If Winter Comes
by Katie

If Winter Comes

by Katie

Early in the history of the Dhazbal Monarchy, the rulers were not only supported by the Kressian Church, but were in fact indebted to the Church for gaining the thrown at all. This debt is almost definitely responsible for the strong connection between the policies of Church and Crown for several centuries.

However, during the Golden Age of the Dhazbal Monarchy, the strength gained through treaties with Lronia and Paasqua and through the wresting of power from the nobles led the Dhazbal monarchs to pull away from the influence of the High Priest. This rift grew as time went on until seemingly coming to a head during the reign of King Mirak the Heretic. While both ecclesiastical and civil records are vague as to how the rift came about, it is thought by many that the Scepter of Turan, regained by King Mirak after being lost during the reign of his great-grandmother, Queen Tinania, somehow played a role.

- Histories of the North, v. IV

* * * * *

The Wall was made from a black marble that caught and reflected the light of the torches set every few feet along its span. In between the torches, the surface of the Wall was broken by square niches, most containing sealed clay jars. Below each niche was a plaque engraved with a name and date, and on some, a short message. The Wall was rumored to stretch for more than a mile through the ground under the Riders' Collegium, with all of the niches filled up to the one Juleina stood in front of. This niche, and the one right above it, contained jars still unfaded from their recent casting. Jars holding the ashes of dead Riders lost in the line of duty.

Juleina touched the plaque in front of her with one finger. Caran tesSotos, it read, and a date that was a little more than a month previous. Just long enough, really, for a Rider to be sent to Juleina's home in the mountains to tell her of her partner's death and for her to return the Collegium. Long enough for her to think of all the ways she could have saved Caran or kept her from ever going on the ride. Not nearly long enough for the ache in her heart to fade.

"I'm sorry, Care," she whispered. "I should have been there."

"I can agree with that."

She grabbed for her dagger as she turned. A man was coming toward her out of the shadows, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. She assessed him automatically, noting the hard play of muscles under his shirt, the soldier's braid that held back his blond hair, the scar along his jaw. He had all the signs of being a fighter, and judging by the worn leather pants and neatly mended tears in his shirt, more likely a mercenary than a soldier sworn to any lord. There was something familiar about him, but Juleina couldn't place where she might have seen him before and wasn't really interested in trying. She needed a private moment to say good-bye to her partner.

"You don't belong here."

The man raised an eyebrow. "I have more right to be here than anyone. So why don't you leave?"

Juleina stared for a moment, unable to believe his temerity. "These are Rider dead. Unless you're a Rider, you have no right to even be on these grounds. Go now, before I decide to help you."

He stepped closer, lips curving into a cold smile. "I'm here for my sister. I won't leave without her."

Realization tugged at Juleina's mind. "You're Taiben. You're Caran's brother." He looked like her, his hair a few shades lighter but his eyes the same bright blue and his mouth quirking the same way at one corner. Caran had spoken of him many times, always with affection and sometimes a little exasperation. "She said you were fighting the Shzer down south."

"I was," he agreed. "Until I got news that my sister had been murdered. Now I'm here to take her home."

Juleina stiffened. "She was a Rider."

"Look where that got her." Taiben looked at the jar in the niche, his expression darkening. "She is a Sotos. She would want to rest with our ancestors."

Stepping between him and the Wall, Juleina shook her head. "She was a Rider. She was proud of that."

"How would you know what my sister thought about anything?"

Juleina tightened her hand on the hilt of her dagger. "She was my partner."

"Then where were you when she was murdered?" he demanded.

Juleina had asked herself the same question more than once. The answer, true as it was, wasn't good enough for her, and she suspected it wouldn't be good enough for Taiben, either. "My youngest sister was getting married. I went to her wedding. Caran was riding with someone else when they were killed."

Cool blue eyes assessed her and found her wanting. "She spoke highly of you," Taiben said in a voice that made it clear he couldn't imagine why.

"She rode well," Juleina said. It was the highest accolade any Rider could give another. "Taiben. She would have wanted to be here. This is where she belongs."

Taiben continued to study her, his expression grim. "I want to know who killed her," he said finally. "All the messenger told me was that she was killed on a Ride."

Juleina relaxed a bit. "All I know is that they were on a Ride up among the Danshai tribes. But I intend to find out more."

"You'll tell me what you find out. Help me find her murderers so I know she can rest peacefully here."

Juleina took her own time contemplating him. He wasn't a Rider, but Caran had trusted him, and Juleina had certainly trusted Caran.

"It's a deal," she said finally, and hoped she wouldn't come to regret her decision.

* * * * *

Juleina took Taiben to Raen, the Collegium's Swordmaster. Every Rider-in-training went through his schooling at some point, and he knew more about the workings of the Court than the King probably did himself. Raen was always good for a casual bit of gossip. He was also good for knowing the how and why of things certain people would probably prefer him not to talk about.

They found him in his room, one of the histories he loved to read set on a table beside the wing-backed chair he had pulled up next to his hearth. The room was sparsely furnished but comfortable. Raen didn't seem surprised at all to see Juleina, but his eyebrows went up when Taiben stepped into the room behind her.

"This is Caran's brother," Juleina said quickly. "Taiben terSotos. Taiben, this is Raen Mokclan, my old teacher."

"Not that old," Raen said mildly. "Won't you sit down?"

There was only one other chair, a match to the one in which Raen had been sitting. Taiben chose to sit on the hearthstones, leaving the chair to Juleina. She wondered briefly if that was a choice made from ingrained manners or a ploy to gain Raen's trust by putting himself in a vulnerable position. Either way would say quite a bit about Taiben. She only wished she knew what.

"Would you like tea?" Raen asked, then fetched cups from the wooden cupboard built into the wall when both Juleina and Taiben said yes. He filled the cups from the kettle on the hearth, offered them sugar, and touched up his own cup before finally sitting down and eyeing them over his steaming tea.

"You're here to learn about Caran's death," he said finally.

Taiben started, but Juleina had grown used to Raen's strange mix of exquisite manners and bluntness years before. She simply nodded.

"The Rider who came for me seemed to think she and Sorthan were attacked by Danshai tribesmen," she said. "But the Danshai haven't broken their treaty in more than a hundred years, and they know what would happen if they harmed a Rider. That doesn't add up."

Raen took a sip of his tea. "It's true that the Ride was through Danshai territory," he said, "but others had better reason to want Caran and Sorthan dead than the Danshai did."

Taiben was watching them both, his eyes flickering back and forth from one face to the other. "Who?" he asked sharply.

Raen considered him thoughtfully for some time before speaking again. "Who rules this kingdom?"

Taiben frowned. "King Mirak."

Raen waited, sipping his tea.

"And the Council of Nobles, to some extent," Taiben added after a moment.

Raen raised an eyebrow.

"And the High Priest of Kress."

Raen nodded. "The king probably has more power than his father or grandmother or any of the other rulers before him, but that power is certainly not absolute. Others, particularly His Holiness, have more control than, perhaps, King Mirak is entirely comfortable with."

"What does this have to do with Caran?" Juleina asked, not quite impatiently. She trusted Raen to have a point, but knowing Raen, it could take him all night to get there.

"Suppose," Raen said mildly, "that you were the king. You had grown up watching your grandmother and your father whittle away at the power of the nobles and the Church, and you had done your best to follow in their tradition. Suppose you discovered the location of an object that would bring you so much power that neither the nobles nor the priests could stand against you - an object that only one of your line could wield, that had been thought lost more than a century ago?"

Juleina frowned, her mind racing through the histories and legends she had learned as a child. But Taiben got there first.

"Turan's Scepter?" he asked incredulously. "King Mirak has Turan's Scepter?"

Raen shook his head. "King Mirak thinks he knows the location of Turan's Scepter. He ordered Caran and Sorthan to go and fetch it."

Juleina remembered the stories told of the Scepter of Turan. They had always seemed fantastical to her, filled with magic and the deeds of heroes. According to those legends, Turan's Scepter had belonged to the first king of the Dhazbal line and had been blessed by Kress Himself. The Scepter was said to give the true ruler magical gifts, healing or foresight or even, in the case of Queen Jaysa the Bountiful, control of the weather. When it had been stolen during the reign of Queen Tinania, the country had been all but torn apart in the quest to get it back. No trace of it had ever been found.

"If the king has found the location of the Scepter, why would he only send two Riders after it?" Juleina asked. "And how does this help us find Caran's killers?"

"I suspect that King Mirak hoped to keep the purpose of the ride secret. The official reason Caran and Sorthan were in the Danshai territory was to deliver gifts from the king to the Danshai tribal council as a prelude to renegotiating the treaty."

Juleina shook her head. "But why keep it a secret? The whole country would rejoice at the return of the Scepter. There are still people who say losing it is a sign that we've lost Kress's favor."

Raen leaned forward to refill his cup. Settling back, he said carefully, "Regaining Turan's Scepter would definitely benefit King Mirak. It would give him a much greater position of strength against the Council of Nobles and the Church."

"Oh." It fit. Glancing at Taiben, Juleina could see that he was reaching the same conclusion she was. "You think either the nobles or the priests got word that Caran and Sorthan were going after the Scepter and had them killed to keep them from finding it?"

Raen merely sipped his tea.

"Which one?" Taiben asked. "The nobles or the priests?"

"Both?" Juleina suggested. It was possible. The Church and Council rarely acted together, but the Council had been losing control to the Crown for more than a generation, and the Church held onto its power ruthlessly. They might form an alliance long enough to keep the Scepter out of the king's hands.

"If anyone were attempting to prevent the king from regaining the Scepter," Raen said casually, "it seems likely they wouldn't stop at killing the king's messengers. The only real way to control the whereabouts of something is to hold it yourself."

"So whoever killed Caran and Sorthan is probably looking for the Scepter now." Juleina nodded. "Unless they've already found it."

Raen shook his head. "If anyone had the Scepter, then the balance of power would have shifted in one direction or another. Things have been tense lately, but relatively stable."

"So." Taiben set his cup down on the hearth. "If we find the Scepter and the people who are looking for it, we'll know who murdered my sister."

"But how do we do that?" Juleina asked. "Raen, do you know where King Mirak sent Caran and Sorthan?"

Raen sighed. "Into Danshai territory, obviously. But I don't know anything more specific than that."

Taiben shook his head. "Danshai territory is pretty big to be wondering around without directions."

"Do we know the place where Caran and Sorthan were killed?" Juleina asked suddenly. "If we do, then since we know they started from here, we can figure out their route."

"What good will that do us?" Taiben demanded. "Unless they died right on top of the Scepter, there's no telling where they would have gone from that point."

But Juleina had been partners with Caran for more than five years. She knew how Caran thought almost better than she knew her own mind. Pushing aside the stab of grief that came with the realization that none of that was true anymore, she said, "Caran was always careful. I used to tease her about it, how even when we were off duty she took precautions. Any time we weren't together, she always left me a trail. Just in case." She paused, taking a deep breath. She'd never really thought "just in case" would ever come. "If we follow her route, there will be something along the way to tell me where she was going."

* * * * *

The King's - or Queen's - Riders were the Dhazbalian rulers' eyes and ears, hands and mouth. They patrolled the kingdom, handing out the king's justice as well as his mercy. They carried the post and any special missives the king might require. They lent aid in times of crisis, protected towns and travelers from bandits, even passed judgment on crimes. They acted in the king's name, and as such, their conduct was required to be above reproach.

Sneaking from the Collegium, all but stealing mounts for herself and Taiben, didn't set well with Juleina. She had always taken the honor code of the Riders seriously, willing to die if need be rather than betray it. But as much as she trusted her fellow Riders, there were servants and workers aplenty around the Collegium who might be spying for the nobles or Church or anyone else who thought the Riders' business was their business as well. With the knowledge that there had been a plot against Caran and Sorthan weighing heavy on her, she didn't dare take the chance that riding out openly might alert the wrong people.

They left the night after their talk with Raen. Taiben had gone into the city to sleep and stock up on supplies, while Juleina spent an uneasy night in her room at the Collegium and most of the next day preparing, or so she told people, to make the ride to Caran's village with those mementos Caran would have wanted to give to her family. It was the last duty a Rider owed to his or her partner, and Juleina fully intended to undertake it. But first, she had to find Caran's murderers.

She met with Taiben during Third Watch at an inn on the riverfront. It catered more to travelers than locals, and with Juleina dressed in civilian clothes and Taiben still dressed as a mercenary, no one took special notice of them. The whole thing would have been simpler if Taiben had owned his own mount, but he'd taken a barge down river from the Shzer front and the mount he could have afforded would never have kept up with a Rider-bred horse. So Juleina had slipped into the stables and took Penny, a copper-haired mare she had ridden several times before, Dancer, a graceful sorrel mare, and Midnight, who was as black as her namesake and would keep going all night if given a chance. Like all Rider mounts, the horses had been trained to saddle and pack, so she signed Penny out as her mount and Dancer and Midnight as her packhorses and hoped no one would think twice about why she'd need a second packhorse on a route that was studded by Waystations every several miles.

They left the city under cover of darkness, using the moonlight to guide their way. Not until the lights of the city were far behind them did Juleina pull them to a halt. This close to the city, she knew the lay of the land intimately, and found without trouble a copse of trees where Riders-in-training usually had their first overnight wilderness stays. Even in the dark, setting up camp was so routine that she barely had to think about what to do. It was pleasantly surprising to find that Taiben stepped in to do his share without comment.

When they had a small, concealed fire going and had settled the horses for the night, Juleina dug some jerky and hard cheese from her pack and offered half to Taiben. He took the rations with a nod of thanks, then leaned back against a fallen log to contemplate the stars as he ate.

If it had been Caran with her, they would have been talking quietly, whether about the ride they were on or the latest gossip or some memory from childhood. But for all that he looked like Caran, Taiben definitely wasn't. He'd barely spoken to her at all beyond the necessities of planning, and when he did speak, it was in a hard, almost angry voice. Like he blamed her for Caran's death, Juleina couldn't help but think. Juleina couldn't entirely fault him for that; she'd certainly thought enough times herself that she might have been able to save Caran if she'd been there. Sorthan was a good Rider, but he didn't know Caran the way Juleina did. He didn't have the years of working and fighting with her to make them move and think like one person when the need came. If Juleina had been at Caran's side, Caran might have survived - or at the very least, Juleina might have died with her.

"You said it's four days to the Danshai territory?" Taiben asked suddenly.

The suddenness of his voice breaking the silence made Juleina jump. Taking a deep breath, she said as steadily as she could manage, "To the outskirts, yes. And another four or five to reach the other side, barring any trouble."

"Should we expect any?" Taiben straightened up so that he could look directly at her.

"You mean assuming we got away without the people behind Caran's death knowing that we were leaving?" Juleina took a bite of her jerky, chewing it thoughtfully. "The Danshai themselves shouldn't give us any difficulty. Our treaty with them allows us peaceful passage as long as we don't disturb their herds or any of the tribal camps. They'll even trade with us or allow us to pass the night in one of their camps as long as we come in peace and abide by their customs. They're a fierce folk, but they value hospitality and they can be friendly if they're not provoked.

"They tend to keep their territory free of bandits, too, so once we cross their borders, we'll actually be safer than when we're in our own land. Since few people travel the roads toward the territories, the countryside between here and there tends to hold some rough customers. People who aren't willing or able to live with civilized folk and aren't afraid to help themselves to anything you can't protect. They don't bother Riders much because they know the penalty, but a pair of ordinary travelers may look like fair game."

"Would we be better off traveling at night?"

Juleina shook her head. "Just as likely to run into trouble, and more likely to hurt the horses. Daylight is better."

Taiben nodded shortly. "Good enough. We'll just have to deal with whatever comes up when it arrives."

He fell silent again. Juleina watched him, noting the cautious way he scanned their surroundings every few minutes and the graceful economy of his movements as he ate. His face was reasonably handsome in spite of the scar and the scowl, and his body had the hard musculature of a fighter. She had always preferred the slender, rangy build of most Riders, but if his skills lived up to his physique, Taiben would be a good man to stand beside in a fight. Unfortunately, she wouldn't know until the fight came if he could be depended on.

"Caran said you'd found work in one of the mercenary troops," she said finally, as much to break the silence as out of curiosity.

Taiben grunted, and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer. But then he said, "Signed on with Charvor's troop not long after I left home. Got my training there, and never really felt the need to move on."

"Charvor has a good reputation," Juleina said. Some merc troops were nothing more than organized bandits, but Charvor was known for running a tight camp and sticking to his word. "Will you be going back to him when we're done?"

Taiben laughed. "I guess that depends on whether we survive, doesn't it?"

"I don't intend to die."

"It's not in my plan either, little girl, but Death doesn't often listen to mere mortals."

Juleina raised an eyebrow. "Well, then, I guess I'll just have to depend on you to protect me with your manly strength."

Taiben stared at her for a long moment, then laughed again, this time with more humor. "You sound like Caran."

Juleina felt her own lips quirking, even though a part of her still had the urge to kick Taiben in a place that would make him sound like a little girl. "She didn't take much from anyone."

"No, she didn't," he said, pride obvious in his voice. "We'd get in fights when we were kids, and like as not she'd beat me up, even though I was two years older and a head taller than her. I never had to worry about getting a swelled head with her around. Needed plenty of salve for my other parts, though."

"And she didn't give up, either." Juleina grinned. "We spent more than a month once arguing about the words to some song, and she never admitted she was wrong even after we found three different bards that sang it my way."

Taiben snorted. "Caran was never wrong. Didn't you ever figure that out?"

Juleina chuckled, but it trailed off in a sigh. "I miss her."

"So do I."

Taiben's voice had dropped, and Juleina looked at him sharply. The scowl was gone, leaving a deep sadness that she knew well. Their eyes met, and for once, Taiben's gaze wasn't unfriendly.

"You know," he said quietly, "that there's no easy end to this thing. If it were just bandits that had killed her, we'd be able to hunt them down and it would be over. But if we're right, whoever killed her was acting on orders from someone a whole lot higher than either of us have ever dreamed of reaching."

Juleina felt a chill run down her back. She'd had the same thoughts during the restless night after talking to Raen, but she hadn't gotten up the courage to put them into words. "We'll be taking on the Council or the High Priest himself."

Taiben nodded. "If we follow this through, finding the Scepter is just the beginning. Killing Caran's murderers is just the beginning. We could be making the first moves in a civil war."

Juleina wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "Are you saying you don't want to go on?"

Taiben gave her a steady look. "Caran was my sister and the other half of my heart. Even if family honor didn't demand it, I won't let her death pass unavenged. I intend to find the people responsible and make them pay, even though it will most likely means my life. I owe her that much. But she wasn't your sister, and there's no reason for you to go down with me."

"She was." Juleina took a deep breath. "She was my sister, the sister of my heart. And I'm sworn to serve the king in all things - not the Church, and not the nobles."

"Then we're going to see this thing to the end?"

"Wherever that might be."

* * * * *

They found the first of Caran's messages around noon the next day. Tucked into a hole at the base of a mulberry tree, the smaller of two set in the midst of oaks and pecans. Juleina had known as soon as she saw the trees that Caran would have picked them to leave a sign; the twin trees were exactly the thing that Caran would have noticed, and Juleina had often teased her about her height. Written on the same type of bespelled parchment that were used so that the king's directives wouldn't fade, the message said simply, "Due west."

"She wouldn't put more than the next day's direction," Juleina told Taiben. "If anyone else found this one, they'd have to keep finding them all to learn the final location."

The next day, the message was "Dzabon River, then northwest." The day after, "Into the hills, northwest, Cutser's Pass." And finally, the last message before they reached Danshai territory, "Piras Peak."

"She wouldn't have risked leaving anything written in the territories," Juleina said as they sat beside their fire that night. "The Danshai only use writing for magic. If any of the Danshai scouts that followed her saw her writing or happened across the message, they'd assume she was trying to work spells against them."

"But how would she know that any scouts would follow her? It seems like it would be worth the risk," Taiben replied.

"Believe me, from the moment we get within sight of the territories, we'll be watched. We may never see the scouts, but never think for a moment that they're not there."

Taiben glanced around uneasily. "I think I prefer the Shzer. At least they attack you straight on instead of hiding in the shadows."

Juleina grinned. "With any luck, the Danshai won't attack us at all."

Despite Juleina's earlier concerns, they made it into the Danshai lands without any difficulty from bandits. The tension between them had eased, as well, after that first night on the trail. Taiben had his sister's humor and steady confidence; Juleina found herself enjoying his company. But still, from time to time she would turn to say something, expecting to see Caran beside her, and as much as she liked Taiben, she couldn't quite lose the stab of disappointment and grief that shot through her.

"Where is Piras Peak?" Taiben asked, breaking into her thoughts.

She had to think for a minute before she could recall why he would be asking. "I don't know. Let me get the map."

The Collegium library contained numerous copies of maps that detailed the entire kingdom and most of the outlying areas. Riders took whichever ones they might need on their trips and returned the parchments when they were done - assuming they were in any shape to be returned. Riders-in-training were given the task of making new copies as part of their geography lessons, and woe betide any young man or woman who copied a map incorrectly. It was a mistake most made only once.

Juleina dug through her saddlebag to find her map tube. Locating the one that showed the territories, she brought it over so that Taiben could look at it with her. His hand brushed hers as it reached out to hold the edge of the parchment, and she was suddenly, embarrassingly aware of him as a man, not just someone with whom she was riding. It was a ridiculous feeling; he was Caran's brother, which practically made him her brother as well. She leaned forward, peering at the map to hide her confusion, but it took her a couple of minutes to locate what she was looking for in the firelight.

"Here," she said finally, pushing all thoughts but the ride out of her mind. "Just about as close to the dead center of Danshai territory as you can get. See this range here? That peak in the middle, the tallest one, is labeled Piras."

Taiben squinted at the map. "Do you think that's where the Scepter is?"

She shrugged. "Possibly. Or something that would lead us to it, maybe."

"How far away is that?"

"Another two days unless the terrain gets difficult." Juleina frowned, looking closer at the map. "Or the Danshai kill us for trespassing on their holy ground."

"What?"

"Here, see these symbols?" She pointed, and tried very hard not to notice how Taiben's chest pressed against her arm as he leaned forward. "Those are basically 'Keep away' marks. Apparently those mountains are a sacred place for the Danshai."

Taiben sighed. "Of course they are." He sat back, frowning at the ground as he thought. After a few minutes, he continued, "You know the Danshai better than I do. What happens if we go where we aren't wanted?"

"They kill us." Juleina shrugged. "And by treaty, they're in their rights to do it. The only way we can enter those sections that are marked on the map is with permission of the Danshai tribal council."

"Which might explain why Caran and Sorthan were taking gifts to the council, right?" Taiben rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We don't have anything particularly gift-worthy, do we? How're we going to get permission?"

Juleina shook her head. "I don't know."

"Any chance we can sneak in without getting caught?"

"Remember the scouts I told you about?"

"That's what I was afraid of."

Carefully, Juleina started to roll up the map. "Let's sleep on it. Maybe something will come to us tomorrow."

But the next day, she was no closer to inspiration than she'd been the night before. The chances of the tribal council allowing an outsider into the Danshai's sacred grounds seemed slim even with sufficient bribes; Juleina and Taiben would be lucky to get out with their lives if they asked passage for free. Not gaining permission was tantamount to a death sentence, and Piras Peak was their only clue to the whereabouts of the Scepter. They had to find some way into the mountains.

As they rode in subdued silence, Juleina turned the possibilities over in her mind. Nothing came to her except chancing the one in a million odds that they could cross the sacred grounds and get to Pilas Peak - and then back into neutral territory - before they were caught. Of course, she could just cut Taiben's throat and then her own and save everyone some trouble.

Abruptly, Taiben pulled Midnight to a halt. "I need to see the map again."

Juleina frowned at him. "I don't think the mountains have moved since last night," she said, but she pulled the map tube out of her saddlebag and pulled out the Danshai map.

Taiben took it from her and unrolled it. "Where is it that Caran and Sorthan were killed?"

Juleina stared at him. "Why is that important right now?"

"Where?" Taiben insisted.

Sighing, Juleina studied the map. "They were found in the Korusin Plain, which is, um, here." She pointed to the area just before the warning symbols that marked the mountains as off limits.

"And this area right here," Taiben slid his finger down to a different set of symbols. "What's this?"

"The meeting area for the tribal council."

"And where are we?"

Juleina frowned. "Here." She pointed toward the bottom of the map.

"So." Taiben traced a line down from the Korusin Plain to the meeting grounds, then angled off to their location. "In order to get to the Korusin Plain, they would have had to either go through or around the council meeting grounds, right?"

"Right..."

Juleina studied the map again, then shook her head. "So they must have gained permission to go into the mountains, or they wouldn't have gotten into the Plain. But how does that help us?"

"If they were granted safe passage, why were they killed?"

"Because it was Church or Council scum that killed them, and they don't care about what permission the Danshai gave or didn't give?"

"Right. But safe passage is safe passage, right?"

Juleina blinked, then frowned. "Maybe," she said slowly. "Maybe we can use that to our advantage, anyway. Claim kin-right to the same passage? Claim the bargain wasn't fulfilled? It might work."

"It's worth a chance, isn't - " Taiben stopped, his gaze sharpening as he stared over Juleina's shoulder. "Do you see that?"

"What?" She turned, squinting across the grassland. "I don't - wait."

"There's someone back there," Taiben said. "I saw them for just a minute, and then they disappeared. It looked like three or four riders."

"The scouts, maybe," she said doubtfully, but what she'd gotten a glimpse of hadn't been Danshai tribesmen.

"Looked like soldiers to me," Taiben replied. "With some sort of shielding spell on them so we couldn't see them."

"It must have slipped for a minute." Juleina took the map from Taiben and rolled it up, placing it back in the tube. "Who knows how long they've been back there. They're probably hoping we'll lead them to the Scepter."

"Any suggestions?"

Juleina strapped the tube back down and gave Taiben a sharp smile. "Ride faster?"

* * * * *

Dusk found Juleina and Taiben in front of the Danshai tribal council, a body of six men and six women, the youngest of whom was old enough to be Juleina's mother. Though Juleina had passed through Danshai lands several times, she had only spoken to a tribesman a couple of times and spent one memorable night with Caran in a herdkeeper's camp riding out a sudden gale. She'd never been face to face with any of the Danshai elders, and she found herself hoping fervently that she wouldn't commit a fatal error in manners.

The council met in a brightly colored tent, the twelve members seated in a semi-circle around a small fire. Juleina and Taiben were seated in front of them, with Rorin, the scout who had stopped them when they approached the meeting ground boundaries, standing guard directly behind them.

Parnon, the head of the council, sipped slowly at a wooden mug as he contemplated them.

"It seems," he said at last, his voice strong despite his obvious age, "that we are having an unusual number of visitors from your land. What is it that you want, Rider?"

Juleina met his gaze squarely; to do anything else would have been an insult. "First, to ask a question about the two that came before us, Elder Parnon."

"Ask."

"The two - one was a tall woman with yellow hair and blue eyes, and the other a short, dark man?"

"They were."

"And they were granted safe passage into the sacred grounds around Pilas Peak?"

Parnon didn't answer for a long moment. Juleina could feel the hair on the back of her neck prickling, and hoped it wasn't because Rorin's axe was hanging there, waiting to chop downward.

"They were," Parnon said finally. "What interest do you have in that business?"

"It was never completed, Elder Parnon. The two Riders were killed before they ever reached Pilas Peak."

Another long silence. Juleina didn't dare glance back to see what Rorin was doing, but the urge to do so was almost overpowering.

"We granted them safe passage," Parnon said coolly. "They were not harmed by one of the People."

"No," Juleina agreed quickly. "They were killed by men from my own land. But they were unable to complete their ride."

"What concern is this of ours?"

"We claim the right to complete their ride, Elder Parnon."

"What right do you have to that claim?"

Juleina took a deep breath. Parnon didn't sound angry yet. "Safe passage was granted, but these Riders were killed anyway, and their murderers left free and unpunished. The bargain wasn't fulfilled."

Sharp looks were passed among the council members, but only Parnon spoke. "We acknowledge that the bargain wasn't fulfilled. What claim have you, Rider, and your companion on this bargain? Why should we not give safe passage to the men who come behind you?"

"The woman was my sister," Taiben said suddenly. "I claim kin-right to complete her ride."

Juleina didn't let herself wince, but inwardly she was cringing. If the elders took exception to the interruption, they were dead.

But Parnon merely nodded. "You share her features and her courage. Kin-right is granted to you." He turned back to Juleina. "And you? Are you claiming kin-right, as well?"

Juleina shook her head. "I'm no kin to either of them, but I am a Rider as they were. I have a duty to finish their ride."

"Then safe passage is granted to you, as well."

Juleina sighed. "Thank you, Elder Parnon."

The elder sat up straighter, any hints of frailty leaving him entirely. "It offends us, Rider, that our safe passage was compromised. It offends us that those who come behind you ride in secret, using magics to conceal themselves. You have spoken fair and honestly, and come to us in the open, with no attempt at hiding. We deal with you in the same manner you approached us. But understand this. The land you ride through is the land of our ancestors, land touched by our gods. Ride through, harm nothing, and return before the sun sets on the fourth day, or your safe passage is revoked."

"I understand," Juleina said, and heard Taiben echo her.

"Then you may go. Sleep with us tonight, and your journey will begin at first light."

* * * * *

"Do you think we lost them?"

Juleina glanced back over her shoulder in the direction Taiben was watching. There was no sign of the soldiers, but then, if their shielding spell was strong enough, they could be three feet away and she wouldn't know. "I don't know. I was hoping that passing through the meeting grounds would throw them off our trail."

"I wouldn't be heart-broken if the Danshai caught them." Taiben grinned wolfishly. "I think they'd find a warm welcome, don't you?"

"Right over the fire," Juleina agreed.

They were almost in the mountains, having ridden all of one day and part of the next since leaving the meeting grounds. According to Rorin's directions, they had to find the northern pass and follow it to the base of Pilas Peak. Then, it was a matter of climbing a steep, rocky trail, and not, according to Rorin, falling off any cliffs.

Passing through the Korusin Plain had proven harder than Juleina had expected. She'd found herself searching constantly for signs that she was riding through the place where Caran and Sorthan had died. If they were ever within sight of it, she didn't see any evidence. But the knowledge that this was where Caran had spent her last breath, possibly in fear, almost definitely in pain, left Juleina with an ache so deep she thought she might shatter. Taiben had been quiet as well, and oddly gentle as they set up camp. They hadn't spoken much, but Taiben had reached out across the distance that separated them and clasped her hand, and somehow that had helped.

The brightness of the morning sun had helped relieve her mood as well, and Juleina had set out with a renewed determination. They would find the Scepter and use it to bring down the people who had murdered her partner. Caran would get her vengeance.

Thankfully, the northern pass didn't prove too difficult to traverse. The trail up Pilas Peak was another matter altogether. They ended up leaving the horses behind at the bottom and making their way on foot toward the summit. The trail zigzagged upward across the northern face of the mountain, crossing several narrow ledges and cliffs. Juleina had never been so happy that she had a good head for heights.

The sun had reached its zenith by the time they were approaching the summit. There seemed to be a cave carved into the rock of the peak, too shallow to allow more than one person, and a fairly small one at that, inside. Without comment, Taiben gestured for Juleina to go in. Firmly not thinking about bats or spiders or anything else that might love a dark, cool spot to live, Juleina ducked inside.

A dim light filtered in from the mouth. The cave looked empty, although there were markings on the wall that showed someone had been there once. She studied them, but finally had to shake her head in puzzlement and give up. If they were writing, it was a language she didn't know.

"Find anything yet?" Taiben called from outside.

"Give me a minute." She hoped that the writing on the wall wasn't the clue they needed to find the Scepter. If it was, they might as well give up now. She didn't even have anything with her to copy them down; even her maps were still down with the horses.

"Hurry up, unless you want to spend the night up here," Taiben called. "If we don't start down soon, we won't make it before the sun sets."

"I said, just a minute." She looked around again, frowning at the back of the cave. Something about the way the dim light hit the floor near the wall looked wrong. Edging back, she discovered - by nearly tripping into it - that there was a narrow crevasse running the length of the wall.

Grimacing, she stuck her hand down into it and felt around. There was something there, something solid wrapped in a crumbly fabric. Squashing down any thoughts of dead bodies, she grasped the thing and pulled it up, twisting it a bit to get it free of the rock.

The cloth was disintegrating even as she pulled, but the object itself seemed to be in perfect condition. It was about as long as her arm, a smooth pole with a rounded head that tapered into a point. It didn't look all that impressive, but there was something intangible about it that spoke of power.

"I found it!"

Scrambling backward, Juleina brought the Scepter out of the cave. In the daylight, it looked slightly more like something worth dying for; gold and silver inlays spiraled across the pole, and the rounded top seemed to be made of some type of clear crystal.

Taiben studied it for a long moment, then shook his head. "I thought it would be bigger."

"If it had been, I never would have gotten it out of that crevasse," Juleina said, eyeing her scraped knuckles ruefully. "Let me put it in your pack, and we can get going."

They'd left Juleina's pack with the horses, putting some food, first aid supplies, and blankets in Taiben's before they started the climb. Now Juleina wrapped the Scepter in one of the blankets and tucked it back into the pack.

"And now, we sit back and see who comes after it," she said.

Taiben turned, raising an eyebrow at her. "Well, we might want to get off this mountain first."

"You don't think we should just stay up here?" Juleina asked, not quite keeping the dryness out of her voice. "Make them work for it before they try to steal it."

Taiben looked around. "I think it would get a little crowded."

Juleina sighed. "You're probably right. I guess we'd better start back, then."

"After you."

Going down was both easier and harder than going up. While they didn't have to strain as much on the inclines, but keeping their feet on the downward slopes was exhausting. Juleina's legs were all but shaking by the time they reached the place where the path began to level out.

"Think the horses are still there?" Taiben asked.

She looked up at him, but before she could say anything, she heard a sharp, buzzing sound. Arrow, her mind screamed at the same time that something hard plowed into her upper arm and she was thrown backward toward Taiben.

"Get down!" He grabbed her and pulled her toward the ground, dragging her behind the largest of the nearby boulders. "Are you all right?"

She stared at the arrow sticking out of her arm. It was huge, a pale wood with brown feathers at the end, and it was quivering. No, she was, and it merely shook with her.

"Juleina. Look at me."

Taiben caught her chin in one hand and turned her face toward him. She blinked, and suddenly her arm hurt and she was furious.

"I'm fine," she said through teeth gritted tightly enough to make her jaw hurt. "Just get this thing out of me."

"We don't have time to get it out properly," Taiben said, shrugging off his pack. He dug around inside, finally emerging with a bandage roll. "I'm going to break off the shaft and wrap it so it doesn't get jostled too much. Can you keep a lookout?"

Juleina nodded, leaning forward slightly to peer around the boulder. As soon as her attention was off him, Taiben grasped the shaft of the arrow and broke it off. Juleina jerked away, unable to stop a cry that half curse and half sob.

"You should have warned me," she said when she got her breath.

"How would that have helped?" Taiben asked with maddening calm as he wrapped the bandage around her arm, carefully encasing the broken-off end of the arrow. "Now why don't you stay here while - "

"Not a chance." Juleina grasped her sword hilt in her good hand. She was still mad enough not to be feeling too much pain. It wouldn't last, and she didn't want to waste it. "Are you coming or not?"

She darted around the boulder, ignoring the slight queasiness in her stomach as she crouched by the mountain wall. When no more arrows came at her, she started forward, keeping low and moving as quietly as she could. A glance behind her showed Taiben only a few feet away, scowling as he crept in her wake.

She was counting on their attackers being with the horses. It was a logical stopping point, being the only area in the vicinity with more than a few feet of level ground, and it was the one place the attackers could be certain she and Taiben would return to. The only problem with it as a defensible position was that it was open on two sides and below the majority of the surrounding landscape. While the attackers had been able to see her and Taiben approaching when they stood upright, crouching put them below the horizon until they were almost upon the attackers.

As she had suspected, it was the soldiers that had been following them for days. She took time to note their appearance - four men in nondescript clothing, but with hair cut short and close to the head like Church soldiers wore - then leapt for the nearest one. The fact that he was the only one with a bow did much to heighten her enjoyment at the sound of his head cracking against the ground.

He came up quickly, shaking his head with a confused air but holding his sword with a familiar confidence. Juleina had time to see Taiben engaging two of them, but not enough to locate the fourth before her soldier attacked.

She parried, turning the move into a downward slice that nicked his shin.

"First blood," she said, not hiding a smirk.

"But I'll have last blood," he said, and very deliberately ran his eyes down her body. "I bet you're nearly as sweet as that blonde bitch was, aren't you?"

Juleina almost couldn't see him through the red haze that swam in front of her eyes. He needed to be dead, now, and she set about achieving that with methodical precision. A feint to his legs, rolling it into a slice on the arm, then skipping back to avoid his swing. Parry, thrust at his belly, take a cut on her sword arm that was a small price to pay for the deep gash she landed across his ribs. The blood loss was starting to get to him, and she was running on pure rage that wasn't going to quit until he was dead. The thought of him touching Caran, hurting Caran, was more than she could stand. With a snarl, she lunged forward once more, plowing through his defense to sink her blade into his belly.

He stared at her, surprise already draining from his features as he fell. Yanking her sword free, she turned, only to see that there was no one left to fight. Taiben was pulling his sword out of one opponent, and the other lay close by with a dagger she didn't recognize sunk in his back. As for the fourth -

Rorin, the Danshai scout who'd brought them in front of the tribal council, stepped out from behind a large boulder, wiping a dagger on a bloodstained rag that looked as if it had been part of a shirt. The dagger, Juleina noted with interest, was the mate of the one in the soldier's back.

Rorin went over to the soldier and pulled his other dagger free, pausing to wipe it thoroughly clean before slipping both blades into the hilts on his belt. He looked from Juleina to Taiben and grinned.

"Safe passage," he said cheerfully, and saluted them before turning and walking away.

The horses were stomping and snorting restlessly. They were too well trained to panic, even with the all the commotion and the smell of blood, but their instincts were telling them to flee. Someone, Juleina thought tiredly, should go and calm them down, probably even move them to a spot where they wouldn't smell the blood. In her mind, she could see herself doing that, but her body finally took the time to notice the shape it was in and abruptly dropped her on her butt.

"Juleina."

Taiben was standing over her, looking at her with a mixture of concern and exasperation.

"They're the ones," she said, nodding at the bodies. "They killed Caran and Sorthan."

"I know." Taiben squatted down in front of her. "It's over."

"No," she reminded him, and held out her hand for him to help her up. "It's only just begun."