Chapter 4 #2
“I don’t know. But if it can send me places, in a manner of speaking, and did for that reason… I suppose I shouldn’t be telling you everything about it.”
“No,” he agreed. “Evasiveness and mendacity are recommended for spies.”
“I’ve little practice at the job.”
“I don’t think those are traits you naturally possess.”
“I prefer to be honest and help people.”
“You’ll be a good queen.”
“Thank you.”
“If it eases your mind, we’re moving camps, so the components have been packed away and won’t be here long anyway. Even if you’d seen them…” He hitched a shoulder.
“I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me where you’re moving?” She smiled wryly at him. “In case I want to send you a housewarming gift.”
“We call them cave-warming gifts, and I can’t tell you, no. I’m not sure myself. I’m being sent on a new mission.” After the words came out, Vorik realized he shouldn’t have admitted that. Maybe neither of them had the traits needed to be good spies.
“Is it at cross-purposes with mine?”
“Most of them seem to be. I’m surprised you’re not angry with me after we took the components from you.”
“I am perturbed about that.”
“You weren’t so perturbed that you didn’t ogle my chest when you arrived.”
“Maybe your chest is irresistible to women.”
“Oh, it undoubtedly is.” Vorik returned her wry smile, then ogled her chest for a moment. “I wish I could hug you.”
“Is hugging really what you have in mind?”
“Vigorous hugging, absolutely.”
“Vigor is involved in all your activities, isn’t it?”
“I keep myself fit so that it comes naturally to me. Maybe after our vigorous hugging, there could be more sedate and cozy snuggling.”
“I’d like that.”
“I would ensure you did.”
“I believe you.”
Syla lay back beside him, the silver light still limning her, though it was faint. Just enough that he could see a hint of moisture in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Vorik said quietly, even though she hadn’t said anything to suggest she wanted an apology from him.
It didn’t matter. He and his people were the reason for all the horrors in her life, past and ongoing.
As much as he would have liked to pretend that he hadn’t done anything to her, that wasn’t true.
“I want to find a way ahead, Vorik,” she said, “that doesn’t pit our nations in eternal war or leave more of my people dead and our islands lost. Why do the stormers insist on this course of action?
I know you need food, and, as I told your chiefs, I’d be willing to trade our surplus in exchange for goods that your people could provide from the world beyond our islands.
I’d even be willing to give our surplus to the stormers, though I doubt your proud people would accept charity, and after the invasion and murders of my family…
I might struggle to convince my people to gift you anything but cannonballs and sword blades.
” She lowered her voice and looked at him as she continued.
“Do you personally want our islands? How many of your people truly desire that? And how much of this is because of your leaders? You don’t elect them to serve the needs of the many, do you?
It’s the strongest and fittest who win duels against the old leaders to take charge? ”
Vorik shifted uneasily, wanting to speak with her about the future and to comfort her but also increasingly doubtful that he was dreaming. What he offered her here she might remember, and he couldn’t say anything treasonous or that would give away his people’s plans.
“It’s something like that,” he said. “The chiefs are there to serve us though. If the people aren’t satisfied with their leadership, someone new inevitably challenges them, and the duels, though they’re supposed to be fair, sometimes reflect the desires of more than the challenger.
” That was a vague way to say they were sometimes rigged.
“As to the rest… I don’t know. I have no desire for an island or even to be chained to one location, but the food you can grow in your protected environments is a draw.
And not to have to constantly watch the sky for threats…
That’s a dream that appeals to many of my people. ”
“What if those who want to live in such a manner were allowed to return to the Kingdom?”
“And be forced to exist under your rules and laws and adopt your customs?”
Syla hesitated. “I… suppose they’d have to do that and integrate into the existing culture, yes.”
“That would not appeal to many of my people, though there would be some who would agree. Wouldn’t you always wonder about them though? If they were honest or if they were spies?”
“We already have your spies living among us, don’t we?” Syla asked.
“Hm.”
“You already knew I was the queen. And about this.” She lifted her dragon-tattooed hand.
“I’m perspicacious.”
She turned her face toward the roof of the cave. “Earlier, I discussed with Wreylith that I like that word.”
“How are you getting along with her?”
“Dragons are interesting. Her least favorite dish is intestines. She loves tongue.”
“Dragons are interesting.” This seemed a safer topic than discussing the future, one he, unfortunately, couldn’t help her with.
He was destined to work against her, a thought that made him frown.
“My brother said that if I have a problem with our leadership, I should challenge Chieftess Shi for her position.”
Syla looked at him. “Do you have a problem with it?”
“I… have some concerns about the choices that are being made.” Vorik didn’t mention the hypothetical enslavement.
What his people had done that Syla already knew about was bad enough.
“I never envisioned myself as a chief though. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be promoted to captain.
I think I’m doing all right as a leader of a squadron of riders, but leading an entire tribe…
” Realizing she’d had the position of leading an entire kingdom thrust onto her, Vorik reconsidered how to end the thought.
“It doesn’t seem in line with my natural aptitudes. ”
“You don’t believe your people would appreciate your vigor?”
“Only the women.”
“There are a lot of our kind in the world.” She gazed toward the roof of the cave again.
“There are, and they control more than we men sometimes think.” Vorik lay back in a similar pose and rested his hand next to hers, wishing again that they could touch.
“There are a lot of tribes, so leading one probably wouldn’t make a difference in our people’s overall plans, and I…
even if I was interested in challenging Shi and succeeded in becoming chief, I don’t think I’d live long.
My people have figured out that I have some…
feelings and conflicts of interest when it comes to the Garden Kingdom queen. ”
“You’re not so conflicted that you didn’t take the shielder components.”
“Technically, my lieutenant did that, but you’re right that I didn’t stop him. My duty compels me to obey orders. And my superiors and leaders.”
“I know.”
Vorik shrugged apologetically. “Anyway, as I said, our people tend to correct the situation if someone they don’t approve of takes the position of chief.”
“Are you saying we’d both have to watch our backs for assassins?”
“Yes. And, don’t take this as an insult to the skills of your people, but I think I’d be dead a lot sooner than you.”
“Your people are effective at killing,” she murmured.
He sighed, certain she was thinking of her slain family—maybe all those who’d died during his people’s invasion.
“I can’t give away any of our islands, Vorik. After the atrocities, my people would never forgive me for conceding them to your chiefs. For conceding anything. I’m going to fight for Harvest Island. For all of our islands.”
“You should.”
“Even if it pits us against each other?”
He blinked a couple of times, moisture threatening his own eyes, but he nodded firmly. “Yes.”
A shake to her shoulder woke Syla from her sleep. And that vision. Was that what it had been? She didn’t think it had been a dream. Her visit with Vorik had been too real. She remembered every word.
“Syla?” Teyla asked. “Are you waking up?”
“She’d better be,” Fel grumbled from somewhere nearby. “She’s got the healer mystified.”
“I’m not mystified,” a familiar voice said. Was that Emmie, one of her old colleagues from Moon Watch Temple? “I told you that the power of the gods has entered her.”
“That sounded like superstitious hokum,” Fel said.
“To a heathen barbarian who worships only his weapons,” Aunt Tibby said.
Fel growled.
Afraid she needed to stop an incipient fight, Syla rubbed grit from her eyes and sat up.
Light from nearby lanterns made her blink, especially one held close to her face.
Yes, that was Emerzela. With half her graying hair falling out of a loose bun, she looked like she’d been dragged out of bed. How long had Syla been knocked out?
“You came all the way up to the castle to see me, Emmie?” Syla asked. “Last winter, I had to bribe you with hot chocolate to get you to walk down the hallway to my room to rub your secret-recipe, cure-all tincture on my back after I fell on the ice.”
“You’re a queen now. My husband assured me I’m honored to serve you. I wouldn’t object to hot chocolate though. There’s a hint of fall in the air.” Emmie pulled a shawl tighter around her narrow shoulders.
“I’ll see if any is available. Thanks to all the dragons out there attacking cargo ships right now, we haven’t had any shipments from the southern islands in weeks.”
Her last words with Vorik came to mind, her promise that she would take back Harvest Island. She’d inadvertently given him far too much information, but he’d probably shared more than he’d intended as well. They were dangerous to each other.
She would have to act fast before Vorik thought to inform his general and have more troops sent to Harvest Island.
She needed not only to drive out the stormers but to ensure their dragons didn’t have anywhere within the Kingdom to perch.
Having a landmass with food and fresh water made it far too easy for them to indefinitely remain in the area.
“Your pupils look normal.” Emmie was peering into her face. “Teyla said you crumpled and hit your head.”
“It’s all right.” Syla probed her skull and found a tender bump on the left side but nothing that could have been responsible for her unconsciousness.
That had to have been… She eyed the marble posts and canopy of the bed-like weapons platform.
The runes and hand marks were dark, no magic emanating from them.
If she’d succeeded in activating it, as her aunt had suggested, that state must not have lasted long.
“I think the magic of this is what caused me to lose consciousness, though that’s not exactly what happened.
It’s more that my mind left my body for a while. ”
“Where did it go?” Teyla asked curiously.
“To spy on a stormer camp.”
“That sounds useful.” Tibby patted one of the posts.
“Was it a camp on Harvest Island?” Fel asked.
“No. A cave overlooking the sea. I couldn’t tell anything from the stars when I glanced out other than that the camp was in the same hemisphere as we are.
” She waved to the sky. “It probably doesn’t matter anyway.
Vorik said they’re moving it, so there wouldn’t be any point in sending ships, even if I’d gotten the exact location. ”
“Vorik said,” Fel blurted. “The gods sent you to see him? He’s your—”
“Enemy,” Syla interrupted, glancing at Emmie. She had few delusions about her relationship with Vorik remaining a secret from her allies, but she would prefer if the entire Kingdom didn’t learn about it.
“The enemy you have sex with,” Fel grumbled, less concerned about her secret getting out.
Syla’s cheeks warmed, especially when Emmie’s eyebrows flew up.
“I gain intelligence from him when we’re together,” Syla said.
Fel made a sour face. “That’s not why you do it.”
“No. I… like his vigor.”
Fel groaned. “I should have accepted Dolok’s offer to retire.”
“Probably.”
“If your dragon were more reliably around, I might have been tempted.”
“As I mentioned, she needs to hunt frequently,” Syla said. “Due to their size and the effort required to fly, dragons need a lot of food.”
“Someone might assassinate you while she’s pilfering goats from pastures.”
“Why would the gods have sent you to see Vorik?” Tibby asked.
“I doubt they did.” Syla couldn’t imagine that scenario.
As far as she knew, the gods weren’t present in their world and hadn’t been for centuries.
Though she did wonder about the voice she’d heard in the storm god’s laboratory.
“I must have inadvertently activated another defensive power this has.” She waved to indicate the weapons platform.
“It was helping me gather intelligence. It was probably my desire to find the shielder components that guided the, er, vision, not that I wanted to chat with my… enemy.”
Fel grunted but didn’t contradict her classification of Vorik again.
“I would like to have those components,” Tibby said. “I’ve done a lot of reading and am itching to apply my engineering skills to making a new shielder with them.”
“And Harvest Island is itching to be protected by that shielder,” Syla said.
“I have no doubt.”
“Did you learn where the components are?” Fel asked. “Or where the new camp will be?”
“No, but I will learn where they are.” Remembering her vow to capture and question a stormer at Harvest Island, Syla nodded to herself.
This convinced her more than ever that she couldn’t hesitate to put her plan into action.
She slid off the platform, momentarily dizzy when she stood, but she used the post for support.
“I have another duty for you, Sergeant.”
“What?” Did Fel sound wary?
Syla hated to rely upon him for so much, but until she could gather more loyal men, she had little choice.
“I need you to arrange for the weapons platform to be carried down to the sturdiest and most weapon-filled warship in the harbor and, as I was talking about earlier, for an entourage of other warships to accompany it. Tonight. We’ll leave at dawn to attack the stormers and take back Harvest Island. ”
“Dawn?” Fel mouthed.
“We have to act quickly. Vorik has a new mission.”
“Does that mean there’s going to be another attack on the Kingdom?”
“I’m afraid it does.”