Steel and Sorrow by Joshua P. Simon Read Free Book Online Page A

Their relationship had blossomed, and the weight of being warleader became unnoticeable with her near him.
    Ufer shook his head disapprovingly.
    He glanced one last time at Odala before giving the person speaking his undivided attention.
    The last of his advisors, a shipwright was speaking. “. . . we’ll be testing the last of the vessels this week. And not a moment too soon. The bay is beyond crowded and we’ve raised the ire of the fisherman.”
    “We’ll be out of their way soon enough,” said Tobin. “Keep up the good work. That will be all.” He gestured toward the door.
    Each advisor offered a quick bow and filed out.
    Walor stepped away from the wall as the door shut. “What do you mean by being out of their way soon enough?”
    Tobin quickly glanced toward Odala and then faced Walor. Nachun had asked Tobin to wait for him to return from his expedition to Quarnoq before proceeding with the year’s campaign. However, Tobin had reservations about waiting. Odala helped convince Tobin that starting without Nachun would not be a betrayal of their friendship since his focus would not be on the Red Mountain Clan. “We aren’t waiting for Nachun. The longer we wait, the more advantageous it is for the Green Forest Clan.”
    Sorry, Nachun, but you told me to trust my instincts. If all goes well, you can return to my victory in time to exact your revenge on Charu.
    “Good,” said Ufer.
    Walor began cracking his knuckles. “I agree. Even if he finds Quarnoq and comes back with the weapons he believes are there, I’d rather not rely on him. To me, his trip is another example of him thinking of himself first.”
    “The Yellow Clan all over again,” muttered Ufer.
    Tobin understood. Many felt that Nachun had left the Blue Island Clan in a poor situation as they finished the campaign against the Yellow Plain Clan. The shaman had returned to Juanoq shortly after the first victory on the Yellow Plain in order to oversee research for his journey to Quarnoq. Few doubted that Nachun’s presence would have ended the conflict sooner.
    “Nachun was not at fault. Blame my father for poor planning and not foreseeing the Yellow Clan’s tactics.” He paused. “Or blame me for not being more decisive. I had hoped to settle the matter in battle, but I underestimated the Yellow Clan’s strategy.”
    After chasing the Yellow Clan’s surviving forces for months across the expansive plain without success, Tobin’s patience had reached its limit. He turned to Actur, their capital city. Mawkuk had captured the city earlier in the campaign so he faced no resistance upon entering. Tobin gathered up all the men, women, and children left in the city and separated them in three distinct groups. He sent word to the Yellow Plain Clan with his intentions unless he received their surrender. He would kill one man the first day, two the next, three the day after, and so on. Once the male population ended, he would move to the women and then the children. If the army attempted to retake the city, he’d kill everyone in one mass execution.
    It took ten days and the deaths of fifty-five men before the army arrived. Tobin hated himself for killing innocents, but he rationalized that those fifty-five men had saved thousands from dying in battle.
    “If Mawkuk would not have failed in his duties before the first battle, we would have beaten them more soundly and finished them sooner. It is his fault more than yours, Warleader,” said Ufer.
    “Mawkuk will have his chance to contribute greatly in our campaign against the Green Forest Clan. I feel confident he’ll use the opportunity to redeem himself.”
    Tobin met Odala’s eyes. She gave a slight nod. She worried about her father and he tried to do anything he could to ease her mind.
    Ufer leaned forward and whispered. “I know you are fond of her, but I wish you would not allow her in our meetings.”
    “We’ve discussed this before,” said Tobin in a low voice.
    Ufer turned to Walor