Princeps’ Fury

Kitai’s nostrils flared as she gazed steadily at Max. But she glanced aside at Tavi, nodded to the Antillan in a vaguely conciliatory gesture, and settled farther back into the shadows beneath the lower bunk.

Another worry. The storm and the length of the trip, plus the condition of the ships, the distance from home, and the pure uncertainty of the situation would be putting tremendous pressure upon his people-and if it was showing that overtly between Kitai and Maximus, who had been friends for years and who lived in the comparatively roomy conditions of the Slive, it would be a far-more-intense problem on the more crowded ships of the fleet. He wasn’t sure it would be a problem he could do anything about, either. It was only natural, after all, for men to worry when they were far from home, in strange circumstances, and uncertain if they would return.

After all-some of them wouldn’t.

Eleven ships.

“The point is,” Tavi said, “that if we’re to land within a clear-weather window of hours or days, with a fleet that can barely make half its usual pace, then we’ll be landing somewhere in Shuar.” He made the effort to speak the word properly. “Do we know anything about this… realm? Is it a realm, Magnus?”

“The word the Canim use for their states translates more accurately to ‘range,’ ” Magnus replied. “The range of Shuar. The range of Narash.”

“Realm, range,” Tavi said. “What do we know about it?”

“That it occupies an enormous and highly defensible mountain highland,” Magnus said. “It is one of the three largest ranges in terms of pure area, along with Narash and Maraul-and it has only a single port city, which is called Molvar.”

“Then it would appear that we’re bound for Molvar,” Tavi said. He smiled. “I wonder if we’re going to have to take the city to be able to land.”

“Ugh,” Max said. “Do you think it will come to that?”

“I don’t think it’s impossible,” Tavi said. “If the ranges really are hostile to one another, Varg might have to take the port to be able to land there. Even if they aren’t openly hostile, I can’t imagine that they’ll be overjoyed to see a force of this size come over the horizon.”

“If that’s the case, maybe we should land elsewhere. It isn’t as though we need a shipyard to make repairs,” Max said. “Once the ship is together, we should be able to craft hulls back together again-we just need some time and quiet for our crafters to work in. Right, Demos?”

Demos frowned pensively for a moment and nodded. “Yes, for the most part. Masts are more difficult, but they can be remounted even without a yard.”

Magnus frowned. “Marcus sent me a very interesting report. He was approached by a group of Hunters, who evidently delivered a covert message on behalf of Varg.”

Tavi pursed his lips. “Go on.”

“The Hunters indicated to Marcus that while you had Varg’s respect, he might not be able to protect you from other Canim once we reached Canea. He suggested that you might consider turning back rather than continuing the rest of the way.”

“A warning,” Kitai murmured. “But one he could not deliver personally.”

“Possibly,” Tavi said.

“Then let’s take him up on it,” Max said. “No offense, Tavi, but there’s a big difference in fighting an expedition of Canim on our home ground and taking them all on in their house. Especially if there are as many of them as it looks like there are.”

Tavi scratched absently at his chin. “Exactly. Exactly.” He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a warning.”

Kitai tilted her head. “What else would it be?”

“A test,” Tavi said. “To see if I was serious about dealing with them in good faith.”

“What?” Magnus spluttered. “You have amply demonstrated that already. We built them a fleet of ships, for goodness’ sake.”

“If you’ll remember, they were well on the way to building the fleet all on their own,” Tavi said. “And while the Legions most likely would have destroyed them before they could have completed the task, you and I would have not have been alive to see it, Magnus. Nasaug had the First Aleran and the Guard at his mercy, and we all know it.”

“Regardless, you settled with them peaceably and abided by your word,” Magnus said.

“Which means nothing,” Kitai said. “It was simply the swiftest, most certain, and least costly way to be rid of the enemy.”

“If I turn back now,” Tavi said, “then the trust that the Canim extended to us goes unanswered. It sends them the message that while we may be good to our word, we are uninterested in building faith.”

“Or,” Max said, “you could avoid being eaten. And all of us being eaten with you.”

Tavi took a deep breath. “Yes. There is that.” He pointed a finger at Max. “But as you pointed out, Max, there would appear to be a lot more Canim than we ever imagined. Perhaps more than we could fight, should they ever decide that we need to be destroyed. What do the rest of you think?”

“What else do we not know about them?” Kitai asked.