Jean Lorrah - Flight to Savage Empire

“What you did protected us all,” the woman reminded him. “I was closest to Astra when the one with the sword came at her-but there were two others after me. I could see her dodging that sword-I guess her Reader’s powers let her evade his moves. Finally she pulled off her cloak and threw it in his face.

And then she saw your knife-”

“I don’t even remember her taking it!”

“She had to,” said Trel. “She was unarmed-hadn’t touched her sword since she cleaned it this morning.”

Zanos sighed. “I have to make her wear it. She says it’s too heavy-and after today, she may never pick it up again.”

“She will,” Trel assured him. “If she’s only half the woman I perceived last night, when she helped us prepare that mass grave, then she will be everything you need in a wife. Only a woman of the strongest character would be willing to travel with you all the way to Madura.”

Zanos looked up sharply. “How did you know that?”

“From the way you questioned your prisoner. We stayed out of sight, as you asked, but we had to know what you wanted with him. We overheard every word, and…” Trel paused to look at Kimma, then back. “Friend Zanos, wed like to ask you to delay your journey. These are dangerous times for all of us.

The hill clans fear that the Aventines will retake these lands. They’re like animals before a forest fire, not knowing which way to run, attacking anything in their path. We need your help to keep those of us left alive.”

“It might be better if you moved your village on north,” Zanos observed. “Your wife and the others will be well enough to travel in a few days.”

“This is our homeland,” the old man said firmly. “We’ve fought long and hard to keep it. Besides, from what Astra told us last night about Lord Wulfston and the Aventine fleet, I don’t think their army will get very far inland.

“But it’s more than not believing the Aventines can defeat the new alliance. I’ve been waiting thirty-five years to see the end of Drakonius’ reign, and something better rising up to take its place. That finally seems to be happening. The Adepts and Readers who now hold this cluster of lands base their rule on peace and trust rather than the terror and oppression with which Drakonius ruled.”

“If it’s such a good alliance”-all three of them started as Astra stepped out of the darkness of the hut-“then why aren’t you a part of it?”

Zanos jumped to his feet. “Astra-”

“I’m all right, Zanos,” she said flatly, her upraised hand stopping him from touching her.

“But you were asleep for only an hour or two.”

“You put me into recovery sleep. I’ve recovered.”

Have you ? he thought as he scrutinized her. She had the sleepy look of someone needing more rest, but her entire attitude had changed. She was… cold. Could her first kill have changed her that much?

She turned to the village elder. “I would like to know why you have not joined this wonderful alliance, Trel.”

“I’m a cautious man, and a very patient one,” he said slowly. “An alliance is like a young tree: it must survive a few storms before it’s able to bear fruit. This alliance weathered an attack by Drakonius and his allies two years ago, and an attempted takeover by several strong Adepts last year. Now the Aventines are challenging them, this time with a powerful army. I believe the alliance will successfully defend us all, and eventually make a peace treaty with the empire. The prophecy will come true.”

“Prophecy?” Astra questioned.

‘ In the days of the white wolf and the red dragon, there shall be peace throughout the world,’ ” he quoted. “The lands just east of here belong to Lord Lenardo, whose symbol is the red dragon. Bordering his lands to the east are those of Lady Aradia, whose symbol is the white wolf. Their marriage last year became the heart of the alliance, and the center of all our hopes. When the young tree has grown a bit more, I wish to taste of its fruit.”

“You may find it bitter,” Astra said grimly. “Last winter, two members of this alliance destroyed the largest hospital in the Aventine Empire-with an earthquake. A hospital , Trel, full of sick and injured people. Hardly an act to promote peace.”

“I hadn’t heard that tale,” Trel replied with a frown. “Who saw them actually start the quake?”

“Portia, the Master of Masters.”

“Is she someone whose word you can trust?”

A strange look crossed Astra’s face. “… no,” she finally admitted.

“I do not want to speak ill of the Master of Masters,” Trel said gently, “but she must be very old by now-Portia was Master of Masters when this was still part of the empire! Can you be sure she told you the truth? As I recall, she’s related to the royal family some way. Could it be that a natural earthquake destroyed the hospital, and the members of the alliance were blamed to give the Emperor support in this war?”

Astra nodded mutely, and Zanos sympathized with her confusion. What if these savage rulers were not mad brutes, as they were portrayed in the empire? But on the other hand, what reason did they have to trust them?

“I suppose that’s possible,” he said. “But if Lenardo fled Portia, how does that prove he’s more to be trusted than she is? It could be that she wouldn’t allow him the power he wanted in the empire, so he found it among the savages. I think you are right to wait and see how well these new rulers govern before you throw your lot in with them, Trel. As for Astra and me, we’re moving on. You are welcome to join us.”

Astra stared at Zanos, wide-eyed. Then suddenly she got up, and walked back into the hut without a word.

Trel and Kimma looked at one another, and left with vague words about looking in on the injured.

Zanos followed Astra into the hut, where he found her tuning her lute.

Some instinct warned Zanos not to unpack his flute and join her-she was in some kind of very personal mood, shutting him out more effectively than if she had barred a door against him.

So he just sat down on the mat, listening to Astra play her “thinking song,” as she called it. All the beautiful chords were there-but her spirit was missing.

Finally, he reached over and put his hand on the strings of her lute, stopping the music. She looked at him with questioning eyes.

“You have to tell me what’s bothering you,” he said softly. “I can’t Read you, Astra. “

“I’m waiting for you to tell me what other decisions you’ve made, ” she replied without expression. “When we move on, how long you’ll let us stay here, what we’ll do about Vortius-”

“I don’t understand.”

She pulled the lute free of his hand. “I thought I was supposed to share your life. For the past two days, all I’ve been is your personal Reader! ‘Read this for me!’ ‘Scan over there!’ ‘Monitor Vortius-!’ ‘

“I had to make decisions for our survival.”

“Our survival doesn’t depend on killing Vortius. It depends on our making a sensible plan. Except for your wanting to avenge yourself on Vortius, we have no plans.”

“That’s not true,” he said. “We plan to go to Madura. Or at least I thought we did. You don’t really want to go, do you?”

“Yes, I do! Returning to your homeland is important to you. But do we have to rush right out of one dangerous situation into another?’

“We don’t know that it’s dangerous to go to Madura. “

“After two warnings? Two warnings that some ‘great evil’ is killing Adepts in your homeland, and you still want to rush into the unknown. You’d prepare for weeks for a single bout in the arena, but you won’t make any preparations for this. Why?”