His eyes still upon his young lord, the captain snapped, “Sword Truce. Those men must be Freefighters, probably part of Captain Manos’ two troops of dragoons. But keep your eyes peeled, lord chief, and your bow ready. Sword Truce is sacred to those of us who worship Steel, but others have been known to invoke it for purposes of unhallowed treachery.”
When but a yard separated the two riders, the lanky officer extended his weapon, hilt first, to Bili, who accepted it with one hand while proffering his axe with the other. Gravely, the officer raised the head of the upended axe to his lips and kissed the burnished metal. No less gravely, Bili partially drew the sword and reverently pressed his lips to the flat of the wide, well-honed blade, gently resheathed it, then returned it to its owner, accepting his axe in return. Moving up knee to knee, the men exchanged whispered words and a complicated handclasp.
Grinning, Bili laid his axe back across his pommel and relaxed against the high cantle of his warkak. “Well, Sword Brother, I hope that, if you and yours were a part of that sorry rabble just departed, you at least got paid.”
Lieutenant Hohguhn smiled ruefully. “Not for the last three moons, noble Sword Brother, but Lord Drehkos, he give us leave to loot the camp, after he ‘uz gone. ‘Course, we would’ve enyhow, pay or no pay, but she were a nice touch, having permission and all.”
“Well, what want you of me and the sacred Truce, Brother?” asked Bill, adding, “I must be brusque, for there is a day of bladework ahead.”
Hohguhn snorted. “Butcher’s work, it’ll be, and no mistaking, ‘less some o’ them Vawnee dig up enough gumption to stand and fight.”
An icy prickling crept under Bill’s backplate. “Vawnee, Sword Brother? Is Thoheeks Vawn involved, then, in this sorry affair?”
“If you’d a-lissuned to whatall them Vawnee said, you’d of thought their Ehleen god’d done in the thoheeks and all his kin. But iffen you “uz raised in mountains, like me, you’d know what probly really happuned.”
“Thoheeks Vawn and his Kindred are then dead?” Bill’s voice was tight.
“Oh, aye, noble Sword Brother,” Hohguhn stated. “Seems as how him and his got drove up inta the mountains and holed up in a old Confederation fort and they ‘uz standing off the whole dang Ehleen force, then-and this here’s where them Vawnee gits all walleyed and sweaty-what I figger happened was a big ole thunderstorm come on and lightning struck their wall. I tell you, I seen the like happen, up near to Pahkuhzburk, where I ‘uz borned, Sword Brother. A hit like that, with a lotta thunder a-ratiling the rocks will real often set off a landslide, so when them Vawnee tolt me part o* the fort slid down the mountain, I knowed didn’t no Ehleen god have nuthin to do with it.
“But, anyhow, five or six hundred of them Vawnee come a-riding in last night, fulla piss and vinegar and set to lick the whole Confederation. Leastways they wuz till all that ruckus got started. Half of ’em wuz dead afore dawn. And that wuz a right fine piece of work, that sally. Did you lead her. Sword Brother?”
“No,” said Bili simply. “It was led by my birth brother, Djef, Tanist of Morguhn, now dead.”
Hohguhn clasped his cased sword in both hands, saying, “Honor of the Steel to his memory. Sword Brother.”
“Thank you, Sword Brother Hohguhn. But I repeat, what is it you want of me? Safe passage out of Morguhn, or employment?”
A note of ill-concealed eagerness entered the officer’s voice. “You . . . you’d hire us on, then, Sword Brother?”
“Of course,” Bili replied shortly. “Unless you’ve some compunction against drawing steel in my cause. I’ll confirm you as sublieutenant and pay you as such, but you’ll be under the command of Captain Raikuh, who leads my dragoons.”
Hohguhn’s bushy brows rose. “Pawl Raikuh, what useta be a gate sergeant at Morguhnpolis?”
Bill’s helmeted head bobbed once. “The same. You see, Brother Hohguhn, men of proven loyalty rise fast in my service.”
Hohguhn beamed a gap-toothed smile. “Then Bohreegahd Hohguhn’s your man, and no mistake! B’sides, I weren’t no officer till I signed on with Captain Manos, anyhow. Highest I’d ever been afore that ‘uz troop sergeant for Captain Feeliks Kahtruhl.”