“I will note your concern,” Shi said without sincerity. “Andyou, Captain, will engage in your next mission and follow your orders. Should you one day rise in the ranks, you may have a place among the elders and leaders of the tribes and military, but you are yet young. And impulsive. And occasionally ruled by elements other than yourbrain.” She glanced toward his groin before lifting her chin and walking away.
General Amalia, who’d watched the exchange without much expression, raised her eyebrows toward Jhiton, then clasped her hands behind her back and also strolled away.
Vorik eyed his brother warily. He didn’tthinkhe’d given Jhiton a reason to doubt his loyalty, but, as he’d many times noted, Jhiton could be hard to read.
“There’s a new mission?” Vorik asked to change the subject. That topic seemed safer.
“Why are you pulling on wyvern tails, Vorik?” Jhiton asked.
“It sounds like some of the older and more crotchety wyverns have a future planned that wouldnotbe good for our people. And would ensurethe gardeners are enemies for all eternity.”
“That’s ensured anyway.”
“Why?”
“We’ve killed almost all of their royal family, slain many members of their military, captured their high-ranking leaders on Harvest Island, and delivered damage to two of their major cities. So far.”
“Yes, I realize that. Iwasthere.” For the Castle Island attack, he had been. Thus far, Jhiton had Captain Lesva leading the troops on Harvest Island, and he hadn’t sent Vorik over there since its shield had fallen. “But war is war. That’s how things go. If we can establish a treaty with their people after we’ve claimed enough islands to nourish the tribes going forward, we wouldn’t have to constantly watch our backs in the years and generations to come.”
“You’ve a naive belief in that regard. Or did Queen Syla suggest that?”
“She doesn’t talk politics with me and is evasive about answering my questions on most subjects. This is my own opinion. I don’t think enslaving a population should be a part of our plans.”
“Our goal is to obtainallof the Garden Kingdom islands for our people. There will be no place else for the gardeners to live except under our rule.”
“We don’t have enough people to establishruleover twelve islands. Unless you plan to kill most of their population—which would not be honorable and Ihopeis not your plan…” Vorik watched his brother’s face for a reaction but didn’t get much. “Unless their population got a lot smaller, we’d never rule successfully over so many.”
“History tells us that it takes very few people to reign over a population. Before the storm god’s mad tinkerings, there were many human civilizations, and an elite few always ruled over the masses. There are ways to keep people in line.”
“That’s notreallyour goal, is it? Your goal? I know you spoke of taking all their islands, but don’t you really just wantthere to be a food supply and safe place for our people to live in the future? A world where children can be raised safely without being killed by the storm god’s creations?” Vorik raised his eyebrows, certain Jhiton’s lost son, Jebrosh, was never far from his mind.
“I do want that. As to the rest, I’m a soldier, Vorik. As are you. I may have some sway with the chiefs, but I’m not in charge of our people.”
“How many of our leaders want to enslave the gardeners? I know Shi was lying to me.”
“Not all of them. It’s being contested at the tribe meetings. Chief Tenilor is the one pushing for that. Swordhawk and Sunchaser speak as you do and have no interest in ruling over others. Chieftess Marvola of the Starlion Tribe just wants hazelnuts and pears.”
“I knew it. She’s my favorite of our tribal leaders. I wish she were in charge of Wingborn.”
“Because her loyalty might also be won with a berry cobbler?”
“Youknowmy loyalty is to our people.”
Jhiton smiled slightly and waved to a couple of troops who’d walked their way but hesitated to approach while they were speaking. He pointed them toward the three components.
“Be careful with the urn,” Jhiton said. “The contents are magical, but I don’t believe the container itself is.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m told it’s an amphora,” Vorik said. “Not an urn.”
“By the queen?” Jhiton asked.
“She was a princess at the time, but yes.”
The two men wrapped the components in hides and carried them off.
Aware of Jhiton watching him, Vorik didn’t ask where they would be taken. He’d already issued enough questions that hissuperiors didn’t care for, and he didn’t want Jhiton to suspect that he’d been contemplating taking the components to Syla. Besides, it wasn’t as if Vorik hadseriouslyconsidered that. He’d mostly daydreamed about Syla’s potential gratitude and how she might physically reward him if he showed up with them, but it had been a fantasy, nothing more.
