Raeli’s attention was on the sky. He turned just in time to see the first of the Siyee appear over the top of the hill he had just climbed. A pair of them circled the valley once, drawing murmurs from the onlookers, then suddenly a great mass of them poured over the crest of the hill. Danjin heard gasps and exclamations as thousands of Siyee swooped down to fill the valley. He realized his own heart was beating fast with excitement. The Siyee wheeled and turned then began to drop to the ground. The sound of their wings was like a rush of wind, and the smack of feet on the ground was like the patter of heavy rain.

Once they had landed, their small size was suddenly obvious. Their childlike appearance was tempered by their clothing and weapons, however. Unlike the two messengers who had come to Jarime, these Siyee had bows, quivers of arrows, knives, and what looked like blowpipes and darts strapped over leathery vests and trousers. Both men and women had short hair, muscular bodies and a proud demeanor. These were warriors, small but fierce.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

Danjin turned to look at the speaker. It was Lanren Songmaker, the military adviser the White now favored above the others. The man glanced at Danjin and smiled grimly.

“I can see how these people might be useful to us.”

“Auraya certainly thinks so,” Danjin replied.

“Here she is.”

Danjin turned back just in time to see Auraya descend to the ground before the White. A Siyee woman swooped down and landed beside her.

Auraya smiled. “This is Sirri, Speaker of the Bald Mountain tribe and Head Speaker for the Siyee.”

Juran stepped forward and made the two-handed sign of the circle. “Welcome, Speaker Sirri, and all Siyee. We are pleased and grateful that you have come so far to help us defend our lands.”

Auraya turned to the other woman and uttered a string of whistles and sounds. Translating, Danjin realized.

As Sirri replied, Auraya translated for the benefit of the audience. Danjin examined the faces of the people around him. Most were staring at the Siyee. Some looked fascinated, others amused. The Dreamweaver adviser looked as uninterested as ever, while Lanren Songmaker was all suppressed excitement.

The Siyee were reacting to this scrutiny in different ways. Some eyed the humans warily, others kept their gaze on their leader and the White. Danjin noted the similarities and differences in their garb and realized they were standing in groups—each one was probably a different tribe.

The exchange ended with Juran raising his voice to speak to the Siyee in their own tongue. Danjin smiled crookedly. It almost annoyed him that a simple Gift bestowed by the gods could make irrelevant a skill he might spend years learning.