The Chronicles: Three Sisters 16

We let our people rest, the following day. Exhausted as they were, there was no point in pushing them to cover a few more leagues. The Izumyrians arrived at the foot of the Steps in the late afternoon.

Our enemies were clearly puzzled by the obstacle that now confronted them. Two men dismounted, and began to climb the rocky terraces. Most of our fighters stayed well back, so that they couldn't see us.

When the two horsemen reached the second-last outcrop, Yevna and Nameless stepped forward, with arrows nocked.

To my surprise, Yevna missed a relatively easy shot (for her). Nameless did not. Yevna drew another arrow, and made a much more difficult shot, hitting her target in the hip.

Yevna leapt down like a mountain goat, and finished the fellow off with her knife. It was a little gruesome, I suppose, but the Izumyrians needed a reminder that they were dealing with Uplanders.

My daughter calmly cut her arrow from the dead man's hip, then went to recover Nameless' arrow as well.

Yes, Libot, Seva, and Guenna and I could also have shot at the two scouts. No doubt we would have managed to hit both men at the first attempt. The truth of the matter was quite simple: we were running low on arrows.

- "What happens if they try to go around?" asked Gerimir, the Lowlander.

- "They get lost!" laughed Giedra.

- "There are forest tracks," said Yevna, "but none of them re-connect with the path we're on - not for the next 10 or 11 leagues."

"The Izumyrians won't feel very comfortable, leading their horses single file through the forest." she explained. "And there's nowhere for them to camp, at night."

That night, we made sure to have at least half of our fighters on guard at all times. I didn't think that the Izumyrians would dare try to climb the Steps in the dark - but we couldn't afford to be wrong.

***

The next day, we left half our fighters in place - including all of the archers - while we began moving everyone else.

The terrain was much easier, much more level. There were fewer tree roots to trip on, fewer sudden drops and steep climbs.

I'd wanted to stay at the Steps, but I was outvoted by my daughters, and by Nameless.

- "Tanguiste and Vingoldas need your help." she suggested.

- "Whereas you don't."

Nameless didn't know how to respond to that.

- Please, Papa." said Guenna. "I'll have all of the best archers, plus Giedra, and Gerimir."

- "All of the best archers, except me. Nameless is better at softening the blow than you are." I grumbled.

Was I getting too old? I said it out loud, from time to time ... but perhaps I was hoping that someone would disagree, and point out that I was still a valuable warrior. No, more than valuable - essential. Indispensable.

I was walking along with Sulcen, helping her mother.

- "I'm getting old." I muttered.

Guen Nadesti just snorted. "I hope you're not looking for sympathy from me." she said.

Sulcen gave me half-smile, just before she patted me on the backside.

So much for that attempt to get a little moral support.

We covered five leagues, that first day. When we finally stopped, no one seemed to be excessively tired. Tanguiste had some kind of extra sense, by which she could tell what our folk could do - and what they couldn't.

She, at least, asked for my approval before calling a halt for the day.

***

Giedra and her friends, Eliv and Rion, rejoined us late in the second day. Guenna and the archers, plus Gerimir, were still at the Steps.

Of course, they could all be dead, and the Izumyrians only a few minutes behind, about to charge down upon us, for all we knew.

But all had been well the night before. The Izumyrians hadn't tried to climb the Steps again, and if they'd explored the forest pathways ... well, that made little or no difference.

We were now approaching lands that Giedra and her friends knew better than Yevna or I did. Another day's travel would bring us to the slopes of Brana, the third of the Three Sisters.

The flanks of Brana, covered in twisted, stunted pine trees, had always been closest to my home in Asphodel. When we looked across the lake, it was Brana we saw first. Yet I'd never been here, on the far side of the mountain.

This land belonged to the people of Nareven - the home of Giedra, Eliv, and Rion.

- "What should we expect?" I asked the big blonde warrior.

- "I wish I knew." she said. "By the time we left, Nareven had been raided three times, by Bacho and his son. The shepherds kept their flocks higher in the hills, and stopped coming down. There were more widows and orphans than anything else."

- "Will there be any trouble if we move in, and stay the winter?"

- "A force like ours? No."

- "Will we able to feed ourselves?"

- "Plenty of game in the hills, and there haven't been many hunters for the past few years - they're mostly dead. I suspect that whatever folk are still there will be happy to see us."

- "How will it be for Eliv and Rion - and for you - to go back home?"

Giedra shook her head. "Not my home, Veran. It never really was."

- "Do you still have family there?"

- "No."

That was the end of our conversation.

***

Guenna and Gerimir rejoined us the following day. They'd left Yevna, Nameless, Libot and Seva at the Steps. The four archers were now at least two days' travel behind us. But I wasn't worried about them. Yevna could lead them back by pathways the Izumyrians would never find.

But it crossed my mind that Guenna must have spent the better part of two days - and a night - alone with this Gerimir. I liked the lad, even if he was a Lowlander. But alone with my daughter?

- "The Izumyrians hadn't moved up the Steps, by the time we left." said Guenna. "They may be exploring the forest, looking for a way around, but we're safe, for the next two days."

- "That's good news, then." I didn't ask about Gerimir. Guenna looked pleased with herself. And if she had been lying with the Lowlander - what business was that of mine?

I'd told my daughters that they could choose their own husbands. I'd just never thought to specify that they couldn't pick a Niskadi.

Yevna settled on Inisian, a young fellow I wholeheartedly approved of. Tanguiste chose Vingoldas - and I loved that young man as well. So why not let Guenna choose for herself? She had excellent judgment. Usually.

So I would let her do as she wished. Except ... if she chose the other Lowlander, Iduallon - I would kill him before I'd let him marry my youngest daughter.

***

Seva and Libot rejoined us the next day. That left only Yevna and Nameless behind us. Giedra - and Vingoldas, when fully healthy - were better with sword and shield, or axe. But my daughter and the strange young woman who'd shed her original name were incomparable archers.

And even with a sword and shield, I wouldn't want to face Nameless, if she had so much as a knife ... or a sharp stick.

We began descending, into the outer edges of the Vale of Nareven. Giedra took the lead, since she knew these parts better than we did.

There was good land here, which could have supported quite a few people. That would explain why Bacho and Kestutis had raided the Vale so often.

My main concern was whether we could find a decent place to live, which was also easy to defend. Then we would also have to find or build shelter for everyone, and gather in a supply of food for the winter, which was fast approaching.

The Izumyrians were still on my mind, of course. Would they pursue us all the way to Nareven? Time was against them. They couldn't possibly winter in the Uplands - not without grain or fodder for their horses.

It takes far more than swords and bows to lead a force of warriors. You have to know where you're going, where you can safely set up camp, and you have to make sure that you have food, water, and firewood.

Yevna and Nameless finally caught up to us, a day before we expected to reach the hamlet of Nareven. There were many of us who went to greet them, but we were all touched when old Guen Nadesti went to give both women a hug.

Yevna accepted the embrace quietly, but Nameless returned Mother Nadesti's hug - a surprisingly tender gesture for such a fearsome warrior.

- "They're past the steps." Yevna told me. "On foot. But we haven't sighted them in the past two days."

That was good news. After delivering it, Yevna and Nameless lay down. They were both asleep a moment later.

***

Nareven was quite a surprise - for all of us.

- "What on earth ...?" said Giedra.

The hamlet was full of people. Full to bursting. From what Giedra had told us, I'd expected to find 40 or 50 people living there.

There were easily ten times that many. The vale was overflowing with humanity.

- "There ... there were never this many people."

- "Who are they, then?" asked Guenna.

- "I have no idea. What are they all doing here? Where did they come from?" wondered Giedra. Neither she, nor Eliv or Rion could even recognize the place that where they had once lived.

The answer to those questions proved to be quite simple: the Izumyrians.

Bacho's lands, and the hamlets on the edge of the lake, hadn't been the only places visited by the invading horsemen.

With a few fair words, and perhaps a coin or two, the Izumyrians could have learned whatever they wanted to know. Instead, they preferred to demand instant cooperation, and then to use force to compel obedience.

Wherever they went, they burned and killed. There wasn't much loot for them to plunder, because we simply didn't have very much.

But the Izumyrians weren't shy about destroying our homes, or slaughtering our little flocks. It was wanton destruction. Senseless, really. Did they honestly believe that anyone would tell them where the Duchess was - after they'd raped our wives and daughters, and taken the least thing of value that we possessed.

I say 'our' - and that was quite a revelation for me. Uplanders generally saw other Uplanders as potential threats. We had so few dealings with Lowlanders; the most likely person to steal your sheep, or to kill a member of your family, was another Uplander.

But now we met dozens of people who had all been raided by Bacho, and then attacked without warning by the Izumyrians.

They were angry, and they had these things in common. That was the only possible explanation for the presence of so many people in a single place. There were survivors from the lake area, and from much further west and south. The Izumyrians had driven these folk from their homes, and they'd all collected in the Vale of Nareven.

The 'Scouring', they called it. The Izumyrians had swept and scrubbed the people from lands they'd occupied for generations. And it had somehow buried all of their traditional suspicions, hostilities and feuds. You don't swat a mosquito when a bear is hunting you.

There was another surprise awaiting us, as the word of our arrival spread.

We were famous.

The Duchess and her baby were certainly objects of curiosity, as in 'Ah - so that's the lady they was lookin' for?'. Folk were also pleased when they learned the name of her little son. Borna was a name that still resonated, in the Uplands.

But when they learned that the newcomers were led by Guen Nadesti and Veran One-Eye (though some still called me Hammerfist), we were mobbed.

A hundred men came to shake my hand. I had no hope of remembering all of their names. And dozens of women, too. Many wanted to meet my daughters as well, which left Guenna with her hands full. Tanguiste and Yevna had made themselves scarce.

I was amazed that almost all of these people knew that Bacho and Kestutis had been searching for me for years. Everywhere they'd gone, apparently, they'd asked for news of me. And an enemy of Bacho, it seemed, had many new friends.

There were Lake-people who remembered me, and I them. They'd been telling tales of Bacho and Hammerfist to all these other folk. They knew what had happened to Meonwe, and to my son, Iarn. It was common knowledge around the Vale that I'd escaped with my daughters.

So many of them had questions. Where had we gone? How had we survived the winters?

I don't know who first said it, but somehow these people discovered that I had killed Kestutis. The press around me grew even greater.

I had to beg them to give me leave, to see to getting our party settled. I promised that I would answer their questions soon.

My hand hurt, from being squeezed so often.

***

- "Was it you?" I asked Giedra.

- "Was it me what?"

- "Don't play innocent. Was it you who started telling folk that I killed Kestutis?"

Giedra simply smiled.

"The only other ones there were Yevna, Guenna, and Nameless." I said.

- "Why did you ask, if you knew that it was me? You're welcome, by the way."

- "I should thank you?"

- "Of course you should. I've acted as a guslar for you - and you didn't even have to pay me." said Giedra. "People already respected you; now they have a reason to be grateful."

"If this doesn't work to our advantage, I'll ask your pardon."

***

It may be that Giedra was wiser than me, in some ways. On our second day there, two men and a woman asked to see me. They were a grandfather, his daughter, and her adolescent son.

They went straight to the point: they offered us their house.

- "We have kin we can share with - least until you can get something built." said the older man.

- "Can't have those weans[1] sleepin' outside." said the woman.

- "We can't take your house." I said.

- "Course you can. We'll be a bit tight, but it'll be warmer that way." said the grandfather.

I thought of Hedyn's wife and her babe, and of Guen Nadesti.

- "Thank you." I said.

I found Tanguiste and Vingoldas, and told them about this generous offer. Tanguiste had been busy organizing our people to gather food. Yevna, Libot and Nameless had already set out to hunt, with Giedra, Eliv and Rion, who knew the surrounding area best.

Accommodation was another task that Tan had already been considering.

- "That's wonderful." said my daughter. "Who were you thinking of giving it to?"

- "Hedyn's wife. Mother Nadesti. The two oldest women ..."

- "What about the Duchess?"

Damn. She had a point, there.

- "Fine."

- "I'll go with you." said Tanguiste. "In case some diplomacy is required."

- "Because I'm not diplomatic?"

- "It's not your greatest strength."

On our way, she told me what she'd achieved so far. That brought me up short.

- "You make me feel like a fool, Tan. You've been busy looking after the essentials, while I stand around shaking hands and forgetting names."

- "They want to see you." she said. "You can't just ignore them."

- "I could, you know."

- "No, you can't." said Tanguiste. "And look at this way: every time you talk to these folk, and let them see you - that's fewer people to bother Sulcen or Mother Nadesti. Just yesterday, there were at least half a dozen who asked if they could see Yevna's teeth."

- "I didn't know."

- "Well, now you do."

We found the Duchess sitting against the side of a house, cradling her babe. Prosquetel and Iduallon were with her, though there was no sign of young Gerimir.

- "Well?" said the Duchess. She was glaring at me.

Temara was a handsome woman. Quite lovely, in fact. But when she frowned and scowled - as she was doing now - it completely spoiled her good looks.

On top of that, I had no idea what she was upset about. My first instinct was to repay her in kind, and bark 'Well, what?" However, mindful of Tanguiste's suggestion about diplomacy, and considering the Duchess had come through a difficult journey, I softened my reply.

- "Pardon me?"

- "Why have you not found accommodation for us yet?" she snapped.

That must have encouraged Iduallon to believe that he could butt in. He surged to his feet.

- "The Lady cannot sleep outside, like a beggar." he began. "That is the Heir to the Duchy of Hvad in her arms!"

I could have said something very rude, or very stupid. But I was very conscious of my daughter standing beside me, so I decided to be only moderately rude.

- "You seem to have difficulty coming to terms with a simple fact: you aren't in Hvad. I am not your lackey. The people who fought to keep you safe from your pursuers don't wake up every morning wondering how they can best be of service to you."

"We took you in when you were in danger, and offered our hospitality. That, and our protection - such as it was. Do you remember Yorun? Or Weyl? They died fighting the Izumyrians who were pursuing you."

"No one has called you beggars. But do you honestly believe that the people here deserve to be called that?"

Prosquetel rose slowly to his feet.

- "Your pardon, Master Veran." he said. "We do not wish to appear ungrateful. Please forgive the Lieutenant - he spoke in haste, out of concern for the Duchess. And her child."

He cleared his throat, rather noisily.

"Was there something you wished to discuss with us?"

- "As a matter of fact, there is." I said. "We've been given a house - if you'd like to sleep inside tonight, Lady."

The look on their faces was a sight to see.

- "Was that diplomatic enough?" I whispered to my daughter.

- "Very impressive." she said.

The Duchess' gratitude lasted only a few minutes. When she learned that she would have to share her lodgings with Hedyn's wife, Mother Nadesti and the other older women, her scowl returned.

What did she expect? That the people of Nareven would come out to greet her, and strew flowers in her path?

***

- "There's no leader here." said Guen Nadesti.

- "I know. I didn't understand it when we arrived, but there was no one out scouting." I pointed out. "They didn't even know how close we were."

- "Bacho killed a number of headmen, on his raids." said Vingoldas. "Then the Izumyrians wiped out even more."

- "So there is no leader in the Vale." repeated Mother Nadesti. "We have to change that."

- "Change it how?"

- "Make you the headman."

Even I could see that it wasn't a completely far-fetched idea. I was the best-known person within 50 leagues - by far. But I didn't want to be headman. Even on the Hill, I'd repeatedly tried to keep Guen Nadesti or Vingoldas in a position of authority.

- "That made sense - on the Hill." she said. "You argued that Vingoldas was more popular. More trusted. But here? Name me one better candidate, Veran. Name that person, and I'll support them."

She was right, in a way, but there were several people I had to consult first - beginning with my wife.

- "What do you think?"

- "You'd make the best leader." said Sulcen.

- "But that would make you the Headman's wife. Are you sure that you want that much attention?"

- "They already know who I am, Veran. But I appreciate your ... concern." she said. "Besides, your girls will do most of the work."

My daughters were all for the idea.

- "This place needs organizing." said Guenna. "Badly."

- "And if we can act in your name, that will help immensely." said Tan.

- "Better you than me." said Vingoldas.

***

When people heard that I wanted to address them, they came together to hear what I had to say. They knew who I was, and what I'd done - and if the stories had been exaggerated, somewhat - well, in this case, that was a help.

I stated the case plainly.

- "We need food, and more food. We need shelter. No one can be left sleeping outside, come the winter. And then we have to prepare, in case the Izumyrians come."

"That means that we have to work together. I know - no one knows better how difficult it is to see your rivals, or even your enemies, just the other side of the Vale. But if Guen Nadesti and I can make common cause ..."