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Chapter 1 - Footsteps of Fate
"Good morning, Rei." Lyn smiled as her new travelling companion as the foreigner came out of the ger. "Are you feeling better this morning?"
"Yes." Rei murmured with a small smile as she blinked in the morning light. "Now that we're moving again, I feel like a whole new person almost. Is that coffee I smell?"
"It is indeed. I was going to wake you when it was finished. Did I prepare it correctly this morning?" She asked. Rei knelt beside the small cookfire and looked over the set-up. The ground beans sat in a metal filter she had brought from home, the enchanted bag that ensured she never ran out of the beans sat nearby, tied shut...
"Yes, it's perfect." She reassured the Lorca girl. "Are you sure I can't convince you to travel with me past Bulgar?"
"Actually..." Lyn sounded uncertain as she poured the coffee into clay mugs. "I think I would like it if you'd take me with you." The words came out all in a rush, as though the girl wanted to get them all out before she could reconsider. Still, she looked at Rei imploringly.
"I… you... say that again?" Rei blinked, stunned.
"Take me with you. I can be useful - you've seen how I can fight, and the roads are dangerous at the moment. Also, I know the plains, so - even when you travel beyond Sacae, let me come with you?"
Rei looked at the eager girl, weighing her words. She liked her, certainly - travelling with her would be no burden, and if she were entirely honest with herself, she didn't want to part ways so soon. Something drew her to the girl.
"I would love to have you come with me, but... Won't your father object? Surely as the chieftain's daughter, you have duties to your people? Marriage oaths to fulfil?" At the mention of her father, Lyn's face had fallen, but only when the girl looked away at 'oaths' did she realise it was more than just disappointment. "Lyn? What's wrong? "
"My people - The Lorca... They don't... I'm the last. Six months ago, a large group of bandits came down from the Lycian border. They were well armed, and armoured, but... they were definitely bandits. They attacked at night. In the space of a single night... the survivors numbered less than ten, all told. There was nothing I could do..." Her voice cracked, and Rei realised that she had tears running down her cheeks. She wanted to go to her, do something to ease her pain, but could not think what. Lyn raised a hand to wipe away the tears, roughly.
"No. I won't cry any more. Please, Rei.." She looked over at the seated girl once more, resolve replacing sorrow. "I won't achieve anything sitting here alone on the plains. Take me with you - let us learn. I don't know what called you here from your homeland, but I know that you must have come a long way. Let me help in your quest. I don't know what you seek, but your intentions must be honourable."
"Alright... you may join me, although I am not sure you will keep that resolve once we speak of why I travel."
"As we move. Come - we must prepare. Everything must be packed away, and the ger collapsed."
"Ah, no." Rei interrupted, and Lyn blinked at her.
"No?"
"First - coffee." Rei smiled at Lyn, who nodded in understanding and passed her a mug over.
"Ideally, back on the islands, we would mix milk with the coffee to sweeten and cool it, but since leaving, I've grown to like it black." She passed the first mug to Lyn, then took the second and breathed deeply of the fumes rising off it. She smiled as she saw Lyn copy her, then look startled.
"It smells... interesting." The Sacaean commented, before taking a sip. "It's not as bitter as tea... I think I could grow to like it. We trade with outsiders for tea, but I've never heard them mention this coffee stuff. How do you still have any? I gathered that you'd been on the road for some time."
"One of my teachers was a priest. He made a gift of the bag to me, saying that as long as I had need I would never run out of coffee. Seems that it works on a daily basis - it won't let you take any more until I start craving again this evening."
"This stuff is addictive?" Lyn blinked, then looked at her cup with new wariness.
"Slightly more so than tea. They both have something in them. I think it's the same stuff that helps them wake us up. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you - I've been drinking it since I was seven, and a cup a day usually does me fine." She smiled, and they finished their drinks in silence before rinsing out with what was left of the boiled water and packing everything away. Surprisingly enough to Rei, the ger could be collapsed to a single yard-long package. The cloth walls wrapped around the collapsed walls and slipped inside an oiled leather bag. By the time they were ready to leave, they made a neat little convoy with Rei riding her grullo mare and Lyn leading a pony on her own Warsteed-stock mare.
Break
As they travelled towards the southeastern capitol, they talked. Lyn set an easy pace, stopping each night at pre-chosen rest stops that had been used by the Lorca during their annual migration around the north-east section of the plains. It transpired that the Lorca were primarily horse-breeders, trading the culls from their herd, along with handicrafts and herbs for tools, spices and exotic foodstuffs that weren't available to the nomads like bread or fish. It was only on the third day that Lyn, during a period of silence, reminded her companion that she'd promised to share something of her story.
"So, Rei... you were going to tell me about your travels?"
The black-haired girl looked thoughtful, taking time to consider her answer.
"I'm looking for someone... is the simplest answer. I suppose that you'd need to understand something of my people to understand why I do this... I come from an island chain to the north of the continent. My people are the Kanhi, which means 'Island-Fire' in the language... though I'm wind attuned. Our culture is organised into castes, each one attuned to an element. People are organised into castes by their individual skills. Traders and thinkers are both wind-attuned. Farmers and miners are earth-attuned. Smiths and warriors are Fire-attuned, and fishermen and diplomats are water-attuned. That's not to say that people only respect the spirits of the element that they are attuned to. A warrior who specialises in archery would make offerings to both the Fire spirits of the smith who forges their arrowheads and the Air spirits of the locale they're going to fight in. Blue-road traders will ask for the blessings of both wind and water, while green-road will ask wind and earth..." she trailed off, pausing and looking into the distance to let Lyn absorb her words. "The one I search for was dual-dedicated, though... he's a skilled warrior, and so attuned to Fire... but he felt his calling to Air. Torn as he was, he left in order to seek his true place in the world... he promised to return, but then... it's been four years." Rei stopped again as she felt her voice starting to break and throat tighten. After a moment, she looked around to see her travelling companion looking at her through sympathetic eyes.
"You must have cared a lot about this person." Lyn spoke softly, but was surprised when the foreigner shook her head vehemently.
"I hate him. I hope I find him dead!" Rei spat the words, as though it were the first time she'd dared to give them voice. "He's a stuck-up, arrogant bastard who wants to ruin my life, and thinks he's helping. Worse, he's got the support of my parents to do it. I'm only here because duty demands I search for him." she bit back a growl, but it was as if a floodgate had opened on suppressed feelings. "Do you know what the last thing he said to me was? He said to me," her voice took on a more masculine tone. "I must leave you to find my balance, but I swear I shall return. When I do, we can be married and I will heal you." She took a deep breath, knuckles white on Petal's reins. "As if he could, or I wanted him to..." a final stress on 'him', then she fell silent, scowling out across the plains. Lyn wanted to ask what it was that her companion needed healing, but took in her mental state and wisely chose to remain silent. It had obviously cost her a lot to say even as much as she had, but knew that letting things out was necessary. Keeping emotions sealed inside was a recipe for disaster, but something that had been suppressed for so long had to be let out a little at a time. She wondered at the society that would allow such things to build to such a point, and the mental fortitude that Rei must have had to suppress her anger for so long.
"How long have you been travelling, then?" she asked, diverting the subject a little. It had the desired effect of jerking Rei out of her growing black mood as the girl looked around again.
"Since six new moons ago I left my father's estate..." she frowned, slightly. "That would be... nearly seven months by your reckoning, since we're in waning now." she paused. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the horizon.
"You finally noticed, huh?" Lyn grinned at her. "That's Bulgar, the trade-city of Sacae. We're nearly at the edge of the plains. We'll make a stop there, and then at the shrine. In the town, we should be able to buy maps and work out a destination. There must be work somewhere for people with our skills, and that's the best way to improve..."
"Think we'll make it by sundown?" Rei asked. She'd made the mistake of thinking that just because you could see something meant you could get there within the day already, and knew better - especially since it was gone noon already, and the city was only just in sight.
"Probably. No need to rush though." was the reply, and they continued on in silence.
Break
They did indeed reach the town before sunset, though only just. The decision was made to find an inn instead of adding their tent to those of the other travellers. It would be nice to have a bath and not have to worry about setting up or taking down the yurt. Neither, however, was particularly rich, and only Lyn had any of the trademarks used by the Sacaeans. Overall, it worked out that the best way to afford both rooms and the supplies and maps they needed was to get a single room and have Rei sleep on the floor - it was her turn, since she'd had the blankets the night before. It got them a knowing look from the innkeeper, but neither really cared about his assumptions. They used Rei's name, since she was in theory supposed to be leaving an easily traceable trail across the continent for her intended to find. Tired as they were, they ate a quick meal from their supplies and turned in.
"... Lyn?" Rei murmured after about half an hour, and got a sleepy grunt in response. "It's getting cold in here... could I..?" she trailed off, and got another mumbled response. It sounded affirmative, so the Kanhi girl smiled to herself and rolled up off the cloak she was using as a bedroll and slipped onto the bed next to her friend before snuggling into the covers. She fell asleep soon after. Lyn slept on undisturbed.
The next morning, Lyn had blinked at waking up with a girl attached to her, but extracted herself from unconsciously clinging arms without a word and gotten dressed before waking Rei. Since the girl had immediately shifted her grip to the roll of covers she'd left for her companion after stealing half the blankets, the Sacaean decided not to read too much into it. The girl must have been cold, that was all. With a wicked grin, she reached over and yanked the covers away, exposing the sleeping-robe clad girl to the cold air in the room.
"Wake up, Rei!" she said, loudly, and the target of her attack rolled over and cracked a bleary eye open.
"Imp... givvat back Riki..." she muttered, then shook her head as she realised that she didn't recognise the room, and that -
"Wait. Not Riki…" she blinked a couple of times and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Lyn... evil."
"Ssh. It's been light for hours, Rei. Definitely time to get up - who's Riki?" Lyn was throwing clothes at Rei after each word.
"My Keeper." she caught the clothing and started to dress, shimmying out of the sleeping robe yet somehow managing to stay completely covered by the clothes she was holding. At Lyn's blank look, she continued; "A keeper is a servant who makes sure that you do everything you need to... um... kind of a cross between a handmaid and a babysitter."
"Servants? I still don't know much about you, do I?" Lyn mused, and Rei responded with a chuckled.
"I guess not... you were the chieftain's daughter. My father was a warlord. Though the Kanhi share a culture, we're separated into prefectures, then prefectures are divided into wards. My father was the warlord of Nadeshiko prefecture, so he could afford to have a Keeper for his daughter. My brother didn't have one - but then, he was always content too keep his own appointments. He had a regular manservant."
"You… weren't content to keep your own appointments?" Lyn guessed. "I thought you were fairly dutiful... otherwise, you wouldn't be here, right?"
"I would have been... I kept most of them, but... I don't want to be raised to end up as a trophy on some other lord's arm to cement an alliance. My father wanted me to be attuned to Water when I came of age, so he did as much as he could to make sure those were the skills I learned. I would be his envoy, he thought, until he found the right man. Then he did find him..." Rei trailed off, and Lyn felt an uncomfortable silence start to build.
"Hey, come on. No time for moping, lets get shopping." Lyn offered her hand, and Rei nodded and grabbed it, allowing herself to be pulled from the room with her pack hanging from one hand. Once they were out, she swung it up and settled it on her shoulders before arranging her cloak over the top. Lyn already had her bag on, but her gloves hung from her belt on the opposite side from her sword. She made no effort to put the thick leather on, instead leading the way out of the inn and into the city.
She hadn't had much chance to look around the night before, so Rei stared in wonder at the city. Unlike most she'd seen, only the core of the city was permanent. Most of the commerce occurred in the expansive tent-city around the mud brick core where traders - both Sacaean and otherwise - gathered to sell their wares to wanderers and each other. Most of the business took place on a barter basis, but here and there trademarks or other currencies - even the odd gold coin - changed hands. As Lyn approached one of the food sellers, a voice suddenly called out from down the 'street'.
"My, what vision of loveliness has graced mine eyes this day?" the man was saying, and despite Rei's tugging, Lyn couldn't help but look up at the man wearing a green breastplate. "Surely you are an angel descended from heaven to bless this poor knight!" he stopped less than three feet away. "Would you grant me with your name, or better yet your company?"
"Who are you, and what manner of land do you hail from to speak so freely to strangers?" Lyn asked, surprised and a little put out.
"You favour me with your voice, even! Glad I am that you asked, for I am Sain, a Knight of the Caelin canton of Lycia, land of men of fire and passion."
"Home to callow oafs with loose tongues, more like." Rei interjected. "Come on, Lyn, let's go." She pulled her friend not unwillingly away from the green cavalier, who sighed and turned away, likely searching for some other to pester. Once they were out of earshot, Rei chuckled to herself.
"I don't know whether to be disgusted by him or offended that he didn't notice me." she confided, which set Lyn off giggling.
"Maybe you were a little too exotic for him."
"Probably too flat-chested." Rei countered, and Lyn shook her head.
"That's nonsense. Don't get all self-conscious on me." Lyn mock scowled, and Rei eeped.
"Okay, okay, I promise" she returned. "Lets, uh, get those maps..." Lyn nodded, and moved away with Rei in close tow.
It was almost evening by the time they had gathered everything, and they decided to spend a second night at the inn then set off in the morning. As they settled into their room, Rei made sure that the door was closed and gave Lyn a shy smile.
"You don't have to sleep on the floor tonight... if you don't want to. I mean... we could share again. It worked last night..." She shuffled her feet slightly, aware that it might be misinterpreted.
"Are you? I mean... I'd rather not sleep on the floor, but... Ah, hell. No-one's going to complain, and the innkeeper probably thinks we're shieldmates anyway."
"Well, not that you're not attractive, but I don't think I've known you long enough for that!" Rei grinned, relaxing. "Wait... are you saying that such things are common here?"
"Mostly among mercenaries... same-sex pairings crop up quite often. I suppose since most merc companies are all-male, they find love where they can." Lyn frowned, thinking. "It's frowned upon in some places though... Etruria doesn't like it much, and neither do some parts of Lycia. On the other hand, shieldmates tend to be sympathetic to other shieldmated pairs... hm."
"Maybe we should pretend in some places, then." Rei finished the thought. "I don't have a problem with that, unless you do." She moved over and started stripping off her daywear.
"I noticed... you wear that robe to sleep, but what's it made of? I don't recognise it..." Lyn was looking at the sleeping robe curiously and carefully. Her eyes didn't follow it as Rei grabbed it and slipped it on before belting it with the flat sash.
"Silk. It's a beautiful material, and nice to wear...I'd offer you my spare, but it'd be indecent considering the difference in height and - er..." Rei trailed off, realising that she was blushing.
"Endowment?" Lyn finished, then smothered a giggle as the pink tinge on her friend's cheeks flushed bright scarlet.
"Lets just go to sleep" Rei mumbled, sliding into the bed and cuddling under the covers with her face to the wall. Lyn joined her with a grin and a shake of the head, and together they slept.
"Excuse me, could you move your horse?" Lyn smiled at the red-armoured man who was standing in the middle of the road looking around suspiciously.
"Of course. I am sorry. Ah... might I importune on you to tell me if you have seen a knight of Lycia in the city? He would be wearing armour like mine, but green."
"Ehh, that wastrel? He was making passes at girls yesterday in the market." The swordswoman scowled.
"Ah. I feared as much... I was travelling with him on a mission of importance, but we got separated by bandits."
"AHA! Kent, my friend! At last! You decided to take the scenic route, I see?" The cheerful, overly friendly voice of the approaching green cavalier made Rei and Lyn grimace.
"And his name shall summon him..." Rei muttered, getting her an odd look from Kent and a chuckle from Lyn.
"Sain? I arrive, and the first I hear is of your misdemeanours!" Kent was scowling at the brown-haired man, but then turned to give Lyn a polite smile. "Thank you for your help, mamzel."
"It was no trouble. You, at least, seem honourable..." Lyn gave a smile back, though the last word was given with a pointed look at Sain.
"Your words are too kind, though... I cannot help but feel that I have seen you somewhere before, mamzel. Perhaps you..." Kent began, but Sain cut him off.
"No fair! I saw her first, Kent!" The green knight complained, and before the red could reply he was receiving a dark look from both girls.
"It seems that there are no decent men among Lycia's knights! Come on, Rei, I have nothing more to say here." Lyn led her horse past Kent, and forced Sain out of the way with her shoulder. The green knight stumbled with a sigh, then stepped back to avoid Petal and the donkey - though the latter kicked mud up into his face.
"Why me?" he could be heard lamenting before they got out of earshot.
Unseen, a pair of figures detached themselves from the shadows and began to follow the two women as they mounted up and began the short journey east, towards the Shrine of the Spirits.
Break
Only a few hours had passed when the two of them crested a rise that let them see over the trees that were becoming more frequent as they left the edge of the plains. Looking back, Rei squinted at a pair of figures moving along the road.
"We're being followed." She reported, lifting a hand to shade her eyes against the sun.
"Is it those knights from the town?" Lyn asked, looking, "No… the horses are different.."
A cracking twig brought them both whirling around, Lyn's hand going to her sword. The rough-edged man standing there held an axe loosely in one hand.
"Aha. Lyndis, right? Damn, this is a waste. Ah, the things I'll do for money..." He grinned, raising the axe and lunging forward. Lyn was forced to jump back, somersaulting from her horse's back to dodge out of the way, and Petal skidded to one side to avoid the backswing. Rei rolled from the saddle, coming up in a crouch with a knife readied. When the thick, sinewy arm went around her neck a moment later, hauling her up and back into a hard-muscled chest, however, she dropped the thin blade in surprise.
"LYN!" she cried before the ruffian put a hand over her mouth and forced it closed. Finger and thumb clamped over her nose, cutting off her breathing, and as she started to suffocate she saw Lyn fighting a desperate, defensive battle against the stronger axe-fighter.
'Not like this... please...' Rei found herself praying as her vision tunnelled.
"How ill-mannered." A cultured, male voice spoke from somewhere behind, and a moment later the pressure faded, allowing the fire-islander to breath again. Looking up from where she'd fallen to catch her breath, she saw the red knight flicking blood from his sword. A moment later, his green-clad companion came galloping from the trees with a lance lowered to strike at the axeman pressing Lyn. The axe came up and knocked the lance away, but it gave the swordfighter a chance to roll in and hamstring him. As Sain came around for another pass, another two axefighters stepped out from behind a cairn and blocked his path. The hamstrung leader limped over to them, using his axe as a shield to fend off Lyn's parting stroke.
"Damn. There was only meant to be a lone girl... ah, well. This don't concern you, knightlings."
"Oh, I don't know. A bunch of ruffians, ambushing and attacking a pair of innocent travellers, and cute girls at that? I reckon it's just knightly prerogative to interfere, wouldn't you say Kent?" Sain grinned as he spoke, re-setting his lance and bringing his horse around. A moment later, Kent's steed walked up to the red knight, who put a foot in the stirrup and lifted himself into the saddle. Unlike the girls, these two were evidently trained to fight from horseback.
"Indeed. Still, it appears that your plans have gone awry, bandit. These two are under our protection." He looked to Lyn, then. "Stay back, we will deal with this."
"This is my fight." Lyn said shortly. "My thanks for helping Rei, but don't interfere."
For her part, the islander was moving slowly sideways to get behind the trio of bandits.
"Hey, we rescued you. You could at least let us finish what we started." Sain replied hotly, but Kent interrupted him.
"I have a compromise. You there. We will follow your orders." He pointed his sword at Rei, and she cursed silently. So much for stabbing the axeman in the back.
"Uh... alright." She stammered back.
"Sounds alright, I suppose." Lyn finished. "Rei and I will lead." She grinned, then. "So, mistress strategist, what do you suggest?" she looked at Rei.
"Ah... Kent, deal with the two thugs. Lyn, go after the leader... Sain..." She span at another cracking sound, and ducked a sword blow "HELP!" she finished, and started back peddling away from the mounted warrior who had come up their back trail.
"I love the group bonding, but this has gone on too long." The bandit smirked. "Get 'em, boys." He ran forwards, his thugs moving a moment later, and was met halfway by Lyn and Kent.
Rei watched the reflection of the fire in Lyn's eyes, mesmerised. The younger woman was watching the two knights like a hawk watches an owl hunting at night - warily, as though it might attack at any moment, and with the respect due a fellow hunter.
"You were going to share your story?" the Sacaean was asking, She still didn't trust the Lycians.
"We were. As you know, I am Kent, and this is Sain. Two weeks ago, Lord Hausen Caelin dispatched us on a mission to the plains to find his daughter, who was living on the plains with her husband. You see, he could not abide her choice of men. I mean no offence when I say this, but he did not believe a Sacaean nomad to be a suitable husband for his heiress and exiled her, through empathy if not by official writ. Then, six months ago, he received a letter from his daughter, Madelyn, saying that she was living quite happily on the plains with her husband Hassar and their sixteen-year-old daughter Lyndis. Though the letter was written as though to gloat, with a daughter's foolishness towards her father, Lord Hausen was overjoyed that they had written at all. His happiness was only increased by the naming of his granddaughter after his late, lamented wife. That was six months ago... only on arriving the day before yesterday in Bulgar did we discover that Lady Madelyn had died days after sending her letter. We had been about to give up hope, but... when I saw you, I knew it. You are the Lady Lyndis." The knight leant forward, earnestly.
"I... to the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn, but with my parents, I was Lyndis... but I... I had no idea..." she trailed off, thoughtfully.
"Wait..." Rei spoke up. "That bandit... he called you Lyndis, too!" The knights both looked at the diminutive tactician, Sain stopping the continual polishing of his armour to blink, stunned. "How could he have known?"
"He must have been Lundgren's man." Sain muttered darkly after a moment. "Of all the... he must have learned, too. But if he's trying to kill you..."
"Stop." Lyn interrupted. "Who is Lundgren, and why would he want me dead?"
"Lord Lundgren is Lord Hausen's younger brother. When Madelyn disappeared, the position of heir defaulted to him... it looks like he might be trying to keep it that way." Kent frowned. "Though... I didn't think he was capable of murder, especially not kinslaying…"
"If Lord Hausen believed that Sacaeans weren't worthy of Caelin, then maybe his brother thinks the same. That would make Lyn a..." Rei looked back at the girl for a moment, "a lesser being. It's not murder to kill a non-person."
The statement left the whole group silent.
"I hope that is the case." Lyn finally broke the silence, then continued when Kent and Sain looked at her curiously.
"Why?" It was the green knight who voiced their confusion, but Rei who responded.
"Because otherwise, Lord Lundgren might be willing to do other things to ensure his succession." The tactician's voice was low, but the words carried into the night air as though their weight would dampen the entire world.
"Enough. I'll hear no more of this talk tonight. It's warm enough and dry enough not to bother with the tent. I am going to bed. We'll discuss this in the morning." Lyn said, finally, and moved off to gather her bedroll before bringing it back and setting up beside the fire.
"I'll take first watch." Kent said, and Rei nodded.
"I'll take second, then Sain the dog watch. Lyn, do you mind keeping fourth? We're hunted, so we'll need to start keeping watches. Kent, Sain, if Petal or Hunt start acting up, that means someone is about. They're both trained to keep watch." With that, she went to get her own bedroll. "Wake me when the moon sits atop that tree." she indicated, before taking off her boots and cloak and squirreling down into her bedroll.
"Works for me." Sain replied, getting his own sleeping gear out. "I'll just..."
"Other side of the fire, Sain." Kent and Rei said in unison as he started to lay out his bedroll next to Lyn's. They sounded so alike that the green knight made a scared 'eep' sound, and Lyn chuckled quietly.