by Jordan Baker
"Do the members of the court object?" Laurana asked. There was some minor whispering among them before Rolan turned to address the triple throne.
"The members do not object," Rolan said and all eyes looked to Quenta.
"I will lead this force of three hundred warriors," he said. "If we are to send our bravest, then I will be among them."
*****
"You are a thoughtful ruler," Keira said as she undid the straps to Ariana's armored leather corset.
"Thank you Keira," Ariana said, putting her mask back in the beautifully carved wooden box Rolan had given her. She wincing as her bruised ribs were released from the pressure of the armor and she wondered if she would not be better off wearing it to bed. "I hope I did not cause you any trouble when I asked about your Ranger's oath."
"It was right of you to be curious," Keira said. "It is perhaps the fault of the members of the Order that the oath has not been offered to Laurana at least. It has been discussed, but some of the members do not trust Quenta."
"Why is he so troublesome?" Ariana asked as she lay back on the soft mattress and rested her head on a pillow.
"Quenta is much like his father," Keira said. "He is impetuous and mostly concerned with his own importance. Quoren was much the same, though much worse."
"How could anyone be worse?"
"Quenta is open about his intentions," Keira said. "He is difficult and abrasive, but he is honest in his way. I do not like him, but I respect that he does not hide things, even when he is wrong. Quoren was different, for he worked in shadows and betrayed many things. If you wish for me to say more, you must swear not to repeat it."
"Of course," Ariana said, amazed at how Keira was opening up to her. For so long, the elven woman had spoken mostly in riddles and it was refreshing to have a real conversation. It was clear that Keira had decided to trust her, and Ariana was glad of it. "Please, tell me. I will keep your trust, Keira."
"Quoren was an oathbreaker and a coward," Keira said. "Quoren was determined to marry your mother, Aria, but she refused him. Instead he married Laurana, but he never forgave Aria for refusing him and he remained jealous of her even after he was married and even though he had a son of his own. It is believed by the Rangers that Quoren may have played some role in the death of your parents."
"What? Why would he do that? If he was so in love with her, why would he want to kill her?"
"Jealousy gives life to the dark thoughts and, in those shadows, friends might seem as enemies while enemies appear as friends," Keira told her. "There is no proof of Quoren's complicity in the attack on your family, so we do not speak of it. Quoren broke his oath to the Order in other ways that his expulsion was justified. We did not know the mind of Laurana at the time, and Quenta has given us little reason to trust him, for he is often hard and cruel, but as I said before, he is also honest, so we watch and defend Elvanar as is our duty. The oath of a Ranger is also different from the oath of a noble."
"In what way?"
"The oath of a noble involves putting one's people before oneself and the oath above all other laws. The oath of a Ranger does not require such a committment, since we are subject to the laws and must abide by them. If Quenta had objected, it is possible that even the elven Rangers would not have been able to aid Kandara."
"How can one person hold up the entire court?"
"It is the right of any of the three to prevent a decree. The only way to override such a vote, would be for the members of the court to vote unanimously with the other two thrones. There were several members of the court who would not have voted to block Quenta if he had objected."
"It seems so complicated," Ariana said.
"Not really," Keira replied. "It is very simple. Three votes by the thrones and a decree is passed, regardless of what the members of the court say. Two votes by the thrones and a decree is passed, unless the members of the court vote unanimously against it. In the absense of two members of the thrones, one vote from the remaining throne and agreement of half the court can also pass a decree. If there is no one upon any of the thrones, then two thirds of the court must agree to a thing before it is decreed. All three thrones may abstain, which is the eqivalent of not being present, and all three thrones may veto, however, that veto can be challenged if the other two thrones and every member of the court challenge the veto."
"I still think it is complicated, but I suppose it seems fair," Ariana said with a yawn.
"It allows the people of Elvanar a say in things that affect their lives and it ensures that our rulers cannot become carried away with their power. However, this way of doing things only works if those who sit upon the dais are brave and truthful in their convictions."
"I think I understand it," Ariana said. "I have to say, I'm glad Quenta is coming with us?"
"Why is that?"
"We are cousins, so I would like to get to know him better. And he's a really good fighter."
"He is that," Keira agreed.
*****
Sitting in a large chair in a room nearby, Quenta leaned forward over the table that lay before him and closed a small wooden box that was identical to the one that contained Ariana's mask, except for its size. He picked up the box and tucked it into a pocket in his sleeve then sat back in the chair and thought about the things he had heard.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"Drink," a man said. "You must have great thirst."
Lexi licked her dry, chapped lips and she snatched the long, thin, glass bottle from the metal tongs that held it. She unstopped the bottle and greedily drank the blue liquid. She lay back on the stone floor and let the bottle roll from her hand as the pain went away. Her head felt like it was spinning in circles but she no longer cared. She heard a metal plate being pushed through the bars and she realized she was very hungry. Lexi rolled over and she felt the bottle crunch as it broke under the hard scales on her shoulder but she did not care. She was hungry and she could smell food.
She pushed herself to her hands and knees and crawled across the stone toward the plate and she looked down at the food that was on it and saw it moving around as though it was alive. She wondered about live food and whether it tasted better than dead food. She could not remember the difference, but food was food and she was hungry. Her arm wobbled as her head swam again and she fell, landing hard on the floor. The cool stone felt good against her naked body and she did not even notice that the side of her face lay in the plate of food as she began to slip once again into black, dreamless sleep.
"So much? Do you think it will be able to fight?" she heard someone ask.
"Oh yes," the man said. "For this creature, such an amount will not last beyond the day. It will awaken with an unquenchable thirst, and if it wants more of this, it will fight to the death."
Their words echoed in her ears and she heard the sound of metal coins clinking together. The sound reminded her of fresh water running over rocks in a clear blue stream and she wished she could swim in it and drink the cool waters. She took a slow, deep breath and let the darkness claim her.
*****
It had been a few days since Aaron arrived at Ba'shan and he had spent some time exploring the city and slowly learning more about the culture of the desert people and trying to learn more about the Ansari. He left the inn early in the morning to check at the docks to see if Malek had shown up looking for his ship, but there had been no sign of him, so he paid the dockworkers another copper and decided not to return again. The city was abuzz with talk of the upcoming fights at the warrior's palace, as the child, Tash had called it, and though he did not want to attract attention to himself by showing his face anywhere important, Aaron was admittedly curious about the giant palaces, so he made his way through the city to take a closer look.
As he neared the warrior palace, he discovered that what he saw from the view at his window at the inn had been correct. The palace was enormous. The giant archways that led inside were big enough for a ship to fit through and the open air arena that on
the other side was the size of a small city. Inside, high walls and rows of benches on staggered balconies overlooked a giant ring in which twelve smaller circles were evenly placed around its perimeter. The twelve rings looked to be the same size as the fighting rings at Forsina, but in the center, between them all, was another ring, several times size of the others. Aaron saw a few people sparring in one of the rings at the far side of the arena, and he wandered over to watch them.
The fighters were dressed in robes from head to toe and they wore their headscarves wound tightly around their faces as they fought in the cool morning air that was quickly turning hot and dry as the sun rose higher into the sky. The fighters were very skilled, better than most he had faced at Forsina, and Aaron knew they were not fighting to their full potential, for what he was seeing was merely a sparring match. It was instructive though, to see the fighting styles of the two Ansari, who were very similar in their movements to Kasha. Aaron knew from the way they moved that, underneath their garments, they were both women and he wondered why, like Kasha, they fought in disguise, unlike the two men he saw sparring at another circle nearby.
As he approached the men, one of whom fought with a sword while the other with a pair of short double-headed axes, Aaron sensed a vibration of power from them. He was tempted to use his power to see what kind of magic they were using, but he decided against it. Not only would doing so go against his decision not to use his power beyond keeping himself hidden from other mages, but it might alert them to his power. He watched the two men fight, their battle scarred and heavily muscled armes beginning to sweat with exertion and heat in the morning sun. They were both exceptional fighters as well, and Aaron wondered if they had fought at the circle in Forsina, whether he would have made it to the final match with Kasha. He knew he was a capable swordsman, well trained by Tarnath, but even the practice matches in this place were an impressive display of skill.
"You are early to see the matches," said a tall man with a deep voice. "They do not begin until the sun falls from the sky." The man strode across the arena floor toward Aaron. He wore a plain, light brown robe but Aaron could tell from his gait and the telltale signs that he was armored and armed under his robe.
"I was curious about this place," Aaron replied. "It is such a large structure, I thought perhaps giants lived here."
"It is said they did, once," the man said, answering somewhat vaguely. "I am called Lento. The keeper of the circles."
"I am called Antal," Aaron told him.
"Antal," Lento stared at him for a moment, then a look of recognition appeared on his face. "Yes! Antal of Ashford. You are a fighter from the north. I have learned of your recent matches at Forsina. Do you intend to enter the contest here at Ba'shan?"
"No," Aaron said. "I was merely curious about this place."
"Ah, that is a shame. If you were able to match Kasha, then you must be a fighter of some skill. It has been many years since a fighter from the north has moved beyond the outer circles."
"A fighter must win at the outer circles before competing here?" Aaron asked.
"Yes," Lento said. "Ba'shan is the warrior's palace, where fighters come to see who is the king."
"What does it mean when someone is called a king?" Aaron was curious about it, for it seemed to be a popular expression among the people. Lento laughed.
"Of course," Lento said. "I know something of the peoples of the north and I understand this would seem a strange title for you. Unlike the kings and queens in those lands, who rule nations and are often born to their position, we in the desert call a king the most powerful fighter. The histories show this is true of the kings of other lands. At one time they too were fighters, who took power and built castles, but these kings ceased to be fighters when they handed power to their children. We do not have such kings in the desert. The only kings are those that fight and win. The rewards are great, for once you are a king, you need not pay for food or drink for the rest of your days. Most things are free for kings but only for them and not for their family or their children. It is a right that must be earned through victory."
"Are there many kings?" Aaron asked.
"At this time, there are over a hundred kings, and many thousands who train so they may enter the circles for the chance to become kings."
"These kings and would be kings would make quite an army if war ever came to this land," Aaron mused.
"That is true," Lento said. "Though few have dared such a thing. How do you attack the sand, when it is always moving and changing?"
Aaron thought about what Lento had said, and he wondered if it had something to do with the expression the desert people were fond of saying about the Ansari.
"It is difficult to know something that is always changing," Aaron said.
"Ah, yes," Lento said with a smile. "But knowing this is the first step to knowing. You are an interesting man, Antal. Few northerners know Ansari, but there is maybe some hope for you yet. Now I must attend to my duties. Many excellent fighters have come to Ba'shan, and the fights promise to be very exciting. As a champion of Forsina, you may walk the grounds of the warrior's palace as you please. If you see a worthy opponent, and you decide you wish to fight in the circles, I will be here."
*****
Ariana's ribs continued to heal but the last few days on horseback were torturous as the force of elven riders raced north through the forest and into the western foothills of Kandara. She was amazed at the distance they traveled in such a short time and the endurance of the elven horses, which never seemed to tire. As they traversed the mountain pass, they were joined by a group of fifty more Rangers, who had been waiting for them. They were a mixed force of Kandaran and Maramyrian loyals, who disagreed with the war, and they were both relieved and glad when Ariana removed her mask and told them who she was. The Rangers from her kingdom had been worried that standing against the army of their own land might be considered treason, but Ariana assured them that even if she had been murdered by some Kandaran plot, she would never support a war against an entire people like the one being waged by her uncle Cerric.
They rose before dawn and traversed the Kandaran side of the range, reaching the western foothills with the rising of the sun, where they encountered another division of Maramyrians, several hundred strong, who immediately attacked before Ariana could let them know she was their rightful queen. Keira rode at the front of the column of Elves, flying a white flag, but, as the Rangers had warned, the soldiers were under orders to attack any who might come through the pass, who were not wearing the colors of Maramyr. The battle, however, did not last long and Ariana was not surprised to see the Elves outmatch the soldiers of her own kingdom. Though they were trying hard not to kill the Maramyrians, Ariana could see that each elven warrior was worth at least a handful of Maramyrian regulars and she was glad that relations between the two kingdoms had long been peaceful. Even with the elves trying not to kill them, a good many of the soldiers were killed by the elven riders before their commander was finally captured and brought before Ariana. He was a man, she recognized and she hoped he would know her as well.
"Kneel," Keira said, pushing the man to the ground.
"I kneel to no one. I am Captain Pells, and officer of the Maramyrian army and I will certainly not kneel to elves."
"Will you kneel to me, Captain Pells?" Ariana asked as she took off her mask.
"And who are you?" Pells asked, looking up at her.
"Do you not recognize your rightful queen?"
Pells spat on the ground.
"All I see is an ugly wench whose got half a face. Now are you going to kill me or not?"
"Keep him here," Ariana said. "Bring the others."
Several more Maramyrian prisoners were brought before her and it did not take long before a few of them recognized her. One of them, a sickly looking man who was missing a front tooth broke into tears.
"I volunteered, milady," he said. "When I heard what the Kandarans had done, I signed up right away. I saw
you once at a spring festival when you were younger. You smiled at me when you rode past and I knew you were one of the good ones. I was so mad when I heard what I heard."
"What is your name?" Ariana asked him.
"It's Gerel, milady," he said, "and I'm no soldier. I've been trying my best to be a good soldier, but I'm better at making shoes." He looked around at the bare feet of the elves. "I guess you don't have much use for shoes. I never knew the elves went around barefoot."
"Gerel," Ariana said. "Can you explain to your Captain, who I am?"
Gerel turned to Captain Pells.
"You don't know, sir? That's the princess, Ariana."
Pells snorted in disbelief but he started looking more closely at her now.
"Geral, we ride for Kandara next, and we may have little choice but to fight our own people," Ariana explained. "You may join us or you may leave the battle. It is your choice."
Geral sighed deeply and he looked in the direction of the fighting that was still ongoing between the elves and the soldiers.
"Where am I to go? I sold everything and closed my shop when I joined the army. My business was drying up, what with Cerric taking over the leather workers and all the other craftworks as well. All anyone makes now at Maramyr is armor and weapons. No, I'll stay on with you, your highness."
"Thank you, Geral," Ariana said. She walked over to Pells and stared at him.
"I...uh," he stammered, "I beg your forgiveness, princess. I honestly did not think it was you." Ariana bit her tongue for a moment and breathed deeply, trying to cool her anger.
"This ugly wench, Captain Pells," she said, "is your Queen. She was prettier once, until her uncle sent men to kill her. This is what they did. It is a mark upon me, and it is a mark upon the kingdom and I mean to make him pay for it dearly, and for what he is doing to Kandara."
"Yes, your highness," Pells said. "King...I mean, your uncle Cerric is different now. Ever since the ceremony with the priests, when he married Calexis, he is different, worse than he ever was."
