“I don’t want to be the reason so many of your warriors want to face me,” Two Dogs said.
“I’ll be the last challenge. Face me. I too would like to see what a Lacreechee warrior can do,” Murid said.
Two Dogs sighed. He was in a dangerous position, but she was right. If he didn’t accept the exhibition, he’d face a never-ending line of challengers. He’d look like a coward or an opportunist. Two Dogs was neither.
“What are the rules?” Two Dogs asked.
“The same as before.” Murid answered so quickly that it even shocked Two Dogs.
“Don’t do it, my queen. He’ll cheat again with his demon magic,” Faida warned.
The grumblings by many Vikisotes convinced Two Dogs that they believed he was only the gifts Mother Turklyo had given him. Perhaps this solved his problem.
“If it will make you feel better, I’m curious to test myself against the greatest of the Vikisotes. I’ve heard of the strength of great shield maidens, like your queen. I’d like to fight her without Mother Turklyo’s gift. It will satisfy my own curiosity. Just make sure someone actually yields. I don’t care if it takes third blood, I want you to admit you can’t take anymore,” Two Dogs said.
Two Dogs thought he saw the slightest curl of Murid’s lips. Had he been out-maneuvered? This woman was extraordinary!
“He’ll still cheat. Don’t do it, my queen. We can’t verify his honesty,” Faida said.
“You’re a bigger fool than I thought,” Ancestors’ Hand said. “Our igsidian stones glow orange when we use our magic. His are currently black. If Two Dogs cheated, you’d know immediately.”
The Vikisotes grumbled again. They seemed convinced dishonesty couldn’t be hidden.
“I agree to your terms,” Murid said.
She grabbed her sword and shield. The weapons looked large in her hands, but Two Dogs knew she wielded them well. The two opponents squared off. More people lined the fence surrounding the pit. Many elbowed their way past each other for the best view. Two Dogs wondered if the entire ring fortress was present for this exhibition.
“Don’t go easy on me, because I won’t go easy on you,” Murid said.
Her voice was hard. The Vikisotes may not appreciate a woman warrior, but Two Dogs did. He stabbed his spear into the ground, then pulled his tomahawk and knife loose.
“I don’t expect—”
Murid’s unexpected charge interrupted Two Dogs. She swung low, three times. Two Dogs nearly enhanced his speed and strength but remembered in time to resist. This battle would be harder if years of instinct must be constantly ignored. He stepped high with alternating legs as he retreated. The third swing nearly grazed the bottom of his turklyo-skin moccasins. Soon, Two Dogs found his back against the inner limits of the arena. Two Dogs spun away as Murid thrust again. Two Dogs kicked her in the back. Her sword got caught between the gaps of the arena fence.
Murid brought her shield up just in time to block the rapid hacks of Two Dogs’ tomahawk. He swung high, low, and to both sides, but Murid calmly intercepted both his tomahawk and the occasional knife stab. Through it all, Murid seemed in control as she calmly removed her sword while simultaneously defending herself. Once freed, she leaned into her shield as she pushed against Two Dogs.
Two Dogs tottered on his heels. He hadn’t expected her to plant so firmly. He fell backward and turned his fall into a roll. It was a good thing too, because Murid’s sword came down just as quickly as he moved away.
“That’s it, my queen! The gods want this victory!” Faida shouted.
Not to be outdone, Ancestors’ Hand added, “Two Dogs, not all of Mother Turklyo’s gifts were magical. Show your opponent your strength and speed. Show her what it means to be a child of Mother Turklyo! What it means to be Lacreechee!”
Two Dogs rolled to avoid another sword swing. However, this time Two Dogs rolled closer to Murid. He snaked one leg between hers and used the other to apply pressure to her knee. Murid yelped as Two Dogs forced her to the ground. The moment her back hit the dirt, Two Dogs pounced. Murid got her shield up to defend against his attacks. She jerked, and he lost both weapons. Rather than reach for them, Two Dogs pressed against the shield. The top of it smashed into Murid’s lip.
Two Dogs got a firm grasp on the end of the round shield and jerked it sideways to hit Murid in the wrist. She gasped and released her grip on her sword, just as Two Dogs hoped she would. He grabbed the Vikisote sword. Murid still proved elusive. She blocked his first attack, then kicked. Two Dogs screamed as the fact that he was straddling her legs became quite apparent.
Two Dogs stumbled away and tried to catch his breath. Murid stood but didn’t charge. She seemed just as willing to take a moment and steady her breathing. She stood between Two Dogs and his lost weapons and calmly retrieved her sword he’d dropped. Two Dogs, somewhat recovered, glanced to his left. His tomahawk and knife were behind Murid, but his dual-tipped spear stood erect to his left. Murid saw his glance and charged.
Two Dogs sprinted for his weapon. He dove through the air as Murid’s swing went wide. He turned his dive into another acrobatic roll that conveniently ended near his spear. He clutched it and ripped it from the dirt, then sent two quick jabs at Murid to force her to abort her next volley of sword swings.
“You’re amazing!” Two Dogs shouted, more for the audience than for Murid.
The two warriors were in a standoff. Two Dogs knew she was wary of his new range, but her defensive weapon concerned him. His new goal was to strip her of that shield. Without it, he was certain he could force her to surrender. As much as losing might help his alliance, it would hurt his ego. He refused to give Swift Shot such a gift.
Two Dogs considered Murid’s shield. It was round and made of wood with a metal boss in the center. A thin circle of metal surrounded the perimeter. The shield was large in Murid’s hands. The outermost part of it would be the best point for him to strike. The leverage of the attack would force her to maneuver. That would take away her concentration and lead to fewer attacks. Two Dogs didn’t have time to think any more on the subject. The shifting of Murid’s feet suggested she planned to strike soon. He lunged first.
His spear hit the edge of Murid’s shield. Just as he’d hoped, it knocked her slightly off balance and forced her to take a step to regain it. Two Dogs continued to thrust with his spear. The result was the same. His strikes landed in nearly the same spot. On his sixth jab, he felt the tip of his spear catch against the metal. Now he had leverage. Two Dogs used all his might to hit the same spot again. Once he felt it slam into the groove, Two Dogs jerked downward.
Murid was tugged by her left arm and sprawled onto her stomach. With the same motion, Two Dogs flung the shield behind him and brought the point from the opposite end of his spear to rest on Murid’s back. She pounded her fists into the dirt. The Vikisotes were quiet. Shift Shot, and especially Ancestors’ Hand, roared with approval at Two Dogs’ victory.
Two Dogs panted as he wiped his brow. He stabbed his spear into the dirt. This freed his hands, which he now offered to Murid. He was thankful she accepted them. Some opponents got salty after a defeat.
“Great match,” Two Dogs said.
“It usually is when you’re the victor,” Murid said.
She dusted the dirt from her chest and legs. Then, she held Two Dogs’ arm above their heads.
“The winner!”
The Vikisotes offered polite cheers. Swift Shot and Ancestors’ Hand screamed war cries. Murid and Two Dogs retrieved their weapons and climbed the hill back toward the spectators.
“You got further than I did,” Egill admitted.
Murid smiled. Two Dogs nodded.
“I told you Two Dogs was the chosen one of Mother Turklyo’s augury,” Ancestors’ Hand said.
Egill smiled with Swift Shot.
Faida grunted. “Queen Murid has plenty on her mind at the moment. She could very well be with child. Things will go differently next time.”
Faida grunted and stormed off. Two Dogs
felt a pang of guilt. Murid landed on her stomach; he hoped she wasn’t pregnant. Sparring like that couldn’t be good for a baby.
“Don’t worry,” Murid said. “I’m not with child.”
“That we know of,” Egill said.
“Will any other of Mother Turklyo’s tribes join our cause?” Murid asked. “You fought like the possessed. I mean that as a compliment. We can use your magic.”
“And we can use your numbers. I’m not sure how many of Mother Turklyo’s people still live. The Corlains have constantly attacked, stolen, and raped us. The only people I’ve seen since our village was destroyed were in Samburg. They were stripped of their stones,” Two Dogs said.
“Samburg was a victory, but it came with a cost beyond our king being wounded,” Egill said.
“What cost?” Murid asked.
Egill stared at the ground. He seemed hesitant to speak.
“What cost?” Murid repeated.
“Queen Murid, I apologize. I came here to speak with you on the matter, but I was distracted by my own desire to prove myself,” Egill said.
“What cost?” Murid shouted.
Egill flinched. “Our southernmost village was burned by the Black Cloud. They’re moving north to our position, but they’re stopping at every Vikisote community. They’re making our people suffer.”
Murid rubbed her face. Two Dogs watched as her shoulders shook with her rage.
“My queen, we must strike again,” Egill said.
“I agree,” Two Dogs said. “If we don’t answer their violence, those who would join us will assume we were only good for a single victory.”
“There’s a Corlain outpost near the western border,” Swift Shot said. “We could easily eliminate it.”
“The Black Cloud must be our focus,” Two Dogs said.
“It will be, but why give up the advantage of this fortress to meet a much larger force? If we attack their small outposts, word will reach them. It’ll make them choose between sacrificing their troops or separating their main force. Both outcomes give us an advantage,” Swift Shot said.
“I agree with her,” Murid said.
“As do I,” Egill said.
Two Dogs slapped Swift Shot on the shoulder. “So that head is for something more than swallowing ferm.”
“Speaking of, I’m empty. Be a friend and get me some more,” Swift Shot said.
Two Dogs and his new allies laughed at Swift Shot’s joke. Faida rushed back, ran straight for Murid, and interrupted their laughter. The middle-aged woman planted both hands on her knees and gasped when she arrived. Her information must be important; she neglected to insult Ancestors’ Hand.
“Faida, what is it?” Murid asked.
“I’m sorry . . . my queen.” Faida tried again to compose herself. “I’m sorry. It’s your husband.”
Ancestors’ Hand smirked. “I suppose you need my magic again. You shouldn’t have made me remove my spell. His screams kept us all up last night.”
“Please go and help King Hafoca,” Murid said.
She sighed as she seemed to reconsider her decision to remove the magic. Ancestors’ Hand nodded and moved. Before she could take the road to Hafoca’s bedside, Faida grabbed her arm.
“Let me go!” Ancestors’ Hand shouted.
“What is it?” Murid asked. Fear crept into Murid’s voice. “Faida, what happened to my husband?”
Fat tears spilled from Faida’s face to soak into the dirt beneath her. “I’m sorry, my queen. King Hafoca is dead.”
chapter 12
“I told you this would happen!” Egill shouted at Murid.
They were behind closed doors inside Murid’s chambers. Egill was free to express his true opinions. The death of Hafoca had clearly set him on edge. She knew he wanted her to remain queen, but he was positioning people to take over the true leadership position of king. Hafoca’s untimely death, partly due to her decision to end the magical coma, had considerably pushed up the timeline.
“Faida is important to me. She’s important to many of us. If she had been ignored much longer, she may have left us. I can’t allow that to happen. Ancestors’ Hand has provoked Faida. If we allowed the Intakee woman to claim saving Hafoca, Faida would have lost all self-worth.”
“What do you suppose Hafoca’s death has done to her? Ancestors’ Hand is a boorish old hag, but she’s competent. All the Namerians are,” Egill said.
“Don’t call them that! They don’t like it. Now more than ever we should keep them happy. Some of our people blame them for killing Hafoca.”
“Faida may have had a hand in convincing them of that. She doesn’t like having to admit weakness or ignorance. If it isn’t the gods’ will, then it must have been sabotage by savages.”
Murid nodded. She turned and ran her fingers along the trim of the dresser she begged Hafoca to make for them. Her wealth and position afforded her the luxury of her own longhouse. The tables and benches were nice for hosting visitors, but she couldn’t ignore the need to keep a little of her true heritage alive. It may have seemed like an indulgence to most Vikisotes; Egill had had his say on the matter, but it brought her comfort. In trying moments like this, Murid enjoyed looking in the mirror and pretending the reflection was her mother.
“It’s all my fault. I should have listened to the Lacreechee. I should have trusted Ancestors’ Hand.”
Egill sighed. He rested his hands on Murid’s shoulders while she faced away from him.
“I wish you hadn’t made the decision you had, but it wasn’t your fault. King Hafoca likely would have died of his wounds no matter what happened.”
Murid turned around and faced Egill. He let his hands rest at his sides and took a step back. Murid smirked. Egill had never been one to give even the slightest impression he had romantic feelings for her.
“It doesn’t matter. My people, if I can even call them that now, won’t support me. They’ll wait another month or two to prove I’m not pregnant, then they’ll demand a competition to select a new king. With Celestial between now and then, all I’ll have time to do is preside over a party. The fact that I wasn’t born in Vikisoteland may even take Celestial away from me.”
“Never. Celestial is too important. Besides, you have more support than you believe. At least two-thirds of our warriors will back you. Between your charisma and my influence, we can keep the others in line,” Egill said.
“Thank you, Egill. I can always rely on you.”
“Always, my queen. Just make sure you make the most of the next few months. I expect to see you on that throne this winter with a new husband by your side.”
A knock on the door echoed throughout the longhouse.
“Queen Murid, may we have words?” Two Dogs asked from outside.
Egill smirked. “It’s almost as if his ears were burning.”
Murid swatted playfully at Egill. His innuendo surprised her. Two Dogs was a remarkable man, true, but he wasn’t a Vikisote, and neither was she. The pairing would lead to more turmoil, not less.
“Come in, Two Dogs,” Egill said.
Two Dogs opened the door and entered.
“Am I interrupting something?” Two Dogs asked.
“Not at all,” Egill said. “I was just leaving, anyway. I received reports this morning that Black Cloud scouts were spotted south of here.”
Egill winked at Murid, slapped Two Dogs on the shoulder, and left the longhouse. Two Dogs followed him with his eyes until he left.
“What is it?” Murid asked.
Two Dogs faced Murid once more. “I wanted to apologize.”
“Apologize? For what? If anything, I owe you an apology. Some of my people will be untrusting of you and yours because of my husband’s death.”
“I don’t believe your king would have survived with or without magic. Ancestors’ Hand may have implied otherwise, but that was more as a way to antagonize Faida.”
“That’s probably true, but truth and perception don’t always align.”
&nb
sp; “No, they don’t.” Two Dogs sighed.
“It sounds like you have more on your mind than a simple apology. Would you care to have a seat?”
“Thank you.” Two Dogs walked to one of the benches opposite the highly polished table in the center. It was close to the fire and offered warmth, though at this point in the summer, Murid understood why Two Dogs slid farther away on the bench. “I do have more to say.”
Murid took a seat across from Two Dogs. She took a moment to admire his features. He was like no man she’d seen before. Egill’s veiled suggestion was still on her mind. She allowed herself a minute to imagine if she could make this work. The power he’d bring would be quite useful.
“Would you care for some ferm?” Murid asked.
“The sun is fully over our heads. I suppose it’s late enough for a cup.”
Murid smiled. She stood, grabbed a pair of mugs, and poured from the pitcher on her dresser. She walked back to Two Dogs and offered him one of the mugs. He sniffed the drink and scrunched his face.
“What’s this?”
“Ferm.”
“It doesn’t smell like any ferm I’ve had before.”
“Not all ferms are made from the same ingredients. Try it before you criticize it. Skal!”
Murid held out her mug. Two Dogs sniffed again. His face indicated he wasn’t looking forward to a deviation from the taste he’d already envisioned. Murid continued to hold out her cup. Two Dogs shrugged and clinked his own mug against hers. Both drank from their cup. Murid savored the sweet flavor and swirled it over her tongue. Two Dogs swallowed, then smacked his lips and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.
“What kind of ferm is this?” He smacked again. “It tastes like a dessert for a child’s birthday.”
Murid laughed at the absurd comparison. “This is honey ferm. What kind of ferm do you drink? It isn’t much sweeter than the pear or plum ferm served at weddings.”
“Pear ferm? Why? Ferm isn’t meant to be sweet. It should burn and remind you that you’re a warrior.”
Now it was Murid’s turn to furrow her brow. “Burn? Why? Ferm is a reward, not a punishment. What kind of ferm do you normally drink?”
Augury Answered Page 14
