Read The King's Peace for Free Online Page A
Authors: Jo Walton
be unknown. "I am traveling to Caer Tanaga to see the High King." She snorted. There was a faint smile on the face of the pale-skinned man who was standing listening.
"Well there's no doubt at all that you fought with us and not against us—" Marchel began.
"Why do you seek the High King?" the man interrupted.
I looked at him. He had not identified himself. I did not even know who these people served, only that they had come from Caer Gloran. Nothing bound me to answer him. But for that moment we had shared in the fight I somehow trusted him.
"Raiders attacked my father's land at Derwen, and my mother insisted I go to Caer Tanaga to seek help."
"We may be able to help, depending on what sort of help you need." There was no smile on his face now. "How many raiders? From where? Jarnsmen? Derwen—that is down on the south coast, yes?" He frowned as if trying to remember. "Derwen—yes, Gwien ap Nuden, and his heir is... Darien?"
"Darien is dead," I said, feeling a lump in my throat as I said it as I had not had when I gave the same news to my mother. "And my father Gwien is badly wounded and may not live.
The heir now is my brother Morien. Derwen is two days' ride from here across country the way I have come. We need help rebuilding and also knowing what to do if the Jarnsmen come again. There are not very many of us." I tried to remember the rest of his questions as he stood there looking patient and worried in the fading light. "I think there was only one ship's worth of them, by numbers, but they took us by surprise. I did not see the battle myself, but I met some of them, and they were definitely Jarnsmen.
They took all they could take in goods and people and horses and left."
"Raiding season," said Marchel, as if continuing a long debate.
The man raised his chin absently, then looked at me straight. "What is your name, daughter of Gwien?" He had no right to thus ask for proof of my words by asking me to put my name to them. His eyes were compelling, and we had spilled blood together, and if he wished me harm, he need not go to this trouble.
I raised my arms, palms open upwards, and then downwards. "I call all the gods of Earth and Sky to witness that my words are true and my name is Sulien ap Gwien."
He smiled again as I brought my hands back to my sides. "It is as well you found us.
You would not have found any help in Caer Tanaga; there is nobody there but the townsmen and traders at this time of year. We do need to arrange for defenses in the south.
We will ride to Derwen and see what can be done." He turned to Marchel decisively.
"Will we need to go back to Caer Gloran first?"
She considered a moment, glancing at the prisoners and around at the rest of the cavalry. The people who had been holding spare horses out of the battle were mingling with those who had fought, some were binding up wounds and singing charms to keep away the weapon-rot.
"Unless the report from the ships is other than I expect, it would seem to me most sensible to go back for tonight, have the wounded seen to, and leave the prisoners there to be sent on to Thansethan. Then we can set off fresh in the morning with supplies and rested horses."
"Yes. We do that then. Arrange it." Marchel raised her chin definitely and swung back into the saddle. He turned to me.
"You fought well, Sulien ap Gwien. If they can spare you in Derwen, I would be very happy to offer you an armiger's place with me." He clapped me on the shoulder and turned away, leaving me standing there open-mouthed, staring after him.
Page 17
And that was how I met my lord Urdo ap Avren ap Emrys, High King of Tir Tanagiri, Protector of the Island, War-leader of the Tanagans and the best man of this age of the world.
—4—
"By the Radiant Sun in whom I hold my greatest trust, I swear to take____as my lord, to have no enemies save as they are his enemies, to harm none of his friends, to strike and to go and to do as he shall command me in his service, saving neither
"Well there's no doubt at all that you fought with us and not against us—" Marchel began.
"Why do you seek the High King?" the man interrupted.
I looked at him. He had not identified himself. I did not even know who these people served, only that they had come from Caer Gloran. Nothing bound me to answer him. But for that moment we had shared in the fight I somehow trusted him.
"Raiders attacked my father's land at Derwen, and my mother insisted I go to Caer Tanaga to seek help."
"We may be able to help, depending on what sort of help you need." There was no smile on his face now. "How many raiders? From where? Jarnsmen? Derwen—that is down on the south coast, yes?" He frowned as if trying to remember. "Derwen—yes, Gwien ap Nuden, and his heir is... Darien?"
"Darien is dead," I said, feeling a lump in my throat as I said it as I had not had when I gave the same news to my mother. "And my father Gwien is badly wounded and may not live.
The heir now is my brother Morien. Derwen is two days' ride from here across country the way I have come. We need help rebuilding and also knowing what to do if the Jarnsmen come again. There are not very many of us." I tried to remember the rest of his questions as he stood there looking patient and worried in the fading light. "I think there was only one ship's worth of them, by numbers, but they took us by surprise. I did not see the battle myself, but I met some of them, and they were definitely Jarnsmen.
They took all they could take in goods and people and horses and left."
"Raiding season," said Marchel, as if continuing a long debate.
The man raised his chin absently, then looked at me straight. "What is your name, daughter of Gwien?" He had no right to thus ask for proof of my words by asking me to put my name to them. His eyes were compelling, and we had spilled blood together, and if he wished me harm, he need not go to this trouble.
I raised my arms, palms open upwards, and then downwards. "I call all the gods of Earth and Sky to witness that my words are true and my name is Sulien ap Gwien."
He smiled again as I brought my hands back to my sides. "It is as well you found us.
You would not have found any help in Caer Tanaga; there is nobody there but the townsmen and traders at this time of year. We do need to arrange for defenses in the south.
We will ride to Derwen and see what can be done." He turned to Marchel decisively.
"Will we need to go back to Caer Gloran first?"
She considered a moment, glancing at the prisoners and around at the rest of the cavalry. The people who had been holding spare horses out of the battle were mingling with those who had fought, some were binding up wounds and singing charms to keep away the weapon-rot.
"Unless the report from the ships is other than I expect, it would seem to me most sensible to go back for tonight, have the wounded seen to, and leave the prisoners there to be sent on to Thansethan. Then we can set off fresh in the morning with supplies and rested horses."
"Yes. We do that then. Arrange it." Marchel raised her chin definitely and swung back into the saddle. He turned to me.
"You fought well, Sulien ap Gwien. If they can spare you in Derwen, I would be very happy to offer you an armiger's place with me." He clapped me on the shoulder and turned away, leaving me standing there open-mouthed, staring after him.
Page 17
And that was how I met my lord Urdo ap Avren ap Emrys, High King of Tir Tanagiri, Protector of the Island, War-leader of the Tanagans and the best man of this age of the world.
—4—
"By the Radiant Sun in whom I hold my greatest trust, I swear to take____as my lord, to have no enemies save as they are his enemies, to harm none of his friends, to strike and to go and to do as he shall command me in his service, saving neither
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