Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

Tocchah looked up at the mystery of the stars. The Mavedah would not be captured alive. But there were a few Irrvedah that fought for the Mavedah that had been captured. And they spoke of the hand of the God of the Day Light. Its name was Uhe, and Uhe ruled the Mavedah, which now called itself Denvedah. The prisoners spoke of Aakva’s new Law of War, and that this was Uhe’s charge.

Tocchah looked down into the blackness of the valley below. It was clear that the warriors of Uhe were well-trained, and that they had numbers far exceeding those that Tocchah had been able to bring to oppose them.

But why then oppose them? Would the Irrvedah defeat the Mavedah? No.

Would the invaders go back to the Madah? No.

Any injury inflicted upon the Mavedah would be more than compensated for by the captured Irreveden who would join the enemy’s ranks.

Even the Diruvedah would not be served by feeding warriors into the ranks of the Mavedah, and the Irrvedah had no interest that would be served by protecting the Diruvedah.

Tocchah looked again at the stars. "Yet we stand here to fight the Mavedah. Aakva, I ask your children of the night, how did the Irrvedah come to this pass?"

The ruler of the Irrvedah listened to the laughter coming from the next mountain, and it lowered its head. How many would die in order that the living could proudly say that they went down fighting?

And how would such serve the living if, in truth, what they fought was Aakva’s true law?

Tocchah turned and looked around at the emptiness of the light cast by the fire. The ruler of the Irrvedah had dismissed its council of masters, no longer being able to stand the empty boasts of ignorant minds. Tocchah’s own staff had been given permission to join the celebrations of the warriors who had never warred, leaving only a few guards.

"And do I leave myself thus exposed by design?" Tocchah addressed again the stars. "Do I invite my own removal from this play?"

The sounds of hunter’s feet brushed the night air, and Tocchah felt its chest tighten. Unless the feet belonged to Mavedah, there was no need for skulking in the brush. And no clumsy farmer of the Irrvedah could walk so quietly.

Tocchah faced the darkness. "Come out, Mavedah. I am ready for you."

Seven blackened figures emerged from the brush beyond the firelight. The feeling that many others remained in the brush was with Tocchah. One of the figures spoke to the ruler of the Irrvedah:

"You are Tocchah?"

"I am."

The blackened figure spread its hands, then let them fall to its sides. "I missed greeting you at the Darker Wood. I greet you now, Tocchah. I am Uhe, ruler of the Denvedah. I come to tell you of Aakva’s new Law of War, and to ask you to join me in fulfilling the desires of the God of the Day Light."

"You would have me hand over my people and their lands without a fight? What must you think of the Irrvedah?"

"I think the Irrvedah to be growers and eaters of plants." The dark figure swept its hand to indicate the terrain behind the fire. "With me there are over a thousand of my warriors facing the backs of your celebrants." The figure pointed across the dark valley toward the Irrvedah’s fires. "Upon the face of the next mountain, and in the valley between, there are four denve; over thirty thousand Denvedah."

Tocchah feared even to think of the eleven thousand Irrvedah to the north, should the dark figure discover them. It was a caution without purpose.

The blackened figure continued: "To the north, behind the eleven thousand Irrvedah you have facing us, I have placed my Tsien Denvedah; over fifteen thousand of my best warriors. I answer your question now, Tocchah. I think you and your people to be reasonable. I would have them join Aakva’s cause."

Tocchah studied the blackened figure. "As you said, we are farmers, not warriors."

"I know this, Tocchah. But they have the spirit to become warriors, and the Denvedah will make warriors of them."

Tocchah inhaled, and then let its breath escape slowly. "Uhe, how am I to know what to do?"

"You may guess, you may take the advice of another, or you may consult that which you know to be true and act accordingly."

Tocchah nodded. "All three tell me to do as you say. But there is another choice: Aakva."

"Then ask Aakva." The blackened figure remained as still as stone.

"I have asked Aakva. And my words fall upon the God of the Day Light’s deaf ear." Tocchah looked again at the stars. "If I do not agree, am I to die ?"

The blackened figure answered: "It would simplify the destruction of the forces that now oppose Aakva’s new law. But I will not have you killed. You will be sent to the Madah."

"Murder has many names." Tocchah looked at the ground between it and Uhe. "And if I join you, do my people then follow you?"

"They will follow us."

"And do they then go east to take the lands of the Diruvedah?"

"They will cover all of Sindie to make the peoples of Sindie one." The blackened figure moved more closely to Tocchah. "I would have you at my side in this quest, Tocchah."

The ruler of the Irrvedah turned its back upon Uhe and pointed toward the fires beyond the valley. "This is not a decision that I can make for my tribe. I do not have that power. If I am free to go, I shall argue your offer before my clan masters."

Uhe motioned toward one of the other blackened figures. "Conseh, bring two of your warriors." Uhe turned back to Tocchah. "You may go, and we will come with you. My first warmaster’s blade-swingers can entertain your people with a demonstration of arms."

Tocchah looked over its shoulder at Uhe. "And you will be there to cut off the head of the Irrvedah in case my people are reluctant to join your quest."

"It should add passion to your argument, Tocchah." Uhe held out its hand toward the valley. "We will follow you."

As Tocchah walked toward the fires of its people, the footsteps of hunters close behind, there were profound questions.

Why does Aakva inflict the blight and flood on the Irrvedah to show its hand?

Why does not the God of the Day Light show itself with help when the threat is the most severe?

Tocchah continued walking, but spoke to the darkness that followed it. "Have you ever noticed, Uhe, that you can never find a god when you need one?"

"Yes, Tocchah. I have noticed."

The party continued in silence toward the fires.

That night the Irrvedah became Denvedah. The new warriors were spread throughout the Denvedah, and three new denve were organized, becoming the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Denve. The Seventh was trained to become Tsien Denvedah, while the Eighth and Ninth were sent north to secure all of the lands of the Irrvedah for the Denvedah.

Staaga was one of Conseh’s undermasters, and Staaga was made warmaster of the Seventh Denve. Two of Nuvvea’s undermasters, Chiya and Gidyada, were made warmasters of the Eighth and Ninth Denve, while Nuvvea was appointed overmaster to command the southern denve.

Undermasters Motah and Dosteh were appointed the new warmasters of the First and Second Denve, while Conseh was appointed overmaster of the Northern Denvedah.

Nuvvea and the Southern Denvedah were charged with raising two more denve, but to keep the majority of the Irrvedah at their farming, mining, and metalworking to supply all of the Denvedah.

Daes’s Sixth Denve secured the Southern Akkujah, and Yaga’s Fifth maintained the route of supply from the mountains out into the lands of the Diruvedah where the three denve of the Tsien Denvedah, and the Third and Fourth Denve, brought the war to the north. All of the denve of the Denvedah spoke to each other at night with shielded fires, and in the day with polished butcher blades reflecting Aakva’s light.

A line marking the lands brought under the control of the Denvedah spread out from the Southern Akkujah toward the east and the north, while sedenve attacked beyond the line at concentrations of Diruvedah hunters. The captured Diruvedah were given the same choice as had been given to the Irrvedah, and most chose to enlist in Aakva’s cause.