"So, she has been knighted." Commented Nobu as he sipped at green tea.
"A fine achievement" murmered Akiko, his wife.
"Undoubtedly, her Yamani training assisted her greatly" As the commander of the third circle, Nobu's patriotism ran deep. Lanterns that hung in rows from the ceiling cast a flickering glow over the pair as they knelt at a low table. Nobu sighed as he thought of the white Tortallan girl who had lived among them almost 9 years ago.
"She is wasted among those barbarians." He said, fiercely. Akiko looked at him, worried. While everyone had accepted the Mindelan family due to Lady Ilane's service to the Emperor, a feeling of dislike for their eastern neighbors was still felt by most people. No one dared express this openly though, as the Emperor was determined to forge a successful alliance with Tortall.
"A pity though that a barbarian has more talent than our own offspring." Nobu threw this comment with a spiteful glare at his daughter, who knelt quietly in a corner of the room. Used to her fathers hatred of her, Kiyomuri kept her face smooth as she politely inclined her head in a sign of agreement. Akiko quickly changed the subject, drawing her husband into a discussion over the new servants performance.
With her father's attention elsewhere, Kiyomuri dolefully plucked at loose threads in her kimono. Akiko was a small, delicate creature and the doctor had long ago pronounced that she could bear only one child. Unfortunately for the couple, the one child had been female. While females were respected in Yaman, males were still more treasured. It had been Nobu's dream to have a son, and he was not a man to give up a grudge easily. It was not that Kiyomuri wasn't talented, smart, or attractive. She was all of those things, but nothing was good enough for her father. She had given up trying to please him long ago.
When her parents had finished their tea, Kiyomuri rose and murmured a night blessing before slipping into the hall. Wondering past the kitchen, she noticed that the water container was almost empty. Although it was the servants job to collect water in the morning, Kiyomuri welcomed the excuse for a night walk. While she walked, she thought of Keladry. They had not known each other personally while Keladry lived on the Islands, although they had been the same age. Kiyomuri wondered if she still looked the same: tall, muscular, and with kind eyes. She wondered if the new lady knight could still use the glaive, or if she had given up Yamani weapons. 'No use wondering' she told herself sternly 'You're never going to find out.'
She reached the well and filled two buckets with water. Although no lanterns were lit around the well, and she had not brought a torch, the moon shone brightly, making the work easy. As she turned to go, she heard a snigger coming from a shadow. She placed the buckets down and reached for the dagger she kept in her obi.
"Who's there?" she called. There was silence, then a tall figure strode into the moonlight. It was Arashino, a warrior of the Emperor. He was dressed in a uniform kimono of dark gray with a white belt. The warrior stood arrogantly and tightened his belt around his wide frame. He sneered at the buckets at her feet.
"Servants work?" He gave another snigger "Oh well...at least I know my future wife will be useful." Kiyo turned cold, and struggled to keep her face empty. Without a word, she placed the dagger back in her obi, picked up her buckets and walked back down the road. Once Arashino was out of sight, she placed down the buckets and stared at her hands. They were trembling. 'Future wife?' She whipped out her dagger and using her rage to power her throw, flung the knife at a tree that stood down the road. Leaving the buckets, she ran to the tree and tugged the knife out of the center of the trunk. It had helped a little, but the rage was still there, simmering. She had to talk to Meiko.
***
Meiko was a princess of the fifth rank, who lived in a set of rooms attached to the Emperors palace. She was awake when Kiyo arrived out of breath at her door. Meiko put down the kitten she was playing with and beckoned for the girl to enter.
"You're out late, Kiyo," said the older girl as she offered her friend a bowl of sweets. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm to be married!" Kiyo cried. Instantly she whipped out her fan to hide her face, embarrassed. She had let her emotions get the better of her.
Meiko gently pulled the fan away. "Who is he?"
Kiyo closed her eyes as she whispered the warriors name. She heard Meiko give a small exclamation of pity. "Oh Kiyo...are you sure?" Kiyo shrugged sadly, and told her what had passed at the well. When she had finished, Meiko looked thoughtful. "It may not be true..." the princess said slowly. "He may be teasing."
"Maybe..." Kiyo said, hopefully. It hadn't occurred to her that he could have been lying. After all, her parents had mentioned nothing of marriage to her before. Meiko patted her arm.
"There is only one way to find out." Meiko advised. "Talk to your parents."
***
"Sorry father…mother..." Kiyo began. Her parents sat up sleepily. Nobu let out a small growl.
"Why do we have a daughter who does not honor us enough to let us sleep?" he asked Akiko. Kiyo knelt and took a deep breath.
"Because, father, I do not have parents who inform me when I am to be married." Kiyo saw her mother flinch and felt a flash of regret. 'It's too late now' she told herself.
Nobu snorted. "Consider yourself informed." Kiyo's blood ran cold. So. It was true. She was to be married to that arrogant, disgusting excuse for a man..why, only last week she saw him kicking a servant down the street as a punishment.
Kiyo swallowed. "But father...I do not love him." She whispered. Nobu let out a harsh laugh.
"Who talks of love? Arashino will pay well for you." Kiyo looked pleadingly at her mother. Akiko's face was blank. When she saw Kiyo looking at her, she stared at the quilt, refusing to meet her daughters eyes. Nobu continued. "Those barbarian swine allow their offspring to have love marriages. And look at them. Weak! Ha!" he lay back down on the mat. Kiyo knelt silently, but it was evident that her father was finished. She stood shakily and walked to her room in a daze.
'Stop it' she ordered herself, as she felt her eyes water. 'Stop. There must be a way out of this. Think.' Then it hit her. Nobu himself had told her. Tortall allows people to be free. They express what they feel. They can marry whom they want. Kiyo lifted her head. It was settled. She would go to Tortall.
***
Early the next day, Kiyo knocked softly at Meiko's door. The princess slid the door open, and stopped in mid-yawn when she saw who it was.
"Kiyo..Is it true?" She asked, concerned. Kiyo nodded, and gestured to the bundle she had brought with her.
"I am going to Tortall." She announced. Meiko's eyes widened, and she quickly dragged Kiyo into her room.
"What? Are you sure? Are you crazy?" Meiko hissed, afraid someone might hear. The walls were paper-thin.
Kiyo nodded again. "I've come to say goodbye." She looked at the princess straight in the eye. Meiko seemed to realize nothing she could say would change her mind. Instead, she bowed slightly and began to bustle around the room, searching for something. Finally, she emerged with a box.
"You will need some money." The princess explained.
Kiyo shook her head. "No...I have some already."
Meiko chuckled. "I doubt you brought enough!" From the box, she drew several griffin feathers, and several small jewels. "These should be enough for you to live on until you settle somewhere." She said, while placing the precious items into a small silk pouch. She pressed the pouch into Kiyo's reluctant fingers.
"Meiko...it's too much!" She protested. But Meiko would not listen. Kiyo finally bowed in thanks, though silently she vowed to return the treasures when she could.
"Now...on to other matters." Meiko said. "How are you getting to Tortall?" Kiyo shrugged.
"I don't know." She admitted. "I thought I'd just wait at the port to see if a ship was sailing out." Meiko sighed.
"You'd never be able to sneak on one." She informed her friend. When Kiyo's face fell, Meiko patted her arm. "Cheer up." She said. "Merchants with their trading ships can be easily bribed to take on a passenger. We'll go down there now."
***
Meiko had covered her hair and worn an old kimono to stop people from noticing her at the port. Those of the higher classes in Yaman never wondered down to the port, as it was considered a dirty place, filled with the lower class and tainted with foreign contact. Kiyo was already wearing her oldest kimono.
Kiyo stood in awe as Meiko bargained with the merchant. Finally she slipped him a small silver coin, and he nodded. Eyeing Kiyo, he ordered her to take her bundle aboard.
"We leave now." He said curtly, and began walking towards the ship, gesturing for her to follow. Kiyo realized it was time to say goodbye to her closest friend. Fighting to keep her face smooth, she turned to the princess.
"My parents won't notice I'm gone until tonight." Kiyo told her. "I don't think they'll mind much. Just tell them you don't know where I am."
"May luck be with you." Meiko said as she bowed. "One day I will see you again!"
Kiyo bowed deeply in return. "I owe you so much. Thank you." She said with feeling. The two girls clasped hands, and quickly parted.
***
The sea journey took three days, and Kiyo was miserable throughout it all. She missed Meiko, solid ground, proper food, and a safe place. If there had been a way to turn the ship around, Kiyo felt she would have done it. However, when she felt the worst, she just brought Arashino's face to her mind to strengthen her resolve. When the sea was calm enough she practiced her glaive. A small crew worked the ship, and they were polite enough to stay out of her way, knowing how deadly the blade was, especially when it whipped around Kiyo in a blur of steel and painted wood. She was proud of her glaive. It had been a present from Meiko's parents when she was younger. The pole of the weapon was painted a glossy white, with carvings depicting flowers and snakes. Kiyo thought it was appropriate for such a weapon: both beautiful and deadly.
Finally the ship docked at Blue Harbour, and Kiyo got her first sight of Tortallan soil. Pale people wearing strange clothes hurried about the port. She made a mental note to get herself such an outfit. She was determined to blend in. Picking up her bundle, Kiyo stepped slowly down the gangway, stopping halfway to give the merchant another coin in gratitude for the trip. The man only grunted, keeping his attention on the sailors unloading the cargo. Shrugging, Kiyo continued down.
'This is it' She thought as she stepped onto Tortallan ground. 'This is the start of your new life'.
*-*-*-*-*
Vell. There goes chapter one. Let me know what you think, if I should continue. All I'll say it I'm glad she's in Tortall now… It was hard writing about Yaman! --Edith