PROLOGUE (98 page)

"Alas," Druthmar replied, with a pleasant smile, "I do not."

Mistress Otlinde looked like the kind of merchant who recalled every least transaction she had ever made, not to mention the exact count of eggs she had sucked dry.” I pray you, let my son bring you ale. How may I help you?"

Sanglant's attention was caught by his daughter, who had bolted away from Bayan and gone to examine the palanquin and the four male slaves. Without warning, she grabbed the edge, hoisted herself up, and slithered in through the gaudy draperies protecting the woman concealed within.

Anna shrieked in protest. The Ungrians called out in shock and dismay, and Bayan grabbed for Blessing's small shod foot, just missing it as it vanished behind the curtains. The slaves leaped to their feet, as distressed as fowl caught napping by a fox. Bayan

"My lord prince!"

Captain Fulk had heard, as had Lord Druthmar, Lord Hrodik, and several of the other noblemen.

"Do you think it wise to allow Quman into our ranks, Prince Sanglant?" asked Druthmar.” What's to prevent them from murdering us in our tents at night once they have the run of camp?"

"Come, Brother Zacharias," said Sanglant, "how can I convince Quman soldiers to ride in my army, under my command, without having to watch my back ever after?"

"Will they take gold?" asked Lord Hrodik.

Zacharias laughed.” Yes, they'll take it and then murder you afterward to see if you're hiding any more on your person."

"Might they swear a binding oath?" asked Captain Fulk, "as a good Wendishman would?"

"They'd swear an oath as easily as they'd spit in your face just before they cut off your head."

"Are they such savages that they can't be trusted at all?" demanded Lord Druthmar. He was an able man and a decent enough companion on the march, but Sanglant had discovered that he lacked imagination and ambition.

Zacharias laughed, a choked sound that annoyed Sanglant.” I pray you, forgive me," he said at last, shuddering.” Griffin feathers, my lord prince."

"Griffin feathers! Like those my mother had at Verna, when she shot the creatures that attacked us."

"Just so. Bulkezu's feathers, those were'." A nasty gleam lit Zacharias' gaze as he savored a memory.” I remember how she defeated him."

"Truly, a remarkable feat. If only she would have stayed to lend some of her skills to my cause. But she never told me it was Bulkezu she had bested."

Zacharias smiled wryly. After all, he, too, had been abandoned by Alia when she no longer needed him. He surely had no illusions about her loyalties.” Nay, my lord prince, do not think she tried to deceive you. I doubt she ever knew or cared about his name. But he'll not have forgotten her as easily as she forgot him."

"I suppose not."

"He's a madman, my lord prince. Nay. Do not shake your head as if I were a poet crowing for my supper. I mean it in truth. He is mad."

"So was I, for a time. But he wasn't so mad that he couldn't stalk and kill a griffin."

Heribert was listening.” It seems to me that a man must be mad to stalk a griffin. Are you really saying, Zacharias, that the Quman will follow a man wearing griffin wings even if he has nothing else to offer them? What of loyalty? Necessity? Family honor?"

"Have you ever seen a griffin, Heribert?" asked Zacharias.

"I have not."

"Then you'd not ask that question." He snorted, but not entirely with contempt.” Any man in the tribes can turn his back on his begh and take his tent and his herds and his family out into the steppe. Any man among them can live like a prince and his wife like a queen, if he chooses to leave the tribe behind. If he doesn't mind the solitude and is content with a small herd that he and his family can care for alone."

"Do you mean to say they're entirely faithless?" demanded Druthmar.” Not even honorable enough to swear vows and keep them?"

"They're the most loyal soldiers I've ever seen. Never once would a Quman rider complain of hardship. They'd die rather than utter one word against the begh they follow."

Lord Hrodik had taken a liking to Druthmar, who put up with him, and he exclaimed loudly in protest, looking as if he would like to spit at the helpless prisoners.” If you love them so much that you praise them like kings, then why did you flee from them, Prater?"

"I hate them," said Zacharias softly.” Never doubt that. They treated me like a dog, and worse than a dog." Sanglant had noticed now and again a certain expression on Zacharias' face, a way the disreputable frater had of wrinkling up his nose as at a bad smell, or as if he were trying not to snarl contemptuously—or yelp in fright. He had that look now. The frater looked the prisoners up and down and even swaggered forward two steps, well out of reach in case one should try to kick him. The Quman studied him with those unnaturally blank stares, then glanced away dismissively. But Zacharias wasn't done. A string of words emerged fluently from his lips, swift and sweet. The aloof demeanor of the Quman

slaves snapped so fast that poor Lord Hrodik yelped, startled, and leaped backward. The slaves growled and swore, spitting. One yanked so hard against the cords that bound him that the post to which he and his comrades were tied, driven deep into the ground, rocked alarmingly. Druthmar drew his sword. Bayan's Ungrian guards came running. Sanglant laughed, feeling the old familiar surge as his heart pounded and excitement raced along his limbs.

Mistress Otlinde's hired guards bolted forward with their staffs and began beating the bound prisoners into submission.

It wasn't a pretty sight. The Quman who had howled curses at Zacharias hunched over, taking hard blows without a whimper. In its own horrible way, it was an impressive display of toughness.

But it was a waste.

"For the sake of God," said Sanglant harshly, moving in to drag off the most rabid of the hired guards, who was whacking away like a crazed man at the Quman now driven to his knees below him.” Hold!" The man whirled, thinking to strike the prince, but Sanglant caught his arm in mid-strike and held it, staring him down. After a moment, the hired guard shrank away, called off his fellows, and retreated to a safe distance, glowering. His victim spat out a few teeth and wiped blood off his chin. Staggering slightly, he stood, lifting his chin to look up at Sanglant, meeting his gaze. In the end, after a long battle, it was the Quman who looked away first.

"What was that?" Sanglant grabbed Zacharias' shoulder and spun him around. The frater was breathing hard, as though he'd been running, and sweat streamed down his face.” I would have been better amused if I knew what purpose it serves to beat them senseless."

"Forgive me, my lord prince." Zacharias could hardly speak because he was panting so hard, flushing and almost stammering.” I only wish it were Bulkezu trussed up in their place. My mother always told me I was better armed with my tongue than many a man who carries spear and shield."

"If they hadn't been tied up, they'd have torn you to bits," observed Heribert, who had retreated a few steps, letting Lord Druthmar's broad shoulders shield him.

Zacharias spoke again, hoarsely, still catching his breath.” Griffin wings, my lord prince. They'd never stab in the back a man wearing griffin wings." With a shuddering sigh, he strode off into the crowd.

"Nay, Heribert," said Sanglant quietly before the cleric could hasten after him, "he has his own demons to fight. Let him be for now. Yet I would gladly know what he said to them."

The Quman slaves had by now all picked themselves up, shrugging bruised shoulders, licking away blood that trickled down from their nostrils, all of it done awkwardly because their hands were tied up tightly behind their backs. Bayan and Sapientia hurried up, having heard the commotion.

"Do they trouble you?" demanded Bayan.” I can have my men kill every one, but first I must wait on my mother. She sometimes likes to take one of these—" He spat at the feet of the nearest one, shoulders taut and one hand on his sword hilt as if he meant to cut their throats himself.” —as a slave. But such maggots as this are unworthy even to be slaves."

"I think they're not really born of human blood," said Druthmar in a low voice.” You'd think it hadn't hurt them at all. There's no shame in saying what hurts when a wound is honorably won, or dishonorably given." He, too, glanced toward the hired guards, a motley-looking crew of mercenaries who had probably been bandits preying on innocent travelers two months ago.

"No shame," agreed Sanglant. He beckoned to Brother Breschius.” Do you know what my frater said to them? I know you have experience with the tribes."

"Nay, Prince Sanglant," said Breschius.” I was a slave among the Kerayit, not the Quman clans. I know a few words of Quman, it's true, and indeed I believe he made some comment about their mothers, but beyond that I could not understand what he said."

"What do you care what the frater said to them?" asked Sapientia scornfully.” They're only Quman. More beasts than people."

"They're soldiers. We have need of soldiers, I believe. If they aren't Pechanek Quman, then there's no reason we can't take them into our army as well and use them to fight Bulkezu."

Bayan stiffened as though he'd been spat on, turned abruptly, and walked away into the market.

Sapientia turned angrily on Sanglant.” You know how he hates the Quman. It was Quman who killed his son. How can you even suggest that we use Quman troops?"

i

"I'll use what I must to defeat Bulkezu. There is far more at stake here and now, Sapientia, even than this. As I will tell you when we have more privacy. Any man or woman who will fight for me, I will take into my army. If Bulkezu is not defeated soon, if the Seven Sleepers are allowed to act as they will without opposition because we quarrel about which men we deign to use to do our killing for us, then we will be no better off than that poor lad, led away in chains." He gestured toward Lord Thiemo, loitering like a faithful dog a discreet distance away from the palanquin as he waited for Blessing.” Nay. We'd be lucky to be slaves. More likely we'd be dead and our father's kingdom shattered and overrun."

The force of his words made her uncertain. He could see it in her eyes: ought she to believe him? Object? Walk on? Call for help? Give a command?

He remembered the expression on Waltharia's face that night she had offered him a gold torque.” To rule, you must lead, Sister," he said softly, "or else stand aside."

Annoyance flared.” Where is your gold torque, Brother?"

"I left it with my wife."

"Who does not ride with you, I see."

"Who does not ride with me, as you see."

"Lady help us, did she abandon you and the child? Just as your mother abandoned you." She clucked reprovingly.” Alas, you and Father have left yourselves at the mercy of inconstant women."

But Sanglant knew how to play this game.” I pray you, Sister, do not speak so slightingly of your own blessed mother, Queen Sophia, for she was always kind to me even if all the other things they said of her were true."

Sapientia flushed bright red. She called to her ladies and strode off after Bay an.

Heribert stepped up beside him.” A fruitless victory, I fear."

"True enough. And ill gotten, may Queen Sophia forgive me, for it's true she was always kind to me. It was the Wendish clerics who would persist in never trusting her, just because she was Arethousan."

Blessing's childish giggle rang out, and she slid out from under the curtains, tumbled to her knees, and picked herself up before Anna could get to her. She allowed Anna to dust off the knees of her leggings and straighten her sleeves but hadn't a chance to speak before Sanglant lifted her up.

"That was rashly done, Daughter!"

Her sweet little face trembled, her mouth turned down, and the shock of his stern anger made tears well up in her eyes as she stared up at him in surprise. But she had to learn.

"You might as well stick your hand into a nest of wasps as crawl in where you're forbidden to go!"

"But—"

"Nay, I'll hear no more from you now, Blessing. You went where you were not permitted and did so without asking permission. Because of that, you may not walk around camp anymore today. Anna, take Blessing back to my tent and see that she stays there the rest of the day. Matto can help. Lord Thiemo, you'll stand guard over her. Do please kindly recall that you take orders from me, not from my daughter, who is after all barely more than an infant."

"Y-yes, my lord prince," stammered Thiemo, who had the grace to blush.