Chapter 4: Trouble from the north

By the start of the second week of Reyna’s training the Halls of Valhalla has reverted back to our normal routine. I only spent the one night in the cell with Reyna. After demonstrating that Reyna is harmless, none of the slaves openly resist if I place any of them in a cell with her overnight.

Our progress is interrupted when Narek receives a disturbing message from Zurab. It appears that a group of mercenaries have encamped in the hills to the north of our city. They have issued a demand to the city aldermen saying they will leave us and the trade caravans in peace if the city surrenders the young female slave that they seek. According to Narek, it is Reyna that the mercenaries are wanting. I know that similar threats from bandits and mercenaries in the past have been met with cold steel by my father. Surrendering to such demands once will only encourage every bandit and rogue in the neighbourhood to try and do likewise.

“The warlord is preparing his soldiers to seek out these marauders,” says my father’s messenger when her arrives later. “Unfortunately, the aldermen are less steadfast in their support for the warlord’s actions. They see no reason for lives to be risked protecting some foreign slave woman.”

I recall that there is no love lost between my father and some of the greedy self-serving aldermen; Samvel in particular. Since neither party has the power to remove the other, they exist in an uneasy and fragile truce. Fortunately, trade has been good for the last few years, so the aldermen are usually preoccupied with counting their wealth.

I don’t need to be an expert in military strategy to know that there are many ways for a small raiding party to sneak into the city. I have used just such a route myself on one occasion. While the secret routes need a local guide to show the way, a corrupt or disloyal citizen could easily provide such assistance. They could also misdirect my father’s soldiers and the city guard into chasing shadows. We are safe enough providing Reyna’s location remains a secret. But Alderman Samvel is an unreliable ally, and it’s likely that the threat of the grey monks wrath is the only thing holding him back from betraying us.

I tell Zoe, Hanna, Amina and Farai what is going on before calling Reyna into my office to interrogate her further. Narek intends to join us as soon as he returns from a meeting with Zurab.

“You don’t seem surprised at what I’ve just told you,” I say to Reyna.

“Concerned, yes. Surprised, no, Mistress. Brother Zurab has known from the outset that someone would eventually come looking for me, just not it such numbers. I am sorry if I have placed you all in danger. I will understand if you wish to surrender me to the mercenaries.”

“Why are you being hunted by mercenaries?” I query.

“The mercenaries will have been hired by Exalted Brother Tamaz. He’s the leader of Bolnisi’s branch of the Order of the Divine. I don’t know why Zurab has kidnapped me, but Tamaz clearly wants me back,” says Reyna.

“He seems to be going to a lot of trouble to recover a lady’s maid,” I say, hoping I might now get the truth out of Reyna.

“The possession of knowledge can be a powerful weapon if well guarded and used correctly,” replies Reyna cryptically. “Controlling such knowledge is a goal that many ambitious men seek to achieve.”

“That doesn’t explain anything,” I reply. “What has this to do with your claim to being possessed by a djinn?”

“Political alliances involving the grey monks are dangerous at the best of times. As you are aware, the grey monks are students of magic lore and ancient artefacts. The more experienced monks practise the dark arts, although usually their efforts can be dismissed as a court jester’s tricks. Zurab kidnapped me and performed some magic ritual on me in the depths of their monastery dungeon. He claims that a si’lat djinn has answered his call and now possesses me. But I feel no different than before. My arrival here is part of the scheme Zurab has in play, but I am unsure what my role is to be.”

“So you admit that you aren’t sure that you are possessed by a djinn?” I ask, finally sensing a bit of progress.

“As I said when we first met, Mistress. It makes no difference whether or not you believe me to be possessed by a djinn. I am trying to protect you by not revealing too much. Knowledge can be a powerful weapon, but it also marks you as a target for those who desire exclusive control over that knowledge. I am a slave placed under your command. If you wish me to tell you the full truth then I will do so. But understand that such knowledge will draw you into a conflict that will place you on a different path to the one that you currently follow.”

“My life is a succession of taking paths different from the one I am on at the time,” I muse. “So don’t try to confound me with all this cryptic talk. There are people I care about whose lives are at risk from this situation. If you know more, then I want you to tell me the whole truth. That way I, and those for whom I am responsible, can take the right course of action.”

“As you wish, Mistress. My story begins three years ago on the death of my father, who was the hereditary ruling lord of Bolnisi. As his only child, I inherited my father’s titles and lands. However my cousin, Giorgi, with the help of the grey monks, wanted to seize dominion of Bolnisi. The monks claimed that I was possessed by demons, and therefore unfit to rule. Giorgi ordered that I be stripped of my titles and lands and imprisoned in the castle keep.