Priestess of the White

He looked up at her, then at Sirri. The Speaker nodded encouragingly. Tryss swallowed hard.

“Air moves differently in the mountains,” he said. “Sometimes to our advantage, sometimes not.”

Auraya translated. The man spoke.

“Can you predict how these winds will move?”

“Only in a general way. We won’t know until we get there if the air will flow as we expect it to.”

From there, the discussion became more detailed. Sirri joined in, but often looked to Tryss when the scenarios Songmaker described became complex. The war adviser was full of enthusiasm, but after a while he stopped and spoke to Juran. Auraya translated.

“We could talk about this for hours, even days. May I suggest that we continue in my tent? All interested in the fine details would be welcome to join us.”

“Yes,” Juran agreed. “First I would like to consider how the Siyee might be of use before the battle as our ‘eyes in the sky.’ ” He looked at Sirri and returned to the Siyee language. “We have no spies in the Pentadrian army. The sorcerers who lead it are able to read minds and discovered our spies who had infiltrated their forces. The only reports of their position we are receiving are from scouts observing from afar, and their last report was to tell us that the army has entered the forests of the foothills. Would you be willing to send some of your people over the mountains to learn more?”

Sirri nodded. “Of course.”

“How long would they take to cross the mountains and return?”

She shrugged. “A day, perhaps two, to get across, and the same in returning. How long they spend scouting once they’re there depends on how many Siyee I send and how difficult it is to see into this forest. How large is the area they need to search?”

Juran pointed at one of the mountain ranges on the map. Sirri nodded as he circled his finger over the map to indicate an area.

“I’ll send twenty pairs. That should reduce the searching to a day.”

Juran nodded. “Can they leave tonight?”

“There is no moon tonight. It is dangerous flying in the mountains during times of such darkness. They can leave before dawn, however. By the time they reach the mountains there will be enough light to fly by.”

Juran smiled. “Then we must wait. Thank you, Speaker Sirri.”

Sirri chuckled. “I should thank you, Juran of the White. I have too many energetic young men itching for excitement and adventure. This will keep some of them occupied.”

The landwalkers smiled as Dyara translated this.

“Perhaps you should choose the more sensible of them,” Auraya suggested. “Ones who won’t reveal themselves unless they have to. We’re hoping your people will be a nasty surprise for the enemy.”

Sirri nodded resignedly. “You’re right, unfortunately. I will have to be careful in my choosing.”

“Are there any other changes or decisions we need to make for your benefit?” Juran asked. “Are your people happy with the arrangements made so far?”

“Yes,” Sirri answered. “I do wish to apologize again for our mistake in hunting the lyrim. If we had known —”

“There is no need to apologize,” Juran soothed. “If we’d encountered these herds I would have ordered them caught and slaughtered myself. Herders and farmers have always understood that such things happen in times of war. If they did not, they would never have had the courage to come to me and ask for compensation.”

“I see.” Sirri looked thoughtful. “Should we continue hunting, then?”

Juran smiled. “If you wish, but take only half from each herd you encounter, and leave the males and the pregnant females so that the lyrim may quickly replace their numbers through breeding.”

Sirri grinned. “We will.”

“Do you have anything else you wish to discuss?”

She shook her head. Juran glanced around the room. He spoke to the other landwalkers.

“He’s asking if anyone has any questions,” Auraya translated.

None of the landwalkers spoke, though a few of them looked as if they’d like to. As the discussion turned to other matters, Tryss felt himself relax as everyone’s attention moved away from him. Now, with Auraya translating, he would learn more about how these landwalkers planned to wage this war.

A young Hanian soldier stared into his campfire. He saw in the flames the shapes of fierce warriors and great sorcerers.

What is it going to be like? he wondered. I only joined the army last year. That can’t be enough training, can it? But the captain says a disciplined fighting spirit is all that I’ll need.

:And a great deal of luck, Jayim added.

:Move on, Leiard told his student. You look in order to learn, but if you linger for the sake of entertainment you are abusing your Gift.

Jayim was learning fast. He had achieved the trance state needed for mind-skimming the night before, but had not been able to converse with Leiard at the same time without losing concentration. Now he was faring better.

The next mind was more lively. A Siyee male, his thoughts distorted by tintra. He and two others of their tribe had invited a few Somreyan soldiers to their bower. They had not been prepared for the effect the alcohol had on their small bodies.

:I hope the Somreyans don’t take advantage of them, Jayim worried.

:They may, they may not. You cannot help them without revealing that you looked into their minds. They will not understand why we do this. Move on.

The thoughts they caught next were less verbal and more physical. This Siyee’s attention was entirely on her partner, on touching and feeling. She thought neither of fighting nor of the coming battle. Jayim was finding this all very, very interesting.

:Move on.

Jayim felt a rush of embarrassment at his hesitation. He turned his mind from the lovers.

:The Siyee have women fighters. So do the Dunwayans. Why don’t Hanians?

:Why do you think?

:Because our women are weaker?

:They could be as strong as Dunwayan women if they wanted to be. It only takes training.

:Because someone has to look after the children and homes?

:What of the Siyee children and homes? You know from the many minds we have touched that they have left their offspring in the care of the elder Siyee.

:I don’t know, then. Perhaps Hanians just don’t need to. We have enough men to fight for us.

:Or so we hope.

:There’d be no point bringing women if they were untrained. Women don’t have time to train if they marry and have children young.

:The Siyee marry young, too.

:So what is the reason?

:I don’t know for certain. We can’t read the mind of a race like we are reading the minds of individuals tonight. Customs and traditions accumulate over time and are resistant to change. Only a great need for change can alter the way a people live, or their sense of morality.

:So if we didn’t have enough men to fight, women would learn to?

:Probably. The trouble is, by the time the situation forces women to fight there is no time to train them. Now, seek another mind.

Leiard followed Jayim. The boy brushed past the minds of Dreamweavers camped around their tent. From one came a sharp jolt of alarm, but not at their touch. Something else. A shape in the darkness beyond the camp...

:Wait. Go back.