Eirian saw them first. Standing next to the tree, looking out over the prairie. The riders were nothing more than dots on the horizon for a bit, but grew bigger at a surprising speed.
She called the rest of them over when she was sure of what she was seeing, and they all gathered around the tree to watch the Bandri approach. Li started to grumble when it looked like the Bandri had brought more people than anticipated, but a group of them peeled off and stopped well beyond being of any help should the talk devolve into battle.
"Crisis averted," Yuze muttered.
"For now," Mingzhe murmured.
Chenzhou turned to Li. "Push the guards back a bit." At the Captain's hesitation, he continued. "They are the ones who asked for this meeting. And even with the group staying back, that's not enough for an ambush this close to the Camelia." The estate was only a few hours behind them, fully visible and imposing on top of the series of ravines on which it was built.
"They certainly gave us the favorable ground," Eirian noted. "Speaks to their intentions."
"Or they're smart enough to know that we would never meet them further out." Yuze countered.
"They have no idea what we would or wouldn't have agreed to," Chenzhou said, straightening his robes for the hundredth time. "This has never happened before. There's nothing to measure against."
"But we wouldn't have gone further out than this," Mingzhe states, with the tone of a commander. "The danger isn't worth the possible reward."
Chenzhou stared straight ahead, and Eirian's lips twitched into a smile. "There's no reward without risk." She grinned.
The riders were close enough to start standing out. Their mounts were the large, big boned breed they were famous for. Beasts that could pull plows and huge wagons without issue. That traveled for weeks without tiring. They were far from the fastest breed of horse; Fleet Goddess would have left them in the dust with little effort, but they were sturdy and beautiful in their own way.
Their riders were just as sturdy. The people of the northern plains were stocky and built for farming. Despite spending a large amount of time fighting their neighbors on all sides, they clung to their agricultural identity, and it showed in their ornaments and weapons. They carried axes and scythes more than swords and were skilled archers. Their jewelry most often depicted the crops they harvested, such as wheat and fruits, and the animals that aided them, including oxen, horses, and fowl. Everything was made from wood and bone, with limited pieces of metal.
They wore their hair long and in braids that Eirian herself often favored, usually decorated with brightly colored feathers and beads. They contrasted stunningly with their sun-kissed skin, Eirian thought as the party came to a stop a hundred yards away.
Chenzhou, Eirian, and the rest of their party were dressed in elegant silk robes and fine armor, while the Bandri wore leathers and tunics made from cheaper cloth. Their leathers did look impressively made, though, smooth and strong enough to withstand a careless blade. Leather of that quality was hard to find and was nearly as effective as actual armor.
Five of the riders dismounted and strode towards them. Three men and two women.
Beng Shai was a younger son from a minor wife. Not much older than Eirian or Chenzhou, but he had enough older siblings that it was surprising he'd ended up leading the tribe. Yuze's agents had already confirmed that some of his older siblings had died, legitimately and not legitimately, but by no means all of them. His father had been prolific when it came to producing offspring, and judging by the similarities he shared with the two women flanking him, they were closely related.
The two men, less so.
But they were all clearly Bandri, with the distinctive tattoos running across their eyes and down their cheeks. Intricate knots and symbols that existed no where else on the rock.
They were rather stunning in a wild kind of way. Eirian was terribly fond of her pale skin and put great effort into caring for it, but it was tempting to imagine herself with them.
The only downside was their permanence.
The mark on her back burned and the idea of the tattoos soured. She already had one mark she'd never be rid of.
Beng Shai had dark green eyes, almost like the emeralds her Aunt had stored safely in her jewelry vault in the capital.
He stopped just out of arms reach, his party a step behind him. The tribes may have picked a less permenant existence, but they stuck to the same kind of social caste systems that seemed to affect all human civilizations.
Chenzhou stepped forward to met him, face made of stone. They were an interesting contrast as they faced one another. The soldier and the farmer. The lord and the chief. The tamed and the wild. "I am Lord Ye of the Camelia."
"Beng Shai of the Bandri." His eyes swept over Chenzhou. "You have been lord for some years."
Chenzhou nodded, wary. "Yes. Ten now."
"I took my father's place during the winter." Beng Shai said, leaving out any clue as to what exactly had happened. "I lead the Bandri now."
"Congratulations. You father was a challenging man."
"He was a warrior." The young chieftain paused. "He believed there were only two seasons. The harvest and the battle."
"I am aware. It is a common belief." Chenzhou agreed.
"I am not common." Beng Shai snapped.
Chenzhou blinked in surprise. "How so?"
"I do not want two seasons." The chieftain was careful with his words and Eirian wondered when he'd learned the common tongue. He didn't seem entirely comfortable with it, though he was communicating well so far.
Chenzhou spread his hands in quiet invitation. "Nor do we, but we will not allow those under our protection to be attacked. If there is-"
"I want peace." Beng Shai interupted and stunned them into silence.
~ tbc