Three Moons

The War Tent

The war tent had enjoyed little use since it was first constructed. It was perhaps an ill-conceived waste of resource and space, but it was a waste that Haizea was quite fond of. It was designed for a purpose; to house meetings for battle strategy, but it was more ceremonial than functional. There were no battles to strategise, no war to win, no enemies to defeat, there was just a deflated army, trapped in the green halls of a vengeful deity, in want of hope. The war tent was thus built to provide that hope. Someday it would be used and the camp needed to remember that day was coming. And with the arrival of the red-haired witch, it was coming soon, or so they all believed.

"She's barking mad," Haizea stated abruptly. She was leaning against the frame of the tent, a weave of flat wooden poles that formed a wide, shallow cylinder overlaid by a felt cover. She had been watching Asier as he stared at the moon through a large hole in the tent ceiling. He had apparently brought her here for this purpose, to watch him think, and it vexed her. Asier sat at a large table in the centre of the tent, flanked by two thick posts, on which maps could be laid out and military manoeuvres planned. Presently, there were no maps, just the large empty table and a young but tired man lost deep in the corners of his own mind. 

"People aren't mad just because they speak poor Basa," Asier muttered. His harsh eyes turned to Haizea slowly as he surfaced momentarily from his thoughts to rebuke her.

"No, they're mad because they talk to trees, or to themselves, I'll let you pick." Haizea pushed herself off the tent frame and began to pace. "But the poor Basa just adds to the mess. She's uneducated, probably can't even read her own language, an uncultured barbarian, a witch, still a child-"

"Three years in this place and you still dare call people barbarians. Was it not so-called barbarians that put you here. Mind, you are arrogant." Hodei, who stood behind Asier examining an array of runes painted on parchment which hung from the tent wall, spoke softly, but pointedly. He did not out-rank Haizea, but he out skilled her, was years her senior and his position was secure on account of his s*x while hers hung precariously on circumstance. He was also her father-in-law. She stood quiet, arms crossed, feigning a respect for his words that she didn't have. She would not be so easily swayed from her opinion. 

"Not really a child is she, with breasts like that she's more woman than you are, Haizea," chimed Danel, Hodei's youngest son. He was lounging in one of the many chairs scattered around the tent. Haizea glared at him and a low growl erupted from Asier. Danel bowed his head submissively, but the smirk on his face was unrepented. 

"You've been walking all day, Haizea, are you not exhausted? Sit down." Asier's full attention was now on her. He had returned from wandering his wonders. 

"I do not tire so easily, Alpha," stated Haizea with her chin held high.

Asier's face softened. "You have nothing to prove, Haizea. Come sit with me. You too, Hodei." He gestured to the seats around him. Hodei was first to sit, Haizea followed, eventually. 

It was Danel who started their meeting. "Tomorrow's the night, so Gamma, you can share all your concerns now, Alpha can tell you why none of it matters and we can all go have some dinner and sleep well knowing that the girl dies tomorrow," he quipped. 

"You mind yourself, Danel," his father chided. 

"You are right, Haizea," Asier said, ignoring Danel. "The girl is uneducated and simple."

"I can correct 'uneducated,' Alpha," Hodei said. 

"Can you correct crazy?" asked Haizea. 

"I don't believe she is crazy and as she explained, she's not a witch."

"She explained that she 'makes doctors,' said Haizea.

"And blesses cabbages," added Danel.

"Poor Basa, we've established this," Hodei said exasperated. "She makes medicine and probably blesses crops. There are women among the Deargish who do such things. They believe that the Lady of the Forest will protect the harvest. They're not witches, more like tribal priestesses."

"Yes, thank you, Father, but I am familiar with Deargish culture."

"You are familiar with your prejudiced and indifferent observations of Deargish culture but have you ever met a Deargish who wasn't hanging off the end of your sword?"

"Yes, one, today, and she's crazy," scoffed Haizea. "Alpha, you have to speak to the Lady of the Forest and tell her to choose another. We cannot take this girl back to Basamortah. There is not a rank among us that she is fit for."

"There will be no chopping and changing," Danel chuckled amused by the situation as he was by all situations. "The mate bond is set. You'd have to kill her." He looked at Haizea with wide, bright eyes, egging or on, daring her to do it. He was an incredibly handsome man, with boyishly messy hair and bright eyes. Though Haizea had been unquestionably committed to Bittor, she could never deny that Danel was the looker in the family. 

"She wouldn't be the first Deargish I've killed," Haizai said bluntly. 

"No, she's the first you'll let live." Danel said, "I saw you today, giving her water, giving her food. You're not gonna kill her. Mind you, Alpha, she did shove the poor thing's head in a river once, it was quite the sight. But what your gamma is not admitting is that she cares less about the fate of your pack than she does that innocent wild child. Just a girl, body of a woman, true, but the mind of an infant who would be crushed under the burden of politics and war. Most of all, Gamma here loathes to think of giving such a tender thing over to the likes of Itzal. Not so bad as a wolf, but when he's a man, that's the real beast, isn't it Haizea?" 

Danel looked intently into Haizea's eyes, a wry smile curling in his mouth. King Zigor's brilliant emissary, attractive like his mother, intelligent like his father, pitiless like his brother. Danel had unfathomable insight into the mind's of others and it was infuriating. 

She clenched her jaw and stared back at him, refusing to give. She had been compiling excuses to rule the girl out ever since she had seen her. But her own motives were unclear to her. She was not giving Danel the satisfaction of uncovering them on her behalf. She stared him down, as a predator stares down pray, but if he was intimidated, there was nothing in his gleaming eyes that revealed it. 

It was Asier who broke the tension. "There will be no creative solutions. We uphold our end of the bargain and we're free," he said. 

"It's not so bad living here," Haizea muttered, her voice catching in her throat. 

The corners of Danel's smile pulled a little tighter and his eyes gleamed a little brighter with realisation and satisfaction. He had caught her. She dropped her head, refusing to look at him any longer. 

"Alpha?" Nahia called from outside.

"Enter, Nahia," Asier commanded. She entered gingerly which was unlike her. "How is she?" Asier asked. 

"Pretty spooked, Alpha," Nahia replied. "Sorne is giving her a bath and they're preparing dinner, but I don't think she'll eat. I caught a rabbit once and it was spooked, refused to eat, died the next day." They all looked at her, waiting for clarification. She surveyed the room quizically.

"Was there a point you were trying to make?" Asier asked softly. 

"Oh, what I'm saying is sometimes when animals are scared they refuse to eat."

"And then they die," Danel said gleefully tossing his wry smile at Asier. The prince paid him no attention. 

"Try to get some food into her, if she refuses, let her go to bed hungry, but I want her well-fed tomorrow." 

"Yes, Alpha." Nahia lingered, wringing her hands, slowly, lightly in a slight expression of nervousness. 

"Is there something more?" Asier asked. 

"Only, Alpha I burned her clothes as you said to, her shoes, dress and the rest of it, only, she still has a necklace on, she wouldn't let me take it."

"Wouldn't let you?" Asier asked, amused. He knew, as Haizea did, that there was no chance one of his kappas had been bested by the whimpering Deargish girl. 

"Well Sorne didn't let me take it from her and also Haizea has her scarf and Sorne said I should give it back to her."

"And do you take orders from Sorne?"

"Everyone takes orders from Sorne, Alpha," Nahia replied in modest curtness.

"Perks of being rankless, Alpha, these days people actually earn respect through their deeds, titles unnecessary," Danel chimed.

For the first time, Asier looked agitated by Danel's words. Half of everything Danel said was provocative nonsense but he understood people and took great pleasure at exposing vulnerabilities. He had now plucked at Asiers own fears. 

At her age in life Sorne should have been mated and ranked and ordered in accordance with her husband's rank and order. The right pairing could have seen her as high as alpha, had she been mated to Asier, or as low as omega, though with a brilliant mind like Sorne's she was unlikely to be paired lower than the second echelon. But such roles were ordained by the Moon Goddess who chose the rank, order and mate of each male and since the Lady of the Forest had trapped them here, all contact with the Moon Goddess had been cut off. There was no ranking, ordering or mating anymore. Whatever they were when they entered the forest, they remained now no matter what changed in their lives, hearts or minds. Under this novel circumstance, Sorne had flourished, taking the opportunity to become a healer based on social need and personal passion despite having no husband or ordination. She had exceeded the respect due her, and while he had gritted his teeth and held his tongue for the last three years, it was clear that the erosion of order upset Asier. 

But Asier was a patient and philosophical young leader and he chose his battles very carefully. 

"The girl's scarf, Haizea." He didn't need to say more. Haizea's pack was by the wall where she had been leaning earlier. The scarf was packed at the top. It was poorly made, but bright in colour and would have cost good money to dye. She could see why the girl was attached to it. She was about to hand the scarf to Nahia when Asier stopped her. 

"No, give it to me," he said holding out his hand. Haizea looked at Nahia, whose face reflected her own confusion. She took the scarf to Asier who held it gingerly as though it were diseased. "Do you think it is important to her?" he asked. 

"She asked for it, Alpha, got quite panicked over it," Nahia said.

"Then tell her she can have it once she eats all her dinner." Asier pushed the scarf across the table dismissively. He was done with the topic. "But first, tell Sorne that she is wanted here immediately." 

"Yes, Alpha," Nahia said and she retreated out of the tent before anyone could stop her. 

Asier fell back into thoughtfulness, his eyes focussed on the red scarf in front of him. The rest of them stayed with him in silence. Danel's eyes bounced around the table reading everyone while his father's were closed and catching rest. Hodei twirled his fingers through his long grey beard, a pensive habit of his. Haizea sat impatiently, avoiding Danel's gaze, avoiding everyone's gaze. 

Sorne arrived promptly to the relief of anyone in the room who felt they had better things to do, which was Haizea. 

Asier left his chair. "Do you take pleasure in undermining me?" he asked, walking toward Sorne in slow direct steps. 

"No, Alpha," Sorne replied curtly.

"Explain your motive to me then. Tell me, why was it that this morning after you were given explicit instruction by myself to remain here, you pursued Haizea? And tell me why you are now actively dissuading my subjects from following the simplest of orders given to them?"

Sorne looked Asier square in the face. Her round gentle features were hardened by resolve. "Permission to speak candidly, Alpha." 

"If you don't I will," Danel declared.

"Permission granted my small, rankless subordinate," Asier replied flatly as he turned away from her and returned to his seat. 

"I take no pleasure in undermining you, but your callousness would see us trapped here forever. Do you think the Lady of the Forest will be favourable toward unnecessary and intentional maltreatment of her chosen delegate?"

Haizea's laughed a cold brief laugh. "Delegate?'

"Yes, delegate, and more than just a means to an end. You will only get away with so much and if I have to stand between all of you and her to prevent you from crossing that line, then so be it," Sorne declared insipidly in a way only she could. She and Asier were strangely alike in how little emotion they expressed while speaking, he, always distant, she, always apathetic. Not the ideal manner of a prince or doctor. 

"Woah, hey," Danel said holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Now, I may have forced the girl to walk 35 kilometres until her feet bled raw, but I only did it because the gamma made me do it. I'd be more than happy to be kind on your orders Sorne. And like the rest of the pack, I'll betray my alpha to do it. 

Asier and Haizea both gowled. 

"Danel," Hodei scolded. But there was no stopping him. 

"Actually," he announced, "I'm very good at lullabies. Should I go sing her one now?"

Sorne lept on the table so that she was face to face with Danel. Her hand smacked the wood with an alarming c***k. Haizea and Hodei both jumped, surprised by her outburst. 

"You are vermin and you will not go near her with that sick and twisted tongue of yours," Sorne shouted. Haizea found Danel vexing but Sorne, ever calm and patient, hated the man. 

Danel lept back toppling his chair. But from the gleeful smile on his face, it was clear that Sorne hadn't phased him one bit. 

"By the way, don't you think it's time we start calling her by her name? 'Deargish girl' is a bit rude, isn't it?"

They just stared at him. 

"Her name?" he asked. "Did anybody bother to ask her name?" Haizea looked to Asier, but he was watching Danel with an almost bored expression on his face. "No matter," Danel continued, "I know it. I read it on her scarf, in Deargish, which I speak. Pity you don't speak it Sorne considering that it's the language of your beloved delegate." Danel was now rounding the table. "Also, pity that none of you has been paying the slightest attention to goings-on these last few years. If you had been paying attention, as I have, then you would know that putting Lile in Itzal's tent was a terrible idea." He now stood at the entrance of the tent.

Hodei began to speak, "Why was it a te-?"

A scream ripped through the air. Everyone started. Haizea lept out of her chair, Sorne off the table and they both ran past Danel out of the war tent. There was a flurry of activity outside of Itzal's tent which was prominently placed next to Asier's, halfway across the camp. They quickly crossed the encampment and were met by Nahia who rushed to explain. 

"We were just giving her dinner and then she tried to make a run for it," she blurted.

"But her feet?" Sorne gasped.

"Didn't stop her," Nahia said, "And now-"

The Deargish girl was lying on her stomach, hidden beneath her own firey hair and held down by Jokin and Gorka the cook, who would have been bringing her food. She was wailing loudly and thrashing around beneath the weight of the two men. 

"Get her up and put her to bed," Haizea ordered. Jokin looked confused. 

"To bed?" he asked, "But she hasn't-"

"Gagrh," Haizea exclaimed. She was not going to repeat herself. "Get off," she ordered. The men got off the girl hesitantly but quickly. The moment they had let up enough, Haizea grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back inside the tent. Though he was hardly ever around to use it, Itzal's tent was well furnished with warm furs and rich wooden furniture. It was the most luxurious prison one could ever hope for. Yet the girl screamed and wailed and begged in Deargish as though she were being dragged into a dungeon. In a real dungeon, she wouldn't last an hour. 

Haizea threw her onto Itzal's bed, wild sheepskin for a mattress, covered in knitted blankets and pillows. She pulled a cord from her belt which she had been saving for this moment and climbed on top of the girl who, while still wailing, lashed out and struck her across the face. Haizea's patience had dried up. She grabbed the girl by the throat and pulled her up so that she could speak into her ear. Then she let out a loud warning growl. A guttural, inhuman sound. The growl of a wolf. The girl froze. She didn't wail or beg anymore. Good. 

Haizea found both of her wrists and pulled them above her head. She quickly wrapped the cord around them several times and then around a small stake in the floor above the bed which she had also prepared for this moment. The girl grunted in discomfort as Haizea pulled the cord tight. It was the subdued grunt of someone trying not to antagonise a beast. Haizea tied the bind off with a knot that Bittor had taught her. She looked down at the girl who stared back with red swollen eyes. Eyes that were scared but not as shocked as they ought to have been. This one had heard rumours. 

Sorne joined Haizea and gave her a stern, grave look before checking the binds to ensure they weren't too tight or causing damage to the girl's wrists. Another figure moved beside Haizea. Danel stood to her left by a desk. He tapped a bronze helm, moulded to resemble a wolf. Itzal's helm. 

"Consider me an expert on the matter," he said in a low voice, that wry smile playing on his face once again. "This," he pointed to the helm and then to the girl now quietly lying beneath Haizea,"is how all great marriages start."