Markan Empire

  "We cannot afford mistakes with this lot."

  "Any thoughts of Mirrin's intentions?"

  "He's split his men, but he is careful to keep himself well away from Marka." The Lance Captain sighed. It also kept Dekran well away from Marka. "I think they're waiting for orders before moving on again."

  "Sensible to keep his men moving fast and in small numbers," said Yochan. "Living off the land is much easier with a small group than a large."

  "But rumors of their presence will also multiply their numbers."

  "All we can do is follow, sir. And wait."

  "It is." Dekran waited. He would mention it again, any second... now.

  "Trained scouts are too few and too precious to fall into the wrong hands, sir." Yochan's expression grew intent. "Would you like me to formulate a plan to liberate Belaika?"

  Dekran sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "If it keeps you quiet, Banner Sergeant, then make a plan and present it to me when it's ready." He suspected that plan was already formulated and would be presented with commendable speed.

  Yochan smiled. "Yes sir!"

  Dekran shook his head as the sergeant left his tent. He must exude calm confidence, give the impression of command over all situations and he must listen to senior soldiers such as Yochan.

  Yochan suggested using soldiers who used to scout as well as the partly trained sylphs. An excellent idea that already gave results. Belaika was right about the Markan sylphs: they were so untrained that they were almost useless.

  He settled into his chair and turned his thoughts to freeing Belaika. How best to extract him? What if he failed? What was an acceptable casualty rate to protect the secret of whistles? He must get Belaika back.

  The alternative terrified him and would probably see his head on the block. He dare not tell anybody, because his only choices were to rescue or kill the captured scout.

  How could he possibly arrange that?

  "Captain, sir!" The tent guard called.

  Now what? "Yes?"

  "Banner Sergeant Yochan and Scout Mezhen."

  "Send 'em in."

  Yochan led the shyer sylph into the tent and indicated Dekran.

  Dekran managed a reassuring smile. "You have something?"

  Mezhen looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. His earpoints twitched in all directions before they finally settled. He nodded.

  Dekran waited.

  "Scout Felnar asked Fhionnen to whistle it in. He saw someone with the army today, a woman."

  Dekran reflected that there were lots of women marching with Mirrin. Every army had camp followers. His own would have had them if he'd known how long he and his men would spend away away, and the distance they must travel.

  "He's not sure, donenya, but he thinks this woman is Sandev-ya."

  Dekran stared at Yochan. "Well, that snippet changes a few things." He turned his attention back to the sylph. "Thank you, Mezhen, you have done well."

  Mezhen grinned, bobbed his head, and fled.

  "I'll think on how to rescue Sandev as well, sir," promised Yochan.

  Dekran nodded. "We'd best do that. And soon."

  ***

  Belaika stumbled and only just caught himself. A fall here would be embarrassing, especially as they were not traveling quickly. The horse hardly lifted its hooves and the rope around his wrists lay slack, sometimes trailing in the dust. Now getting better every day, his bruised leg barely pained him and he limped this morning purely for show.

  Nicolfer had been as good as her word; he had received no water with breakfast, his food kept deliberately dry. His thirst burned, sticking his lips together. Dust lined his eyes, for the tear ducts were already dry.

  He wondered if Nicolfer knew anything about sylphs. No food meant hunger for a day, then a sylph began to slow. But no water led to sudden death, as sylphs lost water so quickly. He would be lucky to last through a second day. And that was despite the water Haema had given him. Before long, he would be unable to walk behind this horse.

  Belaika stared at the animal, almost hating it. It gave no sign of being aware of him, but he probably weighed far too little for it to notice his presence. At least it had stopped breaking wind as often. He had learned to keep watch for a lifted tail. At least he wasn't expected to ride the thing.

  Somersen would no doubt have conniptions if he tried.

  At least Nicolfer rode somewhere near the head of the column, thankfully far away from Belaika, stumbling along near the back, together with the other sylphs. Sandev was here somewhere too, but she stayed well clear.

  He should feel uncomfortable around Sandev because of her Gift, but instead felt strangely reassured by her presence. She at least had the sense to stay away, because Sandev talking to him might bring the wrong sort of attention. Or perhaps he was insignificant to her plans. She might not care about him at all, but he suspected she was not so insensitive.

  Nicolfer never told him he could not talk to anyone, and he had no shortage of companions. Not even Somersen tried to stop them.

  Haema-y-Jinsla dropped back to speak with him. She flourished her pencil and music paper under his nose.

  "Got a plan yet?" she asked in a voice that could be heard at the head of the column.

  Belaika stared. He would prefer her to demand what the whistles on her paper said.

  She shoved the paper under his nose again. As Nicolfer rode somewhere near the head of the column, he wondered whose attention she feared.

  "No," he replied, tersely. "Take care; you do not know which ears are listening and which mouths may open in the wrong place." He sighed. Had the girl no sense at all? Perhaps she was part of a trap, after all.

  Haema lowered her voice. "You only need to be careful of Gajaran; she hates you."

  "I noticed."

  "Sandev-ya spoke with her, but she did not change her mind."

  "Her choice. Why do you want to come with me?"

  Haema looked all around and lowered her voice further. "When you leave, my life will be in danger."

  "Why?"

  "I believe Nicolfer killed my owner." A tremor entered her voice for a moment. "I must return to Eldova to find out. She... she promised I could rejoin my owner once I had helped her."

  Belaika nodded, while he stared at another sheet of paper. The black dots and squiggles meant nothing to him. "If your owner is dead, then she intends to kill you once you are of no further use."

  Haema blinked. "If he is not dead, then my running away with you makes no difference. I return to Eldova and everything is right again."

  If Nicolfer found you once, she can find you again, he reflected. "And if he is dead?"

  "Then I will go to Marka and seek you out."

  Belaika have her a sylph's slow blink. This one presumed a great deal. "Why would you do that?"

  Haema looked pleased he had asked; her earpoints twitched in what could only be satisfaction. She smiled at him. "If you do not know why, I am not about to tell you." She giggled and scampered away.

  Belaika watched her go, but he was not alone for long. Shashi-y-Mirrin appeared alongside him.

  "Enya tells me you were at the siege of Marka," she said.

  "Yes." He glanced carefully at the infertile. What did she want? "Trapped inside the city." Shashi might want to know for her own benefit, but he doubted that. The direct route had failed Mirrin and Nicolfer, so perhaps they had thought of a new way to get the information they wanted. If so, they should have sent a pretty breeding female, not some scrawny infertile. Even if she did feed him choca.

  "What was it like? Did you get very hungry?"

  "We were all hungry towards the end," he replied, "and frightened."

  Shashi shuddered. "I would hate to be inside a city under siege."

  "Of course. Infertiles get fed least of all."

  She looked at him as if she thought he sported with her. "How did they lift the siege?"

  "Reinforcements arrived." Belaika clamped his mouth shut. He would not tel
l this sylph how the Gift had been used.

  "From where?"

  "I am just a scout, they do not tell me everything."

  Shashi nodded and glanced sideways at him again. "You do not trust me."

  Belaika turned his head, smiled and lifted his bound hands. "You serve the man commanding the army that holds me prisoner. Why would I trust you?"

  Which ended that conversation.

  A soldier replaced Shashi the moment she left. He wore drab clothes, with green and brown paint smeared across most of his exposed skin. Belaika tried to ignore him.

  "I am Vaul," said the newcomer. "I scout."

  Having already guessed the second part, Belaika nodded. Yet another tactic?

  "We are trying your paint colors," continued Vaul. "I am surprised we never thought of it ourselves."

  Belaika smiled. "Simple ideas are often the hardest to catch."

  Vaul nodded. "We're still thinking of a way to pass messages so our enemy cannot hear them."

  Here we go, thought Belaika. The answer to that one stares you in the face.

  "The whistles you use are a good idea."

  Belaika said nothing. He refused to acknowledge that sylph scouts communicated using whistles.

  "Does the cold and wet not bother sylphs?"

  "Of course," responded the sylph. "It is why we paint ourselves. The paint keeps us waterproof and also helps to block the cold."

  Vaul smiled and remained silent for a few moments.

  Belaika worried that he had given something away.

  "And once you paint yourselves, using colored paint that helps you blend in is just one simple step away."

  The sylph nodded.

  Before Vaul could ask his next question, Mirrin called a halt. Released from his tether, one of the ownerless sylphs whose name he did not know, fed Belaika the same dry food he'd been given for breakfast. While sympathy flickered in Vaul's eyes, the ownerless stared at him with a mixture of fear and loathing.

  After eating, the scout was pleased to see the back of her.

  Quite clearly used often for halts, several firepits containing cold ashes and blackened sticks were dotted about the clearing. It also held a surprise: three pedlars' wagons with a few men here and there.

  One, a tall man with hazel eyes and light brown hair, shaded his eyes against the sun and watched the army come to a halt around him.

  "Good morrow, good sirs." The pedlar bowed. "Permit me to introduce myself. I am Erek Ines Warden, pedlar and purveyor of..."

  Belaika ignored the man's patter and made the most of the opportunity to stretch out on stones that looked to have been warmed pleasantly by the strengthening sun.

  His thirst burned and he tried to ignore the inviting tinkle of the nearby stream. Besides, Somersen watched him. When a shadow fell over him, he opened his eyes, expecting to see Nicolfer or Somersen.

  "Come with me," said Vaul, helping the sylph to his feet. "The sun should have warmed the rocks over here better."

  Belaika followed Vaul towards the stream. The human dipped a mug into the water and passed it to the sylph. He looked all around to ensure they were alone.

  "Don't rush it," warned Vaul, "or you'll be ill. You can have more when it's gone."

  Belaika gratefully sipped at the water. The first sip tasted of nectar, beautifully cool and refreshing, even better than his first mouthful of food at the end of the siege. The next swallow tasted just like water again.

  "Thank you," he said.

  Vaul nodded. "More?"

  "You might get into trouble."

  The human shrugged. "What she's doing is wrong. Mirrin controls the discipline in this army, not her."

  "Thank you anyway."

  A sound of rocks clicking together brought their heads up.

  Belaika saw General Mirrin with the pedlar.

  "So this is one of the vaunted Markan sylph scouts, General?" The pedlar looked directly into Belaika's eyes.

  "You have heard of them?" Mirrin sounded surprised.

  "I visited Marka last year," said Erek. "Before the siege began. I told you, my sky metal is much sought after in many cities. Did you know that a sword, made from this metal, is –"

  "Save me the sales pitch," interrupted Mirrin. "You have seen the scout now."

  The pedlar leaned forward and dipped a hand into his leather satchel. "Looks half starved to me," he said. Suddenly, the pedlar pressed something cool into Belaika's hand and leaned closer. "Eat it quickly," whispered Erek, before he turned and followed Mirrin away.

  Belaika and Vaul stared at what was in the sylph's hand.

  "That's a pear," said Vaul.

  Belaika could see that. Not only a pear, but one that looked as fresh as if picked only yesterday. And felt as cool as if it had been packed on a bed of snow.

  The sylph bit into it and juice ran down his chin.

  Vaul stared.

  The sylph left only the stalk, which he tossed aside.

  "I'll leave you to have a nap," said Vaul. "Don't run, Mirrin's put guards out."

  Belaika nodded and, thirst slaked, stretched out on the warm rocks. Where had the pedlar managed to get a pear out of season?

  The next shadow to fall over him did not belong to Vaul.

  "Time to move on," growled Somersen, looming over him. He pulled the sylph upright, resecured his wrists and led him back to the horse. Moments later, the army moved on, leaving behind the strange pedlar and his wagons.

  Not long after that, the road plunged into dense forest, blocking the sun from sight. Belaika looked around and grinned. The trees made ideal cover and even untrained scouts could hide in this. Not alone to think so, Haema rejoined him.

  "I can get a knife for that rope," she whispered. Eyes wide, she looked at the dark forest. "What a place!"

  "No." Belaika spoke quietly, but firmly.

  The female sylph looked at him in surprise.

  "Not in daylight," explained Belaika. "We are surrounded by an army that knows what it is about. They will hunt us and likely catch us."

  "But you are a trained scout!"

  Belaika nodded. "You are not."

  Haema shuddered. "I thought this would be a good place."

  "When it comes to escape, let me do the thinking." Belaika smiled to take the sting from his words.

  Despite what he said, he knew the chances of finding a better place to escape were remote. Though he knew Haema had a point, the last thing he wanted was to be compromised by an untrained sylph. Regardless of what she seemed to think, he still had not decided she could come when he escaped.

  He glanced away. "We spend too much time together."

  Haema took the hint and dropped back, sulking. That was two sylphs he had upset in one day. The girl worried Belaika; what did she really want? Did she really want to escape for her own reasons, or did she dance to another's tune?

  He wished he could trust her.

  ***

  Nicolfer performed her disappearing trick that evening, which freed Sandev for the night. Or so she thought. About to go and see the six ownerless sylphs who were in her hand, Sandev paused as Shashi poked her head through the tent flaps.

  "Enya wants to see you," she said. Her earpoints twitching in curiosity suggested she had no idea why.

  Sandev sighed and threw a cloak around her shoulders. She followed the small infertile to Mirrin's tent, which was larger than Nicolfer's, if less lavish.

  Her first time in this tent, Sandev glanced around. The many light crystals lighting the interior must have cost their owner a small fortune. A camp stove burned quietly, smoke ducted through a small pipe to an aperture far above, hidden in darkness. Hanging rugs masked the area where Sandev assumed the General slept.

  Mirrin slouched in the only easy chair, with a camp chair set up nearby. The man's dark eyes regarded her expressionlessly.

  "Alovak for two please, Shashi," he said.

  "Se bata." Shashi left in a swirl of cool air.

  Mirrin's attention turn
ed to Sandev. "Please, sit. It is difficult to be anything but polite to one of The Ten, even if she is a prisoner."

  She took the camp chair. As the only other seat available, she had little choice. "You waited many months before you decided to be polite," she countered.

  She could not tell where Mirrin's sympathies lay; but she already knew he practiced neither sorcery nor the Gift.

  The skin around those dark eyes crinkled in amusement. The General's hair was mostly iron-gray with white wings at the temples. "No need while you were under Nicolfer's care."

  "And still am, if care is the word."

  "Affairs between The Ten are nothing to do with me. Unless of course, they decide to interfere with my duties."

  Sandev saw those eyes harden and remembered he was a fighting man; he had not gained rank through softness. Or stupidity.

  "You have been talking with Gajaran," he continued.

  Sandev stiffened. Gajaran had told him what she said? Why would the General even notice an infertile who belonged to nobody?

  Mirrin continued. "The quartermaster informed me her work has slipped in the past few days."

  "Perhaps Jurabim should realize caring for infertile sylphs is more than just ensuring they are fed, clothed, washed and wormed. Attention and encouragement count far more with them than anything else." Sandev's speedwell eyes flashed.

  Mirrin shrugged. "They are not badly treated."

  Sandev opened her mouth.

  He continued before she could speak. "None have even tried to run away."

  Sandev laughed. "I think you fail to understand sylphs," she said, as Shashi returned with the alovak.

  Mirrin's eyebrows rose. "You think. Shashi, do I fail to understand you?"

  Setting out the cups for the alovak, Shashi looked up, surprised. Her collar glinted in the light as she swallowed.

  "You may speak freely." Mirrin's tone was gentle.

  "Enya understands me all too well," she replied. She gave Sandev a level look, challenging her to name her liar.

  Sandev's eyes narrowed. Perhaps she should have worked on the officers' sylphs first. "Infertile sylphs crave to belong to something greater than themselves. It is instinctive. Even abusive ownership is better than no ownership at all, in their view."

  Shashi poured the alovak and, at her owner's nod, fled. Doubtless to eavesdrop from somewhere more discreet.

  Mirrin held the alovak to his nose and breathed deeply. Sandev barely touched hers. Mirrin spoke again.