The Treason Blade (Battle for Alsaar Book 1) (7 page)

Traevyn shook
his head. “Its name is Wërn and no, not in its present form.” He pointed down
the hill. “There were the remains of a village just as there were the remains
of a holding. We had to rebuild it all. We started on the holding, and renamed
it Taryn. It is a Raanan word that means ‘talon of the hawk.’ As it grew and
became established, the Britai came back. After the last attacks, many Britai
villages were built closer to the mountains. With our coming, there were those
who chose to return to what they remembered as home. Those who arrived began to
rebuild and they renamed the village Wërn. It is a Britai word that means
‘under the wing’s shadow.’ They named it such because they feel protected with
the holding looming large and close to them.” Traevyn studied the thatch roofs
below them. “Wërn has grown a lot in the past several years. People have come;
some to learn how to fight and some to come home. For whatever reason, even
with the threat of the Tourna on the horizon, they stayed. And now more men
come to learn how to be soldiers and be trained in fighting skills.”

“No women?”
Ishar queried.

Traevyn
studied her and shook his head. “Britai women are not fighters. They know how
to be wives and mothers, but when it comes to battle, all they know is how to
run and hide. That is the legacy of the Tourna,” he murmured softly.

“I do not
know if I would say that,” Ishar stated solemnly. “The Lute
have
been hit hard by the Tourna and yet still they fight. It is their nature.”

Traevyn
allowed her a hint of a smile. “The Lute will fight as long as there is breath
in their bodies. They do not know the meaning of the word surrender. It is their
viewpoint, their way of life. They would rather die than become slaves.” He
shrugged. “I guess you are right. The Britai have a different nature, but from
what I have heard of the time before the Tourna, the Lute have always been an
aggressive and determined people who hunted much and gathered some. The Britai
before the Tourna are not much different from the Britai today. They were
peaceful people who farmed the land and hunted little. They were completely
unprepared for the first invasion of the Tourna into this land and they have
never recovered.”

Traevyn
started to walk up the slope, away from the village. Ishar cast another glance
at the village. “Will they be ready when the Tourna come?”

Traevyn
looked back, concern stretched across his face. “I fervently hope so, for their
sake as much as ours.” He continued walking.

Ishar matched
his stride. “You seem free to give your opinions.” She caught at his arm. “May
I have yours on me? You have only just met me but as warriors, I know our
instant reactions tell us much.”

Traevyn
stopped mid-step and stared at the holding. He turned around and glanced at her
with a frown. “You are not what I was expecting,” he said slowly. Then he
turned back and continued up the slope.

Ishar stood
there for a moment, her mouth open in surprise. “I am not what you were
expecting,” she mimicked in confusion. Her head drew back. “That is it?” Ishar
charged up the slope after Traevyn with a frown of her own. “Wait, you have
nothing more to add beyond that cryptic expression?”

“No,” Traevyn
stated, without breaking his steady stride. He added with a sideways tilt to
his head, “But when I decide how I feel about your being here, you will be the
first to know.”

“And what
does that mean?” Ishar asked warily.

Traevyn
shrugged as he walked. “If I think you are here to cause trouble like Ber says,
I will kill you myself. If I think you are here to help with the peace,” he
shrugged, “I will not.”

Ishar stopped
at his words. She stared at him now, her mouth open. When she had asked for
honesty, was this what she had expected?

Traevyn
looked back. He halted his progress when he saw that she was stopped. He
frowned. “Well?”

She closed
the distance between them, anger flaring within her. “So if I am still alive in
the next few days, I have your trust and blessing. That is what your words
mean?” She was not certain why she was so mad. Was it Traevyn’s quick casual
reply to her question? Or was the anger at
herself
because for some unknown reason he had so quickly managed to rile her?
Whatever the reason, the sudden fury within her simmered near
boiling.

“I would not
go as far to say my blessing—” Traevyn begin, annoyance flashing across his
eyes.

In an
uncharacteristic move, Ishar shoved him hard enough in the chest that he took a
step backward to catch his balance. “You know,” she stated through clenched
teeth, “Trust is a two way position, Traevyn,” She moved past him and continued
up the slope, continuing, “To be given and received. And sometimes, one must
just take a chance on uncertainties.”

Traevyn’s
voice floated up to her. “What?” She heard him ask in surprise as she continued
on up the hill. “What did I say?” He asked again.

Ishar ignored
him and made her way back to the holding. Traevyn caught up with her at the
gate. He walked with her but kept his silence as they made their way into the
outer hold and through the second gate. Ishar focused on heading toward Simi
and ignored Traevyn. It was not easy. She tried to ignore the silent shadow at
her rear. It worked, until they entered the horse shelter. Ishar stalked down
the hallway but not before Traevyn slid around to her front, bodily picked her
up and shoved her against the closed door to one of the stalls. He was pressed
tight to her to prevent her from reacting and he held her level with those coal
black eyes of his. Traevyn, Ishar realized, was angry.

“Listen to
me,” he hissed, “you crazy Haaldyn. I do not know what I did to upset you. You
asked for honesty, I gave you honesty. I expected you to appreciate it.”

“What?” Ishar
ground out, “That you would let me know if you found me worthy enough by your
standards?” Her breath came in gasps. She was angry too. “You are all about
seeing if I am the one trustworthy enough for an alliance. What about yourself
and those warriors with you? Do you think I do not have to decide if they or
any of these people here are worthy of an alliance with my people? I am not the
only person being judged.”

Traevyn’s jaw
was tight. He set her down, released his hands and backed away as if he did not
want to touch her, as if he was afraid of what he might do. He narrowed his
eyes at her. “You seem to forget our past. The only Haaldyn I have ever met
were in combat when they fought the Lute. They were vicious and without mercy.”

Ishar refused
to back down. “And I have seen what a Lute can do in battle. They show no more
mercy than we. The same, I am sure, could be said of you or any of the other
warriors I met last night.” Her tone softened. “In war, we do what we must. But
now there is peace between my people and the Lute and we strive to unite the
rest of the island because we have come to realize there is something out there
bigger than the rest of us. The Tourna want us at each other’s throats. It will
make it all the easier when they land their boats to destroy us.” Ishar took
the risk. “I refuse to let that happen to my people or to these, if I can help
it.”

Traevyn
watched her warily. “What you want is for me to trust you without reservation.”

“There is no
physical act I can do that will convince you I mean you no harm. It all boils
down to trust. You must trust the words I say because you believe in this
future as much as I.”

Traevyn
frowned. “You ask too much.”

“I am willing
to give that same trust,” Ishar whispered furiously. “What proof do I have to
that you will be honorable with your word?”

Traevyn’s
eyes darkened. “If you were not a woman,” he growled.

Ishar shoved
up her hands. “See. I am expected to take you at your word but mine is not good
enough. And you fail to see that I might take issue with that.”

Traevyn
blinked. He opened his mouth and then closed it. His look was thoughtful as he
spoke, “I am beginning to see the position from which you speak.” Traevyn held
up a hand. “I will think on this.”

Ishar took a
step closer, “And while you do, think on this. If you ever grab me in such a
manner again I will make you regret it.” To make her point plain, Ishar tapped
his inner thigh with the drawn dwæn she had concealed in her hand. She took two
rapid steps back to give them each some distance in case Traevyn tried to
retaliate. Ishar crossed her arms and turned her tone to one of cool civility.
“I believe I will look in on Simi and then return to the fortress to see Eira.
I have seen enough of your hospitality for one day. You are welcome to stay and
see that I keep my word,” Ishar added tautly. She turned and walked down the
middle walkway until she came to Simi’s stall. She looked back down the aisle a
moment later when the silence became extended. Traevyn was gone. Ishar sighed
and turned back at Simi’s snort and playful whinny.

*

The sun had
long set by the time Traevyn stalked in and sat down in a corner. Davaris
followed but bypassed the table and went directly to the bar. He brought back
two cups Jaya had filled for him and set them on the table. Davaris eased
himself down onto a bench. They both took several silent sips, ignoring the
loud laughter flowing around them. Finally Davaris spoke. “I had hoped the
drink would settle whatever stirred you up this afternoon. You fought some
demon out there,” he said pointing back toward the training area from which
they had just come, “But you let it wear my face. I think I deserve to know why
you tried to kill me today.”

Traevyn
frowned. “I did not try to kill you today. If I had you would be dead.”

“But you were
not fighting like yourself,” Davaris countered. “It is not like you to fight
angry. You are usually the calmest man in battle.”

Traevyn
fingered the cup for a second. “Ishar made me angry.”

“You do not
get angry,” Davaris stated simply.

“Exactly,”
Traevyn muttered, “But none the less it happened.” Traevyn glanced at Davaris.
“We both know why she says she is here. But do you believe her?”

Davaris took
a deep gulp of drink. He set it down. “It boils down to whether or not we trust
the Haaldyn enough to be allies with them.” Davaris shrugged. “Of that I am not
certain. A part of me would like to think so. We could use the extra hardened
soldiers they could provide.”

“Exactly.
We want to believe, but we are left with the
dilemma of how they can prove their loyalty.”

Davaris
smiled. “You spoke of this to Ishar? I begin to see where an argument arose. I
assume Ishar responded, asking you to prove our loyalty to her people, and you,
due to your sense of honor, became outraged at her words.”

Traevyn
sighed.
“At the time, yes.
Later, once I calmed down,
I thought about what she said and realized her line of reasoning was not without
its truths.”

“That is the
trouble when once enemies attempt to become allies,” Davaris stated wryly. “No
one will trust the other and everyone is looking for the other side to betray
them at the first possible moment.”

“Then she is
right. How do we prove we are trustworthy?” Traevyn stated this in
exasperation.

Davaris
motioned to Jaya for a refill. He turned and studied Traevyn for a moment. “It
takes time. And no matter what people do, there will always be those who will
never go along with it and try to ruin it for everyone else.”

“What if we
do not have time?” Traevyn put his hand over his cup and Jaya only filled
Davaris’ cup. Traevyn stared back at his friend. “The Tourna will come and
soon. We are running out of time. We need what allies we can make and we need
them now.”

Davaris was
silent for a moment. “I had no idea, when you walked up to me and Gavin
exchanging sword blows at practice and told him to go away, of your irritation
with Ishar.” He chuckled. “I wish I had known. What did you do when she made
you angry? Did you search me out personally or was I the first person you saw
who you knew could match you?”

“I picked her
up and shoved her against a wall,” Traevyn muttered.”

Davaris
blinked. “You picked her up and shoved her against a wall,” he repeated.

“You picked
who up and shoved who against a wall?” Gavin asked as he dropped down on the
bench beside Davaris. He already had a drink in his hand. He turned to stare at
Traevyn, “And why were you trying to kill Davaris this afternoon? You fought
unlike yourself.”

“Ishar,”
Davaris said starkly.

Gavin
frowned. “You were fighting Davaris for Ishar. Does she know that?”

Davaris
smiled. “No, I was answering your first question, Gavin.”

Gavin’s frown
deepened. “You picked Ishar up and shoved her against a wall? That is also
unlike you.”

“So is
fighting angry,” Davaris added. “But apparently he is trying many things new.”

“Would both
of you just be quiet,” Traevyn said frustrated. “I have to figure something out
and neither of you are helping.”

“Figure out
what?” Glyndwr asked grimly as he sat to Davaris right. He held his left arm
gingerly to his side.