Where the Wind Takes Us
Part 2 - Long Ago
Chapter 9 - A Guard's Role
Balsa’s first task after that was to rotate the horses. There was a stable in town that was connected to other stables along this route; all of them rented horses to travelers. Balsa stabled and fed the horses that needed extra care and exchanged them for fresher ones, paying a little extra for the trouble. The stable was exceptionally crowded; she had trouble finding fresh stalls for the horses she brought in. As she was removing the soaked-through saddle blankets and soiled tack, she noticed a stable worker passing by and asked about all the horses.
“You’re not from around here, are ya?” the man asked. “It’s just about the time when we venerate Lagaro, the great hero. Clan lords and their families come for miles around. You can see the hero’s grave from the top of the hill.”
“So many people gather just for that?” Balsa knew that Lagaro was venerated here, of course, but she hadn’t known there would be so many people flocking to this small village. Sari had told her that the Sadan Taram would climb the hill, along with the Aru clan lord or his representative, so that they could pay their respects. Apparently, other people in the village would be making the climb as well.
“It’s a good thing you came in today and not tomorrow,” the stable worker said. “We wouldn’t have had any spaces left.”
Balsa left the stable. She adjusted the collar of her karru winter coat to cover her neck better, then headed back to the inn. It had stopped raining, but the sky was growing dark with clouds.
There were a lot of people in the street. Though it wasn’t much past noon, Balsa smelled more than one drunk person in the crowd. Some men sang and danced as she passed them by, though they weren’t very good at it. It took Balsa awhile to realize that most of them were singing the same song.
It was a song of praise to the Tahsa people. That seemed a bit strange to Balsa, given the long history of warfare between the Rotans and the Tahsa. The Tahsa people were greatly reduced in numbers compared to the Rotans these days. She was expecting to see more open resentment.
Maybe she didn’t because it was hard to tell a Tahsa person from a Rotan person? They all wore the same kind of clothes, looked similar and spoke the same language. She didn’t see any Rotans picking on a Tahsa person, or vice versa. She suspected that the Tahsa people had intermarried with Rotans or Kanbalese people from the other side of the northern border to survive.
The smell of recent rain mixed with that of frying oils and cooking meat. Exotic spices tickled her nose. Balsa’s stomach turned over; she was starving. She hadn’t eaten anything today except for a piece of bam on the road in the early morning. She was tempted to buy a piece of fried meat before heading back to the inn, but she had little money, and the situation in the village troubled her.
There shouldn’t be this many people here. Any soldiers that wanted to attack Sari could hide in plain sight, climbing behind the Sadan Taram as they paid their respects to Lagaro on Kemiru Hill. She wondered if Jiguro had a plan for dealing with this setback. She certainly hoped he did.
“Get your fried meat here!” an older woman called out brightly from a food stand. She was in Balsa's path, meaning that Balsa could walk and eat so that she wouldn’t lose time.
She bought some meat from the woman. “A piece of bam and a piece of meat, please.”
“Coming right up. Would you like extra salt with that, dear?”
“Yes, please.”
“That’s what I thought; people from Kanbal seem to like it better that way.” The woman’s hands moved quickly, placing a sizzling piece of meat on sliced bam, then wrapping it all up with a saka leaf.
Balsa ate on the move, keeping the food close to her face to minimize dripping of the oil and meat juices onto the street. By the time she reached the inn, she’d eaten the whole thing and hadn’t spilled a bit of it. She used the saka leaf to wipe off her oily hands and tossed it in a rubbish bin inside the inn. Kii was sitting on the steps to the second floor, drinking tea from an earthenware teapot.
“Wow, you got back quick!” Kii said with a little wave. “Everyone was saying you wouldn’t be able to get back here until nightfall, what with the crowds and all.”
“My business at the stable went well,” Balsa said. “They have good horses ready for us to take whenever we leave. Where’s my dad?”
“Upstairs, first room on the right. It’s just past lunchtime, but you can get tea at the front desk if you ask for it. I asked the kitchen to save you some lunch, too.” She grinned. “But it looks like you ate already.”
“Huh? You can tell?”
Kii nodded. “The spicy smell. It’s all over you, and it couldn’t have come from anything else.”
Balsa shrugged. “I know it was a waste, but I couldn’t help it. I haven’t eaten a thing since sunrise.”
Kii nodded. “That’s why I asked them to save you some. If you’re still hungry, you should go eat.”
“Thanks.” Balsa went to the kitchen and found a tray that had been set aside for her. She returned to Kii on the stairs, deciding to eat there and wait for Jiguro to come down.
“Have we heard anything from Lord Shisal?” Balsa asked. “He was supposed to send his answer here.”
“We sent the letter with the fastest messenger we could, but we haven’t heard back,” Kii said. “Maybe the messenger’s having trouble getting through. The road into Tokua sure was packed.”
Balsa nodded. “We have to leave tomorrow at the latest... this clan lord messenger’s cutting things pretty close.” Assuming they received a reply at all.
“A few men have agreed to stay behind when we make our pilgrimage to the hill,” Kii said. “It takes a while to climb it. If the messenger arrives after we leave, we might still get help. Maybe.” She didn’t sound hopeful.
“Yeah, maybe. But I wouldn’t count on it.” Balsa was fairly certain that they wouldn’t be getting a reply. That was irritating. Sari had seemed sure that Lord Shisal would at least try to help.
Kii finished her tea in one long gulp, then stuck her tongue out at Balsa and ran to the kitchen for more. Balsa cleaned mud off her boots using some rags in the corner. Jiguro hadn’t come down yet, so she wanted to find him.
Her boots reasonably clean, Balsa climbed the stairs and knocked on the door of the first room on the right. Gamal opened it.
“Oh, Balsa! You’re back early.”
“Gamal.” Balsa nodded. “Are you feeling better?” He’d inhaled a lot of fire insect-laced smoke and had spent much of the morning coughing.
“Yeah, lots better,” Gamal said. “Thanks for asking. I don’t remember much of what happened--the firewood glowed green, like you said, and then I got sleepy. I think I saw someone try to sneak in through the window, but I couldn’t move. It was terrifying.”
“How’s your headache?” Balsa asked. Gamal and the other Sadan Taram unfortunate enough to breathe in too much of the poisonous smoke had all suffered headaches, too.
“Mostly cleared up,” Gamal said.
Balsa came further into the room and leaned her spear against the wall. Sari and several other Sadan Taram were seated around a table in the center of the room. Jiguro was at the window, looking out.
“I see you got yourself some street food,” Jiguro said.
“You saw that?” Balsa asked.
“Saw you inhaling it on your way through the door,” Jiguro said with a slight smile. “Have any messengers come in?”
“Not yet. I just asked Kii the same thing.”
“Do you have the map of our route to the hill?”
Balsa nodded, then pulled out a piece of rolled-up parchment from her carryall bag. She spread the map out on the table, and Jiguro surveyed it thoughtfully for a few seconds. “We need to assume we’re not getting reinforcements at this point,” he said. “There are two places along the road that are particularly dangerous. The first is the forest beyond the festival area. Any soldiers there will have plenty of cover, and they’ll be able to conceal their identities even if they attack.”
Balsa ran her finger along the line of the road. The forest Jiguro was talking about was part of the pilgrimage route. Neither Balsa nor Jiguro had climbed Kemiru Hill before, but they learned from the Sadan Taram that the road thinned there and that it was easy to get lost in the trees.
“I think archers are their best bet for picking off a single target,” Balsa said. “Probably not right at the forest entrance, but a little further in.”
Sari frowned deeply. “Why is that?”
“Because there will be a lot of people streaming into the woods at the start, and there’s a risk of them being discovered. If they wait a while and choose their positions--either in the trees or behind them---they’ll see us coming long before we see them. It seems to me like they’re not trying to kill us all. Using bows and greater visibility would make sense, given their behavior so far.”
Sari swallowed heavily, then blinked.
“I don’t think we should take the road,” Balsa said. “There’s a stream that enters the forest, here.” Balsa tapped the map. “It’s off-road, so it’ll be slower going, but our attackers might not expect it. Even if they do, it’ll change their plans, and maybe slow them down. We can move in shadows and send scouts ahead to make sure we’re not spotted.”
Balsa caught Jiguro’s eye. He nodded thoughtfully. “It’s not a bad plan, but we have to consider the idea that the whole forest is seeded with enemy soldiers. We know that they don’t want Sari to get away this time.”
“Have you managed to take a look at the forest? Were there any signs of enemies?” Balsa asked.
“I found three sets of tracks here, here, and here,” Jiguro said, pointing to the map. “But the tracks are a week old or more. I didn’t find any newer tracks.”
Suddenly, Kii burst into the room, carrying a pot of tea. “We can’t leave,” she said. She was slightly out of breath. “No one’s allowed to climb the hill this year.”
“What do you mean, Kii?” Sansa asked.
“People are talking about the earthquake and the curse,” Kii said. “They’re scared of it.”
The Sadan Taram exchanged panicked glances.
“Takan and Yora did tell us the earthquake rattled people...” Sari looked thoughtful. “To think they’d prevent people from climbing the hill, though--it’s unheard-of.”
“I heard some rumors around town,” Gamal said. “Since the earthquake, it seems like people’s luck has gotten worse. People falling from horses, sickness in the village. That kind of thing. People are so scared that they plan not to climb the hill this year.”
Sari shook her head. “They can’t prevent us from doing so. It’s not in their power. I believe that whoever’s responsible for putting pressure on the people here is trying to isolate us, making it easier to attack us as we travel. In light of that, the most likely location for an attack is the Boundary Tree.”
“What’s the Boundary Tree?” Balsa asked.
“It’s near the top of the hill,” Sari said. “The tree sticks out; it’s very tall and wrapped all around with red prayer rope. We need to stop there to perform a few rites before we move on. Even men who don’t know the forest well will be able to locate us there. In years past, the villagers would follow us there and sing.”
There were several empty teacups on the table. Kii made her way around the room, refilling them. “When the people in the kitchen realized I was a Sadan Taram, they called me over and asked me if we could perform a few funeral rites while we’re here. They also said we couldn’t climb the hill this year. It’s not a joke, and they do plan to stop us--and anyone else. I heard there are already archers on the road.”
Jiguro’s eyes narrowed. Then his gaze shifted to Balsa. “Explain the route we take to the top of the hill again,” he said. “Going in secret was our best plan before, but it’s our only plan now.”
Balsa nodded. “It’ll be hard to sneak around the road, but it should be possible. Climbing up the hill using the river as a guide shouldn’t be too difficult. The hill is tall, not steep. The only reason it’s so hard to get to the Valley of the Forest King from here is that there’s a cliff in the way. Sari, do you have to perform the ritual right on top of the hill, or would somewhere else work?”
Sari shook her head. “We always perform the ritual in the same place.”
“Why don’t we all surround her the whole way up, so that they can’t get a clear shot?” Kii suggested. “There’s an armor shop in town. All of us could buy shields and...”
“Kii,” Jiguro cut in quietly. “Leave this to your guards. We know what we’re doing.”
Kii fell silent.
“Continue, Balsa,” Jiguro said.
“All right,” Balsa said. “As a strategy, surrounding Sari with shields isn’t the worst idea, but that can’t be the end of our plan. We can keep out of sight until the Boundary Tree, trying to avoid any enemies in the trees--but that’s where things get tricky.
“Close to the summit, the trees give way to grassland. If we crouch down and move quietly, we should be able to maintain a stealthy approach.” Balsa traced her proposed route on the map with her index finger. “If there are archers in the grass, we’re in trouble. But less trouble than we’d be in if we stuck to the trees. If I were going to attack from the plains, I’d choose here, here, or here to do it, so I say we scout those areas and make sure they’re safe first. There are a few areas that are too steep and muddy for travel, so I don’t think any archers will be approaching from these directions.”
“I found tracks in the areas you indicated,” Jiguro said. “Not fresh, but fresher than in other places. I think we can assume there are archers in the grass.”
“Buying shields as a defense for archers makes sense,” Balsa continued, “but the Sadan Taram aren’t used to carrying them, and they’re heavy. I recommend buying some--maybe half a dozen--and surrounding Sari with shield-bearers that take shifts. It’s a long climb uphill. The disadvantage of that is that everyone needs to prepare themselves for danger.”
Jiguro shook his head. “Sari and I are the only ones who will climb to the summit. Balsa, I want you running interference as an archer.”
Balsa blinked in surprise. That would put Jiguro in just as much danger as Sari. She didn’t like that plan at all. “Dad, the archers will have a clear shot at you. If you can’t block them all...”
“You’ll be in the same boat,” Jiguro said.
Balsa wanted to say more, but there was a forbidding light in Jiguro’s eyes.
“What does that mean--’running interference?’” Sari asked.
“Balsa will discover the other archers and kill them to help keep us safe,” Jiguro explained. “It’s our job to protect you. Don’t worry about what we have to do.” He turned to Balsa. “Bows are fairly cheap in the village. Take what you need from the money pouch and buy one for yourself.”
“But you won’t be back for dinner, then,” Kii said with a pout.
“Have the kitchen put another tray aside for me,” Balsa said.
Jiguro prepared to leave. He told Balsa to get her coat, so she did. It was still drying from the misty rain. She shrugged the coat on, retrieved her spear, and followed Jiguro outside.
“Dad,” Balsa said when they were out of earshot of the Sadan Taram. “Why are you pushing such a risky plan? I don’t like it.”
“It’s impossible to prevent people from making the pilgrimage,” Jiguro said quietly. “There are already a lot of people on the hill, prepared to make the climb. We’ll have them for cover until we reach the Boundary Tree. We don’t have to worry about danger until then.”
“Climbing up that hill alone with the attackers’ target is suicide,” Balsa said. “I know as well as you that the other Sadan Taram aren’t in any danger. You’re taking all the risk on yourself. It’s too dangerous.”
“Lower your voice.” Jiguro glanced behind him. There were a few Sadan Taram milling around the inn that might have been able to hear her at this distance. “We’re guards. We don’t show them our fear.”
Balsa’s lips trembled.
Jiguro pulled his hood up over his face, then started walking briskly toward the center of the village.
“Dad,” Balsa said. She kept her voice down this time. “I... don’t know if I can do it. What if I can’t protect you?”
Jiguro didn’t say anything.
“I’ll be one archer against at least three more. Once I take one down, they’ll know where I am. And if I shoot and miss, I’ll be in even more trouble.”
“Don’t miss,” Jiguro said. “You have to take out the other archers, otherwise we have no chance at all. We have a vague understanding of where they should be, but we don’t have time to scout the hill fully before departure.”
“We should at least have Sadan Taram surround you with shields,” Balsa said. “That makes more sense to me.”
“No,” Jiguro said. “That puts too many of them in danger. All we need to do is get Sari to the summit to perform her ritual. After that, there’d be no point in killing her here.”
“We don’t know how many archers there are,” Balsa said. “And they want to prevent her from getting to the Valley of the Forest King, right? Why not kill her during the ritual, or after it?”
Jiguro shook his head. “The three men who got away are the only ones close enough to attack. Getting a large number of reinforcements through this crowd would be challenging, if they’ve even managed to tell their leadership what happened. There won’t be more than three archers; I’m fairly sure of that.”
“That’s a lot to risk on a ‘fairly sure,’” Balsa muttered.
Jiguro stopped walking and turned to face her. “One of the archers... he’s probably a merchant. One of the men who got away was dressed as one.”
“What?”
“Takan said his name was Maran, I think,” Jiguro said. “Tall man, skinny.”
Balsa nodded. “Right. He was one of the ones who stood behind the merchant who did most of the talking. He didn’t say much.”
“He had the build of an archer,” Jiguro said. “I would bet he’s one. When I grabbed his arm, he popped his elbow out of its socket and slipped free. He’s double-jointed at the very least.”
Balsa considered. Archery was hard on the arms; drawing the bow back from the string put extra pressure on the joints. A lot of the career archers she’d met were double-jointed.
“He wore a ring on his draw finger, too,” Jiguro said. “Probably to improve his grip so the arrow wouldn’t slip.”
Balsa didn’t remember a ring, but she hadn’t seen all the attackers up close like Jiguro had. The more he said, the more she was convinced that Maran was an archer.
“The only reinforcements they could possibly call on would be the soldiers in the caravan we left,” Jiguro said. “There were no other archers there. I’d expect the attack to come from behind, after they’ve circled us, but the archers are the only danger you need to worry about.”
It started drizzling again.
“Do you know how much fire insects cost?” Jiguro asked.
“No.”
“Three gold coins for a handful. That’s how much. It’s prohibitively expensive. The amount they used to poison the Sadan Taram cost a small fortune. They weren’t planning on being caught or leaving any evidence behind. It’s important for them to do this all in secret. Trust me when I say that this plan is the safest one for everyone.”
The armor and weapons shop came into view.
“A guard protects,” Jiguro said. “They defend their charges with everything they have. That’s a guard’s role. Never disparage yourself or your own abilities in front of an employer. It doesn’t matter if you believe in yourself or not. All that matters is that you fulfill your role, and defend the lives entrusted to you.”
Balsa bit her bottom lip. She wanted to say that Jiguro’s life was worth more than their employer’s--that what he was saying made her feel sick. But she said nothing. She went into the store to buy a bow.
No comments:
Post a Comment