Chapter 4

They led us into one of the fields and not long after along a row of hedges. It was just getting dark when she led us out of the fields and onto a small back road. The second battle maid rode up beside Talia, “I am Betrice Dark Brow. We have been waiting for something besides those dead sticks in the regent counsel.”

Talia looked at her, “Dead sticks?”

Betrice grinned, “All they want to do is patrol the borders while humans raid and kill again and again.”

Talia looked back at me and I shrugged, “I have never been this close to the Empire.”

I looked at Betrice, “What kingdom is responsible for the raids?”

She frowned, “No one has ever lived to give a report that will tell us.”

We rode on and they talked as I thought about what she had said. We stopped a couple of hours later to eat and check the horses. I looked at Betrice, “What is the size of the raiding parties and where do the tracks led?”

She frowned, “There has never been tracks. The Army thinks it must be a force of over two hundred.”

I shook my head, “A force that large would leave some tracks.”

The other battle maid Solis nodded, “You would think so but they do not.”

When we started off again Betrice led the way. Not once did we see anyone and just after midnight we stopped to rest the horses. Talia was sore and Biscuit touched my shoulder after she dismounted and shook his head.

I told Solis and Betrice we would rest for a couple of hours and moved all the horses onto the grass behind a tall hedge row. I came back to Talia and sat beside her and pulled her head down onto my lap, “Rest, bond mate. I will keep watch.”

She looked up at me and sighed, “You are going to make me soft.”

I stroked her hair, “As you get closer to giving birth you will get tired a lot faster.”

She smiled up at me and closed her eyes. I listened to Solis and Betrice murmur to one another a few feet away. A couple of hours later, I woke Talia and Betrice; Solis had moved to the other end of the line of horses. When I reached her, she touched my arm and whispered, “Someone comes.”

I looked at the road and waited. I did not have to wait long, a line of battle horses rode out of the darkness. In the lead was Armsmaster Kregis, I touched Solis and motioned for her to stay. I stood and walked through the tall hedge, “Brother.”

The battle horses swept into a crescent facing me. It was a moment before the tall Armsmaster slid out of the saddle and moved forward, “Well met brother. I am glad to see you.”

He held out his hand and I hesitated only a moment before taking it. “Somehow, I do not think this is a chance meeting.”

He nodded and turned to those still on their horses and made a gesture. They each slipped off and moved forward. He turned back to me, “There is a whisper going around of a reward for the death of the Princess. We stopped at Clan Prontus and they sent us on. We are Clan Stelis and stand behind the Imperial family.”

I looked at him and each of the warriors before finally nodding. “Follow me.”

I turned and walked back through the hedge. I stopped by Solis; she had a large grin on her face. “If it isn’t Armsmaster Kregis and here we thought we would be out of your reach.”

He laughed, “Solis. Do not tell me, Berice is around somewhere haunting the Princess.”

Solis nodded towards the front of the column. I glanced between them and then looked at Solis, “After we talk to Talia, we will be leaving.”

She nodded and fell in behind as we moved forward. Talia was waiting with her long knife drawn, Betrice was out of sight. When she saw the Armsmaster she slipped her knife back into its sheath. When they were three steps from Talia they stopped and Armsmaster Kregis knelt with the others following.

He cleared his throat, “Princess, Clan Stelis sends its regards and offers you my services and those of my clan.”

Talia walked forward quietly until she stood in front of the Armsmaster. “Your terms?”

He grinned, “Mistress Stelis, said to tell you to keep me out of her hair.”

Talia waited and he sighed, “The Mistress said if you were true Clan Osia you would not fall for that. We stand behind you, the Mistress said to tell you. If your clan falls we all fall, she will not let that happen. We are yours, sword and armor.”

Talia looked at me, “Life mate? My I use your sword.”

I slipped it over my shoulder and reversed it. Talia took it and put it point down in front of the Armsmaster. Slowly looking into her eyes he reached out to grip the blade, “For the Empire.”

Talia nodded and he released the sword, she moved to the next Kittling. One after the other they repeated the actions of the Armsmaster. When Talia returned to me, she quietly wiped the blade with her fingers and licked the blood. Somehow it did not surprise me.

The Armsmaster came to his feet and turned the Kittlings behind him. He pointed to two and made a gesture I knew. They left at a run back towards their horses. I knew they would be moving forward as scouts. Betrice stepped out of the shadows of the hedge, “Welcome Armsmaster.”

He looked at her and grinned, “Hey trouble maker.”

She grinned back and moved forwards to quickly grasp his shoulder before moving past. The Armsmaster looked at me, “You are headed for Clan Alterir?”

I nodded and he looked at the four Kittlings with him, “Two of you take drag.”

He looked at Solis and Betrice, “You are leading?”

They nodded and he looked at the last two Kittlings, “take the flanks.”

He looked at me, “I will meet you on the road.”

I looked at Talia as he walked off, “You trust them?”

She smiled as she moved towards Biscuit, “Yes.”

I nodded and checked each of the Battle mares, before Little Witch moved up for me to mount. We moved back onto the road, Armsmaster Kregis moved to Talia’s other side as we rode down the road. Dawn was just lighting the sky when we rode through the arches onto Clan Alterir’s lands.

We rounded a wooded area and the two Kittlings that were scouting ahead were waiting. We could see the Clan Alterir’s large manor; several armored Kittlings were walking around the front of the manor. When they saw us, one ran into the front of the manor and a loud ringing followed. We sat at the edge of the woods waiting as Kittlings poured out of the manor.

When I saw several older Kittlings come out and look towards us, I nodded to Armsmaster Kregis and he rode forward. I watched as he rode up to the entrance and spoke quietly, he turned towards us and waved. I moved forward with Talia beside me. As we got closer she started to fall back. I glanced at her, we had spoken about this, so I sighed and let her move into my shadow.

I dismounted before the Kittlings and walked back to the pack horses. I untied the bundle I was looking for and carried it back to Talia. When she nodded, I walked towards the older Kittlings by the entrance into the manor. Even as I walked towards them, more Kittlings came out, mostly younger.

As we got closer I saw the look of anger but this time it was not directed at me. I noticed the older Kittling’s angry stare at Talia. There was another female next to her holding a naked sword. I knelt in front of the older Kittling, “You are the Clan Head?”

She glanced from Talia to me and snarled, “Get on with it human.”

I looked at her a moment, before placing the bundle on the ground and unwrapping it. I moved the weapons to the side. I picked the armor up and held it out, “Mistress, I return Jessip Wisetongue to his clan.”

She grabbed the armor, not even looking at the crest, “Clan Alterir has wasted enough on the imperial family!”

I was on my feet in an instant. I reached out and took the armor from her. I stared into her face, “Jessip, was my bond mate’s friend and companion. He stood beside her in battle and peace. He does not deserve this dishonor. I do not know what issue you have but this is not the time or place. Jessip stood before an army with his companions to protect clan Osia. He gave his last breath so that a companion he loved could live.”

She glared at me, the female Armsmaster shifted but I ignored her. “If Clan Alterir, can show no honor for their fallen then I will return his honor to Clan Osia and my own son will stand for him.”

The Clan Head jerked and looked away. I turned to Talia, “Bond mate, you are all that is left of your clan. Will you accept Jessip Wisetongue and give his spirit rest?”

Talia had been glaring at the older kittling and nodded, “Yes. Twice he challenged for the right to mate and twice he forfeit. If he had challenged again he would have won.”

Talia looked at me, “It will give me great honor to give our son the honor to stand after him.”

I turned and knelt; retrieving his weapons and then I stood and turned back to Talia. “Time to go, we will not stay.”

Mistress Alterir stepped forward, “Wait!”

I turned to face her and saw her look of despair, “Why?”

She knelt before Talia, “Highness, forgive me. For generations we have served your family. Year after year our young and most promising have suffered and died. Now we are but a shadow of a clan.”

Talia looked at her, “Clan leader, you have shown dishonor to your own dead. Honor does not only wear armor and carry a sword. Perhaps we honor those that do more than we should, they are the ones that stand between the helpless and those that prey on them. Jessip was very good with weapons but always said to rule the Empire I need to see the honor in all my people and not just those that carried weapons. He was a wise and brave man.”

Talia looked at me and took a breath, “Edward, take four of the young. You will train them to walk the warrior’s path.”

She looked at the shocked face of the Clan head, “Mistress, Clan Alterir is no more. In its place, stands the beginning of Clan Jessip. You will train your young, but until we Clan Osia give you leave, this clan will only raise battle steeds for the use of the Empire. Your young will not leave to serve the empire, until we give you our permission.”

All of the clan were on their knees as she spoke. The Kittling that was clan head bowed her head, “Highness, who will stand in my stead?”

Talia looked at her for a long time. “None, you will remain. I do this to give you the chance to win your honor back. Do not disappoint me.”

The Clan head bowed and stood to move back to the front of her clan. Talia gestured to me and I sighed before moving forward to the clan Armsmaster, “Sister, will you follow so that those chosen may be remembered?”

She nodded and stood to follow after me as I walked through the gathered clan. I stopped before a Kittling with a flash of red on her shoulders. She looked about eight or nine years old, “Youngling? My life mate wants me to choose those of your clan to train. I am not my mate, each I choose to teach must decide if they will honor their clan sib by accepting this training and this way of life.”

The young Kittling looked up at me and then at a female that held herself proudly. Her mother nodded slightly and the youngling looked at me, “will I get to come home?”

I smiled, “Yes, you will be free to return. When you do, you will carry my crest and that of my bonded.”

She looked at her mother and back at me, “okay.”

I smiled, “Go stand with my bonded.”

She smiled as she stood and walked to Talia. The next was another youngling of ten and then another that was nine. The last was a young male Kittling of eight; he was the only child in his litter. His father knelt next to him and was very tense. As he walked back towards Talia, I waited.

When he was out of hearing, I looked at his father, “Kittling, you wear not the trappings of a warrior. I see the work stains and bearings of one used to hard labor. Do you know horses?”

He looked up at me and nodded. I looked toward Talia and back to him, “Do you have a mate or other young to care for?”

He shook his head, “They died of sickness.”

I nodded towards his son, “You wish your son to stay with you.”

He looked at me for a long time before nodding. I smiled, “Tell me Kittling, if I offered you a job caring for my friends and the other horses, would you accept?”

He nodded and I grinned, “Then consider it done. I wi’ll have to find you a horse though.”

I jerked my head towards his son and he stood to walk after him. The Armsmaster touched my shoulder, “Thank you, he is my sib.”

I smiled and turned to walk back to Talia. I was still a few feet away when I saw her face change to one of surprise. I jumped forward and caught her as she swayed. “Talia? What is it?”

I took the armor out of her hands and handed it and the weapons to Solis. I looked at the clan head, “Do you have a doctor?”

She shook her head, “No.”

I looked into Talia’s eyes and saw that she was not really focusing. I did not really want to stay but if something was wrong with Talia I did not see a choice. I did not even consider a room inside their manor. I could almost feel something like the tingle of a spell.

I looked at the Clan head, “I would like to use your barn for the day or maybe longer.”

She looked from me to Talia, “I will have a room made up.”

I shook my head, “No, the barn. I need someplace open.”