This morning, as yesterday morning I found myself returning to our lodgings as the sun began to lift the dew from the grass. I let myself in surprised to find the youngest daughter and her mother up. She asked if I wanted coffee, which I accepted. Coffee in hand I entered our sleeping quarters, not surprised to find the eldest of the two daughters sprawled next to Yousheng. I tapped his feet gently until he stirred and looked blearily at me. "Come on lazybones. Sun's been up for at least an hour. You and I have some talking to do, so leave miss fucks-like-a-rabbit where she is and get your clothes on. I'll see you outside in 15 minutes."
I hitched my dress onto my hips then bent down and extracted the trump deck from my pack. When straightened and turned round I was relieved to see it had had the desired effect, but in sitting up he had woken Wind-Through-Moonbeams who wore the bemused expression of one who was aware they'd missed something but not what. Yousheng was about to say something, when she realized something was up and slid sideways to take advantage. I laughed as I walked through the curtains reminding him he only had 15 minutes so he'd better be quick. There was a light thud as the boot he'd thrown got tangled in the curtain then landed back on the sleeping furs.
I walked outside, found a spot in the sun then sat down, placing the pitcher of coffee beside me. I thumbed through the pack of cards and extracted Random's. Concentrating on the card I felt it go cold, but it was a while before he answered.
"Jesus Cordelia. You could waited to a civilized time before calling. I've not even managed to get a cup of coffee yet."
"You're not out of bed either, but at least Vialle's not there to distract you this time."
"How'd you know that?" I smiled mentally. "Never mind. How are things going? Are you going to resolve the situation before the ball?"
"I'll answer the latter first. I'm not actually sure of that. As far as I can tell I'm playing a bit part in some native spirit war, between the tribal medicine men and a bad spirit acting through the Ambassador. Things are actually pretty bad here. I was stopped from intervening yesterday when five of his thug bodyguards picked on and then killed a peddler. It seems this is not the first time they have crossed paths and as far as I can tell he was subjected to some form of mental torture, probably involving having to watch his daughter assaulted and repeatedly raped."
Random was now fully awake. "Bloody Hell. How did things get that bad? I've only become aware there were problems in the last couple of months, but nothing hinted at problems on this scale. You're going to have to go in and bodily drag the bastard back here for trial."
I cut him off. "Won't work. There's no evidence, at least none that would stand up, and even if I produced some of the other survivors they're not going to stand up and tell what he did to them."
"What you mean there are others he's done this to. How bloody big a problem is this?"
"Yes, there are others. There are at least 6 survivors that I know of, but I guess there are at least 3 times that number that have died before they could be reached or have lost the will to live since. His method of execution is so base and degrading given what he's put them through that I can barely comprehend someone is capable of doing it. As to how long it's been going on, as far as I've been able to tell several years, although the medicine men have only know about it for the last year or so. According to their beliefs the spirits have laid a path for them to follow that will solve their problems and they're following it."
"Well they can do what they like. I'm sending a detachment of Royal Guard. They'll be there in about 5 days. I'll arrest the bastard and execute him for treason, along with anyone else involved if I have to come there and mind fuck the lot of them myself."
"Look you can send the guard if you want, thats your prerogative, but didn't you send me to sort this out. What's happened to your "I need someone I can trust, someone who won't play the family game? Either you trust me or you don't. My instincts tell me to keep doing what I'm doing, no matter how painful it gets."
"Sorry. Forgot about that. I take it you've recovered then. You seem remarkably upbeat this morning."
"Lets just say that in the end I had a good night last night. Now I need to arrange a favour for someone. As soon as something significant breaks I'll update you. If I haven't resolved things by the Ball do you want me to stay here or come home?"
"I could do with you here. You're new, so you attract attention. They all know what Flo's like so even if she walked about stark naked I doubt she'd attract much attention, other than what she intended. Your frockless evening straps on the other hand... Look call me tomorrow night and we'll review things then, and be careful, reading between what you've said there is a lot of magic involved here, use the pattern if you have to, it'll smash most magic with enough force behind it.". He dropped the connection and I put the card back on top of the deck.
I'd just about finished the coffee by the time Yousheng appeared. His first comment was to reprimand me for sitting way I was with no underwear on, which was of course a mistake, as it prompted me to walk about the courtyard on my hands, the dress falling about my ears in the process. A quiet feminine cough caused me to revert to standing on my feet."My mother would like to know if you've finished showing off and would you like something to eat." It was Lightsup-Nightsky. I collapsed laughing, when Yousheng said "you'll have to forgive her, she appears to be in a funny mood this morning.".
In between fits of giggles I thanked Lightsup-Nightsky and told her to tell her mother that no we wouldn't be requiring breakfast, that I wasn't sure whether or not I'd finished showing off, and that it was likely we wouldn't be back this evening. Yousheng looked at me somewhat quizzically.
I straightened my dress and picked up my sword and the trump deck. The sword I could sling across my back but the latter I was forced to carry. Putting my arm through Yousheng's I dragged him off towards the market. He wanted to know where we were going, and where I'd been for the last 36 hours. I told him there was somebody I wanted him to meet and that I'd possibly get to that in good time.
Out first port of call was the closest market where I acquired a small shoulder satchel in which to put the Trump cards, and the various pieces of jewelry that various native women were now insisting on giving me. Crys-Like-Owls' sister later fashioned them into a girdle, far more ornate than the one I had worn the previous night. From the local market we traveled to the tea house that had been the scene of yesterday morning's altercation. We settled ourselves down on the terrace and I ordered breakfast. As an elderly woman left having presented me with another ornate dress, Yousheng demanded to know what we were doing here and why I was being showered in gifts. I looked back the way we had come attempting to see if I could see a familiar figure. Time was not something dictated by the ticking of a clock here but I judged she should be joining us about now. I told him to be patient and all would become clear. Two things then happened. I spotted the figure I was looking for and the sound of a group of drunk louts reached my ears. I turned and looked the other way. The same group of 5 that had killed the peddler yesterday were weaving their way through the market, and if their path remained unaltered they would reach and pass the tea house before Crys-Like-Owls sister reached us. My intuition told me there was going to be trouble if they ran into one another.
I crouched down, removed my sword and placed it on the table. Yousheng asked if I was expecting trouble. I said yes but told him to sit still and act as if nothing was going on. He also wasn't to do anything until after I'd stuck my oar in. He wanted to know what I was going to do but I told him to shut up as I needed to concentrate. I hoped I had enough time.
As it turns out I did, but only just. The thugs made their way up the street insulting those who got in their way or those that just happened to be there. A particularly unfortunate child happened to run into them, only to be saved by Crys-Like-Owls sister's shout that they leave him alone and pick on someone their own size. Their initial reaction was one of incredulation that somebody should actually have the audacity to shout at them, then stunned disbelief as recognition dawned that she was alive, before their carnal instincts decided that what she had endured last time was going to be nothing compared to what they were going to do to her now. It was at this point, as their unelected leader made a grab for her that I made I move. I took a step forward and punched at the same time, initiating an "Unseen Travel" as I did so. This meant that I appeared just behind where the leader stood the punch connecting with his exposed kidneys. I stamped on his knee as he went down and drove my right elbow into his neighbour's unguarded neck. The one who'd stood on his left then threw a clumsy punch which enabled me the grab his arm, drive my knee into his groin, and throw him into the one remaining upright on the right. The one on the far left had meanwhile made a grab for Crys-Like-Owls sister and been rewarded with a heal of the hand to the face leaving him momentarily stunned. I used the opportunity to land a kick sending him sideways into the wall of a house. The one I'd kidney punched initially was in the process of struggling to his knees so I rewarded him for his efforts with a heel kick to the head. This just left the one on the far right who'd managed to extract himself from under his buddy. He decided that making a break for it was the best option. The problem was he ran straight into Yousheng who'd now come down off the terrace to lend a hand.
With the guards temporarily incapacitated
I had a chance to take stock. A semi-silence had fallen over the
immediate area, the crowd watching intently and whispering quietly
under
their breath. Yousheng took a few steps forward, picked something up
and handed it to me. Somehow during the fight I'd managed to dislodge
the trump deck. Crys-Like-Owls sister stood aghast, "You're from
Amber". It was both a statement and a question. "Whether I am or not is
not important. I need some rope to tie these up with and a place where
they can be kept out of the way. Yousheng this is."
I stopped and turned to Crys-Like-Owls' sister
"What is your name?"
"I told you I no longer have one"
"Well then it's about time you did. From now on you're Stands-Tall-Against-Storms"
She threw herself at my feet, sobbing "You can't name me, you're not of the tribe or a medicine man"
A figure appeared from amongst the crowd and walked walked over to stand beside me. Bending down he said "She can. She has powerful medicine. You are now Stands-Tall-Against-Storms" Taking her by the elbow he helped her to her feet.
"Yousheng this is Stands-Tall-Against-Storms and her brother Crys-Like-Owls"
He bowed whilst Crys-Like-Owls simply smiled.
"You have pushed the pebbles that make the rocks fall. Be careful you are not caught in their path. The danger is greatest until the moon passes. I shall see that these are confined until you are ready. Finish the business you came here to do."
I took Stands-Tall-Against-Storms by the arm and led her gently to the table sitting her in a chair between mine and Yousheng's. As he and I reseated ourselves I spoke
"I had hoped for you two to meet in a more cordial atmosphere but obviously the spirits have other ideas." Yousheng was wearing another of his "Is she possessed or deluded of mind" expressions.
"Yousheng, you wanted to know where I've been for the last 36 hours. For a large part I have been with an elderly medicine man by the name of Red-Stag-Takes-Hinds and his successor to be Crys-Like-Owls. In between times I came here, where those 5 killed a peddler in front of me because they could. Nobody made a move to stop them and they would have left his body where it lay had I not picked it up and carried it away. It was in this process I met Stands-Tall-Against-Storms and several others of those without names, and as a consequence of which I found myself playing the central role in his death ceremony. Which brings me to a question of my own. Where were you last night? The procession passed our logdings, and xxxxxx, xxxx, Wind-Through-Moonbeams, and Lightsup-Nightsky all joined the procession but you were no where in sight."
He laughed. "They wouldn't let me go outside or watch. They said if I did bad spirits would come and the warrior who had died would be prevented from entering the hunting grounds. So I stayed inside until they returned. After that I couldn't do much as Wind-Through-Moonbeams insisted I help her unwind after the ceremony."
It was now my turn to laugh. Even Stands-Tall-Against-Storms found it hard not to giggle, which resulted in another one of Yousheng's scowling expressions. "What's so funny"
"Never mind. We all have our secrets."
"So why the early morning expedition and what has this young lady got to do with things"
"Well I wanted you to meet her and ...." I hesitated, " I don't actually know how to ask this and it's not something I'd normally do, and it sort of goes against the grain of her culture, but..."
Stands-Tall-Against-Storms put her hand to her face. "You should not ask that. You know that's my choice. Please do not lose the respect of your friend.I am happy to remain as I am."
Yousheng looked at me. "You were going to ask me to sleep with her weren't you. You should know better than that. Don't you value our friendship. You would dishonour me this way."
"Yes.No. Look this has all gone wrong. I had it all worked out in my head only its all gone wrong. There are things here you don't know, things that you shouldn't have to know, and things I wish I didn't know. You were the only person I could think of to help her."
He scowelled at me.
"No damn it! Its all coming out wrong again. What I meant was you're the only person I would trust to help her after all she's been through.
So no I do not dishonour you, exactly the opposite. If anybody is dishonoured it's Stands-Tall-Against-Storms as I presumed too much, presumed that she wanted my help to make the final step, but as she rightly points out that is not my decision to make but hers. For that I apologize."
"If she accepts your apology then I will accept also, but Chan Li Feng you have some explaining to do and not here. Is there somewhere more private we can go?"
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