon's forces."

  "Sec'Lucjan, I need your loyalty and leadership. We can not win without the allies I have made," Rhiannon added.

  Sec'Lucjan kneeled. "I am yours to command, hi'Lady Rhiannon."

  * * * *

  The next day Rhiannon and I sought out Master Dragos. We found him outside the city at the same tent where we had held the council meeting.

  "Master Dragos, hi'Rhiannon has secured the loyalty of her Granya army and Awotwi has allocated an additional one hundred Jaddahan warriors that are stationed in Dahab. Both will accept your leadership." Rhiannon sat quietly beside me, and Master Jiang sat beside her and listened. "The Granya force will need a couple of days to get organized but should be ready to move after that."