Threads 168-Emissary 3

Ling Qi’s thoughts raced. She didn’t want to undermine Cai Renxiang, but neither did she want to leave a potentially insulting misunderstanding.

“On that note,” Ling Qi said, “we were given some small gifts to present as part of our suite.”

Reviewing what she had placed in her storage ring, Ling Qi plucked forth a few examples. Jade rings and jewelry, including a torc, carved with potent defensive formations, a steel cavalry saber sheathed in luxurious leather, and a number of art pieces, figurines and carvings of wood, jade, or metal, appeared on the tabletop between them.

Thankfully, their appearance did not seem to surprise their hosts. Jaromila’s eyes flicked down to the tabletop, and her husband merely cocked his head to the side.

“Our people tend to place more value on metals and stones,” Ling Qi explained. “We have many fine artisans.”

Ilsur looked to his wife, and she gestured him forward. The barbarian reached for the handle of the saber and drawing it a centimeter from the sheath, tested his thumb against the edge. Jaromila traced a pointed iron nail across the carved fur of the racing lion dogs carved into the torc.

“It is good metal,” Ilsur said quietly. “It does not sing, but the embers of sun and river ring true, and the blade is sharp.”

“It is good that you recognize our craftsmen’s work,” Cai Renxiang said. “I had some concern that such gifts might seem petty in the face of your mineral wealth.”

Ling Qi was glad that Cai Renxiang could so easily adjust to the flow of the conversation.

“Our lands are blessed with the gifts of the Skyfather,” Jaromila agreed. “Yet skilled smiths are rare, so far in the north as we are. Your gifts are appreciated, but the life price will be more important to my people, I think.”

Ling Qi inclined her head slightly. It seemed they really would prefer the wood, regardless of the differences in their value to Emerald Seas. Still, it was a potential point of contention defused. “I offer them in good faith regardless, and more as well, should negotiations go well. It was my understanding though that the people of the cloud disdain digging in the earth.”

“We do,” Ilsur said with a shrug. “Yet it is easy to keep taboos when your sheep and horses have grazing grounds, and your children have warmth. The tribes of the frozen hills and low peaks do not have these luxuries.”

“To live under the open sky is best, but it is not always possible,” Jaromila agreed. “Crone Winter protects us, but her touch is cruel, even to her true sons and daughters.”

“That is reasonable,” Ling Qi said. She could hardly disagree with such a sentiment. “Do all of your people live in redoubts like this then?”

“No. Many settlements center around great gifts of the sky, but most are not like this. The folk care for the earth and cultivate the grazing grounds, the wanderers protect them, facing the night demons in their travels, and we, the Emissaries, connect the gords and speak to the gods,” Jaromila answered fondly.

Ling Qi mulled over the translation. “Gord” seemed to be a word indicating a walled city, but it was hard to imagine cities existing on the barren plains she had seen beyond the mountains.

“How, then, do your folk live?” Jaromila asked, taking a longer draw from her drink. “I have only the accounts of my husband and their kin.”

“It is said that you live in great hives like ice mites or wood rats,” Ilsur said, drawing some irritated looks from her companions. “But foes often spin fanciful tales.”

Cai Renxiang was the one who answered. “Rivers are typically the focal points of our civic engineering. For transport and for water access, this provides the best results. Our people till and harvest, and we protect them from the dangers and make use of the resources which they provide. As a city grows, new towns are founded further away in a pattern like the spokes radiating from a spinning wheel. Individual towns devote themselves to different specializations, and all prosper.”

There was a brief pause as their cups were all refilled and small refreshments were offered.

“What is a ‘gift from the sky’?” Cai Renxiang asked, accepting her new cup. “Is it a place of unfrozen waters, or some other point of interest?”

Ling Qi cocked her head, thinking about it. That translation did all seem to be one word in their tongue.

Jaromila glanced at Ilsur.

“I have told you before that I have heard of no such thing beyond children’s tales before our wedding upon the walls of the White Sky Citadel,” he grunted. “Of course the lowlanders would not know.”

After a moment, Jaromila spoke. “They are the blood of the Sun, cooled and fallen to earth in great masses of metal. Even cooled, the larger cores change the land for many leagues around.”

Ling Qi blinked, and she wasn’t the only one. Such a thing was difficult to imagine.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“And that finishes my answer, lowlander emissary. To take from the gifts granted by the Sky himself breaks no taboo,” Ilsur finished.

“I have,” Cai Renxiang said slowly, “heard once of such a thing in the imperial vaults. A shard of the sun was found in the days of the first dynasty. I believe the Empress commissioned a number of scholars to begin a study of it just last decade.”

“What is this ‘huang-di’?” Jaromila asked, studying Cai Renxiang’s expression. “You speak of it with great respect, yet you indicated that your clan was sovereign?”

Ling Qi shared a look with Cai Renxiang before Cai Renxiang took the lead.

“The Emerald Seas is a collection of clans, each of which rules many smaller clans, and are ruled by my mother,” Cai Renxiang explained. “She, and the lords of the other five regions, owe fealty then to the Empress, who is sovereign over them all.”