Guardian of Heaven and Earth
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Kanbal
Part 3 - Secret Plot
Chapter 2 - A Very Dangerous Road
The Kashal guided Balsa and Chagum into the mountain forest surrounding the King of Kanbal’s palace. Most of the trees were needled pines and stocky firs. They made camp in a cave that had been formed inside a cliff by erosion. The cave mouth was hidden by trees from the outside and was very difficult to spot. Chirari gathered loose stones to make a fire pit while her companion gathered kindling. She struck a flintstone to get the fire going.
It was cold in the cave, even when sitting next to the fire. Chagum’s teeth chattered as he watched Chirari clean and stitch up the wound on Balsa’s arm. The wound was still bleeding when Chirari removed the bandage. Somehow, the sight made Chagum feel even colder.
“This should stop hurting in a few days,” Chirari said as she threaded her suture needle. “Here’s something for the pain.” She handed Balsa a small, round globule that she didn’t recognize. “It’s medicine.”
Balsa shrugged, then put the medicine in her mouth. It went almost instantly numb. She swallowed in a hurry.
Chirari used a liquid medicine over Balsa’s stitches that made her lose all feeling in her arm. Then she checked the stitches and the wound for infection.
By the time Chirari was done treating her, Balsa was so exhausted that she could scarcely keep her eyes open. Chirari tied off Balsa’s bandage, then faced Chagum.
“She’ll probably get a fever tonight,” Chirari said. “Can I ask you to watch over her? I’m sure she’ll be fine, but it never hurts to be too careful.”
“What about the other Kashal?” Chagum asked. “Shouldn’t he stay up, too?”
Chirari shook her head. “He went back to Kahm’s castle.”
Chagum nodded slowly in understanding. If the man had already returned to the castle, he probably wouldn’t return here tonight. “Tell me what signs to look for,” Chagum said. “I’ve never really watched over a sick or injured person before.”
Chirari looked exhausted. She sighed, then patiently explained the warning signs that she was looking for that would indicate that Balsa’s wound needed more care. She left the cave to check the perimeter, leaving Chagum alone with a sleeping Balsa.
Chagum was tired, too, but he rubbed his eyes and sat up straight. He focused on Balsa and staying awake. There was a pot of stew boiling over the fire, but Chagum made no move to eat it, even though he’d eaten nothing since noon. Kahm’s remembered words echoed in his mind.
If the King of Kanbal is already working with Talsh and knows everything, then nothing I say is going to make a difference.
The riders that had emerged from the palace that day must have something to do with Kahm’s plan. Chagum wasn’t sure if going to the royal palace of Kanbal was a viable option now. Kahm seemed to be prepared for everything. He’d anticipated Chagum’s arrival and had imprisoned him. King Radalle would probably deal with Chagum in the same way. If he and Balsa rode up to the palace gates, they’d just be captured again.
Balsa wasn’t in good fighting shape, either. They stood some chance at escape with the Kashal helping, them, but Chagum doubted they’d be able to flee from Kanbal if King Radalle sent the King’s Spears and his army after them. Balsa would try anyway and probably get herself killed.
Chagum watched over Balsa, who was deeply asleep. Her mouth was half-open and her breathing was ragged. He’d never seen her sleep in such a vulnerable, unguarded way before. He remembered Balsa towering over him as a boy, but he was taller than she was now. She seemed smaller and thinner than he remembered--but what he remembered was a giant: the strongest person in the world.
And perhaps she still was all that, but not at the moment. The assassin had wounded her severely. She was an injured woman who needed rest and time to heal. She was the kind of person who would do anything to survive, even if it meant sacrificing pieces of herself in the process. Since childhood, she’d toed the thin line between life and death, safety and danger. Chagum remembered that she’d refused to name her horse because of the inevitable pain of parting with it.
You’ve lived this way your whole life...
Chagum felt sad and almost sorry for her, but he also felt rage on her behalf. He placed his hand on her forehead to check that she didn’t have a fever and found it cool to the touch. Though he tried to stay awake as long as possible, his eyes slipped closed without him wanting it, and he only awoke when he felt Balsa shift nearby.
Balsa opened her eyes slowly. Chagum checked her temperature; she’d developed a fever just like Chirari had said. Chagum melted fresh snow in a pot and had Balsa drink cold water. He wiped away her sweat with a clean cloth, then soaked another cloth in cold water and placed it on her forehead.
“Thank you,” Balsa said with a slight smile. She closed her eyes.
Chagum stared at her, worried, until she fell asleep and her breathing evened out.
***
Chagum slept again, then woke when he heard Chirari return. The faint light of dawn filtered through the trees in front of the cave mouth. Chirari was shivering violently when she entered; she rushed over to the fire and placed her palms over it, sighing deeply.
Her eyes alighted on Chagum. She retrieved a furled sheet of parchment from her breast pocket, then passed it to Chagum. “This is from our captain, for you,” she said.
After Chagum accepted the message, Chirari blew into her hands, then rubbed them together. “Forgive me, but I need to sleep for a few hours. I brought cheese and bam,” she said, pushing her pack over to Chagum, “so feel free to eat without me.”
Chirari pulled a fur-lined blanket from her pack, then stretched out. She was asleep in seconds; Chagum heard her soft snoring.
Chagum opened the message and read it through, his eyes devouring the words at top speed. When he finished reading, he went very pale and set it aside.
***
When Balsa awoke, Chagum was leaning on the wall of the cave near the entrance. The light filtering through the trees in front of the cave mouth cast a complicated pattern on the floor. Chagum held a piece of rolled-up parchment in his fist. He was looking at her like he still wasn’t sure if she was awake.
“What’s that?” Balsa asked, pointing to the parchment.
“Prince Ihan gave me an answer,” Chagum said.
“Did he refuse the alliance?” Balsa asked.
Chagum shook his head. “It’s all what he said before: he won’t make an alliance with me because I’m not the Mikado, but he promises to agree to an alliance with the King of Kanbal. If their cavalry forces unite, they should he able to protect the northern continent.”
“Isn’t that a good answer?” Balsa asked with a frown. “Were you hoping for something else?”
Chagum sighed. “He sent another message along with his answer. The Talsh navy has been sighted along the Sangal peninsula, along the border with New Yogo. They attacked New Yogo’s navy of fifty ships with a fleet of one hundred and fifty warships. New Yogo’s navy was decimated. The war has begun.”
Balsa’s eyes widened.
Chagum’s shoulders shook as he said, “Twenty thousand Talsh soldiers just landed on the Sangal peninsula. They’re fortifying their position and preparing to move. They already had twenty thousand mounted warriors in Sangal, so this force will be added to that. The summer winds are favorable for sailing from the south to the north right now. I expect more Talsh forces will start arriving soon.
“New Yogo was supposed to give their answer to Talsh on the twelfth day of spring. Land forces will attack New Yogo within the month.”
Chagum stood with his back against the cave wall, as still as a statue.
Balsa sat up, leaped to her feet and exited the cave. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but that wasn’t enough to keep her warm. She shivered as she took in her surroundings. She was dizzy from blood loss and the wound on her arm hurt. Her head ached horridly.
Balsa fought back her pain and a lingering sense of nausea, then collected fresh snow in her hands and brought it back to the cave to melt it in a pot over the fire. She felt somewhat refreshed after drinking the water and eating a bit of the hardened honey candy from her pack.
Balsa didn’t bother to keep quiet while she ate and drank, but Chirari stayed asleep, still snoring softly. She finished her small meal and went outside again. Snow and ice glittered brilliantly on the trees surrounding the cave. Chagum stood underneath one; he was looking at her. His eyes were red and puffy, but he wasn’t crying anymore.
“I’m going home to New Yogo,” Chagum said.
Balsa just stared at him.
“The King of Kanbal is already working with Talsh,” he said. “There’s no way that he’ll agree to combine his cavalry forces with Rota’s. There’s nothing left for me to do but to return home and wait for the Talsh to overrun New Yogo’s forces.”
Chagum’s eyes were cold. Balsa saw firm resolution and anger in them. If she didn’t know any better, she’d consider the idea that Chagum was actually planning to kill his father to save New Yogo.
A cloud passed overhead, turning the brilliant white snow and ice to a leaden gray color. Chagum felt the burden of so many needless deaths on his conscience. He had to set aside his dream for peace and be what his country needed him to be: a politician and a statesman.
In some ways, Chagum was seeing the situation clearly for the first time, but he thought that there was nothing waiting for him down this road but despair and darkness. New Yogo would fall. Talsh would win. It was over. His best option was to kill his father and ally with the Talsh, but then his people would be conscripted and go to war in Rota and Kanbal. That wasn’t a good option at all.
Balsa wasn’t sure what Chagum should do in this situation. She had an idea, but it was risky and difficult and might not spare Chagum any pain or tragedy in the long run. They had a month to act before the war began in earnest. Balsa intended to use that time, and she hoped Chagum would agree to try her plan.
There was a muffled sound from the trees; Chirari poked her face out and waved. “What are you doing all the way out here?” she asked. When neither Chagum nor Balsa said anything in response, she shrugged, then returned to the cave.
Balsa glanced at the cave, then turned her full attention on Chagum. “Chagum,” she said, “what if there was a way for us to meet with the King of Kanbal, away from prying eyes and Talsh spies? Would you do it?”
Chagum looked surprised. “Is that possible?” he asked.
“There is a way, but it’s complicated,” she said. “But if you give me three days, we can give it a try.”
Chagum frowned. “You’re still so pale, Balsa. You shouldn’t travel today.”
Balsa gave him a fierce smile, but the planes of her face were as sharp as her spear’s point. She was utterly serious when she said, “Right now, a day is more precious than luisha. We’ll regret it if we wait, so tell me your answer now.”
Chagum gaped at her and didn’t reply.
Balsa turned around and went back to the cave. Chirari checked her wounds and gave her more water to drink.
“Thank goodness,” Chirari said. “The wound’s not infected, and it’s stopped bleeding. But you still have a fever, so you must rest.”
Chagum returned to the cave just after Chirari wrapped Balsa’s arm in a clean bandage. He faced Balsa squarely and said, “I have to choose the path that protects the most people. If you know how we can do that, then I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
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