Flight of the Renshai

Saviar willingly dropped to a crouch with his brother. "I talked Thialnir into pulling us out of the Pirate Wars so that Bearn could use Northmen."

"Northmen? Why?"

"At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. For many reasons, all of which are still valid. But I didn't figure on what happened next."

Subikahn nodded encouragingly.

Saviar waffled. He did not want to talk about the thing that troubled him, dreaded the details that haunted him; yet, he knew he could hardly expect Subikahn to talk about his problems if he would not return the favor. "Renshai prejudice is growing."

Subikahn shrugged. "We've always had enemies. We always will."

Saviar could not deny it. "But this is different. It's grown from insidious to blatant. All the old cliches come back to life: we murder children and drink their blood for immortality, we descend from real demons, we slaughter humans of every age and gender for fun and sport, then carve up their bodies for our stews."

Subikahn screwed up his features, looking even more Eastern than usual. No stranger would see a trace of his Renshai origins, and Saviar only could because of great familiarity. "Those myths were debunked in Colbey's time.We seemed immortal to enemies because looking young is in our bloodline, and we name newborns after fallen warriors."

"You don't have to tell me that."

Subikahn flushed. "Sorry. Of course not."

"King Griff refused a demand from the North that we be driven from the Westlands as monsters by deflecting the decision to Erythane."

"What?"

Saviar had to defend the king of Bearn. "He's right, you know. The Fields of Wrath are part of Erythane."

Subikahn glanced at the moon. Nothing but it, and the stars, interrupted the skyward stretch of darkness any longer. "Griff should have told them to cram it up their-"

"He did," Saviar interrupted. "In his polite fashion."

"My papa would have…"

This time, Saviar would have let Subikahn finish; but, to his surprise, Subikahn did not. Instead, his hands balled to fists, and he lowered his face again. "King Tae would have done that, I know. And there would be a war."

"Probably."

"Which, for Bearn, would mean fighting two wars on two fronts. Made worse by the fact that the North would have far superior weapons, given the iron ore crisis."

"Iron ore cri…" Subikahn started, then waved off his own question. "Now I see why Thialnir picked you."

"So now," Saviar continued, "much of Bearn is grumbling about the king's decision. Renshai hatred has become rampant.There's talk of replacing him; and I think Griff would agree to it, except none of his heirs could pass the stone test yet. Failing that is known to drive most men to insanity. And-"

Subikahn's dark eyes widened. "There's more?"

"Can you handle it?"

Subikahn nodded vigorously.

"A group of Erythanians claims to hold original title to the Fields of Wrath. They now call it 'Paradise Plains' and are demanding money and/or right of return from King Humfreet."

Subikahn continued to stare.

Saviar added, "The king refused. According to documented history, the Fields of Wrath were barren until the Renshai settled them."

"Good." Subikahn emphasized his word with a strong gesture.

"Driving the Paradisian movement underground, where it has swelled into prejudice and assassination."

"Assassination?" Still at a crouch, Subikahn withdrew. "The king's?"

"No. But several Renshai have disappeared under suspicious circumstances."

"Which explains why you're out here by yourself."

Saviar nodded. "Upsetting, isn't it?"

Subikahn put his face practically into Saviar's. "I was being sarcastic. I meant, with so many Renshai murders, you should not go pining alone in secluded places after sundown."

Saviar's fists balled. "I should become a coward instead?"

"Of course not." Subikahn sounded suitably offended by the suggestion. "But that doesn't mean you should commit suicide either." He nudged Saviar to his feet. "No Renshai would shrink from a real battle, but getting slaughtered by a stealthy assassin or stoned by a riled mob won't get you to Valhalla."

Saviar stood at Subikahn's urging. "All right, then. We'd best be getting home then."

"Not 'we.' You, Brother."

Saviar sighed. "Oh, so I have to avoid garroting and stoning, but those are perfectly all right for you."

"I've already told you. I'm barred from 'running to Mama.' "

"Barred by whom?"

"By King Tae Kahn of Stalmize."

Saviar could not imagine Tae doing anything that might discomfort Subikahn, or even Saviar. "Why?"

Subikahn turned away. "I've already told you. I'm not ready to talk about it."

Frustration gripped Saviar, and he winched his hand onto his hilt. Usually, a Renshai vented irritation or anger in a wild volley of swordplay.

The gesture was not lost on Subikahn. "You're not going to batter it out of me, if that's what you're thinking."

Saviar let go of his hilt. "A spar would be nice."

"Tomorrow," Subikahn promised. "In the light of day."

Unsatisfied, Saviar remained in position. "At least give me enough information to understand what you can and cannot do."

"Well…" Subikahn stroked his chin, though nothing had yet started growing on it. "If I tell you, do you promise to go home for the night?"

Saviar wanted to qualify the amount of information that would satisfy him. Weighing that need against the concern that Subikahn might just go completely silent on the subject again, he reluctantly agreed. "Yes."

"Do you remember that my granpapa sent my papa away to survive on his own?"

Saviar studied his twin. "You mean that horrible gap in Tae's life story that he refuses to talk about and swore he would never inflict on anyone?"

"That's the one."

"Yes."

"He inflicted it on me."

Saviar could only stare. His mind went utterly blank. He knew Tae, knew how much he adored his son, knew the lingering bitterness toward his own father for the exile. "No." He shook his head. "I don't believe it. Tae would never-"

"He would, and he did."

Saviar still could not grasp what Subikahn had told him. He opened his mouth, then closed it. He tried again but still managed nothing.

"It's no help you doing a fish imitation. It's true. And what's more, I deserved it."

Saviar finally forced out words. "Who did you brutally murder?"

Subikahn loosed an amused snort. "I didn't kill anyone, Saviar."

"Did you raze Stalmize Castle stone by stone?"

"Of course not."

Saviar continued guessing, "Act like such an incredibly spoiled little prince that Tae thought you needed-?"

"That would be closest," Subikahn admitted. "But I'm done with this game. I already told you I'm not ready to talk about it."

Taken aback again, Saviar fell silent. He had only been kidding with his last guess, but could not think of anything suitably catastrophic to make Tae banish his son. "So what are you supposed to do?"

"Travel all over. Not run to Mama. Return 'worldly.' "

"That doesn't seem so bad."

"You didn't hear Papa. He made it sound like a death sentence."

Though Subikahn had closed the topic, Saviar could not help saying, "You must have done something awful."

"Yeah."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Clearly Subikahn would not continue, so Saviar came at it from another angle, "What does Talamir think of all this?"

Subikahn stiffened.

Clued, Saviar persisted. "Where is your torke?"

"Still in Stalmize," Subikahn said, a little too casually. "I have to do this alone. If we both headed for the Fields of Wrath at the same time, I would have strong company. That would defeat the purpose of the exile."

Still believing he had found a clue, but not knowing what it meant, Saviar continued along the same lines. "So Talamir is coming home soon."

"That's my understanding."