“I agree.” Keir glanced over at me. “We will give them a chance to explain their actions. But if they have shattered their vows, we will be ready. Ortis, what chance of ambush?”

“The scouts all report no activity, Warlord.”

Keir turned to Iften. “Ready a warforce, Iften. As many as you think you need. If we are denied again we will attack, and raze the village to the ground. Any other truths we need to address?”

“A discipline problem, Warlord. The warrior Gils—” Iften scowled, but Keir cut him off.

“Now is not the time for a discipline problem, Iften.”

“Especially when the man is my responsibility and not yours.” Yers chimed in.

Keir stood, and we all stood with him. “The senel is over. Prepare to move out.”

I moved closer to stand next to Keir, biting my lip. The warleaders left swiftly, as Iften called for them to get organized. Once the area was clear, I turned to Keir. “Keir—”

“No.” He didn’t even look at me.

“Keir, it has to be someone who speaks Xyian. It should be me. I am a Daughter of Xy. Queen of Xy.”

“And touched by the moons if you think I will allow you to approach those walls.” Keir focused on me, his gaze intent. Marcus, Epor and Isdra were glaring at me. Even Rafe and Prest, who entered the shelter of the tree once the warleaders had left, were glaring at me.

I smiled sweetly at them.

“This is going to be a problem, isn’t it,” Keir asked.

“Yes,” the others chorused.

Keir growled. “Lara, if the village is rebelling, and if this is an organized response, they will try to pull others to their cause. Who would they want to kill first and foremost?”

“You,” I answered promptly.

That stopped him, but he gave me one of those patient looks. “And after me?”

“Iften.”

“No.” He frowned, upset. “Do not play with me, Lara.” He put his hands on his hips. “Perhaps the best answer would involve chains and a tree.”

I glared right back at him. “Keir, you need someone who speaks Xyian. I am the best choice.”

“You are not. A warrior, someone who speaks Xyian and can defend himself is. You would have me send a boy to do a man’s job.”

I flushed, but he held up his hand. “It’s a saying of my people, Lara. Send the right person for the task the first time. I will send a speaker of Xy. We will give the village a chance to surrender and explain themselves. You will be kept back, until we know more.” He fixed me with a look. “I will be obeyed, Warprize.”

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to argue, but the words never emerged. Marcus launched himself at my throat.

In an instant I was down on the ground, flat on my back, my breath gone from my lungs. Marcus’s thin body was on top of me, pinning me with all the considerable strength in his wiry frame. Worse, he had a blade at my throat, the metal cold against my skin.

I opened my mouth, trying to gasp in air, my heart hammering in my chest. No one else moved.

“This is no child’s game,” Marcus hissed, his voice as harsh as I had ever heard. “You have no skill, none—and death comes in an instant.”

I just stared at him, his disfigured eye, his puckered skin, frightened and wide-eyed.

“Do you understand?”

I nodded carefully and swallowed hard, very aware of the sharp blade pressed against the pulse of my neck.

Marcus pulled back and just as fast as he took me down, I was up on my feet and in Keir’s arms. I clung to him, shaken. “That was harsh.”

“And the elements are not?” Keir asked me softly.

“Better you learn at my blade than at another’s.” Marcus brushed off my back.

I shrank from his touch, trying not to cry. “Keir…”

“Harsh, but the lesson is true, Lara.” He tightened his arms around me.

I buried my face in his chest and tried to get myself under control. “I’ll do as I’m told.”

Keir chuckled. “At least until the shock has worn off.” He drew in a deep breath. “It won’t stop you from flinging yourself to the aid of others, I know. All I ask is that you think before you do, and that you let us protect you. Yes?”

“Yes.”

He leaned down and nuzzled my ear. “Ah, my Lara. I took you from your sheltered den, kitten.”

“No.” I straightened, wiping my face. “I left my den and chased you, remember?”

Keir smiled and kissed me gently. “I will send someone to speak to the village. You will stay with your guards, toward the center of the main army, back from the front.”

Rafe cleared his throat. “I have enough of that tongue, Warlord. I am willing to go.”

Marcus spoke up as well. “I can fill his place as Lara’s guard.” Keir looked at him and Marcus shrugged. “You will have no need of me, and it takes four to watch over this woman.” Marcus gave me a wicked grin, but I looked away.

Keir lowered his head to speak softly in my ear. “Lara, understand this. I will send Rafe to the gates. But one rock, one arrow, one word of defiance and I will destroy the village.”

“Keir, there are innocents there.” I leaned back to look into his face. “Women and children who have no part in this. If we can talk to them, we can convince—”

“I will not take back an oathbreaker, nor will I leave one unpunished.”

“But—”

He released me. “What would the penalty be, Lara, if a village broke its oaths of fealty to the King of Xy?”

I looked away. “I do not know. It hasn’t happened that I know of.”

“Because the penalty is severe. My hand can rest lightly on this land, but not on those who defy me. I will do what must be done.”

With that Keir was gone.

I waited under the tree as Marcus hurriedly put out his small fire and two of the others gathered up the blankets. My feet were still tender, and I shifted my weight from one to the other as I stood there. They weren’t really painful, but they reminded me that they weren’t completely healed.

As we emerged from under the tree, one of Yers’s men approached me, leading a large brown horse. “For you, Warprize. From the Warlord.”

I looked over to where Keir was standing, talking to Yers, Rafe and some others. Our eyes met and Keir gave me a small, hopeful smile. I smiled back, recognizing a peace gesture, and took the reins.

The horse was a glossy brown, with a brown mane. What caught my eye about it was a white line of hair that curved down its chest to run between its forelegs. On looking a bit closer, I saw that it was an old scar. The horse shook its head as I got closer, and buried its nose in my hair and took a deep breath. The hairs on its muzzle tickled my neck. I tried to move away, but the horse followed, breathing out and in again, filling my hair with its warm sweet breath.

“He likes you.” Marcus had handed off the packhorse to another warrior, and now sat astride his horse, with a shield on his back and a sword at his side. He looked my animal over with a considering eye. “A good, steady animal. You shouldn’t have a problem with him.”

Which I took to mean that the animal would be slow, and one a sick granny couldn’t fall off of. But at least I wasn’t being toted around like a sack of flour anymore. I pulled myself into the saddle, noticing that this horse had a number of scrapes and scars on its legs and hindquarters. He’d seen quite a bit of action in his day. “What is his name?”

“Name?” Marcus gave me a funny look. “We call them ‘horses’.”

The others moved in around me. I noticed that Marcus placed himself so that his blind side was covered by Isdra. “I know they are horses, Marcus. What is this one’s name?”

“I suppose you will now tell me that city dwellers name all their horses.” Marcus rolled his eye, and the others chuckled.

I closed my mouth.

“Tens of thousands of horses,” Marcus continued, “and we should name them all. Pah.”

Rafe laughed out loud. “Now tell all, Marcus. We name stallions and mares.”

“Lead stallions. Lead mares. Not entire herds.” Marcus gave my horse a withering glance. Its ears were flicking back and forth, as if following the conversation.