19

They certainly have made themselves at home here,” said Galina as she and Masha wove between the tents that the Uaine had set up across just about every available space on the garrison grounds.

“Yes, miss.”

“Yet the buildings themselves seem completely unoccupied. Do the Uaine have something against permanent structures? A religious belief, perhaps?”

“I don’t know, miss.”

Galina scanned the line of tents until she found one that was clearly larger than the others. She supposed it must belong to Mordha, and made her way in that direction. The truth was, she didn’t know Mordha well. Most of her communication with the Uaine had been through Angelo. But as Angelo was so fond of pointing out, he had no real authority. Mordha was the one responsible for what was either a profoundly negligent gap in communication, or a blatant betrayal. She fervently hoped it was the former—that there was some reasonable explanation for this new, and according to Gennady, significantly more hostile army. Otherwise… well, she had heard what happened when Sonya tried to directly confront the man. If Mordha’s true aim was total conquest of the continent, she had no idea what method or tactic she might employ that would succeed in ousting him from Izmoroz.

There were no guards posted outside the tent. Since she couldn’t knock on a tent flap, and she didn’t want to simply barge in, she cleared her throat and called out.

“Hello? Tighearna Elgin Mordha? It’s Galina Odoyevtseva Prozorova. I was hoping we might discuss something of an important and sensitive nature.”

“Come,” came the deep, rumbling reply.

She pushed open the tent. It was warm and stuffy inside. Mordha sat on a thick fur rug, stripped down to the waist. Galina was unnerved to see that the horrible scarring that covered his face also covered the rest of his body. A man and two women were intently rubbing a thick ointment into the scar tissue and did not look up when she entered.

“Apologies for interrupting…” Galina had no idea what she was interrupting but she felt her face redden.

Mordha didn’t look embarrassed in the least. “What d’ye want?”

“I was…” She forced her eyes away from the people rubbing down his bare, scarred chest, and kept her focus only on his face, unpleasant as it was. “That is, I’ve heard reports of a second army of sluagh gorta that has entered Izmoroz, and I’m concerned that those leading this new deployment do not put the same value on Izmorozian life that you have exhibited in the past.”

“Aye?” He looked like he didn’t quite understand. She could never tell how strong his command of the imperial tongue was.

“To put it more bluntly, Tighearna, they’re killing my people.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “No’ on purpose.”

“Well, that is heartening to know. But regardless of intention, the problem remains.”

“Aye.”

They stared at each other in silence as Galina grappled with her frustration.

“You do understand the problem then, Tighearna?”

“Aye.”

“So how do you propose we solve it?”

He shook his head. “Some problem canna’ be solved.”

She waited a few moments, expecting he would explain himself further.

When he did not, she asked, “Why is it you cannot simply command them to take more care with their march? Perhaps go around the farms and villages that are in their way rather than trampling through them?”

He shrugged his thick, scarred shoulders. “Big army of sluagh gorta and only one Bhuidseach to command them.” He stretched his mottled arm forward, the hand flat with fingers pointing toward her. “Can only aim sluagh gorta forward and hope.”

“Then surely you could send your other Bhuidseach to intercept, and they could assist in more complicated maneuvers that would spare the remaining towns and villages.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “But no’ send.”

“And why not?”

He gazed at her, his expression impassive. “No’ want to.”

She stared at him for a moment, not quite sure she believed what she’d just heard.

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, did you just say—”

“Ah, Galina Odoyevtseva, sorry for not greeting you upon your arrival. I only just received word you were visiting.” Angelo stepped into the tent, all smiles.

Galina turned her glare on him. “Yes, your Tighearna was just explaining to me that he will do nothing to curb the second army of sluagh gorta that are currently plowing across my beloved Izmoroz, leaving a trail of death and devastation in their wake.”

She expected him to try evading her rather pointed remarks, but he only nodded, his expression still pleasant.

“Yes, I’m afraid it can’t be helped.”

“And why is that? He has just admitted to me that if he sent the other Bhuidseach, all of whom seem to merely be idling around in the garrison, they could easily maneuver the army around towns and villages, thereby sparing countless lives.”

“Ah, I think there is a bit of a cultural misunderstanding,” said Angelo. “You see, the Tighearna cannot send the Bhuidseach anywhere because he has no authority over them. He only commands the living Uaine. The dead belong to them, and they have final authority over what to do with them.”

“I see. So I’m speaking to the wrong person, then?” She scowled at Mordha. “I thought I was speaking to the person in charge, but clearly that was not so.”

Mordha seemed unfazed by her jab, which only upset her further.

She turned back to Angelo. “Very well, I will speak with the Bhuidseach then, and entreat them to spare my people.”

His expression took on a pained look. Rather like her father’s when he tried to explain a minor complication with potentially inhumane consequences.

“Yes, well, I am happy to ask if one of them will speak with you. I suspect Bhuidseach Rowena Viridomarus would be the one most likely to indulge your concerns.”

“Indulge my…” She took another slow breath that failed to calm her. “Very well, please lead the way.”

They walked among the tents in silence for a moment, Masha following at a respectful distance. But Galina could only bear the unspoken tension for so long.

“I suppose it was precisely this awkwardness you were attempting to avoid when you neglected to mention a second, less controllable army of undead during our many conversations.”

“Now, now, Galina Odoyevtseva, don’t act like such a child. Why on earth would I give away such sensitive information without reason? You and I get along well, and our interests have aligned in the past, but don’t confuse that with friendship or trust. We both have our goals, and I doubt you would risk compromising yours for my sake.”

“And what, pray tell, is your goal?”

He gave her a beatific smile. “Freedom. True and eternal. By any means necessary.”

There was something uncomfortably zealous in his eyes, so Galina decided not to press him further. One thing at a time.

They stopped in front of a tent marked with several symbols painted in black. Or perhaps they were words in the Uaine language. Galina had never seen it written down.

“Please remain here,” said Angelo. “I will ask Bhuidseach Rowena if she is willing to listen to your plea.”

Galina watched Angelo slip into the tent. It was quite late in the day and she was surprised to see no light coming from within, as though Bhuidseach Rowena preferred sitting in the dark. She stood before the closed tent flap, ignoring the curious stares of passing Uaine, and listened to the quiet guttural murmur as Angelo and Rowena spoke to each other in Uaine.

It was Rowena who stepped out of the tent first. She wore her traditional brown robe and held the gowns Galina had given her draped over one thin pale arm.

“Galina Odoyevtseva, thank ye for lending these to me. ’Twas an interesting experience.”

Galina wordlessly accepted the gowns, feeling this was not an encouraging start to the conversation.

“Angelo tells me ye are upset at the harm caused by our sluagh gorta as they march?”

“Very much so, Bhuidseach Rowena.”

Rowena nodded. “Then ye will be pleased to know that their march is nearly ended. We are stationing them in the abandoned town of Les until we are ready to march on Aureum.”

“While that is some relief, it hardly accounts for your cavalier attitude toward those we have already lost.”

Rowena shrugged. “They are already dead. Do you wish me to turn them into sluagh gorta? It is unusual to bless outsiders in such a way, but it has been done in the past. With such a fearsome conflict ahead, I may be able to persuade my brethren that it would be worth making the allowance.”

Galina’s eyes widened. “No, I most certainly do not want you to turn my people into your undead servants.”

Rowena gave her a puzzled look. “Then what else is there t’ do?”

Galina had never been rendered speechless before, but the necromancer’s undisguised indifference to the cruel fate of so many innocent people was staggering.

After a few moments of struggle, Galina’s eyes fell upon Angelo, who gazed at her from within the tent, his face half hidden in its shadows.

“You can be certain I will tell the Council of Lords about this,” she said.

“Yes,” he said blandly. “How are they faring, by the way? Made any progress on… well, anything really?”

She glared at him, then spun on her heel and stalked off, Masha hurrying behind her. The Uaine might think they could act with impunity, but she would find a way to prove them wrong.