Hanara prostrated himself and held up the bottle. He felt it taken from his grasp. Takado said nothing. After a short wait, the slave crawled backwards on all fours, then sat on his haunches and looked around. Jochara was nowhere to be seen.
“You don’t have enough slaves,” Asara said, looking at Takado. “A leader ought to have more slaves than anybody else.”
Takado shrugged. “I could try to bring a few more over, but I can’t go myself and those I’d trust with the task I need here. It would be such a menial favour to ask it would be insulting.”
“Then take one of mine,” Asara offered. “No, take two.” She turned and called out. “Chinka! Dokko!”
Turning to look over his shoulder, Takado looked at Hanara, his expression thoughtful and amused. “You’d serve me better if I didn’t wear you out all the time, wouldn’t you, Hanara?”
Hanara bent forward to place his forehead on the ground. “My life is yours to use as you wish,” he said.
The woman laughed. “Ah, here they come.”
Stealing a quick glance, Hanara saw that Takado’s attention had moved away from him again. All the magicians were looking at a pair of slaves who had thrown themselves on the ground in front of Asara. A woman, lean and strong, and a large, well-muscled man.
“They are two of my best.” Asara said proudly. “They’re in good condition. Chinka used to work in the kitchens, but she is also useful at cleaning, mending clothes and shoes, treating minor hurts, light carrying duties and other general tasks. Dokko is a good maker – useful for more than just heavy work – and he’s good with horses.” She turned back to Takado. “Which I am surprised you haven’t acquired yet. We would travel faster with them.”
“Would we?” Takado shook his head. “Horses need feed, rest and slaves to look after them. And unless we have horses for our slaves we will travel just as slowly as we are doing now.”
“But we don’t always have to keep our slaves with us. We could attack rapidly, without warning, and return to them.”
Takado nodded. “Yes, there may be times when the risk of leaving them alone and vulnerable will prove worthwhile. Still, for now I prefer not to have to take care of a horse.”
“You won’t have to, if you take my slaves.”
Takado fell silent, his expression thoughtful. Hanara held his breath. How would two more slaves change his own situation? There would be less work. He would certainly welcome having less to carry each day, though that would not remain the case if Takado gained more belongings. But Hanara had no skills to make up for the man’s brawn, or the woman’s usefulness. And if Takado took the woman to bed . . . Hanara knew he could never compete with that.
But I am a source slave, he thought. I will always have higher status because of that.
Takado was nodding. “I accept. I thank you, Asara. It is a thoughtful gift. They are clearly valuable slaves for you to be losing.”
The woman waved a hand gracefully. “I will miss them, but I can see now that I brought too many slaves with me. You need them more than I.”
“Chinka. Dokko,” Takado said. “Get up and sit behind Hanara.” As the pair obeyed, Hanara kept his eyes downcast. He heard them settle behind him. For a moment he thought one had disobeyed Takado, taking a position beside him, but when he looked he saw that Jochara had returned. The young man carried a metal tube that contained the map of Kyralia that Takado had brought with him.
“You are both – and you, too, Jochara – to follow Hanara’s orders unless they conflict with mine. Do you understand?”
Murmurs of affirmation followed. Hanara stared at the ground, his eyes wide. He’s put me in charge! His heart began to pound. It was a frighteningly important responsibility. What if they won’t obey me? What if they do something wrong? Will I be punished for it? What—
An unfamiliar voice interrupted his panicked thoughts.
“Magicians... coming . . .” a slave was panting even as he threw himself on the ground. “Many. Fast. From. Emper...or. Wear. Rings.”
The magicians hadn’t moved, but their smiles had vanished. None voiced the worries written on their faces. Had the emperor sent forces to stop Takado? Were they about to attack? Whistles came from scouts to one side of the village.
Takado rose. He snapped out orders, sending Hanara and the other slaves scampering about to alert all the magicians, or the slaves of the magicians who were asleep since they knew best how to rouse their masters. Soon there were magicians and slaves crowding the road. Hanara positioned himself a step behind Takado, who stood between Dachido and Asara.
Interesting, Hanara thought. Rokino has known Takado the longest, but he is an ichani. Dachido and Asara outrank him and are a lot smarter than Takado’s other ichani friends. Lately Takado is favouring their company and opinions above the others’.
As the last stragglers joined the crowd around Takado a large group of men rode into sight around a bend in the road. Globes of light hovered over them. The brightness set weapons and beaded clothes aglitter. Hanara looked for the rings of the emperor and caught a glint of gold here and there.
There must have been at least forty magicians. Of their slaves there was no sign.
The man at the head of the group was tall and wrinkled, with white in his dark hair. He led the men forward and stopped ten strides from the crowd. Back straight and head high, he scanned the crowd once before his gaze returned to Takado.
“Emperor Vochira sends his greetings,” he said. “I am Ashaki Nomako.”
“Welcome, Ashaki Nomako,” Takado replied. “Should I send my regards to the emperor through you, or are your intentions to stay and join us?”
The man somehow managed to straighten himself even further. “Emperor Vochira has decided to support your efforts to bring Kyralia back under the influence of the empire, and has ordered me to provide what assistance and guidance is needed, including this army of magicians loyal to Sachaka.”
“That is most generous of him,” Takado said. “With your help we can conquer Kyralia faster and with less risk to our fellow Sachakans. If it is done with the support of the emperor, then all the better. Does the emperor support my leadership of this army?”
“Of course,” Nomako said. “He gives credit where it is due.”
“Then be doubly welcome,” Takado said. He moved forward, closing the gap between them, and held out a hand. Nomako dismounted and grasped it. Then they let go and Takado nodded towards his crowd of supporters. “Have you eaten? We roasted a reber earlier, and there may still be some left.”
“No need,” Nomako replied. “We ate at sundown. Our slaves are waiting for us to send for them . . .”
As Nomako discussed practicalities, Hanara noted the way the man’s gaze changed whenever Takado looked away. Calculating, Hanara thought. He’s not come here because he agrees with Takado. We always knew that Emperor Vochira would not like Takado taking matters into his own hands. Hanara felt a shiver of premonition run down his spine. This one is going to try to take back control for the emperor. And he won’t find it as easy as he thinks.
The number of magicians, apprentices and servants in pursuit of the Sachakan invaders was now many times larger. Over seventy magicians, as many apprentices and servants employed as sources, and all the servants, carts and animals that were required to tend to the army’s needs made quite an impressive sight.
It really feels like an army now, Tessia thought. Since Dakon was one of the army advisers, she rode near to the front. Before her rode Werrin, Sabin, Narvelan and a few city magicians. When she looked behind, a sea of magicians and apprentices filled the road. Only when the road turned did she glimpse the servants and supply carts.
She knew that Sabin and Werrin believed that having the army strung out like this wasn’t as safe as bunched together, but the road was often confined between low rock field walls. There had been some trouble with a few of the younger magicians riding off to raid an orchard and then, ignoring Sabin’s attempts to explain the danger, galloping out into fields to jump fences and race each other.
I’d have thought seeing victims of Takado and his allies would have sobered them up, Tessia mused, but I suspect most of them still think this is a grand adventure.
At mid-morning the new army encountered the first signs of destruction. The Sachakans had left a swathe of destroyed villages and houses across the ley, but left the main road to avoid the Kyralian reinforcements. Scouts had reported that Takado had headed east from the main road, through Noven ley – Lord Gilar’s land – until he encountered the next main thoroughfare. It was the same road Dakon had taken to Imardin but the enemy had travelled in the opposite direction until it encountered a village, and settled there, leaving burned farm houses and storage buildings, and occasional corpses, in its wake.
“Tessia!”
The voice was female, coming from behind. Tessia turned to see Lady Avaria riding towards her. Others also turned to watch, as a wailing came from a bundle the magician held cradled in one arm. Avaria’s servant and source, a practical young woman Tessia had instantly liked, followed close behind.
“Can you have a look at him?” Avaria asked as she drew alongside Tessia. “I asked the healers to, but one refused and the other told me it would be kinder to smother him.”
A small, red face screwed up tight, the mouth from which the wailing poured stretched wide open, appeared as she tilted the bundle in Tessia’s direction. Tessia carefully took the baby and examined it. There was a livid bruise on the scalp.
“He’s had a knock, but nothing’s broken,” she said. “He’s probably got a stinker of a headache. Where’d you find him?”
“I didn’t. One of the others did, then decided that, because I’m a woman, I would be able to take care of him at the same time as riding into battle.” A tone of annoyance had entered Avaria’s voice, but it didn’t override the concern. “Shhh,” she said soothingly as Tessia handed the child back. “Poor thing. Found still strapped to the back of his dead mother. I guess this proves the rumours about Sachakans eating babies aren’t true. Not that I believed it,” she added hastily.
Tessia felt something inside her twist painfully. “Is leaving him to die of starvation any less cruel?”