The False Martyr (131 page)

Belab sighed this time.
“Rynn has gone to continue his training. I fear this is where my
roll delivered the evil eyes. The boy was very close to Naidi. He
had never had a father figure that spent time with him and cared
for him. Naidi had filled that gap. When he was hurt . . . . Well,
Rynn snapped. He lost his control.” Belab sighed again and looked
at the ceiling. “I fear it will be some time before he recovers
enough to be around people again. He may never be able to use his
gift safely.”

Ipid tried to swallow the
lump he felt rising in his throat. As terrible as what Rynn had
done, was the thought of him having to live with it. “What will
become of the Kingdoms?”

Belab did not answer
immediately. He watched Ipid for a long time. Finally, he took a
deep breath. “I fear to tell you this, but I suppose you must
know.” He paused again. “They will fall into chaos. Knowing that
you would ask, I have sent my followers to assess. It has been two
nights and a day since the . . . the accident. Already uprisings
have occurred in every city. Your governors have been overthrown.
The leaders of those uprisings await word from Wildern. When they
do not receive it, they will lose control of the mobs. The people
are starving. They will do what they must to find food. There are
no more soldiers to keep the peace, no leaders to unify them or
give them direction. Chaos will claim them. The kind of chaos that
we all fear, the kind that no reasonable man could ever
worship.”

Ipid felt all the air
leave him, felt his shoulders slump, and spine bend. “So there is
no hope?”

Belab looked at him, dark
eyes contemplating. “I have a proposal. I do not know if it will
work, but I see it as our best chance.”

“
Alright.” Ipid was
skeptical.

“
Hear me out. When this
latest Battle of Testing is complete, Arin will release the vassals
from our side of the mountains from his service. Most of them will
return home but not all. I propose that my followers go to your
cities, that they bring with them some of these men, that they
restore order, bring your people together, and provide stability
until new leaders can be found.”

“
Why would they do that?
And why would the people of the Kingdoms follow them?”

“
My followers would do it
because I ask. The soldiers because we will pay them. I will do it
because I feel like much of this is my fault, was caused by my
miscalculation. As for your people, they will likely resist, but
stability is what they need, and they will soon realize that is
what we offer. The followers I select will be those that have skill
and experience as administrators. The soldiers will bring stability
and the rule of law. Your people will not like it, but the food
will soon be flowing back to them, life will return to normal, and
their attitudes will soften. Do not mistake me and think it will be
easy, that lives will not be lost, that there will not be strife,
but again, I think it will create the best possible outcome given
what we face.”

“
You can do that?” Ipid
looked back down at Eia, silently wishing that he could see her
expression. Even if she had nothing to say, just seeing her smile
would reassure him.

“
I can, but I will not
unless you want it.”

Ipid thought about his
country, about the lawless mobs, about the looting, rampaging,
fighting, about all the damage that they would do, about how much
harder it would be for the country to recover if that destruction
were added to the damage already done. He thought of the Sylian’s
exploiting the chaos to attack cities, to take children as slaves,
to burn and pillage and rape. He thought of the whole country
breaking apart and falling into endless wars. Then he tried to
think of alternatives to Belab’s plan. The army here was the
obvious one, but he knew that Arin would never release it, at least
not in time to do any good. “Alright,” he conceded. “Please, send
your people. Anything to keep the country from falling to the
mobs.”

Ipid looked at Belab
expecting to see a smile, but he just nodded, face grim. “I almost
wish you had said no. I know this is right, but I fear for my
followers, and the soldiers I put in harm’s way. It is the burden
of all leaders. All choices causes suffering, but still, you must
pick.”

“
Thank you,” Ipid
conceded.

Belab did smile at this, a
tight grim line, then pounded Ipid on the shoulder with his big
withered hand. “There is one other thing we must discuss.” His tone
turned lighter, and he looked at Eia.

Ipid felt his heart
leap.
He knows. By the Order, he
knows
. He slowly forced himself to release
Eia’s hand, as if the old man might not have noticed him holding it
for the past day and a half. His mind screamed the danger, played
the words that Eia had said about Belab or Arin finding out.
They will never let me see you again.
He felt his heart breaking beyond the misery
already there. He looked again at Eia.

“
You have formed a
relationship with Eialia.” Belab made the accusation a fact. Ipid
could not possibly deny it. He nodded. “How far has it
gone?”

Ipid did not know how to
answer. He suddenly felt like a boy who had been caught in the
hayloft with the farmer’s daughter. He thought about the things he
had done with Eia and felt his face turn hot. At the same time, his
mind spun trying to find some way to save them, to convince Belab
that they had not broken the rules, that they should not be
punished. “We . . . I mean . . . we are . . . but . . . not . . .
.”

“
I see,” Belab ended his
babbling. He brought a hand to his face and rubbed his beard. “I
suppose I should have expected this. It was always cruel to cage
her as we have.” He stopped and looked long at Ipid. “And I think
she is probably good for you as well.”

Ipid considered how he
felt about his lover, of the uncertainty, guilt, and agonizing
desire. He was not sure if she was good for him, but he knew that
he had to have her, could no longer be without her.

“
I will allow it,” Belab
said, “as long as it is what both of you want.” He looked at Ipid,
stared at him then nodded. “I release her from the vows she took
after the Darthur. They never should have been applied to her, it
was too against her nature, too against that which Hilaal created.
When she has recovered, you will be together as much as your duties
allow. I wish you luck. You will need it.” He looked at Eia then
Ipid knowingly. Somehow, Ipid knew exactly what he meant. Belab
pulled himself from the bed, rising slowly as if he knees resisted
the effort.

Ipid came up to help him,
realizing for the first time how old Belab was. “Thank you,” he
said. He looked at Eia lying there so peacefully. He wanted nothing
more than to climb into the bed with her, to feel her next to him.
His eyes began to mist.

Belab clapped his arm and
laughed. “You may not thank me for long,” he chuckled. “You may
curse me in a month, but it should be your decision. I would tell
you to treat her well, but I fear the concern should go the other
way.” He chuckled again and patted Ipid’s arm. His smile was broad
and genuine. Ipid felt like he had the night he’d asked Kira’s
father to join her. As he recalled, the big logger had said
something similar that night as well.

“
You should go,” Belab
said finally. Ipid looked at him confused. He had no intention of
leaving Eia’s side. “I am sorry, I got so carried away I forgot to
tell you that I came to fetch you for Arin.” The old man smiled and
eased himself into the chair Ipid had occupied. “The Liandrin
Battle of Testing is tomorrow. He rides to meet the Liandrin King
in a few hours. He wishes you to accompany him.”

Ipid looked around
confused. He had nearly forgotten the reason he was here in this
village that the Darthur had occupied on the Liandrin side of the
Alta. The idea of another battle, of starting all this over again
was almost more than he could take. He felt his knees grow
weak.

Belab caught him. “Meet
with the Liandrin King,” he said. “I think you will be encouraged.
I think that the foibles that occurred in your Kingdoms will be
avoided here. Now, you must go. I have already kept you too long. I
will stay here with Eialia. You need not worry that she be
alone.”

Numbly, Ipid turned to the
door. He walked through and pulled it closed behind him. Only then
did he realize that he had not even said goodbye. It seemed foolish
given that Eia was unconscious, but he could not help himself. He
returned to the door, reached for the handle, and heard Belab’s
voice. “My daughter,” he said. “I think you were correct. I think
he is the answer.”

Frozen, Ipid could not
make himself turn the knob. He could only hear those words ringing
through his mind time and again.
Daughter.
Answer. Daughter. Answer.

#

The tent was the same one
Ipid had stood under on that disastrous day only six weeks – a
lifetime – before. The warriors jockeying for position, the table,
the waiting were all the same. The sense of dread was the same as
well. The sense of it all starting over, of the most terrible
chapter of his life playing again, the tides of history sucking him
back down into that same whirlpool. It was cooler this day, the
summer finally loosening its grip. The sun was warm when it poked
through the clouds, but its intensity had diminished, was slowly
waning. The steady breeze was warm, comfortable, reassuring rather
than the blast of a furnace it had been a few weeks before, but
Ipid was still soaked with sweat. The ride here had been part of
it. His worry about Eia, his country, these talks were
another.

The King of Liandria
arrived at the tent only a few minutes after the Darthur. Unlike
Chancellor Kavich, he entered first, his entourage scrambling to
keep up with his long strides. He wore only pieces of his armor – a
great gilded breastplate with the Liandrin Eagle emblazoned across
it, wings spread, claws outstretched; shoulder guards; a simple
helm; and guards for this thighs – and though it was ornate with
intricate gilding and scroll work, it was also clear that his armor
was meant to be functional, that it was armor meant, above all, to
protect the man wearing it. He carried no weapons that Ipid could
see though the same was not true of his son, who kept his hand on
his long sword, or the knights in full plate that remained mounted
outside the tent.

“
We accept,” the king
declared as he burst into the tent. Ipid expected more. He stood
confused. Finally, Arin slapped him on the arm, and he
translated.

“
Accept what?” Arin
asked.

“
Your terms of surrender.
Our army is yours. We will meet whatever demand you have. Our
harvests are bountiful, enough to feed even this horde. We will
give you safe passage and cheer as you pass through every city. We
ask only that you support us in our war with the Empire and the
Fells, that you test them next and allow us to lead the
charge.”

Ipid could not believe the
words even as he translated them. Arin seemed nearly as confused.
He looked at the king then at the te-ashüte gathered around him.
“You must be tested first.”

“
Yes,” the king agreed,
“tomorrow morning. I have received your messages, and we will meet
you with enough of a force to show our capability. However, I have
already commanded several units of our army to march north or east.
Once this battle is concluded, the remainder will follow. I hope
that you will accompany us with all haste.”

Arin seemed confused by
this king who sought to command him even as he surrendered. “I do
not understand,” he finally said in the Imperial tongue. “Why are
you so fast to surrender?”

“
Vengeance,” the king
growled. “We want them to suffer, and you are our best hope of
making it happen.” He turned to Ipid and spoke to him. “I know you
can understand. The Morgs betrayed us. They murdered my son and
stole the gold we’d sent to hire them. They have sided with the
Empire and invaded our lands together. Already, Valden is gone. We
received the reports today. The imperial army burned it to the
ground. They massacred the people, left no survivors. Neither of
them has a scrap of honor or decency, and I will see them punished.
Do you understand, Ipid? Do you see? I will end them. I will kill
the Morg bastards that murdered my son, will end their haughty
arrogance once and for all. I will finish the pile of corruption
that the Empire has become as my ancestors should have done
centuries ago. I will kill every member of their accursed Imperial
line. And I don’t care what devil I have to make a deal with to do
it.” He gnashed his teeth, eyes blazing with intensity. “So, I
accept,” he declared again to Arin.

“
It shall be as you say,”
Arin agreed in Darthur. “After the testing – assuming you earn a
place of honor – you and your people may withdraw. The clans and
the armies from Ipid’s lands will join you. Already we have an army
prepared to cross your border to the north and test the Fells. They
will wait for your forces to join them. Likewise, we will join you
in testing the San Cheir Empire. If the truth of their honorless
crimes presents itself in the Eroth Amache, you will have the
revenge you seek.”

“
Thank you,” the king said
with obvious relief. He pounded his hand on the table. “I look
forward then to meeting your army tomorrow for this testing then
riding beside you to the Fells.”