To bring some of these things together then, I envisioned the tarnsman not so much as a mounted infantryman, so to speak, either a spearman or a crossbowman, than as something different, a new form of warrior, a component, so to speak, in a unified weapon system, that of man and tarn.
Lord Nishida had declined to inform me of the likely applications of this projected tarn cavalry, so I had designed it for more than reconnaissance and attack from the air on ground targets. I designed it also for aerial combat, tarnsman to tarnsman, tarn to tarn.
Interestingly, that Lord Nishida had declined to inform me of the projected applications of this arm convinced me that, though nothing was said to this effect, one must be prepared for both forms of war.
That these men of the Pani, such as Lord Nishida and Tajima, and their fellows, so unusual to continental Gor, or even the western islands, should be here, whether in Brundisium to the south, or here in the northern forests, was to me, at the time, inexplicable. In this matter I suspected the hand of Priest-Kings, or Kurii. To be sure, here in Tarncamp I had counted no more than some two hundred to two hundred and fifty of the Pani. In Tarncamp and, I suspected, elsewhere, say at the end of the mysterious road to the southeast, there were far more Goreans, of a familiar sort, than Pani. I had gathered from Pertinax that hundreds had beached in the north, following, say, the rising in Ar, and, clearly, there were not that many in Tarncamp itself, though, as mentioned, there were several in Tarncamp, and they would, if counted, have considerably outnumbered the Pani in the area.
In summary, the tarnsman, as I envisioned him, would be primarily an archer, and his bird would carry a large number of arrows, far more than might be carried in the common quiver. The temwood lance and Anangan darts would be at hand for close combat, should that arise. For defense, primarily, a light buckler might defend against the spear, and, possibly, some arrow fire. One could assess the probable arrival of the quarrel from the reaction of the archer, the stock pounding back against his shoulder, and the distance involved. Its knifelike, circular edge might also, in some situations, enable it to function not only as a defensive weapon, but one of offense, as well. I was not sure of the practicality of the net in aerial combat but its use in handicapping opponents and snaring prey was well established on the ground. And the usual kit of the tarnsman would include such items, of course, as binding fiber and slave bracelets, for in Gorean warfare the taking of female slaves is common. Indeed, the Gorean woman is well aware that outside the compass of her Home Stone, outside a certain circuit of civility, beyond comfortable environs in which her loftiness, nobility, and preciousness are unquestioned, she is likely to be viewed not so much as an esteemed fellow citizen and an untouchable, lovely adornment to a grateful polity than as booty, quarry, prey, and prize, an item to be seized, branded, and collared, and then kept or sold, as a master might please.
“We will need two hundred bows, at least, saddle bows, thousands of arrows,” I had informed Lord Nishida.
“They will be supplied,” he had said, quietly.
“There will be other things needed, as well,” I had said.
“You will receive them,” he had said.
The audience had then been concluded.
Outside the dojo I spoke to Tajima.
“Your training,” I said, “extends well beyond the dojo.”
He did not respond.
“I have noted, upon occasion,” I said, “that you have frequented the area of the warm pool, where some bathe, far from the tubs.”
His taciturnity could sometimes be annoying.
“Too, I have seen some others frequent that area, and I do not think for the warmth of the waters.”
We continued on, toward the hut I occupied with Cecily.
“I have seen some carrying food,” I said.
“Oh?” said Tajima.
“As I suspect you yourself do, as well, sometimes,” I said.
“Is it not I who am to spy on you?” asked Tajima.
“Surely,” I said, “you do not object to a reciprocity in such matters.”
“That would be churlish of me,” he admitted. “How may I be of service to you, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman?” he asked.
“In the forest,” I said, “though doubtless within the wands, there is further training, a teacher, a master, for some particular few, amongst whom I would suppose yourself.”
“You are perceptive,” he said.
“To be sure,” I said, “perhaps you are merely sneaking off for a secret rendezvous with the lovely Sumomo.”
“You have noted my interest in her,” observed Tajima.
“Your expression betrays little,” I said, “but the pupils of your eyes much.”
“It is hard to control such things,” said Tajima. “The movements of contract women are closely supervised. Collar-girls have much more freedom, as would domestic sleen or scavenging tarsks. Besides, she scorns me.”
“Perhaps she has a pretty body,” I said, “which would look well in a collar.”
“She is a contract woman,” said Tajima.
“Surely, wherever you come from, which I suspect is faraway, you have collar-girls.”
“Yes,” he said.
“And I suppose they are not all light-skinned or dark-skinned.”
“No,” said Tajima, “but they are not of the Pani.”
“How is that?” I asked.
“Because as soon as they are collared, they are no longer of the Pani, but only slave beasts.”
“I see,” I said.
“There are many such slave beasts,” he said. “War is frequent amongst the Pani.”
“And would not Sumomo,” I asked, “look pretty as such a slave beast?”
“Perhaps,” he said. “I cannot afford her contract.”
“What if you could?” I asked.
“An interesting thought,” he said.
“And she would then be yours to do with as you wished, would she not?” I asked.
“There are expectations, customs, and such,” he said, “but, yes, she would then be mine to do with as I wished.”
“Absolutely?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Absolutely.”
“And do you not think she might look pretty as a slave beast?”
“Yes,” said Tajima, “I would think so.”
“With whom do you train in the forest?” I asked.
“Nodachi,” he said.
“He is not a two-name person?” I asked.
“That is not his name,” said Tajima. “His name is secret. He conceals it. He is called ‘Nodachi’. That is merely a name for a battle sword, one to be used in the field.”
“I understand little of this,” I said.
“He is ronen,” said Tajima. “A fellow of the waves, as it is said, one with no home, one carried by the current, one with no master, no captain. There are many such.”
“A mercenary?” I suggested.
“Ah, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” said Tajima, “how little you know of these things.”
“Doubtless,” I said.
“Loyalty,” said Tajima, “is required of the warrior. His lord must be dead, or imprisoned. Or it may be he was betrayed by his lord, or that his lord proved unworthy of his devotion. It is lonely to be of the ronen. One remembers. One does not forget. Over the ice a cloud drifts. The bird clings to the cold branch. It cries its pain in the night.”
I said nothing more, but, after a time, we arrived.
“Your weapons, your skills, your talents, Tarl Cabot, tarnsman,” said Tajima, “are not ours.”
“I would like to meet with he with whom you train,” I said, “but not to learn his weapons.”