Mickey Reichert: Flight of the Renshai

Subikahn bobbed his head wearily. "Saviar made a similar promise. I didn't, but he'd kill me if I told you anything more."

Ra-khir did not press. He would never break a promise, nor cajole anyone else to do so either. "She did say that two elves had assisted her, enhancing her powers, from the top of Bearn Castle. Without them, she could not have lasted nearly as long. She asked me to thank them and do my best to swear them to secrecy as well."

Subikahn maintained eye contact, though his lids drooped over bloodshot whites. "And have you done so?"

"Tem'aree'ay had no difficulty agreeing, but she denied having a companion. She said Chymmerlee must have made a mistake; she alone strengthened the magic." Ra-khir tried to read something more than exhaustion from Subikahn's expression. "What do you think?"

Subikahn yawned. "I think… Chymmerlee must have been mistaken. Unless…" He dismissed his own suggestion with a doubtful shake.

"Unless?" Ra-khir encouraged.

"Unless… Ivana?"

Ivana had shown no signs of intelligence for eighteen years. Ra-khir hated to admit his thoughts had gone in the same direction before he dismissed them. "It seems unlikely."

"Unlikely," Subikahn echoed. He looked longingly at Saviar. "Can you take over as bodyguard? If I don't get some sleep soon, I'm going to keel over. Hopefully, enemies will mistake us both for corpses and won't bother to stab us full of holes."

Ra-khir appreciated Subikahn's loyalty to his brother and understood his current distraction. "I'll do better. I need to take Saviar to the castle for a meeting. Why don't you tag along, and we'll find you a safe bed?"

Subikahn did not argue. He closed his eyes while Ra-khir awakened Saviar, and the three men trudged across the sand together.

By the time Ra-khir and Saviar arrived at the Strategy Room, the others had already assembled. They opened the door to a rumble of speculative conversation that faded into questioning silence. King Griff sat in his place at the head of the table, Bard Darris to his left and Queen Matrinka to his right. King Humfreet of Erythane was seated beside Matrinka, Captain Erik Leifsson of Nordmir at his other side. Across from him sat General Valr Magnus of Aerin and, much to Ra-khir's surprise, Calistin. Two seats remained, the one beside the Nordmirian, which Saviar reluctantly took, and the one at the far end from the King of Bearn, which protocol indicated should belong to Ra-khir, who had assembled them.

Erik's teenaged son, Verdondi, sat on the floor outside the circle, along with a Bearnian page already hurriedly taking notes for the Sage. Recalling the time he had hauled a curious Saviar to a Council meeting, Ra-khir had had little trouble agreeing to let Verdondi observe. Destined to take his father's place someday, he should witness instances of diplomacy, even one as uncomfortable as this one threatened to become. To deny Erik's request, Ra-khir would have had to give a reason, one that might have raised suspicions in the mind of Nordmir's representative. Ra-khir wanted to see an honest, not a rehearsed, reaction.

Ra-khir glanced at Saviar to rebuke him for his rudeness, then bowed gallantly and properly to each guest in order of rank. Only when he had dispensed with the proper amenities did he take his own seat. "I apologize profusely for arriving late. I was searching for our last representative, still among the combatants, and he required some grooming.

Saviar put a hand over his mouth, presumably to hide a smile. Clearly, he appreciated that his father had not mentioned finding him in a crumpled heap.

Ra-khir mouthed all the meeting preliminaries, though he knew that, absent a Knight of Erythane, they might well have gotten skipped. At length, he reached his final prefacing announcement: "In the interests of full disclosure, I must mention that the man representing the Renshai, and the one serving as a captain of Aerin, are my sons."

Valr Magnus rose so suddenly, he had to grab his chair to keep it from toppling. He stared at Calistin. "Your father is a Knight of Erythane? But I thought-"

Calistin grinned, obviously amused by the general's consternation. "Calistin Ra-khirsson. I believe I mentioned that."

Magnus looked at Ra-khir, who dutifully bowed. "Sir Ra-khir Kedrin's son, Knight to their Majesties, King Humfreet of Erythane and High King Griff of Bearn."

The general had also heard that introduction before, but he had clearly not put together the Ra-khirsson of Calistin's name with the Sir Ra-khir of Erythane. He would not get fooled twice, however. "Kedrin's son. So your father is…"

Ra-khir gave Magnus the opportunity to finish.

"… the knights' general."

"We use the title captain," Ra-khir explained. "My father is properly titled Knight-Captain Kedrin."

"Yes, well." Valr Magnus cleared his throat. "In the interest of full disclosure, then, I must proclaim that my Captain of…"

"Renshai," Calistin filled in, studying his chipped fingernails, which still had bits of blood beneath them.

The Aeri glared at Calistin. "My captain is, apparently, his son."

Now, Erik leaped to his feet. "Valr, are you saying your captain is a…" He looked from Calistin to Ra-khir and back, clearly trying to put together everything so far spoken. "… a…" His brow knitted. "… a Knight of Erythane?"

"Gods, no," Calistin said quickly, his voice even. "What a horrible thought."

Now, Ra-khir turned his searing gaze on Calistin. "Captain Erik, both of my sons are Renshai."

Erik kept his attention on Valr Magnus, his cheeks purpling and his eyes glaring.

Verdondi rose and placed a hand on Erik's shoulder. He stared nearly as intently at Saviar and whispered something into the Northman's ear.

King Humfreet took over. "Now that the additional introductions are out of the way, and all the family ties elucidated, why did you call us here?"

"I have one last introduction, with your leave,Your Majesty."

Griff nodded and gestured for Ra-khir to continue.

Ra-khir turned, opened the door, and addressed one of the guards. "Bring our guest here now, please."

The guard bowed, and Ra-khir shut the door again. "With your indulgence, I would like you to meet a man with some interesting information. Before we do, though, I must ask for immunity for him from all of you, as representatives of your respective peoples.Without it, I don't believe he will speak."

Erik's massive fist crashed to the table. "I'll make him speak."

Released from the Nordmirian's pinning stare, Magnus sat calmly.

Ra-khir sighed. By bringing Saviar instead of Thialnir, he had hoped to avoid theatrics. "Our guest has committed no crime himself. He has come to tell us what he knows, but he worries that some among us might hold him responsible for things his nephew has done."

Griff said softly, "Given that information, I have no trouble granting him immunity and protection, if he needs it."

"Granted here as well," King Humfreet added gruffly.

Valr Magnus went next, "Aerin does not punish innocent men, and I will not allow my men to exact vengeance on him either."

Still standing, Erik waved a gruff hand, obviously intended as a vow.

Ra-khir's gaze fell to Saviar, and the others followed. Suddenly the focus of every man's attention, Saviar slouched in his chair, clearly wishing he could disappear entirely. "Saviar," Ra-khir reminded. "You speak for the Renshai."

The cool look Saviar returned his father spoke of future retaliation, not against the visiting speaker but against the knight himself.

"I can't… I mean I don't know…"

Ra-khir squared his jaw. He should have prepared Saviar more thoroughly, but their conversation had turned to other matters. "Saviar, I assure you that, without a vow from a Renshai leader, this man will not speak out. He fears the Renshai most of all."