Part Eight
by
~Chapter Fifteen~
Azhani dragged
herself to consciousness and blinked her eyes at the brightness of the
overhead sun.Scrubbing a hand over
her face, she shivered at the chill of the snow around her.Quickly
sitting up, she looked around in confusion.Her
sword lay less than a foot away, and there were ice crystals on her face
from the snow.
By the position of the sun it was nearly
noon.Arun wandered freely around
the clearing, sticking his nose into icy bushes and snorting in derisive
disgust when there was nothing to browse.Shaking
her head, Azhani grabbed her sword and stood up and whistled for the horse.Gamely,
he trotted over, allowing her to hitch him to the cart-turned-sleigh.Still
puzzled, Azhani jumped up onto the driver’s seat and took up the reins,
trying to recall if she had woken earlier for some reason.
Drawing the extra blanket over her legs, she sent out a silent prayer of thanks to Astarus - he who watches over fools - because she was not soaked to the bone by the snow.Better be more alert, warrior.You could catch your death out here, and there’s no Kyrian to conveniently come along, waiting to be rescued.
It was nightfall when she reached the
outskirts of Barton.As she guided
Arun down the main street, her every instinct was on high alert.The
town, though not the size of Y’dannyv, was large enough to support a decent
nightlife, even in the middle of winter.Stifling
quiet cloaked the darkened streets.None
of the lamps had been lit nor were there any drunks stumbling from tavern
to tavern.No whores blithely hawked
their wares from the second story windows of red light houses and there
were none of the usual taciturn miners and trappers conducting business
with the townsfolk.Everything was
shut up tight and lightless.
Cautiously,
Azhani slowly moved through the town, heading for the inn.It
was the only bastion of man-made light in the town.The
soft yellow glow of torches threw a small circle of light out on the snow
outside of the door.The only noises
were the whooshing of the cart’s runners on the snow and Arun’s hooves
as they threw up small clods of ice.
When she reached the inn, she pulled
the gelding to a halt and leapt down.No
one came to greet her.Even the opportunistic
stable boy stayed out of sight.Reaching
for the door, she was surprised to find it locked.Her
hand dropped to her sword, gripping the hilt tightly.Cautiously,
she stepped to the side and knocked.Heartbeats
pounded in her head as she waited for the door to open.It
seemed like a lifetime until the bolt was drawn back and the door cautiously
opened.
“Paul?”
she said, shocked at her old friend’s appearance.An
angry wound wrapped around the innkeeper’s head, cutting across his forehead
and into the area where his left eye would be.A
makeshift patch covered it.The injury
continued on, crossing his nose and cutting into his right cheek.
“Blessed
Twins, Azhani, you’re alive!Thank
the gods!Come in, come in! You’ll
not find much comfort in Barton, but what I’ve got, I’ll gladly share.”The
innkeeper stepped away from the door and waved the warrior in.
Azhani
stepped into the well-lit inn and blinked.The
room was crowded with about thirty of Barton’s older inhabitants as well
as ten small children.Paul’s wife,
Orra, was dishing out bowls of stew while old Takk served drinks.
“Paul,
what happened?” Azhani asked as she took in the bleak stares of the townspeople.
“Demons.”The
innkeeper spat out the word.“Swept
through town like Hell’s own fury.Killed
and ate ‘til there weren’t no more t’kill.”
“How
did you...” Azhani started to ask.
“Survive?Ran
like a chicken on feast day ‘n grabbed anyone that’d run with me.Locked
ourselves inna basements.Come out
when the screamin’ stopped.Waited
two more days ‘n then searched the town for survivors.Found
them kids inna basement of the temple with th’ old priest.Priest
been gnawed on though ‘n didn’t make it.”Paul’s
simple, dry retelling of the decimation of Barton made Azhani’s heart drop
into her stomach.“Others hereabouts
hid as best as could, and now we all stick together like ticks on a sheep’s
ass.T’rest of us be inna houses
roundabouts, or keepin’ track o’the forest for more’o them monsters.”
“When did this happen?” she asked even as she thought, I should have been here!I should have come and checked up on them when I knew there were demons hunting the forest.Some great warleader I am.
Paul
put a hand on her shoulder.“There
weren’t nothin’ you coulda done, Warleader.They
came so fast.Like the devil’s own
wind, they were.”
“When?”
Azhani’s voice grated on the word.
The
innkeeper sighed heavily.“Five,
mebbe six days, I think.Got my days
‘n nights a little mixed.”He gestured
to his face.
The
warrior nodded in sympathy.“What
can I do to help?” she asked, knowing that her words came too late to really
matter.
Paul
looked at her, a gentle expression of understanding warming his blue eye
before he said, “Well, didja happen t’bring yer ‘dancer friend wi’ ya?Got
some that could use tendin’ ‘n young Mary’s about fair ready to burst with
her first.”
Azhani
shook her head and said, “No, she – “ the warrior looked away, quickly
deciding whether or not to tell the truth, or to use the story she and
Elisira had concocted.“She went
back to her temple,” she finished lamely, not willing to tell the truth,
but not willing to lay out a total lie, either.
Paul’s
eyebrows rose in consternation, but all he said was, “Thought she were
smarter ‘n that.Well, since ye ain’t
got a healer wit’ ya, how about seein’ if you can help Tim and Mac get
up enough food for us all?We was
lookin’ to eat light tonight, but with you here, mebbe it’s worth the risk
ta go outside.Mebbe check the houses
that’re further out.See what’s left
‘n all.”The innkeeper quickly explained
to the warrior that there wasn’t enough food in the surrounding houses
to feed nearly five hundred people, most of which were children and elderly
citizens, for more than a month, so every day or two, a couple of the stronger
people would run out to the abandoned houses and search for supplies.So
far, they had only risked going to the homes closest to their protected
circle of homes, and only during the daytime, when the weak sunlight was
some protection against the demons they could still hear prowling in the
forest.
“I’ll
go alone,” said Azhani when Paul had finished speaking.“Just
point me in the direction you want me to check.”
A
dozen protests were raised, but Azhani’s stern face quelled them.“Yer
a good woman, Azhani.Don’ matter
none what King Arseface says,” Paul said, his rough voice softened by emotion.“G’wan
up to the Baker’s ‘n see what’s left there.Gotta
warn ya though, we weren’t able to do much cleanin’ up after them demons
left.Ground’s too cold ta dig, ‘n
firewood’s all we got to get through the winter.”
“I
understand,” the warrior said grimly, slipping out the door.Arun
whickered a friendly greeting and she patted his head.“Hard
times, boy.I’ll rub you down and
make you a mash when we’re done, okay?”
The
horse’s ears flicked at the word, “mash” and Azhani took that to mean he
was agreeing with her.Taking her
seat on the driver’s bench again, she slowly made her way through town,
paying careful attention to the snow for signs of tracks.
Even
though she was only half-elven, she still had enough of the ancient race’s
gift of night vision to be able to see clearly, thanks to a nearly full
moon.No other tracks marred the
snow beyond the circle of the townsfolk’s perimeter.Cocking
her head, she tried listening for the telltale baying of demons on the
hunt, but heard only the rustling sounds of a rodent.Maybe
the danger was over.Maybe the beasts
had gone back to their caves.
“Or
maybe they’re having an Arris sandwich.Wouldn’t
that just be peachy?”The warrior
chuckled at her own bad joke.Arun
stopped about ten feet in front of the Baker’s house, refusing to go any
further.The cold could not completely
stall the effects of time on the dead.Azhani
wrinkled her nose in disgust, as her senses caught the edge of death’s
rot.She dismounted and patted the
horse gently, then let him pick his own spot to rest, rather than force
him to stay someplace that scared him.
The walls of the home were painted soft
ochre yellow, allowing it to stand out under the coat of snow and ice.A
large brick oven dominated one wall, confirming that the former occupants
were once actually bakers.Engaging
all of her well-honed senses, Azhani crept up to the front door, listening
for any out of place sounds.
A
light wind rustled the limbs of bare trees.A
brave owl hooted from the roof of a nearby home and the slight crunching
sound of tiny animals scurrying through the snow was all that the warrior
could hear.Carefully, she reached
out and put a hand on the door, noting the absence of a handle.The
brass hardware had been ripped out and was probably buried somewhere in
the snow.Slowly, she pushed open
the door, wincing and reeling back when she saw the carnage within.
The
moon partially illuminated the room and everywhere the warrior’s gaze fell,
evidence of the utter surprise of the demon’s attack abounded.Rusty
stains coated the walls, flecking and running in lacey patterns that were
almost horrifically beautiful.Once
beautiful furniture lay in chaotic piles and blood and gore liberally congealed
in the mass of shredded fabric and shattered wood.At
the base of the stairs, Azhani could see the partially frozen body of a
demon.Not far from the carcass was
a heavy marble rolling pin.
Azhani
closed her eyes and whispered a brief prayer for the souls of the Bakers,
and then went inside.The bitter
cold had only forestalled the inevitable.Before
the bodies had frozen, hardy bugs and desperate scavengers had found their
way into the house and to the remains inside.Partial
decomposition had begun, giving the remains an even more horrific appearance.Skirting
the demon’s carcass, Azhani reached down and picked up the rolling pin.Brief
inspection identified it as the weapon that brought down at least one of
the attackers.
Good
for you,the
warrior thought.Took one
of the bastards with you.May the
Twins show you honor.When she looked
up on the stairs, she saw the demon’s victim.The
remains of a woman, not very old by the bright yellow of the hair that
still clung to the frozen skull, lay toppled against the wall.Behind
her, Azhani could see the massive spray of blood from the wound that had
taken her life, as well as the scattered bits of ichor from the demon at
her feet.Something had interrupted
the beast’s feasting, and Azhani was about to investigate further when
her head began to pound.
Memory
hit, overtaking her with the force of a hurricane.Whirling,
chaotic images of blood and death replaced the destroyed living room.Whimpers,
moans and screams drowned out the unnatural silence.The
warrior froze in place, caught in the maelstrom.
They came.Faster than she could breathe, they came.A boy’s head wobbled out into the crowd, and a woman in patched chain surged forward, screaming for her blood.Azhani sidestepped and brought the sword she couldn’t remember picking up, to block the furious blows of her opponent.Calmly, the former warleader dodged every attempt the other woman made at striking her.The woman grew angrier and angrier, finally shouting, “Die you oathbreaking bitch!”
She lowered her sword and charged, managing to surprise Azhani with her audacity.
Barely able to turn aside the blow, she ended up taking a shallow cut along her ribs.It was the first time someone had gotten through her defenses.The crowd cheered, howling for her blood.
Emboldened, the woman turned and tried to charge again, but Azhani wasn’t going to allow it to work a second time.Neatly stepping away, she flicked her wrist casually, and gutted her opponent.The woman’s eyes registered shock even as her mouth dropped open, spilling blood on the already crimson snow.
Azhani turned away; ready to meet her next opponent.
Sound
fractured the memory.Azhani whirled,
drawing her blade and leapt through the doorway into the kitchen, sweeping
the sword in an arc in front of her.The
warrior blinked in the sudden darkness.Only
a very little moonlight bled past the shutters, giving the room just enough
light for the warrior to see several large, dark shapes.There
was a heartbeat of silence and then...
“Mew?”
Azhani’s
gaze snapped to the corner where a smallish lump twitched and then rolled
aside to reveal the dim form of a kitten.Shaking
her head, she looked again, just to be certain her eyes weren’t deceiving
her.Slowly, the warrior reached
into a pouch for a candle and a box of matches.Fumbling
slightly, she managed to set the candle on a nearby table and strike the
match.The candle flared, brightening
the darkness.
“Mew?”
the kitten cried again, jumping from the floor to the table and cautiously
approaching the warrior.
“Hey
there little cat,” Azhani said, sheathing her sword and reaching out to
lift up the scrawny feline.A bone-jarring
purr vibrated her hand as she tucked the kit into her vest.“Let’s
see about getting you someplace warmer.A
glance with the candle revealed that the rest of the litter, as well as
the mother, had all frozen to death.
Quickly,
Azhani began to search the kitchen, finding a large basket and filling
it with an assortment of goods from the Baker’s larder.The
warrior made a mental note to return in the morning and bring back as much
as she could to Paul.She also made
a note to search through the other houses for things to take back to the
DaCoure homestead.The jewels she
had, she would leave with Paul, with instructions to use them to buy supplies
to build a wall around the town.
The
kitten had curled up and was sound asleep by the time the warrior returned
to the inn.She had filled up a good
size portion of the wagon with food and supplies.When
Paul and Orra saw what she had brought, they immediately called for several
of the younger men to help carry the items into the inn.When
they were done, Arun was carefully led into the stable and given a rub
down and a hot meal.
Azhani
wearily went inside and sat down, not noticing how quickly a spot was cleared
for her.Carefully, she brought the
sleeping kitten out and laid it on the table, stroking its soft fur lightly.
The
kit was orange and white striped, with whorls of a deeper orange, almost
reddish tone that streaked down its body and ended with a white tip on
the tail.There was also a white
splotch on the kitten’s face, giving it a somewhat comical expression.
Suddenly,
the kitten woke up and stretched, its jaw opening so wide that Azhani feared
that it might actually break.Blinking
golden eyes, the kitten looked up at its rescuer and sleepily cried, “Mew?”
Azhani’s
heart melted into a tiny puddle of goo.“Oh
goddess, what am I going to do with you?Somehow,
I just don’t think I can wreak the vengeance of the ages, on a tyrannical
king, with a kitten tucked in my vest pocket,” she whispered as she stared
into its inquisitive eyes.
One
tiny paw reached out and rested against Azhani’s hand, claws extending
and kneading the battle-toughened skin.
“Ouch!”
Azhani jerked her hand away.“You’ve
got needles on that thing,” she said, reaching out and tapping the paw
in question.
The
kitten thought this was an invitation to play and hunched up, hissing slightly
and batting at the warrior’s hand.Azhani
amused herself by playing ‘catch the mouse’ with the kitten until she realized
that she had quite an audience.
The
table was surrounded by at least two dozen children, all staring at the
kitten with needy eyes.One brave
child lifted her gaze from the kitten to Azhani’s face and said, “Do you
think I could give him this?”In
her hand was a piece of cooked chicken.Before
Azhani could answer, tiny whiskers twitched curiously.Tiny
muscles bunching, the kitten leapt agilely across the table, landing in
front of the child.Delicately, it
removed the strip of meat from her hand, eating it in two swift bites.The
kitten then sat down on the table and proceeded to wash itself thoroughly.
The
action was an invitation to the children.One
by one, they each produced a treat until the kitten was stuffed full, its
belly bulging outward on the sides.The
bravest of them started to pet the sated animal, rewarded with a tiny,
but loud purr.Soon, it was asleep,
purring contentedly.There was a
collective sigh of disappointment, but the children withdrew, leaving only
the brave little girl behind.
“What’s
his name?” she asked, hiking up onto a chair so she could watch the kitten
sleep.
“I
don’t really know,” Azhani said as she stared at the sleeping feline.“I
wasn’t even aware he was a he.”
The
little girl gave the warrior a look like she was the dumbest creature in
the world.“Of course he’s a he!He’s
orange!Only boy cats are orange!”
she said, as if that explained it all.
Azhani
nodded sagely and said, “Well then, I think since you know so much about
orange boy kitties, you should go ahead and name him.”
The
girl’s eyes ballooned into tiny saucers.“Really?”
she asked incredulously.
Azhani
smiled and said, “Yes, really.Go
ahead.In fact,” she bit her lip
quickly, fighting the urge to grab the kitten and run all the way home,
“why don’t you keep him?He needs
a good home.”
She
squealed, waking the kitten and attracting the attention of the others
who still sat in the taproom.Quickly,
before the warrior could change her mind, the girl scooped up the bleary-eyed
kitten and crooned, “It’s okay Toby, we’re gonna be okay now.”
The
kitten, a little disconcerted at first, settled down nicely and began purring
as the little girl petted and stroked him, softly babbling to him.
Orra
came to the table with a plate of food and a mug of ale balanced on one
arm.A tiny smile breached the stony
mask that was her face and she said, “Looks like you got yourself a little
friend there, Mattie.”
“Oh
yes, Auntie Orra, this is Toby and we’re gonna be friends forever!” little
Mattie said, not even looking up from her inspection of the now sleeping
kitten’s fur.
A
look of profound sadness washed over the older woman’s face, as she said,
“Why don’t you take Toby upstairs and get some sleep, honey.It’s
very late.”
Mattie
looked up at her aunt and sighed.“Okay,
good night.”She turned to Azhani,
who smiled gently at her.“Thank
you.”Her eyes scanned the warrior’s
face for the tattoo that would denote her rank, but only found the scar.
“I
am Azhani, Mattie,” the warrior said, keeping her voice calm.
“Oh!Uncle
Paul talks about you all the time!Thank
you so much Azhani, I’ll never forget this!Ever!”The
little girl bounced out of her chair and raced up the stairs, the kitten
firmly tucked against her chest.
Orra
set the plate of food down and wiped away a tear.“That
was a very nice thing you did, warrior.She
lost her baby brother to the demons.His
name was Toby.”
“I
didn’t know,” Azhani said after taking a long drink of ale.
“I
know, and that’s what makes what you did so special.Now
eat.You’re in room twelve.”The
older woman smiled fondly at her guest and then left to get another pitcher
of ale for the remaining crowd.
Azhani
ate slowly, savoring the warmth of the food and the chill of the ale.When
she was done, she hauled her sleepy self upstairs and gratefully fell into
bed.
%%%
The
next day, Azhani did as she had mentally promised, making a round of several
houses and returning with as much food as the cart could carry.At
the end of the small town, she found something that inspired her.After
quietly talking to Orra and Paul, she gathered several volunteers from
the men, and together, they methodically went through every house, removing
the remains of the former occupants.
In
a small cabin that had once been inhabited by a retired miner, they laid
out what they found, saying a prayer for the dead.When
every house had been thoroughly explored, they boarded up the door to the
cabin and began breaking furniture.The
broken wood was piled around the house, and packed tight with old hay.Once
that was finished, Paul brought everyone from the inn down and spoke quietly.
“Ain’t
no use ‘n tryin’ ta blame the Twins for our sadness,” he said, his rough
voice carrying across the crowd.“Tis
the gods who we should be a-turnin’ to now, thankin’ ‘em for givin’ our
families a place to go that’s safe and beautiful.‘Tis
the work of the demons that we hate, not the acts of our beloved gods.I
say, Astarus and Astariu, bless my kin, take ‘em home and let ‘em know
the peace of your valleys.”
At
those words, just as the sun dipped behind a mountain, Azhani lifted her
bow and fired two flaming arrows.They
hit solidly and within moments, the cabin was ablaze.As
the cabin burned, the remaining townsfolk began to sing.
“Bright sun has gone
and the pale moon comes.
Lift up high
Reach the sky
take my family home.
Earth and air
Fire and water
bind us all
Father and son
Mother and daughter.
Bright sun has gone
and the pale moon comes.
See up high
in the sky
they are home.”
Unbidden, tears dripped down Azhani’s
face as the heat of the fire burnished her skin to a ruddy brown.Surreptitiously,
she wiped at the tears as the crowd drifted away.Pulling
her cloak tighter, the warrior settled in to stand vigil, praying that
the souls of those within found the peace she herself refused to seek.
%%%
In
the morning, Azhani went to the remaining people of Barton and made several
pointed suggestions.By afternoon,
all the able bodied were out in force, gathering rocks, snow, anything
that could be piled up around the houses they had claimed as sanctuary.By
evening, Azhani’s cart was stuffed to bursting with supplies, including
an incredibly generous supply of medicines and bandages from the Y’skani
doctors.
She
inherited two more horses.One, a
beautiful smoky gray mare, was a warhorse.Fully
trained and armored, she was a gift from the hostler.Azhani
was going to refuse the gift, but common sense kicked in and reminded her
that she was, after all, going to wage war come spring.So
with grace, the warrior accepted the animal, spending nearly two candlemarks
with her so that she would know her scent and presence.
The
mare’s name was Kushyra,
which meant “strong spirit” in the old language.From
the moment their eyes met, Kushyra and Azhani were friends.The
horse lay her head on the warrior’s shoulder and sighed happily, knowing
that she had found a kindred soul.
“Sorry
Arun,” Azhani called out to the patently jealous gelding.“I’ll
get you home to your mama, and you can get all the pampering you want.”
The
other horse was a sturdy brown gelding of Arun’s breed, who immediately
decided that Arun was his long lost buddy.Happy
with her finds, Azhani prepared to return home.
Paul
helped her get the horses into the sleigh’s harness and then reached out
to take her hand.
“Ye’ve
done not but good by us, Warleader,” he said, giving the warrior her former
honorific.“I thank ye.Someday,
the gods’ll repay your kindness.I
knows it.”
The
warrior shook the innkeeper’s hand firmly and said, “I’ve done nothing
more than any decent person would do, Paul.Just
remember what I said – keep inside at night and carry a torch wherever
you go.Demons can’t stand the light.And
build that damn wall!”
Paul
nodded and stepped back while Azhani climbed up into the sleigh.Orra
ran out of the inn just then, holding out a burlap wrapped package.
“Here,
take this, warrior, with our thanks,” the innkeeper’s wife said, pushing
the gift at the warrior.
Azhani
accepted the package, smiling when the scent of pasties wafted up at her.The
inn door opened once more and a small figure with an oddly orange lump
on her right shoulder, picked her way across the yard to the sleigh.
“Toby
wants to say good-bye,” Mattie explained, a cheeky smile working its way
across her freckled face.“And so
do I,” she added defiantly, one hand reaching up to steady the kitten,
who was starting to wobble on the child’s small shoulder.
Azhani
smiled and lowered her hand down to stroke the kitten’s soft fur and then
ruffle the child’s flaming orange curls.“Be
good, both of you,” she counseled sternly, “and mind your aunt and uncle.”
Bright
green eyes sparkled as a freckled nose crinkled into a mischievous smile.“I’ll
try,” Mattie said, sticking her tongue out at the warrior when Azhani frowned
in mock anger.
Lifting
her arm to wave, Azhani clicked her tongue at the horses and slapped the
reins gently.The sleigh slowly began
to glide away from the inn, cutting deep runnels in the snow.
She
looked back once as she left.Men
and women scurried about, working feverishly to construct the temporary
wall.Nodding in approval, she turned
her eyes toward home.
%%%
Snow
began to fall almost immediately after the warrior left the protection
of Barton’s buildings.Cursing her
luck, Azhani pulled her hood up and tightened her cloak around her, hoping
that the fabric would hold up against the dampness of the lightly falling
flakes.The hood stayed put for approximately
three heartbeats before it slid back, baring the warrior’s dark braids
to the chill of the winter day.
“Damn
it!” the warrior cursed, reaching up to settle the hood back into place.Silently,
she wished she had remembered to pack one of her father’s knit caps.A
smile stole across her face as she recalled finding the moth-eaten pieces
of clothing.
“Azhani, did your father often keep rags under his bed?” Kyrian’s light voice floated down to the main room of the house where the warrior was busily cleaning out the hearth.
“Not that I recall,” she replied, trying to keep from being completely inundated by debris.
She was seated on the floor, scraping dust and soot out from inside the chimney.
“Well then, what do you call these?”Several balls of knitted, moth-eaten fabric tumbled down the stairs.
Azhani let her broom drop and went to look at the oddly shaped scraps, her face twisting into a look of confusion until she shook them out.They were caps, more precisely; they were her father’s caps.Tentative memories surfaced.Gnarled hands held two long needles that flew along, weaving the odd bowls that would keep their heads warm.Nearby, the fire crackled merrily in the hearth, holding back the winter’s chill.
“These aren’t rags.They’re my dad’s caps.He must have put them under his bed, intending to repair them and then never got around to it.”Azhani’s voice was tinged with sadness as she brought the scraps of fabric up to her nose and inhaled.Dust and dirt and the tiniest fragment of a scent, that was her father’s unique smell, impregnated the colorful yarn.She lowered the remnant and quickly suppressed a sneeze.
Kyrian had joined her, holding another two multicolored balls.“Oh, okay.Well, um, I can knit, so maybe I should try my hand at making one of those things?I mean, if your dad made them, that must mean they’re kind of necessary, huh?” the stardancer said, scuffing one foot against a brick.
Oh goddess, that is cute, Azhani thought, hiding a tiny smile.“Perhaps.They do work well at keeping the cold off your ears in the winter.Nothing worse than when your hood slips off and baresyour head to the elements.”
“All right, then I’ll get started as soon as I can find some yarn,” Kyrian promised as she headed back upstairs.
Azhani
grinned now, her teeth flashing white against the dusky darkness of her
skin.“Guess we’ll see if Kyrian
really can knit, hey?” she asked the horses, who twitched their ears back
toward her, but never slowed their pace.A
sigh of contentment slipped out as the warrior settled back against the
seat, happy to be on her way home.
Home.What a strange concept, and yet, that’s exactly where I feel like I’m going.Not to dad’s place, not to the barracks, but home.Wonder why that is?A flash of a smiling face, green eyes and amber hair danced in her mind, but the warrior shook her head.Damn.Has she gotten that deep already?I’ve got to work on this, or else Arris will know.I will not lose another friend to that raving monster!
~Chapter Sixteen~
A
faint tingle along the edge of her senses caused Kyrian to look up from
her task of steadying Syrah Jessup’s faltering steps.She
was walking the sickly warrior to the storeroom for a bath.
“Warleader’s
home, eh?” the older woman said, smiling at the stardancer’s curious look.“You’re
a ‘dancer, Kyr.I know you’ve got
other senses.”
Shaking
her head, Kyrian said, “I don’t know, Syrah.It’s
almost like I can hear horses, but... Azhani only had Arun.Maybe
I should go warn the others.”
“Nah,
nah, horses it may be, it’s still Azhani all the same.Ye
knows it, healer, same as ye knows I’m gonna lift a sword in defense of
my king again.It’s knowledge burned
in your heart.”
Kyrian
stared blankly at the warrior, amazed at how insightful the taciturn woman
really was.Over the previous days,
nearly every waking moment of the stardancer’s time had been spent in the
company of Padreg’s injured followers.Though
she knew she had talked a lot about Azhani, she didn’t think her feelings
had been so clearly evident.
“There’s
no shame in cherishing good thoughts toward Azhani, healer.She
be good people, na matter what the tale-tellers say.Now,
let’s get me turned around and headed for the front.I
want ta see your face when you realize that I be right,” Syrah joked slyly.
Kyrian
sighed in frustration.“I just don’t
get why people think she’s such a demon.If
they’d spend even a few minutes in her presence, they’d know that she is
a good woman.”Carefully, they maneuvered
up the steps and into the main room.
“Sometimes being good isn’t enough,”
Elisira said as she stood up to offer her arm as a counterbalance.With
Syrah between them, she and Kyrian led the woman outside and helped her
to sit on a bench that Devon had built out of spare planks.The
day was sunny and clear, making the snow almost blindingly white and the
icicles hanging from the eaves sparkle like polished jewels.
The
stardancer turned to smile a welcome at her new friend.“Why
do you say that?”
“Because
I was there, and I remember how the lake turned crimson for a week after
she won her freedom.If those memories
are still on my mind, then there will be others whose charity will be for
the slain, not the slayer.Keep that
in mind, Kyr.Hardly anyone you meet
will see Azhani for who she truly is.To
an entire kingdom, she is still the Banshee of Banner Lake – an Oathbreaker
and a murderer.”Elisira’s statement
made Kyrian shiver.
The
stardancer opened her mouth to ask another question, but quickly stifled
it as horses burst into view, pulling the cart-turned-sleigh.Not
bothering to hide her grin, she jumped off the porch and ran out to meet
the sleigh.
Syrah
looked up at the lady her king had chosen and remarked, “D’ya think the
Warleader’s as smitten as the healer?”
Elisira’s
light blue eyes watched as her old friend brought the sleigh to a halt
and calmly stepped down, accepting an enthusiastic hug with stoic grace.“Perhaps
not yet,” the lady mused as the two women began unloading the sleigh.“No,
not yet,” she decided as darker blue eyes lifted from the back of the sleigh
to meet her gaze.“But it will happen,
I warrant, whether she wills it or no.”
%%%
As
they unpacked, Azhani quietly described the devastation she had seen in
Barton.
“I
should go... maybe I can help,” Kyrian said, turning to head for the cabin.
Azhani’s
hand on her arm stopped her.Shaking
her head, the warrior said, “No, those that are left are well cared for
by the Y’skani.”
“But
I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” the stardancer protested.
“Pray,
stardancer.Pray for the souls of
those who are left, so that they make it through the winter.”The
warrior’s dark eyes were saddened, but her voice was hard.
Biting
back a retort, Kyrian nodded.
Very
softly, Azhani said, “I’m sorry.”Stepping
away, she lifted up a crate of goods and carried it into the cabin.
“How
much time until spring?” Padreg asked as they guided the horses into the
rather cramped shed.
“Six
weeks, perhaps a bit more.We’ll
have to wait at least a week after the snow starts to melt to avoid avalanche
conditions,” Azhani said, hauling the sleigh over to the side of the cabin.“We
should start planning where we’re headed before that.I
found a map of the kingdoms in Barton that looks fairly recent.”
Clapping
her on the back, the plainsman smiled.“Well
done, warrior.Though I’m not beholden
to Y’dan, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her to rot under Arris’ thumb.I’d
like to see that he is removed.”
Aden
spoke then.“What are you plannin’
on doin’ then, Paddy?‘Tis hard true,
but as you said, you’re not responsible for this land.Spring
foaling is around the corner, as is the moving of the clans.”He
flashed his gaze onto Elisira, leaving unspoken the fact that Y’Nor needed
the security of heirs, and that the lady looked more than willing to be
the mother of those heirs.
Padreg
nodded, knowing well his responsibilities to his people.“I
know, old friend.What troubles me,
more than a king who cannot rule without iron in his hand, are demons that
attack without cause.Though Y’Nor
has never suffered their touch, there isn’t a one of us who hasn’t heard
the tales of their last invasion.It
strikes me as odd that they should be ready to feed so soon.”
“I
share your feelings, Padreg,” Azhani said quietly as they entered the cabin.“In
the past, we have had several years between attacks.It
has only been two years, and I have never heard of them rising so soon.”
Thomas
coughed and then said, “Well, I know that I wouldn’t mind having the chance
to take a bite outta what killed Nadine and Roald.”
Syrah
nodded her agreement and added, “Is it not the duty of any man to assess
the threat of invasion by the demons?”
“I
don’t think they’ll be coming back for a while,” Azhani said, surprising
everyone.
Padreg
looked at her curiously.“Oh, why
do you say that?”
“When
I was in Barton, I neither saw nor heard any sign that they had returned
after the initial attack. Upon
returning, I searched for their tracks, but found none.They’ve
moved away from here.My guess is
that they’ve died out.If they don’t
eat, they die.”She looked around
at the group.“But whether they are
dead or just hiding is not what we should worry about.Even
if we were to go out today and start hunting them, we are too few – we
would all die in a matter of weeks.Y’dan
would still be in Arris’ hands, and Y’Nor would mourn the loss of their
clan chief.”
“All
right, Warleader,” Padreg
said, emphasizing the title, “then what would you recommend we do?”
Azhani’s
smile broadened, “Rest.Heal.Practice
and pack, and then plan our journey to Y’Nor.You
need to get home to see to those baby horses.”Her
gaze drifted over to Elisira, who was absently staring at Padreg.The
king noticed and returned her smile.
“Aye,
baby horses indeed!Elisira, my lady,
how does that please you?” he boisterously asked.
Elisira
smiled shyly.“It pleases me much,
my lord.I should like to see the
land I hope to call my own.”
Azhani
let the couple bask in each other’s eyes for a few heartbeats and then
said, “All right folks, let’s get this stuff unloaded so we can decide
what goes where.”
%%%
“You
owe me a cap.”A deep, warm voice
purred into Kyrian’s ear, causing her to jump and almost spill the hot
water she was about to pour over the herbs for her morning cup of tea.
“Ahh!”
she choked out before the warrior’s hand covered her mouth.
“Ah-ah-ah,
no waking up the whole house now, healer.It’s
way too early for some of them to even consider it,” Azhani said, as Kyrian
pulled away, glaring at her.The
night before had been spent talking with Padreg and his men and there had
been a keg of very good ale that had made its way around the small circle
many times, causing the stardancer to glare at her more than once.Azhani
had shrugged and mentally figured that if the Y’Norans were dumb enough
to get sick from drinking too much, they shouldn’t expect anyone to feel
sorry for them.For her own part,
the warrior stuck to tea or water, needing a clear head to examine the
map of the kingdoms.
By
the time everyone had sought his or her beds, there was a working plan
in place.They would wait until the
first thaw and then, as quickly as they could, make their way to Y’Syr.Once
there, they would quickly make their way to the Y’Noran border.Padreg
and his people would continue with Elisira while Azhani and Kyrian returned
to Y’Syr, to search for the friends that Ylera Kelani had told the warrior
about.
Azhani had privately hoped that Kyrian
would decide to go with Padreg, rather than follow her to the uncertain
safety of Y’Syr.When she had mentioned
it, the stardancer had firmly closed the door on that idea.
“No, Azhani, I don’t want to go to Y’Nor – no offense, your majesty – I want to go with you.I swore that I would stand by your side, and I will!”Kyrian’s face was flushed with indignation.
“You would be much safer if you go with Padreg,” Azhani tried to point out rationally.
“To the hells with safer, Azhani.I’m not going to run out on you just because it might get a little dangerous,” Kyrian retorted hotly.
“A little dangerous?” Azhani replied challengingly.
“Okay, so a lot dangerous.Like it isn’t already?Life in Y’dan isn’t exactly tea and crumb cakes for anything nonhuman, and I’m definitely not human.And even if it won’t be that way in Y’Syr or Y’Nor, I’d still rather be with you, working to make a difference!” Kyrian’s jaw clicked shut and she raised her eyes to meet Azhani’s steely blue gaze.The air nearly crackled with the energy that flowed between the two women, but in the end, it was the warleader who flicked her eyes away.
“Fine, I won’t stop you, but –“
“I won’t come crying to you when I stub my toe, mother,” Kyrian inserted jokingly, trying to defuse the tension.
For just one second, it looked as if she had said the wrong thing, and then Azhani laughed, a short bark of surprised amusement.“Right.No tears for stubbed toes.Now, why don’t you help the lads to bed?It looks like they’re all about to topple into the fire.”
“You
scared about three years off of me, warrior,” Kyrian accused softly, turning
away to finish pouring the water into her cup and then stirring in a dollop
of honey.
“Sorry,”
Azhani replied in mock contrition.“But
you still owe me a cap.”
Kyrian
furrowed her brow in confusion.“I
owe you a cap?Huh?Have
you been sniffing my herbs again?”
Azhani
sat down near the hearth and grabbed a mug, intent on making a morning
drink.“No,” she said absently, “but
I did remember that you promised to knit me a cap if I found you some yarn.Here,
this should work, right?”From her
haversack, she withdrew four medium sized skeins of fuzzy charcoal colored
yarn and tossed them at the stardancer.
Kyrian
awkwardly caught them, successfully juggling them away from the fire and
into her lap.She held the last skein
up and examined it closely.“Yeah,
this should do just fine.It’s thick,
so it’ll be warm, too,” she said approvingly.
“Good.How
soon can you finish it?” Azhani finished stirring her tea and took a sip.
“It’ll
take me a bit to remember all the right stitches, but after that, not long,
I’d imagine,” Kyrian said, as she drank her tea.
A muffled rumbling noise startled both women and caused Kyrian to chuckle.“Guess you’re hungry this morning, hey, Azhi?”Surreptitiously, the stardancer crossed her fingers.Come on, prove to me that my hunch is right.I know we’re friends, Azhani.I know you care about me.
Azhani
opened her mouth to say something about Kyrian’s use of the nickname, but
then decided she liked the way Kyrian’s voice made it sound.Instead,
she said, “Um, yeah, I guess I am.What
have we got that’s convenient?”
Kyrian
smiled and said, “Oats, bread, fruit and last night’s dinner.”
“Oh,
and dinner was that delicious roast.Perfect,”
Azhani said, jumping up to find some bowls and spoons while the stardancer
moved the pot into the hearth to warm.
After
breakfast, Azhani suggested that they head outside and stretch their muscles.Kyrian
agreed, stripping off her robe so that she was only wearing a pair of short
breeches and a lightweight tunic.Azhani
donned her padded gambeson and the two headed out into the slight chill
of the morning.
There
was a thick blanket of snow on the ground, but that didn’t stop the two
women from stretching and then wandering out into the first open area they
could find.Slowly, they circled
each other, seeking any weakness in the other’s defenses.
Kyrian
made the first move, taking an open handed swipe at the other woman’s seemingly
undefended shoulder, but Azhani neatly countered, returning a light tap
of her own to the stardancer’s stomach.
“Point,
warrior,” Kyrian said, her eyes never leaving the center of Azhani’s chest,
watching for the tell-tale ripple of movement that would indicate the warrior’s
next move.
“I
always get the first point,” Azhani noted calmly, studying her opponent
casually.
Kyrian’s
eyes crinkled as she smiled.“Yeah,
but I usually get the last,” she taunted.
Azhani
attacked, leaping up and letting out a soft grunt as she attempted a spin
kick.Kyrian easily deflected the
blow, returning a light tap to the inside of the warrior’s left knee.
“Point,
healer,” Azhani said, narrowing her eyes as they returned to circling each
other again.Now that they had each
proven the other was awake and ready to play, the match began in earnest.
Minutes
passed as they traded blows and blocks, ending with Kyrian’s natural impatience
getting the better of her.The stardancer
lowered her head and charged, knocking a surprised Azhani into the snow.
She
jumped back, laughing, “Hah!Point.I
win!”
Azhani
scowled indignantly, but stood up and brushed herself off.“All
right.Again.”
“Go!”
Kyrian danced away, waiting for Azhani’s attack.The
warrior cracked her neck then shook her shoulders and watched the stardancer.Not
moving, she just followed Kyrian’s movements with her eyes until her friend
noticed.“Well, are you going to
stand there all day, or what?” Kyrian asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Not
even the barest hint of a grin gave her away.Azhani
started to turn away, then flipped up and behind the stardancer.Hooking
her left foot around Kyrian’s knee, she pulled back and shoved out with
her hands.Quickly, she dropped down,
straddling the other woman and flexed her arm, putting the point of her
elbow into the nape of Kyrian’s neck.
“Do
you yield?” she asked calmly.
Kyrian
tried to buck her off, but Azhani’s greater weight gave her an advantage.She
tried to twist away, but the warrior clamped her legs shut, holding the
stardancer in place. Turning her head slightly, Kyrian blew out a mouthful
of snow.“Cold,” she murmured.
“What’s
that?Did you say, ‘I yield, Azhani,
because you are the almighty great and powerful one’?” the warrior teased.
“No,
I do not yield,” the stardancer said through clenched teeth.Without
warning, she pushed back, knowing she was putting herself into a very vulnerable
position.
Azhani
immediately wrapped her arm around the stardancer’s throat and locked her
head in place.Ignoring it, Kyrian
now reached her hand back and casually tickled the warrior’s knee.The
action so surprised Azhani that she jumped, loosening her hold.Swift
as a fish, Kyrian slithered away.
Jumping
up, she easily deflected Azhani’s punch, and they were at it again.Kyrian
won again.Grabbing Azhani’s arm
as she let go of a punch, she used the warrior’s weight to throw her and
as soon as she hit the ground, the stardancer put her foot on the warrior’s
neck.
“Do
you yield?”The stardancer’s face
was flushed with exertion.
“I
yield,” Azhani said.As soon as her
friend’s foot was removed, she bounced up and said, “Round three?”
Kyrian
felt her heart beating hard and her breath came in short gasps, but she
knew that Azhani liked at least three rounds.Waiting
only long enough for her heart to slow down, she gave her assent.
As
soon as the stardancer nodded, Azhani rushed with a series of punches.Hard
pressed to block or avoid the blows, Kyrian ended up pinned against the
side of the cabin.
“Do
you surrender?” Azhani growled, leaning her body into the smaller woman
and looking down into sparkling green eyes.
Kyrian’s
already reddened cheeks flamed even brighter as the weight of the taller
woman’s body against her own set fire to overheated nerve endings.Swallowing
hard, she returned her friend’s intense blue gaze, projecting an aura of
calm she did not feel.
Oh goddess, why do you have to be so beautiful?
ran through her mind as she struggled to control her raging hormones.
Kyrian wriggled, attempting to push
the warrior away, but Azhani only pressed closer, slipping her leg between
the stardancer’s.Warm breath mingled,
filling the space between them with white puffs of air.
Leaning in closer, Azhani whispered,
“Do... you... surrender?”
Kyrian
held the warrior’s gaze, battling for the right to claim victory.Frustrated,
she banged her head against the wall, but she did not answer.A
grin slipped across Azhani’s face; she knew she was going to win this one.Then,
just as the warrior thought the stardancer was going to say the words that
would signal the end of the match, she got a face full of snow.
“Never!”
Kyrian said, laughing as the warrior reeled back, spluttering.
Azhani
watched Kyrian ease away from the wall, still laughing, and felt her own
temper begin to fray.Hands clenching
and leg muscles tensing, she stood there panting, as if readying for combat.
Whoa
there warrior.She’s just playing
with you.Don’t lose your head over
this!Her
inner voice grabbed her temper by its reins and hauled it in.Kyrian
continued to laugh, walking away from the wall and over to a barrel where
a couple of skins of water rested.
Azhani’s
temper wouldn’t let the stardancer get away clean, though, so she carefully
gathered a large handful of snow and silently crept up behind Kyrian as
she drank.A slight crunching of
footsteps in the snow was the stardancer’s only warning.She
was just about to turn around when she got a double handful of snow down
the back of her tunic.
“Gah!”
she shrieked as the cold snow slid down the center of her back.“Azhani!No
fair!”
Azhani
smirked, crossing her arms and giving the stardancer a raised eyebrow.“S’amatter?Shoe
not fit so well on that other foot?”
“Ooooo!You
big goof!I didn’t shove it down
your gambeson!” Kyrian retorted as she shook her tunic out.If
I were going to shove anything down your gambeson right now, Azhi, it wouldn’t
be snow!
Azhani
stuck her tongue out.“So hire a
barrister and sue me.”She’s
kind of cute when she’s mad.The
thought appeared out of nowhere, surprising the warrior.Shaking
her head slightly, she pushed the thought away and refocused her attention
on playing with her friend.
Kyrian
blinked, surprised at the playful tone to the warrior’s usually solemn
voice.She smiled.“Nah,
barrister’s cost too much for a poor little priest like me.I
think I’ll stick to personal retribution.”Scooping
up a handful of snow, she rolled it up and tossed it, scoring a direct
hit on the warrior’s thigh.
The
snow on Azhani’s breeches slowly flaked away.Azhani
looked down, watching the bits of white crystal melt into the fabric, and
chuckled.Reaching for a large handful
of snow, she felt the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.The
warrior let out a huge laugh, giving in to the joy of playing with a friend.
Elisira
found the two women rolling around, gleefully stuffing handfuls of snow
into each other’s clothing.Covering
her mouth to keep from laughing, she waved to Padreg who was curiously
poking his head out of a window.
He
joined her, casually slipping an arm around the lady.“I’m
almost jealous.I should think it
would be most stimulating to roll around in my all-unders with you, my
lady,” he whispered softly.
“We
can certainly go out and give it a try, my lord.Though,
I’m not certain I can guarantee the safety of your crown jewels,” Elisira
replied while leaning into the plainsman’s embrace.
“All
right.Let’s go see how much trouble
we can find in the snow,” he said with a wicked smile lighting his face.
They
dashed outside, skirting around the wrestlers until they found their own
nicely formed drift.Then they stopped,
not knowing where to begin.
“Uhm,
well, yes, let’s see.If I give you
a light push,” Padreg said, reaching out to nudge Elisira’s arm.
“Then
that gives me the right to push back,” she said, thrusting her arms outward
with all the force she could muster and sending him sprawling into the
drift.
He
let out a squawk of surprise, flailing his arms and legs as he fell.The
snow whooshed up and then came down in a white sprinkle.
“Oh
no.Are you all right my lord?” Elisira
cried, rushing to his side.
Laughing
uproariously, he said, “Fine, my lady, just fine.A
bit damp, and now,” he grinned wickedly, “I’ve got you right where I want
you!”His hand shot out and caught
the lady by the waist and dragged her down on top of him.With
his other hand, he smeared a bunch of snow into her face.
She
struggled, crying out indignantly, causing him to laugh even harder.Arching
one eyebrow, she swiftly reached up and grabbed a double handful of snow,
dropping it onto his face.As soon
as he released her, she jumped up and ran away, gathering more ammunition
and packing it into a snowball.
Making
his own balls, Padreg stood up and hopped over the fence, using the stone
barricade as a form of protection.He
pelted her.She pelted him, and soon
they were dashing across the yard, scooping up snow and flinging it wildly.
Seeing
their friends, Azhani and Kyrian easily split up with Kyrian taking Padreg’s
side and Azhani joining Elisira.Syrah,
Devon, Thomas and Aden came out to play as well, and shortly, there were
snowy fortifications all over the yard.
Utter snowball chaos erupted then.Candlemarks
later, all of them, wet, winded, and covered with mud trooped into the
house.Elisira and Kyrian immediately
marched the two still recovering warriors back upstairs for a quick change
of clothes and a return to their pallets, while Azhani and Padreg began
the arduous task of hauling in enough water for everyone to get clean.
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The story and characters of Banshee's Honor are copyright
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