CHAPTER 12 Weaving the Threads
Master, we have returned. There are many things we would show you. Will you please come? Miss Kiki and Mister will need to come.
Zen rose, then chose to go out the balcony. For some reason, it just seemed appropriate. Mitsuhide and Kiki followed him without comment. The others were left to explain it to Lady Brianna.
The Lower office was busy with extra people coming and going. Things were strewn from inside the main hall of the wing all the way out through the courtyards and the Cat gate to a good-sized wagon sitting outside it. It reminded Zen of a line of ants moving their nest. Someone passed him carrying more things than they should have and Mitsuhide grabbed a few teetering items. Another passing person dropped a bag into Zen's hands. "Don't let go of that. I can't afford to have it lost in this mess." The voice got fainter. "Give me a couple more minutes…."
Zen took his portion and got out of the way until he could sort out what he was seeing. Kiki stood watch over him, not completely secure with the new people even though this was Ilena's place. Mitsuhide made himself another available pair of hands. Eventually things seemed to get laid out in an order and Ilena called everyone to gather in the courtyard. Zen handed the bag he was holding to Kiki as they walked out to join the group.
Ilena nodded to Obi, inviting him to begin. "Welcome, Master. We've just come from another of Pirate Captain Ilena's raids on the high seas and a visit to her treasure cave. But first we need to introduce our newest swabbies." Zen raised an eyebrow and relaxed a bit.
Obi waved a hand in the general direction of a cute young woman, about the height of Shirayuki, with light brown curly hair piled up on the top of her head. She was dressed in castle clothing. "This is Amber, the newest staff of the Lower office, being trained to take Miss Leah's place next to Rio so Miss Leah can retire to just Personal Secretary and Head Nurse." That didn't sound like much of a retirement. Amber curtseyed. Zen nodded back pleasantly to her, rightly assuming her new uniform hadn't come in yet, and that she had likely been one of Ilena's operatives in the castle.
Obi next waved a hand at an older gentleman that looked more like he would have been at home in an office in front of accounting books, than standing with this wild group, his glasses set firmly on his face. "This is Jiru. He's one of two to fill in at the Upper office. Ilena's moving me up to full Assistant Director, the Elder two up to my position, and bringing in Jiru and Collin to take their place. Jiru will be handling office details for the northeast. Collin won't get here until we're nearly leaving tomorrow evening. He'll cover the northeast."
Zen nodded, understanding the significance of that, considering he was the one who was originating the orders to all of Ilena's Children in that area. "Thank you for your hard work." He said to the gentleman.
Jiru bowed a little stiffly. "It is of no moment," he said with a bit of a smile that looked a little awkward, as if he was more comfortable with books than people, though he did seem sincere.
Obi waved his hand one more time. "Somewhere in here," a person shifted, "- thank you - is Justinian. He's my new manservant and Ilena specifically selected him to be completely invisible to me, which I find uncomfortable, but I am grateful, I suppose. He'll be coming with us to keep yours company."
Zen nodded at Justinian, seeing him just fine, and the slight man with straight brown hair and acceptable looks for the castle, including the perfect neutrally pleasant servant's face, bowed extremely properly to him. The one thing that gave him away as someone Ilena would like was the sparkle in his eyes. Zen was personally tickled that Obi was being teased by his wife in such a subtle way. It looked like Kiki approved as well, because Obi gave her a sour look.
"Captain, the deck is yours." Obi bowed to Ilena.
"Kiki, I'll take those for now. I have to sort through them still." Ilena held out her hand and Kiki passed the bag over to her. "These are the markers of identification for the Tarc men. They braid their hair, putting the markers laced on leather thongs into each braid. Some identify status or position granted, others status or position won. Obi, Petroi, and Thayne will have to learn how to braid their own braids on the way, so we'll take their markers with us. The remainder can go with you, Kiki. Don't loose the bag. When we stand before the Marluk'nak I'll make sure the rest who are going to wear them have them properly put in."
"Master Zen, Lady Seraphina loaded us down yesterday so much so that I had to send the wagon back here to unload before it came down to Falcon's Hollow. I wasn't expecting her to have finished my personal tent, but other than one final not-so-necessary piece, she has given the whole of it to me. It's large enough to fit you and me and our guards, plus more. Shall it go up with us?"
Obi raised his hand. "Lady Seraphina called it Ilena's palace, and that's a more proper term than 'tent', for all that it is made of fabric instead of stone."
Zen considered it. "Take it. I'll tell the soldiers to leave mine here, then?"
"Yes. Boys, it will go in first, then." She led them all into the next courtyard. Set in piles all over the courtyard were tent poles and stakes and ropes, and many piles of heavy dark fabrics ornately decorated in the weaving. Zen blinked. He was used to common weather-yellowed white canvas tents. Just by what little he could see, it was obviously much more like a palace than a 'tent' in the Clarines definition of the word. "Everything but this quadrant," Ilena said, pointing to the far corner nearest the wall of the wing. "That will go with us on the progress."
She turned to Zen as the Sons and new staff got to work loading the fabric palace into the wagon. Mitsuhide joined Obi again in helping to move things. "This other tent," (it still didn't look like a tent other than it had poles and ropes and was fabric), "is Obi's for the three of them, with their bedding. That will go with us so they can get used to setting it up and taking it down while on the move. Life is going to be hard for the first week for them." Ilena didn't look at anyone in particular.
Zen started to get a niggling concern that perhaps he had moved a little too fast, but he wasn't willing to admit it just yet. He hoped Obi wasn't going to have to pay a high price for his decision to go against Ilena's plan...again.
"Master Zen, we will be adding a wagon to the progress. This tent will be carried into Tarc on the back of one of the horses, but since we'll be riding them in the progress, we need to bring it another way. There are a few other things, too...I think. It got a bit overwhelming at the end." She looked off into the distance. "That's why we're doing this sorting, and you're helping."
"I'm helping?" Zen asked.
"Yes. I've lost some capacity in the battle on the high sea, and need you to see from your board so I can keep hold of mine. That's why you answered for the tent."
"Ah, I see. Okay, I'm happy to help with that…as long as I can get back to work soon." Zen now understood why she seemed to be so unfocused. All of her attention was internal.
"Will it hurt us to go one day later?" Ilena asked.
"Only in the sense of we will have to let all fifty plus stops know we'll be late."
"Well, we'll do our best, but that isn't insurmountable. I've got voices at all the stops."
Zen nodded, not committing since he wanted them to leave on time.
"Let's see...I've met with the head of the construction team and paid him the first installment. He'll be coming tomorrow to be introduced and shown the three construction sites. Shall we bring him to you in the Rose office first, since he has to come there anyway?"
"Sure."
Ilena was quiet for a while as she sifted through all the things in play on her board at the moment. "Your brother ordered a second level statue from Robert. I arrived just in time to prevent a civil war and assassination attempt."
Zen groaned and put his hand over his eyes. "Tell me so I know how to scold him." He left his hand there as she explained what statue Izana had asked for and Robert's innocent mistake in design judgement, and her fix to it. Zen sighed. "Thank you for protecting us. I'm very glad you arrived at the right time. I'll handle the scolding."
"Thank you." She was quiet, sifting again.
"Ilena," Obi called her softly, as he was standing right in front of her and she hadn't moved. Zen smiled a little as Ilena came back slowly and looked at Obi. Zen was pleased Obi understood her so well. "We're ready for the next thing."
Ilena nodded and led them back into the middle courtyard. "Kiki, Mitsuhide, I'll need you to be the delivery and holding point for this." Ilena waved her hand at two mountains of mottled golden green-yellow fabric that Zen would have called tent material, except it was softer and slightly finer when he felt it between his fingers.
"Jiru, please handle the proper dissemination of the fabric and keep track of production and collection. Delivery of the final products should be made to the northeast garrison and proper storage to keep the mice from destroying them should be maintained. Hire all the women who know how to sew between here and the east border and as far south as needed. They are to make two thousand-ten cloaks the same design as the Wilant soldier's cloaks by three month's time. We also need made the same number of horse 'cloaks' that will hide the horse and rider when the horse is laying down in the grass. Please find several women who can come up with a design that will not interfere with the movement of the horse in sitting and standing. The soldiers and horses will need to be able to rise quickly from the ground to a run. We'll send three of each cloak and six horse cloaks with Obi, so see that they have some ready by the time we reach that garrison in two months. Remember that their horses are the smaller horses of Tarc."
Jiru bowed slightly. "Yes, Mistress Ilena." Mitsuhide and Kiki nodded their understanding of their part.
"That is rather ingenious, Ilena," Zen praised her. "Will it really work if the whole field looks bumpy and the grass flattened?"
"We'll be traveling in an arc and not clumped together. It should be okay, but we'll experiment during the weeks we're waiting and preparing. Kiki, they are not to be worn by the soldiers until all the spies in the area are dealt with. They will likely need to practice their horses, though, so let them know when they can."
"Yes, Ilena."
Obi had silently started the men loading the material as soon as Ilena had started in on her instructions, understanding her limited ability to say everything that needed to be said.
After a bit of silence, Ilena added. "The six of us will have cloaks of both kinds also, but I'm thinking that if we're going to take the palace tent anyway, maybe we could come openly, as if unafraid and unattended, except by the land itself and the minimum number needed to set it up and take it down and feed us. Please add it to your calculations and let me know if you like the idea." Zen nodded, silently respecting the balance of her board.
"We recruited from the House here when Obi brought me two nights ago. We'll recruit more as we travel on the progress. ...Jiru will be tracking those numbers as well, and helping Eldest and Second in sorting them into those to go into Tarc and those who will stay at the border to defend. Kiki you'll need to handle them with a tight fist as they gather. Feel free to knife a few to set the order of precedence. Mitsuhide, too. Both of you'll need to maintain dominance to keep Zen's position secure. Only use my name if they get to fighting each other, and use Obi's if you want to petrify them, but you have to let us know right away you've done it. We'll have to follow through without fail or you'll topple us."
"The Lieutenants will be coming but likely won't arrive at the beginning. Once they get there, they'll properly introduce themselves. The Wilant Lieutenants will go into Tarc, so set them over that group. The Lyrias Lieutenants will stay at the border and are good at large rabble control. I'll tell them to come as soon as they can, but they'll have to set up a proper chain of command in Lyrias first so they don't return to chaos and make all my hard work there to this time disappear. *Tsk!*" Ilena scowled and shifted, folding her arms. "I forgot markers for the Lieutenants. Rio!"
"Yes, Mistress Ilena?" Rio had already been standing there, waiting.
"Send a rush order to the tinsmith. I need another full set with Seconds for each clan. Obi who do you want?"
"Landras."
Ilena sighed. "Fine. That makes it easier. I'll send him into the city of tents to find you, then, when we get there."
"Okay." He continued to stand right in front of her, slowly getting closer and closer to her face with his. Zen wasn't sure if he was testing her or teasing. When he saw Obi was holding his breath, he decided testing. The kiss on her nose pulled her back.
"That's pretty intensive thinking," Mitsuhide said, impressed.
Kiki nodded. "Even rivaling Obi's."
"Except she can talk and think," Zen said.
"But not see," Obi commented.
"Can't walk either, or she falls down," supplied Marcus, who got a dark look for his trouble.
"Well, Obi can at least do that," Zen said mildly. "It's talking he can't do."
Ilena shook her head, scowling slightly still, then looked around the courtyard again. She walked them around to the various other piles. "Tarc saddles for the three going into Tarc first. They'll go on the horses when we leave. Saddle blankets for all six. We'll take them at the same time as the saddles. Marcus, when you pick up the horses, only bring three saddles. Leave the rest, blankets included, at the stable. One of those will stay in the wagon unless I'm training you to the stunts."
She walked to the next pile, then stared at it frowning. "Ladies, sort these. That's an awful mess. We'll come back to it when you're done. Justinian, help them." Zen looked over his shoulder as the four persons left behind began to sort out various pieces of clothing from a tall-ish pile. "Proper Tarc clothing," Ilena explained shortly to him.
The next pile made her sigh. "This was before the fabric. See if you can squeeze it in under or behind. Otherwise you'll…"
"No, I knew it needed to go in. We've left space," Obi reassured her.
Ilena absently handed him her hand and he kissed the back of it soberly, but grinned at Zen when he let it go to get back to the work of carrying. Ilena's explanation continued, "This is the bedding, flooring, and seating of the palace tent. Kiki, keep them all in the wagon. We've got a waterproof covering for the wagon so all of this could stay stored until we get there. ...I may have to buy the wagon…," her head turned towards the wing. "Hmm...hmmm…. Zen, can I have the old Regent's wing as a storage facility until you're ready to tear it down...or rather...I need storage space for this tent and all the things that go with it, and more will come because I can't keep my studios busy enough to stop producing gifts for me."
"Really, Ilena, I do keep telling you -"
"No, Obi!" Ilena was firm. "I do not need my own palace! … Thayne tell Mister Balar to add in a storage room roughly the size of one of the apartments in the two-story section."
"Yes, Mistress Ilena." Thayne was as immediately obediently to send the message as Rio had been hers.
"Did you know Obi is a Prince of two kingdoms, like me?" Ilena asked Zen absently. "Of course, he has no right to claim rulership, just the blood. ...I think I've married very well for my station, actually."
Zen, Mitsuhide, and Kiki stared at her, then turned and stared at Obi, who blushed bright red and hurried to carry his current armload off. "Care to expound?" Zen asked Ilena.
"The College insanity should surely give it away, Master Zen."
Pft!* "No way!?"
"Yes. Marcus left it out of his report, but I called him on it and he admitted it. It's probably why they married a College to Selicia in our grandfather's generation." She gave him a grin. "We promise to do our best to properly train our children." She looked around the courtyard again, then sighed. "Well, come inside and look at my other overwhelming treasures I was forced to bring aboard. You don't need to be here for the sorting of the clothing. Kiki, it can stay with the wagon in storage until we get there. They won't need to wear it on the progress."
She stopped and looked at Justinian with a curious expression, so much so that he walked to her and bowed slightly, putting his hand to his chest. "How may I be of service?"
Ilena's expression went to delighted. "I really do like him, Master Zen." Zen grinned back at her. "How good are you at learning languages?"
Justinian looked surprised. "Ah, I don't know?"
"Rio, train him to Page starting immediately. He's going with Obi."
"What!?" rang out from several mouths in the courtyard and Justinian's mouth was hanging open. Rio put her hand to her head.
"We will have to protect him," Petroi warned.
"Can he ride?" Marcus asked.
"Or even camp?" asked Henry.
"Why?" asked Obi plaintively.
"Kiki, get me two more Tarc horses as soon as possible, to meet us on the road as we're traveling," Ilena said as if she hadn't heard. "I think I have a few extras of each of the clan markers and you only really need that. Petroi, even if he's captured, you three can retrieve him without much trouble and we'll be there in only four weeks, well before the year is out. If he's a clan lord having one will be expected. It's because Obi has no idea how to dress himself in those clothes. Justinian will figure it out a lot faster than he will. Plus that gives you the fourth set of hands to make setting up the tent go from difficult to easy. Can you cook?"
"Basic things passably," Justinian answered.
"Fine. When Obi gets bored, he can cook, and if they start complaining, Petroi can cook. A fourth pack horse means you won't have to live off the land with quite so much difficulty. Thayne, ask Lady Seraphina if she's got three common men's outfits we can buy and have her send them immediately. Tell her sized the same as for Obi but for his servant."
"What?" Zen asked.
"She already has them," Ilena said. "She's been preparing to sell at the Marluk'nak market since I asked her to make the tents." Zen blinked. "As I said, I can't keep her busy enough, but you'll understand better inside." Ilena turned and walked them into the Lower office, leaving a blinking, stunned Justinian and Obi behind. "Oh, and warn Rutherford he'll be going, too."
Zen missed a step and Mitsuhide grabbed his arm to keep him from falling. "Wait a minute! What about you? Is it really okay to take non-combatants?"
"Non-combatants are property, Master Zen. These men are used to the concept, and will behave properly for the Tarc's to understand it. Even in the middle of the battlefield they would be bypassed and left entirely unharmed, until they pulled out a blade. So don't give them one, except a three inch knife to harvest and cook with. If the Tarc's see that one, they will assume the man is going to kill himself rather than be taken as property of another clan." She was quiet.
"No, really, Ilena." Obi was standing in the doorway, leaning on it, one foot crossed over the other, his arms folded. "What about you? You're supposed to be going as a clan lord also."
Ilena paused. "Fine. Rio's going with me. The Lower office will have to go North as well."
Zen stood as firm as Obi. "It isn't proper to take servants who's main purpose is for dressing, into enemy territory, Ilena."
Ilena turned to him, noticed his and Obi's stances and returned to the present. "Ah, I'm sorry Master Zen, Obi." She paused, putting her thoughts into the proper words. "While we are seeing this as a war action, for this phase we're hoping there will be no actual battling. In effect, it's a show of power and a peace negotiation. It is appropriate, and in Obi's case, essential, for us to show our power and strength by including servants of the proper kinds. We already have planned the soldiers, and those who cook and clean, but not the personal servant who sees to the clan head, the same as Justinian and Rutherford do here. I'm concerned that if we don't have them with us, we won't have quite shown the Tarcs what we intend to show them. ...As I said, the Tarcs won't engage them even if it does come to battle. In Tarc, they are slaves and are considered property only, not fighting members of the clan."
Zen considered her a while longer. "Ilena, I can see sending Justinian with Obi. As you say, another set of hands may be extremely useful. However, for myself, and for you - if we even need to show such a thing - we can have one of the guards fill in. I'm not interested in losing Rutherford in Tarc just to put on a show." He tipped his head at her. "In the future, please slow down enough for input when you start moving."
"Yes, Master Zen." Ilena bowed.
In this way Zen had confirmed to him and witnessed what his brother had already seen twice - Ilena had the patience of kings, but of all of them, when she moved she was the fastest and the most ruthless. ...And Ilena received again a lesson in subduing her board to the board of her master.
-o-o-o-
As part of his thinking while they were returning to the castle, Obi had decided that everything Ilena was doing from here on was going to be related to the war and her plans to overthrow the Lord of Tarc. Just because she and Zen were planning things together didn't mean Zen would know everything he needed to know. Given the fact that she was still adding things both old and new as she went that hadn't been discussed, he decided he'd better continue giving Zen regular detailed reports, and probably more frequently, given the expression on Zen's face when they scolded her. Therefore, as soon as he was freed from loading duty he followed Zen to the Rose office, arriving almost as Zen was going to sit down from arriving himself.
Zen sighed and stood upright again from his position half-way to seated and joined him on the balcony. "Master, I'm sorry. Please let me give you a report, then I 'll let you return to your work."
Zen gave a bit of an irritated look. "I take it she did even more? Really, for all her complaints about how fast I move, she's moving very quickly."
"Ah...I think that's because she's had so long to prepare? It makes the moving happen smoothly and quickly?"
"...Most likely," Zen finally allowed. "Go ahead."
Obi stood in his reporting mode and alternated between detailed reporting on the things that Zen would know nothing about and summary reporting on the things that Ilena had touched on this early afternoon already. He started with what she had done in talking to him about their visit to the House of the Queen in Wilant city and their subsequent visit there since even that could potentially have important pieces in it. He then told about everything that had happened since they'd left the castle until they'd arrived back again.
Zen considered it. Most of the things touched on what they had already discussed in the planning or were related to comments Ilena had made earlier. Zen already had decided to let most of the things pass as things he would let her run with. He couldn't restrain her on every detail, nor did he want to. He merely wanted to be informed and allowed a veto. "Obi, have you decided how to approach the House in Lyrias?"
"Ah, I've been considering it, but really it's easiest to get a feel for it first. ...Mostly because I already naturally do it."
Zen didn't comment. He would allow Obi to run also. So far he'd done very well in regards to Ilena's House. As he sent Obi off, he did have one hope. He hoped Obi would be okay with the new and greater levels of responsibility and strength he'd realized he was going to have to learn on top of what he'd already learned, which was significant. It was going to be essential to the carrying out of the plan against the Lord of Tarc, and in keeping Ilena restrained after that.
So far, his own part of the planning was going smoothly, though handling his communication to the king had been the hardest to face, as usual. He knew Izana was expecting him to ask for backup, knew he would be failed utterly and quickly if he didn't, but the wording of the request was essential. It couldn't be a plea. A demand would be more acceptable than that. To make it sound bland and as the normal course of doing business as the Regent of Wilant was the most appropriate way. Doing that without letting Izana read underlying emotions was nearly impossible. He'd nearly settled on an underlying tone of humor, given the fact he was working with wild people as his main supports, but on occasion he wanted to use irritation instead. That actually felt more correct - that he was irritated that he had to deal with Tarc at all, the same as he'd approached Selicia.
He mused on the fact that Tarc had been the downfall of Wilant as a country to begin with. He wondered if Izana had already researched the history, and knew about Obi's background. He surely did know the history. He might be able to use it then as the hidden message. Dealing with them quickly in their own land before they could come in like they had then. Expressing irritation that he had to deal with a power hungry lord who had super-power strength wild men under him that might spill into Wilant, who even themselves would rather not be bothered, but were super obedient to a fault. ...No wonder Obi and Ilena were the only ones who could handle them. They matched.
Zen sighed. "Mitsuhide, write: I, the Regent of Wilant, will protect Clarines from the hordes of awful Tarc horsemen according to the original agreement between Wilant and Clarines by subduing the head within his own lair...if you will provide the treaty agreement protections at the border of Wilant and Tarc to ensure they are held back from spilling over into our lands. Two thousand mounted soldiers will be required from southern Clarines at the end of two months from this date at the northeast border of Wilant, subject to my command, to support my own forces. It is not expected that they will be engaged."
"In the very unlikely event of my demise, and the demise of my two hounds, there might just be a possibility that your entire forces will need to be called upon to destroy the mounted demons of Tarc lest they overwhelm all of Wilant and Clarines together before you can finish pulling on your boots. The forces on the border are a precaution to allow you the time to act, should it be necessary. Please plan accordingly. If said demise occurs, you may expect a message bound with a black ribbon to appear on your desk by the end of the first week of the fourth month from now."
"Baring said unlikely disaster, please plan on instead seeing a blue bound one in four and a half months, followed by a green, brown, and black one within five month's time. We'll be spending the next two months calling up our own forces: an equivalent amount as Clarines will be providing at the border and that many again will be invading Tarc itself. ...no scrap the last sentence. He doesn't need to know that detail. If he wants to know what I'm doing wandering around the region right before a war, he can ask Ilena."
It was a nice mix of irritation and humor, actually, though putting it on her wasn't so nice when the speed was his own fault. Plus it drew upon the oldest of the agreements between the two regions. Hopefully the comment that he wanted to take them out before they could enter the country - implying he didn't want a repeat of the last invasion - would be sufficient to explain the speed.
"Actually, we do work well together, don't we." Zen mused. "I want to move fast and she can move so fast that it can actually happen." He was leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, mostly thinking aloud. He tapped his toe on the side of his desk. "Add at the end: Feel free to show up anytime after you've received the braid-bound report to lock my hounds into their new collars. They are expecting it, but not happy about it. There is one escape hole for them. If it should happen to occur, I'll state it clearly in my report."
Mitsuhide sighed. "I don't see quite how to translate all this, Zen."
"Don't."
Mitsuhide stared at him. "..W-what?"
"No, I'm serious." Zen let the chair drop on all fours and stood to clasp his hands behind his back and pace a bit in front of the doors to the patio, but not too close to them now that he was more assassin-aware. "I've put in the mix of information behind it that I want to put into it. The humor and the irritation are both important parts of it. If it goes in stilted court speak, he'll read all kinds of things into it I don't want him to."
"Are you sure?" Mitsuhide was struggling with this very unconventional message. It was actually pretty close to how he often began writing letters to Izana, since Zen usually wanted to get the basic emotions out of the way first, then carefully wrapper them.
"Yes, I am. I think now that I've seen Ilena interact with Izana, and compared how she acts about him when he's not here, I think he'll receive it very well. Well...he may scold me for being too flippant about war, which is serious, but I want him to understand that I have confidence in my original plan. I"ll think about how much of a scolding I'm willing to take. ...Hmm...strike the words 'hordes of awful' in the first sentence. ...Change "there might just be a possibility' to 'it is likely'. I'm not happy with that since it now sounds like we might actually fail, but it gives it a more appropriate serious tone to it. ...Read it back to me." Mitsuhide picked up his paper, cleared his throat, and with some discomfort, delivered it back to him. Zen sent it without sleeping on it.
Now he had to worry about his final delivery to the Wilant court before they left. He wanted to leave them with the concept that this was serious and he and Ilena were seriously handling it, but he didn't want them left in a panic, or they would recall him from the progression to hold their hands. This would be perhaps harder, now that he thought about it. At least Izana was expecting the war already. It would be news to most of the court, even though the top ministers had already heard.
That gave him an idea. If the ministers together presented it to the court, the court would turn to them for comfort instead. And if he explained that he and Ilena were leaving them to go into the fray to defend them all, they might be able to come home heros instead of deserters. He worked from that angle with Mitsuhide and Tairn, pulling in Lord Aiden for senior oversight, until they had a workable presentation. He scheduled the meeting for the next mid-morning, letting Ilena and the other affected ministers know what they needed to prepare to present.
Ilena to Master Zen. Zen's head came up, and so did Dane's. In order to protect my special person, I've changed the security requirement for the stretch from Wilant castle to Lyrias. Zen drew in a breath and settled himself. Obi, Thayne, Petroi, and Justinian will leave early in the morning tomorrow and will ride ahead the whole length, save the security leg to the northeast Lyrias garrison which I will cover. We'll meet up with them again in Lyrias. The security rotations will then be as previously scheduled...probably. If they are still too slow to set up and take down the tent, they'll continue to ride ahead. Leah is concerned, but I would rather live without Obi for a few weeks than for the rest of my life. Please take care of me. Ah, this also changes the transportation requirement slightly, but I'll handle it.
"Gah." Zen wrinkled his nose. "It will take all of us working together, won't it? I suppose it's part of the price I must pay for my impatience. ...Tell her, 'Thank you for informing me'." Dane complied and they returned to their tasks.
-o-o-o-
King Izana untied the blue ribbon from the messenger bird-sent message, unrolled it, and read it. He stared at it wide-eyed. Finally he put his head in his hands. "Gods. What has she done to my little brother? ...or did I do it, pushing him to stand in his place?"
Lord Barret held out his hand. Izana handed it over, looking away from his his senior aide and Minister of Intelligence. Lord Barret read it, then couldn't help it. He laughed. He didn't laugh often in the presence of the king, but today Izana didn't mind. He wanted to laugh, too, but it was really too serious a matter to laugh about. If Lord Barret did it for him, he could focus. He would hold on to the message, though, so he could laugh about it later, when and if it all turned out okay.
"They leave on the progress in two days?" Izana asked Lord Barret when he'd recovered.
"Yes." Lord Barret wiped his eye slightly, handing the message back.
"So, he's going to recruit on the way. If he wants two thousand he's putting at least that many on the border as well, and into Tarc maybe. Six thousand is probably enough to hold them, given the numbers you've told me they have. Send the word up to the garrisons on the border it's time to prepare to move and give them the deadline and location and work out the numbers. Also send word to the rest of the garrisons. We'll have them start moving north at the three month mark and wait at the Clarines-Wilant border until we see a black ribbon. If one comes, we'll send them up immediately and call an emergency court. If we don't see one, we'll wait two more weeks for Zen's report, then send them back home saying it was a drill. Start the rumors now, on gentle, so if we have to have the emergency court they won't be surprised. ...I wonder why Ilena didn't use the rumor mill this time?"
"There wasn't enough time. Regent Zen moved too fast for her. She was expecting another year still, up until a few days after we left to return here."
"True. He'll have to tell his court immediately, before he goes on the progress, won't he?" Izana mused on the message and his moves in regards to it. "He's got his hands full trying to contain her now, too. That should be amusing. I wonder how it will go, dealing with her explosion of activity in person? I also want to know if she properly learns how to restrain herself to his borders for her."
Izana leaned back and and put one leg over the other knee. "Ah. Poor Ilena. She's going to be frantic about Obi. He's not properly trained yet." Izana closed his eyes. "Pass up the order into Tarc that if they need help, it's to be given - as secretly as possible, of course. We don't need her broken by this. …And I would still take her if he wasn't in the way, so we aren't safe just yet." Lord Barret raised an eyebrow at this very candid statement. "It's because the three countries aren't stable yet, Barret. If Obi falls, I have to take her and become emperor. Selicia might fight back. If they're strong enough, I'd just take Tarc, but they'd have to pass that test."
"...What if Regent Zen falls?" Lord Barret asked quietly.
Izana was quiet for a while, and his face showed just a little pain. Izana didn't need any more family dying on him. "Obi and Ilena will wipe out the entire Tarc peoples before returning home. Then I'll put them in as Regents of Wilant."
"They wouldn't die in the process?"
"No, Barret. They would go completely feral until the deed was done. Most of the soldiers going into Tarc and guarding the border aren't from the garrisons. You know that. They would lead their band of nightwalkers, assassins, and thieves in a complete war of annihilation, and win. They won't let it happen, nor will Mitsuhide and Kiki. Between the four of them and Ilena's additional four, he'll come home."
"Your Majesty...may I ask...what happens if it's Ilena that falls?"
Izana shuddered just ever so slightly. "Obi and Zen finish the war and come home. Zen grieves and Obi disappears, unless she's bound him tightly enough to the requirements to protect all of her Children and has had the time to teach him the strength to stand where she's put him. If he can stand, he will stand in her place. If he can't, we reinforce our northern network and start spoonfeeding information to Zen again. He might eventually figure out how to build his own network, but he'll have to repair first. ...If he's like Mother…." Izana didn't finish the thought. "No...that's right. She's set Shirayuki next to him hasn't she? ...Shirayuki will take up the running of the department with Obi as the face to the network. ...So, nothing will happen but grieving and moving on, Lord Barret."
Lord Barret turned his head to not look at the king. The grief in his eyes was too hard to bear, and too private to invade. Besides, Lord Barret felt the same way.
Regent of Wilant,
In accord with the first agreement, two thousand soldiers will arrive at the northeastern garrison in two month's time, yours to command until the war is completed. The remainder will play war games upon our joint border until I receive my first ribbon. Are you trying to break your falcon?
Izana, King Clarines Wilant
Zen swallowed. His brother was not happy, but was willing to still watch and see. The only thing that would break Ilena was Obi's death. What were the consequences of it? Zen pondered it seriously until he understood it completely: only the total and utter failure of his goals, and a complete upsetting of the boards. Zen was pale. He hadn't properly considered the whole board to all of its final conclusions. He left the Rose office without a word. It was after dinner time, but he knew they would be as awake as he was. All four of his aides went with him.
-o-o-o-
"I'm sorry, Ilena, Obi, for not properly considering it." Zen was bowing to the two of them. He rose. "If you wish it, I'll set the date for a year from now, and use this time only to prepare Wilant for it. It isn't too late to change it. Please let me know if I have made a grave error in judgement."
Obi was looking at Zen calmly. Ilena had eyes that judged him. "Tell me what you've finally seen, Master Zen," she said.
"I sent Izana my request for the two thousand soldiers for the border. He sent back he would send them, but he was angry with me and gave me the clue needed to open my eyes." Zen's eyes looked to Obi. "You are protecting Obi because he needs to stand if you fall. You are protecting him so that you don't break. But you're also protecting him in order to protect Izana, Selicia, and Tarc."
"Have you finally seen all of the long and wide scope, then, Master Zen?"
"I believe I have, but there are details I don't know, so I don't know the outcome."
"Who's board do you need to see?"
"Yours."
Ilena shook her head. "No. Not mine. I am on your board now."
Zen furrowed his brow. There was only one answer. "Does he have a board, Ilena?"
"Ask him."
Zen looked at Obi. "What's on your board, Obi?"
"What do you need to know, Master?" Obi asked. He didn't work with boards like they did, but he understood that there was information Zen needed.
"If I send you now, can you be prepared in time, or will you die? I need to know which path keeps you alive, but only you know it. I am sure if we wait a year you'll live. Ilena's already placed you so that path produces that result."
Obi's eyes went distant. "I'll return," he said shortly and turned and walked out of the Lower office. They watched him as he climbed into the tree and sat, looking out over the wall towards the hills.
"Please sit," Ilena said graciously to Zen. "I was rather surprised when the last time he did this it only took about twenty minutes for him to find his answer. I'd expected it to take several days at least." She looked at him speculatively. "A letter from Izana prompted that time as well. You'll remember it well, I think."
Zen nodded, still humbled by his discovery of his potentially fatal error.
Ilena, why have you allowed it to go this far without warning Master? Obi scolded her.
Because I warned him that if he was going to move quickly again he was going to pay the price himself, Ilena answered calmly.
That doesn't seem fair or nice, not to mention this is very serious.
Obi. It's because I'm on his board now. I'm only obedient, answering to his requirement. Did you not both just scold me today for making a motion to move on my own? Zen's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't wrong but it was frightening, now that he'd faced it like this.
But you told him you would help him to see the long term consequences of his decision. This is one and you didn't help him see it. Elder Brother had to, Obi pointed out.
Ilena smiled slightly with her eyes. Zen wondered if somehow Obi had won a point. "I'm sorry I missed this detail, Master Zen," Ilena said, "though I have certainly been trying to make up for it quite desperately. I'll remember to watch for the same warning signs within me in the future, so that I can bring it to your attention earlier. ...Though, I hope you'll forgive me for saying so, I've been so busy putting into effect what was necessary to meet your requirement that until today it was quite vague. It was only after I had reached that point in my list of things to do that I panicked. I wouldn't likely have been able to tell it to you any sooner than I said it in my message this afternoon. It is this way with me. I must work down the list of actions in order once I'm told to begin, from most time critical, until I've reached the end, or I lose important activities. Many of them are hinge points for proper resolution or failure, so I cannot vary."
"Can you walk through the list verbally first, before acting? And are there still things on your list left to do?"
You also add things as you go, Ilena.
"Hmm...yes I do add things, because new data points enter into the calculations. Justinian wasn't a thing I had considered before yesterday, but now he's been woven into the cloth, and has an important part to play."
The Weaver of Fate. Master calls Mistress the red thread of fate. You are the weaver.
Ilena smiled with her lips this time. "I suppose you could say that, yes. I carefully set up the weft threads and select the warps. When I am told it is time, I weave, and I weave very quickly the design I've already seen, and if new threads are handed to me, I add them in. If they are taken from me, I fill in as best I can, but I jealously guard them so they are rarely taken away. ...But Master Zen has asked me other questions to answer."
Ilena pursed her lips and considered her answers. "I would have answered before today that no, I cannot walk the design and weaving verbally. I have never had to. If I say them, are they gone from me? Will I still have them within me to weave? I don't know. I have only ever planned, then acted. I'm afraid that if I say them, they will be spilled on the floor, lost and the design marred, the plan failed. Are there still things on my list? Perhaps...most likely. But I'm stopped at preparing Obi sufficiently. The next steps cannot occur until he is safely woven into the cloth."
Can you see them, Ilena?
Ilena closed her eyes. "Ask a better question," she requested.
Ah, it is too much all at once. If you are led down the path one thread at a time, then?
"Yes, but how shall I walk back? I shall be at the end and not know how to return again."
"No," Zen said, shaking his head, "I can remember the beginning. If I put you back, will you walk it again?"
Ilena opened her eyes and tipped her head at him. "I don't know?"
Ilena does not forget.
Ilena snorted. "Maybe not, but maybe yes. I am not perfect, Obi."
Ilena does not forget.
"I will trust Obi." Ilena sat quietly.
...What must I do to be prepared? Obi asked her.
"You must be able to speak and understand Tarcian fluently. You must be able to ride the horses of Tarc as if you were born to it, or as nearly as you can get. You must be able to defend yourself from the swords of Tarc, then run as hard and fast as you can to survive. You must know the law of Tarc and defend it and make wise judgements from that understanding so that you may be held with high regard by the clansmen of Tarc. You must know the meanings of the braids and markers and be able to easily braid them into your own hair, or into the hair of others, as if you had been trained since you were a youth."
"You must be able to judge if a clansman is using truthful words to lie to you and you must be able to live on the plains of Tarc sufficient to not starve or die of exposure - this is why you must be able to set up and live in the tent and take it down quickly, be able to ride the horses, defend yourself from their swords, and have Petroi at your side."
"You must enter Tarc with enough time to properly visit all of the clans before the Marluk'nak'. You must come to comprehend who you are to the clans. You must understand your enemy sufficient to subdue him - there are many details here that will be told to you when it is time. You must subdue your enemy. You must be fully prepared to stand in the Marluk'nak' to prove your worthiness to be a clan head of the highest level. You must then present those proofs without fault so that you may be accepted. You must kill my enemy."
Obi was silent, and so was Ilena. Zen asked, "Ilena, do all of those things have to happen before the next action you take? It sounds like you walked his thread all the way down, but other threads would have been woven in during that time as well."
"Yes, that is correct, Master Zen."
"Can you tell me the intersections?"
Ilena hesitated. "Sometimes. The larger crossings, yes. But many are longer, thinner times. This coming two weeks Obi will be learning to set up and take down the tent, ride the horses until he reaches the level of a seven year old boy of Tarc, begin learning the language and hopefully finish it as well, begin to be trained in how to live off the land - though it's different for here and Tarc, and begin to learn the braids. Because I have already prepared him to learn he will learn all these things very quickly. His body must practice them though and that will take time. That's the thing I don't know."
"I can't say how long it will take his body to instinctively ride as one with his horse. I can't say how long it will take his fingers to have memorized the braids. I can't say how long it will take for his mind and body to work as one in taking down the tent so that he may flee for his life without losing either his life or the tent to protect his body at night. Once these things are done, then we'll see how we can proceed. And the latter must be learned by all four in concert, thus it is my greatest focus and concern at the moment."
"For this reason I've sent them on ahead, even though I will be very, very difficult for all of the rest of you during that time, because I will be worried. This is also one of the reasons why I have added Justinian as a thread. He will strengthen the other three in this one thing, and in others. He has become a thin metallic thread that breaks easily when pulled on alone, but when added to the other thicker threads becomes integral and essential, and beautiful." Her eyes were bright again, thinking of the manservant.
"You've seen other places Justinian rises to the surface to sparkle?" Zen asked.
"Yes. But he's on Obi's board so I'll only make suggestions, then look to see where Obi lets him shine. Here at the beginning, I'm tying him in only."
Zen sat back, rather impressed. "Mmm...intriguing. ...May I ask another thread?"
Don't. You'll confuse me, Obi interjected.
"I'll wait then."
Thank you.
Leah handed around tea to the waiting people in the room. Zen took the time to look around. They had all crept into the room, or were nearby. Petroi and Thayne were standing on the patio just outside the doors, watching Obi, relaxed but with a little concern in their shoulders and backs. Marcus was standing at the patio door, leaning on the frame so that he could see both the elder Sons and Ilena. Henry was closer to Ilena, leaning slightly on the desk behind where she was sitting in the head seat at the table, supporting her, but keeping attention on Marcus.
Rio was in her chair in the corner between Leah's writing table and the door to the patio. Leah had come from the serving table, but was obviously in her chair at the writing table as it was turned to face the room, where she could also observe the proceedings. Zen was surprised to find Grandfather sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the door to the bedroom on that same side, so that he was close to Leah and where Ilena could sense him out of the corner of her eye. Zen wasn't sure he had ever seen where Grandfather sat when he was in this room. Likely he was very good at being invisible as well. Justinian was sitting next to him in the other chair on that wall. It seemed fitting that he had also chosen that location.
Zen's four - four! He stared at them. "Why all four of you?" They looked at each other soberly, then back at him. "Uh...ah.., it was that bad was it?" Mitsuhide nodded, his eyes a bit wide. Zen thought he might start crying thinking about it again, because Mitsuhide was that kind of person. Zen held up his hand, his own eyes a little wide still at the surprise of the four of them coming. "It's better now, though I'm still waiting on my answer. Please…." Mitsuhide finally looked down, then away. Zen appealed to Kiki.
Kiki looked hard at him to make sure she could really move, then crossed the space to touch Mitsuhide's arm and looked up to look him in the eye. Mitsuhide, looking down because of their height difference, looked her in the eye as well. She looked at him with calm trust until he relaxed his stance slightly and nodded, though he still looked like he wanted to cry. She stayed with him until he recovered with a clearing breath and was able to look at Zen calmly again. She let go of her light touch on his arm and turned so she was standing beside him, the way they would stand behind Zen to guard him, continuing to support her partner. Zen looked at her gratefully, and was also able to relax somewhat because Mitsuhide had, though his aide was still worried.
Tairn and Dane were standing guard near the door to the hall, though further in the room. They had also been tense when he'd first looked at them. They were not much more relaxed now, but it had helped them to have a more calm Mitsuhide. When they saw he was looking at them, he nodded at them, and they finally did relax into a parade rest. Zen nodded again, turned back to Ilena and sat back, taking a sip of tea as if without much thought. He set the teacup and saucer on the table in front of him, then retreated back into a slightly relaxed position to wait for Obi to return to them.
Ilena was waiting patiently, her hands in her lap, her eyes slightly unfocused. Zen looked out the patio door towards Obi's tree and watched Petroi and Thayne patiently. They would be the first to move when Obi was ready to come down.