Chapter 4: Assault

Shethryia and Neshyia cleared their minds of their argument and the shriek. Somehow, their argument or some measure of the creature's presence had touched Dobaryia strongly enough to wake her from a deep sleep. Without another thought but for the safety of her daughter, Shethryia mentally threw the doors open and the women ran past two startled and shaken Ka'anephi toward Dobaryia's bedchamber. As they ran, the Empress ordered the guard to care for Vandaia, place her in the bed, and remain there until she returned. A moment later, as they neared the girl's room, they saw Ranna staggering against the wall, blood running from her nose as she tried desperately to reach her charge's room. In the next step, the door opened and a frightened Dobaryia raced headlong into her mother's arms, wailing, her eluyia washing through the women in waves of anguish. As Shethryia wrapped her arms around her daughter, Neshyia took hold of Ranna and eased her to the ground.
"Mama! W-w-why… did you… do… that?" the child sobbed. "W-w-w-why… are you… and Neshyia… trying… to hurt… each… other?" She looked up into her mother's eyes, the fear, pain and confusion as clear as a cloudless day. "Why?"
"My darling," Shethryia said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held Dobaryia in her trembling arms. "I am so sorry. I was not trying to hurt Neshyia and she was not trying to hurt me." Holding the girl's face in her hands, she looked deep into her daughter's mind, seeking any indication that the evil being had somehow touched her too. When she was certain Dobaryia was unharmed, she again wrapped her arms around her daughter and rocked her gently, stroking her hair as they both cried.
Neshyia looked at Ranna who was barely conscious, still dazed from Dobaryia's reaction to the argument. The bleeding had stopped but she didn't know if there was any more damage from the sudden blast of power. Quickly scanning the woman for signs of further harm, she summoned two Ka'anephi to take Ranna to her bed and carefully put her in it. The guard wasted no time, quickly gathering the old governess up and taking her to her private room. Neshyia still felt the aftershock of the scream, holding it in her mind as she examined its nature and extent. After a moment, she too knew the child was safe from harm or taint but also knew the Princess would now need more instruction than she had realized before. Ranna's time for teaching and guiding this child would have to end. Tears rolling down her cheeks as well, she looked at Shethryia and Dobaryia briefly then turned and strode down the hall to Ranna's room.
Dobaryia quickly began to calm, both from her mother's touch and from the soothing influence of Shethryia's presence being asserted like a blanket around the frightened child. After a few minutes, Dobaryia stopped crying and simply held her mother tight, unwilling to be apart from her. Gently, Shethryia eased her daughter away and looked into her eyes as she spoke.
"Sweetheart," she began, "I want to know what made you awaken. What did you feel or see or hear?"
"I felt… bad anger and…" She paused, looking into her mother's eyes intensely as she shared the alien sensation with her. What she had sensed was hatred.
The Empress exhaled slowly, forcing her eluyia to shield her daughter further and dampen the sensation. As with all her people, Shethryia raised her daughter without the presence of hatred or rage. They were considered shanmu, a disease of the soul and mind. Though Dobaryia had lived so far in a home free of open anger, it was not an emotion considered negative. It was simply a matter of appropriate expression and resolution. There would be times when Dobaryia would feel anger, likely at being denied activity, not unlike any other child. The difference would be that she would be helped to learn the proper means of responding to that feeling. Unfortunately, her first lesson was more that of how not to handle anger. Now, Shethryia wondered how deeply the evil being had penetrated her own eluyia and how much healing she and Neshyia would need to overcome the effects.
"Dobaryia," she said gently. "What you felt is something called 'hatred'. We do not experience this here. It is a thing that comes from somewhere else, far from our Lands. Let yourself be rid of it and love instead. Hate will destroy your spirit but love will make it grow and protect you from disease and death." She paused, looking deep into her daughter's mind as she felt the sensation leave, replaced by a strengthened bond between mother and daughter.
Dobaryia simply nodded, the last vestiges of her terror fading into insubstantiality. Holding her close again, Shethryia stroked her daughter's hair and noted that Ranna was in her own bed and Vandaia was in a deep healing sleep. Neshyia was, for the most part, her usual self, though perhaps calmer as she needed to focus on Ranna's recovery. The Ka'anephi were also mostly recovered, though they still felt some uncertainty as to what had taken place. For the time being, things seemed to be settled and would soon return to normal. Gently, she eased Dobaryia away and stood.
"You need to sleep, my daughter," she said softly. "This has been very hard for all of us and sleep is a time of healing for mind and body."
Dobaryia again nodded, the fatigue of the events rapidly taking hold, causing her to become drowsy. Shethryia tucked her in and kissed her forehead then sat in the chair beside the girl's bed. She remained there for nearly an hour, making sure the child did not enter into bad dreams or awaken for any other reason. She was certain the taint of the evil being was gone from the citadel now, but needed to be assured no further contact or harm would come to her daughter. When the Princess entered into a deeper, dreamless state of slumber, the Empress returned to her own chambers and dismissed the Ka'anephi to their posts while she sat vigil over her friend.
Shethryia sat silently watching over Vandaia as she slept, checking on Ranna and Neshyia to see how things fared. The old woman would recover but would need rest for a few days; without the benefit of developed eluyia, recovery from such mental trauma took time and gentle guidance from someone more gifted. Keeping mental contact with Neshyia, she returned to her chamber where she had directed Ka'anephi to place Vandaia in her bed and remain there until she returned. After sending the guard to resume their post, the Empress sat down and waited.
She will awaken soon, I think, Neshyia sent to Shethryia regarding Vandaia. She may not have the power you or I have, but she is nearly equal to most of the Ka'anephi. Had she not been so drained from our excursion, she would have faired better.
I know, Shethryia replied mentally. I am truly sorry for my reaction to your reprimand. I was wrong and I ask your forgiveness.
Of course I forgive you, the Vizier said with the equivalent of a mental smile. I was little different once and needed to be reprimanded as well, though I was never Empress. She paused a moment, carefully making her next statement. Take heed of the Evil One's warning, Shethryia. Do not let your pride or esteem blind you from caution. Had I been anyone else, you might not be as well off as these two.
Shethryia shivered. Her advisor was right; the unbridled evil of that being had nearly stunned her twice and had affected her thoughts afterward. The Empress had never faced anything of that nature before and did not expect it to have the ability to know when a distant awareness was asserted, even gently, in it's vicinity. The fact that it knew where they had focused their awareness made her feel even more uneasy. How could such a being pierce their shielded presence and pinpoint their position? It would have been another matter if they had been physically present, but as far as she knew, very few possessed such acute awareness of another's eluyia being projected near their physical body. The fact that this being could do so was unnerving and presented a serious threat to her and the Empire. Had Neshyia not been able to force them all back from that location when she did…
Shethryia left the thought unfinished as Vandaia began to stir. It was not something she wished to dwell on; her friend needed her more than such possible outcomes needed to be thought over. As she began waking, Vandaia rolled her head slightly on the pillow then opened her eyes. After a moment, she looked over at Shethryia and smiled weakly.
"I take it Dobaryia is asleep again, for now," the Kalderi said, searching her friend's face for confirmation that girl was well.
"She is," the Empress replied, smiling back. "I'm glad to see you are fairing well, too. I just hope Ranna will recover completely."
"Ranna?" the former princess asked, her brows knitted in concern.
"When Dobaryia screamed, it affected her rather badly," Shethryia said. "She doesn't have the ability to defend against such things nor does she have the development of eluyia needed to recover as quickly as you are. I think her time may come sooner than any of us would like."
Vandaia looked at her friend and reached over, placing her hand on Shethryia's arm. She felt and saw the sadness in the Empress' eyes at the thought of Ranna being gone. She had been part of her family since childhood and was very close to Dobaryia. Though it had been expected that Ranna would remain one of the Princess' instructors and mentors, it was becoming rapidly clear the child would need training and discipline the old woman could not provide. She merely hoped she would stay as someone to help Dobaryia develop sound social behavior, as well as to be her confidante and friend. Perhaps, with what they had discovered in the North, it would be better for Ranna to take her journey to Ka'alad Avayiadi sooner than later. Vandaia was certain the pain would be greater should anything end Ranna's life before she could travel on her own.
"Thank you, sister of my heart," Shethryia said as she smiled slightly and placed her hand on Vandaia's. "I think she will recover completely but I feel her time here is coming quickly to an end. I know the pull of the Sacred Place. I felt it when my parents made their journey there and I feel it now for Ranna. We will all miss her greatly."
For the next several minutes, neither spoke, simply letting their deep bonds of friendship and spiritual kinship fill the silence. Shethryia was aware that Ranna was now going to recover completely but that she would leave soon to enter the Light Forever. Neshyia was aware of it too and mentally comforted her, sharing the same sense of loss though from a different perspective. Ranna seemed something of a daughter to the Vizier but everyone who noticed this aspect of their relationship was at a loss to explain it.
It was well known that Neshyia was older than Ranna but exactly how old she really was remained a mystery. Shethryia did know that Neshyia had trained Ranna in caring for children with the anticipation that she would become a governess to a future princess. It just happened that Ranna's first position was as personal attendant to her mother, later becoming Shethryia's governess after she was born. She had also been Shethryia's personal attendant for a time then, when Amia had been chosen to become the Empress' personal servant, Ranna trained and guided her for several years. Between then and Dobaryia's birth, she remained as part of Shethryia's household staff as sha'erat, a house mistress, similar to the housecarls in the noble homes of Peshkai. Now, after so many years of faithful, dutiful service, Ranna would soon be leaving.
"You need more rest," Shethryia said to Vandaia. "I have much to consider yet this night."
Vandaia smiled and assumed a restful position on the large bed. She knew her friend was more than merely concerned and would likely not sleep until she had determined the extent of the threat and how she would respond. She would also wait until she had made a decision before informing Ravyiel of the encounter. Resigned to her need to fully recover, the former Kalderi princess closed her eyes and drifted off into easy slumber, clearing her mind of the events which had taken place.
Shethryia waited until her friend had entered deeper sleep before rising and walking out onto the East balcony. Neshyia's earlier statement about the creature was correct: it wanted to destroy the life of the land beginning with Y'Avan. She wasn't sure why, but the idea caused a prickling at the back of her mind, as if there was something else to the being's plans she should but didn't know about. Shrugging off her fatigue and uncertainty, she reexamined what she did know.
The melari had returned to the world from wherever they had been hiding. Their behavior was more like that of organized soldiers, similar to what legend stated about them being used as war dogs, though none of them had directly attacked habitations that she knew of; for now, the creatures were simply hunting food. After her encounter with the dark being, she was certain it had been that being who had taken control of the melari and released them into the Land. She wasn't sure of why but surmised that it was part of a larger plot. Perhaps they would be used again as harriers, performing tactical strikes at key points in the defenses of her Empire. If they could function as self-sustaining units, the creatures would be able to act independently of a larger force, serving to divert attention away from a massive, direct attack. As she considered this possibility, she knew she was right. The questions then turned to where this being would get an army large enough to make such an assault, from what direction would the assault likely come from, and what people could it use that would be able to penetrate her Realm. To her knowledge, only the Kalderi and Tzavoi had abilities that could possibly rival her people and then only if the Ka'anephi did not engage in battle. Since the Kalderi were more than mere allies and the Tzavoi, what was left of the true bloodline, were allies of the Kalderi, the only other nation large enough to provide such an army was Peshkai. Though their warriors were fierce and resilient, they were no match for the numbers and abilities of her forces and would have to face the allies of Y'Avan as well.
As she thought these things over, it occurred to her that it might be possible to band together the scattered tribes and clans still inhabiting the Northern Steppes, such as the Dachthi and Shomagri, both of which had clans located near the being's current position. They were on an uneasy truce but would be little trouble for the Shadow to force into service. In addition to those peoples, there were the Omdarians, a people primarily of the ancient Tzavoi clans but mixed bloodlines over the years with the smaller group of peoples known as the Shanzvai. Had certain clans of the Tzavoi not joined with that people, they would have been killed off by either the Dachthi or the Shomagri.. If the Tzavoi and the Shanzvai no longer recognized kinship between them, it might be possible to take control of the lesser people; though they were not known to be the kind of warriors the Tzavoi were: large, powerful people with wills of iron. It would difficult for even Ka'anephi to engage with such a force. Deciding that she would need more information about those relationships, Shethryia cleared her mind.
She stared at the Northeastern sky, wondering what Ravyiel would find in the forests near Damar-Tumal. From what she understood, the problem was a large group of brigands but nothing more than that. It was well understood that they would be cautious near the borders of Y'Avan but there was still the reason they would be within a day's walk of the city. What would force such people to hover so close to possible destruction? Had the melari driven them there or had the evil being already begun it's attempts at infiltrating her Empire? Considering again her experience with the being, it was unlikely the two were associated in any way. As she thought about this, she felt a familiar presence approach her from behind.
"I would think you tired of so much consideration, Shethryia," Neshyia said gently as she stepped out on the balcony.
"I wish I could stop thinking about it," Shethryia replied absently. "There are just too many things that don't make sense."
"Such as what?" the Vizier asked.
"Such as who or what would that… being use for an army that could possibly succeed at invading us?" the Empress returned. "What people could make up such a force? The melari are a threat, certainly, but they are not enough to overwhelm us." Turning, she looked into Neshyia's eyes. "Are the disjointed remains of the Ba'akh Shanai so vulnerable? Would they even pose a serious threat? Are the Peshkhai involved somehow and this alleged band of brigands a reconnaissance group for a larger army?"
"Those are valid questions," Neshyia responded thoughtfully. "I am fairly certain the Dachthi and Shomagri would be corruptible, as would the Omdarians. As I think it likely the last of the pure Tzavoi, the Wengoran Tribe, would not ally themselves with the Shanzvai or Omdarians but would take up residence in Iandra, the lesser tribe would be fairly easy to manipulate and control, especially with pressure from the Dachthi." She paused, considering her next statement carefully. "The Peshkhai would sooner remain neutral as they would not have the ability to withstand war from either us or the North. They have nothing to offer as far as alliance and tend to think of such things only with respect to commerce. They certainly would not be so easily controlled or manipulated."
"Then it's likely the trouble near Tumal is with simple outlaws," Shethryia sighed. "What would force them so close to our borders?"
"The melari might be the cause, though I have doubts about that," Neshyia commented. "The band is keeping together and well organized, according to the reports we were given. They are taking no direct action so close to Y'Avan for fear of being discovered and dealt with. Unfortunately for them, they will be dealt with despite their caution. If the melari had been responsible for them being so close, they would have scattered and likely a few would have sought refuge as travelers in Damar-Tumal. I think something else pushes them and only Ravyiel is in a position to know exactly."
"I know," Shethryia said, looking once more to the Northeast. "I had considered contacting him but do not want to disrupt what he's doing." She paused, knowing Neshyia felt the same about her next words. "I also do not want to alert that being to his location or activity."
She turned and looked deep into Neshyia's eyes, sensing the same hesitancy and doubt. Neither of them needed to speak aloud as they both acknowledged the same fear of discovery should either assert her awareness in Ravyiel's direction. For a moment, the sensation of being violated was felt between them and Shethryia frowned, breaking their contact. As she looked out into the starlit night, she wondered when Ravyiel would seek her attention and whether or not he would be noticed by the Shadow when he did.

* * *

Ravyiel raised his hand for a halt. Behind him, thirty Ka'anephi and one hundred-twenty veteran foot soldiers from the garrison at Damar-Tumal stopped silently. Scanning the forest around him, the Lord Protector mentally directed four groups to fan out and fade into the trees until he signaled. Without hesitation, the warriors spread out, soundlessly fading into the forest. Within moments, only Ravyiel and his Ka'anephi were left standing on the road. As he stood there, the Lord-Protector stiffened suddenly, then looked around.
"What is it, Your Grace?" a Ka'aneph named Veshyien asked, noting the odd behavior of his General.
"I don't know…" he replied, trailing off as he looked around again. "I could have sworn I heard my daughter's voice." He turned to look at Veshyien. "She was screaming." After a moment he shook his head and scanned the darkened forest road, focusing on the task at hand.
After speaking with his mother, the Lord-Protector took the time until nightfall to interview a few hunters and caravaners who had recently been through the area he was concerned about. Afterward, he thought over the previous reports and concluded that the Black Circle had been formed again, likely by forcing small bands of brigands and renegades to unite under one leader. Obviously, the current outlaws were no scholars of history or simply excused the past as exaggerated legend propagated by tired old mercenaries. It was his guess they numbered near two hundred but would have to determine the exact size once he was closer. Based on the information he had received, the main camp was only a few miles from the city with possible outposts along the Eastern Trade Road. Now, they were ready to launch the assault.
Silently, Ravyiel crept forward, his senses at full awareness. For the Ta'Yiashi, even a nearly lightless night did not hinder their vision; to them, it was a world of high-definition greyscale. A minute later, he could see the sentries positioned in the brush to either side of the roadway and another group stationed ahead at a bend in the road. He counted quickly and noted the positions of twenty well armed men with one shuttered lantern for each group. As he observed them, they appeared tense, warily surveying the dark forest around them. Growling in his mind, Ravyiel knew this was going to become very difficult to do quietly. Sending a mental command for the two outermost groups to close on the group at the bend in the road, he waited. When they were at last in position, he ordered the forward most groups to attack.
The attack was swift. Extending his awareness, Ravyiel was able to sense, if not see, the groups converge on the sentries. The soldiers of Damar-Tumal were well trained and had relatively well honed eluyia but were neither as gifted nor as well trained as Ka'anephi. They could move silently through a forest, day or night, and could pass through even the most tangled of undergrowth without leaving any sign of their passing. They had also been trained well enough not to allow their presence or scent to be detectable by any creature or being. It would take someone knowing they were there to sense them and then, only if the ones sensing had highly trained eluyia. As the skirmish became more intense, a soft, strangled cry escaped into the darkened forest.
It was more than enough.
Instantly, the forest ahead erupted with movement. The party he positioned near the proximal sentry post had been told that at first sound, they were to attack quickly and leave no prisoners. Any excess of noise would fully alert the main group of their location and they would either flee or attack. Ravyiel was more concerned with flight as he had enough soldiers with him to handle four hundred brigands if the need arose. If they fled, it would be a long and difficult chase through the woodlands before they could bring them all to bay, likely having to kill most, if not all. It was the reason he had chosen stealth over turning out the entire garrison for a full sweep of the surrounding wood. With no more time to consider the alternatives, Ravyiel and the Ka'anephi sprang forward into the fray.
It was over quickly and no more than that one cry had sounded into the night. Without hesitation, the Ka'anephi went through and made sure there were no survivors of the outposts to warn of the attackers. With another silent command, the entire group melted into the gloom of the trees, the bodies of the brigands carried with them. After they had moved a sufficient distance away, Ravyiel ordered a regroup. When all were assembled, he stretched out his eluyia, seeking the location of the larger group somewhere in the forest.
After a few minutes, he identified the forward position of the Black Circle's main encampment. Mentally, he scanned north of that position and found what he was seeking. A large cluster of seventy tents surrounded a ring of shielded fires with a larger structure, likely the command pavilion, situated in the middle of that circle. Ravyiel smiled without humor. The layout was such that anyone seeking them would not find them until they were nearly in the camp and even then, it would be a bloody fight to reach the pavilion where there was likely an elite group of brigands waiting to butcher anyone who made it that far. If he were about the same sort of business as these outlaws, he would be hard pressed to invent a better design for an encampment. Scanning back to the forward position he noted that they were two hundred yards due south of the Black Circle.
Pay attention, he said in the minds of those around him. They are camped two hundred paces away and their sentries are posted at cardinal locations around the main camp. He quickly shared the mental image he had of the encampment. We are facing the southern edge of the encampment. Past that, there is ring of seventy black tents surrounding a circle of protected fires with a large pavilion in the middle. He paused, allowing everyone to understand the layout, then continued. We will need to neutralize the outer posts first, and more quietly than last time. He added the last dryly as he knew they understood there was no more room for error. After that, we spread out so they have no idea of our exact numbers and just as carefully get past the outer ring of tents. Once past them, surround the pavilion. The Ka'anephi and I will take those inside. If anyone comes out of those tents, silence them. When they were ready, Ravyiel signaled for them to move out.
They moved like phantoms through the darkened forest, silently gliding along until they reached a point where they could see the south watchpoint. From there, they spread out, keeping to the darkness until the strike was ordered. Within minutes, Ravyiel's small company was in position, the guards in the watchpoints unaware of anyone moving outside. These brigands seemed less wary and Ravyiel was certain they had heard nothing of the previous attack. With a sharp mental command, the Lord-Protector ordered the strike.
There was no noise as he slipped forward, cutting the throat of the first guard with a swift sweep of his blade, the guard beside that one dying an instant later from a backhand slice, beheaded. Without hesitation, Ravyiel entered the tent where he and his Ka'anephi mentally struck the ten men who tried to rise from their cots. They all died silently where they lay. Quickly, Ravyiel extended his awareness and found that the other groups had successfully neutralized the watch, though not as neatly. Knowing only speed would maintain their superiority, he ordered the assault to continue.
Slipping out of the tent, Ravyiel led his soldiers between two larger tents. His eluyia told him they were still fast asleep, unaware of their undoing. Just ahead, two men stood near the entrance of the pavilion, also unaware of those surrounding them. With a focused thrust, he mentally knocked them unconscious then raced forward, the others emerging from the darkness between the tents at the same time. A moment later, they surrounded the pavilion and Ravyiel led his soldiers in.
Inside, several men were standing around a table, a large map unrolled across its top. One of the men, a grey haired Peshkan, looked up, his eyes going wide with alarm and terror. Before he could make a sound, he was stunned with a quick mental blast. As he slumped to the floor, the remaining men moved to draw swords then stopped, realizing they were sorely outnumbered and that this Ta'Yiashi could likely strike them all down without raising his own weapon. Slowly, they raised their hands from their hilts and allowed a dozen Ka'anephi to disarm them. In a moment, it was over.
"Who leads you," Ravyiel asked the nearest man. When the man didn't answer, he simply knocked him unconscious and looked at the next one. Seeing the other two slump senselessly to the floor, he decided to be more cooperative.
"Klem Redgrin leads us," the man said with a shudder as he pointed to the first brigand knocked out by Ravyiel. Without another word, the Lord Protector nodded and the men in the pavilion were bound and gagged. So far, none of the others had been alerted but he knew there would be a changing of the watch soon and needed to be sure there were no surprises for him and his men. With a mental command, he ordered his elite guard to search the pavilion. A few minutes later, a dozen half clad women were ushered into the main room of the tent, all gagged with hands bound behind their backs. They were given covering with their blankets and wordlessly moved to sit with the other prisoners. When he was sure there were no more in the pavilion, Ravyiel asserted his presence upon the man called Klem Redgrin, forcing him back to consciousness.
"You will be taken to Damar-Tumal where we will decide how best to deal with you," Ravyiel said without preamble. "You will be treated fairly so long as you do not attempt to make things difficult. Is that clear?" When the man nodded, he continued. "We will kill anyone who tries to raise an alarm between now and the time you are in the custody of the Lady of Tumal. We will kill anyone who attempts to aid you in escaping. Is that clear?" When the man nodded again, Ravyiel silently commanded the Ka'anephi with him to quietly bring the prisoners followed by a command to those outside to make ready to form a detachment to escort the prisoners back to Damar-Tumal. When Ravyiel opened the tent, a strange battle cry erupted from the forest to the northwest of the encampment. Instantly, those in the tents were awake and scrambling to respond to an attack. Outside the pavilion, the soldiers of Damar-Tumal readied bows and aimed at the entrances to every tent in the cluster. Those who were first to leave their enclosures were dropped and the archers were quickly ready to repeat the process.
His face clouding with frustration, Ravyiel ordered the prisoners back into the center of the pavilion under guard of six Ka'anephi then strode outside followed by the rest of his men to deal with whatever was coming into the encampment. What he saw next made even his eyes widen with surprise. As he stood there, dozens of huge men, heavily armed and lightly armored, charged into the circle, howling battle cries that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Behind them came several others, dressed in alien armors and decorated with masks of exotic feathers. When the first of the massive warriors reached the ring of fires, he stopped, his eyes fixed on Ravyiel. Without turning around, he shouted something in the Tzavoian language and the new wave of invaders quickly responded, most halting outside the ring of tents while others cautiously approached and formed groups to watch the tents and their leader's back. Apparently, those in the tents chose to remain within; which group they feared most, Ravyiel didn't know. At that moment, all his attention was on the now grinning face of the largest Northman he had ever seen in his life.
"Now, this is beyond surprise," the giant Tzavoian said in a deep booming voice that rolled like thunder through the forest. A moment later, a clearly Kalderi warrior, queen by the design of her headdress, strode up beside him and removed her helmet, revealing a young looking and beautiful face framed by wild, wind-strewn dark-brown hair that glowed in the firelight.
"Indeed," she said in an airy manner. "Had we known you would dispose of this lot, we would have simply camped the night and traveled the rest of the way to Y'Avan in the morning." Something in her manner seemed familiar to Ravyiel though he couldn't quite place the sensation.
"I am Degn, son of Thorgen, once chieftain of the Wen-Tzavoi," the large man said in greeting. "This is Serina, daughter of Reanna, Queen of the Macati." He indicated the woman beside him, who nodded politely, apparently unsure of Ravyiel's rank. "Now, I know you to be warriors of Y'Avan, for you could be nothing else. It would a pleasure to know with whom I am speaking."
"Well met, Degn, son of Thorgen and Your Majesty, Serina of the Macati," he said in formal manner. "I am Ravyielethyien, Lord Protector of Damar-Y'Avan and her Eminence's General of the Armies of Y'Avan. Let this be, then, an official welcome to our lands."
Instantly, Degn, dropped to one knee and bowed his head in Tzavoian fashion, showing proper deference to Ravyiel's position. Serina simply curtsied but showed no other exceptional respect as she would consider Ravyiel to be of equal rank. Those with the Outlanders showed hasty but proper respect, keeping a close watch on the flaps of the surrounding tents. When Degn had risen, he strode forward to shake Ravyiel's hand.
"I am honored to meet you at last, Lord Ravyiel," he said, a large friendly grin splitting his thickly bearded face. "And I must say you do rather a nice job of dealing with outlaws."
Ravyiel grinned openly at the frankness of the other's compliment. Then, finding himself at a loss as to why these Outlanders were present, looked about the clearing, an unspoken question in his eyes.
"Ah, yes," Serina said, stepping forward to stand beside Degn. "When we set out from the Chami, our intention was to escort Degn and his people to Y'Avan. As we traveled here, our journey took on a couple interesting twists, though you seem to have disposed of at least one of those problems."
"You are seeking asylum in Y'Avan?" Ravyiel asked the Tzavoian.
"Yes," he replied, retaining a stance of dignity and pride in himself. "We chose to leave our homeland as opposed to spilling the blood of our kinsmen, no matter how much they may deserve it." He paused, biting back a bitter edge that had crept into his voice. "We sent word to Iandra and were met by the Macati on the Plains of Shamay. From there, we have traveled south. It was about a month ago that we ran across this band of ruffians and sent them fleeing into the forest. Since then, we have been following them in the hopes of bringing Her Eminence a few guests. Apparently, her General has seen to that already."
Ravyiel again grinned. Degn was obviously much more intelligent than most would have pegged him to be, but his forward manner and casual sarcasm verged on the coarse. Somehow, he found the great man's roughness and wit refreshing but something still nagged at his mind.
"How did you- all of you- manage to get so close without me noticing your presence?" Ravyiel asked seriously. "I was certain there were no others in the forest for over a mile."
"I see you know not of the Thunderheels," Degn rumbled through a wry grin. "We may not have the same kinds of abilities you have, but we are not without some measure of eluyia. We can mask both presence and scent from most creatures and we have learned well from our friends how to move silently through the trees." The last was said with a slight nod in Serina's direction.
"So, you are Feisannata Mevat, then?" Ravyiel asked of Serina who simply smiled and nodded humbly. "Well, that explains a great deal. It leaves me surprised this legion of outlaws managed to survive being harried through the forest."
"As I said," Degn smiled. "We intended to drive them into Tumal like a herd of kagge." He emphasized the point by making antlers on his head with his hands and snorted, mimicking the elk-like creatures. "We could easily have eliminated them but saw fit to exercise mercy toward the foolhardy instead."
Ravyiel shook his head again. If there had been any doubt about the nature of this group of Tzavoi and Kalderi, it was gone now. The Lord Protector knew there was a lot more to the story than was being told at the moment and looked forward to hearing it though he sensed that much of it would be unpleasant. Mentally shrugging off his curiosity, he looked from Degn to Serina then back to Degn.
"You said there was another matter you came upon along the way," Ravyiel said, curious as to what else would be so important to such people.
Degn turned and shouted something at someone beyond the tents. A moment later, a group of Tzavoi women, nearly as large as the men but definitely feminine, came forward carrying something that made the soldiers of Damar-Tumal blanch and take a step backward; only the arduous training the Ka'anephi underwent kept them from reacting the same way. As they neared, Ravyiel's eyes went wide with a mixture of alarm and horror. The dead creature they carried was one thought to be extinct from the world for more than a hundred millennia. It was a melari.
"Where did you find that?" Ravyiel said, quickly regaining his composure.
"We killed this one after it chose to eat one of my people a few nights ago," Degn explained, his manner suddenly that of a battle-hardened veteran. "She was the only healer we had with us. She died before we could complete the tasks she ordered us to do to save her life." There was no emotion in his words, simply cold facts. "We killed a few more on the way but decided to skin them and dispose of the remains. My Lord," he said, his eyes looking hard into Ravyiel's. "These creatures should not exist anymore. Their presence heralds great foreboding for all peoples of this land."
Ravyiel knew to what he eluded, though it was something difficult for him to think truly possible. He knew the lore. Long before the First Ones, the race of Great Dragons ruled the world and developed melari as hunting and guard animals, later vanishing from existence and leaving the creatures to fend for themselves. Some time later, after the Dispersal of Many, the dragon-like beasts had become a problem and were supposedly hunted down and slaughtered into extinction. It had been millennia since anyone had seen one. If they had somehow survived, they would have either found a place they could remain without having to leave or they would have truly died out. If they were again in the land, something had either driven them from their hiding place or they had become too numerous to survive together. In either case, it spelled serious danger for the peoples of all nations.
"From what I recall of history," Ravyiel began, "the melari were driven out by Dekassa Oxmata and a very well organized and specifically trained group of Feisannai. I never would have thought such training would have been retained and passed on to anyone."
"True, the Feisannai with me are not dekamelaroia," Serina replied. "As you know, there are no more melari slayers but much of the training they underwent has been continued in Feisannai training since then, which is why you never knew we were near. For me to train the last of the Thunderheels in such manner was rather simple."
"We still lost nearly thirty warriors between us," Degn supplied dourly. "Not to mention all but a few of our oxen. If such creatures swept into the smaller settlements of Peshkai or Y'Avan…" The colossal chieftain let the rest go unsaid. If warriors the caliber of Feisannai or Thunderheels had died fighting these beasts, there would be little hope for even veteran soldiers, let alone untrained people. This was rapidly becoming something he needed to alert Shethryia to as soon as possible.
As Ravyiel considered taking a few minutes to contact his wife, a figure emerged from one of the tents, unarmed with hands upraised in a symbol of surrender. A moment later, another followed from another tent. One by one, the outlaws surrendered and were corralled near the center of the camp. As they were taken into custody, Ravyiel scanned the tents and, when there were no more brigands in hiding, he mentally commanded his troops to begin binding the prisoners. The Tzavoi warriors quickly searched the tents and, when they found no one about, began covering the female prisoners with whatever they could find to clothe them with and helped form the detainees into marching ranks. Apparently, Tzavoi dealt with female prisoners in the same manner, merely making sure they were properly covered so as to avoid any untoward activity or behavior.
When the prisoners had all been bound and arranged, Ravyiel ordered his soldiers to dismantle the encampment and pile everything in the center of the clearing. He assigned ten Ka'anephi to take general note of the outlaws' possessions and equipment so that anything that could be returned to those it was liberated from would be. He would not destroy anything that might belong to another, even if it could only be traced back to the brigands. Like Degn and Serina, he would show mercy for now. Once their sentence had been decided, he would have the possessions returned to their rightful owners though he knew the outlaws would likely never need them again. He knew his mother would probably send them all back to Peshkai as they were legally citizens of that nation and had not actually broken the law of either their homeland or of Y'Avan. It was a breach of unwritten treaty that anyone inhabiting the free lands between Y'Avan and Peshkhai would not hinder or harass caravans passing between the two nations upon pain of death. It was reinforced by sending Ka'anephi delegates with all caravans. The Lord Protector's only concern would be how to return these brigands back to Ghervon.
Realizing that little else could be sorted out in the former enclave of the Black Circle, Ravyiel ordered his men to van and took the lead of the entire company with Queen Serina beside him, followed by the Ka'anephi and Feisannai. The Tzavoi women followed the prisoners with a number of their warriors forming the rear guard; Degn took personal charge of leading the prisoners. As they set out, Ravyiel wondered what the gate guard would think when they saw this odd conglomeration of peoples approaching Damar-Tumal with a Kalderi Queen striding beside their General. It would likely be a day to remember for generations, he thought as he moved forward into the forest toward the city.