Page 51 of The Witch who Trades with Death
Chapter Fifty-One
Sava
No one was surprised when Chief Phramanka ordered an emergency meeting of all the Old Family Masters, though Sava did hear some grumbling and cursing when it was not open to the public. Sava was the only non-Master invited, and only to translate for the deaf and elderly Master Mahi Hyrjorna.
As soon as all seven thrones were filled, old Master Pabu Pinnsviri opened his mouth: “We have no chance. With those winged behemoths, we’re done.”
“The king decides when we’re done. Not us,” Navana Cila argued. She hadn’t had time to grab her eagle headdress, but there was always a loose feather or two clinging to her clothes.
“You just had a child, Navana. You want your babe skewered on a Reguallian spear?”
“I want my son to not grow up ashamed that his people gave up without a fight. You really expect Yamueto to keep his word? He won’t. He’ll destroy the town whatever we do.”
“Agreed,” Thulu Bhalu rumbled, bear tooth necklace catching the light. “I don’t trust him.”
“Do we have a choice?” Pabu demanded. “If we fight, we die.”
“Then we retreat. He can’t move his entire army on those winged beasts. We disappear into the tundra, regroup on the other side.”
Sava cleared his throat. “How many does he have?”
“Quiet, boy,” Pabu ordered. “You’re just here to translate.”
“No,” Phramanka said, holding up a hand. “It’s a good question. How many of those behemoths does he have? Just the one? Two?”
“He’s probably making more as we speak.”
“We have archers,” Navana pointed out. “They’re not invincible.”
Rivo Phaska barked a laugh, his orange fox fur burning in the sunlight. “Good fucking luck!”
“They’re brand new,” Phramanka mused. “They and their riders would be untrained…”
Hope filled Sava’s chest. They weren’t going to turn Khana in.
“We knew this was a long shot,” Athor Cituva said, and Sava could see a familiar stubborn intensity in his dark, leopard-like eyes. “Our job, our duty, is to defend the mountains. And we will do it for as long as we can. Evacuate the civilians if we must, but the soldiers stay and fight. We hold for as long as we can to give the rest of Divaajin as much time as possible.”
Mahi Hyrjorna nodded, her bharal horns dipping with the movement, and signed, We swear our spears to Kingdom. We abandon oath, we shame kingdom. Eagle Master correct. We have no chance kill monsters later. Small chance kill them NOW, new and no training.
Pabu shook his head. “You’re all fools.”
“And you are outvoted,” Phramanka said. “The girl stays. She’ll be instrumental in this next fight, I imagine.”
Sava’s chest tightened.
Phramanka dismissed the other Masters with the Iron Scepter. She waited for them to finish shuffling out of the room before beckoning Sava toward her. “Fear turns people stupid. I don’t want anyone in town getting any ideas. Get the girl some protection for the day.”