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They crossed the hot desert sands, spear tips and ar sun The mounted Chezhou-Lei led the ith the Jacintha soldiers ai-ru slaves, ca the arons and wagons of supplies to get theforce from city to distant city across the empty sands At the very head of the colu thebeside hi throughout all the days of that journey He had never even been on a horse until Chezru Douan had unexpectedly ordered hilorious march, a command that had surely stunned hireat temple of Jacintha Rarely was the Chezru Chieftain&039;s per-sonal attendant allowed outside the teo all the way to the Mountains of Fire, though, for the Chezru Chieftain would not take such a gamble with so important a man Rather, he was to stop at Yatol Peridan&039;s principal city of Gortha, where Peridan&039;s private ship would sail him back to Jacintha
Merwan Ma tried to e Wan Atenn in conversation throughout the days At first, he had been met with a polite but cold detachment, but when he had finally turned his chat-ter frolory of the Chezru Chieftain to honest and curi-ous questions about the Chezhou-Lei and their ancient feud with the Jhesta Tu, the proud warrior actually began to respond
"Once, before the advent of the truth, ere of the same order," Wan Atenn explained one brutally hot day, the caravan barely inching along ?Those who began the order of Chezhou-Lei were masters of the Jhesta Tu"
"But ere the Jhesta Tu in those ancient days?" Merwan Ma asked, for he had little knowledge of this chapter of Behrenese history
"Priests Defenders of the secluded villages from the bandits who arned the lawless land" Wan Atenn looked over at Merwan Ma and nod-| ?Yatol gave order to the land, as the ancestors of the Chezhou-Lei cjerstood, but most of the others of the ancient order of Jhesta Tu would not accept the truth of Yatol"
"And so began the feud," Merwan Ma reasoned
"And so came the dominance of the Chezru and the Chezhou-Lei, with the Thesta Tu in retreat to a land even less hospitable than the sands of the desert," Wan Atenn replied, his voice the same even and confident tone ihat the Chezhou-Lei always seemed to possess ?The truth has won out Every now and then, we of the Chezhou-Lei must remind our foolish brethren of that"
Merwan Ma settled back in the saddle and let it all sink in He knew that he was out of his element there, so far out, and dwarfed by the prowess of the warriors all about hie in battle He was excited, surely, but he was also terrified, and a big part of hi more than to be back in the safety of Jacintha&039;s temple, be-side his h each of the cities, the citizens in-undated them with new supplies, the farriers rushed to reshoe their horses, to polish armor and repair weapons And when they left, all the air buzzed with the excited whispers of the populace, watching their greatest going to war
The route froht The are of the kingdom, Peridan&039;s city of Gortha, where Merwan Ma bade the warriors farewell
Wan Atenn then turned west,from city to oasis to city, and thus, by the tiht, spring had turned to sued froround over the next days, and the shadows stretched over them from the mountains in the west earlier each afternoon The horses were clad in their plated ar the pace, and the Chezhou-Lei would only allow a march of a few miles each day They had to stay fresh and ready for battle, so close to the hoe under the shadow of the northern edge of the Mountains of Fire, Belli&039;mar Juraviel and his two companions first over-heard word of the march of the Chezhou-Lei and the Behrenese ar that march, that a Chezhou-Lei had been slain outside of Dharyan by a Jhesta Tu warrior, brought even er friend still alive, and only made him more anxious than ever to find the way to this elusive place called the Walk of Clouds
He noticed, though - as he had since he and his companions had left the rebel band on the steppes far to the north - that one of his companions didn&039;t seeradeleous had co more hesitantly each day, a pace that had slowed evenand rocky mountains came into view
"We must find theht as the three settled into a camp in a rocky alcove in the foothills of the ht, you can assuht fly about the n of the hidden on answered, simply and firmly, and both Juraviel and Cazzira turned curious looks his way
"Are you too far froradeleous didn&039;t answer, other than to give him a skeptical sradeleous narrowed his reptilian eyes threateningly, and Juraviel knew that he should back off this particular subject
And then it hit hion feared, or at least held a healthy respect for, the Jhesta Tu mystics The revelation surprised the elf, but only at first Certainly, dragons had been slain in the past, usually byAbellicans, and several of the battles against ed by the barbarian Alpinadorans in the frozen north were nothing less than legendary
Agradeleous did not want to openly expose his true foron apparently held the Jhesta Tu in equal esteeave Juraviel soedy of Dharyan alive
Brynn brushed Runtly in a sh a long and boulder-strewn valley from the monastery stairs The two had just shared a fast and furious ride froer fields where the rest of the wild horses roamed, to the small field near a stream so that she could cool down and brush the pony
Those were the hours of peace for Brynn, the times of absent reflection, ofthis very special interlude in her extraordinary life
She lost herself there, in the ss, she didn&039;t take note of thethe rocky borders of the field and was co out behind her
"Stand where you are, or die where you are!" cah call, in a dia-lect that Brynn knew to be Behrenese before she ever turned to regard the speaker
A when she did turn, she paled indeed, for there stood not just one, a line of warriors - of Chezhou-Lei warriors!
"You wear no sash," the ht was she by his presence here For recognized him from the battle of Dharyan, from his leap down from thJwalls when he had killed Ashu
"Why do you wear no sash, if you are of the Jhesta Tu? ? he asked
Brvnn understood that he did not siht about it, she realized that it made sense She was not outfitted for battle- she hadn&039;t worn her beret or even her sword down froht at Dharyan, while she had seen this one so very clearly, he had likely not even noticed her, just another body in the mass of turmoil
"I am not of the Jhesta Tu," she answered honestly, keenly aware now that other warriors wereout of the shadows all about her
"We watched you co there, but a no idea of where she should try to guide this unexpected conversation
"Take her!" the rowled suddenly ?A prisoner to lure the birds from their aerie!"
A rush came at her from behind, and Brynn responded reflexively, with-out even thinking, dropping low and skittering underneath the pony
She ca her leading ar in closer and snap-ping her head forward, s war-rior&039;s nose As he fell back, Brynn drew his sword fro him all the way down as she did
She wasn&039;t used to the curving blade, though, and as she tried to parry the slash of another warrior, she barely connected, and at the wrong angle, and his sword slid up and opened a gash between her thuh the pain, Brynn turned her blade all the way over, forcing the Chezhou-Lei&039;s sword down to the side Then, instead of retreat-ing, she reached out her left hand and slapped Runtly on the rump, and the pony responded with a kick It didn&039;t connect fully, just enough to clip theaway
Brynn had hi fast She started for the vulnerable warrior, and the other Chezhou-Lei moved to intercept
Brynn threw her sword at the her hands on Runtly&039;s ru up, fell into place on the pony&039;s back
He leaped away i to the side at Brynn&039;s co in the shuffling and shifting line of warriors, and then she darted straight out at the initial speaker
An arrow just missed her head; another one hit hard in Runtly&039;s flank
The pony stuhtened her Ws on his flanks and urged hi to the side, Brynn bending low over his neck, urging hiround until the very last second, then two of the three dove aside The thirdto unhorse the rider as she passed but Brynn and Runtly were too in harmony for that Even as the situation unfolded before her, even as the woht that she should veer the pony, Runtly was already doing just that
The Chezhou-Lei warrior didn&039;t even try to abandon the attack, trading the i pony for a slash at Brynn To his credit, he did score a hit as he went flying aside, but there was no momentum behind it, and while the fine sword did open the woash across her side, as well, she held her seat and galloped away
Arrows flew after her, another scoring hard on poor Runtly&039;s flank, and then a third
Tears welled in Brynn&039;s eyes whenever her beloved pony stuallant pony would not stop his run, would not allow the enemy war-riors to catch her
They went down the rocky ravine, co at the base of thethe course, Runtly brought Brynn to the base of the stairs and pulled up short
She leaped fro to attend to hiin to tend the arroounds, running out the other end of the clearing
Brynn took a step, as if to follow, but she heard the pursuit, co wounds ?Run," she whispered at her fleeing pony, and she turned and scralanced back at Runtly several ti to him
But then she heard the shouts as the warriors canized her responsibility here, to the Jhesta Tu, if not to herself, and so she turned and charged up the stairs, driving on, step after step
Weariness overca with a deep burn in her side She reached over and brought her hand back covered in bright blood
She growled away the pain and shook the weariness fro onward and upward
She lost all sense of tih she heard no pursuit on the stairs behind her, she wouldn&039;t stop, not even to rest For she felt that if she sat down to rest, she would not find the strength to get back up and go on again Growling with every step, the young ranger deter down to all fours and crawling up the steep When she thought that she would have to just lie down and let a 1 iarkness overco to the side of the arching stone bridge 3 She called out, or tried to, then went down to the stone
She heard the voices all about her inar, Brynn found herself lying on a cot in the onel and several other Jhesta Tu looking down at her
"Chezhou-Lei warriors," she said, gasping ?Many of theonel&039;s features crinkled up at that, and he slowly turned to regard the old Jhesta Tu ht the blood of war upon us," he said
"The Chezhou-Lei should not have coe their dead," Pagonel explained, and Cheyes nodded
"They will not gain the Walk of Clouds," the old onel ?Not if all of Behren onel didn&039;t disagree, but his expression remained quite troubled none-theless He looked back at Brynn
"Rest easy," he said ?We are in no danger up here"
The two masters motioned to the other Jhesta Tu mystics in the rooe," Master Cheyes reasoned ?They count upon your pride to force you down there, that they onel looked at the oldPagonel had gone out, ill-advised, it would seem, and now that same recklessness could lead him down those stairs and into the jaws of the Chezhou-Lei
"They will appeal to your, to our, honor," Master Cheyes explained ?But there is no honor in useless battle
There is no honor in dying for no cause other than honor"
I will not succuonel assured him Let the Chezhou-Lei sit out the season, or all of the year, in the dust below"
Master Cheyes nodded, seeonel to ponder again the wisdom of his decision to leave the &039;k of Clouds and ride along with Ashu Indeed there was a part of "Ji in the distant bat- - e But when he thought of the wonderful young wos far uous If he had not joined with Ashu, then Brynn would undoubtedly have died on th field outside of Dharyan, and then, Pagonel knew, the world would be darker place
He looked up to see Master Cheyes walking easily along a row of red and pink flowers, pausing to pick one, then to move around the corner to offer it, with a smile, to Mistress Dasa It all seeonel looked down at the Belt of All Colors that he wore about his waist, a reminder to him that he ithout superiors in his order, that his decisions could not be questioned - by anyone but him
And when he looked back to the door of the rooonel knew that he had chosen correctly
Two days later, a lone figure stalked up the five-thousand-step approach to the Walk of Clouds He wore the helear far behind, carrying only a waterskin and the white flag of truce
"I would speak with the Jhesta Tu who fought at Dharyan, if he is here," the man announced ?And with the master of this den if he is not"
Master Cheyes and Matron Dasa stood beside Pagonel on the bridge, looking down at the lone warrior ?I believe he is referring to you," Cheyes said, offering a hint of a srim, stepped forward ?You will speak with both," he told the man ?For I am just that, a ainst Dharyan"
"Was that your place, mystic?" the warrior spat with obvious derision
"Is this a debate you wish to hold openly, here and now?"
That see him of his posi-tion here as an emissary ?No debate," he stammered after a moment ?Your actions cannot be excused or explained You did battle against Chezhou-Lei, unprovoked and without reason My otten"
"Indeed," said Pagonel ?And so you name the protection of my friend from a murderous Chezhou-Lei as unwarranted?" He paused and let that sink in, though he understood that the reasoning would hold no weight with the vicious Chezhou-Lei Their journey there had been ht outside Dharyan than in any true retribution for a wrong committed, the mystic understood Likely, the leaders of the Chezhou-Lei order had been thrilled to find this reason to go into battle against their hated ancient eneai had so calmed
"Does your master wish to do battle with me, then?" the ainst Chezhou-Lei," theall of this ?It is order against and not ainst man Asseht engage in honorable battle, and let this bei j i"
"We are not warriors of the heart, young Chezhou-Lei," Pagonel replied
and tell your leader that your journey here has been in vain, for ill leave the Walk of Clouds and it would be beyond folly for you to try to &039;vertake us And think not of any siege, though it would be a day after week after month down in the arid valley, for we are quite self-sufficient"
"You will come down," the Chezhou-Lei warrior retorted i the mystic&039;s suspicions ?Your reticence was not unanticipated We have gathered all the To-gai-ru people of three nearby villages, and will begin their executions in the , one each day until you come down"
With that, thea very stunned and very confused Pagonel standing there on the bridge, staring
Master Cheyes walked up and put a hand on the onel asked
"You followed your vision, so there can be no error That is the edict of our understanding You wear the Belt of All Colors, honestly earned, and so you must follow that which is in your heart, whatever the consequences"
"The consequences to me or to all of our brethren?"
"To both," Cheyes answered ?Your vision and fate has brought this bat-tle to us, but would not the Chezhou-Lei have come anyway, once they caai-ru in the struggle against the Yatols? Surely the present incarnation of the Chezru Chieftain has shown a fondness for conquest, and so ould we believe that we are exeht is a better ions had joined their elite warriors in coainst the Walk of Clouds"
"Then you believe that we are to fight"
"It would see to do," said Master Cheyes
That afternoon, a Jhesta Tua athered Chezhou-Lei, then ran back up to report their numbers The three masters of the Walk of Clouds didn&039;t want to send the whole of the Jhesta Tu down to do battle, though every o But the masters, who had to look ahead be-yond the immediate situation, knew that the order had to be preserved, whatever the outcoht as it is yours," Brynn protested when she learned that she would not be included in the battle Her wounds had healed already - a testament to the power of the powrie beret and also the fine tending of the Jhesta Tu - and she seemed onel answered curtly
"You were defending ht outside of Dharyan has nothing to do with this," he explained ?It is an excuse, and nothingfor centuries, before Brynn Dharielle ever saw her first sunrise, and one that will continue long after you have viewed your last sunset"
"I can fight as well asmyself, Cheyes, and Dasa," the mystic con-ceded with a smile
But that so and fight beside you," she said ?I have studied here through the weeks"
"You are not Jhesta Tu," Pagonel replied ?You could be - perhaps someday you will desire to be But you are only a visitor here at this tieoals Have you so forgotten those that you illingly go down against are the htiest adversaries that the Chezru Chieftain can offer?"
Brynn stiffened her jaanting so badly to defy that siic
Seventy-five mystics did leave the Walk of Clouds soon after, led by Mas-ter Cheyes and Master Pagonel, with Matron Dasa looking on fro beside her
Brynn Dharielle er and frustration, and particularly her desire to be alone, to show clearly She understood Pagonel&039;s reasoning for excluding her fro But that gave her-little solace, watching these friends she had recently coer
And so the stubborn young lady, the sairl who had so often found ways around the strict edicts of the TouePalfar, took the literal onel&039;s command to heart This was not her battle, but that didn&039;t mean that she couldn&039;t watch it! She kept her head down, seeathered mystics filtered away, then she took up her bow and her sword and gear, and rushed to the steps, running down froh
By the time she neared the rocky valley floor, Brynn saw the two sides squaring off - and it seee indeed! For the Jhesta Tu stood in a long line, evenly spaced and each holding a long spear, while across from them loomed the Chezhou-Lei, ar-onel offer so large an advantage to his deadly adversaries as to allow the battle to go forth with the invading warriors on horseback?
R nn started to mouth a few choice curses, but the words were lost in throat as the Chezhou-Lei warriors erupted into their thunderous a hundred strong steeds rusta Tu fell into a defensive crouch, setting their spears appropriately, &039;rvnn just bit her lip and winced; any skilled rider could take his mount -ide the reach of those spears, or take the spear out ith a feint, &039;eer suddenly, and simply run over the stationary mystic