The Ironhand's Daughter

Sigarni removed her cloak and spread it over the snow. 'Come, sit with me. Why not more questions?

That is my life now. Endless questions, each with a hundred answers.'

'You look tired,' said Layelia. 'You should rest more.'

'I will when there is time. Now ask your questions.'

The dark-haired woman was silent for a moment, staring deeply into Sigarni's pale blue eyes. 'What if we win?' she asked, at last.

Sigarni laughed. 'If we lose we die. That is all I know. My God, I certainly have no time to think of the aftermath of a victory that is by no means certain.'

'I think you should,' said Layelia softly. 'If you don't, then you are just like a man, never seeing beyond the end of your nose.'

Sigarni sighed. 'You are correct, I am tired. So let us assume the hare is bagged, and move on to the cooking. What do you want?'

Layelia chuckled. 'I have heard a lot about you, Sigarni. You have lived a life many women - myself included - would envy. But I don't envy you now, trying to adjust to a world of men. I ask about victory for a simple, selfish reason. I have children, and I want those children to grow in the Highland way, with their father beside them, learning about cattle and crops, family, clan and honour. The Outlanders threaten our way of life - not just by their invasion, but by our resistance. Tell me this, if you beat the Baron, what then? Is it over?'

'No,' admitted Sigarni. 'They will send another army.'

'And how will you combat them?'

'In whatever way I can,' said Sigarni guardedly.

'You will be forced to attack the Lowland cities, sack their treasuries and hire mercenaries.'

Sigarni smiled grimly. 'Perhaps.'

'And if you defeat the next army, will that end the war?'

'I don't know!' snapped Sigarni, 'but I doubt it. Where is this leading?'

'It seems to me,' said Layelia sadly, 'that win or lose our way of life is finished. The war will go on and on. The more you win, the further away you will take our men - perhaps all the way to the Outland capital. What then, when the outlying armies of their empire gather? Will you be fighting in Kushir in ten years?'

'If I am, it will not be from choice,' Sigarni told her. 'I hear you, Layelia, and I understand what you are saying. If there is a way I can avoid what you fear, then I will. You have my word on that.'

The dark-haired woman smiled, and laid her hand on Sigarni's arm. 'I believe you. You know, I have always thought the world would be a better place with women as leaders. We wouldn't fight stupid wars over worthless pieces of land; we would talk to one another, and reach compromises that would suit both factions. I know that you have to be a war leader, Sigarni, but I ask that you be a woman leader, and not just a pretend man in armour.'

'You are very forthright, Layelia. A shame you were not so forthright with Torgan.'

'I did my best,' said the other, with a wry smile, 'but he was not gifted with a good brain. He is, however, a fine partner in bed, so I will not complain too much.'

Sigarni's laughter rang out. 'I'm glad he is good at something.'

'He is also a good father,' said Layelia. 'The children adore him, and he plays with them constantly.'

'I am sorry,' said Sigarni. 'I have obviously not seen the best of him. Have you been married long?'

'Fourteen years come summer.' She smiled. 'He hasn't changed much in those years, save to lose some of his hair. It's beautiful here, isn't it, the sun gleaming on High Druin?'

'Yes,' Sigarni agreed.

Layelia rose. 'I have taken too much of your time. I will leave you to your thoughts."

Sigarni stood. 'Thank you, Layelia. I feel refreshed, though I don't know why.'

'You've spent too long in the company of men,' said Layelia. 'Perhaps we should talk again?'

'I would enjoy that.'

Layelia stepped forward and embraced the silver-haired warrior woman, kissing her on both cheeks.

Sigarni felt hot tears spill to her face. Abruptly she pulled clear and turned back towards High Druin.

*

'You shouldn't have brought me,' grumbled Ballistar. 'I'm slowing you down.'

'That's true,' grunted Sigarni, as they faced yet another deep snow-drift. 'But you're such good company!'

Ballistar shifted on her shoulders. 'Put me down and we'll see if we can crawl along the top of it. There should be solid ground about thirty feet ahead. Then it is just one more hill to the Falls.'

Sigarni swivelled and tipped the little man from her shoulders. He fell head-first into the drift, and came up spluttering and spitting snow. 'You are heavy for a small man,' she said laughing.

'And you have the boniest shoulders I ever sat upon,' he told her, brushing snow from his beard.

Turning to his stomach, Ballistar began to squirm across the snow. Sigarni followed him, using her arms to force a path. After an hour of effort they reached solid ground and sat for a while, gathering their strength. 'I'm freezing to death,' muttered Ballistar. 'I hope you left enough firewood in the cave. I'm in no mood to go gathering.'

'Enough for a couple of hours,' she reassured him.

The Falls were still frozen at the centre, but at the sides water had begun to trickle through the ice. 'The thaw is coming,' said the dwarf.

'I know,' said Sigarni softly.

Inside the cave Sigarni started a fire and they shrugged out of their soaked outer clothing. 'So why did you bring me?' asked Ballistar.

'I thought you'd enjoy my company,' she told him.

'That's not very convincing.'

She looked at him, and remembered how out of place he had seemed back at the encampment, how lonely and sad. 'I wanted company,' she said, 'and I could think of no one else I would rather have with me.'

He blushed and looked away. 'I'll accept that,' he said brightly. 'Do you remember when we used to play here as children? You, me, Fell and Bernt built a tree house. It fell apart in the big storm.

Fell was climbing and the floor gave way. You remember?'

Sigarni nodded. 'Bernt stole the nails from Grame. More nails in that structure than wood.'

'It was fun, wasn't it?'

'Fun? You were always arguing with the others, getting into scrapes and fights.'

'I know,' he said. 'I was young then, and not growing like the rest of you. But I look back on those times as the happiest of my life. Do you think the others would?'

'Bernt no longer looks back,' she said, her voice almost a whisper.

'Oh, I'm sorry, Sigarni. I wasn't thinking.' Reaching out, he took her slender hand in his own, his stubby fingers caressing her wrist. 'It wasn't your fault, not really. I think if you had gone he would still have killed himself had you turned him down. It was his life; he chose to take it.'

Sigarni shook her head. 'I don't think that is the whole truth. Had I known the outcome beforehand I would have acted differently. But now I think about how I was lying in bed with Asmidir, enjoying myself utterly.' She sighed. 'And while I was being pleasured, Bernt was tying a rope around his neck.'

Ballistar looked away and fiddled with the fire, poking small sticks into the flames. 'Now I have embarrassed you,' she said.

'Yes, you have,' he told her, reddening. 'But we are friends, Sigarni. We always will be. I don't want you to feel there are words you cannot say in my presence. When is the wizard due?' he asked, changing the subject.

'Tomorrow.'

'I wish he'd chosen a more hospitable meeting place.'

'It had to be here,' she said. 'He knew what the Pallides would ask of me.'

'Madness!' snapped Ballistar. 'Who do they think they are? Here we sit on the verge of war and they play games. Do they believe they can win without us?'

'No, my friend, they don't think that. Their Dreamers have told them that the leader will wear the Crown of Alwen. If that is true, then I must find it. Taliesen will have a plan.'