The border to the west of the Horse People was an enormous river that flowed northward, and emptied into the sea to the west of Queen Ione's lands. Between the river and the settled parts of the Horse People's desert lands was an enormous band of forest. Bands of bandits were reported as crossing through the forest, and raiding the settlements at the edge of the forest. Receiving news of an enormous band heading for a showdown with the Horse People, Jana's rider group was dispatched, together with several other groups, all under Jana's leadership, and after a two-day battle, and heavy losses on both sides, the enemy bandits tried to haul their dead away, but were pursued back across the forest, and into the river. The dead they left behind clearly indicated that at least half of the enemy fighters were mercenaries.
Things settled down briefly, and Jana left her troop with her adjutant, and came home for a short break, to see Leila, who pined for her mistress, and the little boy, who was a delightful infant, roaming about the house, getting into everything with a happy smile. Jana and Leila were fast asleep when there was a banging at the door, and they found a messenger from the troop come to tell Jana that there had been yet another raid on a village. The boy was exhausted, and Jana and Leila helped him recover before Jana headed back south.
With the help of the villagers, Jana set up a warning watch, with young fellows along a chain of trees, watching from in hiding all up and down the river. That night, there was warning sent along to the Rider camp that a raid was in progress. Jana and her troops were only in time to attack the raiders already trying to get back through the forest. The village had dead all up and down the main street, and one young woman was lying on the ground, having just been raped, along with her mother.
Jana's words comforted the villagers, and she set the young victims to care for the more elderly victims, promising to return soon, to see how things were getting on. When she had grabbed a short nap and gotten back, a number of villages had taken things into their own hands, and had formed a sort of spy militia. The young woman whom Jana had spoken with earlier had lost her mother--the woman had killed herself. The woman, Inanna, volunteered for the spy network. It decided that the most likely next target was a village a little to the north.
Inanna had attached herself to the young Rider Captain, who appeared to be a young man. With a few other members of the spy network, they stayed the early part of the evening in the village inn, and as the attack happened, Jana's riders fell on the bandits, and there was slaughter. The remnants of the attack force were chased to the river, and it was soon clear that the Horse People would need to cross the river, and see what was happening.
In the night, Inanna discovers that Jana is a woman. But this discovery only makes her more attracted to the young rider captain, but she is horrified at herself for falling in love with another woman, and furious at Jana for deceiving her. Inanna is beautiful, and Jana is thoroughly off balance. Meanwhile, Inanna is seething with vengeance, and wants to go across the river with Jana, and wreak havoc. She does not know how to fight, and begs Jana to teach her. The traditional weapon of women of the Horse People is the thrown knife, and under Jana's tutelage, the girl quickly discovers a talent for the thrown knife.
Jana decides to cross the river by herself, to do some spying, and finds herself accompanied by Inanna. Jana argues with Inanna to return home, but she refuses, and pretends that she has lost her mind, as she dances along, throwing her knife at the boles of trees in the forest. Stripping naked, with their clothes tied in bundles, Jana crosses the river, with Inanna on her shoulders, singing at the top of her voice, despite Jana's entreaties to her to be quiet. They are intercepted by a border guard who has his arrow aimed at Jana's head. But after confusing the guard with some doubletalk, Inanna kills him with a knife through his throat.
The pair put their clothes back on, and approach a small town, and the inn of the town. They discover that the country has been overrun by mercenaries from the far north, the same fellows who had planned to take over Queen Ione's land, headed by the Duke.
Kay
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