Auraya nodded. “Are your people already assembled?”

“All loaded up and ready to fly. They just need a speech or two.”

Putting her empty mug down, Auraya stood and glanced around the room one last time, then picked up the small pack she had brought with her to Si and followed Sirri outside. She could hear the gathered Siyee long before she saw them. The chatter of so many voices combined was like the sound of water cascading over rocks. As she and Sirri approached the outcrop above the crowd, whistles filled the air. Auraya smiled down at the largest crowd of Siyee she had seen so far.

The tribes ranged in size from a few dozen families to over a thousand individuals. Of the thousands of Siyee, more than half formed this army. Not all were warriors, though. For every two Siyee dressed as fighters she could see one that was not. Each tribe was bringing their own healers and domestic helpers, who would also carry portable bowers and as much spare food as possible.

Sirri’s appearance was the cue for the other Speakers to come forward and form a line. Auraya took her place—a few steps from the end of this line—and watched as Sirri stepped onto Speakers’ Rock and spread her arms wide.

“People of the mountains. Tribes of the Siyee. Look at yourselves!” Sirri grinned. “What a fierce sight we make!”

The Siyee shouted and whistled in reply. Sirri nodded, then raised her arms higher.

“Today we are leaving our homes and flying to war. We do so in order to keep a promise. What was that promise? It was a promise to help a friend. Our allies among the landwalkers need our help. They need us, the Siyee, to help them defend themselves against invaders.

“We know what that is like.” Sirri’s expression was hard now. “We know the pain of losing land and lives to invaders. No longer will that pain be ours, for our new allies are also keeping their promises. Last night Auraya of the White gave me the welcome news that the King of Toren has ordered his people out of our lands.”

The whistling that followed this announcement was deafening. The noise continued on and on. Sirri turned and beckoned to Auraya. As Auraya moved to join the Speaker, the crowd slowly quietened.

“People of Si, I thank you,” she said. “By giving your support and strength to my people you help us defend against a terrible enemy. For many years we have heard rumors about these barbaric peoples of the southern continent, but they were too distant to be of concern. We heard that they enslave men and women, and that these followers of the Pentadrian cult force strange and perverse rites on their people. We know that they worship war for the sake of violence itself.