born, he knew better than to push. The sane, rational part of his mind urged him to yield. It was how he had gotten along as well as he had, all these years, with the commander’s true-born aides. On any other day…
He set his jaw and tightened his grip on the reins. Hit me. I don’t care.
Fasal’s hand tightened on the quirt. “I’ll say a djinn did it.”
“That’s a babe’s excuse. You wouldn’t dare.” Would he?
“Problem, boys?” The high commander’s voice was very mild.
All of the aides shied like startled foals. If the horses hadn’t been more sensible, they might have ended on the ground.
Rakesh was so coated in dust, you couldn’t have told what color he was. Sweat tracked through the dirt on the commander’s face, creating mud. He should have looked absurd. He never looked absurd.
He gazed at Fasal, raising one brow in mild inquiry. Fasal paled and lowered the quirt.
Jiaan, not being an idiot, had already released Fasal’s reins, so there was nothing to stop Fasal from riding after Markhan, who had already fled the field. The field…
“What are you doing here, sir?” Jiaan gestured to the match, which was in full, thundering charge.
“Young imp got me off balance,” the commander grumbled. “Knocked me off on my ass. I had two lances left too.” He didn’t sound unduly disgruntled.
“Don’t you care?” Jiaan asked.
“Why should I? That”—the commander gestured to the dusty field—“is just a game. In the match that matters I intend to win. The others hounding you, lad?”
Merahb turned Rakesh toward the wash tent, and Jiaan followed. A squire’s duties still came naturally to him—only a few years ago he’d held that post.
“Yes,” Jiaan admitted. “But I don’t know why.”
“They know there’s something important afoot. After all, I have to choose someone to steal my leopardess off to her lair.”
“Yes,” said Jiaan. “But I figured you’d choose one of the lesser deghans who rides under your banner. An old—um, a reliable man.”
“That’s what I expect everyone to think,” said the commander. “And I’m going to have to find out how those young fools figured out who I decided on. I can’t afford leaks.”
“I understand that, but—” Jiaan stopped in his tracks. Rakesh walked on a few steps before the commander realized his aide no longer accompanied him, and he reined in the horse.
“You want me to escort the lady?” Jiaan’s voice was high with astonishment. “Why me?”
The commander frowned. “Attend me, Jiaan.” He spoke as if to a shirking servant, and Jiaan flushed. No one seemed to be listening, but…Jiaan hurried to take Rakesh’s reins and lead him, like a proper squire attending his lord.
“I’m choosing you instead of an older man,” the commander continued softly, “because Garshab is working on the older men. Anyone who hasn’t taken his money will be watched. I just wish one of the honorable ones had had the sense to take the money and then come to me. I don’t think any of my aides have been approached. Garshab expects me to choose an experienced man, and he probably realizes that those young hotheads would never take a bribe.”
“But why me?”
“Because I trust you to keep a—”
The crowd roared. The commander clenched his thighs on Rakesh’s barrel and lifted himself in the saddle to see better. “Watch out, you idiot! No! It’s too soon!”
Jiaan only saw the end of it. Gostan, another of the commander’s aides, galloped through the dust cloud at the far end of the field, the game banner clutched in his hand like a lance, despite its weighted base. His sword was gone, but he still had two lances strapped to his saddle; the blue streamers that stabilized their flight and marked him for a member of Merahb’s team rippled out behind his mare’s laboring haunches.
Two lances weren’t enough to save him from two older deghans of Garshab’s faction, who swept down the field and knocked
He set his jaw and tightened his grip on the reins. Hit me. I don’t care.
Fasal’s hand tightened on the quirt. “I’ll say a djinn did it.”
“That’s a babe’s excuse. You wouldn’t dare.” Would he?
“Problem, boys?” The high commander’s voice was very mild.
All of the aides shied like startled foals. If the horses hadn’t been more sensible, they might have ended on the ground.
Rakesh was so coated in dust, you couldn’t have told what color he was. Sweat tracked through the dirt on the commander’s face, creating mud. He should have looked absurd. He never looked absurd.
He gazed at Fasal, raising one brow in mild inquiry. Fasal paled and lowered the quirt.
Jiaan, not being an idiot, had already released Fasal’s reins, so there was nothing to stop Fasal from riding after Markhan, who had already fled the field. The field…
“What are you doing here, sir?” Jiaan gestured to the match, which was in full, thundering charge.
“Young imp got me off balance,” the commander grumbled. “Knocked me off on my ass. I had two lances left too.” He didn’t sound unduly disgruntled.
“Don’t you care?” Jiaan asked.
“Why should I? That”—the commander gestured to the dusty field—“is just a game. In the match that matters I intend to win. The others hounding you, lad?”
Merahb turned Rakesh toward the wash tent, and Jiaan followed. A squire’s duties still came naturally to him—only a few years ago he’d held that post.
“Yes,” Jiaan admitted. “But I don’t know why.”
“They know there’s something important afoot. After all, I have to choose someone to steal my leopardess off to her lair.”
“Yes,” said Jiaan. “But I figured you’d choose one of the lesser deghans who rides under your banner. An old—um, a reliable man.”
“That’s what I expect everyone to think,” said the commander. “And I’m going to have to find out how those young fools figured out who I decided on. I can’t afford leaks.”
“I understand that, but—” Jiaan stopped in his tracks. Rakesh walked on a few steps before the commander realized his aide no longer accompanied him, and he reined in the horse.
“You want me to escort the lady?” Jiaan’s voice was high with astonishment. “Why me?”
The commander frowned. “Attend me, Jiaan.” He spoke as if to a shirking servant, and Jiaan flushed. No one seemed to be listening, but…Jiaan hurried to take Rakesh’s reins and lead him, like a proper squire attending his lord.
“I’m choosing you instead of an older man,” the commander continued softly, “because Garshab is working on the older men. Anyone who hasn’t taken his money will be watched. I just wish one of the honorable ones had had the sense to take the money and then come to me. I don’t think any of my aides have been approached. Garshab expects me to choose an experienced man, and he probably realizes that those young hotheads would never take a bribe.”
“But why me?”
“Because I trust you to keep a—”
The crowd roared. The commander clenched his thighs on Rakesh’s barrel and lifted himself in the saddle to see better. “Watch out, you idiot! No! It’s too soon!”
Jiaan only saw the end of it. Gostan, another of the commander’s aides, galloped through the dust cloud at the far end of the field, the game banner clutched in his hand like a lance, despite its weighted base. His sword was gone, but he still had two lances strapped to his saddle; the blue streamers that stabilized their flight and marked him for a member of Merahb’s team rippled out behind his mare’s laboring haunches.
Two lances weren’t enough to save him from two older deghans of Garshab’s faction, who swept down the field and knocked
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