“All Korwahk believe they have a spirit,” she answered.

“So… uh, they’re spiritual?”

Her hand squeezed mine and she cut to the chase. “What are you truly asking, Circe?”

I smiled at a woman at a firepit outside a tent and replied, “Do they believe in God?”

“God?”

“Yes, God. A higher being, an omnipotent power, a divine creator, that kind of thing,” I explained.

“Just one?” she asked and I looked at her.

“Sorry?”

She looked at me too and her face was confused. “In your land, do you have just one god?”

I looked back at our path and shook my head. “Yes and no.

Different people believe different things and some of them have more than one God they pray to but me… I believe in only one.”

“Unusual,” she muttered.

I lifted my other hand, placed it over hers on mine and squeezed.

“So? Do the Korwahk believe in a god or gods?”

“They do, my dear. They have many and for each person they choose which god will be their erm… higher being. There is the Lion God, the Snake God, the Horse God, the Jackal God, the Tiger God and the True Mother. Most women pray to the True Mother. I would suspect,” her hand gave mine a pat, “your king prays to the Tiger God.”

I would suspect that too.

She kept talking. “They do not have shrines, they do not have alters, they do not have churches. They have no holy men or women and they don’t carry talismans. They do not invest any spiritual significance in a person, place or object. The spirit is inside, prayers are silent, worship is individual and personal. Adults do not discuss it with adults. It is parents who pass down the teachings of the Gods and inner spirits and they allow their children to adopt their own form of devotion.”

Interesting. And kind of cool.

“So, if they’re spiritual, um…” I trailed off.

“Yes?” Diandra prompted.

Shit.

Here we go.

“Well, you said something earlier I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Something that doesn’t um… sit right if the Korwahk are spiritual. You mentioned something about Lahn taking a woman in plunder –”

I stopped talking when she halted us and turned to me but didn’t let go of my hand.

Oh man. I knew this meant something not good.

I looked in her eyes and she spoke.

“The Horde is revered,” she said softly, “even more than any god.

This is because they protect the Korwahk nation and because they rain riches on it. And they do this through marauding.”

Yep, this was not good.

“Marauding?” I whispered.

She nodded. “Korwahk is a warring nation, as is Maroo, Keenhak and other neighboring nations close and far. But Korwahk has riches that the others do not have. Veins of gold and silver. A vast wealth of diamonds in the earth. Mines of emeralds and rubies. These other nations covet these things and often wage war in order to take it for their own. The Horde rides against these armies that invade our land, murder the Korwahk people, rape our women. And The Horde

never fails, Circe, ever in driving these armies back and bringing peace to the land. The Korwahk owe great debts to the blood of warriors.”

“I can see that,” I said softly.

She took in a breath then continued, “There is no government, no law, but right and wrong is known by all and wrong is punished severely, either by the Dax amongst The Horde and those who travel with and serve it and by high counselors in settlements. Therefore, with no government, no treasury set up to do things like build roads and the like, the Dax does not tax his people and the Korwahk Horde rides into neighboring nations in order to acquire further riches for their own.”

Okay, I was guessing this was the bad part.

“Go on,” I urged tentatively, needing to know but at the same time not wanting to know.

She turned us and started us walking again. “It is savage, this I will agree,” she said softly. “But if The Horde rides and a village knows they are coming, if they are smart, they make offerings so The Horde will not plunder their village. The Horde will take the offering and move on. If the village is not smart and makes no offering or the offering is considered by the Dax as too little, they will ride against the village and take from it what they feel is their due.”

I cleared my throat and walked but said not a word.

Diandra squeezed my hand and kept talking quietly. “And they do plunder, my dear, and plunder as you would expect a brutal, warring tribe to plunder. I know you do not like it when I say this but this is their way, it always has been.” She was silent for a moment and then her voice got even quieter when she went on, “In getting to know you, I can imagine your mind is turning.”

It must be said, she was not wrong about that.

“But I will share with you that your king’s agreement to give up the Xacto surprised me greatly. This, too, is their way and has been

since anyone can remember. This is a remarkable concession, my dear, and you should treasure it, hold it precious and tend it so the Dax never feels regret that he made it. But, I will say, if you speak against the ways of his people who you must take to heart are now your people, I fear it would not have such a positive outcome.”

I made no response mainly because I feared the same.

Diandra sighed then kept explaining. “They bring these riches back, coin, slaves, all of it. Slaves are sold and they build tents, work in mines, serve households, provide a better life for the Korwahk. Coin and other booty is used and traded, given to wives who in turn provide custom to merchants who in turn order goods from farmers and artisans. These activities are the foundation of Korwahk life. The more The Horde showers down on their people, the better the Korwahks live, the more they revere The Horde. It is their cycle, their tradition, their way. ”

“Okay,” I said and my voice trembled, “but raping women and girls and killing people to steal their property?”

“It is their way of life,” she said simply.

“Raping women and girls?” I asked quietly, shook my head and admitted, “Lahn doing that, Diandra, I have to say, it turns my stomach.”

“Then stop him from doing it.”

I stopped walking so Diandra did too and turned to me.

“Sorry?” I asked.