The House of Yeel

Chapter 15: Barbarians





Yeel sensed a change in the human soldiers around him. Their movement patterns had changed. Another squad of armored men hurried past.

Not good. They are alarmed. Perhaps the attack has begun?

He found Jymoor at the top of the gate tower where they’d entered the city. She looked out into the distance.

“What can you see?” Yeel asked. “My eyes, without augmentation, are not good at distance.”

“The barbarian army is arriving,” she said. Her voice was somber.

“I guess that’s not surprising,” Yeel said. “We were talking openly about helping Vot. No doubt Yune heard of it and told the Meridalae.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Meridalae always have spies in high places,” Yeel said. “And one of them is Seer Yune. She’s the one who altered my memory augment the very night I read it. They may have learned of our proposal. The surest way to keep us from our plan is to put Maristaple into immediate danger. Even if they aren’t ready to attack the city, their presence here forces the king’s hand.”

“Has Yune been thrown in the dungeon?”

“I haven’t told the king yet. I feared making such an accusation against his mistress would simply anger him and cause him to reject our argument for cooperation with Vot.”

Jymoor opened her mouth then shut it again.

“You’re right. What about the barbarians? Why are they on the side of the Meridalae?”

“They probably aren’t. The Meridalae are masters of manipulation. They seldom do their own fighting. For all we know, this plan is a century in the making.”

For the rest of the day, Jymoor watched the enemy encircle the castle and create huge camps. She gave steady reports to Yeel, who couldn’t see it by himself. All the while, the soldiers within the castle made their last preparations as well. The last few shacks were cleared from outside the wall. Though the vegetation had been cut away weeks ago, scouts milled about outside the wall, making sure everything was in order.

As night fell, Yeel turned to Jymoor.

“I’m going to head back to the house and look for my spyglass. You’re welcome to join me if you wish, assuming you’ve been using the cerebral nutrient replenisher and don’t wish to sleep.”

“I think I will.” She smiled at Yeel.

They walked through the roveportal back to the house. Jymoor looked around the water room.

“It can be creepy here. It’s so large. The armor comforts me, though. Aren’t you ever afraid here?” Jymoor nestled a bit closer to Yeel.

“I guess I’m used to it. I have, after all, been living here a very long time. And I’ve never had any trouble in the house, at least not major trouble. An occasional wild animal is the worst thing the house has let in.”

“But how do you know some Meridalae didn’t just walk up to the front and go in, just as I did? Maybe they’re in here now.”

“The house won’t let most in. It can detect many dangers.”

“So I got in because…I was only a harmless scout.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“So…what’s the logical location of the spyglass?”

“Hmm…the glass is for distance sight. The lower level east-west corridor is the longest straight corridor. With a spyglass, I could clearly see down it. On the other hand, the observation lounge at the top level looks out over the Far Coast…”

“…and one might make use of the spyglass from there,” Jymoor finished. “Let’s try this observation room. I’ve never seen it. How did you manage to remember it?”

“Oh, I just assume a wonderful house like this, with such an opulent water room, must have a nice observation spot at the top.”

Jymoor laughed.

They wandered, taking every stair they found until finally, Yeel led the way into a round room at the top of Yeel’s house. The room had three long divans and a few bits of furniture, but no windows.

“There are no windows?” Jymoor asked. Yeel grabbed one of the rods and lifted it. As one, metal panels on the walls rose up. A light breeze came into the room. Jymoor peered out.

“I got my directions mixed up. I guess the coast is over there,” she said, shifting her position. “I can’t see much tonight except the stars, though. It’s very romantic.”

“Then use the night glass,” Yeel said, handing her a deep blue looking glass.

Jymoor hefted the new spyglass to her eye and gazed out toward the coast. She made an appreciative sound.

“Amazing! The view is pretty clear. It would be even better if the mist in the south cleared a bit.”

“There it is,” Yeel said. He grasped another spyglass in a long tentacle.

“Look at all these rings!” Jymoor said. Yeel looked over. Jymoor had opened a small chest beside the divan. It was filled with dozens of bright rings of gold and silver.

“Oh yes. That is only one of my stashes I feel sure.”

“Are any of them…special?”

“They all are. Why else keep them?”

“In what way?”

“I have no recollection. Oh. Except for that one. And that one. And that one…”

“Anything that could help us with the siege? Yeel, what if the solution to our problems is an artifact here in your house, but you don’t remember it?”

“Well, yes, it’s possible…I mean, life comes with no shortage of problems. You’re really luckier than you know, having such a sharp memory. Anyway, these rings likely won’t help us in the big picture.”

Jymoor couldn’t keep her eyes off the ring. Yeel surveyed the contents again.

“If you want one, I know the double ruby pattern there. That one. It’s called a second chance ring. Your first wound incurred on any given day is rapidly healed. But your second wound is much worse. The trick is, to take the ring off after the first wound. Ideally, you then give the ring to your enemy. Also, it’s been known as a torturer’s ring.”

“Ugh. Interesting, but unpleasant,” Jymoor said. “Besides, I would be wearing it under my gauntlets. So I wouldn’t be able to take it off easily in combat, which is where I’d likely be getting wounded.”

“Good point.”

“How about this one?”

“Oh. I don’t remember exactly, though the top twist of silver means it is related to sexual rites of another species than your own—”

“Yuck. This one?”

“I don’t know.”

“This one?”

“I don’t know most of them.”

“Do you know this one?” Jymoor held up a gem-encrusted double ring, apparently meant for two fingers side by side.

“Yes. It’s a detector.”

“What does it detect?”

“I have no idea.”

Jymoor sighed. “Maybe there isn’t anything here powerful enough anyway.”

“The more powerful the item, the more likely I am to remember it. And we do have some amazing items around here. But defeating the horde is no small matter.”

“We aren’t going to defeat them. I no longer think we can do it.”

“Don’t give up hope. We still may be able to get Vot’s help.”

“It doesn’t look like it.”

“I have some ideas. Let’s get back.”

Yeel placed the spyglass into his travel pack. Jymoor walked up to Yeel and kissed him.

Yeel stopped. He noticed something from one of his detached eyes. How far away, or which eye, Yeel wasn’t sure. It didn’t look like anyplace he’d recently dropped one.

He saw something stir. A shape.

“Is something wrong?” Jymoor asked.

Then another shape resolved. They were out of focus. Two dark shadows remained still to either side. The shapes straight ahead were lighter, and moving.

“Well, look at that!” Yeel said as he watched. The shapes kept moving. One of the shapes was…a human. Or looked like a human. It opened a jar.

“What?” Jymoor asked in irritation. She stepped away.

“Interesting! One of my eyes seems to have been…preserved!”

Yeel tried to focus, but it remained difficult…as if the eye was inside another jar.

“Yeel, I don’t follow you. What does kissing have to do with…whatever you’re talking about?”

“I must have done that. How clever of myself. I am really quite the planner, aren’t I?”

“I don’t understand,” Jymoor growled.

The shape moved its jar to one side and walked out of view. Then the light dimmed again and Yeel stopped seeing anything from the remote eye.

“Nothing, it’s a magical matter. Too bad I don’t remember exactly where it is,” Yeel murmured. He headed for the door. Jymoor stomped after him.

They walked out of the maze of rooms by trial and error, found the fountain room, and then emerged back in Maristaple. Once home, Jymoor took her leave abruptly.

The next day as the horde outside kept growing from constant new arrivals, Jymoor and Yeel asked for another audience with King Aruscetar.

This time, the monarch spoke to them as soon as they arrived.

“All chances of our army being able to help Ascara-home are now gone. The barbarians surround us. Great Yeel, I hope you choose to defend us as you have promised.”

“I’m not yet ready to discard our plan,” Yeel said.

“I won’t leave, not now.”

“I have a proposal. If I make the army outside decamp and disperse, will you consider helping Vot?”

“You will do that? You can do that?” King Aruscetar grasped at the straw Yeel offered him.

“I believe I can make them go away, for a time. Not permanently. If I do send them away, I hope you can join Vot in defense of her fortress. With the understanding, of course, that if we are victorious, you will need her assistance in turn when the barbarians come back.”

Aruscetar nodded. His face held an expression Yeel recognized as grim resignation in humans.

“My field commanders have assured me we have little chance of victory here. If you can send them away, then I agree to help Vot.”

“Then the plan stays the same,” Yeel said. “It just has a new first step. A new, very challenging first step. I’ll begin right away.”