“Up you go,” Reiv said as he lifted the boy into his arms. “Time for sleep. No arguments.”
Kerrik mumbled a complaint as Reiv took him inside and lowered him onto the cot. But he closed his eyes as instructed. He had become unusually obedient since learning of the dirk.
Reiv exited the hut and walked over to Jensa who had moved to a cluster of palms nearby. Torin was at her side. “What news do you have?” Reiv asked.
“Much. Before I left Pobu I received word that your brother was crowned this morning. It seems he made some very interesting proclamations.”
“But it has not yet been eight—”
“Regardless, the coronation took place this morning and the King has proclaimed that anyone speaking words of the Prophecy—or you—is a traitor. He has also banned all Tearian travel to Pobu and the outlying areas.”
Reiv frowned but did not respond.
“This will make things more difficult for us to receive information from the Tearian clan,” Jensa continued, “but…”
“What do you mean, Tearian clan?” Reiv asked.
Jensa smiled. “It seems Dayn had a way with words last night. He managed to organize those at the meeting into groups called clans. Apparently that’s how his people are grouped in Kirador. Not much else was accomplished, but that seemed to be enough for now. Naturally the Tearians and Shell Seekers grouped with their own, but the Jecta organized themselves according to locations within Pobu and the outlying areas. Each clan elected a representative to see that messages are conveyed more efficiently, and all are expected to brainstorm ideas to present at the next meeting. For now, Dayn has agreed to be the one to call the meeting locations and times. Until his wayward cousin decides to take his place, that is.”
“Dayn did all that?” Reiv could not help but beam. “I knew he would do better without me there.”
“Is that why you left?” Jensa asked. “You meant for Dayn to take over?”
“Something like that.”
“Well,” Jensa continued, “with news of the King’s proclamation, the Tearians may need to give you a new name.”
“They may call me whatever they wish, but I will claim no third name. Two in one lifetime is enough.”
“The King didn’t say anything about your name not being spoken outside of Tearian walls, so maybe he didn’t feel it was worth the effort.”
“I am sure he did not. He is not afraid of the Jecta. Whatever show of power he makes in Pobu will be for the Tearians’ benefit. What of the Guard? Have their numbers increased in Pobu?”
“No. Actually, there were fewer there than usual this morning.”
Reiv knitted his brow. “That seems strange,” he said.
“Maybe they were all at the coronation,” Torin offered.
“Perhaps, but that still does not seem right to me,” Reiv said.
“Well, no matter what your brother has planned, he’ll soon find the Jecta are a force to be reckoned with,” Torin said.
“The will of the Jecta is strong,” Reiv said, “but they cannot win by the sword.”
“No,” Jensa agreed, “but they still must be able to defend themselves. Dayn and Gair will continue to make weapons, but that won’t be enough. The people must learn other means.”
“When is our clan to meet?” Reiv asked.
“When do you think it should?”
“When do I think it?”
“Reiv, I volunteered Torin as our representative, but we still expect your input,” Jensa said.
“Well, I am sure Torin will agree that as soon as possible would be best. But I think you should first determine who is with us and who is not. You know your people far better than I do, Torin. What do you think?”
“I think you’ll find there’s more support here than not,” Torin said. “You made believers of most everyone with Seirgotha and your transcension. But you’re right; it’s time to weed out the doubters. Leave that to me.” He grinned and headed for the village.
BACK TO ToC
Chapter 20: First Kill
The first clan meeting of the Shell Seekers was held that night and attended by the majority of villagers. Those who did not attend sent a representative from their family or a message of support by word of mouth. There were none amongst them who voiced disapproval. It was agreed that the Shell Seekers did not have the skill for arm-to-arm combat against Tearia, and so it was decided the Seekers would hit them where it hurt. No longer would they provide shells, crafts, fish, or any other food from the waters for their upper class masters. Instead the Shell Seekers would hunt the seas only for their own needs. It was against Tearian law, and there could be dire consequences for it, but they determined the seas belonged to no one group of people, so should be available to all. Plans were then made to cease transport of goods from Meirla to Tearia.
In Pobu similar ideas were drawn up. When the clans gathered at the next meeting a week later, it was decided that the Jecta would also cease providing services to the Tearians. There would be no loud pronouncement of their intentions, no verbal demands, just a peaceful, quiet boycott. It was agreed by all that the boycott would begin at the next Market, and so when the traditional days of trade came, the protest was sounded by the absence of many merchants. The Shell Seekers were particularly missed, for their wares were always popular with the Tearian elite. Many a disgruntled upper-class woman went home without jewelry for her personal adornment or vessels to house her lotions.
The Jecta laborers and craftsmen within the city walls usually left during Market to work a booth or visit their families in Pobu. And so they did, but this time they did not return to Tearia. The following day there was no one within the city to clean the garbage from the streets or debris from the sewers, just as there was no one to slaughter animals for food or tend to the bodies of the dead. The field laborers also did not go to their posts. Bewildered Tearian foremen stared at rows of untended crops, threatening punishment for their tardy charges. But the laborers never came.
One night, shortly thereafter, the Jecta made a great raid into the fields. The Tearians were not watching, they had never had reason to guard the crops, and so the nearby orchards were picked clean and the outlying fields stripped of their bounty. No longer would they settle for scraps, the Jecta determined, no longer would they slave with no pay. By law they were stealing, and they prayed hard to their gods for forgiveness, but most justified the act as compensation for the years of labor they had provided. It helped ease their consciences somewhat, though not the fear of reprisal from the Guard.
The Guard had been strangely absent in Pobu since the coronation of the King, but rumor abounded that their activity was increasing behind the walls of Tearia. Whispers claimed the
King was plotting something, though no one yet knew what. After the raid on the fields, a host of Guard was dispatched to Pobu. They returned to Tearia with prisoners, even though they had found no evidence of thievery. Unbeknownst to the guards, the Jecta had devised a plan for hiding the food. Dayn had suggested the idea of cellars, almost everyone in Kirador had one, but there was no time for digging cellars, so crates were buried in the ground and hidden under furniture and rugs instead. The compartments were easy to disguise, as every floor in Pobu was dirt, and storage bins were simply covered over with the sweep of a broom. It never occurred to the guards to search beneath their feet.
The Tearian clan still managed to get information to Pobu, regardless of the King’s ban of travel there. Brina knew of an abandoned tunnel beneath Tearia’s walls that led to a nearby hillside, and was only too happy to share the location with trusted clan members. She had no idea why the passageway had been constructed, but had been using it for quite some time without incident.
The Tearian clan began to refer to Reiv as “Agneis”. It was the perfect code name, they reasoned, as there was no law against speaking the goddess’s name. The fact that it was a female name rather than a male one seemed the perfect ploy. Although they could not participate directl
y in the boycott, other than to get information out, there seemed to be more trash than usual tossed into their streets after that, and the sewers became mysteriously clogged. It made the streets of Tearia most unpleasant, but it was the least the Tearian clan could do.
In the days that followed, the Guard became more prevalent in Pobu. Loud proclamations were made that all Jecta were to return to work at once. The spectators nodded with faces of confusion, indifference, or carefully disguised amusement. The clans had gathered many to their cause. Even those who had initially expressed doubt had become ardent supporters.
Tearian spies abounded, and word quickly reached the palace that the boycott was a well-organized one. New arrests were made, which caused fear and unrest amongst the insurgents. But determination won out, and the Jecta found courage in their hearts where it had long been lacking.
A meeting was called on the night of the fifteenth day of boycott. It was time for the Jecta to make known their demands. The meeting was held in a different location from the last. With each meeting, the crowd had grown larger. On this night, a building that had once housed multiple apartments was used. The interior walls had crumbled into mounds of earthen brick, and the roof was pocked with holes revealing the stars above, but the weather was pleasant, and the place would accommodate the numbers expected to attend.
Dayn stood at the far end of the large room alongside Reiv and Torin, while Jensa and Alicine whispered off to the side. The crowd shuffled in, lighting candles as they entered, and spoke in hushed voices. The place soon filled to capacity. Maintaining silence became almost impossible.
Dayn stepped forward and made a call to order. Most eyes were turned in his direction, but others stared at Reiv who was leaned against the wall at Dayn’s back. This was the first meeting the former Prince had attended since he had told them the truth of things, and everyone was anxious to hear what he had to say.
“We won’t be able to meet in secrecy much longer, if we’re even doing so now,” Dayn said. “Our numbers have become too great. It’s only a matter of time before we’re discovered. It’s time we drew up some demands and presented them.”
“Once they’re drawn, who’ll take them?” a man in the audience asked.
“That’s something else we need to decide,” Dayn said.
“Reiv should do it!” a voice shouted.
Dayn glanced back at his cousin and raised a brow. “Well,” he said, turning back to the crowd, “that’s up to Reiv.”
The crowd called out encouraging words to Reiv, but he stood with hands clasped and said nothing.
“For now let’s just get our demands sorted out,” Dayn said.
Many suggestions were made, some simple, others grandiose, but it was decided to keep them reasonable and few. Once successful with the first demands, the others could follow in time. Reiv, knowing the Tearians better than anyone, offered ideas and criticisms, but made no firm recommendations.
Eventually they decided on three demands. The first was that all labor be compensated for with coin, or in the case of field laborers, a reasonable percentage of the harvest. Second, the seas and forests were to be declared the property of all, and any fishing or hunting within them was a gods-given right. Third was the legal right to assemble. It was unlikely the last demand would be granted, but at least it was a good bargaining chip. If assembly was denied, the Tearians would feel a sense of victory, especially if they conceded to the first two. But assembly was of no real concern to the Jecta. The fact that it was illegal hadn’t stopped them from doing it anyway.
“Now comes the issue of how to present our demands,” Dayn said. “If they’re to be spoken verbally, we’ll need to decide who does it and when. If in writing, then Reiv will have to put it to parchment for us. But there’s still the matter of how to deliver them.”
Discussion buzzed within the clans, but there was no consensus as to how to go about it. There was risk every way they looked at it.
Reiv leaned in to Dayn and whispered in his ear. Voices in the room grew silent. Reiv then took a step forward as though to address the crowd, but before a single word could leave his lips, the door burst open.
Loud cries split the air as a host of Guard rushed in, swords swinging. Shouts and screams exploded within the room as people scattered, tripping and shoving their way into corners and against walls. The guards barked orders, but they could barely be heard over the hysterical noise of the crowd. The floor soon became thick with bodies that had stumbled to the dirt. Candles dropped, their flames extinguished. The room became a place of shadowy confusion. The only light was that of the moon streaming through the holes in the ceiling, leaving splotches of silver and gray.
Reiv grabbed Alicine and pushed her to the ground, while Dayn threw his weight against the dark form of a guard rushing toward her. The guard stumbled and fell hard onto his back. Dayn grabbed up the sword that had dropped from the man’s grasp and held it out with a shaking hand. The guard regained his balance and leapt toward him. Dayn thrust the blade forward, plunging it into the man’s chest.
Dayn stared at the blood-covered sword with horrified eyes, then tore them away to search the darkness for a sign of his sister. He saw her huddled on the ground and rushed over. Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her to his side. He then turned his attention to Reiv, who had been standing next to them. But his cousin was no longer there; he had vanished without a word into the madness that surrounded them.
The sound of sword upon sword could be heard, the clash of metal upon metal. Jecta and Shell Seekers rushed forward with weapons drawn and fought back in a wave of fury. Dark forms backed toward the doorway. The outline of blades rose and fell in ominous silhouettes against the moonlight. The Guard retreated out the door and into the street where the clans followed. Before long, the street was a sea of screams and blood and bodies.
Dayn ordered Alicine to the security of a dark corner, then took to the streets with the others. He swung his sword wildly, not really knowing how to wield it. It was clear the other Jecta didn’t have the skill either, yet the power of their determination seemed to be all they needed against the startled guards. Many of the Jecta and Shell Seekers had retrieved Guard weapons, but other clan members held very different armaments. In his confusion, Dayn had not given it much thought, but then in a moment’s lucidity he realized they were using his weapons, the ones he had made in the back room of Gair’s shop.
He then spotted Gair. The dark profile of the huge man loomed over the rest. His powerful arms beat back guards as his voice boomed with every stroke he took. Dayn worked his way toward the smith, swinging his sword in a circular swath. His attention was caught by the shadowy form of a Jecta backed against a nearby wall, and a guard with a sword positioned for the kill. Dayn called out and rushed in their direction, but he was too late--the blade found its mark.
Dayn threw himself against the guard and knocked him forward. The man crashed against the wall, then fell to the ground, sprawled across his victim. Dayn grabbed the guard and rolled him over, kicking the sword from his hand. The guard stared up at him, his pale eyes reflecting the hatred behind them. Dayn gasped and took a startled step back. It was Crymm. And lying next to him was Reiv.
Dayn thrust the tip of his sword to Crymm’s throat. “You would kill your own prince?” he screamed.
Crymm stared up at him with fear in his eyes, but then Crymm looked past him toward a presence at Dayn’s back.
Dayn risked a glance over his shoulder and was relieved to see it was Torin. He kept his sword pointed at Crymm. “This scoundrel has caused us trouble for the last time,” he said. “Watch him for me; Reiv’s been hurt!”
Torin planted a knee on Crymm’s chest and held the tip of his knife within an inch of the man’s terrified eyes. “Don’t move a single lash,” Torin said, “or you’ll never see the light of day again.”
Dayn dropped to his knees and ran his hand along Reiv’s chest. It became coated with blood.
“You’re going
to be all right,” Dayn said, glancing around for something to stop the bleeding.
“I am fine,” Reiv mumbled.
Jensa was soon at his side, inspecting the gash beneath Reiv’s ribs. Alicine rushed over and threw herself down next to them. She ripped a swath of material from her skirt and handed it to Jensa. Jensa pressed it to the wound.
“We have to get him out of here,” Dayn said. He lifted Reiv into his arms, surprised at how light he was. Reiv muttered a complaint, but his head lolled back and he protested no more.
The Tearian forces retreated into the night, gone to retrieve more Guard, or perhaps to plan an assault for another day. It was quiet now, except for soft sobs and the sounds of the survivors picking through the carnage. There were many dead—Jectas, Shell Seekers, and Tearians—but there was only one guard left alive in the street, and that was Crymm. Torin grabbed him up and shoved him into the shadows, while Dayn and the others made their way in the opposite direction.
They did not take Reiv to Nannaven’s. That would be the first place the Guard searched were they to come looking for him. Instead they took him to Mya, a young widow who had been friends with Jensa for many years. When they arrived, she ushered them in quickly and without question. Mya directed Dayn, still carrying Reiv, to a bed covered by a quilt of mismatched patterns. As he laid Reiv down, she ran to a shelf and grabbed some clean cloths and a bowl that she filled with water from a nearby bucket.
Dayn stood next to the bed, watching Mya’s face as she ripped Reiv’s tunic from his chest. She was an attractive woman, he noticed, but had a worrisome scar on her face, a dark red ridge that ran from eye to upper lip. There was no time to contemplate her further, however, for she promptly shooed him away and motioned Jensa to the bed.
As Dayn stepped aside, he realized the room was more a shop than a home. There were pottery wheels and lumps of clay, and tables of urns and vessels along every wall and in every corner. A single lantern hung from the center beam and bathed the area in a golden glow. Cots could be seen along the far wall where three children slept.
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