Seasons of War

from the great cities - appeared more and more often. Maati sat at the front of the cart, his robes wrapped close around him, staring ahead and trying not to put himself anywhere that the andat could catch his eye.
    He was, in fact, so preoccupied with the politics and dangers within his small party that he didn’t see the Galts until his horses were almost upon them.
    Three men, none of them older than thirty summers, sat at the side of the road. They wore filthy robes that had once been red or orange. The tallest had a leather satchel over his shoulder. They had stepped a few feet off the path at the sound of hooves, and the tall grass made them seem like apparitions from a children’s epic. Their eyes were blue, the pupils gray. None of them had shaved in recent memory. Their gaunt faces turned to the road from habit. There was no expression in them, not even hunger. Maati didn’t realize he had slowed the horses until he heard Eiah call out from the cart’s bed behind him. At her word, he stopped. Large Kae and Irit, taking their turns on horseback, reined in. Vanjit and Small Kae moved to the side of the cart. Maati risked a glance at Clarity-of-Sight, but it was still and silent.
    ‘Who are you?’ Eiah demanded in their language. ‘What are your names?’
    The Galtic apparitions shifted, blinking their empty eyes in confusion. The tall one with the satchel recovered first.
    ‘I’m Jase Hanin,’ he said, speaking too loudly. ‘These are my brothers. It isn’t plague. Whatever took our eyes, miss, it wasn’t plague. We aren’t a danger.’
    Eiah muttered something that Maati couldn’t make out, then shifted a crate in the back. When he turned to look, she had her physician’s satchel on her hip and was preparing to drop down to the road. Vanjit, seeing this as well, grabbed Eiah’s sleeve.
    ‘Don’t,’ Vanjit said. The word was as much command as plea.
    ‘I’ll be fine,’ Eiah said. Vanjit’s grip tightened on the cloth, and Maati saw their eyes lock.
    ‘Vanjit-cha,’ Maati said. ‘It’s all right. Let her go.’
    The poet looked back at him, anger in her gaze, but she did as he’d said. Eiah slipped down to the ground and walked toward the surprised Galts.
    ‘You’re a long way from anyplace,’ Eiah said.
    ‘We were out in the low towns,’ the tall one said. ‘Something happened. We’ve been trying to get back to Saraykeht. Our mother’s there, you see. Only it seems like we’re put on the wrong path or stolen from as often as we’re helped.’
    He tried what had once been a winning smile. Maati tied the reins to the cart and lowered himself to the road as well.
    ‘Your mother?’ Eiah said.
    ‘Yes, miss,’ the Galt said.
    ‘Well,’ she said, her voice cool. ‘At least you weren’t a band of those charming liars out selling the promise of women in the low towns. What’s in the satchel?’
    The Galt looked chagrined and desperate, but he didn’t lie.
    ‘Names of men, miss. The ones who wanted wives from Galt.’
    ‘I thought as much,’ Eiah said.
    ‘Don’t help them,’ Vanjit said. She’d climbed to the front of the cart, but hadn’t taken up the reins. From the way she held her body, Maati guessed it was a matter of time before she did. He saw the andat’s black eyes peering over the cart at him and looked away. Eiah might as well not have heard her.
    ‘We were going to do the right thing with them, miss,’ the tall man said. ‘There’s a man in Acton putting together women who want to come over. We had an arrangement with him. All the money’s been taken, but we still have the lists. God’s word, we’re going to keep our end of the thing, if we can just get back to Saraykeht.’
    ‘You stole from them,’ Eiah said, pulling a leather waterskin from her satchel. ‘They stole back from you. Seems to me that leaves you even. Here, drink from this. It’s not only water, so don’t take more than a couple of swallows, any of you.’
    ‘Eiah-kya,’ Irit said. Her voice was high and anxious, but she didn’t say more than the name. Large Kae’s mount whickered and sidestepped, sensing something uneasing in its rider’s posture. Eiah might as easily have been alone.
    ‘These . . . put out your hand. These are lengths of silver. I’ve put a notch in each of them, so you’ll know if someone’s trying to switch them. It’s enough to pay for a passage to Saraykeht. The road you’re following now, it will be about another day’s walk to the river.