Griffin's Shadow (20 page)

“There’s trouble back home,” Sen answered. “Soldaran troops are gathering at Amsara Castle. We have good intelligence that says they’re planning an attack on Kerala within the month.”

“No!” Jelena exclaimed. “My uncle can’t…” She stopped herself with a fierce shake of her head. “What am I saying…of course he can!” She swore a string of oaths in Soldaran. Sen’s eyebrows shot up.

“Easy, Wife,” Ashinji soothed, stroking her arm. “How large is the duke’s army, Father?”

“At least two thousand strong, by the best estimates of our scouts, and nearly half of that is heavy cavalry. And it’s not the duke who leads them.”

“Who, then?” Jelena asked. “Surely not my cousin Magnes! He would never…Wait, wait. It must be Thessalina. She’s always been the captain of the ducal forces. But then that means…” She grabbed Ashinji’s forearm and he winced at the strength of her grip. “Something has happened to my uncle, Ashi. He’s ill, or…or....” She paused, then added, “He would never allow Thessalina to lead his troops into battle if he could do so himself.”

“A woman does, indeed, appear to be in charge,” Sen confirmed.

“Have there been any reports of my cousin Magnes?” Jelena asked.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but the scouts don’t know what your cousin looks like. There’s really no way to tell if he’s even at Amsara.”

“I know you’re worried about Magnes, Jelena,” Ashinji said. “Let’s pray that he somehow finds a way to get through this trouble unscathed.”

“The king wants a force of our own in Kerala to stand ready to repel any sorties the Soldarans make across our border,” Sen continued.

Ashinji frowned. “Why would the empress choose to launch an invasion so far to the east…and why now? I thought her plan is to attack through the Tono valley next spring.”

“Think about it, Son. The empress knows that by sending an army out to the east now, she can split our forces and weaken us by making us fight an exhausting defensive action. This way, she wears us down before the main fight even starts.”

The harsh squawk of a raven drifted in through the open window. The sound filled Ashinji with foreboding. He shivered and pulled Jelena close against him. He could sense her puzzlement. “I assume Sadaiyo will lead our guards back to Kerala?” he asked.

“Our guard and a contingent of regular troops, yes,” Sen replied, then added, “You’ll go along as his second-in-command.” Ashinji felt Jelena stiffen in his arms. She pulled away and sank back onto the window seat, her face gone pale.

“My heart is telling me to beg you not to send Ashi away,” she whispered, looking at Sen, “but my mind understands what is at stake. I know where my husband’s duty lies.” The pain and fear in his wife’s voice cut like knives; still, Ashinji had never been so proud of her.

“Spoken like a true princess,” Sen replied. “Your bravery honors us, my dear.”

“I don’t feel very brave right now.” Jelena put an impatient hand to her face and dashed away the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

“When do we leave, Father?” Ashinji asked.

“Two days from now. I’ll be staying in Sendai. The king can’t spare me just now. The full council meets tomorrow. There’s still a lot of planning to be done, and in light of these new developments…. Well, I’ve got to go find your brother, and I pray to the One that wife of his controls her temper when she hears Sadaiyo’s going away without her!”

“I’ll be ready, Father,” Ashinji assured. Sen nodded and squeezed his shoulder, then headed for the door.

Ashinji sat on the couch beside Jelena. She looked so young and frightened, like a little girl who faced the loss of her entire world.

“Jelena…” he began, but she laid a finger to his lips, stilling his words.

“Please don’t say anything, Ashi.”

He gathered her into his arms and held her while she cried.

~~~

That night, Ashinji dreamed of fire. Flames shot up in bright walls all around him, yet he could not run fast enough to escape. The sounds of pursuit—the thud of horses’ hooves, the hoarse shouts of men—echoed in his ears; suddenly, he found himself surrounded by shadows, all featureless, save one. He knew, with terrible certainty, that if he could recognize that face, he would be able to save himself.

‘
Help me!’
he cried, but harsh laughter drowned out his plea. The eyes of the one he should have known burned like stars—cold and distant. Ashinji realized at that moment he was lost. A high-pitched keening, like the wail of a damned soul tore at his ears. He looked down to see an arrow had sprouted from his chest. Bright blood, red as roses, spurted, and he fell, down, down, into darkness…

…and woke with a start, clammy with sweat. His heart hammered against his ribcage and his limbs shook with the knowledge that he had just experienced not a dream, but a vision of his future. He turned to look at Jelena, who lay facing him, sleeping soundly. As he watched, she sighed and muttered, then rolled onto her other side, away from him.

He lay back and took a deep breath, trying to will his body to relax, but to no avail. He knew he would sleep no more this night.

When Jelena awoke the following morning, she found him sitting in the window, staring out over the rooftops, his eyes narrowed against the red glare of the rising sun.

~~~

“Little Brother, your first duty as my second-in-command is to hold my stirrup while I mount.” Sadaiyo grinned in more of a wolfish display of his teeth than an actual smile.

“Good morning to you, too, Brother,” Ashinji replied, determined to keep a rein on his temper. “The company is assembled and ready to move out as soon as you give the order.”

“Lord Ashinji!” a familiar voice called. Ashinji turned to see Gendan approaching at a brisk walk, helmet tucked beneath one arm; Aneko trailed him by a few steps. The Captain of the Kerala Guard bowed crisply to Sadaiyo, acknowledging his presence, as did Aneko, but both gave their entire attention to Ashinji as Gendan spoke.

“It’s good to see you, my lord,” the captain exclaimed.

“Likewise, Gendan,” Ashinji replied, then turning to Aneko, he said, “Jelena has missed you. She wanted to visit you at the barracks, but…”

“I understand, my lord,” Aneko replied, smiling. “Things have changed a lot. My good friend Jelena is no longer as free as she once was. Such is the fate the One has decreed for her.”

“You must be anxious to get back home to see your wife, Gendan,” Ashinji said. “I’m sure it’s been hard being separated from her these past months.”

Gendan nodded. “Kami’s a strong girl, my lord, but no woman should have to endure childbirth without her man beside her. Your father, Goddess bless him, has given me permission to stay at Kerala ‘til after Kami delivers.”

“My father is a compassionate man,” Ashinji replied, studiously ignoring Sadaiyo.

“I have work to do,” Sadaiyo grumbled, clearly irritated at not being the center of attention. Both Kerala guards bowed their heads as he stomped off.

“Jelena should be here any moment,” Ashinji said. “She’s probably with my father and the king. She’ll come out with them to see us off.”

Ashinji observed Gendan discreetly watching his brother. The captain frowned as Sadaiyo berated a soldier for some minor infraction. His eyes flashed as they shifted to Ashinji. “May I speak freely, my lord?” he asked.

“Of course, Gendan. You needn’t ever be afraid to tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I know why ‘tis Lord Sadaiyo leads this expedition, rather than you, my lord, and we’ll all obey him, as is our duty, but…” He paused, lower lip caught between his teeth. Ashinji remained silent, waiting for the captain to collect his thoughts and continue. Gendan leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just know, should you need us, the Kerala home guard’ll stand behind
you,
my lord.”

Aneko nodded in agreement. “We will always have your back, Lord Ashinji,” she said.

Ashinji tugged at his earlobe, unsure of how to respond to Gendan’s words. Kerala’s captain had made it clear where his loyalties lay, and the part of Ashinji that despised the kind of man his brother was, felt deeply moved. The other part that honored familial duty pricked him with guilt.

Ashinji’s father had placed him under his brother’s command, in a position of trust. He was honor-bound to obey Sadaiyo’s orders, whatever he might personally feel about his brother.

Shouts and cries of “
The king is here!”
rose above the throng of soldiers and horses milling about the parade ground.

Gendan tapped Aneko’s arm. “We’d best be gettin’ back to our places.” He then looked pointedly at Ashinji. “Remember what I said, my lord.”

Ashinji watched as the two Kerala guards hurried away and were swallowed up by the crowd, then turned and headed toward the castle’s main entrance. Soldiers stepped aside to let him pass, many of them offering him words of greeting. Since becoming the son-in-law of Silverlock, Ashinji found himself in a position where he had never expected to be—he was famous.

And rich, in his own right. As a wedding gift, the king had given him the best thing he possibly could have—financial independence in the form of his own land. Just yesterday, Ashinji had received the first financial reports. The estate of Goura was small, but profitable, and would be even more so once a competent manager could be found to run it. It lay about two day’s ride northeast of Kerala Castle, just over the border in neighboring Manza, the demesne of Lord Dai, Sadaiyo’s father-in-law.

The family that had once held Goura had died out, leaving the estate vacant. Ordinarily, any vassal estate in which the family line became extinct would pass to the ruling lord to be disposed of as he or she saw fit. Most of the time, the land would be given to a younger child of the lord. No doubt, the king had compensated Lord Dai well for the land.

Misune probably would have received Goura,
Ashinji thought.
No doubt Sadaiyo has already pointed out to her how I’ve been given what should have rightfully been hers.

He reached the broad, shallow steps leading up to the castle’s main entrance just as his father, the king, Prince Raidan, and Jelena all emerged. He waited for them to reach the bottom stair, then bowed his head. “Your Majesty, your Highness.” He looked up and caught Jelena’s eye.

When he had left her behind in the warm haven of their bed before sunrise, he had made her promise she would eat something before she came down to see him off. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Yes, I ate,” Jelena replied, laughing, but her voice caught and he saw tears glittering in her eyes. Despite her brave face, put on for his benefit, he sensed her fear, though she held it well in check. She came and stood beside him, linking her arm with his.

“Where is your brother, Son?” Sen inquired, eyes scanning the crowd.

“I’m not sure,” Ashinji replied. He looked over his shoulder. “He was…”

“Here he comes now,” Prince Raidan said.

Sadaiyo emerged from the throng, looking harried and followed by an equally harried aide. He sketched a bow before the king and the prince. His eyes flicked over Ashinji and away again, as if his brother wasn’t worth his attention.

“The army is ready to form up and move out, your Majesty,” Sadaiyo reported.

“Very good,” Keizo replied. “You may give the order any time.”

“Father, have you seen Misune?” Sadaiyo inquired, his voice rough with irritation. Sen shook his head.

“Haven’t seen her, Son. I’m sure she’ll be here before you leave, though.”

“She’d better be,” Sadaiyo grumbled. He turned to Ashinji. “Go and give the order.” He bowed again and dashed off into the crowd, shouting for his aide to bring his horse. The king, Prince Raidan, and Sen had all moved off a little way and stood in a close huddle, their expressions intense. Ashinji slipped an arm around Jelena’s waist and pulled her close so he could speak to her without having to raise his voice. He put a hand under her chin and tilted her face up so he could gaze into the warm hazel of her eyes.

He opened his mouth but no words would come, as if his tongue had lost all ability to form meaningful sounds
.

I love her so much, it hurts,
he thought
. I can’t burden her now, not when we are about to part, with the vision I’ve been given of my future.

She gazed expectantly at him, love flowing out of her body like the blue fire she harbored within herself. It felt so sweet, and yet the pain of knowing he might not live to see her again made it almost unbearable.

His throat ached with unshed tears.

“Jelena,” he began, then paused to catch his breath.

“What is it, my love?” she whispered.

He rested his forehead against hers. “There’s too much to say and not enough time for all of the words,” he said. “Let me try and mindspeak to you.” She nodded and closed her eyes.

He rarely used his ability to mindspeak. It always made his head hurt when he tried, but any amount of pain seemed worth the effort to convey his innermost feelings.

He entered her mind as gently as he could, amazed anew at the brilliance of it. The blue fire burned at the core of her being, mysterious and powerful, but he shied away from it, wary of its strength. He opened himself to her and let the love that filled his soul pour from him like blood from an open wound. He gave every drop he could, and when he could give no more, he withdrew.