“Harcad was a student of mine,” replied Temiker. “I taught him the spell he used to kill Alfred. That is why Malafar does not speak to me anymore.”
“Harcad did not kill Alfred,” LifeTender said. “He couldn’t have.”
Both Lyra and Temiker looked up at LifeTender with puzzled looks. “Why do you say that?” Temiker asked.
“I was with StarWind and some of her friends when the message came in about Alfred,” LifeTender explained. “Harcad, as you call him, was one of those friends. In fact, he volunteered to go to Okata to find out what happened to Alfred. He never came back.”
“Harcad was Sakovan?” questioned Temiker. “One of my students was Sakovan and I didn’t know?”
“Many of your students have been Sakovan,” LifeTender chuckled. “You are a very good teacher I hear.”
Temiker just smiled and shook his head.
“Then who did kill Alfred?” Lyra asked.
“I would guess that someone in the government discovered that he was a spy,” offered LifeTender.
“So they made up the story about Alfred being killed while protecting the Katana?” quizzed Lyra.
“Probably,” mused LifeTender. “We may never know what really happened, but he was not killed by Harcad. Of that I am certain.”
Lyra rose and turned as she heard a sweet melodic voice calling her. She watched as MeadowTune ran across the field towards her.
“Lyra, we just received a message from StarWind,” panted MeadowTune as she handed it to Lyra.
Lyra read the message and shook her head. Slowly she started over and reread the entire message and then handed it to Temiker.
“It doesn’t make any sense to me,” she frowned. “Why would Master Malafar kill the Katana?”
“The Katana?” gasped LifeTender. “If the Omungans find out that he is your father, they will have their armies on the way here.”
“Their armies are already on the way,” indicated MeadowTune as she handed another message to Lyra. “This came in almost at the same time. One of our agents saw the three largest of the Omungan armies breaking camp this morning. I asked HawkShadow and MistyTrail to join us, Lyra. They need to set up a careful watch and have troops ready to move. We also need to alert the other camps.”
“The other camps?” inquired Lyra as she read the second note. “What other camps?”
“This is not the only Sakovan stronghold,” explained MeadowTune. “There are many more Sakovans in the mountains. They are mostly nomadic so that their location cannot be determined. Over the years we have grown too populous to live in this one valley.”
“Shouldn’t they be brought into the valley now?” the Star of Sakova asked.
“RavenWing had a plan for when we were attacked,” offered MeadowTune. “He felt it would be better for them to remain outside for two reasons. If we are wiped out, the Sakovan race will still exist in the outlying nomads. Also, they could attack the enemy from the rear if we thought it would break the siege.”
Temiker took the second message from Lyra’s hand and read it. “This does not say for certain that the armies are coming here,” the old mage declared. “Perhaps the new Katana fears his own people and just wants them away from Okata.”
HawkShadow and MistyTrail ran across the field and joined the small circle. Temiker handed the two messages to the tall blond-haired Sakovan assassin.
“I think your course of action is solid, MeadowTune,” Lyra reasoned. “We need to be prepared for the worst. Who is in charge of our army?”
“We do not have an army,” MistyTrail interjected. “We are an army. If we are attacked, we will all fight.”
“What the little elf means,” interrupted HawkShadow, “is that we have no formal army. Every Sakovan contributes whatever skills they have and that is how we have filled positions in the past. As we have never had need of an army before, we have no general.”
“I am not an elf,” MistyTrail scowled. “There are no elves. How many times must I tell you?”
Lyra could not keep a smile off her face, as she thought frantically about how she should act. “Okay,” she finally said, “then who has the best skills to lead an army?”
“Perhaps RavenWing can answer that,” offered Temiker. “There are other problems noted in these messages as well. You still have people hiding in Okata and it looks doubtful that they will get out without help.”
“I am also worried about that,” agreed MeadowTune. “StarWind is not someone whom we can afford to lose.”
Lyra was about to snap that her father was also important, but she realized that MeadowTune was thinking about the safety of the Sakovan people and not just because she liked StarWind. Slowly she nodded and bit her lower lip. “How is RavenWing feeling today?” she asked LifeTender. “Is he well enough to see me?”
“I think so,” LifeTender answered, “but it would not matter if he were not. This is too important for him to put his own condition in the forefront. He would see you if he were dying.”
“What about this Lord Marak?” asked HawkShadow. “This does not appear to have any bearing on the other problems.”
“We need to find a way to get a message to him and tell him to cancel his trip,” Lyra stated. “We will not have time for meeting with Khadorans until we solve our other problems.”
“If possible,” interjected Temiker, “I would try to meet with him. He may be able to help.”
“I do not even know who he is,” declared Lyra. “I can’t imagine why StarWind would set up a meeting with him.”
“I don’t know who he is either,” offered MeadowTune, “but StarWind would never have suggested a meeting if she did not think it would be helpful to us.”
“Lord Marak has made a name for himself in Khadora,” explained Temiker. “He is not like the other Khadoran lords. In fact, he is much the outcast up there, but has managed to unite five small clans into one and that one borders on Omunga.”
“The Khadorans are no better than the Omungans,” HawkShadow sneered. “He probably would march his armies against us as quickly as the Omungans.”
“I don’t think so,” Temiker said. “From what I have heard of him, he favors the small people over the lords. That is why he is an outcast. There is also a rumor that he has good relations with the Chula, the indigenous cat people of Khadora. If the rumors are true, then he would be more likely to march against the Omungans in support of us.”
The Sakovans started laughing and Temiker looked puzzled.
“Welcome to the Sakova, uncle of the Star,” chuckled MistyTrail. “It is said that people’s true feelings often slip out in casual conversation.”
Temiker’s bearded face broke out in a wide grin and his skin flushed right up to his bald head. “I guess they do at that,” he chuckled. “Do the Sakovans accept converts?”
“If they don’t,” smiled Lyra, “they will make an exception for you. I will take your advice and meet with this Lord Marak.”
“I must argue against it,” HawkShadow objected. “Whalebone Cove is too great a distance from the stronghold for the Star to be when the Omungan armies are on the march. You must appoint someone else to parley with him.”
“I think that would be a mistake,” argued Temiker. “This man is also a leader and he risks his life to travel far into unknown lands for this meeting. The message says that he will have only two men with him for protection and I have heard that many Khadorans would like to see him dead. He risks a great deal to meet with you. To refuse to meet with him or to send someone who cannot make assurances for the Sakovan people would be an affront.”
Lyra looked at Temiker and then at HawkShadow and shook her head with indecision. This was not a job for a young girl untrained in leading people she thought. She felt beads of perspiration gathering at her brow and wished she could just dump all the problems on somebody else and run away. She turned as she felt the soft touch upon her shoulder and saw LifeTender smiling at her.
“He will guide you,” soothed LifeTender. “I know what you must be feeling right now, but Kaltara has sent you for a reason and He will guide you. Do not despair.”