David Coe - The Horsemen's Gambit

"This is the one," Tirnya said quietly.

Her father looked at her. "You think so?"

"Look at the homes. Look at the garden plots. They need us as much as we need them."

"I'm not sure that's reason enough to make them our allies," Enly said. Tiryna looked at him sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that we're going to be counting on these people in battle. We need them, yes. But we should be able to trust them. If they're just doing this because they need more fertile land- "

"That's as good a reason as any," Tirnya said. "You're just looking for ways to keep us from succeeding. One day you say that the Mettai won't ally themselves with us because of how they've been treated. Now you're saying that if we can overcome their doubts by offering them a better place to live, we shouldn't trust them. So by your reckoning, the only Mettai worthy of being our allies are the ones who are too principled to join us."

"That's not…" Enly stopped and looked at Jenoe.

The marshal raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I agree with her. We came prepared to offer them land, because we knew that might be the best way to win their support. This is war, Enly. We're fighting for land ourselves. Yes, there's more than that at stake for Tirnya and me, but essentially, we're trying to win back the Horn and Deraqor. Why should we expect more of the Mettai?"

"I suppose," Enly said, not sounding convinced. He looked at Tirnya. "I'm not trying to keep you from succeeding. I just… I'm suspicious of magic, be it Mettai or white-hair. I don't like the idea of going into battle depending on sorcerers to save my life."

"Would you rather face an army of sorcerers without any magic on your side?"

Enly tipped his head, acknowledging the point. "No. I'd rather have nothing to do with magic at all."

"Then you shouldn't have come," Tirnya said, facing forward again.

As they approached the village marketplace, they saw that several people were standing in the middle of the lane, apparently waiting for them. One of them, an older woman with short white hair and a narrow face, raised a hand in greeting. But Tirnya noticed that most of the men and women standing behind her held axes, hoes, spades, and hammers. They looked like they were ready for a fight.

Jenoe raised a hand in return. "Greetings," he called to the woman. She said nothing.

"Friendly place," Enly said under his breath.

The three riders dismounted a short distance from the villagers and covered the remaining distance on foot.

"I take it you're the eldest of this village," Jenoe said.

"I am," the woman answered warily. "My name is Fayonne. And you are?"

"Jenoe Onjaef, marshal under His Lordship Maisaak Tolm in Qalsyn. This is my daughter, Tirnya, and His Lordship's son, Enly. What village is this, Fayonne?"

"Lifarsa. We saw your army from a great distance. If it's supplies you need, you've come to the wrong place. We haven't food to spare, at least not enough to make a difference to so many."

Jenoe smiled. "No. We're well provisioned."

Fayonne had a sharp chin and large, wide eyes, which she narrowed now, making her face look feline. "Then why have you come?"

Jenoe asked her about the pestilence, of which she'd heard a good deal, and then spoke to her briefly of the history of house Onjaef. Like Kenitha, in Shaldir, Fayonne understood immediately what he had in mind.

"You intend to take back your land," she said. "You're going to fight the Fal'Borna."

"That's our intention," Jenoe said. "And we'd like to propose an alliance with the Mettai. We're going to fight against sorcerers, and we'd like to have magic wielded on our behalf as well."

"How much do you know about Mettai magic, Marshal Onjaef?" the woman asked.

"I'd be the first to admit that I know very little. I know that it's blood magic, that you need to cut yourself in order to wield it. Beyond that…" He opened his hands and shrugged.

"Our magic doesn't work the way Qirsi magic does. Some would say it's not as powerful, although we Mettai know better. But it is different. We have no Weavers; we can't combine our powers in any way."

Jenoe looked at Tirnya, a question in his eyes. She nodded.

"We understand all of that, Eldest. We still wish to discuss an alliance."

Fayonne, in turn, glanced back at those who were standing with her before facing the marshal again. "Very well," she said. "What would we get in return?"

Tirnya suppressed a smile. At long last, they'd found what they were seeking. Her eyes flicked toward Enly, who was already looking at her, the expression in his pale eyes unreadable.

"If we manage to take back Deraqor and the Horn," Jenoe said, "we can offer you land. I don't know where exactly." He looked around at the village. "I can promise you, though, that it will be more fertile than the land you have here."

The eldest eyed him for several moments, her tongue pressing her cheek outward. "I'd like for us to discuss this further, and I need to talk to my Council of Elders. You can remain here for the night?"

Jenoe nodded. "Of course."

"Good. Again, we can't feed all your men. But if the three of you will return at dusk, we'd be pleased to have you as our guests for the evening meal."

"You honor us, Eldest. We'll look forward to supping with you."

The woman nodded, her expression so grave one might have thought that she'd told Jenoe and his army to leave at once.

The three riders turned and started back down the lane toward the army, saying nothing until they were certain that the Mettai couldn't hear them.

"Seems you were right," Tirnya's father finally said.

Tirnya grinned. "Yes."

"They were very quick to agree," Enly said, not looking nearly as pleased as Tirnya felt. "They must be desperate to leave this land."

Jenoe glanced around, frowning slightly. "I can't say that I blame them."

"Neither can I," Enly said. "But still, there's something odd about this place. I can't see any reason why the land here should be any worse than it was in Kirayde or Shaldir. But clearly it is."

"Maybe the soil gets worse as one moves northward," Tirnya said. Enly shook his head. "I've never heard that."

"And since when are you an expert on farming?"

"I've never heard it, either," her father said.

Tirnya wanted to tell them both that they were being foolish. They'd found allies for their war. The rest hardly mattered. But she could imagine what Enly would say to that. In the end she simply said, "Well, then perhaps they have some other reason for wanting to leave."

Even that wasn't enough to end their discussion.

"Exactly," Enly said pointedly. "And I, for one, would like to know what that reason is before we ride into battle with them."

"We'll learn what we can at supper," Jenoe said.

Enly nodded his agreement. "What will you promise them?"

"No more than I have to."

"Father!" Tinrya said.

Jenoe held up a hand. "I'm just saying that there's too much we don't know right now. How much land will we win back? Which parts of the territory will be easiest to take? I can't promise them much, because we don't know yet what we have to offer."

He had a point. Still, Tirnya had hoped that her father at least would join her in celebrating their good fortune. Instead, he sounded nearly as doubtful as Enly.

They reached the army a few moments later and immediately Enly and Tirnya informed their lead riders that they wouldn't be marching any farther this day and that the men should begin to make camp. As word of this spread, cheers went up from the soldiers. Not wishing to be near her father or Enly for now, Tirnya remained with her soldiers.

She hadn't spoken much with her lead riders in the last few days, and she missed their company. Oliban returned to her a short while after she'd given the order to make camp, trailed by several of his men.