Chapter 2
“Titus, for the last time, shof op.” Heda snapped. “My orders are clear and final and you will respect them. I want silence from you when she returns. In fact, you will not be seen by her at all.” She leveled a steely glare at the bald man keeping pace at her side. “I will not risk you jeopardizing this negotiation.”
“Heda, I would never-“
“I thought I told you to quiet yourself.” Heda stopped her pace to angle her body towards him, squaring her shoulders and pointing her chin. One eyebrow raised in a silent challenge, but her gaze never lifted from the eyes of the unflinching man before her. She may be shorter than her fleimkappa by nearly an entire head, but she still cut an intimidating figure, she had been Heda for nearly two years now and she knew how to hold herself to get what she wanted. Titus had held power behind closed doors since her Ascension. Heda was not blind to his subtle manipulation, Costia made sure of that, but for the most part, Titus was right.
Titus knew what he was doing, he had served two previous Heda, and he knew intimately how the Trikru people accepted and served their leaders. He knew what they would support, and what they would not. He knew what would make them celebrate their Heda, and what would cause them to dethrone her, to take her head and find a new Heda.
But this was different, Titus, she knew, was staunchly against her plans, despite the obvious advantages. He had gotten used to power, had gotten used to control over Heda, but she was grown now, an adult at fifteen winters. She could not allow him to ruin this opportunity. They had the chance to stop the bloodshed. With work, she would never have to send another warrior off to battle, to die and leave their Keryontai behind, writhing in the agony that comes with the death of the soul bound to them.
But for that to happen, Titus must back down, and allow Heda to do her job, to fulfill her birthright, the duty given to her by the very blood in her veins. “Leave, Titus. If I see you anywhere near her, or her guards, I will have no choice but to levy severe consequences. Your title as fleimkappa will do little to protect you.”
Titus swallowed heavily, a single, curt nod his only answer before he turned on his heal and scurried away. Heda would not tolerate his meddling today. She was not to be trifled with, not today. Her patience had been waning since the scout summoning the new leader of the Floudonkru had left the Polis tower, and it was in his best interest to remain out of her sights.
Heda stretched her shoulders silently, ensuring that her coat and armor were straight, and that her sash hung correctly. She would meet Luna Kom Floudonkru for the first time since they came face to face on Ascension Day, and she must make it clear that she was no longer a child. She would no longer hold foolish beliefs of comradery or kinship with anyone outside of Trikru. They would not be meeting as enemies or combatants, but as possible allies, and she must convey strength sans hostility.
She stepped from the Polis tower into the sunlight, and the little activity in what was considered the central market of Polis died down. The traders at the market stands bowed their heads in solemn respect, and those milling about the street cheered quietly.
Heda bowed her head in response, a faint smile resting on her lips. Her people created a small crowd around her, parting a small path as she stepped forward. They reached out to touch her, never more than a gentle pat or a grasp of a shoulder, the slightest tug of her jacket or the brush of her sash. They murmured her title in reverence, words of thanks and love on the tips of their tongues as she walked past.
A child stepped into the path, a tiny thing, barely old enough to form proper sentences, but very aware of the legend that had come to a stop before him. A bright smile shown through the dirt and dust smeared across his face and every ounce of his being. He had bright blue eyes, a rarity in the population these days, though not for the Azgeda, and his hair could have been lighter, but it was so matted with mud it fell closest to a dark brown. “Heda!” He called out, and a hush fell across the crowd. The child was obstructing her path, and no one knew how the famed strategist and warrior would react. The child was innocent, sure, but they were a brutal people, and they raised brutal leaders. “Heda!” He giggled, staring up at the woman, she towered over him, just about as much as the tower behind her loomed over her.
Then the child raised one grubby hand and opened it to reveal a crumpled and filthy flower. The child had probably held it too tightly for too long, and a petal floated from between his fingers to the ground. “Heda!”
Heda bent forward, taking the half dead thing from the little boy and tucking it neatly in one of her braids, near her temple, she passed him then, a gentle hand coming down to ruffle his hair despite its grease and filth. The crowd around her letting out a soft breath, a soft rumbling beginning in the back, the incident would not be forgotten in the minds of those people, the witnesses of the exchange. A brutal warrior did not have to be unkind, gentleness did in fact belong in the heart of a leader.
But their Heda had important matters to attend to, like greet the strangers riding through the market upon horseback, a straight backed young woman with sharp features and an even sharper gleam in her eyes at the forefront. A hood covered her curly, frizzed hair, perhaps not to obscure her identity, but to give some sort of mystery to her figure.
Heda would not be fooled. She knew this woman, Luna, she knew very well what this woman was capable of, and what she was not. Heda owed her life to Luna, but Luna also owed her own life to Heda. There was no sense of “evenness” when it came to saving one’s life, when it came to being warriors of the Trikru. There was an unbreakable bond that came with saving one’s life and having their own saved in return. Loyalty and fondness grew in the ranks of an army, not necessarily for a leader, but for each other. And when it came to life and death, there was no way to repay debt. After all, how could Heda possibly allow her people to march to their deaths in battle if she put value on a soul, on a life? If life can’t be bought, then life certainly couldn’t be repaid.
They started with this knowledge.
Luna dismounted her horse, stepping forward hesitantly, eyes darting to the crowd of Trikru watching curiously. Though none of these people were warriors, they were farmers and hunters and artisans, they could still very well overwhelm her very small party of Floudonkru warriors. Heda paid her discomfort no mind, instead stepping forward and offering her hand. Luna hesitated only a moment, a moment barely noticeable to the crowd, before she took the hand, grasping Heda’s forearm firmly.
“Luna Kom Floudonkru, welcome to Polis, I trust you will find your short stay here peaceful. We have much to discuss, my friend.” Heda gave a small, polite smile. “Follow me, I will have Zana show your guards to the stables. My people will provide any necessities your guard will require.”
“Thank you, Heda Kom Trikru. My guards and I appreciate the hospitality.”
“Of course, all guests of Polis are given utmost consideration.”
The two young leaders entered Polis tower, and stepped into the familiar cage of the elevator. Both women having grown up riding this elevator between lessons and training, the squealing and lurching of the cage as it was manually pulled up the many stories of the tower did not fill them with apprehension expected of people unfamiliar with the elevator. For the first time since Ascension, the two were alone with each other. “You’ve grown quite a bit in these last years.” Luna spoke quietly, as if afraid of being found out of turn.
“I have,” Heda agreed. “As have you, Luna.”
“It is good to see you doing well.”
Lexa nodded. “I’m surprised you’ve managed to gain this position. In just two years of banishment from the Trikru, you have risen to the highest position of the Floudonkru.”
Luna raised her chin as the cage lurched again. “Not without its struggles. I befriended the previous leader of the Floudonkru when I fled to his lands. He took me in as a granddaughter of sorts. The old man finally succumbed to illness six months ago.” Luna glanced to Heda Kom Trikru. “He found my reasons for leaving noble.”
Heda cleared her throat. “Titus has been ordered to keep his space from you. We will respect the Floudonkru and their ways, there will be no attempt on your life, and if there is, I will punish the culprit with charges of treason, for disobeying my explicit orders as Heda.”
One side of Luna’s mouth tilted up in a smirk. “You run a tight ship here.”
“Please, Luna,” Heda drawled. “Your strange Floudonkru turn of phrase is lost on me.”
Luna snorted. “I’m glad to see that leadership has not completely destroyed your personality. I trust Costia had much to do with it?”
Heda’s joking mood slipped. “I suppose. Here we are, come join me in the war room, we can discuss an agreement immediately. I’ll have some food brought up for you, I’m sure the journey was long and you could use some fuel.”
“Mochof, Heda.”
They stepped from the elevator and walked, side by side, down the labyrinth of halls they both knew intimately. Silence except for the heavy footfalls of their boots against the floor.
Upon entering the war room, Luna’s hands ghosted upon the dutiful table, chipped and scratched and torched in areas from a century of use as the table that planned hundreds, maybe thousands, of skirmishes, battles, and full blown wars. Now, the table was covered in just as many maps as always, but the layout entirely unfamiliar to the Floudonkru leader. She had been privy to the previous commander’s system of organization, but this Heda, she was unorthodox in every sense of the word.
Heda offered Luna a seat at the table, taking her own seat at the head. “Now, Luna Kom Floudonkru, I’ve had enough with the niceties, as I’m sure you are as well, let’s get to the reason I summoned for you to return to Polis.”
“I expect it will be the last time?” Luna warned.
Heda smiled wryly, she would not be intimidated. Not by Luna. “I intend to propose an alliance.”
Luna furrowed her brows. “The Floudonkru is a peaceful nation. We do not fight in wars. Our warriors are only for the protection of our goods. They are only defensive, with orders to never attack unless attacked themselves. An alliance with us is foolish.”
Heda shook her head. “No, Luna, not an alliance for war, a true alliance. I want to create a coalition, a bond of the clans, we will have free trade between our peoples, and the Trikru armies will come to your aid to defend against pirates, thieves, and the Azgeda army encroaching on your lands to the north. Don’t look surprised Luna, of course I’ve kept tabs on the Azgeda. They have been Trikru’s longest enemy, only protected from invasion by the Maunon.” Heda explained. “Opening our borders to each other will give our people an opportunity to interact and remove the mystique and fear our peoples have for each other. The Trikru will prove themselves worthy allies and protectors, more than just brutal warriors, but a loving, loyal people you know they are as well.
“Opening trade will carry advantages all of us will benefit from. Resources will become surplus, lumber for your boats and fish for my people. Pelts and furs, weapons, nuts and roots, in exchange for your supplies and resources, my people will corral the Azgeda back within their own borders.
“You must admit, Luna,” Heda held her stare with unflinching steadiness. “Your people may be pacifists, but they still need protection. You cannot be isolated and dependent upon trade to survive.”
Luna sat back. “A coalition, between the two clans?”
“My intention is to add more clans as my coalition grows. An agreed upon alliance, held together by treaty and mutual benefit rather than warfare and bloodshed.” Heda explained, leaning forward in her seat. “But I must start somewhere. When I heard you had taken control of the Floudonkru, I saw my opportunity. Luna, this can be the start of a new era of peace, but only if you join me.”
Luna tilted her head, an attempt at reading the woman she had grown up with, but she had grown unreadable in the last two years. “You know how to make an argument, I must say. However, how am I supposed to participate in a coalition when setting foot in Polis is a dangerous risk I take with my life at the stakes?”
Heda nodded. “Understandable concern, you will send a representative of your clan, an ambassador you trust implicitly and send them between Polis and the Floudonkru. They will act in your stead doing what is best for your people, they will negotiate, propose new treaties, and voice the concerns of their clansmen.”
“And in order to enter upon this coalition?”
Heda sat back. “You will submit to me. Bow to me and vow your loyalty to my coalition. In return you will have my own loyalty and the loyalty of the coalition. If war is declared upon your people, I, and the coalition, will come to your aid. I will be the deciding voice if disagreements cannot be mediated among the clans of the coalition. I will be the ultimate voice, and I make the ultimate decision.”
“And if the clans don’t appreciate your voice and decision?”
“I can always be challenged.”
“A fight to the death? That’s how you plan to enforce your peaceful coalition?”
“Of course that’s not the only way I can be impeached from my position.” Heda snapped, eyes sparking with hidden fury at Luna’s wry amusement. “If a unanimous decision of all the ambassadors finds me unfit to lead the coalition, I will be impeached and lose my position as ruler of the coalition. I will fall to simply Heda of the Trikru, rather than the Commander of the Coalition, and the ambassadors may vote for a new commander.”
Luna tipped her head in acknowledgment. “Your plan is well thought out, though I wonder how you will convince the other clans to submit.”
“That is a discussion for another day should you decide to join my coalition and accept the brand.” Heda shrugged.
“I will not be privy to war.” Luna levelled a dangerous glare towards Heda.
“And so you won’t be.” Heda was curt, she needed to be aloof. “Sometimes, a threat is all that is necessary.”
Luna nodded. “Very well, I’ll think on it tonight and make my decision tomorrow.”
Heda dipped her head. “I wish you goodnight, Luna.” She stood from her chair, leading Luna to the door. “It really is a pleasure to see you again, be sure to visit Costia, when you get the chance. She would appreciate seeing you again.”
Luna smiled a real smile for perhaps the first time since arriving in Polis. “I’m glad you still have her.”
“I am too.”
They parted ways outside the hallway, Luna led to her rooms by a servant in the tower and Heda moving towards her own bed chambers. She had more work to do, of course, though her duties as Heda had mostly concluded for the day, she needed to prepare for her meeting with Luna. She knew that Luna would accept her proposal even before she had summoned her, but now she needed to prepare the terms of their agreement, begin outlining not just the alliance between the Trikru and Floudonkru, but to outline the entire structure of the coalition.
Immediately upon entering her chambers, she stripped her armor and sash, leaving her in just her flimsy shirt, tied to her neck and her waist and leaving an open back, and her pants. She kicked off her boots near her wardrobe and padded to the couch and table, grabbing a couple of books from her shelf on her way.
By the time Costia entered the room at twilight, Heda Kom Trikru was engrossed in her books, several spread out around her opened to various pages and an assortment of loose papers surrounding her on the table before her, a pencil held in her hand, the unsharpened edge resting on her pursed lips.
“Lexa?” Costia brightened upon seeing the girl hard at work, though a frown quickly began to tug at her lips when the young Heda didn’t look up.
But Costia was undeterred. She settled herself, stripping unnecessary clothing and kicking off her own boots, putting aside her healing equipment. Finally, fully comfortable and ready to end her day, she approached the Heda from behind and wrapped her arms around her neck. She placed a sweet kiss to her cheek and removed herself, walking around to sit beside Heda on the couch. “Lex? What have you got here? You rarely work in your bed chambers, hodnes?”
Heda did not answer, she was too focused on her writings. Costia leaned over, peeking at the papers before her lover. “Writing in Gonasleng? Must be very important.”
Costia watched, a small smile on her face for quite a while, before finally Heda placed her pencil down on the papers and leaned back into the couch with a sigh, rubbing her hands over her face in exasperation. “I guess it’s not going well?” Costia asked gently.
Lexa startled, turning to the other girl. “When did you get home?”
“An hour or so ago, hodnes, you were too focused to notice.” Costia giggled, leaning forward to place a kiss on Lexa’s lips. “I tried to see what it was, but it’s in Gonasleng.”
Lexa grinned, leaning into another kiss. “Amazing things, love.”
“Oh?”
Lexa stood, stretching her back and pacing further into the room behind the couch. “Cos, I’m currently in negotiations with the Floudonkru to begin building a coalition of the clans.” Lexa turned to smile brightly down at the girl on the couch. “Free trade, movement between the clans, peace, Costia, it’s everything we’ve been dreaming of. I’m actually going to do it. And it starts today, tomorrow Luna and I negotiate the terms of our agreement, and the day after, should Luna accept, which I know she will, she takes the brand. This is the beginning of a new era.”
Costia positively beamed. “Lexa, this is amazing.” She jumped up, rushing over to Lexa. “I’m so proud of you.” She threw her arms around Lexa’s neck and kissed her, though it was sloppy due to their smiles. “Ai hod yu in.”
Lexa’s grin widened impossibly further. “I love you too.”
Luna accepted the deal, and though negotiations were painful, and there were some adamant disagreements, they reached a deal. When Luna accepted the brand and Lexa faced her people, Luna stood at her side.
A new era of peace and prosperity would begin with two young women, in power in their respective clans for less than three years combined. But Lexa was sure she could do this, her people needed it.