The Awakened Book Two (17 page)

“He will be with you shortly.”

Maeryn raised her eyebrows and looked at her companions. They only shrugged their shoulders.

By the time their new guest joined them, Maeryn was ready to fall asleep. The sound of trickling water and the cool damp air were relaxing.

“Maeryn,” came a soft voice from across the room.

Maeryn stood as the young man walked over. He was of medium height with straight black hair. He had a soft quality about him that, when coupled with his impeccable manner of dress, indicated that he was very conscious of his looks. He wasn’t quite what she expected, young enough to be her son. When he was close enough, he extended a hand.

“Maeryn, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“And your name?” Maeryn replied.

The man shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you understand the need for secrecy.” It was a statement that sounded like a question. “I understand that Thaddius will not be joining us?”

“Yes. The provisions at the outpost were spoiled. He and many others are dead because of it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the man replied honestly. “So are you all that remains?” he asked, gesturing to the others.

“No,” Maeryn corrected. “There are still one hundred and fifty waiting at the outpost.”

“Congratulations on your success. We were doubtful that any would survive.”

“I would hardly call it a success. We started as five hundred.”

“Yes, that is horrible. I’m afraid that was Thaddius’ responsibility,” he replied, starting to sound defensive.

Maeryn was angered. “And what is your responsibility?” she asked. “You orchestrated this.”

“Oh my…no! According to Thaddius, this was your idea. And I had nothing to do with it.”

“Who are you?” Maeryn asked. “Aren’t you the Resistance leader?”

The man chuckled. “I am flattered that you would think so, but no. I am, however, able to speak on his behalf.”

Maeryn paused for a moment, realizing that this man was here to support her and not the other way around. She was pleased that Thaddius had cast her in such a good light. It was her idea after all, but all the details were handled by Thaddius.

“Here is what I need. I have one hundred and fifty freed slaves hiding out on the island of
Tur’cen
. Their supplies will not allow them to last the winter. Therefore, whatever arrangements were made for transport must happen immediately.”

The man raised his eyebrows. “That is not possible. The slave boats will not be traveling again until the spring time. Without this disguise, we are unprepared to grant your request.”

“What are we supposed to do? Winter is coming and we will starve on that island. We need to be evacuated immediately.”

“I understand, but the arrangement was…”

“I don’t care,” Maeryn interrupted. “For someone who is working for a cause, you’re not trying hard enough. I am offering you hundreds of new supporters and my own services as well. And for such generosity, I expect to be accommodated.”

The man was speechless.

“If you cannot provide a larger vessel, then I demand that you provide food and clothing so that we may survive the winter.”

The man took a deep breath and replied after a long moment of silence. “Let me see what arrangements I can make.”

Maeryn nodded, her heart now beating fiercely in her chest.

“For now,” he continued, “come with me and we will get you settled. Are you hungry?”

“We are famished. But we don’t have much time, we must get back.”

“Of course. But I must send word to our leader for authorization of your requests. Until we hear back, you are our guests.” The man turned and beckoned for them to follow.

Maeryn turned around and smiled at her companions who had tears of joy in their eyes.

After a hearty stew, the guests were shown to their quarters. Maeryn was given her own room and was grateful for the accommodations. She didn’t bring any belongings and so didn’t need any time to settle in. Instead, she asked if there was anywhere to bathe.

“That is one of the best things about this place,” replied the man. “Come with me.”

They walked along more torch-lit passageways, descending even farther into the earth. Faintly, the sound of water came to Maeryn’s ears.

“These passageways extend to various parts of the city. This one leads to the ocean.” Just as he finished his explanation, the walls widened to reveal an underground spring which formed a small lake. “There on the far side, you can see daylight.”

Maeryn looked and could see a small crack of daylight shining through the wall of the cavern on the other side of the lake.

“The spring runs to the ocean through that passage,” he said, pointing to where Maeryn was looking.

It was a beautiful sight to behold and the thought of a bath warmed Maeryn’s weary heart.

“I will have fresh clothing put in your room. There are plenty of secluded areas for your privacy. Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you,” Maeryn replied.

“Of course,” the man responded with a smile.

“How long will it take to get authorization?”

“You must know that your request may not be granted, but you should receive a response in just a few days.”

“Oh, so he’s close?”

“Who says it’s a he? And no…not necessarily. There are many means of quickly sending messages.”

Maeryn nodded. “Just let me know as soon as possible.”

The man only smiled and retreated, leaving Maeryn alone in the cavern.

Maeryn’s time at the Resistance headquarters moved quickly, filled with warm meals and regular baths. It was strange though, not seeing the daylight since she arrived. And though her time was enjoyable, she grew uncomfortable when she thought of Aelia and the others back on the island. She hoped they were doing well and couldn’t wait to return.

Just as promised, the dark-haired man came to her quarters after two and a half days. Maeryn’s traveling companions were with him.

“I have a message for you.”

“And?” Maeryn asked, with anticipation.

“Your request has been granted.”

Maeryn couldn’t help herself. She hugged the man and then apologized, as he tried not to show his blushing face.

“I also have this,” he said, handing her a small rolled piece of paper.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It is a message from our leader. You are very fortunate.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, proceeding to read the message containing only two lines of text.

glad to hear that you are safe

look forward to seeing you in the spring

“It is unusual for him to send personal messages.”

“So it is a he,” she replied with a smile.

He ignored the joke. “Have you heard directly from him before?”

Maeryn smiled. “Yes, he sent me a letter many years ago. It took me a moment to realize who it was from.”

“Well you are fortunate indeed. The leader doesn’t have any contact with those who are not officially part of the Resistance.”

“How does one ‘officially’ become part of the Resistance?” she asked.

“I will let him tell you, since it seems that he wants to meet you next spring. Oh yes, your request has been exceeded.”

“What do you mean?” Maeryn asked.

“I have been given instructions to assign you one of my men as well as a larger vessel. It won’t transport your refugees, but it will be large enough to carry supplies back to the island. I will need the rest of the afternoon to get your shipping papers prepared and to make other arrangements. But you must defer to my man’s authority, especially when in public. It is important that you appear in your proper womanly role so as not to raise any suspicions. He will take the three of you to the shipyards tomorrow and you will set sail for
Tur’cen
.”

Maeryn couldn’t believe her ears and she couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes. “Thank you,” she said simply.

* * * *

The morning after the battle’s end, Kael was up and out of his bed, after being treated for a broken nose and ribs, as well as a deep wound on his right thigh. He didn’t remember much of the previous night, only that he somehow made it back to
Leoran
. What was clear in his mind, perfectly clear, was his encounter with Narian. He replayed the events over and over in his head. And as he did so, several questions came to mind.

Is Narian leading this invasion? Did he escape from the monastery too? Should I feel guilty? No! I will not feel guilty about killing him! He chose his actions and happened to come across my path. If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else.

Actually…it probably wouldn’t have been anyone else.
With his upbringing and the training he received at the monastery, Kael had always excelled in combat. In fact, he had never met a worthy opponent since his escape. That is, until Narian.

I almost didn’t make it out of that one alive!

He tried to shrug off his current train of thought. The city of
Leoran
was beautiful in the morning as Kael strolled along the city walls overlooking the lake. After a few minutes of concentrating on the present and trying to forget about the previous day’s events, Kael became aware of something. As he passed the
Leoran
citizens, he noticed a hesitation in their demeanor, a mixture of fear and awe. Whispers and hushed voices passed among the people, and when he looked them in the eyes, he received nods of respect. Though not the kind that seems to accompany friendship or trust, but something else. He wondered if it had something to do with not remembering how he got back to the city. It was almost as if he had drunk too much wine the night before and embarrassed himself.
Oh well.
He made a mental note to ask Dacien about it when he got back.

Kael recovered quickly over the next few weeks. His leg wound closed up and he was eventually able to remove the bandages. The swelling and discoloration on his face subsided and the ability to breathe through his nose returned. But the pain in his ribs lingered. Just when he started to forget about his limitations, a jolt of pain would return as he performed some minor activity that would otherwise not have been a problem.

But more important than his physical injuries, Kael felt a wound in his soul. Seeing Narian brought back memories of his past, memories that he’d been trying to forget for a long time. These memories would steal hours of his day before he realized it. Dacien must have thought his friend had gone crazy.

In fact, Kael hadn’t shared more than three conversations with him since the battle with the Syvaku. The first conversation was strange, as Dacien relayed the events that Kael had forgotten. Since that time, the two had begun to grow apart, and Kael wasn’t sure why. He only knew that he felt uncomfortable around Dacien, like a disapproving parent. Though Dacien never said anything to that effect, Kael felt it nonetheless.

One day, just before the first winter storm, Kael found himself at the city square after one of his many walks to clear his mind, which was increasingly difficult to clear. The market was busy with the normal activity, but Kael’s attention was drawn to the unusual sight of a slave trader with his products on display. As Kael neared, he caught a few of the words being shouted to potential customers. Apparently this enterprising man had found a way to profit from the misery of others by rounding up all the homeless slaves of
Bastul
after the Syvak raid. With the death of their masters, there was no one to contest this man, who simply took them by force. No doubt he had a few thugs nearby for his own safety, but far enough away to stay out of sight so as not to present a negative image that might affect his sales.
Too late. I can see your evil from right where I stand.

Scanning the faces of the slaves, Kael felt disgusted. For too long, the Empire used slave labor as a way of building and sustaining its gluttonous appetite. The labor of many supported the lifestyle of a few.

All of a sudden, Kael froze. There before him was a man his own age. His dark skin was marred with scars from a long time past. His face was distorted to the point of being grotesque. As Kael looked around, it was clear that the
Leoran
citizens were also uncomfortable at the sight. Kael looked back to the man’s tall and muscular frame and knew in an instant who it was that stood before him.

Stepping forward into the space between the crowd and the slaves, Kael stopped in front of Ajani.

“There he is,” yelled the trader. “A man who knows a good deal when he sees one. You won’t find a more reasonable price.”

The crowd began to back away from Kael as the trader approached.

“I’ll take this one,” Kael announced.