Chapter 15: The Northern Threat

The Archive gave them recognition in twenty-two days, which was eight days faster than Sera had expected, which told her the commentary was even more binding than she'd hoped. She had less than a week to enjoy it. On the twenty-eighth day, Addo came to her with intelligence from the northern pass: Kador's forces — the northern empire that had declined to participate in their first passage negotiations — were moving south. Not an army, not yet. Scouts. Positioning. 'They're assessing,' Addo said. 'Our settlement is an established fact now, not a transit group. The calculus changes.' 'For what purpose?' Drusse asked. She had been included in this briefing, which was no longer unusual — the line between Sera's council and Soleth's council had been blurring naturally for months. 'Two thousand skilled workers and their queen are a resource,' Addo said. 'Kador has wanted a mineral engineer with volcanic expertise for a decade. They've also been wanting a pretext to establish a presence in the southern valleys.' 'They won't find a pretext here,' Drusse said flatly. 'Soleth has a defense treaty with the river confederation.' 'Which gives us a deterrent but not immunity,' Addo said. 'They can apply pressure short of an incursion. Trade restrictions. Blocking the northern pass.' Sera was already thinking. 'We need the pass open for the supply caravans,' she said. 'Which means we need a negotiated agreement with Kador that is more valuable to them than pressure.' She looked at Addo. 'What do they actually want? Underneath the strategic positioning.' 'Their northern mines have a specific drainage problem that's been getting worse for twenty years,' Addo said. Sera thought about volcanic soil remediation. About iron deficiency in the eastern fields. About the particular value of knowledge to people who didn't have it. 'Get me a meeting with their trade representative,' she said. 'I know something they need.' Addo almost smiled. 'You're going to fix their drainage problem,' he said. 'I'm going to offer to fix their drainage problem,' she said. 'In exchange for a permanent open-pass agreement and recognition of our sovereignty.' She looked at Drusse. 'With Soleth as witness to the treaty.' 'Done,' Drusse said immediately.