Lilly spent the night in her tent, but she didn't sleep at all. Instead, she watched the aura of two nearby women who walked around her tent in wide circles. She realized she was being watched, and the two women were her captors. Despite the promises of the Doan wise ones, the rest of the camp didn't share their opinion of Lilly's presence. To many, she was their enemy and a means to inflict a terrible blow on the empire. Certainly, there were those who would love to slit her throat while she was in so vulnerable a position.
Yet despite all this, the wise ones seemed determined to show Lilly the value of Doan ways. They talked endlessly about how their culture worked and how it was superior to the lawless methods of the empire. One of the backbones of Doan society was the use of slaves, though she saw no evidence of them in the camp. The wise ones explained that they were well behind the lines, toiling in mines and fields to produce needed goods. When Lilly voiced her opinion that such a practice was cruel, the women laughed and stated that it was the nature of things. The strong always ruled over the weak, and the weak did the work.
Lilly didn't care for that or many other explanations as she learned about the people of the west. They were all about strength and war, detesting those they saw as weak. She learned that there were other nations to their south that they warred with frequently for plunder and slaves. When their enemies had nothing left to take, they often fought between themselves, with whole clans slaughtering one another.
Lilly thought of that as distasteful, but then the provinces of the empire had done the same thing for years. Though she had never witnessed it, Gersius told her of some of the wars they fought. These conflicts always boiled down to resources and access to wealth, usually following some disruption. A good example was the disruption of Gersius, demanding soldiers from the provinces. He weakened some of them so badly that their neighbors saw an opportunity. With armies far away, these lands had no means to defend themselves. Gersius threatened to strip any king of his crown and lands if he acted against one of his neighbors.
The Doan were the same in many ways, but they took everything too far. They didn't even try to negotiate or look for solutions. The solution to every problem was to raise a weapon and fight, with the victor being the one who was right. Strength of arms was all that mattered, and they saw the empire as weak. Too many of its people spent time doing slave work, and the few soldiers they had were poorly trained.
Lilly had heard Gersius make that comment a hundred times as he lamented how untrained many of the province's militaries were. Most were conscripts or militia, barely armed and trained to fight like a mob. The only true military force they possessed were the priests to Astikar, but they were broken thanks to the madness of the old Father Abbot. Fully two-thirds of their number were dead, with those that remained spread thin. Gersius had them training other formations and doing his best to make his armies ready, but the progress was slow. Even worse were the shortages of arms and armor, forcing them to field units in a disarray of equipment.
Lilly did her best to counter some of these points by pointing to the women of Ulustrah. They were now the largest and most heavily trained fighting force Gersius had to wield. This brought a round of laughter from the wise ones as they giggled that empire women were harmless. They weren’t trained and practiced like Doan women who were brought up with the weave and spear from the time they could walk. It was obvious they thought little of the empire but surprising how much of that was put on their women. Lilly pointed out that Thayle was one of the best fighters in the army and could best any man except Gersius. Again, they laughed and decided that today they would show Lilly how women really fought and took her to see their armies.
They walked for several hours, arriving at a camp where thousands were waiting for the command to advance. Lilly was taken to a field where women were drilled in combat techniques by the hundreds, marching in firm lines with long spears. She was treated to displays of rapid maneuvers and special combat techniques before having a few of them spar. Lilly was forced to admit that the women were skilled, but that didn't mean the empire's women were not.
They laughed again and pointed to Lilly, saying she was a good example of a flower of the empire. Her arms were thin, and her body curvy, suitable for the bedrooms of some wealthy man. Lilly was offended by that remark and decided to teach them a lesson.
“I want to spar with one of your girls,” she said, using the word girl specifically to annoy them.
Valindra stood tall with her eyes fixed in an angry glare as Cindri suggested they let Lilly be humiliated. The others agreed that Lilly could use a good lesson in humility, so they allowed her to pick a weapon. There were racks along the edge of the field where the women were sparing. Most of them used spears to fight, but Lilly wanted something more elegant. She hunted for slender wooden swords and tested a few before settling on a fairly well-balanced pair. Then she went to a square in the grass as the Doan began to gather en mass to see what was about to transpire. Calls went out, and other matches ceased as Valindra looked through the crowds for a champion.
“Miairmi, you will duel her,” Valindra said.
Lilly watched a tall red-haired woman step out of the crowd and stare at her with a pleased smile. She was tall and lean with well-defined muscles. She wore only a short skirt and an animal skin top with her hair tied through several rings. She held a spear as many others did and gave the crowd a quick display of her speed.
“Meldrin's technique,” Lilly said under her breath as she recognized the display. She realized that the knowledge gifted by Gersius was already working in her favor. She knew the woman's attacks would feature quick stabs followed by using the butt end as a club. The technique focused on the attack, and defensive maneuvers were mostly wide swipes followed by a dash back. It was all meant to keep giving the spear user the momentum, breaking an attacker's advance so they could take it.
“The duel will be decided by three blows,” Valindra said. “The first to land three solid blows wins.”
The crowd whispered, causing Lilly to wonder why that had caused such a reaction. It was answered a moment later when a familiar face walked out of the mass.
“Why do you require three hits?” Hurrock asked as he stared at the wise ones. “It is customary to end after the first blow.”
“It is our decision,” Cindri countered with a hand wave as if to brush him off. “We are giving the soma woman a chance to land a hit blow before she is eliminated.”
“Why do you address her such when you have invited her in?” he asked with a look of stone. “Is she a guest, as you have said, or is she here to be mocked?”
“Whose mocking me?” Lilly asked and looked to the wise ones.
“She asked for the duel,” Valindra countered. “We are simply providing terms more suitable to her culture. Her people would allow three hits to determine the winner.”
“Hmm,” Hurrock said as he turned to Lilly. “Be careful what you ask for.” He then stepped back and left Lilly alone, facing the woman with the spear.
Valindra called the Doan to silence, then nodded to both women before telling them to begin.
Miairmi can rush in with the spear tip low. Lilly knew she was going to sweep it up and attempt to get under her sword while putting the reach to use. Lilly countered the technique by attacking the spear itself, using one blade to sweep it wide. Her other blade came rushing in, but to her surprise, the woman leaned back nearly in half and rolled away. Lilly was almost caught by a foot kicking out and stepped back as the woman returned to her feet.
Cheers and calls went up as the Doan obviously thought Lilly had just been lucky. It made Miairmi look far more skilled than Lilly, but that could be put to Lilly's advantage. This was a lesson Ayawa had taught her while dueling Gedris. An overconfident opponent will use flashy techniques, especially when people are watching.
She came with her spear held level and launched into quick thrusts. Lilly batted the weapon away and waited for the flashy move to come. It came a moment later when Miairmi planted the weapon's point in the ground and used it to carry her momentum. She vaulted over the weapon, another foot coming right for Lilly's face. Lilly rolled to the ground in a cartwheel and swept the spear loose. Miairmi went crashing to the ground as Lilly came to her feet. She stumbled to get up in time, but now Lilly had the advantage. She was within the weapon's reach as the woman tried to recover, but Lilly landed the first blow a second later.
The cheers were gone as Miairmi froze to see the wooden sword at her chest. Lilly tried not to smile but couldn't resist looking back to the wise ones to see their displeasure. Lilly's sword was battered away as the woman went into a fancy display of spinning. Her spear was no longer being used to thrust; instead, she kept twirling it to create a defense that was hard to breach. Lilly knew this as a technique Gersius called kurnast pole fighting. She had also seen Mingfe use a similar technique when fighting multiple foes. The strength was in the weapon's speed, and quick rapid swipes with the tip were its attack. However, the pole constantly changed hands as it spun, creating a weakness.
Lilly knew the best thing to do here was goad the woman by feinting an attack and making her swipe. She did so with a clumsy attempt to break the spear's momentum by stabbing at it. This brought a swipe in seconds, but Lilly was ready for it. Her other blade was already counter-swiping, and when the two weapons hit, Lilly deflected the spear up. She then spun under the arc of the swipe and lashed out, scoring a second hit as the Doan gasped in shock.
“Perhaps we have seen enough,” Hurrock suggested as the crowd began whispering.
“The duel is to three blows,” Valindra stated dryly. “Let them continue.”
Lilly stepped back to see her sparing partner was enraged. Lilly could only assume she was chosen for her skill in combat, and now she was embarrassed. This soma woman was proving to be a greater threat than they anticipated, and the arrogance was gone.
Her next advance was measured with careful thrusts and rapid retreats. She held the weapon firmly, using the long pole to parry sword strikes. Now she was blending good defense with a less flashy but more practical offense. Lilly found it hard to reach the woman as that point was always in her face. It was a sound strategy that Lilly could easily defeat with a little dragon or divine power. However, she feared using her powers would be considered cheating as this was a duel of weapons. So she did what Gersius taught her to do in these situations, let the woman attack and wait for the openings.
Minutes went by as the two danced around one another, the cheers going up once again. Miairmi was determined to score the next hit and pressed Lilly at every turn. Lilly started testing the woman's knowledge, using various techniques to reach inside her defense. She tested one method after another until she found one the woman didn't immediately counter. She waited a few moments, then used it again, this time pressing the advantage and going for the kill. To Lilly's surprise, it was a feint, and the woman was waiting for her. A solid crack of the spear shaft hit Lilly on the shoulder, sending a stinging pain down her arm.
Cheers went up as Miairmi raised her spear to show she had struck Lilly. Lilly stumbled back as her arm went numb from the powerful impact. She had been pulling her punches so her hits wouldn't injure, but this woman was paying her no such courtesy. She had to shake her arm a few times to get the sensation back as the woman lowered her spear and set her feet to begin again.
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Now Lilly understood that this woman was very skilled and capable of faking a weakness to lure Lilly in. Lilly decided it was better to be on the offensive and rushed in with a series of rapid cuts and slashes. All her blows were met by a spear being used to pick the swings apart. Lilly knew the woman wanted Lilly's arms to be extended so she could counterattack. She kept all her swings short and one arm ready to lash out at all times. The dance resumed, and this time, both women wore a face of absolute focus. It went back and forth as people cheered until finally, Miairmi stumbled. She fell to one side with a cry of pain, causing Lilly to pause. In that brief second, the woman lashed out and struck Lilly in the stomach, bending her over from the impact.
Cheers went out again as the woman jumped up and raised her spear high. Lilly stumbled back a few steps to collide with a man who had come to her side.
“Do not hold back any longer,” Hurrock said as he helped Lilly stand. “They are not playing with you or by your rules.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Lilly wheezed as she tried to straighten. She looked into his deep eyes to see a sort of noble countenance.
“Because I see the strength in your eyes,” Hurrock replied. “Now show them your strength, and do not hold back.”
“Hurrock, step away,” Valindra ordered.
He took his hands off Lilly and stepped back, but his eyes told her he meant what he said. Lilly turned back to her opponent and set her feet. There was something she had learned from Gersius that would be perfect for this situation. Her opponent came rushing in, and Lilly ran to meet her. Just before they collided, Lilly threw the sword in her left hand.
Miairmi had to duck to avoid being hit, but the momentary glance away was all Lilly wanted. Lilly used her free hand to grab the spear by the shaft, and then her muscles surged with dragon strength. She yanked the woman off her feet and into a swing of Lilly's sword. The battlefield echoed with the crack as Lilly's sword broke over the woman's head, sending a bloodied Miairmi to the dirt.
The woman hit the ground unconscious and twitched a few times as blood poured from the gash on her head. Lilly immediately felt disgusted by what she had done and threw the weapon aside before rushing to the other woman's aid. She put her hands over the wound and opened her voice in song, calling on Balisha for power. She was quickly dragged away by an angry Valindra, who condemned her actions with a sharp tongue.
“Do not sing to your vile goddess here,” she demanded.
“But she needs healing!” Lilly insisted.
“Cindri will see to that,” Valindra remarked as she grabbed Lilly firmly by the arm. Lilly was hauled away as Doan began to shout insults at her. She was called a liar and the whore of a false goddess. Lilly was hurried off and away from the camps, spending the next two hours in silence as they returned to where the wise ones were camped.
Valindra and most of the others went off to deal with rumors and speak to the tribal chiefs leaving Lilly with Jhandi and Lacindra. When she was finally allowed to speak, she asked why they were so upset, and Jhandi explained.
“It was hard enough to see you best one of our top warriors, but it was insulting for you to try and heal her with power from your false goddess. To the rest of the Doan, your actions were nothing more than an attempt to humiliate her.”
“But none of you complained when I healed that woman by the river,” Lilly insisted.
“You were not surrounded by a thousand warriors looking for a reason to rip you apart,” Jhandi clarified. “If we had let you continue, they may have demanded your head.”
“We should never have allowed that duel,” Lacindra said as she paced in annoyance. “But I think Valindra was hoping it would go the other way.”
“Go the other way?” Lilly asked. “You mean you wanted me to be humiliated.”
“We wanted no such thing,” Jhandi corrected. “But it would have done much to soothe the camp had you lost that fight.”
“I saw the look in Valindra’s eyes,” Lilly countered. “She was angry I knew how to fight so well. You all wanted me to fail so you could gloat.”
“You are the one who asked if you could duel,” Lacindra reminded. “We agreed because we wanted to show you how capable we are.”
“And I asked for the duel so I could show you how capable empire women are,” Lilly countered.
“Not so,” Jhandi laughed. “You are a dragon. Surely that power is what sets you apart.”
“I am trained in fighting by the best swordsman and woman in the land,” Lilly insisted. “I don’t need my dragon power to win a fight like that.”
“What's done is done,” Lacindra said with a toss of her hands. “Let us not argue over petty reasons. We both learned a lesson today, I think.”
“Yes,” Jhandi said as she eyed Lilly warily. “The empire's roses have thorns.”
Lilly liked that response but had little time to reflect on it as Valindra returned with the otherwise women. She came right to Lilly and then dipped her head in a slight nod before speaking.
“I wish to apologize for how we appeared to be acting,” Valindra explained. “Since we were before the people, it was necessary to appear that we were not coddling you. We needed the masses to think that we hold you in some measure of contempt and do not care for your presence.”
“So you were just pretending to be mad?” Lilly asked.
“You must understand how delicate a time this is,” Valindra insisted. “The Doan have never assembled in numbers such as this before. They have come for war and glory, yet we hold them back. Many have begun to question if we have the right to lead under such circumstances. They say it is time to pick a grand chief and let him claim the title of warlord.”
“And what happens if they do that?” Lilly asked.
“Our authority will be gone,” Lacindra replied. “A warlord can wage war without our consent, as is our traditions.”
“The war will begin in earnest, and much blood will be spilled,” Jhandi added.
“But you plan to do that anyway,” Lilly insisted. “Why are you waiting? What are you waiting for?”
“We are waiting for the time to be right,” Valindra snapped. “The dragons have taught us much about the methods of war, and we are following their plan. When all the steps are in place, we will strike, and your empire will be swept away.”
“But why?” Lilly asked. “I came here to try and understand you so we might find peace, but all you ever talk about is war.”
“There is great honor in war,” Lacindra said. “A mighty people like the Doan need an enemy, or they have no purpose.”
“There is nothing but death in war,” Lilly countered.
“That is why your people will fail,” Valindra said. “You have no heart for the coming conflict. The Doan see a moment of greatness where history will be written that is told around fires for thousands of years. We are eager for this conflict and ready to march forth. All we need is the final message that everything is in place.”
“Then I see no reason to stay here,” Lilly said. “I wanted to reason with you and try to avoid this conflict. “But you have no desire to avoid it. You crave the death you are about to cause, just as Gersius said you did.”
The women were silent a moment until Valindra stepped forward.
“You swore you would remain until our plan was done. Do you now wish to dishonor your name and your people by leaving?” she asked.
Lilly looked at her in confusion until she remembered the conversation from two days ago. She had indeed agreed to remain until some plan was fulfilled so that she could not fly back and warn the others. She was about to say she didn't care for how they measured honor when a woman ran to the tent with a paper in her hand.
Cindri took up the paper and carried it to Valindra, who paced a bit as she read it.
“He moves toward us!” Valindra grumbled.
“He hasn’t taken the bait?” Jhandi gasped.
“No, his army is coming west at great haste,” Valindra sighed.
Lilly saw the shocked looks as the women gathered around to read the rest of the report. She knew they were talking about Gersius, and it pleased her to know he was upsetting them. She listened intently as they began to debate how to rectify the situation. From what she could understand, Gersius and his army were supposed to be going east, opening up a gap that could be exploited. They spoke about things like dragons digging tunnels and delays that made little sense to Lilly. It was when Jhandi referred to something called the hidden ones that Lilly began to understand. They were talking about a third army hidden in the mountains in tunnels dug by dragons. That army was supposed to attack the frontier keeps from behind, opening a massive hole through which the Doan would pour. All their raids and attacks thus far were just diversionary and spread across the lines to keep the enemy looking west. Now they began to argue over what to do about Gersius moving west. By not taking the bait he aggravated there time table. They were waiting for some signal or moment that would be ideal to start the attack but Gersius was forcing their hand. Finally, they settled on what they said was the only strategy they had left. His army would have to be destroyed first. They needed a decisive blow to remove him from the battlefield, then a push on the border to open the breach.
“It must happen at night,” a woman said. “When men are at rest and out of their armor.”
“It will have to bed swift,” another said. “We must overrun them in their tents before they can form a line.”
Lilly felt her heart pounding as the women began to plan how best to kill her husband. Plans were made to take him by surprise and overwhelm him with superior numbers before he could mount a defense. They spoke about using the strength of the ettin to break lines if they do form. The women looked distressed by the news but finally settled on a decision. They would wait until they received word that this army was in position, then they would order them to strike that night.
Lilly couldn't believe they were discussing this before her, giving away all of their plans. If she could remain long enough to see the arrival of this messenger, then she could alert Ayawa through the dream. Gersius would be waiting for them at full strength, and the Doan would be shattered, ending any hope of easily breaching the empire's defenses. She started to smile when the wise ones went silent and turned icy gazes her way.
“You are sworn to remain until this battle is over,” Valindra said. “Then you will leave us to bear witness to the end of your empire.”
Lilly didn't like how she said that, but it worked into her plan anyway.
“I made a vow to stay, and I will,” Lilly replied with a firm gaze of her own. “But I think you are making a big mistake believing you will defeat Gersius.”
“We will see,” Valindra replied. “We will see.”
That night Lilly dared to sleep and found it difficult to enter the dream. Her emotions were running wild and it hindered her focus. When she eventually reached the copy of the temple of Ulustrah in Eastgate, Ayawa was already waiting. The woman's hair braid and clothes were changing slowly as Ayawa struggled to focus.
“Ayawa!” Lilly cried and rushed to her side.
“Lilly, thank goodness you are here,” Ayawa said as her hair suddenly changed into two long tails. “Sarah is raging with anger.”
“Sarah?” Lilly squawked in shock. “What do you mean she is raging.”
“I told them I had contacted you, and she went mad with rage,” Ayawa said. “She has been spending every free moment instructing me on how to focus on the dream. I swear that woman makes the cruel elders of my people look like gentle maids. She told me to relay the message that you are to meet her in the valley tomorrow at nightfall.”
“Ayawa, I can't. They watch me every minute of the day, and they don't allow me to sleep until very late.” Lilly said. “Listen, you have to warn Gersius for me. The third army is real and hidden in tunnels dug by dragons in the mountains. I don't know exactly where it is, but they plan to use it to attack him.”
“How do you know all this?” Ayawa demanded.
“I am living amoung the women who are coordinating the armies. I overheard them discussing a report and the implications of their plans,” Lilly said.
“Do they know you are listening?” Ayawa demanded as her eyes fixed in a deadly stare. “Girl, they will slit your throat if they find out you are sharing this information with us!”
“None of them know about the dream,” Lilly insisted.
“Lilly, people like this won't take chances. If they think you overheard their plans, they will kill you!” Ayawa insisted.
“No, they knew I was there and didn't care. They made me vow to remain until their plan was done. I have to stay a few more days, but you need to warn Gersius that they are planning to attack him,” Lilly pleaded. “His moving the army west has upset them greatly. The army was somewhere close enough to attack to border keeps.”
“That should narrow down where to look,” Ayawa said. “But, to give them such a vow was foolish. Now you have to remain until the terms are met. Please, Lilly. You need to be careful. If they even suspect you are somehow relaying information to us, they will not hesitate to kill you.”
“Trust me,” Lilly said as a tear formed in her eyes. “I have seen firsthand that Gersius is right. These people aren't interested in reason or diplomacy. They see this war as a right of passage, and a means to earn glory. Stopping it is out of the question, but if I can stay just a little longer, I might learn when the attack will take place. Then Gersius can ambush them and turn the war against them.”
“Lilly, don't take chances,” Ayawa urged and put a hand on her shoulder. “My daughter, please come home the moment honor allows it. The second you learn this battle is done, you fly east, and you don't look back.”
“I promise,” Lilly said and leaned in for a hug. “I will come back the second I am able.”
Ayawa nodded and stepped back as she suddenly started to fade.
“Why is this so hard to maintain!” Ayawa grumbled before vanishing from sight.
Lilly was pleased she had gotten her warning through and that Gersius wouldn't be taken by surprise. She let go of her focus and opened her eyes to find Jhandi standing over her.
“What are you doing?” Lilly asked as she sat up.
“I came to see if you were well. I thought I heard speaking,” Jhandi said.
Lilly tried not to react as she wondered if she had been speaking in her dream. Thayle did it occasionally, and Lilly always thought it was humorous. But here, it was a curse that would get her killed.
“I was having a nightmare,” Lilly replied.
“Probably because of what you heard in the tent,” Jhandi said mournfully. “I am sorry you have to listen to us plan the end of your empire. It must be a burden on you, but you do yourself proud by staying true to your word. We are all impressed that you have chosen to remain.”
Lilly feigned a weak smile as the woman turned and headed away. She didn't care if they thought she was honorable or not and only wished to remain so she could spy on them. If she could locate that army or the timing of their attack, Gersius could tear them apart. She just needed to play along and wait for this messenger to come. Then her trip would bear fruit at last.