Forged in Madness by Mike Stagg

Author:Mike Stagg [Stagg, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-17T22:00:00+00:00

13

Torant shut the door to the cottage. “Now what?”

Torant and Laden turned to Cyana, who was pulling the Gauntlet off her hand. She set it on the small pedestal table on one side of the cottage’s single room and said, “Grandfather is talking to his contemporaries right now. I will go out shortly and do the same.”

Torant nodded. “To forward your claim.”

Cyana’s head ticked up. “My what?”

“Your claim. To rule the Harriers since you hold Racite’s treasures.”

Cyana’s purple eyes were impassive as she held his glance. “We have no Stone Lords here, Torant.”

Torant straightened. “I did not speak of Stone Lords.”

Cyana stared at him a moment longer before she shook her head. “I forget how different we are. We have no Stone Lords, Torant, or Stone Wardens or any other such ruler. We live apart, finding prey and satisfaction alone except for when we come together here twice a year. No one Harrier rules the others.”

“Then what is Rekos talking to them about?”

“He’s persuading them that we need to work together to combat the Whippet invasion and convincing them that I’ve found the way to do it.”

“Will four big birds really make a difference?”

She smiled. “You’ll see. Make sure you’re there when I speak to the Konvice tomorrow morning.”

She looked down and patted the Gauntlet and the Jess, making the light blue silk of her sleeve ripple over the steel tips on her talons. She kept her eyes down as she said, “I must confess that I’m not certain what to do with you two.”

“Why’s that?” said Laden.

“The Konvice is not like the other gatherings of my people you’ve seen.” She tapped her steel-tipped talons on the table. “You’ve seen us elsewhere – we go out of our way to avoid giving offense, making sure our motions are not misconstrued as a threat because of the speed with which we respond. That restraint is not present here.”

Torant and Laden exchanged a glance. “What do you mean?” said Laden.

“We will trade and talk with each other during the day but as night falls, we will turn to the other reason for the Konvice.”

“Drinking? Song? Intricate wood-carving?”

“We will look for mates.”

Laden waved. “My family owned a brewhouse, Cyana. That’s not unique.”

Torant remained silent as Cyana paused. The steel on her talons made a sharp clacking sound as she tapped on the wood of the table. “It is, Laden. Your people are always together. We spend all of our time apart, separated in small nestos by miles and days.”

Laden remained non-plussed. “No different from a soldier returning home or a caravan making town.” He gestured at the sparse cabin which had but a small table, two chairs, and a bed. “That what this place is for?”

Cyana ignored the implication. “You may stay with anyone you please.”

“Our being here create a problem?” said Torant.

She raised her eyes to him. “It’s unusual but not unprecedented.” She held her talons out to the side, making her silk flow again. “You saw the long structures, around the bowl?”

Torant nodded.

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