Around another bend, and there was Arendelle, an arrow fitted and drawn, about to launch for the boy's throat. He lowered the bow.
“Let's get him tied and back on his horse,” said Sasha. “Aisha might be able to speak enough to ask some questions later.”
TWELVE
Sasha sat on her saddle and gazed out at the view atop this latest ridge. They had a clear view of their trail, winding up the way they'd come, visible even to Sasha's eyes in the moonlight. Arendelle sat watching it, and the slope beyond, wondering if there were any alternative route the Kazeri might find over this ridge and around them, to ambush on both sides. Sasha thought it was possible. But the terrain was hard enough for her, a Lenay. Plains-dwelling Kazeri would take most of the night to achieve that ambush, and would be exhausted the following day. Besides which, Daish would quite simply die if they did not stop for the night, to say nothing of the horses.
“He's a kunli,” Aisha said. She only spoke a little Kazeri, but she did speak fluent Lisan, of all things. The Lisan Empire lay across the far western side of the Morovian Mountains from Lenayin-an impenetrable barrier for most, but not for Aisha's love of tongues. “A kunli just means a scout; the Kazeri use young riders as scouts on the plains-they weigh less on their horses and cover more ground.”
“Why have the Kazeri come?” Rhillian asked.
“He's just a kid,” said Aisha, “his understanding isn't thorough. But it seems the northern Kazeri chiefs are in conflict with the southern. The northerners have been losing, so they seek alliance with the Bacosh. Rakani and Meraine, mostly.”
Rakani and Meraine were the southernmost Bacosh provinces. The Rakani were related to the Kazeri, and were regarded poorly by much of the pale-skinned Bacosh. The Meraini were wealthy, but historically the least involved in the Bacosh's long struggles for power. Sasha had heard rumour that Meraine's present participation in what remained a Larosan-led war was reluctant at best.
“They'll have had to come through Meraine and Rakani to get here,” said Rhillian. “Perhaps those Meraini and Rakani lords thought to have us outflanked by a sudden Kazeri attack. I'll wager they provided guides.”
“With old maps,” Aisha cautioned.
“Just as likely they tire of Kazeri provocation upon their border,” Kiel stated, “and have invited the Kazeri to their doom. Decreasing two enemies simultaneously is surely more fortunate than one at a time.”
Aisha asked the boy some more questions.
“He says there were guides from Meraine. The warriors of Zalamud-that's Northern Kazerak-were promised much gold and loot in the rich lands of Enora and Saalshen. As much as they could load into carts. And alliance with the Chansul of Meraine, against the enemies of Zalamud.”
“Saalshen,” Kiel said. “Charming.”
“The Chansul didn't offer to marry a Kazeri chief's daughter, though,” Sasha muttered, thinking of Sofy. “The Bacosh dislike of savages is only so flexible.”
“Sounds like a play for power by the Chansul of Meraine as much as anything,” Rhillian observed. “I can't imagine the Regent will be thrilled that his least favourite Meraini has made alliance with the Kazeri. It makes him rather more powerful.”
“The Regent made alliance with Lenayin,” said Yasmyn. “Probably the Chansul sees this as a way to get even. If the Regent wins, he becomes King of the Bacosh, more powerful than any since Leyvaan.”
“Oh, much more powerful than Leyvaan,” said Rhillian. “Leyvaan did not command such a broad alliance as this. And Balthaar is capturing our weapons and our knowledge. Surely he will find use for captured Steel artillery.”
“Not everyone will like this,” Yasmyn continued. “When King Soros rose in Lenayin, the Isfayen did not like it. They made King Soros prove his honour in war.”
“Because defeating all those Cherrovan wasn't test enough for the Isfayen,” said Kiel in amusement.
“Yasmyn's right,” said Sasha. “Of all the Bacosh powers discomforted by the idea of a Larosan as Bacosh king, Meraine will be discomforted most. Meraine is the one province the Larosans have least influence in-it's too big, and too outward-looking for the Larosans to ever have truly controlled. Now a Larosan is to be king of all, and the Meraini will be looking to protect their independence from what is to come.”
Rhillian's eyes flicked to Sasha, an emerald glow in the night. “Ilduur has not responded to Enora's and Rhodaan's requests for help,” she said slowly.
Sasha nodded. “The Ilduuri and the Meraini have always been cordial.”
“We know they have relations,” Aisha agreed. “There are many trails through the mountains, some of them very old trading roads. We know that some Meraini lords have even visited Ilduur, and spent time in Andal. Some in Saalshen even toyed with the idea of attempting to spread Nasi-Keth influence into Meraine, perhaps even a quiet alliance between Saalshen and individual Meraini lords, if not all of Meraine. But others in Saalshen have blocked it, saying that even a whiff of serrin friendship will bring the priesthood down on the Meraini lords’ heads, and cause more trouble than it solves.”
“Well, all of this is very interesting conjecture,” Kiel said mildly. “But it is one thing to go from suggesting that Ilduur is a reluctant ally of anyone, which is a basic historical fact, to saying that the Ilduuri may have entered into a pact with the Meraini to make common cause against everyone else.”
“The Ilduuri do not want to fight,” said Rhillian. “If that is their object, an alliance with Meraine would appear to protect them from further invasion, without them ever having to make formal alliance with the Regent.”
“They can surrender without actually having to surrender,” Sasha said drily. “What honour.”
“While the Meraini will gain a powerful ally to protect their independence from the Regent,” Rhillian continued. “The Ilduuri are perfect for the purpose, because they don't ask any more of the Meraini than to be left alone.”
There was silence in the camp. Somewhere nearby, a bird called, sounding hot, tired, and unable to sleep. Sasha empathised.
“Why we ever helped these people…” Kiel remarked. And left the question unanswered.
The Kazeri boy said something. And stared about at them all from his place on the ground, huddled between them with ankles tied, in obvious fear.
“He asks us demons not to eat his soul,” Aisha said tiredly.
“What's in it for me?” Kiel inquired.
“Tell him to sleep,” said Rhillian, with a reprimanding glance at Kiel. “Tell him we'll let him go, as soon as we're able.”
Kiel blinked. “We shall?”
“Yes,” Rhillian said, “we shall. I'm not killing children deliberately, Kiel.”
“And will you seek Saalshen's survival deliberately? Or will you leave it purely to chance?”
They left the boy that morning, free to await his people's arrival. Kiel was not happy, claiming that he would simply resume the pursuit with the others. Rhillian did not argue, save to say that they could not win such a fight anyhow, and one fourteen-year-old boy would hardly swing the battle one way or the other. They did, however, keep his horse.
The Kazeri had not attempted to circle during the night and ambush ahead. As the land turned to long, climbing valleys and sheer, rugged cliffs, Sasha thought that was probably wise.
The party let their horses drink thirstily at the first valley stream, but by the time the trail began climbing once more, the sun was glaring into their faces, and the heat already intense. Halfway up the next rise, Bergen's horse simply stopped. A quick check from Sasha found the poor animal in great distress, heart racing, eyes rolling.
“Overheated,” she told them, as Bergen unbuckled straps and removed the saddle and saddlebags. “We have to leave him-if we let him turn back to the last stream, he may survive.”