that they forget the comforts of food and drink and see only the glory of war.”
“You already do it,” said Daavn. “Your talk of muut between the people and the lhesh, between the faithful and the Six-”
Pradoor’s ears cupped and her eyes narrowed. “I do not talk of muut, Daavn of Marhaan,” she said.
Daavn almost seemed to wither at her words and Makka came close to smiling. Tariic, however, scowled at his companion and waved him back. He stepped forward in his place-and knelt before Pradoor.
“Guide the people,” he said, “and when I am lhesh, the old ways will be restored to Darguun. You will speak from the dais of Khaar Mbar’ost and warlords will be your audience. You call me lhesh and say that I believe it will be so. I believe that it will not happen without the favor of the Six.”
“Ah.” A smile spread across Pradoor’s face. “Flattery is sweet, but the truth is sweeter, and reward sweeter still. When you are crowned, where will I stand?”
“At my left hand, as those who speak for the Six have always stood at the left hand of warlords.”
“And the priests that Haruuc raised?”
Tariic bent his head. “When the lhesh praises the Dark Six, I think they’ll find that the worship of the Sovereign Host has not found such deep roots in Darguun as they think.”
Pradoor’s hand rose, feeling for Tariic’s face, and she pressed her muu’kron to his forehead. “The might of the Six be yours, Tariic of Rhukaan Taash. I will give you the people.”
“Ta muut, Pradoor.” Tariic caught her hand, holding the muu’kron close for a moment longer. When he released Pradoor, he rose, nodded to Makka, then gestured for Daavn. The scheming warlord of Marhaan followed him away among the trees without a word or a nod to either Pradoor or Makka.
CHAPTER TEN
22 Sypheros
Aruget stood outside the map room of Khaar Mbar’ost. “Ashi’s here?” Ekhaas asked.
The guard nodded. “Geth and Dagii, too.” He hesitated, then added, “Is it true you ride east with Dagii’s army?”
Ekhaas flicked her ears. “You know?”
“By command of Haruuc and Lady Vounn, I remain close to Lady Ashi. But I keep my secrets.” His ears rose high. “Swift travel and great glory, Ekhaas duur’kala.”
Ekhaas bent her head to him, knocked once on the door, then went in.
Midday light flooded through a window and illuminated a room hung with maps, with cabinets containing more maps lining the walls. In the middle of the room stood a large table. Dagii, Geth, and Ashi looked up from it. Under the sunlight, Dagii’s face was creased and weary, though his eyes brightened at the sight of her.
“Saa, Ekhaas,” he said. “Come look.”
She joined them at the table. A large map had been laid out on it, a fine map depicting the whole of Darguun in good detail. The Seawall Mountains on the west had been drawn in slate blue, Kraken Bay off the southeastern coast and the Thunder Sea off the southern in brighter shades. The great rivers Ghaal and Torlaac divided the land into thirds with shining threads of silver. Roads were red, lightly drawn for lesser roads, heavily for the fine trade roads maintained by House Orien. The names and locations of town and villages showed in crisp black, except for Rhukaan Draal, which had been marked with gold. The border of the Mournland, running more than half of Darguun’s length and pressing against its entire northeastern side was colored in stormy, featureless gray.
All of the text was written in Goblin. This was no human map, drawn over and recolored to suit a conquered territory. It was a fresh new map, made by dar to show a nation of dar. Her heart stirred at the sight of it.
Markers had been placed on the map, short sticks and round counters of polished wood, tracing a route across the Ghaal River then east and slightly south to the black dot that was Zarrthec. Ekhaas looked up at Dagii. The warlord of Mur Talaan twitched his ears.
“The advance regiments of the army have already started marching east,” said Dagii. “We’re using a staggered deployment to reach the area hit by the Valenar raids quickly.” He reached out with a thin wooden wand and traced a line from Zarrthec to the wide scattered dots, close to the gray blotch of the Mournland, that were the eastern clanholds.
“Senen will be angry I’m not riding with the first troops,” Ekhaas said. Dagii’s ears twitched again and stiffened.
“If Senen wants to record the heroic tale of soldiers marching to camp, she’s welcome to ride in their dust herself.” He drew back the wand and tapped Zarrthec. “You and I will leave tomorrow after the games finish-I need to stay for the naming of Haruuc’s heir. We will be able to catch up to the advance regiments before they pass Zarrthec. Your story can begin there.”
Geth bared his teeth and gave a little growl. “Grandfather Rat. It’s bad enough that Tariic pushed you into leading this army. You don’t have to sound like you’re enjoying it.”
“Tariic turned the situation to his advantage, but I would have taken command in any case. Darguun must be defended. The Valenar raids must be answered.” Dagii stood back from the table. He smiled. “We’ll be in more danger than you will be here.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Geth looked at Ekhaas. “What about the false rod? How are we going to get it if you and Dagii are gone? T-” He cut himself off before he said the artificer’s name and his eyes darted to Ashi.
The human woman wrinkled her nose. “I know. You promised not to reveal the artificer’s involvement. Whoever he is, you’re not going to be able to go on the day of the coronation and get it from him, and he’s not likely going to deliver it to Khaar Mbar’ost.”
Ekhaas had already weighed the problem. “He’ll just have to deal with one more person knowing his secret,” she said. “Ashi, you’re going to have to get it from him. His name is Tenquis. I’ll take you to him today to show you how to get to his workshop and to tell him about the change in plans.”
“What about Midian?” Ashi asked. “Should we tell him?”
Beyond Ashi, Dagii tensed and Geth twitched and Ekhaas knew they were thinking of what Chetiin had hinted at. The same thoughts had occurred to her, but she had an answer ready. “No,” she told Ashi smoothly. “We did make a promise to Tenquis. We’ll bend it out of necessity, but we won’t break it. One more person needs to know but not two.”
Ashi grimaced, but nodded. “I suppose. It feels strange to be keeping secrets from Midian, though-especially when we’re being broken up. We’ve already lost Chetiin.”
“We’re always going to have secrets,” Dagii added. “Whatever we do with the Rod of Kings, we’ll have to keep a secret.”
“That’s not the same as keeping secrets from each other.”
The irony of Ashi’s words put a slightly sick feeling into Ekhaas’s gut-they were already keeping the secret of their suspicion of Midian from her-but then Ashi pressed her lips together for a moment and added, “There’s something I’ve been holding back. Vounn and Pater didn’t want me to say anything, but Sindra d’Lyrandar wasn’t in the gallery yesterday, and there are no Lyrandar ships at the docks-the Valenar may have used House Lyrandar to get their raiders into Darguun.”
Ekhaas raised her ears at the news but Dagii only nodded. “Some of the warlords already guessed that.”
Ashi’s face turned red.
Dagii shook his head. “No, thank you for telling me, Ashi. I appreciate it.” His ears flattened. “Lyrandar knows we’ll need to welcome them into Darguun again eventually. This war is only business for them-as it is for all the dragonmarked houses. Vounn and Pater have come to me. Orien wagons will follow our army and form our supply lines. House Deneith has contracted a regiment of our own mercenaries back to us.”
“Bastards!” said Geth. “I served House Deneith as a mercenary during the Last War. They’ll do anything for a profit. Sorry, Ashi.”
Ashi shook her head. “No, I know Vounn and Deneith. You’re right. Darguun has always provided Deneith with mercenaries, but they’ve never needed anything but gold in return. Vounn came to Darguun to try and reverse that.”
