Tour of Duty: Stories and Provocation (25 page)

:And I will help you.:

The Bride’s Task

with Gail Sanders

It worked well enough we did it again.

Keth’re’son shena Tale’sedrin
was learning weapons work: the sword. This would have been useful to know for his journey to Valdemar, but his people were warriors from horseback and with the bow—not with the sword and dagger and on foot. He stepped aside a sweep, blocked and countered, but his teacher parried that and beat back at him.

:But no knowledge is ever wasted, chosen. You won’t always have a horse to hand. What if I were injured? Just because your people haven’t done something before, doesn’t mean that it’s not a valid way to do things.:

He replied
:I know, ‘there is no one true way.’ It’s taking some getting used to. Traditions have always played a strong role in the life of a Shin’a’in, they had to.:

:Right now, you need to pay attention to your role here, or the weapons master is going to give you the ‘traditional’ bruises.:

:You know, I would probably be doing something like this at home as well—I wonder how Nerea is doing with her lessons; she was always better with the bow than me.:

:You miss her.:

:Did you really expect that to change? We are pledged. She’s why I work so hard at these ‘lessons.’ I only hope that she’ll wait until I can return. I’m not sure she understood why I had to come up here when I wasn’t sure myself.:

Yssanda was silent.

“There’s a herd of horses in the Palace courtyard,” one guard said.

“Why is there a herd of horses in the courtyard?” asked the other.

“I don’t know, but isn’t that a Shin’a’in on the back of one of them?”

“Sure looks like it. Heya, it’s a girl! And look, she’s getting down.”

“Do you think we should tell somebody?”

Sergeant of the Guard Selwin spoke loudly behind them, “Yes, you half-wits, I think you should tell somebody! You, Rolin, go get Herald Captain Kerowyn.
At a Run!
You, Vark, suggest to the young lady that she should stay outside the Palace door.”

“Yes, sir!” the two guards saluted in unison and moved with a sense of purpose.

Shaking his head, the young guard sergeant moved towards what seemed to be an escalating argument. The burly guard was having an increasingly difficult time with the slim Shin’a’in who seemed determined to simply get through that door. He’d managed so far without actually laying a hand on her, but it didn’t appear that was going to last very much longer. She wasn’t so much aggressive as persistent.

Moving past the string of exceptionally quiet and serene horses Selwin came within range of a contrastingly loud and agitated Shin’a’in girl.

“She doesn’t speak Valdemaran, sir!”

“I’m gathering that impression. Let’s see what I can do.” He strained to remember a bit of the language.

In very slow and careful Shin’a’in he said, “Please hold, coming someone who speaks language.”

The young girl nodded briskly and moved back to reassure her riding horse. Selwin wasn’t sure who needed the reassurance more; the horse or her.

Herald Captain Kerowyn didn’t take long to arrive, which was all to the better as far as Sergeant Selwin was concerned. He wasn’t a diplomat and very much preferred going back to his post near the main gates. He simply briefed Kerowyn on what had happened so far, saluted, and then gestured the guards to head back to the gate.

Striding forward, Herald Captain Kerowyn gave the impression of impatience.

She didn’t hide it. It might help speed this encounter.

:What happened to Shin’a’in staying on the plains where they belonged?:

:What happened? The Mage Storms happened and erased the tasks the Shin’a’in had been given by their Star-eyed.:

Kerowyn really hadn’t needed the rejoinder to what had been a rhetorical question but trust Sayvil to make sure her opinion was heard—needed or not.

“Welcome to Haven. I’m Herald Captain Kerowyn. What brings you here so far from the plains?”

“My name is Nerea shena Tale’sedrin. I’m here looking for my pledged, Keth’re’son shena Tale’sedrin. The Clan Elders said that he had come up here for training in his ‘Gifts.’” Her skepticism in the need for such training was obvious. “They gave me permission to bring his Clan share up here to him when the Tale’sedrin came up for the Bolton Faire. Where is he?”

“Ah.” Suddenly Kerowyn understood both her animosity and her vulnerability. By giving her permission to bring Keth’s Clan share up here to him, the Clan Elders were both telling him that they weren’t expecting him to come back to the plains and giving him permission to stay where he was. They were also putting the responsibility of telling his pledged this, off their shoulders and onto his.

:Practical but not very kind of them. This Nerea must have been quite a nuisance.:

:Yes,:
Kerowyn sighed to herself,
:And now she’s our nuisance. Sayvil, please tell Dean Teren about the situation out here and ask him to bring the Shin’a’in envoy with him if possible. Have them meet us at the stables.:

“He is here at the Collegium. But first, we need to get these horses settled and out of the way. If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you around to the stables. There should be room for them there.” Kerowyn knew better than to offer her any help with this. After all she’d gotten them here from Bolton. It would also keep the girl busy while Kerowyn figured out what to do. The girl followed agreeably enough, since the horses were something she cared for. She did not seem to care for local rules.

The Companion-relayed message brought Dean Teren down from his office in a rush. From another direction, the Shin’a’in Envoy Shaman Lo’isha shena Pretara’sedrin was only a minute behind. The dean arrived at the stable entrance panting. The shaman heaved one sigh and had his breath back under control.

The dean said, “A Shin’a’in invasion? That wasn’t quite the message, but I gather this matter is important?”

“Not quite,” Kerowyn said, hiding a smile. “However, we do have a Shin’a’in girl, far out of her area, seeking her pledged, who is one of your students.” She indicated the stables.

“I see,” the dean said, and seemed to grasp the import. He followed her gesture, to where the girl was taking proper care of the horses, including a quick brushing, with an economy born of lifelong experience.

When Nerea finished watering them at the trough and ensured they had a panful of oats and plenty of hay each, she turned and walked back. She seemed fully aware of the dean and shaman, but waited for Kerowyn to make the introductions. She greeted the dean with a bow, and spoke formally to the shaman.

“Nerea, there are things I must attend to, but the dean and shaman will aid you.”

“Thank you for the introduction, Cousin.”

“You are welcome.”

With that, Kerowyn turned and left with the intention of finding out just who in Bolton let Nerea off her leash with fifteen horses and who there might be missing her.

Lo’isha shena Pretara’sedrin, Shaman and Shin’a’in Envoy, found himself in the midst of the problem. With Kerowyn gone, he was both translator for the dean, speaker for his own, and the only possible authority figure the girl might acknowledge.

Neutrally, he said, “Nerea, you are far from our lands.”

“As are you, Elder. We both have our reasons,” she replied, with not quite a smile.

“Yes. You are here for your pledged, I’m told.”

“I am. If he is to be here, I am to be with him.”

He recognized her expression now—determination, with a slight challenge.

Lo’isha translated for Teren. Teren raised his eyebrows.

“Well, first I suppose I need you to help explain about the training.”

Lo’isha nodded, and translated for Teren.

Dean Teren twisted his mouth for a moment, apparently in thought, then spoke. “Nerea,” he said, “mind-magic is much more than empathy for animals. I know you can work with these creatures—” he gestured towards the stables “—better than most people, and it’s a natural talent for you. However, Keth’ is able to do the same to people and objects; whether they want it or not, whether he wants it or not. He and his traveling companions were attacked not far from the city on their way here. His reaction caused unconsciousness for the brigands, and two never recovered properly, being mind-lame since then.” He waited while Lo’isha caught up.

“Well, good,” she said. “I approve of retribution to such
grek’ka’shen
.”

Teren winced slightly at that.

“Perhaps, but it wasn’t an intentional response. He panicked, they collapsed. This could happen to innocent people, too. Nerea, I understand this is something you had planned by you and your people for some time. You must understand that his mind-magic changes things. He needs to learn to control it, for his own safety, and yours, and that of others.” Lo’isha translated.

She stared right back at Teren, then spoke to Lo’isha. “I understand that. You must understand that our pledge doesn’t change due to side matters. He is alive, he is very much himself, and he is very much mine. I remain with him, and he with me. Explain that to him, please.” She gave a single, firm nod. With a raised eyebrow at her firmness, Lo’isha turned and translated for Teren.

Teren said, “That is not possible.” The flat tone in his voice almost did not need translated.

“For you, perhaps not. I assure you it is quite possible for me.” She sounded almost haughty, certainly confident and stubborn, and yet calm. She was like a mountain in storm, while the trees swayed in distress.

The dean looked at Lo’isha in controlled exasperation. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand. She understood fully and was unswayed.

The shaman placed a calming hand on Teren’s wrist and tried a different tack.

“It is obvious this is true. Things have not changed for you, and you are on your course. However, have they remained the same for him?” Lo’isha spoke with the authority of a shaman and brought up exactly what Nerea did not want to hear.

She flushed slightly.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t seen him since he left our lands. That is why I am here now. This must be resolved between us.” She almost stamped her foot in emphasis.

“I don’t disagree. This training, though, is for safety. Consider a fire on the plains. There’s a reason children are taught to tend a fire carefully. They must know how to judge fuel, to avoid a flare of flames and disaster.”

Her expression was most put upon.

“I don’t seek to hinder that. Only to be near him.”

Inwardly Lo’isha sighed; the girl wasn’t being unreasonable, just stubborn, and adamant, and unswerving in her intent. The shaman said, “Well, then please let me start by offering a place to stay and clean up from the journey, in the embassy in the Hawkbrother
ekele
.”

She widened her eyes slightly.

“Thank you,” she said. “I will be comfortable with our cousins.”

“If you wait I will show you the way. I and the dean need to discuss how we can arrange this meeting for you.”

With a frown and flick of her eyes, she said, “You have only to tell me where he is, but clearly that is too simple for this city, with its costumes and rules and gates and castes.” She paused briefly, as if only then aware of her bad manners. “Forgive me. Thank you for your hospitality. I will leave you to your discussion, and I will await your direction, for now.”

For now,
Lo’isha thought. This wasn’t over by far.

He watched her move a discreet distance away, enough to be in another tent, were there any tents here. She paid attention to some detail of the bricks and moss, and, while not relaxed, was not intruding.

He turned to the dean.

Teren asked, “How do we get her out of here?” in a whisper. He glanced over suspiciously at her.

“I don’t know that we can. It would be up to her and her pledged.”

“The distance should have made this impossible, especially for one so young.”

“For our people, they are man and woman grown. You mustn’t mistake her for a child.”

“I’m not mistaking her for a problem.” The dean clutched his hands together.

“No, but you are mistaking her for your problem. I will show her to the
ekele
. Then we can talk.”