Chapter Text
“Esau, Esau Karuma!” One of the soldiers guarding the Tavas Sen bridge was shouting his name. He strolled over, surprised that any of them knew him: he had left his own talon weeks ago, before the disaster in the south.
“You know about Ugaro, right? They said you’d been guarding the Ugaro prisoner. We’ve got some more of them here.”
Two riders, one baggage pony. The guards at the bridge had surrounded them at spearpoint. The ponies, well trained, did not move.
One of the Ugaro looked like a child.
“All right, I’ll have a word,” he said to the men. The other troopers moved back to let him approach.
The child was an Ugaro girl, maybe twelve or so. She was accompanied by a warrior who led her pony. The warrior spoke sternly to the girl and she waited while he dismounted and came forward.
“InGara,” he said to Esau, frowning.
Esau nodded. “I know Ryo inGara. Were you looking for him?”
“Garoyo,” said the girl.
The man scowled at the troopers but gestured for the girl to speak.
“Please,” she said to Esau in darau, “I have an important message for Talon Commander Samaura from Lord Aras.”
“Lord Gaur?” said Esau, startled. “Who are you, and why are you carrying his messages?”
The girl dismounted and smiled at him cheerfully.
“You know Ryo? This is Garoyo inGara, warleader of the inGara, my brother. My name is Etta and I am Ryo’s sister. My brother speaks no darau.”
Esau nodded to Garoyo. “Warleader.” He knew this was an important man, but unfortunately he only knew three or four words of taksu, and “warleader” wasn’t one of them. He turned to the girl.
“I’m Esau Karuma. I’m pleased to meet Ryo’s family.”
“And I am pleased to meet you, Esau Karuma! I hope you are that Esau who has been a friend to Ryo.”
Esau found himself smiling a bit. “Could be. Lord Gaur sent me as one of Ryo’s guards when he first arrived.”
“Ryo told me about you! But Esau,” she said, catching her brother’s eye, “I have an urgent message for Lord Gaur’s nephew.”
Esau nodded. He spoke to the troopers nearby. “Tell the talon commander the inGara warleader is here and I’m bringing him over.”
Two of the men went to find Lucas Samaura, and Esau turned back to Etta, who had raised her eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, Etta, I don’t mean any offence, but the talon commander will be more likely to understand that kind of message. He’s using Lord Kasuret’s house here: I’ll take you there now. These men will take the ponies. Would you explain to your brother, please?”
And hopefully get him to ease off on the glowering. He wondered about the troopers at the bridge. “I hope the guards were respectful?”
“So suspicious!” said Etta. “But then you came.” She smiled. “You weren’t afraid to talk to me.”
At the house, an adjutant and two guards stood ready to escort them. Remembering something, Esau hissed “We don’t kneel!” to Etta, and she turned to tell Garoyo. Then they were at the door of a large room and Lucas Samaura was standing to greet them.
“Warleader of the inGara, welcome. And Etta inGara, I am happy to meet you. I understand you speak darau? Perhaps you wouldn’t mind explaining my words to your brother.”
That was well done, thought Esau. Samaura was relatively new to the borderlands, but clearly he knew all about Ugaro politeness now.
Etta spoke confidently with no suggestion of nervousness. “Talon Commander, I am the one who has a message for you. A false memory. You may prefer to hear it privately.”
That had rocked Samaura a bit. And Esau too, if he was honest.
“This is a big room,” said Etta calmly.
“Yes,” said Lucas. “Perhaps you could all could wait over there.”
Garoyo looked at Etta, who nodded, and he backed off to stand with his arms folded, watching Etta and Samaura. Esau stood against the far wall with the other soldiers, watching Garoyo carefully.
A dangerous fighter, he thought. Ryo might look like this in ten or fifteen years’ time: strong shoulders, broad chest, powerful arms and legs; altogether a very intimidating individual. His hair was cut short, something Esau had never seen on an Ugaro warrior. He could feel the man’s wariness.
Etta was making the talon commander smile. She seemed to have that gift: Esau was smiling himself as he watched her expressive gestures. The other troopers were staring, half embarrassed: nothing could be less like a young Lau woman, especially the daughter of a lord.
Samaura beckoned them back.
“Etta, I thank you and your brother for making the journey so expeditiously. You will already realise your news means we must move as soon as it can be organised, but I hope you will accept my hospitality tonight.”
He sent the adjutant to arrange rooms for Etta and Garoyo.
“Esau, where are you and Ates billeted? I want you to look after our guests, so find a room in the house for yourself, please.”
Esau saluted. “Yes, talon commander. I’ll just go check where your man has put them.”
Ten minutes later he had collected the packs from the Ugaro ponies and returned. Etta and Garoyo were looking around the rooms they had been given.
“Etta, I’ll find a maid to help you.” He paused, realising that probably wasn’t an Ugaro thing. “Or perhaps I can help with any questions, show you where to wash, whatever. The talon commander has asked you to take the evening meal with him. You might like to relax a bit, and I’ll get us something to drink.”
Etta laughed. “Of course I have questions, Esau, but we should not keep you from your duties.”
“No, the talon commander told me to look after you. Ates and me belong to a different talon, so we’re at a bit of a loose end here.” In fact the army had found them occupation enough in the weeks since they had arrived with Aras’ letters and Samaura had returned to Tavas Sen. This new message of Etta’s would have them on the move again, seemingly. Clearly something major had changed.
He wondered how Lord Gaur had met up with these two. Esau had read the message he and Ates had carried to Samaura, because of course he had, and he could guess why Etta might have been told to keep her message private. News of the ambush in the south had spread, but no-one knew what happened to Aras. Maybe the commanders had known something more, though given the mix of relief and concern he had got from Samaura, perhaps not.
Etta sat cross-legged on the bed. Garoyo finished examining the room and sat on the floor at her feet where he could watch the door and the window.
That thing with chairs again. Esau pulled a cushion from a chair, closed the door, and sat down with his back against it.
“So,” he said, “I don’t guess we should talk too much about your message, if it’s about sorcery.” That was taking a big chance, right there, but obviously Aras had put his trust in them. And perhaps this way he might find out a bit more. Clearly he and Ates had missed a lot.
*****