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Authors: Tony Shillitoe
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necessary to ensure victory in this war. Soldiers are not people. If we do not kill your soldiers, your soldiers will kill ours. It is one.’
‘And people who are not soldiers,’ Meg asserted.
‘When? My men haven’t done this. Where have you seen ordinary people killed by Ranu?’ She was about to describe the encounter with the dragon eggs that left her stranded, but instinct warned her to stay silent. ‘You see?’ Rasu said triumphantly. ‘This is a war between governments. The people stay the same.’ He shook his head. ‘No. The people will be better off with a Ranu leader who is compassionate and who wants a better future. This is a just war, a war for the good of people. Why do you think so many of your people simply agree to let us march through and let us take what we need? They know there is a better life coming.’
Tired of the man’s diatribe, Meg began walking along the bank. He caught up and walked beside her. ‘I have a question,’ he said. When she didn’t speak he continued. ‘Where were you going this morning?’
‘To Marella,’ Meg replied without looking at him.
‘Why?’
‘My daughter is there. I want to see that she is safe.’ She saw no reason to lie about her mission. If Rasu was genuine in his belief, then he would have no cause to stop her.
‘How old is your daughter?’ he asked.
‘Twenty-three.’
‘You must have been very young when she was born,’ he remarked, but she ignored his clumsy compliment. Rasu touched her arm. She flinched andstopped. ‘My apologies if that was a rude thing to do. You are a married woman and I meant no offence. I merely wanted you to stop.’
‘No offence taken,’ she curtly replied.
‘If it is important for you to go to Marella, I would like to offer an escort to accompany you there so that you are not treated with indignity.’
Meg stared at the Ranu commander, puzzled by his show of generosity. ‘Why are you doing this?’ she asked.
Rasu blushed and bowed his head briefly before explaining. ‘No doubt you will find me impertinent for saying these things, but I have always been an honest man in my dealings with people. There is an Ithosen saying that he who speaks with an open heart will only suffer the truth.’ He paused to check her reaction. ‘You are a very beautiful woman. I should not say this to you because you are married, and in my land such a rash statement would bring me shame and I would be forced to compensate the husband with a payment, but I am honest and I believe war affords me the right to say what is true. So you might think me shallow to offer you an escort just because I see you as a beauty, but beauty is deeper than the outside and I saw in you when my soldiers were rough and rude a strength that warned me you would not let anyone treat you in that manner.’
I was afraid , Meg thought. Once I might have been brave, with the amber magic, but I was afraid.
‘I have two daughters at home in Tul Nathir,’ Rasu continued. ‘They are of similar ages to your daughter and I am already blessed with grandchildren by them. I know what it is like. So I make my offer as I would hope you would make an offer to me if our circumstances were reversed. This is also an old Ithosen teaching.’
‘Are the Ithosen religious men?’ she asked.
Rasu shook his head. ‘No. They are philosophers. In ancient times they were religious leaders with mystical powers, so the legends say, but now they are thinkers and lawmakers—wise men.’
Meg gazed at the ferry which was disembarking troops on the near bank. ‘Bill and Lee will go home. I will travel to Marella with your escort,’ she said. ‘Will you honour that request?’
Rasu bowed his head. ‘A woman should not travel alone. My men will guard you as they would guard me, but will your husband allow this?’
‘Bill is not my husband,’ she said bluntly, and she walked briskly towards the tents where Bill was resting after the surgeons had treated his injury to
‘And people who are not soldiers,’ Meg asserted.
‘When? My men haven’t done this. Where have you seen ordinary people killed by Ranu?’ She was about to describe the encounter with the dragon eggs that left her stranded, but instinct warned her to stay silent. ‘You see?’ Rasu said triumphantly. ‘This is a war between governments. The people stay the same.’ He shook his head. ‘No. The people will be better off with a Ranu leader who is compassionate and who wants a better future. This is a just war, a war for the good of people. Why do you think so many of your people simply agree to let us march through and let us take what we need? They know there is a better life coming.’
Tired of the man’s diatribe, Meg began walking along the bank. He caught up and walked beside her. ‘I have a question,’ he said. When she didn’t speak he continued. ‘Where were you going this morning?’
‘To Marella,’ Meg replied without looking at him.
‘Why?’
‘My daughter is there. I want to see that she is safe.’ She saw no reason to lie about her mission. If Rasu was genuine in his belief, then he would have no cause to stop her.
‘How old is your daughter?’ he asked.
‘Twenty-three.’
‘You must have been very young when she was born,’ he remarked, but she ignored his clumsy compliment. Rasu touched her arm. She flinched andstopped. ‘My apologies if that was a rude thing to do. You are a married woman and I meant no offence. I merely wanted you to stop.’
‘No offence taken,’ she curtly replied.
‘If it is important for you to go to Marella, I would like to offer an escort to accompany you there so that you are not treated with indignity.’
Meg stared at the Ranu commander, puzzled by his show of generosity. ‘Why are you doing this?’ she asked.
Rasu blushed and bowed his head briefly before explaining. ‘No doubt you will find me impertinent for saying these things, but I have always been an honest man in my dealings with people. There is an Ithosen saying that he who speaks with an open heart will only suffer the truth.’ He paused to check her reaction. ‘You are a very beautiful woman. I should not say this to you because you are married, and in my land such a rash statement would bring me shame and I would be forced to compensate the husband with a payment, but I am honest and I believe war affords me the right to say what is true. So you might think me shallow to offer you an escort just because I see you as a beauty, but beauty is deeper than the outside and I saw in you when my soldiers were rough and rude a strength that warned me you would not let anyone treat you in that manner.’
I was afraid , Meg thought. Once I might have been brave, with the amber magic, but I was afraid.
‘I have two daughters at home in Tul Nathir,’ Rasu continued. ‘They are of similar ages to your daughter and I am already blessed with grandchildren by them. I know what it is like. So I make my offer as I would hope you would make an offer to me if our circumstances were reversed. This is also an old Ithosen teaching.’
‘Are the Ithosen religious men?’ she asked.
Rasu shook his head. ‘No. They are philosophers. In ancient times they were religious leaders with mystical powers, so the legends say, but now they are thinkers and lawmakers—wise men.’
Meg gazed at the ferry which was disembarking troops on the near bank. ‘Bill and Lee will go home. I will travel to Marella with your escort,’ she said. ‘Will you honour that request?’
Rasu bowed his head. ‘A woman should not travel alone. My men will guard you as they would guard me, but will your husband allow this?’
‘Bill is not my husband,’ she said bluntly, and she walked briskly towards the tents where Bill was resting after the surgeons had treated his injury to
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