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  * * *

  We left well after sunrise, and it was late when we reached the gate to the city. That proved fortunate, since there were few people on the streets. After we were admitted to the castle and dismounted, Javaid walked over to me.

  "Qi'Nisha, what now?"

  "I don't think the warriors will cause any trouble." I looked at Ayria and she shook her head. "Treat them as guests, but keep a guard."

  Just then, Minister Paeon appeared. He approached rather hesitantly when he saw Ayria and the warriors. Only the lieutenant's presence stopped him from running and sounding an alarm.

  "Minister Paeon. This is Ayria and the warriors are her escort. Someone should contact the duke and tell him I'd like an audience at his convenience, and that I have a guest from the Sands. If he can't see me tonight, I'd like a room for my guest and me. Lieutenant Javaid has agreed to see to quarters for her escort," I said, trying to make it sound normal. "I'd appreciate if you might mention to qi'Senka I've returned."

  Paeon gave a small bow while keeping his eyes on Ayria and the warriors. "Yes, qi'Nisha. Your old room is available if that will be adequate."

  "That is more than adequate." I motioned for Ayria to follow me, leaving Paeon and Javaid standing there, looking at each other.

  Ayria remained silent as we made our way through the castle hallways. Once inside, she walked around touching and feeling everything in the room. She spent some time examining the rugs and tapestries.

  "Hard to move with all this." She waved her arm, indicating everything in the room. I nodded.

  "Like many animals, we have a permanent home. And yes, it would be difficult for us to move. That is one reason for the castles, to protect us so we don't have to run."

  "Easy to find," she said, a small grin touching her lips. I nodded. She tried the bed but chose the floor, as the bed was too soft. I folded into a meditation sitting position. After a moment, she joined me. She knelt then sat back spreading her legs so that she sat with her feet turned out and flat on the floor. I couldn't imagine being able to sit like that.

  The dim morning light had begun to filter through the drapes when there was a knock at the door.

  "Qi'Nisha, the duke would like to see you in two hours. Would you or your guest care for anything to eat?" a young voice said from the other side of the door.

  "You can enter." I said. "Ayria, what would you like to eat?"

  "You choose, Nisha. I'm your guest."

  A young girl stood there wide eyed staring at Ayria. I could just imagine the story she would have to tell when her duties were finished.

  "Water, cheese, fruit, porridge," I said. It took the girl several seconds before she could move. Then she ran, closing the door quickly.

  I knew we couldn't eat all that food but thought Ayria could sample each and decide what she wanted. When the food arrived, I had the girl set it on the floor between us. It was a miracle she didn't drop or spill any of the food with her shaking hands and darting eyes.

  "Much food," Ayria said.

  "The advantage of living in one place."

  Ayria nodded. She tried the cheese before settling on a small portion of porridge and fruit. Like me, she ate sparingly. When we finished, the girl came back and collected the dishes and leftovers. Shortly afterward, two women entered with bowls and two buckets of warm water.

  "You bathe every day?"

  "I do. Some do and others every few days." I could understand her awe at having enough water to waste on bathing. She removed her skirt, blouse, and undershirt and washed. I didn't know her age, but although she was old, her skin was firm and her body solid muscle. She might be a witch, but she was also a warrior.

  It wasn't long afterward when Minister Paeon knocked.

  "Qi'Nisha, if you're ready, Duke Tebos will see you now."

  Ayria nodded and we followed Paeon down the hallway to the duke's study. When we entered, qi'Senka, Lieutenants Irmak and Javaid, Sir Helier, and four guards were in the room. Two stood behind the duke and one on each side of the door. He wasn't taking any chances. I stopped midway into the room and heard Paeon close the door.

  "Your Grace, this is the Witch Ayria. She's here as the Sands representative. But before we start, I'd like to tell you what has happened over the past several weeks, which will explain why she's here." I nodded toward an empty chair, but Ayria shook her head and folded into her strange sitting position.

  I went on to explain our trip into the Sands, the traps, the decision to continue past the Karp Mountains, our capture, the decimation of Duke Wenrich's scouting detail, and finally the invasion of the western corridor. As I explained the Sands current deployment, Tebos and Javaid came out of their chairs before I could explain why Ayria was here.

  "We've been invaded? Does she expect us to surrender? Sir Helier, deploy the troops for war, Lieutenant Javaid arrest her," Tebos said pointing to Ayria.

  I pulled in Qi and let it expand past Ayria. As I did, I felt her power blend with mine. She smiled when she felt it. Javaid stepped forward, reaching for Ayria. He slammed into a wall of Qi and bounced backward. When he fell, the guards drew their swords. "Minister—" Tebos stopped and the room froze when qi'Senka stood. Even Javaid made no attempt to get up.

  "Duke Tebos, as your advisor, I'd suggest you let qi'Nisha finish before you act. The fact that she didn't insist on seeing you last night indicates she didn't feel there was an emergency."

  Tebos's eyes went from qi'Senka to Ayria and back. He sat down and stared at me. "Finish, qi'Nisha!"

  I waited until everyone sat back down. "The Sands leader, Negozi, had planned to trap Wenrich's invading army and destroy it, whether he sent only one up the Castor Corridor or one through both the Iovis and Castor Corridors. Believe me, I saw that he had the numbers to do it when I was in their camp." Pausing, I gave Tebos time to think that over. "That would have left most cities with too few military to attack when Negozi laid siege. Thanks to you and Duke Sandar's refusal to invade, the plan failed. His alternative plan, now that his original one didn't work, is to lay claim to the Iovis Corridor, Hala, and the current unsettled land to the south. He has Inwood isolated, and it will fall. He's in no hurry and has no need to attack, and you can expect no help from Wenrich. If he's foolish enough to send an army against Negozi, it will be defeated and the tribes will control Rhybac. If he doesn't, the result will be a war that lasts generations." I looked at the wide-eyed stares on the faces around the room. "But Negozi will control the eastern part of Rhybac."

  Tebos's face was white. "This is a disaster."

  "Perhaps not," I said. "Hala hasn't been invaded, and Witch Ayria is not here to negotiate surrender. I've given Negozi the same conclusions and a possible solution that would stop years of war. Negozi has given me three days to talk with you."

  "What has Negozi promised you?" Tebos shouted, shaking an angry fist at me. His face flushed and twisted. He sat back slightly when qi'Senka stood.

  "Duke Tebos, I'm an experienced Qi'advisor. Qi'Nisha's young but has far more Qi than I. She will give you her observation, but she won't care what decision you make. You can trust that her observations favor no one."

  Tebos took a deep breath and slowly nodded for qi'Senka to go on.

  "As for Ayria, I'd not touch her regardless of your final decision. The Witch is an important person to the tribes. They would raze Hala if you did. It's obvious Negozi trusts qi'Nisha to see her unharmed. Consequently, you will have to kill her—and me—first. Lieutenant Javaid will tell you she repelled his attempt to reach Ayria." Qi'Senka's voice seemed loud in the silent room.

  "So, qi'Nisha, you don't care whether Hala survives or perishes," Tebos said in a threatening voice.

  "Hala is your responsibility not mine, and you can't make it mine by playing on the consequences. My responsibility is to give you my honest observations."

  Tebos sat quietly for a long time, during which no one made any attempt to intrude. I suspect no one else wanted that responsibility.

&
nbsp; "I've two Qi'advisors in the room, and I'm ignoring both. I feel trapped and want someone to blame. You're right. Go ahead and tell us your observations, qi'Nisha. But the decision on how to act must be mine."

  "You and Duke Sandar are threatened by Wenrich's greed. And you're threatened by Negozi and the desert tribes. If you choose to fight, Negozi will win because he outnumbers you twelve to one. The only question will be how long you can hold out, because you can expect no help. Duke Sandar will have to join Wenrich and declare him king. Wenrich will make a bad king. As a consequence, Negozi will seize more and more of Rhybac. His actions so far have proven him a wise leader, and his war chiefs will not allow him to sit idle."

  Tebos opened his mouth and closed it, shook his head. "You're saying we will see the destruction of Rhybac." He looked sick.

  "Not necessarily. If you and Duke Sandar join with Negozi, you could defeat Wenrich and reach a reasonable solution for Rhybac and the Sands."

  "Trust the Sands leader? What would stop him from destroying Sandar and me afterward?"

  "He'd certainly have the power to do that, unless defeating Wenrich didn't destroy the provinces. But if you can prevent that, you can meet him from a position of strength."

  "How would we do that?"

  "That's what you, Duke Sandar, and Negozi would have to negotiate." I looked at Ayria.

  "Our great leader, Negozi, finds wisdom in qi'Nisha observations and is willing to talk, although there is no need for us to negotiate," Ayria said.

  It took everyone by surprise, as they had been ignoring her. When Ayria was told to leave for the subsequent discussions, I excused myself because I had agreed to stay with her until she and I returned.

  The next day, Lieutenant Javaid escorted Ayria and me to the barracks to check on the treatment of her warriors. He had red eyes from lack of sleep. The meeting had lasted most of the night and was scheduled to continue later this morning. He remained quiet but kept giving me side glances as we walked.

  "Why didn't he kill you, qi'Nisha?" He stopped and turned to face me.

  "Because I've been willing to talk freely, and he found I couldn't be forced to say anything."

  "You consorted with our enemy. You're a traitor!"

  "Lieutenant, I know no secrets. He was far better informed than me. He knew what would happen if he stole the Scepter. And agreeing to talk with him is the only reason Hala's not under siege." I laid a hand on his arm. "I did tell you that most would not like living with a Qi'advisor. The Qi can't be concerned with the decisions people make; otherwise, their observations would be worthless. You care about tomorrow. I don't. I'm content with today."

  Ayria shook her head. "I would enjoy living with you. You're a witch of great power and wisdom. Negozi would welcome you as a witch."

  "I thank you, Witch Ayria, for the honor. Tomorrow will take care of itself. It's today that we must concern ourselves with."

  In silence, Javaid led us to the warriors. They were under guard and restricted to a small area outside but had been treated well, considering they were the enemy and the soldiers were feeling hostile, having heard that Sergeant Volos had been killed. Ayria's presence enforced the perception I was somehow responsible.

  Javaid disappeared later that morning but left two guards to follow us around, claiming it was necessary for our protection. We wandered the grounds but stayed within the castle walls. As we were getting ready to return to our room, two soldiers approached with swords drawn. The guards behind us made no attempt to stop them. Ayria smiled and turned around to face the guards, leaving me to deal with the other two. I agreed we couldn't trust the guards.

  "You betrayed us to the savages and got Sergeant Volos killed. He had a wife and three children," a broad-shouldered man with a scarred face said as he swung his sword toward my neck.

  I stepped into him rather than back, and his sword passed harmlessly behind me. Chest to chest with him, I gathered my Qi for a blow. But as I drew Qi from around me, I drew Qi from him. He sagged to the ground like a wet rag. His buddy stood shocked for a moment then stepped in toward me, sword extended toward my stomach. I released Qi. It threw him several steps, and he landed on his back. He lay there, struggling to breathe.

  I could feel Ayria's power pushing outward. When I turned, the two guards were trying to move toward us but couldn't. I joined with her, pushing until they stumbled and tripped.

  "They're typical soldiers, Witch Ayria. Force is their answer to everything."

  "Yes, I'd enjoy living with you, qi'Nisha," she said as we walked toward the castle entrance and our rooms. The guards didn't follow. In the room, the same young girl brought us our meals. Afterward, I spent most of the night working with Ayria building and extending Qi. She proved an excellent student and never once showed she resented me.

  * * *

  After a morning meal, qi'Senka visited. "Good morn, qi'Nisha, Witch Ayria." She smiled as she looked down at us sitting on the floor. "I see you're the Sands equivalent of a Qi'advisor, Witch Ayria. And I would bet that you're part of the reason your great leader has chosen to talk."

  Ayria nodded, a touch of satisfaction on her face.

  "The duke and his advisors have spent two days discussing the situation. It has taken them that long to concede qi'Nisha's advice is their only sensible option, although I told them that right after you left the room. I couldn't help but wonder if my advice wasn't biased. You might be the only person who isn't questioning your decisions and motives."

  I shrugged. That was probably true.

  "War's inevitable. You won't be liked for your Qi view, but I believe you're what we all need right now. Too many of us are wrapped up in image and biases to see simple truths."

  "Yes. Qi'Nisha's impossible to understand and impossible to ignore," Ayria said, her mouth twitching.

  "Duke Tebos wants to see you, qi'Nisha. He's waiting."

  The three of us made our way to his study in silence. I was learning much about the outside world and myself. I had never thought about myself—I just existed. But it's hard to ignore when the people around you judge your actions by theirs. I expected to be different. I was trained to be Qi—different. But I didn't stop to think that would make me appear cold or without emotions. I didn't like violence or seeing people hurt or killed. However, the decisions of those I advise weren't my responsibility nor should they be. If I didn't remain detached, they might become my decisions, and I wasn't qualified.

  When we reached the duke's study, the door stood open. He waved us in and waited silently until we were seated

  "I've three Qi'advisors all telling me things I don't want to hear. Qi'Senka tells me to listen to qi'Nisha because she makes sense. You, Qi'Nisha, tell me to negotiate with the Sands leader who I feel I should fight, not talk with, and Witch Ayria has convinced Negozi that qi'Nisha makes sense and shows her trust by coming here at the risk of her life. Everyone else wants to fight to the death. The only person who seems not to care is you, qi'Nisha. You rightly claim it's my responsibility. That's the simple truth. It is my decision, and I can't in good conscience delegate it to you or anyone else. My people are ready to fight to the death, but I would rather see them live." He seemed to gaze through the wall at some distant memory, his face creased with pain. "I'll talk with Negozi."

  No doubt that had been a hard decision. Having made it, the tension in his face eased. "What's the next step, Witch Ayria?"

  Instead of answering, she turned to me. I thought it funny that I would enjoy living with Ayria and the tribes. My time there had been interesting.

  "I believe we need Duke Sandar involved, if Negozi will permit the delay. Duke Sandar's involvement is necessary, if we hope to eventually secure a solution that includes all the provinces—"

  Before I could continue, Tebos said, "You hope to include all the provinces?"

  "Duke Sandar must side with you, and you both must reach an agreement with Negozi before a long-term solution can be worked out. Without him, it will become the provinc
es against tribes, whether you side with Negozi or not. I can't see the future, but that much seems obvious."

  "Duke Tebos, qi'Nisha gives advice on what she has observed to date. She does not claim to see tomorrow like most of us are wont to do. It's perhaps our weakness thinking we know what our actions today will produce tomorrow. If Duke Sandar chooses to align himself with Negozi and you, he divides the provinces. If not, he solidifies them. A solid block will fight for years. A divided block may be willing to negotiate a solution. War's inevitable. It's the outcome that is in question," qi'Senka said.

  She thought herself inadequate because she liked the dead king and Duke Tebos, but I think she underestimated her value. Her understanding of Wenrich, the tribes, and the current situation were the same as mine, and she did not hesitate to express them.

  "I'll return with Witch Ayria to Negozi and tell him you're willing to talk and ask his patience that I may talk with Duke Sandar."

  He nodded agreement and decided to send a detail along with the Ferox troops, as we might need them to sneak back into Ferox and to show his support for the proposed talks. We left the next day with Lieutenant Javaid leading a detail of ten troopers, and Lieutenant Irmak with her remaining seven troopers. I noticed, on our ride to Akan, that Hala troops were everywhere. As we crossed the Kiwaq River, we were surrounded by a large group of warriors. After a brief talk with Ayria, we were escorted to Negozi's camp.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Rhybac near Inwood: Ferox and Hala negotiate a potential treaty

  Only I was permitted into the camp; the others were sequestered a league away and guarded by warriors. Ayria and I were escorted to Negozi's tent, where he sat with his war chiefs. They had obviously been alerted to our arrival.

  Before I could say anything, Bolaha shouted, "She comes with warriors to our camp. Kill her and her dog-soldiers."