Sharon Green: To Battle The Gods

His words, spoken half in annoyance, ended abruptly, and then he frowned at Aysayn.

“You come here at the behest of Sigurr himself, were the words you spoke,” said he to Aysayn, palm no longer upon sword hilt. “Is this, then, the place where the strangers will appear? Have we all been sent here by the gods to welcome them in the sole manner they must be welcomed?”

“My sister has been informed by her lady Mida that this is the place they will appear,” affirmed Aysayn. “As for the gods having brought you others to this spot, that is surely unlikely in the extreme. What need of others, when Sigurri and Midanna ride side by side?”

“You would have wenches do battle beside you?” demanded Galiose, glaring in outrage at Aysayn. “For battle a man requires other men like himself, not wenches with half the force of his own!”

“The city contains the balance of my Midanna,” said I. I had not expected the words Aysayn had spoken, and they had warmed me for the insult they returned to those who had given it to me. “In the city is a matching force to that which you see before you, therefore need you be unconcerned with what number of Midanna shall ride. You may have what hind you require to take your followers from here, yet would it be best if you used no more than the hind of this fey. The new fey may well bring the strangers, and little joy shall you find should you discover yourself between them and the warriors come to slay them.”

“You shall not dismiss us!” shouted Galiose in a rage, and, “I care not what number of Midanna ride!” shouted Ceralt upon the words of Galiose, and then was all further sense lost to their shoutings, although in truth there was little sense to begin with. Lialt and Telion shouted as well, as did certain of those with Galiose, and our kand danced in upset at the mindless uproar. Aysayn glanced briefly toward Mehrayn before shaking his head, and then did he lean the nearer to me.

“Agreement is hopeless in surroundings such as these,” said he, his voice raised above the deafening din. “We must take them into the city with us, and there convince them to step back from doings which do not concern them.”

“Sooner would I leave them here to shout to the skies,” said I with a headshake, greatly displeased with so foolishly male a suggestion. “We have not the time to tickle and coax them. ”

“Would you prefer that they come at us in affronted attack?” Sigurr’s Shadow maintained, reasonably. “No, you need not answer for I know you well enough, and also know that we would have little difficulty in besting them. The point I would have you see, sister, is the question of what number of us will be required to best the strangers. Should we lose even a dozen of those who follow us, in a battle which need not be, will it be the lack of that dozen which gives victory to our enemies rather than to ourselves? May we risk such an outcome when it need not be?”

So earnestly open was Aysayn’s gaze upon me, that I knew at once he sought to snare me. I looked at him loweringly, unable to deny the words he spoke—as he had known would be the case—and yet hesitated to give him the agreement he wished. I had been disturbed by the manner in which Ceralt had looked upon me and the words he had uttered, and I had no wish to allow him entrance to the city. It was Bellinard in which he and Telion had traded for me as a slave, and memory of the time angered me.

“Should you wish them within, brother, you may take them there yourself,” I replied after a moment, the previous foulness of my humor returning two-fold. “I shall have naught to do with them, for I have already had more of their presence than ever I wished. They are city males, not warriors, and know naught of the proper manner in which to address a war leader. I have no desire to treat with them and shall not.”

“Do you wish them to believe you fear them?” asked Aysayn in the softest of voices, his hand upon my shoulder keeping me from turning my kan toward the city gates. “They will see your refusal in no other light, wench, and I would not have you appear so before them.”

“Indeed do I fear them,” said I to Aysayn, looking upon him so sourly that he grinned. “I fear that what assurances of safety are given them will be spat upon by my probable loss of patience with their foolishness, and guest-blood will stain the floors all about. Should it be your wish to see your word broken in such a manner, so be it. The word will not be mine.”

“I shall rely upon my sister’s honor to see that her brother’s word is kept,” said he with gentle laughter. “And should you be wise, wench, you will allow Mehrayn to return to your furs. When out of your sight, his humor is as foul as yours. The need of each of you to see to those who follow may now be put aside for a time.”

Rather than allowing me opportunity for finding insult in his words, the Mida-forsaken male turned from me and held a hand up, attempting to stem the flow of rantings which continued to pour from Galiose and Ceralt and their ilk. Those before us paid little heed to his attempt, however, therefore it was necessary for him to add to the uproar.

“Hear my words!” said he in a voice which carried over the shouts and rumblings, drawing the eyes of those to whom he wished to speak. Though the shouts abated the rumblings continued, yet was Aysayn able to speak above them.

“The war leader of the Midanna and I have conferred, and now ask you to join us in the city her wenches hold,” said he, his eyes going first to Galiose and then to Ceralt. “There we may take our ease the while we discuss the path the gods wish us to tread, with cups of falar to aid our agreement. Each of you may be accompanied by a hand of those who follow you, and you will, of course, have our word as to your safety. How say you?”

“I say I will require more,” growled Galiose. “Once I accepted safe conduct from that wench, and discovered only after I had entered her coils that safe conduct failed to include the right to depart when I willed it. Is this instance to be the same?”

“You will not be detained beyond your decision to depart,” said Aysayn, a twinkle of amusement in the glance he sent to me. “Do you accept our offer?”

“To confer?” said Galiose, with a belligerent set of his jaw. “Certainly. Beyond that, I foresee little agreement. I will have my kan brought.”

“And you?” asked Aysayn of Ceralt, drawing the darkhaired male’s gaze from the war leader. “Is it your decision to join us as well?”

“Oh, indeed,” said Ceralt with a judicious nod, folding his arms as he gave the Sigurri his full attention. “I shall certainly join you, if for no other reason than to—confer.”

Aysayn nodded, well pleased with the agreement he had received, yet I was considerably less pleased. My head was filled full of the need to consider countless things before the appearance of the strangers, yet was there now a prior need to calm the insult of city males. Sooner would I have faced them in battle, yet Aysayn had spoken sooth and I would not put our victory in jeopardy when it might be avoided. I merely sat my ken in silence and awaited the fetching of mounts for the others, at last recalling the need to send word to the clans behind me of my intentions. Wedin and Dotil were returned to their sisters with the command that the clans were to remain alert yet do nothing more unless attacked, and then were Gidain and Rinain returned to the Sigurri by Mehrayn with similar directions. By then were our—guests—mounted; therefore did I lead them all toward the gates of Bellinard.

The gates of the city were opened when we had approached near enough, allowing us to enter by twos. Ennat rode beside me as I passed through first, she looking in open curiosity at what lay within the walls, pleased by the sight of the Midanna who awaited us. With the rose of the Hunda was the violet of the Homma, Palar and Gidon directing their clans as was fitting. The two war leaders greeted me with joyous shouts, and once our entire set was within the gates and they closed again and barred, the two came to stand before my ken.