Compiled by Scribe Harvest Spider in Rachia
November 14, 439 To Myles Olau By way of Honus Windfeld, innkeeper The Wandering Bard, Berat in Maren A gathering of information with regard to Princess Thayet jian Wilima of Sarain and her guard, the K’mir Buriram Tourakom, at your request, information taken from a number of K’mir, Saren, mixed-bloods, and outlanders
Princess Thayet jian Wilima, former heiress of Sarain -Adigun jin Wilima, father, King of Sarain, deceased 439 -Kalasin of the K’miri Hau Ma, mother, deceased by suicide, May 3rd, 438 -Thayet, born August 8th, 421 H.E., only issue of marriage of Adigun jin Wilima and Kalasin 71
Princess Thayet, as heir to the throne, was given a proper Eastern lady’s instruction by tutors chosen by her father, including etiquette, dancing, management of a Great House, accounting, history, languages (Common, K’miri dialects, trade talk in the Roof of the World, Carthaki), horseback riding in the Imperial style, hunting with falcons and bows. News from K’mir tradesmen and wandering peddlers reveals that the queen also arranged for the princess, required by the royal wedding treaty to spend three summer months with the queen’s people, to learn riding in the K’miri style, combat with sword and dagger, care for horses, forest and plains hunting without royal retainers, tracking, and wilderness cookery. At 12 the princess was joined by the 8-year-old Buriram Tourakom, called Buri, the child and sister of her mother’s sworn K’miri bodyguards. Buriram held their place with the princess as guard, even at court ceremonial occasions. She is permitted to do so under Kalasin’s wedding treaty and as part of the blood bond between Kalasin, her child, and 72
Buriram’s family. When Kalasin destroyed herself, Buriram’s mother and brother gave their lives so she might proclaim her wrath with the king to the people. Buriram herself has been often wounded in defense of Thayet jian Wilima. Apparently the addition of Buri was the last feather on the king’s burden of grievance with his wife’s “barbarian ways.” His quarrels with Her Majesty became infamous: she was very popular with the Saren people for her kindness and good works. He brought his mistresses to court and paraded them before the queen and princess at public occasions. He also began a program of persecution of the K’mir, passing laws against them and arresting, imprisoning, and hanging them for newly created crimes. Kalasin and Thayet did their best to try to influence him, but the nobles and lowland Sarenites found advantages to be had in taking K’mir horses and property. In December 436, Kalasin sent Thayet to the Mother of Mountains convent, supposedly to tame her wildness, but in reality to keep her from her father’s displeasure. In late 437, King Adigun 73
enacted, among other laws, one demanding the K’mir come to the fortresses and register their names no later than April 15th, or be considered in revolt. Kalasin protested, refusing to appear anywhere in the king’s company. She ordered his mistresses be thrown out of the palace. Before his ministers could agree according to Saren law, the king ordered her to a convent. Kalasin sent word through the capital of her plans. Two days later, before a crowd of citizens, she ascended the highest tower of the palace, spoke of the king’s inhumanity to his people, and leaped to her death. Buriram’s mother and brother died defending the doors to her tower room so her protest would go uninterrupted. By April 439, when Princess Thayet returned to the capital, the king was dead. Our watcher in the convent here in Rachia, where she stayed before her departure, said that no one approached her with regard to remaining in Sarain to fight in the coming civil war. Rather than become a trophy to those in contention for the crown, she chose to accompany Lady Alanna of Trebond, Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon, and Coram Smythesson, a man-at-arms, on 74
a quest eastward, out of Sarain. Once they crossed the M’kon River on the eastern border, my sources were able to learn only that they traveled to the Roof of the World and returned from there, to take ship to Tortall. If she was contacted by agents in the mountains, we have no way of discovering it. There was one small bump, as you will see in the enclosed letters, but it has been taken care of. Her friends in Sarain wish Her Royal Highness all prosperity in her new life.
Buriram Tourakom -Thiratay Tourakom, mother, tribe K’miri Raadeh, deceased in combat, May 3rd, 438 -Pathom Tourakom, older brother, tribe K’miri Raadeh, deceased in combat, May 3rd, 438 -Susatahan Longprum, father, tribe K’miri Sembou, deceased in combat, 429 75
Like all K’mir children, she takes her name from her mother’s family. Her family is as close to nobility as the K’mir get, apart from the bloodlines of the old royalty, of which Kalasin and Thayet are the last descendants. Buri’s heritage is twice rich in honor for the manner in which her mother and brother died, keeping soldiers from sullying Queen Kalasin’s denouncement of the king for his treatment of his people. Such a death is sacred among the K’mir and those who know of K’mir ways. To be stopped from finishing such a death is a great shame to the family of the one who embarked on it. Thiratay and Pathom now hold places on the roll of honor, to be named on the great holidays. A horsehair is burned for each in the Midwinter fires. As their only descendant, Buri will be able to command the help of any K’mir or ally of the K’miri tribes, and great things will be expected of her. No doubt she will attract the more adventurous members of her people west to Tortall, to serve her and Thayet. For herself, she is a well-trained warrior, even though she is young, and a fine rider and judge of horses. Her teachers say her 76
manners require polish if she is to go among lowlanders. For those who appreciate a fine maker of compound bows, which require much patience, and a gentle hand with newborn foals and hounds, Buri’s lack of a feathered tongue is no bad thing.
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October 23, 439 H.E. Skullcap— It is my understanding that the slut has made her way to Tortall and is throwing herself on the mercies of the milksops there. Mithros only knows what lies she is making up about our situation regarding the rule of the realm, our intelligence gathering there, or anything else she learned before she fled. All we need is for her to convince the boy who is due to take the throne to get charged up with youthful ardor and send a force to do battle for the wronged princess. Take your team and find some way to deal with the situation. The woman, her so-called K’miri “guard,” that Shang fellow, that disgusting female who calls herself a knight, and the servant that rode with them. I don’t care how you do it, just leave no tracks. It would be best if they simply disappeared.
November 14, 439 Master Olau, this is the document I chanced to lay my hands on recently. Do not concern yourself about the writer or his correspondents. There are no other copies, and the writer has been persuaded that this was a very final course of action to take. Harvest Spider
P.S. I tracked down the payment he would have gotten and gave it in equal shares to the temples of the Horse Lords, Mithros, the Great Goddess, the Trickster, and the God of Shadows, who rules the dead. H.S.
Your first half-payment is in the usual place. I believe it is sufficient to satisfy even your greedy heart.
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November 15, 439 Spies of the Merchant Lord in the West, I write on behalf of the council of K’mir chiefs, gathered at this time as is our custom when great decisions must be made. You have sent your little spies among those who trade with the tribes and marry among us. They ask questions with regard to Thayet jian Wilima and Buriram Tourakom, who have been forced from this land by the plots and murders of the Saren lowlanders. Know this. Thayet is free to go where she wishes and to live how she wishes. She understands that she cannot return to the tribes of the K’mir. As long as she bears her father’s blood the greedy lowland noblemen will use her to claim the throne. They will search for her among the forests and grasslands of the K’mir unless it is known she is not to be found there. Buriram is still held by her family’s oath to Thayet’s mother’s line and will remain with her. Never again will the K’mir bind themselves to the lowlanders. We gave them a woman of our most precious bloodline to seal a peace, and their king gave us theft, oath breaking, evil laws, and bloodshed. Now we will take back our forests and grasslands. We will drive the lowlanders from them. There can be no peace with the noble 80
born of Sarain. They will learn the price of every drop of blood they have taken from us and our young, down to our newborn foals. Warn the lowlanders if you like. They believe us to be fools. They will learn otherwise. Our chiefs and their tribes wish all good things to Thayet and Buriram. May they find happiness far from this land of sorrows. We will all meet again, in the lands of the Horse Lords, when the time for mortal fury is done.
Kosal Toalvorn of the K’miri Bantey Recorder, the Gathered Tribes
lebag when I Sir, this was in my sadd on sending went to leave the city up I had thought u. yo to n io at rm fo in y m ring my tracks I did a good job in cove my queries, so no one would know of clever as I but it seems I was not so believed. H.S.
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