Master of the Fort
The next morning Hadassah stood on the parapet and watched the Horsemen fan out. Mehetabel came up to her, “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“The lads are off on their expedition?”
“Yes.” Hadassah turned to her. “How are you two doing?”
“It’s hard. I knew it would be when Father sent me. But it is very hard.”
Hadassah looked at her. “In bed?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that. He’s a fine Husband as far as that goes. It’s just like he is angry. Angry at something, or someone, but not me. He really enjoys me.”
Hadassah looked at her and grinned. “Well, he does,” Mehetabel said, blushing.
“He’s a lad,” Hadassah said. “But you have no idea what angers him?”
“I’m afraid it is this whole thing, the ‘Come the Day’ thing. It’s hard on him, as you know,” she explained. “He’s a real Farmer. He loves the land.”
“You should have heard him on our trip to the capital. We could hardly pass a row of potatoes except he stopped and told me what they were, when they were planted, what bugs eat them. Between that and getting all private between rows of corn, it was a long trip.”
Hadassah laughed, and then sobered up. “So he doesn’t want to be here?”
“He wants to be farming! He was already frustrated back home. He was incredibly worried already back in Eilish. He was worried that he wouldn’t get any land of his own; worried that he would be forced to work under his Brother, whom he loves, but he says isn’t a very good Farmer.”
“I don’t think it is so much that but that he just wants to do it himself.”
“Well, he should get to. Tell him. Seth is eager to get this working and all of the young Lords should get land!”
“Think you so? Ishvi, well, I don’t think he likes Seth very well. You should hear how he complains about everything.”
“Really? He did fantastically on the boat.”
“That’s the thing. He’s really good at this. I think that is part of what drives him crazy. On one level he really appreciates what Seth is all about, and knows that he can really help. But he doesn’t give up easily, he doesn’t let go.”
“Look,” Hadassah said, “there he is!”
“Oh, no! He went and changed into a Horseman!”
“Well, that was the plan. They will accompany the Dwarves that way.
They brought along some extra horses. What’s wrong?”
“Well, they are coming back tomorrow night, no?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then he will want me to change to Aviovamimo.”
“So? Isn’t it fun, riding with your Husband?” Hadassah asked, grinning.
“Oh, yes. That’s not the problem. I just − I had a hard enough time wearing those Aviovamen clothes when everyone else was doing it. I really don’t want to do it alone.”
“Well, I can help with that. I am married to a Prince.”
--
The wagons came over the hill, with the Horsemen and transformed young Lords surrounding it. As soon as they appeared, a crowd of Aviovamen came galloping out of the castle. The Horsemen, with a series of cries, galloped off toward them.
“Well, aren’t they lucky,” said Ishvi.
“Hey, look,” Yakob said, “some of them are riding double!”
“And they aren’t stopping at the Horsemen, either,” Ariel said. The young Lords urged their horses forward with a whoop, each finding their Wife among the riders and scooping them up.
“Met!” Ishvi said, grabbing his Wife and lifting her up by the waist and planting her up in front of him, “Well met my love, well met!”
“You like it?” she said, tossing her head back, and finishing the change almost in mid-air to him.
“Of course I like it. You know how I like you on horseback.”
She blushed, and Seth and Hadassah rode up. “Ishvi! I hear we have your lovely Wife to thank for this reception.”
“What?” Ishvi said, pulling her back so he could look questioningly into Met’s face.
“That’s what I hear,” said Seth, and galloped away.
—
“No, I don’t agree, my Lord Prince.”
Seth had merely paused for a breath, and so Ishvi’s comment, coming in the middle of the planning meeting, took everyone by surprise. As they all turned to look he flushed but continued determinedly, “I believe that we would be well advised to make this new fort we are considering more than just a temporary stopping place. We should assign a certain number of the young Lords there; indeed we could all live there at first, while the second fort is being built; young Lords and their Wives.
Then the Horsemen and Dwarves can go out from here to build the next fort, and the workers here can form an excellent base for them.
“An interesting idea, Ishvi,” Seth said non-committally.
“My Lord, this is not the end. Soon you will be having other Farmers and the other races come, and move along this same path. We should store food and clothing for them along the way, provide an easy way for them to restock their water, have a Blacksmith to fix their wagons and shoe their horses − in short, a small town and a strong fort.”
“I do not trust the Beasts. True, they have largely left us alone so far, but that is while we have constructed one wall along the edge of the cliff, and moved a few stones inland a dozen miles. But when we have a series of forts, and a long line of people continually moving back and forth, I don’t believe we can trust them to remain quiescent.”
“I must say I share his fear, my Prince,” the General said. “I couldn’t tell you why, but every time I have ridden with the wagons and seen those Beasts, everything about them has screamed ‘enemy’ to me.”
--
“So, then,” Seth said, after a half an hour of spirited discussion, “not just a way station, but a strong fortress? And Ishvi to lead it? Is everyone agreed?”
“My Lord,” Ishvi began, “I didn’t…”
“No, I did,” Seth said, looking around the room. “And everyone else seems to agree. The General must manage the logistics, I need to be busy here with my ‘Princely’ duties, especially with new arrivals, and will need to be going back and forth to the Island. No, my Lord Ishvi, you have made your bed, as so often happens to people who get new ideas. I hereby, under the authority granted me by my Father, appoint and command you to take charge of the Fort − do you have a name for it?”
Ishvi stared at Seth, his anger and his pride warring, and finally said, “Thurle, my Lord.”
“Thurle, then. I appoint you the Master and Commander of the Fort ‘Thurle’ and charge you to see to its construction and manning along the lines you have laid down. I give you power to requisition such materials and personnel as you may need, subject only to my ultimate approval.”
“Very well, my Lord,” Ishvi said, rising, “if you would excuse me, then?”
At Seth’s nod he pushed the tent flap aside and went out. He stood for a moment, his fists opening and closing spasmodically and then stomped off toward his tent.
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