Jay woke a bit before the sunrise, hungry and surprisingly limber. Unlike yesterday there was no convenient tray of breakfast awaiting them. No hot apple pastry, which was an utter tragedy, but maybe...?
Their coat was hanging on the left bedpost next to their feet. Jay reached into the front pocket, and was delighted by the faint crinkle of wrapper paper. Yes! Success! The pastry was near two days old, and stale, but still among the best things Jay had ever eaten. They also didn’t feel the slightest twinge of pain from their back or side. Even when they jumped up out of bed to get cleaned and clothed.
Yeon had informed them how to operate that demonic device, and also that the heater in their room functioned on water for bathing as well. There was a hand pumped well near the front door, and ten minutes of quick work could lift water enough for a bath directly to an attic cistern.
Truly, the modern study of hydrostatics was nearly miraculous. Joinder’s public water works were the best on Loerma, but even they mainly relied on fragile, inefficient, and maintenance intensive screw pumps and aqueducts. You could build those out of stone and wood, after all.
Thank you, Heron, Jay thought while soaking in the bath, For your invaluable contributions to proper cleanliness.
Jay loved proper cleanliness, and rarely got a chance to sustain it when traveling. There was only so much one could do with a bar of soap and a freezing forest stream.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Jay made their way downstairs to the common room. The pile of goods was still there, mostly depleted, but the three figures from yesterday had been replaced by Ian who was sleeping on a cot under a thick blanket.
His robe hung from a pole at the foot of the cot, and was soaked through with blood. Jay’s heart caught in their throat for a moment before they spotted the pulsing green glow of a life marker peeking out from beneath the covers. As much as Jay hated to admit it, Jeshin had been right. Those things were very useful.
Why are you still thinking about her? Idiot. Jay thought, She’s gone south with her fellow thugs, and good riddance. Just because she loved getting under your skin doesn’t make her right about anything. Thinking about her insults isn’t productive.
They still hurt for some reason.
Jay debated ruminating further, to prepare for if they ever met another person as insufferable as Jeshin, but decided to help instead. Yesterday someone had cleaned them, laundered their things, and cooked them breakfast. They would return the favor.
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
About an hour later Jay had laundered both Ian’s robes and their own second set of clothes, as well as a pile of several bloody linens they had found by sneaking into Yeon’s room. They had hung their work from another obscenely expensive enchanted line by the front door, and were nearly done with preparing a breakfast of porridge, jam, and dried apples.
Jay heard a sharp sound, and turned around to see Jeshin and Amber walk into the kitchen. The pair were laughing, and Jeshin was holding onto Amber’s arm. Amber had a wing around her, as if to protect her from the cold. What was she still doing here? Hadn’t she bothered Jay enough?
"Thank you Jay!" Amber said. "We saw that you had done the laundry. And the house smells amazing. What’s for breakfast?"
We?
"We?" Jay said, "We?"
Jay waved their spoon at Jeshin, accidentally sending a couple of bits of oatmeal flying towards her. She ducked a large glob, but a smaller one nailed her in the cheek. Jay wasn’t very upset by that.
"She is a thug. I didn’t make enough for another person, let alone her. And since when are you two a ’we’?" Jay said, gesturing between them. They jabbed their spoon towards Jeshin again.
"Weren’t you supposed to leave? Why are you still here? Go away." Jay said.
Jeshin balled her fists and looked about to hit Jay. Good luck with that with Amber around. Sure enough, the aether gave her a warning squeeze. Jay smirked.
How does it feel to be the weak one for once? They thought, Pretty bad, huh?
Amber flicked them on the forehead. Hard. It hurt. Was that even allowed?
"The only person being a thug here is you, Jay," Amber said, "You want to hurt Jeshin because she hurt you, and are using me as a shield to do it. I don’t appreciate that. Stop."
Was... Was Amber treating them like a child who didn’t know manners? Jeshin had threatened to kill them! This was a completely different scenario from a childhood squabble!
Jeshin smirked back at them from behind Amber’s wing. Really?
Amber gently pushed Jeshin away, and flicked her on the forehead as well. She scowled, but didn’t comment.
"You’d be surprised at how many aged, wizened, and powerful people behave like complete children around me, Jay," Amber sighed, "And their issues and quarrels are never as important as they think they are.
Behave, you two. I’ll bake something real quick to go with so we have enough to go around. How about you clear the table and get some plates ready? Maybe gently wake Yeon and Ian." Amber said.
"No need!" Ian called from the common room, "I’m already awake. I’ll wake Yeon."
Hey Yeon!" He shouted, "Stuko got into the liquor again!"
He was rewarded by the faint thump of a doll hitting a door.
"Yeon’s up", Ian confirmed.
"So," Jeshin said, "Shall we?"
Jay just stared at her. They may be up and about, but Jeshin was the only human without a severe injury in the house. Jay shouldn’t pick up heavy things even if they wanted to. Even carrying water for their bath had probably been a bad idea. To her credit, it took Jeshin only a few moments to realize this herself. She grunted.
"I’ll clear the table then," She said, and left the kitchen to do so.
Leaving Jay alone with Amber, who was apparently a surprisingly good baker. They had already finished the pie dough and were filling a couple of pastries with cut apples and honey. It was time to have a serious talk with the aether.
"Can’t it wait until after breakfast?" Amber said.
Could they read Jay’s mind?
"Yes," Amber confirmed. They filled another pastry. "So let’s get this over with immediately, I suppose. What boon will you ask of me, oh wise paragon?"
Wise paragon? Amber was mocking them! Why? Aether were supposed to be shining beacons of light, guiding mortals with their every action, not at all like this petty, egotistical, self-righteous, hedonistic... Jay snapped their mental mouth shut. They had been about to curse out an aether. An aether!
"I’m egotistical because I’m better," Amber said, "I’m petty because I don’t want to frighten mortals. I’m self-righteous for obvious reasons, and you should try hedonism sometime. It’s fun."
Amber placed the complete set of pastries into the small oven underneath the stove.
"Oh and feel free to curse me," They said, " It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Plus, most of the time people curse me for much more selfish reasons than yours"
This complete and total asshole! That’s it. If they thought they were so superior, Jay would prove them wrong.
"Solve world hunger," Jay said, "That’s my boon. No one in the world goes hungry tonight. Because apparently you are too stupid to do that yourself."
"Sure," Amber said. They didn’t respond to the insult. "I can do that."
They leaned backwards against the kitchen counter, wiped their flour-dusted hands on a cloth, and snapped their fingers. Jay felt the faintest stir of magic, then nothing. They waited for an entire minute, expecting something else. Some great swell of power like they had seen the day before. For the world to break again, and reform better. It didn’t happen.
Was that it?
"Yes," Amber said, "That’s it. I simply cast a small divination spell to find everyone in the world who would not get enough food today unless I acted. It was about five million.
For most of them, I simply contacted the nearest House priest and conveyed your holy mission. No one goes hungry today, and these people in your area are hungry today.
That took care of everyone but two thousand or so hermits and poor people living out of reach of the House. They will, by strange coincidence, find food in unlikely places today. World hunger is abolished, by your decree," Amber finished, "Help me with the plates?"
That. That did not fix anything. The people who were fed today would be just as hungry tomorrow. The House stores or coffers that were drained today would need to be replenished tomorrow, or the day after that. Nothing had changed.
"Yes," Amber said.
They handed a set of dishware and cutlery to Jay, who accepted them wordlessly.
Jay trudged to the newly cleared table and sat next to Ian, opposite Jeshin. They mechanically filled up their bowl with porridge. They did not grab a pastry. Even though they smelled simply divine.
Amber sat down and ignored the porridge entirely, instead they piled their bowl with over half of the pastries.
"Hunger isn’t a natural malady I can just wave away, Jay," Amber lectured, "It’s not caused by droughts, or crop failures, or diseases. Or at least, it hasn’t been for a very long time. Hunger is a political choice. Powerful people choose to let others starve, because they are lazy and incompetent and powerful, and it’s easier to let people starve than work to eliminate the hunger of those whose agency they stripped for their own gain.
Pass the jam?" They asked Ian.
Ian obliged, and gave Jay a piteous glance. Was this why he hadn’t taken Amber’s boon? Jay felt a bit bad for their earlier condemnation of the man. They should have realized Amber wouldn’t fulfill the boon in good faith.
And before you butt in, Amber, fuck you. Get out of my head.
Amber looked about to continue their lecture, but shrugged and began tearing apart the pastries. The meal continued in utter silence. Amber ate one pastry, after another, after another, taking their time to relish each one. When Amber was done with their own plate, they reached for the central platter to snag those left over.
There were two there, neither Ian nor Jay had taken one. Amber helped themself and devoured their newly chosen one just as neatly as the others. They reached for the last.
Jay snapped. They snatched the pastry up and shoved it into their mouth, not even caring for the taste as they choked it down their gullet.
Amber glared at them, and wasn’t that a pretty sight. Jay had wanted their attention and had gotten it. It was time the aether took them seriously for once.
"So stop them," Jay said, once their coughing fit had subsided, "These powerful people. You have the ability to stop them, so do so. Throw them out of their palaces, appoint people that do care."
Amber shook their head, then lowered it. Their voice finally broke, revealing that side of them which had snapped at Ian the day before. So there was a person inside the divine after all.
"I can’t make people care, Jay," Amber said. "Not by force. Not even the gods could. The truth of that tears at me, sings through me. There is both beauty and terror in it."
Amber chuckled.
"Mostly terror, without Nanaya to guide me," They said.
The rest of the meal passed in silence.
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
The group washed the dishes and moved into Yeon’s room. Yeon lay back down to rest, and glared daggers at Ian who choose to stand despite his injury. Jay sat in the same chair as yesterday, clinging to eyelegs. Jeshin had inadvertently tried to claim the chair before they did, but Jay had glared her away. She took another chair near the northern window instead. Amber sat on the foot of the bed, and was the first to speak.
"There is actually something you can do for me, Jay," Amber said, "Something that will really help the world.
Based on our discoveries yesterday, it seems like an aether is running amok and ruining the balance. This cannot be allowed to continue. The most likely culprit is Othuxtai, who makes her home in the Mountaincut Monastery up north. It’s the most sacred place on Loerma, and is built into a cut on the west side of the Chips."
"We all know about the Monastery," Ian said, "And the Chips. Get on with it."
Jay hadn’t known about the Monastery, actually. But they knew about the Chips, on a clear day they could see the south east side of the mountain range from their balcony in Joinder. Its peaks poked up above the western horizon like the heads of dolphins in the bay, trailing clouds instead of water.
"Right," Amber said, "You just need to go there and convince Othuxtai to stop resurrecting everyone. Simple holy quest, the House pays you a great deal, people can die again, I go back to Elysium, and everybody is happy. Sounds good?"
"How much is a great deal?" Jeshin asked without hesitation.
"Jay is not traveling with that injury!" Yeon objected at the same time.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The two women glared at each other. Amber clapped their hands.
"Jay will be fine, Jeshin can escort them and keep them out of trouble. Which she will do because the reward is three hundred gold signets. Or something. I hate money." Amber said. "There. Both interruptions answered. Moving on."
There were four golden pieces to a signet, and ten silver signets to a golden piece. Each silver signet was a day’s worth of wages for most skilled laborers, Jay’s own wage was two per day, so that came out to...
Over eight years worth of wages, Jay thought, Even if I split it with Jeshin.
It was too much.
"Make that each, and I’m in," Jeshin said.
"Sure, sure," Amber said, waving a hand, "Moving on."
"Jay is not riding a horse with that injury, much less walking," Yeon said, "They’ll need a wagon or carriage, and there are none in town. Go to Two Crosses and send a paladin instead."
"I’ll ask if they can tag along with the Ufriq," Amber said.
Ian winced, but said nothing. Amber continued.
"And I don’t want to send a paladin," Amber said, "I want to send them. They both need a bit of adventure, and the paladins are quite busy right now. Moving on."
"I can’t go," Jay said, "I am on my way back home to visit, like I do every winter."
"This is more important, and Jeshin doesn’t have the diplomatic skills to talk down Othuxtai. You do." Amber said. They were starting to sound a bit annoyed.
Jay did? That was news to them. They could strike a good bargain, sure, but they were an accountant not a diplomat. But then again they weren’t the aether, so what did they know?
"Any more objections? Or can we finally move on?" Amber asked.
No one raised any.
"Good," Amber said, "Use this so that Othuxtai doesn’t kill you on sight."
They placed a small pink gem into Jay’s hands. It glowed with divine light, and had the distractingly yonic symbol of Nanaya carved into it.
"If you need me, you can go pray in a temple or something. I usually answer those." Amber finished, "I will be in Joinder trying to maintain my sanity away from Elysium by indulging in hedonistic luxury. Take the time you need, but know that almost every moment I am away from paradise stretches into an eternal agony. Toodles!"
The aether vanished into thin air and a whisper of magic.
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
Yeon and Ian raised a few more objections after Amber left, but nothing substantial. In the end the two gave their begrudging blessing to Jay and Jeshin taking on Amber’s ’holy quest’.
Did Amber call it that as an irreverent joke, Jay thought, or did they actually mean it?
Jay cast their mind back to all their interactions with Amber, searching for a clue, anything that would explain the bizarre combination of petty insults, savage threats, high-minded ideals, hedonistic selfishness, and total irreverence towards not only the divine but just about everything. The search was fruitless. Jay couldn’t even begin to understand the aether.
If they weren’t so stupid, they could... but no. Better minds than theirs had tried and failed to grasp the divine. It was more productive to turn towards material matters.
Speaking of which, a holy quest needed supplies, apparently, so while Jay got ready to leave in a couple of minutes Jeshin had to stock up first. Jay followed along, because they were not going to let that snake out of their sight any more than they absolutely had to.
Jeshin spent an entire hour at the tailory, then another at the smithy, and even stopped for half an hour to chat with a young Xilae woman carrying a bread basket and some flowers. From what Jay could tell she didn’t threaten any of the craftspeople or townsfolk. Nor did she steal from them, although Jay was less certain of that. Jeshin even knew the smith’s name, somehow.
This was boring.
"Are you prepared enough for the horrors of a nice wagon ride to a temple?" Jay prodded, "Or do you want to pick up another set of javelins? Maybe swap cookie recipes with a grandma or stab a couple of children first?"
"Fuck you," Jeshin said.
"No, fuck you," Jay said, "I don’t need or want your help, no matter what Amber said. You are just using them for money, and I won’t let you do that."
"Well good thing that’s not up to you," Jeshin growled, "Amber told me to keep you safe, so I’ll keep you safe. No matter how much of an asshole you are. I’ve worked with worse."
Was Jeshin comparing them to her mercenary friends? The nerve!
"I’m sure you have," Jay said, and the conversation died.
The pair trudged across the square to the Ufriq copse, barely looking at each other. On arrival they found no illusory defenses, just a pile of wagon tracks. The caravan must have already left.
Jeshin grunted and started following the tracks. Jay hesitated.
"Ufriq caravans move at a walking pace, usually," Jeshin called over her shoulder, "And their tracks fade fast but not too fast. We’ll catch up to them."
"It’s not that," Jay said, "I’m not sure I can walk very far."
"Whatever happened to not needing my help?" Jeshin said, "Does the prynsling need me to carry them to their carriage?"
"I’d rather die," Jay spat.
They steeled themselves and followed Jeshin’s brisk pace.
Two hours later Jay felt like absolute death. Jeshin’s pace was much faster than Jay was used to, and while the tracks occasionally dipped onto a road for a while they mostly wound their way straight over the broken and treacherous forest floor.
Jeshin’s spell, which had worked so well during the morning, ate away at Jay’s alertness with every misplaced step or slight stumble, and eventually their eyes drooped dangerously low and their back started flaring with pain at every step. Their chest was on fire from breathing so deeply, and their mouth was parched.
"Let’s stop for a break," Jeshin said.
She put down their packs, she had been carrying Jay’s as well, and got out some water, nuts, and cheese.
"I can keep going," Jay gasped, "I’m fine."
"You are obviously not," Jeshin said, "But suit yourself. The trail is right there, if you want to keep going. I’ll catch up to you."
That was a transparent dig, but Jay was too tired to respond to it. They just nodded and continued walking. They tried to keep up Jeshin’s pace, even in her absence. It was much harder alone, but they thought they managed it.
"What are you doing?" Jeshin hissed in their ear.
Jay stopped and flailed for a moment before finding themself again. They had been so focused on the ground in front of their feet they hadn’t noticed Jeshin running after them. She had even ditched the bags.
"Catching up to the Ufriq," Jay said, "Obviously."
"You are stumbling through the wilderness, Jay," Jeshin said, "This isn’t Joinder, there are dangerous animals here. What if a wolf attacked you? Or a unicorn? Or a bear?"
"There hasn’t been a unicorn this far north in hundreds of years," Jay mumbled.
Jeshin glared at them, fists clenched. Then she took a deep breath, and shook out her hands. She closed her eyes and seemed to count to ten before opening them again.
"Look, I get it," Jeshin said. "You hate me. That’s fine, I’ve protected people who hate me before. And maybe I even deserve it this time. But this?"
She gestured between them.
"I feel like you are using your hate for me as an excuse to hurt yourself and claim I did it. That’s not okay, Jay. I won’t allow it." Jeshin said.
Was that what I was doing? Jay thought, horrified, Using her to hurt myself? I didn’t mean to. I would never do something like that deliberately. Gods I’m such an idiot.
But those thoughts weren’t productive right now, so Jay filed them away for later. Right now what was most important was that their prodding had paid off. Jeshin had given them an ultimatum, set a boundary. It was time to reveal who this snake actually was to the world.
"Or what?" Jay challenged, "You’ll hurt me? Kill me?"
Jeshin sighed.
"I wouldn’t kill you, but yes I would hurt you. I’d tie you up to stop you from hurting yourself, then carry you on my back and leave you with the Ufriq." She said. "They would bring you safely to Two Crosses, where you could get a paladin to escort you the rest of the way. I wouldn’t get my gold, but I’m not going to work for someone who pulls shit like this. Never again.
I don’t want to do that, Jay," Jeshin said, "I don’t want to hurt you. It’s my job to protect you, and I take contracts seriously. I would die for you, Jay. Even if the death was permanent."
Jay had expected her to threaten them again. Bully them into letting her stay on the quest, prioritize the money over Jay’s safety. They weren’t expecting this. Jay narrowed their eyes.
"Bullshit," They said, "No one threatens to kill someone one day then dies for them the next."
"Try me," Jeshin said.
There was a look to her face. A savage glee that they had only seen once before, when Jeshin had thrown herself between a demon and a stranger. It scared Jay.
Jeshin was absolutely terrifying. But Jay’s fear of her felt different now. Less immediate, and less directed at them personally.
"I’m sorry," Jay said.
The apology surprised them. Not that they said it, but how genuinely they felt it. They still hated Jeshin’s guts, but she wasn’t the completely amoral monster they had thought she was and treated her as.
"I didn’t mean to hurt you in that way." Jay said. "Let’s take a break. We’ll catch up to the Ufriq and then part ways at Two Crosses."
Jeshin nodded.
"Thank you," She said, "That sounds great, actually."
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
Jay nodded off after eating their portion of snacks, so what was supposed to be a fifteen minute rest stretched into an hour and a half. They had needed it, though, and when Jay finally recovered to Jeshin’s satisfaction the woman set off again. At a slightly slower pace, one which Jay still found hard to follow but didn’t aggravate their back nearly as much.
It still hurt, but the pain was just a dull throb in comparison to before.
Their trek continued until the sun was solidly in the western sky, and Jay was both sweaty from exertion and shivering from the cold. Bleh.
"We should have caught up to them by now," Jeshin said, "Even at this pace. They must be moving faster than usual."
"Maybe they are running away from mercenary harassment," Jay said, "It’s what I would do in their shoes."
"Fuck you too, Jay," Jeshin said, automatically but without venom. She seemed more tired than angry at their dig.
"But this is a problem. I’m not sure we can catch up to them before sunset. I don’t want you marching at night, but the tracks will be gone by morning so we can’t set up camp and wait for sunrise."
She hesitated.
"Are you still opposed to being carried?" Jeshin asked. "If I don’t, we may lose the Ufriq entirely."
"I’d rather..." Jay started.
"Die, yes, I know," Jeshin interrupted, "But are you willing to walk all the way to Two Crosses?"
Jay scowled. They were not. Not only would that hurt, it would both delay and imperil their holy quest. Wow, it was still weird to think about their mission as a holy quest.
I hate it when she’s right, Jay thought, She makes a point to rub it in.
"Fine," They said, "Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that."
"I fervently do," Jeshin said, "My muscles would be complaining all day tomorrow if I had to haul your butt, even if it is scrawny."
Scrawny? Was Jeshin implying that they were too incompetent to even feed themself properly? Jay was a perfectly healthy weight, thank you. They could not afford to eat like a Doge, obviously, who could? But scrawny? Never.
Jay eyed the woman. She was slightly shorter than them, but must have weighed as much as one and a half Jays put together.
I guess everyone is scrawny compared to her, Jay thought, I’ve seen heroic statues with less definition.
They decided to not dignify her remark with a response, and the pair continued their walk in silence.
Luckily, it didn’t come to that. A couple of hours later, a representative from the Ufriq found them. The representative was a Haco woman with long red hair pulled into twin tails at the sides of her head, both threaded with colorful ribbons and gold wire. She was riding a raptor, with two empty mounts in tow behind her.
This was the first time Jay had ever seen a raptor, up close at least, and it was a pretty sight. The beast stood half again as tall as Jay, and was covered in a short down coat of crimson feathers. It had a thick golden-red mane, and streaks of purple along the insides of its short, clawed arms and powerful legs. Its eyes were large and golden, shaped like a birds, and it had a small crest of long red feathers on the top of its head that it flared in and out seemingly at random. The raptor had deadly sharp claws on its feet, and a stubby beak bristling with razor sharp teeth.
Jay wanted to draw it and run away from it in equal measure.
Jeshin put herself between Jay and the creature, and reached down behind her to put the crook of her arm around the shaft of her halberd. That probably was not necessary, but it did make Jay feel a bit safer. Odd.
"Gzoh, peace speaker," Jeshin said, "I see Amber has finally deigned to inform you of our mission."
"They did so this morning," Gzoh said, "But we finished forging the consensus to aid you a half hour ago.
You broke our customs, assaulted our people, and slandered us to boot. If it was up to me, your face would be declared anathema to us, and you would never even glimpse one of our homes ever again. But I respect our consensus, so we will help you reach the city."
Huh. Jay had known about the slander, but not the other stuff. Apparently the Ufriq were much more forgiving than Jay was. Except for Gzoh. Jay liked her immediately.
Gzoh whistled sharply and tossed Jay a rope, then did the same for Jeshin. The two raptors with empty saddles moved up towards them. These were slightly smaller than the one Gzoh was riding on, but still large enough that as it approached Jay had a sudden premonition of one of those hand long claws lashing out and disemboweling them.
The creature just chirped at them, though, and cocked its head inquisitively.
"Jay, Jeshin, meet Tufaha and Kitambaa," Gzoh said, "I presume you haven’t ridden a raptor before, It’s an honor very rarely bestowed on outsiders, so listen closely. There are no reins, so direct the raptor with your knees instead. They are smart, and can also recognize many vocal commands.
Mostly in Lugha," She continued, "But I picked these two because they know some commands in Rhina, like ’stop’, ’go’, ’left’, and ’right’.
Don’t pull on their feathers, they are sensitive. If you want to stabilize yourself, grab the saddle horn." Gzoh finished.
Jeshin nodded and mounted.
Jay hesitated. They had never ridden a horse before, much less a raptor, and didn’t quite know what to do. Jeshin had mounted by grabbing that thing on the front of the saddle with her left hand and the back with her right, then stepped up into place with the stirrup. Jay could surely do the same?
They tried once, and failed utterly. Jeshin barked a sharp laugh at their misfortune. They flushed and tried again. This time they managed to get into place, but the raptor was obviously displeased at their performance, and gave a deep, sharp whistle before shaking Jay near to pieces shrugging the saddle into a more comfortable position for it. Jay barely managed to stop themself from clutching its feathers.
"Good," Gzoh said, then in Lugha, "Fuata, Ndegol"
She led the way back towards the caravan, and the raptors followed.
PIC [https://scythiamarrow.org/archive/SplinterGuard/Art/SectionMarkerJay.png]
The raptors nearly flew through the forest, running along faster than Jay had even gone before. The wind rushed by, biting their cheeks, but it was not fast enough to steal the sound from their lips. They whooped and laughed. This was terrifying! This was fun!
Jay had been worried that riding would jostle their back, but while painful the experience was not as bad as they had feared. The raptors used their partially feathered arms as small wings, flapping slightly with each stride, and seemed to glide across the rough terrain as if on ice, thick tails extended and backs perfectly level.
Jay felt like they were flying thorough the air, as if an aether’s wings had suddenly sprouted from their back.
It was amazing, and Jay wanted to enjoy every bit of it, but duty called. If they were going to be traveling with Gzoh, it was a good idea to get to know her better. They slowly and awkwardly guided their mount to the side of the peace speaker’s.
"You called it a consensus, before," Jay said, "Helping us. But you don’t agree with it. Isn’t that not a consensus?"
"At least make some small talk before questioning the very foundations of my culture," Gzoh groused, "Complement my hair, maybe? I put a lot of effort into it."
"It’s very nice hair," Jay said, "I like it. Is that real gold? I thought the Ufriq believe that Dumuzid forbids trading in gold."
Gzoh laughed.
"I suppose I did ask for that," She said, "To answer your questions, we do not trade in gold. Dumuzid, god of shepherds, the wilds, and trade, who is dead now but will be reborn with spring, does indeed forbid the Ufriq, and only the Ufriq, from trading in gold. But he does not forbid us from acquiring it from gifts, or wearing it to look pretty."
Jay frowned. What was to stop the Ufriq from helping someone without pay, just with the expectation of a ’gift’ in return?
They were about to ask, but Gzoh continued.
"As for consensus, which we use to guide our path during winter," Gzoh said, "It does not work the way you think.
Consensus is achieved when everyone is satisfied with their part of the path, not when everyone is happy with the whole. Jeshin will need to surrender her arms to the armory under my lock and key, and leave a gathering if Thovin wishes her to do so, for any reason. These restrictions are nearly unprecedented for one sharing our path, even temporarily, and I am not popular for proposing them. But they were necessary to satisfy me, and so the clans accepted them."
Jay sort of understood. But they still didn’t get how that was any different from a trade deal or investment contract. Just more primitive, lacking enforcement, and prone to misunderstandings. But it was best to be polite.
"So that’s why it took you so long to come to a consensus," Jay said, politely, "The clans were blocking you."
Gzoh laughed again.
"No," She said, "It took so long because I insisted on Thovin being given the ability to banish Jeshin. She didn’t wish to have that ability, fool girl, and was not satisfied with that part of her path. And I was not satisfied unless she did have that ability."
Jay nodded. That made sense. Gzoh must have eventually exercised her power as peace speaker to force the deadlock. They turned their attention back to the forest, satisfied for now. They had made adequate small talk, and thought they knew Gzoh well enough to travel together.
"I can tell you just got the wrong idea, Jay," Gzoh said, "Any Ufriq would be furious with me after hearing about what I did."
Really? Jay thought, What for?
They asked her.
"It just isn’t done for one to insist upon the path of another," Gzoh said, "You can advise, and question, but never insist. If I were not peace speaker, and thus already blocked from the consensus, I would risk exile for doing so."
"What do you mean by blocked from the consensus?" Jay asked.
"As a peace speaker, I am one of the very few among the Ufriq who must follow the consensus, no matter my personal feelings," Gzoh said, "I can argue, and plead, and even beg, but if the consensus is that I must walk up to a pryns’ castle and deliver a cry of peace to one who would kill me for it, I must do so.
It is a terrible responsibility," Gzoh continued, "But also quite powerful. The clans knew that I would put my personal feelings aside and accept the consensus even without this restriction I kept insisting on. Which is the only reason I could beg it of Thovin. She eventually agreed to protect herself, if only to stop my yammering.
I doubt she intends to use her ability, but I am satisfied just knowing she has the option."
Oh. That was different from what Jay was assuming. In some ways this method of cooperation was completely alien to them. They kept thinking of ways to poke holes in the consensus, reasons why such a system could never work. Even though the proof of its working was right in front of them.
So yes, it worked. But was it just?
"How many times has that happened?" Jay asked, "How many times has the Ufriq sent a peace speaker to their death?"
"Too many," Gzoh said, "Many too many."