unchallenged. And this Danan who reappears every few generations is their icon, their call to arms. Whenever she comes back there is a surge of violent outbreaks.’
The Commander was visibly taken with her words. The fact that she had also allowed her robe to slip and reveal far more than decency would normally allow, something that she appeared to have overlooked in her passion to ‘heal the rifts between their peoples’, also distracted him. He was wavering, and the High Priestess knew it was now or never.
‘What I am saying is that she has appeared in the world somewhere. And I am giving her to you. We of the Children don’t need her any more. You have her.’
‘We don’t want her,’ the Commander said.
‘So kill her,’ she said casually.
‘It would be that easy to kill the Danan?’ the Commander said doubtfully.
‘It would be at this stage, yes.’
The Commander regarded her with disbelief.
The High Priestess sighed, as if suddenly realising how little he knew of their legends. ‘She, whoever she is, has only just started to come into her powers. So she is young, and without training or knowledge of her true nature. As far as she is concerned, she is just a girl living in a town on the coast.’
‘If we do take her, what is to stop us using her power to destroy you?’
‘Two things,’ she said. ‘One: without training she is powerless. Two: I trust you. I am offering you this in good faith. Even with her, you know that your fleet is no match for ours anyway. I want our two peoples to live in peace. Peace takes trust and I am offering that to you.’
‘And if we live in peace—’ the Commander began.
‘Then you can expand onto the uninhabited islands and live as peaceful traders who can raise their families in safety. Yes,’ she completed.
He sat back, staring into the fire over which the High Priestess had cooked them a meal. The flames flickered and danced, sending shards of orange light over her face. In the strange, inconstant light she looked little more than a girl herself.
‘You said “trust”,’ the Commander said. ‘How can I trust you after so long an enmity between us?’
The High Priestess shrugged.
‘Perhaps if you gave me some more information about this Danan,’ he suggested.
‘What information do you want?’
‘What does she look like?’
‘No one knows,’ she lied, shaking her head.
‘So how do you know where she is?’
Another shake of the head. ‘We know, take it as fact. I am not going to tell you all our secrets.’
‘I don’t like this. You want my people to do your dirty work for you—’ the Commander began.
‘And in return,’ the High Priestess interrupted, ‘I am offering you peace and a future for your people.’
The Commander made a show of considering this. ‘I need more information,’ he said finally.
She sighed again. ‘What do you want?’
‘Why can’t you just go and get her yourselves and be done with it? Why involve us at all?’
The High Priestess hardened her eyes as she regarded the Commander. ‘I thought I’d answered that already,’ she snapped. ‘But since you are struggling with the idea, I’ll repeat myself. On the Sea we are invulnerable, but she is on land. We have no expertise in such things, yet you do. And I would rather you did our dirty work, as you put it, because nothing must ever get back to my people about this. If it did, I would lose my credibility and all the work my mother and I have done over so many seasons would be wasted. We could be plunged back into superstition again, and I don’t think you would want that.’ She paused. ‘If we allowed the old ways back every one of your vessels would be sunk on sight.’
The Commander held her gaze, sensing she meant the threat inherent in her words. He weighed up the potential risks of attacking a town on the Tanissan coast against the wholesale warfare she wassuggesting. He nodded. ‘You have a deal. We shall get this Danan for you. And you
The Commander was visibly taken with her words. The fact that she had also allowed her robe to slip and reveal far more than decency would normally allow, something that she appeared to have overlooked in her passion to ‘heal the rifts between their peoples’, also distracted him. He was wavering, and the High Priestess knew it was now or never.
‘What I am saying is that she has appeared in the world somewhere. And I am giving her to you. We of the Children don’t need her any more. You have her.’
‘We don’t want her,’ the Commander said.
‘So kill her,’ she said casually.
‘It would be that easy to kill the Danan?’ the Commander said doubtfully.
‘It would be at this stage, yes.’
The Commander regarded her with disbelief.
The High Priestess sighed, as if suddenly realising how little he knew of their legends. ‘She, whoever she is, has only just started to come into her powers. So she is young, and without training or knowledge of her true nature. As far as she is concerned, she is just a girl living in a town on the coast.’
‘If we do take her, what is to stop us using her power to destroy you?’
‘Two things,’ she said. ‘One: without training she is powerless. Two: I trust you. I am offering you this in good faith. Even with her, you know that your fleet is no match for ours anyway. I want our two peoples to live in peace. Peace takes trust and I am offering that to you.’
‘And if we live in peace—’ the Commander began.
‘Then you can expand onto the uninhabited islands and live as peaceful traders who can raise their families in safety. Yes,’ she completed.
He sat back, staring into the fire over which the High Priestess had cooked them a meal. The flames flickered and danced, sending shards of orange light over her face. In the strange, inconstant light she looked little more than a girl herself.
‘You said “trust”,’ the Commander said. ‘How can I trust you after so long an enmity between us?’
The High Priestess shrugged.
‘Perhaps if you gave me some more information about this Danan,’ he suggested.
‘What information do you want?’
‘What does she look like?’
‘No one knows,’ she lied, shaking her head.
‘So how do you know where she is?’
Another shake of the head. ‘We know, take it as fact. I am not going to tell you all our secrets.’
‘I don’t like this. You want my people to do your dirty work for you—’ the Commander began.
‘And in return,’ the High Priestess interrupted, ‘I am offering you peace and a future for your people.’
The Commander made a show of considering this. ‘I need more information,’ he said finally.
She sighed again. ‘What do you want?’
‘Why can’t you just go and get her yourselves and be done with it? Why involve us at all?’
The High Priestess hardened her eyes as she regarded the Commander. ‘I thought I’d answered that already,’ she snapped. ‘But since you are struggling with the idea, I’ll repeat myself. On the Sea we are invulnerable, but she is on land. We have no expertise in such things, yet you do. And I would rather you did our dirty work, as you put it, because nothing must ever get back to my people about this. If it did, I would lose my credibility and all the work my mother and I have done over so many seasons would be wasted. We could be plunged back into superstition again, and I don’t think you would want that.’ She paused. ‘If we allowed the old ways back every one of your vessels would be sunk on sight.’
The Commander held her gaze, sensing she meant the threat inherent in her words. He weighed up the potential risks of attacking a town on the Tanissan coast against the wholesale warfare she wassuggesting. He nodded. ‘You have a deal. We shall get this Danan for you. And you
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