The King's Name (15 page)

Peace because you said it was a good thing and I was prepared to leave the thinking to you. But eventually I

did realize what it was we were fighting for, what the Peace is, what the Law is; it is more than any single person, and better for everyone. You said after Foreth that our honor lay in how well the Peace was kept, breath by breath, all our days. If I were to throw away my peoples'

lives that would be a terrible thing. But if I

were to be too careful of them and risk the Peace, that would be even worse. Having come so far I will not throw away the honor of Foreth now, and everyone's future choices."

I looked back at Urdo, and saw to my amazement that there were tears on his face. He smiled at me. "Then we will take your militia with us," he said. "Now, let us deal with these Malms."

We rode on. The stable doors were closed, but not barred on the outside. Ap Selevan reported to Urdo that nothing had happened while they were waiting. I greeted old friends in ap Selevan's pennon, and in Elwith's. I

was exchanging a few words with ap Padarn when there came a movement from within the stable.

Everyone turned and lowered their spears toward the doors as they swung open. I was expecting a suicidal rush forward and moved Thunder ahead, between Urdo and the doors.

Instead a single tiny woman walked out, her bare head held high. Her hair was completely gray now but I

would have known her anywhere. Many of the armigers recognized her, and even those that did not fell back a little before her. She ignored them as if they did not exist. I had known that Amala had gone to Narlahena with Marchel, but had never thought she might have come back with her. She walked in silence across the muddy stable yard toward us and stopped in front of Urdo. She was wearing a white drape embroidered in blue and gold, and she did not look in the least as if she had been killing horses in it. She seemed as fresh as if she had just come from the bathhouse.

She stood there in silence for a moment, looking at us. Always before Amala had made me feel ungainly and barbaric. Now, even though I was wearing battle-stained armor, I was only aware how very frail she was. She must have been almost seventy years old.

"Why are you here, wife of Thurrig?" Urdo asked, with no warmth in his voice.

"I was not exiled from Tir Tanagiri," Amala said, biting off the words in her familiar way.

"True," Urdo said. "You left of your own choice, and were free to return in peace at any time and rejoin the rest of your free to return and take up arms against me."

"Take up arms?" Amala said, raising her bare arms almost as if she were about to take an oath, and making it abundantly clear that she was weaponless.

"Enough of this," Urdo said, frowning. "Marchel has invaded us and you came here with her.

You, and those with you, stand accused of well-poisoning, horse-murder, and destruction of supplies. By the law you have earned death, and I have force enough here to take you all.

What is to prevent me?"

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"Will you speak with me in private?" Amala asked, looking around at the waiting pennons.

"Are you here as a herald?" Urdo asked.

"I have no branches, but we shall say I am if it pleases you," she replied. The question now was where we should go. These stables were right across Magor from the hall, which was the only place we could really offer any hospitality. It was even further to the stockade. Urdo solved this by dismounting, giving Harvest's reins to Ulf, who was the nearest, and leading Amala off toward the place where the memorials for the dead dukes of Magor lay. I gave ap Padarn Thunder's reins. I told ap Selevan to keep the rest ready at the stable doors and to kill the Malms if they made any attempt to break out. Then I hurried off after them.

We sat down on the carved rock that recorded the dates of Duke Galba's life, and of his wife's.

Young Galba's stone was nearby, and I realized that soon we would be burning Aurien, and cutting her name into it beside his.

"So," Urdo said when we were settled. "Tell me why I should not just set fire to that stable block and solve my whole problem?"

"Even if you cared nothing that Thurrig would avenge me," she said, crisply, "would you have war with

Narla-hena?"

Urdo made a sound that was cousin to a laugh. "It would seem that I have it whether I would or not. Two alae landed is a little much for a fishing trip gone astray."

"Then you have thought about the fleet it took to bring them here?" Amala said. I frowned. I had not. "King

Go-moarion is supporting Marchel's venture, yes, in hope of easy gain, plunder, and a victory for the White

God. Also, it is the payment he has made her for acting all these years as his cavalry commander.

But he has many more alae, and a strong fleet. All who came here are volunteers, and he has declared no war on you."

"A nice distinction," Urdo said. "So why does that change if I treat you and your people as you deserve?"

"His son is among the rabble of grooms and cooks taking refuge in that stable. Gomoarion did not know he was here, and nor did Marchel. He stowed away on board, he was so full of zeal to see the victory of the

White God in another land." Amala touched a hand to her hair, looking suddenly weary. "All of this well-poisoning and slaughter of horses was at Gomoarionsson's instigation. His father will pay you a fine ransom for his safe return to Narlahena, but he would lay the land waste if harm came to him."

"He could try," Urdo said. Laying the land waste, even with alae and a fleet, was far from easy. It would be difficult for him to do even what we had done in Oriel in the way of destruction, as he had no nearby base. But even if he only stopped the Narlahenan merchant ships from crossing to trade with us, that would be very bad. An outright invasion, with such a long supply line, would be costly for us, even if he could only win if he had allies here. Though that idea did not seem as comforting as it might. "So what do you suggest, wife of Thurrig?" Urdo continued.

Amala smiled wryly. "I have been suggesting that we entrust ourselves to your honor since before the gates were opened. Some among us have been longing to spend their lives winning the praise of the White God for killing pagans. Is Raul here, Urdo? It might do them good to talk to him. But I would beg of you to give us a ship that we might return to Narlahena in peace."

Urdo frowned. "Impossible," he said. "But if you will all surrender fully I will spare your lives, counting these crimes but excess of zeal."

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Amala pursed her lips, and I guessed that she had never really thought she would get a ship.

"And if I were to accept that, and if we were to swear not to make war upon you, would you send us all to Thansethan?" Urdo hesitated. It was too far, across too dubious ground, and Thansethan's loyalty was not certain. Yet what else could he do with them, to keep them secure? I could not offer to keep them here or at Derwen; the ala would not harbor horse-killers and here there might still be people who sympathized with them. The association of ideas gave me the answer. "We could send them to Dun Morr," I said, turning to Urdo. "There are enough Isarnagans there who could do with help on the farms and could keep an eye on them. They won't mistreat them and Lew would be delighted to have the duty. Also, there isn't anywhere to land on that coast until you get all the way to Tapit Point, so it's unlikely the Narlahenans could mount a rescue."

"Good," Urdo said. "That will do for the mass of them, if they will only be induced to surrender. That would also be a good thing for those who surrendered in the field." He turned to Amala. "Would you accept that?"

"For those who surrendered in the field and for the rabble in the stables, yes." She hesitated a moment.

"Some of them are young and foolish and wish for a martyr's crown. You should ask them to give up their arms and swear by the Holy Father that they will not fight. Make sure priests are there, Raul and Father

Cinwil. They are very young, and they may not see life as preferable." She hesitated again, looking down at the gravemarker she was sitting on and then up at Urdo. She looked old and frail and tentative. "I know you would not wish to kill them after showing such leniency. But for myself, and for Gomoarionsson?"

"I would send you to Thurrig," Urdo said, "but the times are very uncertain. I will send to tell him you are safe, and that your grandsons are safe at Derwen. You may wait there with them if you choose, or you may go to

Caer Tanaga until I can deliver you to your husband. As for Gomoarionsson, I suppose it would be an insult to expect him to labor for Lew, though if he is as you have represented him it would do him good. I shall write to his father and say that we announce royal visits differently in Tir Tanagiri, but for all that, his son is safely arrived in my keeping. Gomoarionsson himself I shall send to Caer Tanaga, where Elenn and Gormant can entertain him until we hear his father's wishes. If his father wants him back after he has been such a fool."

"Will we give the Isarnagans the ransom when it comes?" I asked.

"Half of it," Urdo said. "And we will set it high."

"Where is Thurrig?" Amala asked.

Urdo laughed. "In Caer Thanbard, or sailing against the pirates, where would he be?

Have you heard different?"

Amala smiled, thin-lipped. "I will accept your conditions," she said. "But you must let me go back into that

terrible stable and make Gomoarionsson see this as a way forward."

—9—

Here long ago light was born as every morning light is born thy gift, ever renewed as each day brings a new dawn.

This is the world's axle-point as is each step on the turning world.

Standing here still as the world turns toward red dawn

I know light is how I see light is what I see

I know myself seeing the light.

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Thanks from my heart

Albian, Radiant Sun, thy gift to see myself in thy light.

— Hymn to Dawn

A mala went back into the stable and eventually came out with a sullen-looking bunch of Malms. They all looked very young. I heard afterward she had needed to get two of the others to sit on Gomoarionsson before he would agree to surrender on Urdo's very generous terms.

We sent most of them out under escort to the

Isarnagans in the stockade, but Celemon managed to fit Amala and Gomoarionsson into the hall.

Masarn arrived back late in the evening. Marchel appeared to have vanished. The only sign he had seen of her was a handful of foundered horses.

She must have known of a track we didn't know, or of somewhere nearby to hide out of sight.

She had spent two years as praefecto down in Magor, and longer in Caer Glo-ran; she had had time to get to know the land well. I had to send Masarn and his people out to the stockade for the night. There really wasn't enough room

for another four pennons inside the walls of Magor—it would have been a squeeze to make room for another four armigers at that point. Marchel's two alae must have been very cramped.

I didn't want either people or horses to spend the night outside with Marchel loose. I couldn't find the optimism Masarn had to hope the land had eaten them. Masarn was quite prepared to take the risk of being outside; he was far more horrified at the thought of sleeping near the horse-eaters. Word had spread, and he had heard the rumor as soon as he was in the gates. I mollified him with the promise that if he caught the Isarnagans so much as cutting a hair from a greathorse, living or dead, he had permission to kill them on the spot.

I slept in my tent and woke late. I hadn't missed anything but breakfast. Urdo was still settling the affairs of

Magor and wasn't anything like ready to leave. I hadn't even really missed breakfast; Talog had saved me some cold porridge. I went to the stables to see to my horses, and found Darien and ap Caw there.

Ap Caw was leaning on the wall next to Barley's stall, chewing on a piece of straw. Darien was fussing over a long-maned Narlahenan horse. They both looked up as I came in. "Look at my new riding horse," Darien said.

I came up and gave it a closer look. It was a gray gelding, probably nine or ten years old by the teeth.

"I thought Urdo was giving them to the Isamagans?" I said, making friends with him.

He was a very good-tempered horse, quite happy to become acquainted.

"Lots of them," ap Caw said, spitting out the straw. "Waste of good horses if they eat them, but no arguing with Urdo when he's using that voice. He swears their eating days are over after last night, but I'll wait and see what they do. I was up before dawn sorting the horses for him, choosing the youngest and making sure they all had sound wind, not that the Isamagans will be able to tell more than that they have a leg at each corner.

Two each for all the household warriors, four for therr captain, six for the queen, and a dozen to go back to the king. Every one of them in breeding condition, mostly mares but a fair sprinkling of stallions, too. Urdo says he wants to set them up a herd at Dun Morr."

"I'm sure he's right that they won't eat horses anymore," Darien said. "I hope so anyway. They're not greathorses, but they're very fast and they fought very well, I thought." I looked over at him, and realized that he had grown again and I had to look up to talk to him. At his full height he overtopped me by three or four fingers. He was taller than my brother Darien
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had ever been. He was older than my brother Darien had ever been, too. I was only just taking in that he was an armiger and not a child, old enough to fight in the first rank and give other people orders, and now I had to cope with the fact that he was taller than I was. We smiled at each other, a little uncertainly.

"They fought very well indeed," I said, looking back to the gray horse. "And the rest are being shared out in the ala?"