Besieged (77 page)

Tobazim elbowed him. ‘Let Kyredeon’s hand-of-force hear you say that and you’ll spend a year on guard duty.’

It was meant to be a jest, but it had the ring of truth. Life in the brotherhood’s palace was not what Tobazim had expected. He was used to the camaraderie of the winery. Here, there was a constraint he didn’t understand. When he approached, people stopped talking. He didn’t know if it was because the adepts and initiates had been told to avoid them, or because of something deeper.

‘Everyone’s celebrating but us,’ Learon muttered, as they reached the palace’s street entrance.

As if to prove his point, a dozen laughing warriors poured out of Chariode’s palace next door. Despite the chill that held the promise of winter, they went bare-chested to show off their duelling scars, breeches slung low on their hips, heavy belts embossed with semi-precious stones.

None of them carried their long-knives. It was forbidden on feast nights. Too many potential duels.

Arm-torcs bearing the symbol of Chariode’s brotherhood encircled their biceps, and their long pale hair had been threaded with jewels, which glinted in the street lamps.

It was all about display, tonight; not threat.

But display could be a form of threat.
See how rich and powerful my brotherhood is. We have no need to fear you
. Bluff and counter-bluff – the dance of brotherhood rivalry.

The warriors were singing at the tops of their voices as they waited for friends to join them before setting off.

Tobazim grinned. ‘Looks like they’ve already started on the wine.’

‘I bet they’re making for the park and its secluded nooks. I heard some of the more daring T’En women slip away tonight,’ Learon whispered. He nodded towards the sisterhood palaces, their domes and towers silvered by the double full moons. ‘There’s a chance of illicit trysting. But not for us.’ He made a disgusted sound in his throat.

As Chariode’s adepts waited for their friends, several of them turned to give Tobazim and Learon filthy looks.

Tobazim felt his gift leap to his defence and had to force it down. He sensed Learon doing the same. The others arrived, and all of them moved off through the archway onto the causeway boulevard.

‘What was that about?’ Learon whispered.

‘I wish I knew.’ They hadn’t been allowed out of the brotherhood palace since they’d arrived. Kyredeon didn’t trust them.

Chariode’s palace was the closest to the causeway gate; the other brotherhood palaces stretched along the street past Kyredeon’s, following the curve of the island. Now revellers poured down the street and wandered past them in groups, singing and joking, as they headed for the free quarter. Tobazim had read of the plays and dance halls, the way poets would challenge passers-by to a duel of rhyming couplets. He wished he’d lived in the Early Golden Age, when the city’s buildings were first raised and his gift would have been appreciated.

‘Look.’ Learon gestured up the street. ‘None of the other all-fathers have bothered to put anyone on guard duty tonight.’

He was right. All the brotherhoods’ palaces stood wide open. Tobazim shrugged. ‘The causeway gate’s shut and the Mieren have all gone home for the night.’

‘So, what’s the point of ceremonial guards?’

‘Prestige.’ Which begged the question. Why did their all-father feel the need to reinforce his prestige? What had to happen before he could safely reveal the attack on Vanillin Oak Winery?

‘Lear...’ a sweet, husky voice sang.

Tobazim glanced over his shoulder.

Paravia glided through the gate to join them. On the floors above, balconies overlooked the street. Tobazim could hear laughter and the occasional squeal of delight. It sounded like some of the brothers were getting into the revelry early.

‘Paravia...’ Learon’s voice held genuine regret. ‘You shouldn’t be here.’

‘I brought you some wine.’

‘We’re on duty.’

‘He’s right, Paravia,’ Tobazim said. ‘This isn’t the winery. If the hand-of-force caught us drinking...’ He shuddered to think.

‘Why are you even on guard duty tonight?’ She was indignant for them. ‘It’s a feast night. None of the other brotherhoods are going to come banner-stealing–’

‘Actually, it’s a very good night for banner-stealing.’ Learon caught Tobazim’s eye. ‘Kyredeon seems to dislike All-fathers Chariode and Hueryx. If we stole their banners, we could win stature and sweeten him up.’

‘Oh...’ Paravia stamped her foot in mock annoyance, then sidled up close to Learon. ‘You don’t want to go banner-stealing when you could be meeting me.’

Tobazim looked away so he wouldn’t have to watch Paravia’s busy hands. But T’En warriors from other brotherhoods saw what she was up to as they went by and whistled appreciatively.

Tobazim was about to remind Learon of his duty, when his choice-brother caught Paravia’s hands and turned them away, saying, ‘I finish at midnight. Go have some fun ’til then.’

She kissed him and darted away.

‘Not too much fun without me,’ he warned.

She laughed.

Learon adjusted himself. ‘Midnight can’t come too soon.’

I
MOSHEN WAS GLAD
the official duties of her evening were over. She returned to her chambers with the intention of singing baby Umaleni to sleep, but found Iraayel, Saffazi and Bedutz playing with her. Seeing their heads bent over the baby, she realised their hair was darkening to silver-grey. They were no longer children, but neither were they adults. They would keep growing until they were twenty-five, and it would take years for them to learn to master their powers.

It was good to see Bedutz. She hadn’t seen much of him recently. He was focused on joining the brotherhood, and there was a lot of anger in him, as if Vittoryxe’s rage had taken root. But, seeing Umaleni in his arms, she was reminded of the boy she had met all those years ago when they first arrived in the city.

Her gift flexed and she read him. Holding the baby soothed him. She came over, placed a hand on his shoulder and opened her senses. His gift, usually laced with aggression, was now leavened with compassion.

And in that instant, she understood what Imoshen the Covenant-maker had not. By removing the T’En children, infants and nursing mothers from contact with the men, she had removed the soothing effect they had on the aggressive male gifts. Once the men were surrounded by nothing but more men, their gifts responded to each other, always spiralling towards violence. The covenant had made them more dangerous.

‘Time for me to put Uma to bed,’ Imoshen said.

They each gave the sleepy infant a kiss and Imoshen went through to the nursery, where she found Frayvia sitting on the window sill. Clearly, she missed Sorne.

Imoshen lay down next to Umaleni to feed her, and Frayvia came over to join her.

‘He could come live in the city,’ Imoshen said softly. ‘I’m all-mother; I’d accept him into our sisterhood.’

Frayvia rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t think he’s a tame Malaunje.’

Imoshen smiled.

A little later, she wandered out to find Iraayel and Saffazi sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, playing cards.

‘I won, I have a sisterhood!’ Saffazi crowed.

‘That was luck, pure luck! You always take ridiculous risks.’ Iraayel threw his cards down with a laugh.

Egrayne’s choice-daughter rolled her eyes. ‘What fun is life, if you can’t take risks? Another game?’

Iraayel leaned forward to collect the cards and noticed Imoshen. ‘Oh, did you want to go to bed?’

If she said yes, they’d leave and that would be the end of their game. Iraayel had turned sixteen yesterday. The thought of him having to join Chariode’s brotherhood in a year’s time horrified Imoshen.

Although he’d spent the last three years studying martial arts with great focus, seeing him there playing cards with Saffazi made her realise how very young he still was. Yet all too soon she would have to declare him dead to her. The covenant was wrong, and she intended to change things, but she would not be in time to save her choice-son from the challenges of brotherhood life.

Her only consolation was that Ardonyx would be on Chariode’s inner circle, and he would keep an eye on her choice-son.

If
Ardonyx returned from his voyage of exploration. He
had to
return. He didn’t even know they had a daughter.

‘Can we stay? Please say we can,’ Saffazi cajoled.

‘You can play, too,’ Iraayel offered.

Imoshen laughed. ‘Stay as long as you like.’

She went through to the nursery, where she found that Frayvia had returned to the window sill. Imoshen sat next to her.

Iraayel’s laughter reached them.

‘You’re soft,’ Frayvia said.

‘I won’t have him for much longer.’

T
OBAZIM HAD BEEN
listening to other people drinking and laughing all evening, and it was getting on his nerves. Music from at least three different sources reached him. Groups of merry-makers had wandered the streets of the brotherhood quarter earlier, but they were mostly up in the free quarter now, or inside the brotherhood palaces.

Something clattered loudly, metal on stone. It seemed to come from Chariode’s palace.

‘Can’t be long until midnight now,’ Learon said, reaching down to adjust himself.

The volume of noise from Chariode’s palace doubled, and the music stopped mid-tune. Deep male voices rose in anger. Something smashed, the tinkle of broken glass clear and high above the hubbub.

‘A fight,’ Learon muttered. ‘Too much wine. Some old slight remembered. Someone out for pay-back.’

A scream, short and visceral, made Tobazim’s gift surge. He forced it down.

‘Their hand-of-force will step in and separate them,’ Learon said, ‘then call for their voice-of-reason to sort it out.’

But the furore rose in volume.

Tobazim and Learon exchanged looks.

Next came the unmistakable clash of metal on metal, followed by agonised screaming.

Learon swore. ‘Chariode’s people are under attack!’

Tobazim ducked into the palace gate-tunnel. ‘Help me with the gates.’

Learon thrust his big shoulder behind the heavy gates. After initial resistance, they creaked and eased shut. Tobazim threw the bolts.

They ran through to the first courtyard.

Here, within the palace walls, the sound of fighting was muted, and could easily be mistaken for rowdy roistering. Until a shriek rose and was cut off abruptly.

‘It’s the winery all over again,’ Tobazim muttered.

They sped through into the palace, past those still caught up in the revelry and those long past carousing.

Hand-of-force Oriemn stood in the corridor outside Kyredeon’s door, talking to the saw-bones, Ceyne. When Oriemn spotted them, anger flashed across his face.

Before he could berate them, Tobazim reported, ‘Chariode’s palace is under attack.’

‘That’s none of our business.’

‘A Mieren attack is none of our business?’ Learon demanded.

‘What makes you think it’s Mieren?’ Ceyne asked.

‘It’ll be a rival brotherhood,’ Oriemn said. ‘Or a leadership challenge. You’re new to the city, you don’t know our ways.’

Tobazim glanced to Learon. Had they overreacted?

Running boots made them all turn.

‘Mieren attack!’ a warrior reported as he hurried towards them. ‘They’ve breached the lake-wall and broken into Chariode’s palace.’

Learon cursed. ‘I told–’

‘Quiet,’ Oriemn snapped. He turned his attention to the messenger. ‘How do you know this?’

‘I come from the rooftop garden. Women and children are pouring onto Chariode’s roof, calling for help.’

‘We must–’ Learon turned to go.

Oriemn caught him by the arm. ‘You do nothing until I give the order.’

‘But–’

The hand-of-force shoved Learon up against the wall, forearm across his throat. ‘Nothing.’ Oriemn’s gift flared to reinforce his words. ‘Do you understand?’

Learon did not look happy, but he nodded.

‘We’ve shut the palace’s street gate,’ Tobazim reported, trying to divert him. ‘But we only have our long-knives. They’ll be armed with swords. We need–’

‘You need to shut up.’ Oriemn turned the full force of his gift on Tobazim.

‘Do as he says,’ the saw-bones advised.

‘Come with me.’ Oriemn gestured to the warrior from the rooftop. He strode into Kyredeon’s chamber, shutting the door behind him. They waited.

And they waited.

Learon swore and went to stride off.

Ceyne caught his arm. ‘If you disobey a direct order, he’ll execute you.’

‘I know, but women and children are dying.’

‘Believe me, I share your frustration.’

Tobazim was having trouble controlling his gift. ‘What’s the delay?’

Ceyne glanced in both directions and gestured for them to come closer. ‘My guess is, Kyredeon’s waiting for Chariode’s warriors to bear the brunt of the attack, before coming to the brotherhood’s rescue. He wants Chariode weakened and indebted to him.’

Tobazim felt sick. ‘How can you follow him?’

‘He’s the all-father.’ Ceyne grimaced. ‘He holds our lives in his hands.’

Athlyn arrived at a run. ‘There are armed Mieren in the street.’

Learon turned to Tobazim.

‘What are you going to do?’ Ceyne asked.

‘The women and children need us,’ Tobazim said. ‘Come on.’

He led them up the steps at a run, heart pounding. When they reached the roof, the cries of the women and children drew them to the edge. Kyredeon’s palace roof was lower than Chariode’s. Only a short gap separated the two buildings, but it was too far for the children to jump, and the mothers couldn’t leave them.

Tobazim looked around for something to bridge the gap. He spotted a long garden trellis. His gift told him it was sturdily made and would support the weight of adults. He raised his voice. ‘Over here. Give me a hand with this.’

The others saw what he intended. Between them, they uprooted the trellis and carried it across, stood it on its end and let it fall. It clattered into place.

The mothers sent the nimbler, older children across first, but there were still the babies and toddlers to come.