'Your ritual was deeply moving,' Alyssa said, leaving her seat to come over and stand between Asayaga and Dennis.
'I thank you, my lady,' Asayaga replied.
'It is a shame that this pledge between you two could not be kept till the next year's Atonement Day.'
Asayaga nodded. 'War is war, my lady. Hartraft must obey as I do. If ordered to fight we must do so. The only question then is what is in our hearts.'
'And what is in your heart, Hartraft?' Alyssa asked, looking over at Dennis.
'I do my duty, my lady.'
'Is it just duty? Father has told me of what happened to you, your family. Is it just duty?'
'You have not seen this hall burn, your father dead, your beloved spouse dying in your arms.'
The words spilled out of him and, embarrassed, he turned away. She put a hand on his shoulder and he looked back.
'I know my father will not survive this winter,' she whispered. 'Your coming was the harbinger of that, and this hall will burn too.'
'And won't you hate the moredhel for that?'
'Yes, the ones who might do it. Yes.'
Dennis looked back over at Asayaga. 'Why do you even try?' he asked.
'What do you mean?' the Tsurani replied.
'This. All this,' Dennis said, a note of confusion and frustration in his voice. 'The feast, that prayer yesterday about the spirits of my dead comrades, the drink just offered. Why the hell do you even try?'
'Because I am Tsurani,' Asayaga replied in a sharp whisper.
Dennis, stunned by the intensity in Asayaga's response, said nothing.
'I don't want to be here, Hartraft. I wish by all the gods I was home, miserable as it was with the intrigue, the damnable Game of the Council. I am a retainer to Lord Ugasa, and his son who will rule after him, and have achieved the highest rank I may hope to achieve. I gained my rank through twenty-five years of dutiful service, doing what was ordered without hesitation. And ten years of that service has been here, on your world, Hartraft.
'I was ordered to this place, this war. Of the fifty of my clan who originally came with me there's only Sergeant Tasemu and three others left. The others are the younger brothers and the sons of those who have fallen here.'
Dennis nodded, and said nothing when Alyssa's hand slipped onto Asayaga's shoulder.
'I wish the men of Clan Minwanabi had never come to your keep, that you were living out your days there, that you and I had never met.' He spat out the last words sharply, so that several of the men sitting to either side fell silent, turning their attention to the two captains. 'But we have met, your family is dead, my comrades dead, and all that we have left is what is to come of our lives, brief might they be.'
He looked back up and Dennis was stunned to see tears in Asayaga's eyes.
'I just wish I could find peace and learn to forget.'
Then Asayaga stood up abruptly and turned his back to the table. More men were falling silent and Dennis looked around the room. The Tsurani were watching their captain, wondering what had just transpired.
Dennis saw Gregory and Tinuva looking at him curiously, Gregory giving the subtle hand signal to ask if there was trouble.
Time seemed to stretch out. He looked the other way. Wolfgar was silent, as if lost in thought. Roxanne, by her father's side, staring at Dennis, but there was no sarcasm in her gaze this time, but a look of pity and sadness.
Dennis stood up awkwardly, and took his feasting cup. He approached Asayaga, and held out the cup. 'If I have caused sad memories tonight,' he said, 'I apologize.'
Asayaga stared at him and said nothing in return.
'The men are watching us,' Dennis whispered. 'They think we are arguing.'
'Always the men are watching,' Asayaga sighed, 'and we must act accordingly.'
Dennis shook his head. 'Take the cup, Asayaga: you need a drink.'
There was the flicker of a smile. Asayaga took the cup and drained it. Instantly conversation in the room returned.
'I suspect, Hartraft, that I've just received the most friendly gesture you will ever give to a Tsurani.'
Dennis said nothing. His gaze caught Alyssa's for a second and he could see the relief in her eyes. He knew as well, at that same instant, that whatever feelings she might have kindled in him were worse than useless. Her attention was fixed on Asayaga and there it would stay.
He returned to his chair, Asayaga sitting beside him, and the two ate in silence, the room around them echoing with laughter, bursts of songs, and a wild eruption of cheers when one of the Tsurani, with a throw of the dice, won a dagger from a Kingdom soldier who grinned when he handed the blade over.
'Made this bugger as wealthy as a prince in their homeland,' the soldier laughed. 'Them with no metal.'
Another soldier simply pulled out his dagger and tossed it to the Tsurani next to him and within seconds an exchange of gifts had ensued – Kingdom troops offering daggers that were far more precious than gold to the Tsurani, who in turn offered back equally precious gems and polished lacquer bracelets.
This exchange caused an almost wild hilarity to set in, and cups were raised, in many cases simply to be upended over the upraised face and open mouth of a nearby companion. Even Dennis had to smile at the foolishness and old Wolfgar stood up, slopping his drink, and began to declaim a ballad, but few if any listened.
And then it happened so fast Dennis barely caught the flash of the blade and spray of blood that exploded.
Sergeant Barry stood up, staggering, holding his right armpit which had been flayed open, arterial blood spurting out.
Dennis and Asayaga leapt out of their seats and raced around either side of the table but could not push their way through the men who were up, backing away, shouting, some still thinking that a joke was being played, others beginning to realize that the two sub-commanders – Barry and Sugama – were fighting.
Sugama stood crouched, a Kingdom dagger in his hand. Barry had snatched a knife from the table and held it in his left hand; poised to pounce, ignoring the rush of blood from inside his armpit.
'Sugama!'
Asayaga was moving up behind him, but Sugama ignored his commander. Instead he hissed something in Tsurani and several men started to move to join him.
'The son of a bitch stabbed me!' Barry roared, and a number of Kingdom soldiers grabbed their weapons as well.
'Damn it, Barry, don't move!' Dennis cried.
'You drink with these bastards!' Barry screamed. 'I even started to trust them and look at what you get in the end!'
He half-lifted his right arm, while still warily holding his fighter's crouch, blade up in his left hand.
Dennis looked over at Asayaga, at the men around him, and he leapt for Barry, trying to pin his arms. He knew Barry was almost as strong as himself, and when moved to a fighting rage, as he now was, he was all but unstoppable.
Barry tried to throw him off and Dennis saw that more than one of his men was standing by, not moving, just watching. And then he saw Sugama make his move, coming in low, realizing that Barry's arms were pinned. Asayaga was behind Sugama but out of reach.
Dennis tried to push Barry out of the way, never anticipating that Sugama would make such a desperate and cowardly attack.
The blade sank to the hilt into Barry's stomach, even as Dennis tried to push the sergeant out of the way. Barry gasped, doubling up in Dennis's arms.
Dennis dropped Barry, reaching down to scoop up the blade which the sergeant had let slip. Sugama was backing up with a look Dennis had seen all too many times in a man's eyes, the realization that death was closing in and that he was the one to deliver it.
'Hartraft, no!'
It was Asayaga trying to move between them but Dennis ignored his cry. He drove Barry's dagger into Sugama's stomach, and letting go, stepped back.
