ANUNDR: THE EXODUS (28 page)

The court was always filled with tension when Lethman drank. The people in court spoke in whispers as they watched him. The next day was Ida’s day and the spy hadn’t been found. Disappointment and wine weren’t things the king could handle well.

Gisilfried sat by Seraphin on the dais watching as soldiers dragged in more witches and stories.

Lethman boomed, ‘Anyone who comes in here with witches and no spies will spend a night in the dungeons for wasting my time.’

The soldiers rushed back, pushing the witches out of the hall.

‘Imagine if he finds out that the spy he seeks is hidden by his son in his castle.’ Seraphin said, giggling.

He retorted, ‘Yes, she sits beside him.’

‘Your time is running out.’

Before he could reply, General Tharstin walked into the hall with some men. His face was grave.

‘General, what news?’ Lethman asked, lowering his goblet.

Tharstin bowed. ‘King Meldric and his soldiers march towards Naphdael.’

Lethman slammed his goblet on the table beside him and leaned forward.

‘How many men?’

‘A few hundred.’

‘That rat! He thinks he can destroy us with—’

‘He sent a messenger, my lord.’

A young soldier with a bronze helmet in his arm stepped forward and bowed. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘King Meldric sent me here to calm your thoughts. He comes in peace. He’s looking for his daughter--’

‘Of course, the Helmford spy and your king are conniving against me.’ said Lethman.

‘My lor--’

‘When will he be here?’

‘By--’

‘Ida’s day, isn’t it?’

The soldier looked confused. Lethman’s eyes were delirious as he clenched the arms of his chair. ‘You thought I would fall and you would take my city away from me with just a few hundred men. Go tell your king to prepare for battle.’

The soldier took a step back. ‘My lord, we mean no harm.’

Lethman grabbed a crossbow from a guard and aimed it at him and said, ‘What did I tell you to do?’

‘Does she seem innocent now?’ Seraphin whispered to Gisilfried. He rose and walked to his father.

‘Father, please.’

‘Very well,’ said the soldier, ‘I’ll do as you’ve commanded.’ He turned to leave.

‘Wait,’ said Lethman, ‘I forgot something.’ The soldier turned and Lethman shot an arrow into his arm.

‘In case he’s confused.’ Lethman said as the soldier staggered backwards and hurried out of the court.

‘Father, what have you done?’

‘What one day you will do to protect this city.’

‘What if he spoke the truth? Remember you both signed the peace treaty.’

‘Never believe the words of a Helmfordian. They are all snakes.’

Gisilfried drew closer. ‘I cannot let you do this.’

Lethman glared at him, ‘Let me?’ he said. ‘When did you become king? If you’re so afraid, you can stay here and look for the spy while the real men go fighting.’

Gisilfried opened his mouth. He wanted to call out Seraphin.

‘Is there something else you want to say?’ his father said. Gisilfried thought better of it. There was too much at stake.

‘No, father.’

‘Then get out of my sight.’ he said, then turned to Tharstin. ‘Double the posts this night. If Meldric is bringing a few hundred, then we march with all our men by dawn. We shall have no surprises and we shall take no survivors.’

The people cheered except for Tharstin and Gisilfried. Seraphin whispered in Gisilfried’s ears, ‘Everything is in my favor.’

                                                                                    ***

There was a knock on the library door.

‘Hide.’ Ekrid said and Natalia hurried behind a shelf. He opened the door and she heard a familiar voice she had missed.

‘Ekrid, I’ve searched everywhere. Is she here?’ said Anistral.

‘Yes, come in.’ he said, hurrying her in and barring the door after her.

Natalia came out. ‘Anistral.’ she said and Anistral turned and smiled. They hugged.

‘I’m happy you’re safe.’ Anistral said, after pulling away.

‘What about the women?’

Anistral sighed and turned away. ‘They should be well.’

‘Should be?’

‘They left the city the day we were released.’

‘They left everything?’

Anistral shook her head. ‘The house was burned to the ground.’

Natalia gasped and covered her mouth. ‘No,’ she said, ‘because of me.’

‘Hush, child. You mustn’t blame yourself. We’ve long needed a break from tradition.’

‘But your home--’

‘I told you I’m a wanderer.’ Anistral smiled and said, ‘There’s something I have for you.’ She pulled out the red and black patterned work and extended to Natalia.

‘I thought everything was destroyed.’ Natalia said, not touching it.

‘This one survived.’

‘How?’

‘Take it. It belongs to you.’ Natalia took it and squeezed it in her hand. She wished it had burned with everything else.

‘So where would you go?’ Ekrid asked.

‘By tomorrow, this city will be no more so I shall travel through lands.’

‘You won’t have to. We’re going to save the city.’ said Natalia.

‘How?’

‘By stopping the priestess.’

‘Natalia, I didn’t save you to save this city.’

‘Then why am I here?’

‘For much better reasons than Naphdael.’

‘Are you speaking like this because of what they did to you?’

Anistral laughed. ‘What they did to me is but a small matter compared to what they’ve done. This city is a lie built on the blood of the innocent, even the blood of Ida.’

‘Every city is built on the blood of people, but we must look beyond their past.’

‘Not this one.’

‘Which means you’re not going to help us.’ said Ekrid. ‘My lady, let us stop wasting our time.’ He spread out the map on the table.

Natalia glanced at Anistral and went to join him and said, ‘So where do you think she’s going to drop the jewel?’

‘It’s within the city but I don’t know where.’ he said.

‘It would be done at the heart.’ Anistral said, moving towards them. They turned to look at her. ‘I can only give you direction.’ she said. She studied the map, and then tapped the middle with her finger. ‘It will be dropped here.’

‘Why?’ said Natalia. ‘There’s nothing there.’

‘Legends say Galian created this city with a rock and out of it came water which later formed land. So what is this city’s life source?’

‘The rock and water.’ said Ekrid.

‘The beginning.’ Anistral said, smiling. ‘Look back at the map, what do you see?’

Natalia looked at it. Where she had tapped was a dot indicating a well.

‘The old well.’ Ekrid said.

‘That’s where the source flows.’ said Anistral.             

Natalia looked up. ‘I think it was the well I saw in my dream.’

There was a knock on the door. ‘Who is it?’ said Ekrid.

‘Gisilfried.’

Ekrid opened the door. Gisilfried looked pale as he came in.

‘What happened?’ asked Natalia, walking towards him.

‘Your father marches to this city with his soldiers.’

Natalia froze in her tracks. ‘My father? King Meldric?’

‘Yes. He’s looking for you but my father thinks he’s coming for war so the army marches out by dawn.’

‘No.’ said Natalia, pacing the floor. ‘Then I have to go.’

‘And do what?’ said Anistral. ‘It won’t end well.’

Gisilfried said, ‘This is what Seraphin wants. She will have control over the city with no one to stop her.’

‘So what should be done?’ Natalia said. She couldn’t have her emotions cloud her mind.

Gisilfried looked like he had something on his mind.

‘What is it?’ Ekrid asked.

‘An idea.’ he said as his lips curved into a smile.

Prince Meldric studied the scrolls on his table over the lantern.

‘Brother.’ He looked up to see Sigrun standing at the entrance of his tent. ‘You seem troubled.’

‘I have many things that weigh on my mind.’ said Meldric.

‘Then you need some merriment.’ Sigrun said, shaking his brother’s shoulder. Meldric rubbed his eyes and said, ‘No, brother, no drinking till we reach the city.’

‘But the soldiers need it and I need it. The rahis can watch the prisoners.’

Meldric groaned. ‘Do as you wish, but by dawn we march.’

Sigrun grinned and said, ‘The men will be happy.’ He hurried out.

Meldric turned back to the scrolls but he couldn’t make sense of them. With a hand, he swept everything off the table and ran his hands over his face.

                                                                      ***

Kalani noticed the soldiers leaving their posts and walking towards the camp fire tents away from them where other soldiers sat drinking and laughing. The guards watching them bound her and Amse’s feet and left to join the others. She watched them leave and her mouth fell as they passed an approaching man in white robes that held two bowls with his carefully wrapped hands.

‘Maris.’ she said, relief flooding through her. He smiled, plodding towards them, and set the bowls at their feet.

‘You’re a strong man.’ said Amse.

‘No, it’s the temple water.’ he said, sitting down. ‘When I thought I had taken my last breath, I drank it and strength came.’

‘But you should rest.’ Kalani said, staring at his pale face.

‘And who would feed you?’ he said. ‘I take my tasks seriously.’ He drank of the water in the bowl and gave it to Amse.

Kalani heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Akasha approaching with a tankard.

‘Maris, it seems even death has rejected you.’ Akasha said and gave him the tankard. Maris hesitated, then took it.

‘How did you get the wine?’ Maris asked after drinking it.

‘You must thank our prisoners. The wine in Seti is rich.’

Kalani caught her breath and glanced at Amse who seemed busy with the bread.

Maris passed the wine back to Akasha.

‘No, drink some more and pass it to the other rahis.’ he said and walked away. Maris turned to them and said, ‘I’ll be back shortly.’

When Maris was gone, Akasha returned with a knife. Kalani pulled her hands over her face as he approached her.

‘What are you trying--’

‘Shhh!’ he said and cut the ropes on her feet and hands. Then he did the same to Amse.

‘Why are you helping us?’ Amse asked.

‘I have my reasons. Go now.’

Kalani pulled Amse up and ran into the woods.

‘We cannot trust him.’ Amse said as they ran.

‘But he let us go.’

‘He has dark reasons.’

‘What do I care as long as we escape?’

Amse stumbled. She lifted him and he limped forward with his arm over her neck. They heard shouts from the camp.

‘We must go faster.’ Kalani said, looking behind them. Amse fell, dragging her with him.

‘Kalani,’ he said, ‘you must leave me.’

‘No, I won’t abandon you.’

‘I’ll hide. You have speed on your side. Go.’

‘Amse, I—’

‘Go!’

Kalani ran. She heard the men running in the woods. She kept glancing behind her as she ran. She fell down a slope. She looked around her. The place was in pitch darkness except for the fireflies that danced above her and the glowing plants. She remained on the floor, catching her breath. Then she heard a whisper like it came from the leaves.

‘Seed of Galian, thy path I see

Destiny has led thee to me.

All thy desires I shall fulfill

If thou surrenders to my will.’

Kalani blinked. Her eyes were getting heavy. She could sense a presence behind her, its breath on her neck and its fingers in her hair. With her hand she scoured the earth around her for a stone and found one the size of her palm.

‘No!’ she said and hit the creature. It shrieked and scurried up a tree. She ran until she approached a bend. Someone grabbed her by the throat and pushed her to a tree, placing a blade on her neck.

‘Don’t move’ said Akasha, ‘or I’ll slit your throat.’

‘So you set us free to use us as sport.’

‘I told you I had my reasons.’ he whispered, rubbing his nose against her face and pressing his body against hers.

‘I thought you’re a rahi.’

‘When it is fitting.’ he said. ‘I’ve never tried the child of a god. Maybe there is something different about you.’

‘Yes, there is.’ she said and kicked him in the crotch and slapped his face. He groaned and held her hair before she could get away. ‘You filthy--’ He saw the soldiers approaching with torches.

‘I’ve found her.’ he said. The soldiers bound her arms and led her back to the camp. Amse lay tied up on the floor with his face bloodied while Maris was curled in a ball as Sigrun kicked him.

‘Leave him alone.’ Kalani said. ‘He’s not the one that untied us.’

‘That’s hard to believe.’ said Meldric, coming out of the shadows. ‘He left his knife on the floor of his duty post.’

‘It’s Akasha who freed us.’ she said.

‘Be silent.’ said Sigrun. ‘He was with me all night.’

‘No, he wasn’t, my lord.’ Maris said as he coughed.

Sigrun glared at him and said, ‘You call me a liar?’ Before Maris could reply, Sigrun launched an attack, kicking him in a frenzy.

‘Stop please.’ Kalani shouted, struggling to break free from the soldiers as Maris shuddered and groaned. They heard a squish from his skin bottle and saw a spreading wetness on the earth.

‘I’ve had my fill.’ said Sigrun. ‘I wonder what your fate will be with no temple water to drink.’

Kalani knelt beside Maris and touched his bloodied face. It was swollen and the white wrappings on his arms were red. She gazed into his dimming eyes and felt her eyes sting with tears.

‘Take him away.’ Sigrun said. The soldiers took him from her. Kalani turned to Amse.

‘Don’t blame yourself.’ he said, but she couldn’t help it. She felt rage surge within her. She rose.

‘Sigrun.’ she said before he could walk away. He turned.

She said, her voice breaking with her sobs, ‘People like you shouldn’t grow old.’

He laughed. ‘Are you placing a curse on me?’

‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I place a curse on every one of you. If truly I am the daughter of Galian, then your deaths will be slow and painful, and you will scream for help but no one will hear until you beg to have your lives taken from you.’

The winds sped around the tent causing a stir amongst the soldiers.

‘Witch!’ they said. Sigrun moved towards her. His smile was gone.

‘Undo your curse.’

‘No.’

He slapped her. The pain she felt increased her rage and when she raised her eyes to look at him, he stepped back with fear in his eyes.

‘Bring her to my tent.’ said Meldric. No one moved towards her.

‘I said bring her!’