Rebels of Vulvar (Vulvarian Saga Book 2), стр. 20

10

The Confrontational Commander

In the absence of rations for a morning meal, there was no delay the following morning. At dawn, the gardo was again rolling north on the paved road. Two hours after we had departed the campsite, we were only seven legas south of Thiva. Haela remarked we would soon arrive at a suitable location to stop so she could feed, water, and rest the veovarks. But, in the distance ahead, I noted the approach of riders on baacaases.

Some five minutes later, a dozen mounted females wearing the nominal armor, and red capes of Thivan warriors fanned out to block the road ahead and halted their baacaases. Haela reined in the veovarks and brought the gardo to a stop. Two riders approached, one of whom wore a crest of stiff baacaas hair dyed red atop her helmet, signifying she was an officer.

The officer halted her baacaas near the gardo. She gave me a long look before speaking.

“I am Tiaaira of Thiva, commander of this patrol,” the woman said. “Where are you bound?”

“Hail commander,” I said, climbing down from the driver’s seat. “We are bound for Thiva.”

“Where is your master, slave,” Tiaaira said with scorn. “Dare you to address your better without permission?”

“I have none,” I said, “neither master nor better.”

Tiaaira urged her baacaas forward two steps before reining it to a halt.

“I see you are under arms, slave,” she said, “and are wearing the uniform of a Nisa rebel. Surrender your weapons. I arrest you by the authority of the laws of Thiva.”

“I am neither slave nor a rebel,” I said. “I am Tobias Hart of Thiva.”

“I order you to surrender your weapons,” the officer said. “Drop them on the road now.”

“Come and take them,” I said, my left hand dropping to my scabbard to prepare for drawing the katana.

The meaning of my action was not lost on the warriors. Without command, four more riders galloped forward and dismounted next to their commander. The eyes of the officer were narrow in the Y-like opening of her helmet.

“Why should I yield to you?” I said to Tiaaira.

“Because you violate the laws of Thiva, slave,” she said.

“This is not the soil of Thiva,” I said. “You have no authority here. Is it not said on Vulvar, the laws of a city end at its walls?”

The dismounted warriors approached me, fanning out. One approached me with her rakir out. Another with a spear followed her a few feet behind and to her left. I knew the first would engage me, and then the other would attack my right side with the spear. The other two hung back some distance, ready to cast their spears if an opening presented itself.

“Surrender your weapons, slave,” the officer said, “or I will order my warriors to slay you.”

“My sword is mine,” I said. “You will not take it from me unless you pay its price.”

The officer looked at me with astonishment.

“What price?”

“Its price is steel,” I said, swiftly drawing the blade. “Come, Tiaaira, let us try our skills.”

“Kill him,” Tiaaira said to her warriors.

“Stop!” a voice shouted from behind me. “Do not harm him!”

Everyone froze for a moment. I glanced back over my shoulder and saw Idril standing unsteadily in the driver’s box of the gardo leaning against Haela for support.

“Idril?” Tiaaira said.

“That male is under my protection,” Idril said. “He is not a rebel.”

“We had presumed you dead, Idril,” Tiaaira said. “The council has appointed another to your command. With all due respect, I cannot take orders from you. I will disarm and arrest the slave or kill him if he refuses to submit.”

“Be it so, you will do neither, Tiaaira,” Idril said. “Whether or not I command the warriors as before, I still outrank you. If you persist in your insubordination, I will have you stripped of your rank and whipped when we arrive in Thiva.”

“This male violates our laws by bearing arms,” Tiaaira retorted. “I warn you, Idril. I will arrest you for obstruction if you attempt to interfere with me performing my lawful duty.”

“He is not a slave,” Idril insisted. “The Goddess Queens decreed him a free male years ago. Do you challenge the authority of the Goddess Queens as well as my own?”

Another voice spoke behind me. It was Emer.

“Listen to me, you she-Telarion,” Emer said, pointing her rakir at Tiaaira. “You must slay us all before you seize or kill this male.”

I turned to see six courageous, emaciated warriors standing behind me, most still naked and weak, but all boldly brandishing the captured rakirs and spears. Emotion welled within me. I turned back to Tiaaira.

“These are your comrades, those the rebels captured at Nisa,” I said. “Will you slay them? Be reasonable, Tiaaira. If any should die here today, be assured you will be among them.”

“These warriors need medical treatment in Thiva,” Haela bellowed. “Will you continue to delay us to satisfy your arrogance, commander?”

“Leave him,” Tiaaira said snappishly to the warriors surrounding me. “Mount your baacaases.”

Looking back at Idril, she spoke again. “I will yield you the road. We will escort your party to Thiva, where the council will decide the matter,” she said tersely.

Glaring at me, Tiaaira snapped, “I will not forget this.” Then she wheeled her baacaas about and rode away to reform the column. My party boarded the gardo again, and Haela urged the veovark team ahead. Idril had taken the place between Haela and me on the driver’s seat.

“Would you have fought them?” Idril said.

“Yes,” I said. “I have tired of the ways of Vulvar. An honorable death would have been better than submitting to that insufferable