But none of that appeared to stop Benassa from being the first to rise from her defensive crouch and cross the dirt back to us to greet him. I saw how her eyes flickered unsteadily to Ymmen as she slowed her steps and approached—and Ymmen, still being a Bull dragon and all, opened his mouth to let his forked tongue loll out and flicker in the air.
Benassa froze and gulped nervously—but Tamin only laughed and crossed the remaining distance to greet the younger Souda warrior. “How is your father? Your brothers?” Tamin beamed. “Still causing havoc at the village, are they?” He was referring to the fact that Benassa was the oldest of a small cohort of brothers, all of whom had the same vitality and strength that their older warrior sister did.
Benassa’s grin faded. “My father is well, and yes—Hul and Ferin and Mele are well.” I winced as I thought that I knew what she was about to say even before she had said it. “But Argin and Jacan… Inyene has them. She took them just this season.”
“No!” Both Tamin and I burst out. I cursed myself for not asking her sooner about them, and for not having seen them at the Mines. But for the first month of spring I was held in Inyene’s Keep as Abioye’s ‘guide’ for the coming expedition, wasn’t I? How could I have taken my eye away from what was happening in the Mines! I should have found the chance as Naroba had led us through the Sea of Mists!
“Even as she reaches for the Stone Crown,” I said scornfully, “she still seeks to enslave the people of the Plains.”
“The Stone Crown? What is this?” Naroba called out from where she still stood, not approaching at all. I wondered if she would ever get used to the dragon. Hopefully not, a wicked part of me thought.
“It is what Inyene is after,” I announced. “It is why we were allowed to leave her mines on her expedition. It is a powerful relic and, I think, a weapon from the ancient times of Torvald.”
“Just great.” Naroba glowered. “And I suppose it just so happens that means Inyene will stop at nothing to get at it—marching her soldiers through the villages of the Daza and taking more of us along the way?”
“I’m afraid so.” Abioye turned to raise his voice in answer. “I’m afraid that if you knew my sister as I do, you’d realize that there is no other alternative than to get to the Stone Crown before she can…” he said in a serious manner.
“Wait.” Naroba’s tone of voice was low and poisonous. “Did I just hear you say that the monster Inyene, the tyrant of our people, is your sister?” I had known Naroba for a long time, and even though much had changed for both of us—clearly—in the last four years, I still remembered how her voice went calm and cold when her temper finally surfaced.
“I am afraid to say that yes, she is—” Abioye started to say.
“Shoot him!” Naroba suddenly commanded, pointing my mother’s staff straight at Abioye.
“Stop!” I shouted as I saw Benassa pull back in alarm and several of the other Daza reach for their bows—
But none of the arrows were fired, as Ymmen suddenly reared up into the air over us all, unfurling his wings with a thunderous crack and roaring into the heavens. It was a display I knew, but even for me the sound was loud and aggressive enough to make my heart thump faster in my chest. The effect it had on the other Daza around was clear, as they made small gasps and shrieks of alarm, dropping their bows and stumbling backwards from the angered dragon.
“No one is going to be shooting anyone, Naroba,” I said just as coldly as she. “Yes, Abioye is the brother of our people’s tormentor. But he is not like his sister—” I winced just a little, not a lot like his sister, anyway, “—and that makes him an even more valuable ally to us. He wants to help our people. He wants to free all of those in Inyene’s mines and in her service.” I turned to Abioye, as I knew that Naroba and the others had to hear this from his own lips.
I could see Abioye’s nervousness at being the sudden center of this argument, but I also saw the mettle in him as he stepped up to the challenge, raising his voice to talk to the entire assembled Daza and the captured guards.
“It’s true! I want nothing that my sister wants! If we succeed—I promise that I will annul each and every contract that she made. All of the tribal peoples will be allowed to return home.” And then Abioye turned to the group of guards, still sitting huddled in their ropes and looking wide-eyed, astonished, and fearful at everything that they had been witnessing this morning.
“And as for those in my sister’s employ?” he called to them. “You have a choice. I am going to plead for your release—” he announced.
“What!?” Naroba hissed in shock and alarm.
Wait for it, I was thinking…
“—which would be a blessing for all of you who worked to enslave and beat up and intimidate and kill innocent tribal peoples!” Abioye continued. “But, as I say, you will have a choice… Either to stand with me and fight against the machinations of my sister and these Red Hounds—or to never come near me, and the Daza, and my sister ever again!”
“If the Souda decide to free you, that is,” I added, nodding towards Naroba. I saw her look at me skeptically, as if she was expecting this to be a trap.
It’s not a trap, Naroba! I thought. I am offering you the opportunity to be a REAL, true and noble leader. To act according to your best nature, and not your worst!
“I—I’ll fight for you, sire…” said one of the ex-guards hired by Inyene, hurriedly nudging the fellow who was tied up at his side, who grunted that he, too, wouldn’t be happier than fighting alongside Lord Abioye.
One by one, each and every guard that Naroba’s warband had captured from our expedition agreed, if they were allowed, to help Abioye and the rest of us find the Stone Crown, to fight the Red Hounds, and to do everything that they could to stop Inyene.
All eyes turned to regard Naroba. As much as I hated to admit it, Naroba was the Imanu right now, and her wisdom would prevail.
“Ugh.” Naroba had never been the sort to hide her displeasure however, as she rolled her eyes and shrugged. “They can be freed,” she gave me and Abioye a quick, withering glance, “into the care of Narissea and the Middle Kingdomer.”
“Thank you.” Abioye nodded sharply. “You are most gracious,” he said as the tension bled out of the confrontation, and Daza moved to cut the guards’ bonds.
“These Red Hounds you talk about,” Naroba sighed irritably. “The ones I fought last night. Will I have to free them too, if I capture any?”
“They are after the Stone Crown for themselves,” I said, explaining what little I knew. “They are hired mercenaries, ruthless—but they are not working for Inyene. I don’t think they will be as easy to convince…”
“This keeps on getting better and better…” Naroba scuffed at the dirt underfoot. “So there is a group of Three Kingdomer mercenaries running loose in the Plains, and Inyene will also be sending troops to go after this Stone Crown of yours!”
“But Inyene isn’t here yet,” I pointed out. “The Red Hounds are the closest to their goal—and they could be just as bad as Inyene is if they get their hands on the Stone Crown.”
Naroba grunted affirmatively that she understood. I didn’t think she liked it when she wasn’t the one to decide things for the rest of the group—even if she didn’t know all of the information! So, it wasn’t surprising when Naroba lifted her head to announce,