The Hunnuli twisted her neck so she could regard Helmar with her star-bright eye. Could I come back as soon as I find them?
“As fast as you can,” the chief promised.
Then I will take your message to Lord Athlone and Rafnir. She tossed her mane. The sky is clear, and the road is open. I will try to fly all night.
“She will take the message,” Helmar said, relieved.
Satisfied, the Kirmaz-Ja hurried away to obtain what he wished to send to the clan lords, and the Clannad put up their shelters and ate their evening meal. Sayyed and Helmar made much over Demira, brushing her glossy coat, wiping the dust from her nostrils, and feeding her tidbits until the Turic leader returned.
Mohadan brought a rolled scroll and a yellow banner tightly wrapped in cloth. “Give these to Lord Athlone. They will clear his way along the Spice Road to Cangora. And tell him to hurry,” he said to Demira and awkwardly patted her neck. He was not accustomed to talking to horses.
They fastened the banner and the scroll to Demira’s back and watched as she lifted slowly into the deepening blue of the evening sky. When she was gone, a tense anticipation settled over the camp. There was nothing left to do but wait.
The next day came hot and dry, as had most of the days before it. The arid wind that blew from the desert sucked what little moisture there was from the ground and left the hills parched and brown. After morning prayers, the Turics spent their time readying for war. They repaired their tack and battle gear, checked their weapons, and practiced swordplay and archery in the scattered splotches of shade under the few trees. Most of the Clannad stayed to themselves out of nervousness and hesitancy, for they had never been in the company of so many strangers. A few wandered over to satisfy their curiosity and before long were drinking Turic ale, admiring strange weapons or ornaments or other objects that were new to them, and “fumbling through clumsy conversations.
No one remained idle throughout the day. A regular rotation of guards kept watch on the perimeters of the valley and on the camps. Scouts rode to watch the trails and the caravan road. A steady stream of men traveled the roads around Cangora that day. Most rode on to the city to join the Gryphon’s holy war, but word of Mohadan’s resistance traveled as fast as Zukhara’s proclamation, and a constant trickle of reinforcements flowed into the Turic camp all day.
After noon, Helmar, Rapinor, Sayyed, Hajira, and Tassilio joined the Turics in the shade of Mohadan’s big striped tent, and they discussed with the leader and his officers everything that came to mind concerning Zukhara, his intentions, the layout of Cangora, and their plans.
“Is it true, Lady,” Mohadan said to Helmar, “that all of your riders are magic-wielders? Why couldn’t you blast your way into the city and bring it down around Zukhara’s ears?”
The lady chief drank some water from a cup before she took a deep breath and answered. “We are, but not all of us have the same strengths. Some of my people rarely use magic. We have been isolated for so long, our ways have become stagnant and our bloodlines are weakening.”
Rapinor started to protest, and Helmar laid a hand on his arm. “You know it’s true. That’s why you came. It isn’t just our horses or our livestock that are threatened. It is us.” She turned back to Mohadan. “Yes, we could open the gates with our magic and wreak havoc on your city, and we will do so if there is no other choice. But I would prefer to wait for the clans. It would be better if we had an army behind us to distract the Gryphon’s forces while we try to save the clanswomen and confront Zukhara. Besides,” she said, winking at Tassilio, “I do not want to be the only one to shoulder the blame for damages to the Shar-Yon’s city.”
The Kirmaz-Ja nodded at her wisdom and cracked a hard smile. “I understand. It would be better for us as well if we rode together. We have little hope of defeating the Gryphon alone.”
“Exactly.” She returned his smile with one of her own, her eyes crinkling at the corners above the constellations of freckles. She lifted her cup. “To cooperation and allies. Something we have not had in generations.”
More ale was brought, along with honeyed wine and ewers of precious water. The talk went on while several of Mohadan’s men outlined a map of Cangora for the strangers, describing the streets, the palace and its barracks, and the pinnacle with its huge temple.
“Could we try infiltrating the palace in a small group?” Sayyed suggested.
Tassilio looked dubious. “The palace and the grounds are heavily guarded, and soldiers are everywhere. The guards at the gate check everything and everyone. I don’t know how you could get past and still find Kelene and Lady Gabria. That palace is huge!”
“I still think a lightning attack is our best hope. We strike fast, ride to the palace, and stop Zukhara before the ritual,” Mohadan stated emphatically.
“And what if he kills the women or the Shar-Ja before we get there?” Hajira asked.
The Kirmaz-Ja sighed heavily. “That is a chance we lake no matter how we approach our attack.”
The talking went on while each person had their say about tactics and ideas. Although Tassilio listened closely, Sayyed thought he looked rather thoughtful, and the clansman wondered what scheme the boy was hatching in his active mind.
At the same time, scouts brought reports from the city, and new arrivals brought news from other regions of the realm. Fighting had spread across the country as I he few surviving tribal leaders, appalled by the massacre of their contemporaries, struggled to organize resistance against the Gryphon’s rebels. Those tribes without leaders were riddled with strife and confusion. Mohadan had hoped other leaders would join him at Cangora, but as the time passed and more news filtered in, he had to accept that he would have to fight alone.
By the time the sun crawled to its rest beyond the western mountains, the Turic and the Clannad alike were weary and ready for the cool of night.
The second day followed much the same course of heat and talk and preparation. The loyalists struggled to strengthen their numbers, and the Gryphon worked tirelessly to tighten his hold on Cangora and his bid for control of the fifteen tribes. Tension’s grip grew tighter over everyone while they waited for the first day of Janas.
Sayyed, especially, festered in his worry and impatience. Questions crowded into his thoughts almost unceasingly, like crows harrying a hawk. Would the clans arrive in time, or would the Clannad and Mohadan’s small army have to go, alone, up against the big city, which was well defended by a host far larger than their own? How was Zukhara treating Kelene? Had Gabria died of the poison? Would he and the Clannad be able to reach the women before Zukhara killed them? That fear terrified him the most and kept him awake late into the night, debating ways to get to them in time.
The third night, after another hot, interminable day, Sayyed crawled from his pallet and left the tent he shared with Hajira, Tassilio, and the healer. The darkness embraced him in a cool breeze and laved his fevered thoughts in quiet serenity. He walked barefooted away from the camps, out into the meadows where the horses grazed. The white Clannad horses were easy to see in the starlight, but it took him a while to find the black shape of Afer, standing like a shadow close to Helmar’s mare. Their tails idly swished at a few stubborn flies, and their heads hung in peaceful rest.
At Sayyed’s approach, both horses lifted their muzzles and nickered a welcome. Gratefully the sorcerer pushed his anxieties aside and crowded in between the iwo horses, where their warmth and companionship were the balm he needed for his spirit. Unwilling to disturb the silence, he leaned against Afer and sought out the stallion’s favorite itchy places. He rubbed and patted and scratched until the big stallion quivered with delight. A soft nose nudged his elbow, and without thinking, Sayyed turned around to caress the mare. He discovered quickly that she liked her back and withers scratched, and he dug in with all ten fingers to massage her itchy skin.