Western Shore ac-3

by Juliet E. McKenna

  We taught Mesil to be loyal to Sirket since his birth. I thought the omens spared me my father's choices. I thought I would be there to see them grow to manhood and guide them through any quarrels that would threaten the peace of the domain. So much for predictions.

  'Ri and Trya send their regards.' Ritsem Caid tried to lighten the awkward silence. 'And you must take their best wishes to Rekha and Sain.'

  'Gladly.' Janne spared Caid a brief smile. 'Excuse me, my lords, but it's very early and I'm not as young as I was. I would like to rest a little before paying my respects to Itrac Chazen. Lend me your arm, Sirket.' Her expression impenetrable, Janne walked away, not so much leaning on Sirket's arm as leading him.

  Beyau and Ridu took that as their signal to come forward, lulling instinctively into step. A few words

  sufficed to impose their separate authority on the armoured men and cotton-clad servants now spilling onto the landing stage from the galley.

  Janne and Sirket's respective slaves bowed low to the two warlords before following their mistress and master. Like Ganil, they wore simple silks and twin-scabbarded swords thrust through double-looped sashes, as well as two and three daggers apiece on their brass-studded belts. Birut, Janne's attendant, looked impassively at Kheda, a fearsome-looking warrior with the more curly hair and stockier build of a hill man, though with more height than most. The other slave was equally well muscled, his broad face made distinctive by a flattened broken nose. He bowed and turned away, not giving Kheda any hope of catching his eye.

  Will I ever be able to make things right with you, Telouet?

  'The swordsmen will be out on the practice ground by now,' Ritsem Caid said briskly. 'Let's go and see how those slaves Taisia brought are faring against Moni Redigal's offerings.' He didn't give Kheda the chance to demur, leading the way off the landing stage. 'What particular qualities are you looking for in your body slave?' Caid asked as they took the convoluted path towards an island where long wooden huts roofed with palm thatch surrounded an expanse of hard-packed sandy ground. 'You'll be wanting someone good with children, obviously. I'm sure Taisia took that into account. Ask her any questions you might have as to the provenance of each slave.'

  The dew on the planks of the swaying walkways had dried apart from a few patches where the shadows from the nut palms fell.

  Caid continued talking. 'If you find you're not happy with your choice, you can always trade him on. We won't take offence and I'm sure Redigal Coron won't either. There

  were some likely prospects in Jahal Luso's household according to Ganil.'

  'I'd be honoured to advise you, my lord Chazen,' offered the slave following behind them.

  Kheda glanced over his shoulder. 'How long have you been with your master, Ganil?'

  'Sixteen years, my lord,' the burly slave replied.

  'Telouet served me for more than twenty years,' Kheda said quietly. 'More than half my life. I find it difficult to imagine anyone else at my back.'

  'You have to look to each day and its omens, Kheda.' Ritsem Caid stopped and gave him a hard look. 'And to the future above all else.' The warlord started walking again, picking up the pace.

  As they arrived at the practice ground, the Chazen swordsmen were emerging from their wooden huts, bare-chested and wearing mismatched cotton trousers.

  Kheda did his best to gather his thoughts. 'Ganil, tell me about the two you brought here.'

  'Kiba was traded out of the Seik domain by my lady Trya.' The slave followed Kheda and his master into the dappled shade of a flame tree. 'He had been body slave to Soi Seik until she married into the Mahaf domain and decided to choose herself a new attendant. He was with her for three years.' He pointed to a mature man with a wiry beard. Heavily built, his dark eyes were alert as he scanned the other swordsmen making practice swings with empty hands.

  'My lady Taisia acquired Aitu from Masoal last year,' Caid chipped in, pointing to a solidly muscled young man with fine black hair slicked back with oil and a beard precisely shaved along the line of his determined jaw. 'We've been training him up. It won't be long before our daughters are looking for slaves of their own,' he added ruefully.

  'I wonder sometimes where the years have gone.' Kheda searched the sandy expanse for unfamiliar faces. 'Where are the slaves Redigal Coron is offering?'

  'Over there, my lord.' Ganil nodded to three men standing a little apart from the Chazen men.

  Kheda eyed the trio. 'What do you know of them?'

  Ganil frowned. 'I think Haro—'

  'They are called Luri, Haro and Capai.' Ridu appeared at Kheda's side. The young guard captain had shed his armour for faded blue cotton trousers and a sleeveless oarsman's tunic. 'Luri's originally from the western reaches.' Ridu pointed to the closest, whose ancestry was obvious in his dark complexion and the sparse hair dotting his skull with tight black curls. 'His father's crimes saw the whole family enslaved and he became attendant to a Galcan daughter who married into Tabril. He was traded on to Yava a few years later, then on to Calece and Viselis.'

  'If I were you, I'd want to know why so many warlords and ladies were happy to see the back of him,' Ritsem Caid observed.

  'Haro was slave-born in the northern domains,' Ridu continued. 'He came to Redigal through my lady Moni's sister who married into Kithir.'

  Kheda studied the man whose raw-boned frame and paler skin spoke of barbarian blood somewhere in his line. 'I don't recall him ever serving Redigal Coron.'

  'Those unlamented zamorin counsellors can't have considered him suitable,' the Ritsem warlord said dryly. 'Which could be a recommendation.'

  'Capai is from the Aedis domain.' Ridu pointed to the youngest of the trio, who had the coppery complexion and lithe build of a fisherman. 'He gave himself up to Aedis Harl after his village was overwhelmed by a tempest and nearly everyone drowned.'

  'That's hardly the best of portents.' Ritsem Caid frowned.

  'He survived,' Kheda pointed out.

  'And had the courage to give up mastery of his own life in hopes of escaping further misfortune.' Ridu studied the youth critically.

  Or just gave up, when no portents or soothsayer could make any sense of the troubles that beset him. I could sympathise with that.

  'Their skills are more important than their pasts,' Kheda said tersely. 'Let's see what they could offer me.'

  'Yes, my lord.' Ridu strode out onto the practice ground, adjusting swords thrust throngh his doubled belt of plaited cords.

  'He's certainly grown into the role, your young captain of warriors,' mused Caid.

  'He proved himself against the wild men and then against the dragon.' Kheda watched Ridu directing the swordsmen into pairs. 'As for his youth, well, we lost nearly all the domain's experienced warriors to those savages and their wizards.'

  'Chazen Saril lost them,' Ritsem Caid corrected Kheda firmly. 'You saved this domain.'

  'My lord.' There was a warning note in Ganil's soft words.

  Kheda turned to see the unwelcome sight of Ulla Safar approaching the practice ground, massive in mossy green robes, with his brutish attendant and two unknown slaves following behind him.

  'I didn't expect to see him here.' The Ritsem warlord

  scowled,

  'Nor I.' Kheda made sure his own expression was suitably opaque as Ulla Safar arrived.

  'My lords.' This morning, Ulla Safar was smiling broadly, his pale eyes keen. 'I've brought two of my own

  swordsmen for your consideration, as you look for a new body slave.'

  'I didn't know you had slaves in your guard.' Ritsem Caid frowned again.

  Ulla Safar's smile hardened. 'Every day we discover things that we don't know.'

  Whereas we all know you show scant consideration for the niceties distinguishing free islanders from slaves. These men know better than to protest or they'll see their whole families clapped in irons. Do they hope they can win a place in Chazen and bring all their loved ones beyond Ulla's malign reach? If they buy them back by spying on m
e.

  'Let's see their paces,' Kheda said neutrally as he gestured towards the practice ground.

  Each visiting slave faced a Chazen warrior. At Ridu's command, every sword flashed from its scabbard, the lethal tips of the leading blades just touching, secondary swords held low by each man's off side. At Ridu's second shout, every warrior slid into practised routines of thrust and sliding parry, counter-thrust and hard block. Kheda found himself counting the steps while Ritsem Caid shifted beside him, following the drill once, twice and then a third time.

  'Cease!' Ridu's voice cut through the slither and smack of steel and all the men stood motionless.

  'They've barely broken sweat.' Caid studied the Ritsem slaves with satisfaction.

  'Indeed.' Kheda noted that the Redigal and Ulla slaves were equally unwearied by this brief exercise.

  'Turn about,' barked Ridu.

  This time the Chazen warriors who had played the attacker waited for the visiting slaves to launch the first thrust before side-stepping out of the line of danger. Some came closer than others to rolling their own leading sword up and over their foe's killing blade to threaten his throat. The swordsmen on the defensive withdrew a

  pace to retaliate with murderous side-swipes of their secondary blades. Each man repeated his moves and the drill ended in a rattle of clashing steel.

  'Now they're sweating,' Ganil noted with satisfaction.

  'What did you say that one's name was?' Kheda pointed to the copper-skinned youth, who was showing a deft turn of speed.

  'Capai, my lord, and I don't think much of his footwork,' Ganil said disparagingly.

  'No one doubts the excellence of your warriors, Chazen Kheda,' Ulla Safar observed thoughtfully, 'but you are looking for a new body slave, not more guards. Surely you should be testing them against each other.'

  He pulled a pale-jade kerchief from one full sleeve and dabbed at his dry forehead. The supposed slaves he had brought with him immediately turned from Chazen swordsmen to face the Redigal and Ritsem candidates.

  Ridu looked to his warlord for instruction, jaw clamped tight on his irritation.

  'Let them make one pass against each other,' Kheda called out.

  Then perhaps we'll see what you want out of this, my lord of Ulla.

  This time Capai was forced onto the defensive by one of the brawny Ulla slaves, but he held his own against successive thrusts to his face. When it was his turn to attack, however, the youth barely made his first move before falling back. He was bleeding from a deep slice to one shoulder where the Ulla man's blade had nickedhim.

  'You need a body slave who can move faster than that.' Ulla Safar tucked his kerchief back in his sleeve.

  'Cutting a man on the practice ground suggests your man can't control his blade,' countered Ritsem Caid.

  Ridu said something to the Ulla swordsman, who

  bowed low. Plainly determined to stay on the sand, Capai shook his head as the young captain gestured back towards one of the huts. Ridu shrugged and walked away, raising his own sword to the rest of the Chazen swordsmen.

  Kheda watched Capai complete the sequence of moves without mishap this time. As a result he missed seeing exactly what the other Ulla slave did to send the ebony-skinned Luri sprawling in the dust. The Redigal man was back on his feet in an instant, spitting abuse at the Ulla slave.

  'He tripped him, my lord,' rumbled Ganil with disapproval.

  Ridu separated the belligerent slaves with an upward sweep of his sword, his expression scathing. As Luri stepped back, raising his hands to protest his innocence, he stumbled and stooped to clutch at one knee, face twisted with pain. Ridu shook his head, dismissal from the practice ground unmistakable. Capai had his hand clamped to his wounded shoulder. Ridu ordered him off the practice ground as well, denying the youth's futile protests with a shake of his head.

  Two Redigal slaves wounded and humiliated. No one could consider them a well-omened choice for my body slave. Is this about punishing Redigal Conn for whatever has come between you, my lord of Ulla? Or do you plan on having your men wound every slave on offer so that I'm forced to choose one of your spies? What are you plotting if I refuse to oblige?

  Kheda's frown deepened as two newcomers in ragged cottons appeared between the palm-thatched huts.

  'Word reached Telouet quick enough.' Ganil grinned. 'And Prai's curious as well.'

  Kheda wasn't amused. 'I hope they have their masters' permission to be here.'

  'You can ask them yourself.' Ritsem Caid turned to bow politely to Daish Sirket and Redigal Coron, who were

  coming to join the gathering of warlords beneath the flame tree.

  The young Daish warlord bowed politely to Kheda. 'My lord of Chazen, we were thinking it would be a good idea to test your potential body slaves against men who know just what is asked of them.'

  Redigal Coron said nothing, simply staring stony-faced at Ulla Safar.

  What is going on here?

  'I see no harm in that.' Kheda watched Ridu exchanging a few words with the two experienced slaves. The rest of the Chazen warriors were standing with their swords hanging loose by their sides, faces alight with interest.

  Ridu snapped his fingers to indicate that Telouet should take on the man who'd injured Capai. Telouet planted himself in front of his foe, both hands on his sword hilts, face impassive as he waited for Ridu's shout. Prai drew himself up in front of the slavS who'd tripped Luri. Bare-chested, the Redigal slave bowed without ever taking his eyes off his opponent, oiled muscles glossy in the morning light.

  The next pattern of sword strokes was woven around disabling thrusts and cuts to thighs and knees. The Ulla slave moved fast, both blades scything down and round. Telouet moved faster, blocking and twisting to turn all four blades back against the Ulla man time and again. Kheda held his breath as the Ulla slave managed to lock the hilts of his own swords with Telouet's, digging his feet into the ground. Telouet pushed hard and broke free with a feint that threatened to hamstring his opponent.

  The startled slave sprang backwards, all his attention slipping downwards. Telouet took an unexpected pace forward, deftly reversing his second sword. He struck the man hard between the eyes with the polished pommel

  stone. Blinded by painful tears, the slave slashed one sword round at Telouet's midriff. The Daish slave met the threat with a rapid parry and followed up with a shove to the Ulla man's chest, knocking him down onto his rump.

  'You should discipline your slave, Daish Sirket,' Ulla Safar said angrily, 'with a good flogging.'

  'An assassin intent on the Chazen warlord's life will hardly be obeying the rules of the practice ground.' Sirket kept his eyes fixed on Telouet as the slave stood waiting for Ridu to examine the Ulla man's forehead.

  Has Telouet told you about that night in Ulla Safar's fortress, my son? When the fat snake tried to kill me and

  Janne and all our retinue with a supposedly accidental fire, and sent some club-wielding murderer to dash out our brains in the smoke for good measure. When none of these noble lords could set aside their immediate rivalries to join forces against the savages already devastating Chazen. Nothing's changed there. But at least Ulla Safar seems on the back foot now. Could I persuade Ritsem, Redigal and Daish to join forces now, if I come back with proof that the savages are still lurking over the horizon?

  'Your man is forced to retire, Safar,' Ritsem Caid said with satisfaction as Ridu waved the slave off the sand, still rubbing his eyes and blinking.

  'He's the lesser of the two.' Safar looked at Redigal Coron with an unpleasant sneer.

  'Prai has the measure of him.' Coron looked confidently at his slave, who smiled back with open affection.

  All the men on the practice ground withdrew to fighting distance again. At Ridu's nod, they circled and sidestepped in a new pattern of thrust and parry. Now that Telouet was safely paired with one of the Ritsem slaves, Kheda watched Prai's adroit evasions of the second Ulla man's merciless attack.

  So Coron and Sirket a
re taking this chance to humiliate Ulla Safar for some reason best known to themselves. If I had a body slave, I might have some chance of finding out why. But I can't have a body slave, certainly not while Velindre 's lurking in the observatory library. I have to find some excuse for putting off making a choice, no matter how set everyone else is on helping me.

  Prai's bout with the Ulla slave ended without mishap and Coron's handsome body slave stepped back, weight lightly balanced on the balls of his feet, his beardless face alert.

  'You've a fine slave there, Coron.' Ulla Safar scowled and tugged his kerchief from his green sleeve to dab at beads of sweat catching the light on his forehead.

  Redigal Coron showed no sign of hearing him. 'All the omens have been telling me I must look to a new direction, Chazen Kheda, for myself and for Redigal.' He watched the fighting men intently as they embarked on another series of sword drills. 'That dragon was first and foremost a dire menace to you and yours. But it was a powerful omen for the rest of us as well.'

  'Many sages say a dragon's outline in the clouds presages disaster driven by discontent and false reasoning,' Ulla Safar interjected darkly.

  'Poets weave dragons into their epics as a symbol of untrammelled power choosing a capricious path that leads to destruction.' Coron was still following Prai's every move. 'Whatever prompted those beasts to come to Chazen last year led directly to their deaths. Since then, Chazen has prospered. I felt it right to address various discontents within Redigal, both in the wider domain and in my own household. 'He smiled as Prai wheeled stylishly around the Ulla slave's rapid sword strokes and left the man baffled, unable to keep up. 'Now we all seek a fresh direction under the new year's stars in hopes that we might prosper.'

  'Who knows what the new year will bring.' There was no mistaking the menace in Ulla Safar's words.

  Sirket spoke up unexpectedly. 'I hope it will bring a visit from Ulla Orhan to Daish.'

  'What?' Safar's head whipped round to stare at the young warlord. He swiftly recollected himself. 'I think not. My son is unwell with a most debilitating fever.'