Tarashana by Rachel Neumeier (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📕

Lowering his hands, he waited. For forty breaths, he did not move. Nothing happened. All the world lay quiet. No one in the gathering rose to protest Koro’s words. The wind had risen, and many more clouds had come across the sky, but not enough to hide the face of the Sun. He stood high now. Brilliant lances of sunlight speared down where the clouds were broken, thrusting from the vault of the heavens to the earth. An eagle turned high above, black when he passed below the clouds, golden when he swept through a shaft of sunlight. I was probably not the only person who took note of that eagle.

Finally Koro went on, speaking clearly, but not as loudly. “Royova, this is my command. You will take the warleader of the inTasiyo out into the steppe. When you have traveled a day’s ride from this place, cut off his hair and burn it. Cut out the tongue that tells such disgraceful lies. Cut off the hands that have performed such dishonorable actions. Leave him there and continue west, with as many warriors as you see fit, to inTasiyo lands. Tell the people there that their tribe no longer exists. Any warrior who will not renounce that name, put to death. Any woman who will not renounce it, put to death as well. Leave the heads of the dead for the animals. Any child orphaned in this way, take up, to be given to a tribe that may teach that child to behave properly. Disperse the nameless people who used to be inTasiyo. Drive them from that territory. Let them go to other tribes and ask to take those names. If no one will take those people, they may leave all the lands known to me or they may kill themselves, but neither nameless people nor anyone who claims the inTasiyo name is welcome in any land I rule.”

Royova answered formally, “All that you command, o king, I will do.”

Koro nodded. “Before you leave the inTasiyo lands, go up to their tombs. Take all the heads from the tomb that was carved most recently. Cast those skulls into the open for the beasts. If this is unjust to any of the taiTasiyo, then I regret that and I pray that the gods will be merciful to those shades. But I do not want the shades of honorless people mingled with those of their ancestors.”

“O king, I will do as you command.”

Koro nodded once more. He said, “Before you carry out these commands, wait. I may have something else for you to do first.” Then he raised his hands again and looked around at everyone, all the gathering. He called out, in a voice that everyone could hear, “I declare that the lands that once belonged to the inTasiyo are unlucky. For the coming year, no one will set foot upon those lands. Let no one hunt there. Any tribe may take the beasts that stray from that territory to any other, but no one should go into that territory to find ponies or cattle or dogs, lest ill luck follow them from that land to that of their own people. For one year, let those lands lie unpeopled. After this year has passed away, during the Convocation of the next season, which will be held there in the west, I will listen to anyone who wishes to risk taking on that ill luck. At that time, we will discuss how to divide those lands, and I will decide what is best to do in that regard.”

Once more lowering his hands, Koro turned at last to Aras. I steadied myself, resisting the urge to jump to my feet. I might do so soon, but the time was not yet. I knew that, but it was hard for me to wait.

Koro began to speak, and checked himself.

Or, no. Koro did not check himself. I realized that a heartbeat after he closed his mouth. I could hardly believe what I saw. I thought I must be wrong. But I was not wrong. I knew even before I looked at Aras that I was right. Then I looked at him, and knew for certain. He was gazing steadily at Koro, his manner almost like his ordinary manner. But beneath the stark, hard-held calm was something else: a bleak awareness of what he had done and that there was no way to undo the act.

I said softly, “Aras.”

He had been looking only at Koro. Now he blinked and looked at me. He shut his eyes, and breathed out, and bowed his head, pressing his hands first across his eyes and then to his mouth.

Koro took a breath. Another breath. Then he looked at Aras. He said, his voice level and dangerous, “You set your will upon me. I felt you do it.”

Royova had not realized this. Now he drew his sword, signaling to his warriors. All of the inVotaro near us drew their swords, enough men that Aras might not, should not, be able to put his will on all of them fast enough to prevent someone from cutting him down. But our king put up a hand to check them, and all those warriors paused, waiting for a different signal.

I waited as well, because there was nothing else I could do. My father rose to his feet, but he did not say anything. Koro gave him a glance and then looked away again, tacit permission for him to stand. Garoyo, beside me, set a hand on my shoulder. This made my breaths come a little more easily. I realized then that there could be some other kind of trouble, and looked for the other Lau. They were above, not far away. They had been sitting with my mother. Geras had obviously moved to get up,