A Warrior's Path (The Castes and the OutCastes) (15 page)

She noticed his silent observation and gave him a look of annoyance.  “Just say what’s on your mind.  We don’t have all day.”

That was more like the Bree he’d grown up with.  The woman from last night who had been so supportive and kind must have been an illusion.  Even as a child, Bree had been self-assured and commanding, almost to the point of arrogance.  She wasn’t cruel, but she sure wasn’t sweet and compassionate.  Where
had
the woman from last night come from?

“I wanted to thank you,” Jaresh said.  At Bree’s look of incomprehension, he continued.  “For last night.
I wouldn’t have wanted to face Amma and Nanna without you around.”  He hesitated.  “And I know what you were trying to do.  Making me laugh.  It helped.”

Bree gave him an amused smile.  “You’re welcome,” she said.  “That’s what sisters are for.  She playfully jabbed him in the ribs.  “Don’t get too used it.”

Jaresh laughed.  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

They arrived at the study.  The door leading into it was closed.

“Ready?” Bree asked.

“Not really, b
ut I might as well get it over with.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

Without waiting any further, Bree knocked once, waited for Nanna’s deep voiced “Come” and pushed open the door.

“We’ve received a response from the Wrestivas,” Amma said without preamble upon their entrance into the study.

“They’re very prompt, aren’t they?” Bree remarked.

“It is to
be expected,” said Garnet Bosde.  He was one of Nanna’s oldest friends.  In his middle years, Garnet had taken a deep and abiding interest in Nanna when the latter was a young man and new to House Shektan.  Nanna hadn’t been an acclaimed warrior, but he had a sharp and ambitious mind, something Garnet recognized early on, and over the ensuing years her had helped nurture and shape that unassuming young man into a ruling ‘El of great standing.  Garnet was old now, in his late seventies and stooped with age.  His clothes hung like a billowing tent from his rail-thin frame, and he walked with a slow, shuffling gait, leaning heavily on his cane.  Though he looked like a dodderer, he was no such thing.  It was an assumption those opposed to House Shektan often made to their detriment.  Even now, with nearly four score years to him, Garnet’s mind remained firm and diamond-hard, and no one was better at gauging the will of the Chamber of Lords.

“Sit down, Jaresh,” Sophy Terrell advised.  Mira’s mother was a tall
, sturdily built woman with gray shot hair piled into her usual bun.  Given her squared off, blunt features, she would never be confused with beautiful.  Rather the kindest and most generous description of her would have been handsome.  Other Shektans affectionately named her ‘the Hound’ because of her dogged determination to complete any task set before her.  Members of other, less friendly Houses similarly named her after a canine, but in a less complimentary fashion.

Jaresh and Bree found seats around a long, rectangular, curly
-wood maple table.  Last night, the chess set had rested upon it.

“The Wrestivas response is enclosed within,” Garnet said, passing over an envelope bearing the crest of the Chamber of the Lords.  “Read it.”

Jaresh perused the document, reading it twice to make sure he hadn’t misread it.  He grimaced in anger. “The Slash of Iniquity.  They don’t have the justification for something so serious.  It’s only given out to traitors, rapists, and murderers.”

“Hal’El has always been one to quench his thirst in a raging river when a simple glass of water would do,” said Durmer Volk, the last of Nanna’s councilors.  Durmer was a gruff, blunt man, never given to soft-pedaling his words.  He was several inches shorter than Jaresh’s father, but he carried himself with a
very upright posture.  It gave him the appearance of looking down his nose at everyone.  He was in his late sixties, and his thinning hair was colored black, which gave it the unfortunate hue of shoe polish.  His thick mustache curved down past the corners of his lips to his jaw, and his blocky features were held in a perpetual scowl.  His main task – the training of young Shektans in the way of the sword – was one he took very earnestly.  However, only rarely did the efforts of his students please him.  Secretly, he was called ‘the Great Duriah' by his charges, a reference to the folk of Caste Duriah who were famous for being
extremely
serious about their duties.

“Jaresh’s actions don’t come close to meriting such a punishment,” Bree said,
also sounding offended.  “It’s preposterous.”

“Hal’El and his House claim differently,” Sophy said calmly.  “They say Suge was too inebriated to have full control of his actions or his words.  They also offer a very unique challenge.  One I’ve never come across.  We’ll have to have someone research the medical and law journals to find out if it has any true basis in fact.”

Amma glanced at Sophy, a disapproving frown on her face.  “Will you tell him, or must he guess?”

Sophy smiled
slightly and nodded acknowledgment of the mild rebuke.  “House Wrestiva claims that you are able to conduct
Jivatma
from your Well and with it, increase your speed and power.  They say you used these…questionable means to defeat Suge, even after knowing he was too intoxicated to offer fair combat.  Therefore, it was a purposeful and malicious killing.  Thus, the Slash of Iniquity.”

Jaresh sat back, not kno
wing whether to laugh or be offended.  House Wrestiva’s claim regarding his supposed abilities was utterly idiotic.  It bordered on the sacrilegious.  A barking laugh escaped him.  “They must be as mad as Suwraith if they think anyone will believe such a ridiculous fable.  Like Bree said: it’s preposterous.  Only Kummas can use
Jivatma
like that.”

“Not necessarily,” Amma said.  “According to our preliminary research there may be a few anecdotal cases
from other Castes, specifically Murans and Rahails doing exactly what the Wrestivas claim.  The Talent only manifested in the heat of battle when death was a near certainty.  There is even one supposed case of Kumma casting a Blend.”

“Myths more like it,” Durmer muttered.

Amma shrugged.  “No matter how unlikely the Wrestiva claim, we have to treat it as a defensible argument.”

Bree’s eyes widened in sudden insight.  “They want to claim Jaresh is Tainted.  They’ll say Jaresh has either learned our Talent having been raised as a Kumma, or it manifested as these others did: in the heat of battle with his life on the line.  Either way, if they get enough ‘Els to agree with them, they could decide Suge’s death wasn’t malicious, but Jaresh’s supposed Kumma Talents warrant his expulsion from Ashoka.  Either way, Jaresh would be dead.”

Nanna nodded.  “I agree.  That is their ultimate goal: Jaresh expelled from Ashoka, by whatever means necessary.”

Jaresh snorted.  “It still sounds like a thin line upon which to hang their case.”

“So it is,” Durmer said.  “But that’s not the issue.”

Jaresh nodded.  “I know.  We spoke of it last night.  They’ll use their political influence to achieve the judgment they desire rather than appeal to rationality or facts.”

Garnet grunted.  “Spoken like a true Sentya,” he said, in his hoarse, croak of a voice.

“It is who I ultimately am,” Jaresh replied.

Nanna shook his head.  “No.  You are Sentya by birth and breeding, but your heart is ours.  You are Kumma.  Never forget it.”

“I hardly think…” Jaresh began.

“It is who you are,” Amma interrupted.  “We never expected you to take to the Trials, but you did and you’ve been chosen.  Your sword is equal to that of the finest Murans and Rahails.”  She stared Jaresh in the eyes.  “In your heart, you are Kumma.”

“It is true,” Durmer said.  His words were unexpected
ly kind, more complementary than any Jaresh had ever heard from the old man.  The Great Duriah had actually sounded affectionate.

Jaresh blinked back sudden tears.  He’d never expected to hear such words.

Nanna  smiled.  “And now that Durmer has suitably embarrassed you, we need to move on and discuss our defense.  I’ve spoken to the other House elders, and while some still don’t consider you a true Shektan, all of them recognize their personal feelings are immaterial.  The rest of Ashoka sees you as being of our House.  For this reason alone, your honor – and by extension,
our
honor – must be defended at all costs.”

Garnet harrumphed.  Jaresh didn’t need to guess where the old man’s feelings lay.  He had never made secret his dislike of a Sentya being adopted into the House.  As such, Garnet’s next words surprised Jaresh.  “The Wrestivas are an ancient House and influential, but they are cau
ght in the past.  Much of this complaint is but a mere regurgitation of a triumphal attitude and idea of Kumma supremacy we should have left in the shadows of history.  These beliefs have no place in a modern society, and they know it.  I would wager that the focus of their arguments will be aimed toward the reactionary elements of our Caste.”

“
I believe you’re right,” Durmer replied.  “But, we must still make our case unassailable to even the most regressive ‘Els, especially in light of how those Houses view our own.”

“What do you propose?” Nanna asked.

Durmer gestured toward Jaresh.  “I had the training of him for much of his life.  He is good for one not a Kumma, but he’s never demonstrated our Talents.  I would have known.  His most recent tutors from the House of Fire and Mirrors would tell you the same.”

“In which case, House Wrestiva will have to prove that not only is Durmer Volk a liar but so are many of the
Martial Masters of the House of Fire and Mirrors,” Bree concluded.

Garnet chuckled dryly.  “It won’t be an easy task.”

“Then they’ll say I recently acquired this Talent,” Jaresh said.  “While I was fighting Suge.”

“Again, it is easier said than done,” Garnet said.  “The Wrestivas must prove what is at best a fanciful notion.  Since they can’t, they’ll rely on their political influence.  It may even work, but only if the Chamber feels it has enough substantiation to afford the risk of alienating the other Castes.  If the ‘Els find in favor of the Wrestivas, it would set a bad precedent: defending one’s honor against a Kumma could result in one’s expulsion.”

“There is one other thing which might be a problem,” Jaresh began hesitantly.  “I was with Bree and Mira.  We shouldn’t be surprised if many of the ‘Els will be offended to learn that a Sentya was escorting two Kummas to a play.”

“I’m you’re sister,” Bree countered.  “Accompanying me to a play is part of your brotherly duties.  It’s irrelevant to the matter at hand.”

“I’m curious as to why you would believe so,” Garnet asked.  “
Many of the conservative ‘Els might side with Hal’El on this one issue alone.”

“Because it happened.  We can’t do anything about it.  When I say it’s irrelevant, I mean there is nothing we can say to refute
such an obvious fact: Jaresh accompanied me and Mira to a play.  It is a fact well known to all by now.  We simply acknowledge it as true and move on as though it is of no relevance.”

“You think we should brazen our way past it?” Garnet asked.

Bree shrugged.  “I don’t see what other option we have.”

“
Besides which, while the Wrestivas will claim Suge was simply trying to uphold Kumma honor, it’s nonsense,” Nanna said.  “Suge never sought the truth of the situation – and what could be more innocent than a brother taking his younger sister to a play.  Instead, he interjected himself into a situation where he wasn’t wanted or needed.  We need to make sure the other ‘Els see it the same way.”

“A true warrior looks before leaping,” Durmer agreed.

“Suge was no warrior,” Garnet said with a scornful snort.  “The man was a known coward who Jaresh rightfully mocked for his craven behavior.”

Amma rapped her knuckles sharply on the table.  “It is not enough,” she said, forcefully.  “This challenge must be crushed.”  She glanced around, staring each of them in the eyes.  “With this perverse assertion, House Wrestiva has directly challenged our honor.  We must answer in kind.”

Nanna glanced at the others before turning to her.  He nodded.  “I feel the same way,” he said.  “If they wish to wallow in the mud, so be it.  We’ll do the same.  If Hal’El Wrestiva sees this as an opportunity to bring dishonor to our House, then we can do the same to his.  We will use this trumped up, rabid charge as our own stalking horse and do all we can to destroy his son’s reputation, and by extension that of his House.”

Jaresh smiled.  They were going to take the fight directly to House Wrestiva.  Good.  He hated playing defense anyway.

Durmer looked similarly pleased.  “Yes.  Their arrogant House has too long hindered our own.”  He cracked his knuckles.  “How do we proceed?”

Nanna steepled his fingers and closed his eyes, his way of focusing his thoughts.  He sat
in silent repose for several moments, seeming to almost fall asleep.  He opened his eyes and smiled coldly.  “We will raise every despicable rumor, no matter how puerile, about his son.  We will bring utter ruination upon the already sad and despicable character of Suge Wrestiva.  When we are done, Hal’El will wish that the mangy carrion eater he fathered had never been birthed.  The standing of House Wrestiva will be brought low.”