The Taleweaver

Sea of Grass, part eight

"Nakora, are you done with your troops yet?"

She turned before answering. "Almost done. Wait for me at the gates."

Harbend did so. He looked her over again as she swaggered away in the direction of one of her officers, hips moving alluringly with each step. She really was a fine looking woman, even when covered in fur hiding most of her features.

Harbend looked forward to getting indoors, as Arthur surely must have done by now. Gods! Sometimes it would be good to share the responsibility, but then Harbend's future depended on his being able to see the caravan becoming prosperous. The shocking numbers of wagons coming from Ri Khi told him more than his personal future depended on the success of the caravan. The diminishing trade with Keen must have struck harder than he'd realized. It was bad enough for Erkateren, but Keen was to a larger extent a pass through market for wares produced in Ri Khi as well as goods imported, and so the blockade hurt them twice as hard.

They would succeed. They had to. No matter the cost.

Somewhere deep inside him Harbend accepted he was trying to avoid the memory of the executions he'd allowed himself to order. The years in Keen must have made him soft. That thought brought a picture of Arthur to his mind. In ways he was weak, maybe even weaker than those in Keen. But weakness was not the right word. Arthur could be harsh when he needed to, and only an idiot would call Keen weak. They just handled things differently there.

Nakora returned and with her presence Harbend's gloomy thoughts gave way.

"I have ordered them to set camp outside the gates and leave a wide path free," she said with a toothy smile unexpectedly making Harbend's stomach jolt.

"You do know we shall be staying here for some days?" he asked.

"Yes. The town is large enough for some of us to trade here. A market?"

Harbend agreed. A market would be good for their reputation.

"Some of us will return," Nakora continued.

Harbend halted, turning towards her as he broke stride. "I know, and I believe it is good. People back home need to know they can trade over the mountains, and we shall fail to be back until summer. I hope smaller caravans will be on their way by then." She wasn't only very pleasant to watch, but there was a perceptive mind there as well.

"Gods! If he could have waited two more days!" Nakora grimaced as they passed through the gates.

Harbend didn't need an explanation. Two more days and three traders would still be alive. If the troublemakers had just waited two more days he wouldn't have been forced to order the grizzly executions. They could have turned back with the traders who would return home. He swore silently and his black thoughts slowly returned.

They walked in silence until they reached a building with several saddled horses tethered close by. Grooms were stabling them one by one.

"Ours?" Harbend asked.

"Ours," Nakora confirmed. "From Erkateren," she added. "This place should be as good as any other. Hungry?"

Harbend smiled. "Yes, very."

They entered.