“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.
She smiled a small smile before saying, “You will not be able to talk to him and convince him to change the way of The Horde. Even if you were to be able to convince him, if he tried to rule his warriors and tell them they could not do as they see fit while warring and marauding, they would see this as a weakness.
Although right and wrong is known, these are basics and mostly the Korwahk do as they wish. I do not know how it works and those across the Green and Marhac Seas see this as savage and, perhaps, it is, but for the Korwahk, it works. The nation knows peace, wealth
and safety. If an army invades, The Horde moves and puts a stop to it in short order. This is what it is. It is akin to Dortak and his bride.
The other warriors know he is abusing her and many, I can assure you, find that contemptuous but he is a warrior, he has endured training, he has leaked blood to rain riches on his nation. What he does in his cham and what he does to aid The Horde in procuring, they will make no judgment. It is not their business and they will never move against him as long as he provides service to The Horde.”
“Okay, so how do I stop Lahn –?”
She smiled and lifted a hand to my cheek, leaning her face close to mine. “I, too, found great difficulty in understanding this way of life. This, especially this, did not sit well with me and it is the only thing that took me a great deal of time to come to terms with. I did not like The Horde doing it but especially I did not like knowing my husband did it and he did, my dear Circe, he did, even after we were married.”
I closed my eyes.
Diandra kept talking. “So I found a way to stop him from doing it.”
I opened my eyes.
“How?” I whispered.
She dropped her hand. “Seerim always told me when there was a campaign. In most cases, wives stay with warriors. Wives are usually kept close. So, the night before and the morning of I made certain he had what he needed, all that he needed, as many times as he needed what he needed from me so he wouldn’t feel the need to take it from someone else.”
I got what she was saying.
“In other words, you fucked his brains out,” I replied on a smile.
“Erm…” she muttered then grinned, “if I take your meaning then yes, my dear friend, I fucked his brains out.”
I couldn’t help it, the subject matter sucked but Diandra saying that made me giggle.
Then I stopped giggling and whispered, “Well done.”
Her grin grew into a smile and she replied, “Indeed. And my tactic worked. He did not speak of it but he would come back from a campaign smelling of dirt, of sweat, of blood but never again of woman.” She nodded smartly. “There are ways to get what you need out of your warrior. You just must be clever in finding them.”
What will be was what I make of it.
“Right,” I whispered, she peered into my eyes a moment before she nodded smartly again and then turned us back to walking.
I could tell from the familiar surroundings we were heading back to my cham and I wondered, when we rode, how I would learn another layout or if The Eunuch always set up the Daxshee the same.
Then I wondered about Seerim and his age.
“Does Seerim ride with The Horde now?” I asked Diandra.
“Sometimes, during raids, if he so chooses but he has charge of training young warriors and that takes most of his concentration.
During the selection, he received ten new boys he needs to break as well as keeping charge of the twenty other boys he was working with. He is quite busy with this and it is an important role. Only honored warriors as they get older are required to take on the training of the young. This is because their skills are considered desirable by the Dax and he wants these warriors to pass down their expertise. It is a high compliment.”
She spoke proudly and I squeezed her hand as my cham came in sight. “Well done, Seerim,” I said softly.
“Indeed,” she replied distractedly, I looked to her and then I followed her gaze.
That was when I noticed what I hadn’t noticed before. There were two warriors standing outside my cham. Feetak and the grinning one who Lahn spoke to the night of the games.
He was not grinning now, he was scowling, as was Feetak and the instant they laid eyes on us, they turned to my cham, bent and entered.
“Is something going on?” I asked as Diandra and I got closer.
“I do not know,” she answered softly. “But I do know, we soon shall see.”
