Book One: Rise of the King

Chapter Seventeen

 Gray found Intuk and told him to change Katara to a different point of service. She was no longer to be a server, as she wasn't a single woman. At last report, he informed the young man, her husband was alive in the mines. Intuk, therefore, moved her to cooking duties, as that was traditionally where married women worked. He then took Josan to Eli, who had agreed to train her in greater depth with the bow. Gray had told him her training was to be at Eli's discretion and anyone who took issue with it was welcome to see him.

Gray knew the most difficult issue to be dealt with was going to be Mahain. Gray talked with Clea, explained his situation and found Clea to be in agreement. Together, the two men went in search of Mahain, who they found 'sampling' the food being prepared for the mid-day meal.

"Mahain." Gray called for him and the older man turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"We need share words."

Leaving Mahain to follow or not, Gray started toward his tent. Insulted, Mahain started after the man, prepared to tell him just what he thought of the way he was treating his king. When he entered the council tent, which he had not been permitted to go into before, he found Gray sitting at the head of an ovular table with Clea standing at his side.

"I do not know why you insult me." Mahain charged, clearly angry.

"It is because you wish to be insulted." Gray replied.

"That is not true!" Mahain blustered.

"I speak these words now and not again." Gray interrupted what he was sure was going to be a migraine-inspiring filibuster. "I am the Seloch. I am the leader of this village and of this people until the last battle is won. These are my warriors. I do not speak what you wish, when you wish it. I do not speak to you as if to ask. You will be leader when battles are done."

Mahain started to protest, but Gray cut him off again.

"Josan is a fine bowman. She is mightiest of all our bowmen. If she wishes to go to battle, I will let her."

"That is not your right."

"It is my right as Battlehead to claim any warrior I wish."

Mahain looked like he was going to blow his top. There wasn't a thing he could say against that. Gray was right. The tradition was an old one and even a Clansman could not go against it. The leader of a group of warriors had been given that right so that only the leader could take blame for failure. To deny him the resources he needed to win the war was to place the blame at the feet of the one who denied him if he should fail. Furious, unable to risk his honor or position, Mahain stormed out of the council tent.

"I think that went well." Gray remarked sarcastically.

Clea chuckled.

The warriors had been split up into three banners. They were to follow their colors and wear those colors. Red, orange and bright blue banners waved in the wind as the men formed up behind them, looking for all the world like a cadet review. Their tunics had been dyed to match the banners and they wore them proudly, as new soldiers with uniforms. The black was for the Night Guard, just as Clea had said many months ago. The Guard were in a line astride their horses. Anna and her trainee medics would be white, but they held no banner. That was for the purpose of allowing people to find them easily in the battles that were to come without having to drag a banner around and lose one of the valuable medics that were so desperately needed.

Spring had arrived and there was no more time to waste. The river would be up soon and they would not be able to cross it. There was a small window of opportunity. Now was the time to strike. Clea had advised Gray that there was barely a month to do what he was planning and after that, there would be months where there would be no easy way to cross the River Kimer, which swelled with the summer thaw upriver in the lands of the Kelat.