AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Iftherewasonething I hated, it was tythe—tax—collecting. I was a warlord, not an accountant. And yet, my khazar—emperor—and so-called friend seemed to want to turn me into one.
The air outside was turning chillier by the day, decreasing the number of sunrises left for this season to go hunting or to chase down Udruns. Instead of being out there enjoying it, I found myself, inside the great hall of my stronghold, Grymburg, awaiting the tythe owed to our khazar from the outposts, yet again.
I tried to soothe myself with the knowledge that this was the last day, that tomorrow, come snow or sun, I would go out for one last hunt before the end of the season. Still, sitting on a horse would have been much more preferable to sitting on this cold throne. But then the sound of hooves on stone perked me up, and I sat up straighter.
"The envoy from Dreaming Summit has arrived, Warlord Brogan," my steward announced.
"Sounds like they brought horses," Cassair, my second-in-command and best friend, whispered as he stood next to my throne, just as excited as me.
There were many things that could be said about our new neighbors: puny, quarrelsome, weak, but they were good horsemen.
Horses had been as alien to Thyre as the humans when they first requested to buy some of our land, but Thyres had taken to the horses like butter to bread. I still could hardly believe that only a few hundred years had gone by since horses were introduced to our planet. They had become such an integral part of our lives that it was daunting to think our forefathers had not known this kind of pleasure.
They not only cut travel time in half and made hunting more successful, but they also gave us a tremendous advantage on the battlefields.
The original imported horses had been very different from what they were now, or so I was told, but those minor details held no interest for me. The only important part was that these horses were big enough to carry us Thyres into the battlefield.
As hoped for, the horses, led by four humans into the great hall, were not disappointing.
I recognized Governor Bertram, from Dreaming Summit, among them as he approached us ahead of the horses.
"Warlord Brogan of Grymburg, it's my honor and privilege to bring you this season's tythe." He bowed. "For practical purposes, I brought only six into the hall, the other fifty-four are outside."
My impatience grew. He only brought sixty horses? The required amount was a hundred. For Bertram's sake, I hoped he wasn't trying to play me for a fool.
The men led the horses in a circle, and I admitted they were exceptional in their size, especially a gleaming black beauty who stood taller than the rest of them. A wide chest and thick legs spoke of strength, and as the horse lifted its head to snort its disapproval of being here, it showed its temper as well.
"Why only sixty, Governor?" I asked, taking my eyes off the black horse. It wouldn't do to show how impressed I was with the stallion when the humans were obviously short on their tythe.
"I beg your forgiveness and indulgence, Warlord, but Udruns attacked our outpost several weeks ago and took many of our horses," Bertram said, and a fresh scar on his arm seemed to prove his statement.
I narrowed my eyes. "Why have I not been told about this?"
As a warlord, it was my responsibility to keep the human outposts safe. In return, they brought us their tythe.
"I beg your pardon, Brogan, that was my oversight," Cassair inclined his head. "You were at Khazar Gryck's palace at the time, and I sent Lugh to deal with it."
Now I remembered Cassair mentioning having sent Lugh to a human outpost to deal with unruly Udruns when I returned to Grymburg a few weeks ago. I also remembered I hadn't heard back from Lugh yet, which meant he and his warriors were still on the heels of the Udruns.
I waved my hand, done with this conversation, and returned my attention back to the human governor, Bertram. "You are still forty horses short."
"Of course, of course," he bobbed his head up and down in a quick succession of bows, and my impatience rose another level. I itched to go out there to test this new stallion he brought me instead of finishing this transaction.
I didn't relish punishing the humans, but at the end of the day, Bertram's excuses didn't matter. If I allowed him to get away with shortening the tythes, other humans would soon follow; they were wily that way.
"We have many foals, Warlord, but they are still too young to travel. They will be ready come the end of the cold season, and I will personally bring them to you then, in the meantime"—he wiped sweat off his forehead and waved at somebody who had stayed behind by the great entrance doors—"I hope these tributes will find favor with you. Consider them interest paid on the horses owed."
Two males led four human kallinies—women—forward. Beside me, Cassair whistled lowly.
Clad in only narrow breast coverings and loin clothes, the kallinies' bodies were on full display. The four of them kept their heads lowered, and their long hair curtained their faces. Each kallinies' hands were bound behind their backs, pushing their breasts forward, where they were visible and not covered by their hair.
The stallion whinnied in the back, throwing his head, snorting, and giving his handler a hell of a time to keep him restrained. My attention moved from the kallinies to the horse I itched to ride.
"Kallinies? How do you suppose they will make up for the horses owed? You are just trying to rid yourself of mouths to feed during the cold season by sending them to us," Cassair complained, much better at bargaining than I was.
"No, no, of course not, we—" Bertram tried to defend himself.
I didn't hear whatever Bertram was about to say, because just then, the stallion ripped his tethers from his handler's hands, moving quickly toward the bound kallinies. I jumped off my throne to intercept the horse, fully aware that the giant beast could trample the kallinies to death within the blink of an eye.
