Dragon Dawn Page 5

  “You have a fine son, m’lord,” the midwife said beaming happily.

  Jihan stared at the tiny bundle in his arms. “He’s beautiful,” he said staring at his son. His son! “Look what you did, Ahnao,” he said turning to show her.

  Ahnao smiled tiredly and reached up for her son. Jihan knelt and handed the tiny bundle to her.

  Ahnao pulled the blanket away so she might see better. “He has your hair, like straw at harvest time. He will be the golden lord of Malcor, just like his father. He has your nose too.”

  Jihan grinned at the squashed little nose. “My nose doesn’t look like that. He has your eyes though.”

  Ahnao smiled and leaned forward to kiss her son’s cheek. She looked up at Jihan. “Connor?”

  Jihan smiled. “If you’re sure?”

  Ahnao nodded. “I always wanted my father to be called Connor, maybe he was. Who knows?”

  Jihan’s grandfather on his mother’s side had been named Connor. Ahnao was a foundling and didn’t know any of her family. The woman who Ahnao called mother had been a peasant woman in the village of Bri. No one knew who her real mother or father had been, and Jihan would never afflict his traitorous father’s name on any of his children. That’s why they had looked to his mother’s line.

  “It’s a good strong name, Ahnao.” Jihan stroked his son’s cheek with the back of one finger and smiled. “Welcome to the world, my son. Connor you are, beloved son of Ahnao and Jihan, heir to Malcor, and future Lord Protector of the North. You are welcome indeed.”

  Those words seem to break some kind of spell, for no sooner were they spoken than the room became a whirlwind of activity. The healer and midwife finished their work and made certain Ahnao was comfortable before leaving. Jihan gave them the customary gift of a small purse of coin each, but purposely forgot to tell them that both contained gold royals not silver crowns. Ahnao’s ladies hurried forward to coo over Connor and congratulate Jihan and Ahnao.

  Jihan spent the next few candlemarks watching Ahnao feeding Connor and chatting with her ladies. His world suddenly seemed focused purely upon this room and the two most important people in his life. Nothing of the outside world mattered. He did nothing for a long time but contented himself with watching Connor sleeping. Ahnao quickly tired of conversation and took a nap. Her ladies left the room then, all except Ahnao’s best friend. Ellyn indicated she would remain behind in case Ahnao woke and needed anything. Ellyn settled herself in a chair near the window to make good use of the light and took up her sewing. Jihan remained completely absorbed in watching his son breathe. He needed nothing outside this room, he thought.

  Of course the outside world moved on; it could not be kept out forever. There came a tentative knock on the door. Jihan glanced up with a frown, but Connor and Ahnao didn’t stir. The door eased open and Vadin, Jihan’s seneschal, peered nervously round the door’s edge. Vadin didn’t speak after realising that Ahnao was sleeping, instead he beckoned to Jihan with a pleading look upon his face. Jihan sighed. He took one last lingering look at his son, and went to join Vadin in the outer room.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m sorry to disturb you my lord, but the mirror has awoken again.”

  Jihan nodded. “Tell Julia that I’ll be with her in a moment.”

  “Me? Talk to the sorceress my lord?” Vadin squeaked.

  “She won’t bite, man.”

  “But… yes my lord,” Vadin bowed hastily and fled.

  Jihan stepped back into Ahnao’s bed chamber and went to speak with Ellyn. “If Ahnao awakes, tell her I had to go and speak with Lady Julia. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll tell her, my lord.”

  Jihan inclined his head politely and hurried out.

  As Jihan made his way through the fortress towards his study, he tried to concentrate upon the war in the north and not on Ahnao and Connor. Julia had surprised him with her successful use of their strategy sessions. He had warned her right at the beginning that she would need a miracle to win with such tactics against the Hasians, but she had proven him wrong many times since then. The clans had held out against the Hasians longer by far than Jihan had thought possible. They had given Navarien a bloody nose and no mistake.

  Jihan entered his study to find Vadin chatting with Julia. Vadin seemed more at ease now than he had, Julia had a way of putting people at their ease whether high born or low. When Jihan crossed into view of the mirror, Julia broke off what she was saying and smiled at him.

  “Congratulations, Jihan!”

  Vadin stepped aside.

  Jihan smiled proudly. “Thank you. Connor is a fine boy.”

  “Connor?” Julia said. “A good name. I like it. How is Ahnao?”

  “Tired, but she’s well. She’s sleeping now or she would have made me carry her in here.”

  Julia grinned, but then she sobered and glanced aside. “Mathius and Lucius are with me, Jihan. We have a serious problem here.”

  Jihan dragged a chair before the mirror and sat. “Tell me.”

  Julia quickly reported the facts and then detailed the argument between the chiefs. Jihan frowned when Julia told him about Evan’s idea of bridging the River Anselm. How such a thing might be possible even with magic was beyond him, but he trusted that if Kerrion said it could be done, then it could be done. Mathius took over from Julia for a short time, and then Lucius.

  “I’ve no doubt of it, my lord,” Lucius said. “I know Navarien well. Kumar assured us that Navarien did call all his captains back to him for a conference. Navarien would never do that unless he wished their input in a new strategy.”

  Jihan nodded. “Sounds sensible.”

  Lucius grinned. “It does, does it not? The question becomes what Navarien plans to do.”

  Jihan shook his head. “Not so, my friend. The question should be what the clans plan to do. What the General plans is obvious.”

  “Oh?” Julia said. “You think Kumar is right then?”

  “I do,” Jihan said grimly and wondered how long it would take him to evacuate Malcor. He dare not allow a siege. “Navarien will punch straight through with the aim of hitting me here. If he can mop up the clan encampments at the same time, I’m sure he’ll do that, but Malcor is his goal now.”

  “You sound sure,” Julia said. “Can you be?”

  Jihan shrugged. “It’s what I would do in his position. The clans are bleeding him and slowing his advance. He cannot allow that to continue for long; hunting them down will take too long. Navarien is no man’s fool, Julia. He must know Gylaren has called the lords to raise their levies. He can’t wait any longer.

  “Whether Navarien has Mortain’s sanction for this, I don’t know, but we all know the likely outcome should he give the clans a way out of this war. They’ll take it. You know it and I know it. And who can blame them? Protecting Deva is my job not there’s. I told you what would happen when you started this. I have to admit you held out longer than I thought you would, but this outcome was inevitable. Navarien will punch straight through to Malcor and either take it or destroy it. From there, if the clans continue to harry him, which I doubt they will, he will turn on them. From what you’ve told me, half the chiefs already plan to let him through.”

  “Not that many!” Julia protested. “I’ll take care of Kumar.”

  “It’s not just Kumar, Julia,” Mathius said in exasperation. “Haven’t you been listening? Evan wants to bridge the river and escape to the east. Cadell wants to pull out and go west. Kumar wants to go west then north. Most of the others would go with him if they could do it without looking like cowards. None of them want to stay here on the border. They hate it here.”

  “And you think I like it?” Julia snarled. “I know they don’t like it!”

  “It’s more than simple dislike,” Mathius protested. “It stems from the very concept of what it means to be clan—their honour. Ask Shelim if you don’t believe me. The clans were forced to flee their ancestral ranges and now they live here,
on an outclanner’s lands. As far as the clans are concerned, these hills belong to Jihan, Julia, not them. What does a clansman want with hills? They feel indebted to him for allowing them to stay… not that he could stop them mind you, but that’s not the point. They owe him, don’t you see? They are indebted to an outclanner. An outclanner! Think what that must feel like to them. While their families are here, they will defend Jihan’s land as well as their family’s lives, but that doesn’t mean they like it. If they can get their families away and follow them to safety, they can conveniently forget the debt.”

  Jihan’s eyes narrowed. He knew the clans felt they owed him for allowing them to use land nominally held by Malcor, but he hadn’t thought through what that meant to them. They had been friendly when he resided with them, but in no way did that make him one of them. He was an outclanner and would always be an outclanner. It must be galling for them to owe him anything. If asked before this, he would have thought the entire idea of such a debt preposterous. He would have waved it without a second thought, but now… now there might be a use for it.

  “I think I might have an idea…” Jihan began.

  * * *

  5 ~ Planning Ahead

  Julia entered the council tent that night with Lucius and Mathius by her side ready to do battle with words. The only light was that of a fire in the centre of the space set aside for the clan chiefs, but it was enough to reveal that she was early.

  *Mazel took the suggestion better than I thought he would,* Mathius said as they entered the tent. They were using mindspeech to keep their conversation private from the thousands of warriors waiting to hear Mazel’s decision. *I thought he’d say no without hesitation.*

  *Mazel is no fool,* Lucius said to that. *After what Kerrion revealed to him, he had at least to consider Lord Jihan’s proposal.*

  Julia nodded her agreement. She paused just inside the entrance to the tent and looked around. She noted that Kerrion and his shaman were already present, but Mazel and his clan chiefs had yet to arrive. An uneasy silence fell when the tribal chiefs noticed her standing there, but conversation slowly picked up again when she said nothing. Julia picked her way toward Kerrion trying not to tread on anyone. The sides of the tent had been rolled up to let the cool night air blow through. She doubted that was the reason though. The weather had been mild all day but the night was chilly. Thousands of warriors surrounded the tent, rolling up the walls gave them an opportunity to listen to what Mazel had to say. When the debate began, they would have to relay what was said to those behind, but at least they would be present while their futures were decided. There were simply too many people to get close enough to hear directly.

  Julia found a place to sit and tried to compose herself to wait quietly. What she really wanted to do was berate all those present for even considering giving up. Oh, they would deny it, but that’s what this debate amounted to.

  “What’s wrong? You look angry,” Mathius said.

  Julia smoothed her features. “I’m not angry. I was just trying to think of a way to sway Kumar,” she lied.

  Kumar was a grizzled old warrior with a face like boot leather. Jihan’s idea was radical by clan standards, he wouldn’t be easy to persuade. Clansmen considered money irrelevant—the idea that some of their number might hire out as mercenaries would at first glance seem ludicrous. Julia could only hope they would come to see it in another light. Bear Clan had been badly mauled in the fighting and had suffered serious casualties, but nothing like the numbers lost by Dragon and Wolf Clans. That alone might sway his thinking. It was a slim hope in Mathius’ opinion, and he knew Kumar best. Kumar’s son was a shaman and a friend to Mathius. Julia secretly thought Mathius was right. They had no hope of dissuading Kumar now that he had voiced his intentions before so many of the other chiefs. He would lose face if he backed down now. In Julia’s opinion, Kumar had used his clan’s losses as an excuse to get the hell out of dodge while the going was good. Julia could almost admire the man for that. At least he wasn’t all bluster like some she could name. Kumar knew the realities of war and didn’t see it as a path to glory.

  Mathius settled himself cross-legged beside Julia. “I don’t think anything will change his mind this late in the day. I’m not sure he’s wrong either.”

  Julia scowled. It was the same old argument they’d had since all this began. Mathius felt it was wrong for her to use the clans against Navarien and always had. He didn’t seem to understand that they wanted to be used, or they had in the beginning. Much had happened since then. They had as big a stake in this war as any Devan did, perhaps bigger. If Deva fell, only its rulers would change, but the clan’s entire way of life was at stake should they lose. The clans valued their freedom above all else. Freedom to live as they always had, freedom to roam where they will when they willed. People leading such a life would not be easy to control. If Mortain wanted to rule them, he would have to change them. He would shackle them to the land—pen them in with his roads, and fences, and towns. That was what Mazel and the chiefs feared, and they were right to fear it.

  Julia shook her head. “I don’t want to go through this again. You know my thoughts.”

  “Yes, and you’re wrong,” Mathius said.

  Julia scowled. She turned to Kerrion to prevent herself from saying something she would later regret. Kerrion sat with Shelim and a large knot of his shaman. Julia mused that it was a conspicuously separate group she had joined. Kerrion had done it on purpose of course. He had insisted that all his shamen would stay together and not sit with their own clans and tribes. It wasn’t a very subtle way of making his opinion known, but it was effective. Mazel would not like what it said about his authority over shamen, that was for sure. He was clan chief of Horse Clan, but also chief of chiefs for all the Camorin people. The shamen—like all other clansmen—should be under his authority, but Kerrion had made it plain more than once that this was not so. Kerrion led his shamen like a chief would lead his tribe—with authority, and like all chiefs, he expected to be obeyed. Unlike other chiefs however, he always received what he expected. Mazel knew that should Kerrion decide not to follow his orders, none of the shamen would either. Lucky for Mazel then that Kerrion supported him. Julia knew it didn’t make Mazel feel lucky, just angry.

  “…not like it, but it’s done,” Kerrion was saying.

  Julia shook herself and attended his words. “It’s a done deal then?”

  Kerrion nodded. “A good way of putting it, Julia, but yes it’s done.” He shrugged. “Barring the arguing, of course.”

  Julia sighed. “If the decision has been made, we waste time arguing about it.”

  Shelim smiled. “It’s our way to argue things.”

  “That may be, but we haven’t much time to waste.”

  “Don’t worry so much, you’ll make yourself ill,” Kerrion said. “Mathius tells me that you’re still not sleeping.”

  Julia glared. “Mathius has a big mouth!”

  Mathius raised a hand. “Guilty,” he said unrepentant. “She needs to eat more as well.”

  “Enough, Mathius.”

  Mathius ducked his head, hearing the very real warning in her voice.

  “He’s only voicing what we all know is the truth,” Lucius said. “You’re using too much magic and using it too often.”

  “Don’t start that! Where would we be without my magic, eh?”

  “Here of course,” Shelim said. “All paths lead to war.” He bit his lip, looking at Kerrion guiltily.

  Julia’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that? What haven’t you told me, old man?”

  “Oh, lots of things,” Kerrion said in amusement. “You’re too hasty, Julia. Just like Shelim.”

  “Hey!” Shelim said in outrage.

  Mathius and Lucius chuckled but it was a strained sound.

  Julia would not be put off by it. “What have you seen?”

  Kerrion shrugged.

  “Tell me!”

  Kerrion’s eyes narrowed. “Don�
��t threaten, daughter. It will do you no good.”

  “You knew it would come to this… didn’t you?!” Julia accused. “My God, you knew that Kumar would lose that battle before he went!”

  Kerrion waved that away. “Not that.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Julia’s thoughts raced. “You told Mazel that you saw only victory for us here or south in Deva. If you knew that, why did you let Tobiah lead us all to disaster? Keverin died and all his men because you let that happen!”

  Kerrion sighed. “You know as well as I that dreams show us what may happen, not what will. Possibilities, Julia, that’s all they are. Yes I foresaw that battle. I have seen it in my dreams for many summers. I first saw it while still an apprentice, and many other battles besides. Some did happen, some did not and never will now. Dreams are like mountains, Julia. To get to the summit you must start climbing at the bottom.”

  “Explain,” Julia snapped.

  “I have looked long and far for a way to save my people—my summit. I saw you. All other paths lead to our destruction. Tobiah had his part to play just as we all do. If Shelim had not gone north on my orders, Mazel would not have come to Denpasser. If Tobiah hadn’t lost his battle, Mazel would not have become Chief of Chiefs. If not for you and Mazel, we would not be sitting here today. You don’t know how fragile the future is, Julia. It is nothing but one dream piled atop another. If one fails, another will take its place and the path I follow to the summit changes.” Kerrion reached out and patted Julia’s knee kindly. “Take heart, daughter. Impatience is a fault in the young. You cannot reach the summit by leaping over the mountain. No one can do that, not even you.”

  Julia’s thoughts were a whirl of confusion. She took a deep calming breath and let it out. Another, and her thoughts slowed and cleared. If Kerrion’s future was made of dreams, she knew hers was made of nightmares. She rarely slept anymore for fear of them, but if Kerrion was right, she ought to embrace them not shy away from them. That way she might learn what she desperately needed to know—how to kill Navarien.