Tarashana by Rachel Neumeier (best novels to read for students .TXT) 📗

dangerous no one wants to risk correcting him because everyone is afraid of fighting him? Let’s say he’s a man like, for example, Royova inVotaro. I don’t believe many warriors would want to dispute with him over any matter.”

I considered this. Royova was the warleader of the inVotaro, and the most dangerous man in a fight I had ever seen. The idea Aras suggested explained some things. But it did not explain enough. I said, “If the lord of the tribe is afraid of his warleader, then the whole tribe will be weak and riven by discord. No one will respect the lord. If the people of that tribe are afraid of their own warleader, they should seek places in other tribes.”

He nodded. The movement was almost imperceptible in the dim light. After a while he said, “There could be many reasons the people of a tribe don’t reach that decision. Also, I think possibly your opinion could be a little slanted because your father would absolutely fight someone like Royova inVotaro.”

My father would certainly do that if he felt his honor required it. The earth would probably shatter all the way down to the land of the shades if two men as strong as that fought.

Aras said reflectively, “The problems that occur among Lau aren’t necessarily the same, but they may be more common. If a man handles his children badly, it’s unlikely his older brothers or uncles or father will know much about it, and they don’t in general have standing to interfere. Lucas was quite difficult when he came to me. My brother had indulged him too much and in the wrong way, and when he died, my sister-in-law had no idea at all how to handle him.”

“Yes, I remember,” I said. “You told me that. Probably he gave you little trouble, no matter how difficult your brother’s wife had found him.”

He laughed. “He gave me far more trouble than you might think. I was quite a bit younger at the time, you know, and I was used to being able to pick up my scepter and give orders, so I was somewhat taken aback when I was suddenly presented with a nephew who didn’t care about my authority. Lucas resented me desperately and was determined not to care for my opinions or obey my orders. It took about a year to sort that out. Your own problem will most likely prove to be more difficult in some ways, but easier in others.”

“Everything is more difficult in some ways and easier in others.”

“Yes, I know, that’s why it’s such an easy prediction to make. I do have one piece of advice, which I won’t proffer unless you want me to.”

I regarded him.

“Yes, I know; I did that on purpose, obviously. Young men are less afraid to be corrected by older men whose opinion they don’t value as highly. If you want help, ask Geras.”

“I thought of that. I was not sure it would be right.”

“That’s because you’re a young man yourself and you still feel as though you’re responsible for everything.”

“You are laughing at me.” But I was smiling now. I had not intended to ask for his approval ... but I was glad to know I had it.

“Only in the friendliest possible way, and yes, you do. I’m not an Ugaro, so my judgment is probably not as reliable as, say, your brother’s, but as far as I can tell, you’re doing fine. How much longer do you suppose it will be before we reach the mountains?”

“Did you see the mountains in the distance today?”

“I’m not certain. Possibly. Very faintly.”

“You will be completely certain of those mountains for many days before we come there,” I told him.

“Now you’re laughing at me.”

“In the friendliest way. The day you are completely certain you see them, we will be at least twenty more days from my mother’s camp. Perhaps more than that. We are traveling more quickly than I expected, but perhaps not that much more quickly. There is no need yet to think of the ending of this journey. Relax. Go to sleep. Nothing will happen for a long time.”

I should have known better than to tempt the gods by saying such a thing.

 -8-

Early the next afternoon, Rakasa rode past everyone else to come up beside me. When I looked his way, raising my eyebrows, he flicked a hand at the sky to the east. I looked that way and shook my head, embarrassed. “I should have seen that.”

“It makes me feel useful to see some things before you do, Ryo. Will the Lau horses panic when the whip of the gods comes down?”

That was an important question; one I should have thought of myself. Our ponies and our cattle know better than to run before the storm, but if a pony does run before the shiral, the whip of the gods will pass him by and leave him in the quiet so that he may recover his good sense. A Lau horse might well panic, and then he might run fast enough that the storm would drive him until he died.

By this time, everyone else had come up. Everyone peered away to the east, where the blackness of the sky was now impossible to miss. The tasseled grasses were all blowing in one direction now: the wind was always from the east in this season, but ordinarily it gusted. I should have realized the shiral was coming just from that. I had been careless.

I studied the horses. They were raised and trained to trust their riders and look to people for guidance. I asked abruptly, “Can you make them lie down? Are they trained for that?”

“Yes, they are. We’ll do exactly as you say, Ryo,” Aras assured me.

“We will make the horses lie down and cover their