"Coya 2" by Erik Jensen

The cold bluish steel of the sword Gabriel was looking at seemed to dim even the reflections of the summer sun. The steel was clear as a pond in Elvenheim, and yet it seemed to absorb the rays of the sun. It held an unmistakable aura of power. The sword was a long, heavy one, the sword of Valorian heavy infantry; however, this sword had been made by Lord Irongauntlet himself.

Gabriel turned the sword in his hand a couple of times. It was heavy, which suited his taste and skill. The blade was not clumsy, however. The balance was, for lack of a better word, perfect. The edge was breathtakingly sharp, and the sword seemed to blend with his arm when he held it tight.

Gabriel had been studying his new sword for almost an hour, and he still found new details. The sword was very plain at first glance, but the trained warrior quickly saw details such as the angle of the crossguards; an angle so right, it suggested that the smith had used weeks to perfect it before he dared temper the steel. The blade had been folded, forged and folded over and over and over again. The clarity of the blade suggested that mithril was part of the alloy, but Lord Irongauntlet never used mithril in his creations; anyone who had mithril could make a sharp edge that would last indefinitely, but Lord Irongauntlet had used knowledge of metal that rivalled elder dwarven craftsmen, and he had used a forging technique of elven origins, but with such perfection that no Living could hope to copy him. And this sword was a mere test, a little toy made to see if the technique worked out satisfactorily. A chill ran down Gabriel's spine as he thought of it. He held a sword in his hand that was probably among the five best in all of Valoria.

He was sitting on a river boat. Not many boatsmen dared ride the wild Waterwall river, but the quickest way to get from Ironmaw Castle to the harbour in Rivergate was to follow the river. Gabriel forced himself out of his dreamy state and he turned his attention to the mission at hand. He reluctantly sheathed his sword and looked down the river.

He could not remember much of his meeting with Lord Irongauntlet. He remembered the incredibly compelling voice, the dark and severe gaze and eyes as hard as a mountain's deepest root. He did remember his mission, though, and quite clearly.

He was to be the Irongauntlets' representative at a diplomatic discussion. Yontar had required of one of its neighbours that they stopped the construction of siege engines. The resulting animosity had been increased substantially as the two countries, Coya and Yontar, had amassed troops in the border region. The Triumvirate, Yontar's leading body, had been somewhat divided in the matter. The High Priest of Bain, Lord Fuerza, had suggested a quick military action to end the situation quickly and neatly. Surely, the military superiority of Yontar would make such an action expeditious and relatively painless. The Spokesman of Nobles, Lord Sestertio, had argued that a war would be very unpopular among the nobles that had lands in the border region. The Elder, Lord Alonso, had then proposed that the nobles in question were given first picks on whatever new lands became occupied after the war.

A few of the northern nobles had been less than happy with the prospect of war. They were doing quite well in trading with the dwarves and the Valorians. Valoria had often made trade boycotts of nations at war, and the dwarves usually followed the Valorian lead. For the dwarves, trade with Valoria covered all their needs. Besides, the dwarves and Valoria had been very close allies for centuries.

The northern nobles had asked Valoria to send a delegation to Yontai, Yontar's capital, in order to press the Triumvirate to avoid war. The Valorians had agreed, but at the present the delegation was kept from talking to the Coyan delegates, and they were not admitted at the negotiation table. As such, they made no difference.

Lord Irongauntlet had decided to use a loophole: He was sending a military officer to act as delegate of the Irongauntlet family. Most of the bureaucracy that kept the Valorians from attending the negotiations was based on their nationality. The Irongauntlets, however, were a noble family, and they were entitled to have their own delegates independent of their nation. This practice was allowed in Yontar, because it was easier to take over a country if a few of the local feudal lords could be persuaded to assist before war was declared.

It was still not completely clear to Gabriel why he had been chosen, or what exactly he was to accomplish, but he would be briefed by the Valorian delegates in Yontai. It was going to be a challenge, but he felt he would be up to it. After all, Lord Irongauntlet must have chosen him for a reason.

He took a deep breath and got to his feet as he saw the towers of Rivergate Castle.

In just four days, Gabriel travelled to the Yontarian capital. He had had reservation on a Valorian trading vessel going south, and he had disembarked in the port city of Puerto Castello. He had been given a fast horse from the Valorian consulate there, and then he had travelled for almost two full days at the highest pace he dared push the horse to.

He arrived at the gates of Yontai in the afternoon. The city was built on a hill and was quite imposing. The central castle lay on the top of the hill, and there was a tall and broad wall all the way around the city at the base of the hill. A river flowed through the outskirts, but it had been dammed where it passed the wall. The water moved so fast in the small passages that it would be impossible to infiltrate the city that way. The resulting pond inside the city was surrounded by a park, and around that park was the rich neighbourhood.

Most of the buildings in Yontai were constructed of pale bricks, and almost all the smaller houses were whitewashed and had thatched roofs. The city was about as large as Kwell Thrig, the capital in Valoria, but it had many narrow and winding streets, and the charming terrace-like structures where the hill was steepest had a less urban feel to it. There was also actual slum, a concept unheard of in all Valorian cities besides Deep Port.

Some of the larger streets were hardly passable since they had been turned into elongated market squares. Markets in Valoria were lively affairs, but things were very organized and orderly. In Yontai the vendors called out to passers-by, trying to overdo each other in claims of quality and sound volume as well as price; guards passed and caused tumultuous scenes when people with less than clear consciences tried to scurry away; donkeys and carts would pass through the sea of people, the rider exchanging unpleasantries with anyone who got in the way; there was always some sort of disturbance, and everyone's tempers seemed to flare for the smallest of reasons. Gabriel was happy that he was mounted, or he would definitely have been lost in the chaotic streets.

Finally finding the Valorian embassy in a calmer part of the city, Gabriel gave a sigh of relief. With the sun going lower, the heat seemed to have lessened considerably, and the number of people in the streets seemed to dwindle.

The embassy was a former barracks. The Valorians were very fond of horses, and a large part of the barracks were designed as stables, since almost all the stables in Yontar belonged to the military or local nobles. The facade of the house was a lot less severe than the original structure had been. The grey granite walls had been whitewashed and hollyhocks had been planted along the wall. The arrow slits had been widened into actual windows, and the frontal door had been replaced with a blue painted door. Over the building, the blue and white of Valoria's flag hung quietly in the still air.

Gabriel dismounted, and a young man emerged from the stables at the sound of a horse stopping outside. He was obviously of Yontarian descent, with black hair and dark eyes. His accent was almost undetectable, not that he was trying to hide it.

"You look like a Valorian, señor. Are you here to meet the ambassadors?" Gabriel smiled wearily, as he stretched his body. He was sore in every muscle in his body from the ride he was so unused to. Well, certain muscles were more sore than others.

"Yes, I need to speak with the ambassador immediately. This horse belongs to the consulate in Puerto Castello, see to it that the stable master is told that." The young man smiled and bowed, which surprised Gabriel. He shrugged it off and went inside the building.

After consulting with the secretary inside, Gabriel was quickly admitted into the ambassador's office. It was a moderate sized room with no decorations except for a shield on the wall. The walls were smooth grey granite, and the whole atmosphere was one of cool serenity, especially after the streets and the heat outside. The desk in the middle of the room was made of oak, and was probably a gift from the high elves. Around at the walls were cupboards and drawers. One of the drawers was open, revealing a neat system of files. The place seemed to belong more to a monastery than an embassy.

The ambassador himself was a man in his early sixties with short grey hair and beard. His eyes were dark and lively, and as he stood to greet Gabriel, he proved as tall as the soldier. The two shook hands with firm grips. Gabriel, as the visitor, introduced himself first.

"I am Lieutenant Gabriel Battlemaster of the Third Heavy Infantry."

"I am Nortenon Highprayer, senior ambassador in Yontar. Please, have a seat." He motioned towards a chair that was more comfortable than the one he used himself.

"Thank you, Sir, but I better not," Gabriel replied, looking a bit uncomfortable. Ambassador Highprayer looked surprised.

"Why not, pray tell?" Gabriel seemed to search for the words.

"I came here by horse… And I'm in the infantry, you see…" The ambassador chuckled slightly.

"I see, lieutenant. There's a good masseur just down the street, I'm sure he can help relieve your discomfort."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Now, why did a lieutenant in the infantry come riding to Yontai?"

"I was sent on direct orders from Lord Irongauntlet. I am here to represent the Irongauntlets at the negotiation table." The ambassador smiled thoughtfully.

"A special envoy of the noble family, huh? That's clever… Clever indeed. What's your past experience with diplomacy?"

"As good as nothing, Sir." The ambassador looked amazed.

"Come, come, lieutenant. I can't think that Lord Irongauntlet would choose a completely green man to represent his house."

"I'm as puzzled as you, Sir. I would be grateful for any assistance…" Highprayer waved his hand in a dismissive way.

"Yes, yes, of course. But there must be something… What did you do before you joined the army?"

"I joined as soon as I could. Before that I helped out on the family farm."
"And where was that?"

"In the area just south of Arvanon, Sir." Highprayer's thoughtful look lightened a bit.

"At least you're used to dealing with many different kinds of people. Have you been abroad?"

"I served as Principal Lieutenant in the colonies until a six weeks ago."

"Principal Lieutenant, huh? Where did you graduate from?"
"Arvanon Officer's Academy, Sir."
"So you speak High Elf?"

"Yes, Sir, and I also took courses in Sylvan Elf, Yontarian and Dwarven tongues. I also learned Lithwarian in the colonies, Sir." The ambassador smiled.

"Well, you're not entirely without qualifications, then. Especially since King Lethonion has sent a delegation here as well. Good communications with them will be of great help to you."
"Thank you, Sir."

"Now, I'll send you on down to the masseur. You can get a hot bath there, and I'll send someone down with fresh clothes. I assume you'll prefer a uniform?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."
"Very well, then."

Ambassador Highprayer smiled as Gabriel walked out the door. He didn't really know how this had come about, but when he first came to Yontai sixteen years ago as a beginning diplomat, he had been bringing a small chest with him, sent along by order of Lord Irongauntlet. It was supposed to be opened only when a special envoy of the Irongauntlets came to the embassy. He called to his secretary to bring it in.

As the grizzled ambassador opened it, strangely excited, he found a full infantry uniform that looked the right size for Gabriel. There were also various other items of clothing, including a blue cloak with the black gauntlet on the back. There was also a wax seal, which identified the sealer as the special envoy of the Irongauntlets. The foresight of the Irongauntlets had yet again proven itself.