Border wars book nine of.., p.29
Border Wars: Book Nine of Crystals of Memory, page 29
It wasn’t an energy being who caused them to pause, though the other Devica did, when all of the ones with Anders and his people started to glow brightly. There were so many of them that it was breathtaking to behold.
No, it was Juniper who called out, using her mind.
~Stop! We are friends!~
The war ponies of the Natech suddenly did that. Halting, and then turning a bit, so that their riders couldn’t easily aim incorrectly. It was a very well-done trick.
Then, finally noticing that there were hundreds of energy beings, and those were visible, the would be attackers stopped. One of them, hitting her small pony hard enough on the neck to make Anders wince, dismounted and rather angrily strode over toward him. Or rather, over toward Salina. He didn’t understand that at first, but she was clearly looking at her, first thing.
Which, finally he was beginning to understand. The men there were either weak in magic or untrained, keeping them weak, meaning that women ruled them. So this one was orienting on the oldest seeming lady with them. A matter that seemed off to Anders, not that Princess Salina wasn’t as in charge as any of them there were. Except Depak.
Still, Anders waved at the angry woman. Her followers or tribe were still holding back. Not attacking however.
“I am Leeda, the leader of the Na’Tush! These are the lands of my people. You are invading us. We will kill you!”
She started to summon magic, only to have everyone there smile at her, with Lissa moving forward by several steps, taking all magic out of a limited area. It was dangerous, since the wild woman might be a good fighter, even without magic. Lissa wasn’t great that way. That being the case, Anders moved over to her, and repeated what was said, in Scara.
Then he looked at Leeda, who wasn’t wearing a mask at all. She looked sun worn and hard. Tan and lined of face. Lean, as well.
“They don’t speak Ciru, yet. I’m Anders. We aren’t invading. Just making some ponds and food for you, since you’ve had a lean season, we heard. You’ll have to not invade across the border any longer, but we noticed that you already stopped doing that. We don’t want to see little ones going hungry, however.” He shook his head then, which probably meant nothing to the woman. “Oh, these people here, the energy ones, ask that you also stop trapping their kind, and harming others? Let me... Londis! Over here!” He let his voice raise, the green being of light, with the orange core inside of it floating over, quickly.
“Chiefess Leeda. We have come to suggest some changes, to aid you and your people.”
Not seeming cowed, the woman, her long gray hair tied back in a braid, screamed.
“Who are you to order me to do anything, slave!” Then she started a complex hand motion set. It took him a moment, using wizardry, to understand that the complex set of motions only had one meaning. It was simply a very complex version of a single spell or hand sign.
It also did nothing.
Lissa wasn’t allowing that.
When the spell, whatever it was, didn’t come, the woman went wide eyed.
“How? You stole my magic from me?”
Anders smiled, a gentle and calm matter, and then spoke softly.
“We have, for a time. We find it reduces the amount of problems. So, you were about to agree to stop enslaving our Devica friends? They truly won’t allow it any longer. Your tricks to capture and enslave won’t work on any of these here, and I believe the plan is for all of the energy people you have trapped to be released, even if you don’t agree. So, better to demand that change for all and stay in command, than to seem weak, don’t you believe?”
A blade was pulled then, and stabbed rather professionally, directly at Anders heart. Making him jump back, still smiling.
Before he could do anything, Wopat moved in, taking the knife away, holding the wood and metal inside her body. Leaving the upset lady unarmed. Understanding who had done it as well.
Anders nodded.
“It’s best not to take this to violence. I was asked, by the Devica here, to protect you, the Natech, if I could. So you wouldn’t be destroyed, as a people.”
She tried to slap him. This time he simply put an arm up to block, then had to do that seven more times before she understood that he wasn’t hitting back at her. Then another spell tried to hit him, with nothing happening. After that, seeing their leader fighting, the other Natech fighters, all women, tried to move in. Using magic. A thing that Lissa wasn’t going to be able to end in a null field, her own power only making a space about five paces from her body.
Anders simply moved back, out of the space, and ended the spells of the women.
Which was hard to bring about, having to steal the meaning of their magic, in twenty-two places at once. Without using a sophisticated spell for it.
Meaning he had to focus very hard and use wizardry to guide it all. He missed one, meaning that a line of fire tried to hit Princess Salina. That didn’t work, since she placed a simple shield up, then called out. Ending that woman’s spell as well.
Then, over the next minutes, they all had to end dozens of other, new spells. All trying to cast fire at them. Powerfully, but it was very clear what they were doing.
Anders could feel it rippling across the world, even as he changed it. Then, so did the others. Even Collin and Walden did it, since it was having an impact on the Natech warriors.
After some moments, they all simply stood still, off their mounts, looking at the war ponies as if they had betrayed them, instead of simply understanding that their four-legged friends had worked to keep the peace and aid them.
Anders called out.
“Now, if you will, we’ve been making water ponds and food for you, to prevent a lean season! We can do more, if you wish? If not, we can also leave. These beings of power and energy have come to ask you to free their fellows. Can you spread the word of this to the other tribes? As well, it would be good if you treated your four-legged tribe members better. I’m adding that simply because it’s annoying to see good beings be mistreated.”
That sounded preachy, but Leeda, finally, turned on him, directly, without it being an attack.
“Well... You seem to have the upper hand here. What are your demands?”
He blinked at her, then nodded.
“Londis, why don’t you speak to these people and see what will be needed?”
That, even if it seemed to upset Leeda, also worked. At least, most of two hours later, the Na’Tush tribe members all left. Anders had held back, not listening to the talks going on. It had seemed to be that for real, with the people there sitting in a circle on the ground, each speaking to the energy being and his many friends.
He, speaking Ciru as he did, got the whole bargain that had been worked out, first. It was, he realized, a strange one.
Sitting inside a rather solid building, designed to be permanent, or at least weather attacks, Anders sat at a low table with all of the others, taking a deep breath.
“Londis, Dara and Wopat worked out a tentative agreement. I need to make more ponds and wetlands, with food growing as has been done, doubling the amount. In exchange they agree not to raid the border any longer, which will last about as long as Leeda lives, according to her. They also will try to work with the Devica and be less warlike. That... None of them believes it will work. They’ll try. I think it was implied that if they do not do so, then Salina will come and destroy them all.”
That wasn’t even a jest. He didn’t smile about it, either.
The princess nodded.
“I hope we can avoid that. Is there... What can be done for the ponies? They treat them rather roughly...”
Anders nodded, not loving that part.
“They were asked to do better, but think of them as animals, not a different type of person. It seems that they don’t understand wizardry well here at all. Their women truly are powerful in magic, but mainly focus on fire and some small skills with water for survival. We can’t do a lot more for Juniper’s people, yet. Not without simply starting a real war here.”
The princess closed her eyes.
“I understand. I can’t love the sound of it but change often comes slowly. So, what’s the plan? You have to build all of the water features yourself? I can do it. Probably faster than you can, even.” She shook her head a bit. “Maybe not, after all the practice you had at it. Still, even if I’m only as quick, it will double the speed of the work.”
Anders didn’t know the real answer to that one.
“They said it was up to me to do it... Which might mean us, of course. I mean, clearly they know that Salina is in charge, and that Lissa is a powerful mage, so they might have assumed that you two will be doing all the work for us.” He grinned. “For real. That was gone over a lot. How shocking it was that men can do magic at all. I think that they’re still assuming that you two did most of what was done today. Next time we come, we need to bring more women with us, given that.”
Depak, who had been rather pensive all day, nodded slowly.
“We should all work on that, if not forbidden. Finishing quickly and keeping our word will, I hope, reassure the people here that we are trustworthy. We should have a guard watching all night, just in case. Not that killing us in our sleep rids them of the Devica.”
Anders could see that as valid.
“I’ll do the first half. Salina, you have the second?” He was teasing a bit, but with a straight face and calm voice.
She grimaced, made a dark, dangerous seeming face, then sighed.
“I do. We should sleep longer then. I will... Go to bed now, even if the sky is still light.” With that she rose, and left the room, her right hand glowing to light her way, since the place was sturdy, not filled with clear windows along the walls.
Anders, for his portion, stood as well.
“I’ll start the watch then. On the roof, I think, for this. I don’t think these people fly well, as of yet.”
That, the roof, was flat, so he wouldn’t easily fall off. He hoped.
No one stopped him as he went outside, the cool air of the coming night was pleasant, so far. It would be chilly, or could be, inside some hours. Not that it would bother him that much. The scenery around them was fairly open, being at the top of a hill as they were. There were ways for a small group to sneak up on them however, so he needed to be careful on that score. He paced, carefully, the sturdy roof holding him without protest at all.
Nothing happened. That was a relief of course. Truly, what he’d assumed would happen, as well. It gave him time to think, which was needed. Not about what he was used to doing. Instead of planning pit gardens since everyone there seemed more than happy with the tiny ponds and wetlands being added as they were. Dara had suggested that the pools would catch the rain as well and allow it to spread down the hills, slowing the flow. Eventually, the trees they put in would be the beginning of a forest. Probably with other trees involved.
He’d never heard of a forest made up of fruit and nut trees at least.
His thoughts though were about rest, for his people. The small break had seemed to aid them all, a bit. Working every day, constantly, didn’t leave a lot of time for life to happen. Which, of course, reminded him that he, apparently, was going to be married soon. Work would be needed on that score, he supposed. After Daren and Javina were wed, as well as Naveed and Eltha.
Which, since it was late, he didn’t check on the woman by sending a message, but did reach out with wizardry, to see if she was awake. She was, and even noticed he was watching her. She wasn’t alone, but of the seven people in the room, he knew three of them.
So, risking it, he connected to her, and spoke, gently.
“Eltha! It’s Anders.”
She made a noise, which sounded shocked.
“Eep! Anders just spoke to me, in my ear.”
There was a familiar voice then, coming from what seemed to be in front of Eltha and to the left by a good bit. Clarise Sett.
“Oh? Is he well? You were speaking about contacting him just the other day. Are they traveling soon?”
He simply spoke, but only to Eltha, instead of connecting to only part of the others there.
“We’re in the Natech lands. We have a tentative deal worked out with them. Improved treatment for the Devica and no more border raids, in exchange for some ponds and fruit trees being put in. That... It sounds minor, but it’s going to be very useful to them for a long time. We’ll be working on that for the next few days, perhaps a week. Then we should meet up with you, so that Naveed can take his new bride back home with him. We need to see to such things soon.”
He sighed, listening to her going over that with the others, then went on himself.
“I’m supposed to marry Sweyn’s sister and Princess Lissa, before I go back home. I don’t know how to set that up. It seems... Off to me.”
There was pleased seeming clapping and hooting when Eltha repeated the words. Leaving out his hesitancy.
Clarise sounded... Very warm. As if it were a special treat to even hear of such a matter before it happened.
“Princess Merdith? She’s lovely and known to be polite and kind to others. At least that’s what we’re told by the criers and in the tales that her father puts out about her. It’s likely true. Sweyn likes her, and she’s a good sort.”
That was true enough, he supposed.
“Indeed. Anyway, I’ll... Work on that tomorrow. Eltha, you should get in touch with Naveed, soon? If you haven’t been, I mean.”
“I truly haven’t been doing well that way. I can do it, the slow way at least. I haven’t wanted to risk bothering him. He might realize that I’m just some girl from the gutter and not important at all.”
Anders could feel that for himself, if not from a literal place that low. He grew up in a castle, after all. Still, far below a prince, for most of his life. Then, one day, that changed. He hadn’t at all, but his title had.
“You’re the Great One of Madroc. That’s more than high enough.”
They made some plans, but nothing too firm, since what happened that way was up to Depak and Naveed, not him. Eltha as well, which he subtly tried to remind her of, several times.
When he broke the connection, he simply stood there, for a long time, walking around at times, so his feet wouldn’t hurt while he did it. He watched, using eyes and mind. Still finding that nothing was coming for them.
He waited until it was well past halfway through the night, simply sitting with his thoughts, and then went to get Salina. She, of course, did not love being woken up like that.
“I can stand here and look with my mind? That’s what you did?”
He shook his head as she spoke.
“I stood on the roof all night. It’s cool out, but not unpleasant.”
She sneered, her face visible in the pale light he was holding over his left hand, using the sign for that. Trickling power in, so as to not leave the woman blind.
“Ah? That sounds... Like a good plan. Annoying, but as if it might keep me from going to sleep again. I’ll do that, I guess.” She didn’t sound happy to be doing that at all.
Still, how she did the watch wasn’t up to him, it was her task now.
Being tired, he slept, for some few hours, waking up when a soft tap came on his chamber door. That was Walden, who called out, politely.
“Mage Anders? We need to ready for the day, so we don’t lose all of the light we need to work.”
He groaned, sat up, and then stood, knocking the light covers off. Then, feeling drunk or ill, he called out his waking spell. Which probably wasn’t healthy to use every day as he’d been managing to do for the last few in a row.
It still worked, so he tidied himself, seeing to his hair, body and teeth, then shaved, using a spell for that which he needed to start using each day. His beard wasn’t trying to grow in thick and luxuriously as of yet, but there had been bristles there for two days, not just the peachy fuzz of a young man.
He was, he thought, taller now, too. A matter that he hadn’t really noticed, even if everyone around him was shrinking every few weeks. Just a bit, slowly, over time.
Salina had been taller than he was when they met, for instance. Now he wasn’t just above her when they stood close, but over a head taller. Lissa was nearly as tall as her older sister was now, as well.
Farad, speaking with something close to humor, took over their mouth, speaking for the first time in several days.
“It is a constant in life that the young grow, Anders. That, if you stand in one place long enough, everything about you will eventually change.”
He huffed a bit, and smiled, slowly, not knowing if he meant it.
“Do you think the Natech will keep to their word?”
There was a long pause.
“Not... No, I don’t. I think that they will treat the Devica better, until they leave in their masses and stop showing themselves, and won’t raid the border for some time. Then, when the food becomes scarce or some other resource dear, they will go back to their old ways. People almost always do, after all. History is filled with such tales.”
That sounded correct, even if it wasn’t wonderful to hear.
Chapter twenty
Londis, the green glowing historian of old, chuckled. It wasn’t upset seeming at all. In fact, Anders was surprised to hear him being so cheery. That didn’t fit his memory of the man much at all. He’d been a bit dour, in life, in fact.
“It turns out that Chiefess Leeda isn’t a large proponent of our new suggestions.” The being went on, almost instantly, before anyone there could respond to that fact. He was speaking in Istlan, his accent a bit thick, but not too harsh, truly. Then, they’d had a week of evenings to work on that language.
The being still seemed pleased.
“Still, her people have agreed to reduce their violence, and to stop attempting to use Devica in war. That will weaken them they claim, but I do not think it is what will happen. This new system of lakes and ponds with the greenery producing food... It will change their lives more than any border raiding would. The truth is, they are a sparce people of low numbers, and if they were ever to start a true war with either Barquea or Modroc, they would cease to be inside a few seasons. So, while some names were cursed unkindly by Leeda, she and the other leaders are with us on the new plan.”
