by Pedro Urvi
In spite of an afflicted heart and the sadness which weighed on her soul like a mountain, every new dawn she forced herself to believe. She repeated to herself: Ikai will get the remedy that’ll cure Mother, I’m sure he will. After leaving Solma in Idana’s care she trained with Urda and the volunteers, working to strengthen them and improve their handling of weapons. Afterwards she went to the watch-posts and spent some time chatting with the men and women on duty, making sure everything was all right and everybody was safe. In the afternoons she involved herself in the thousand and one tasks still to be done at the Shelter: from building a palisade or houses and barns to felling trees and preparing fields for crops. Now that Ikai and Isaz had left with Albana, it was up to her to take her brother’s place, and she did it willingly, although not even half as well as he did. In another life I’ll ask Oxatsi to bless me with the patience she forgot to give me in this one.
That evening Kyra was eating her supper of vegetable soup and smoked fish. Dull-eyed, she watched her beloved mother on her bed. But something caught her attention: she could barely perceive her breathing. It startled her. She knelt beside her and took her hands in her own. They were colder than they ought to be. Something’s wrong! She got up and ran in search of Idana.
“What’s wrong with her?” she asked, while the apothecary examined her carefully.
Her friend did not answer, but went on checking the whole of Solma’s body. She massaged her and made her drink one of her herb tisanes.
“She’s worse, isn’t she?” Kyra asked. There were tears in her eyes.
Idana nodded. She looked worried.
“She’s weaker. Her condition’s deteriorating…”
“I can’t bear it. I’m watching her die. It breaks my heart.”
“Be strong, Kyra. Your brother will soon be back, and we’ll heal her.”
“Do you really believe that? How can you be sure?”
Idana bowed her head and shook it gently. “I can’t be. I wish I was… you know I’d give my right arm to be sure.”
“I know you do everything you can, that you’d do anything for her. It’s not you I should be upset with, it’s the fate that seems to have it in for my family.”
“Don’t worry, Kyra. It’s normal to be furious, to curse your fate and the whole world. It’s the pain speaking, not you.”
“Why her? She’s never harmed anybody… She’s an exceptional woman. She raised Ikai and me practically on her own, and she was already sick.”
“Has she always been like this? When did it start, do you remember?”
“I really couldn’t say. At first she didn’t want us to know she was sick, but I think she’s been that way since we were babies.”
“That’s an interesting fact…”
“There’s something else you don’t know, Idana… that very few people know…”
“You can trust me. I’ll take your secret with me to the grave.”
Kyra knew Idana would never betray her, so she decided to tell her what had happened during Notaplo’s experiment, and what Albana had said to her.
“Hybrid? That’s… that’s fascinating…”
“I don’t see it that way, not in the least. And I’m not sure I really am a Hybrid. I asked Mother, but she told me I couldn’t be.”
“Curious… Solma denied it… and yet her illness is one of the blood… degenerative…”
“You don’t believe she lied to me, do you? She’s never lied to me before. She wouldn’t…”
“Mothers will do whatever’s necessary to protect their children. Even lie to them.”
“Do you think her illness might have some connection with this possible blood-mix?”
“It might very well be. There’s another significant detail… the fact that she became ill right after your birth, or perhaps during it… that makes me think… yes, it’s very significant…”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at, Idana.”
“They’re just guesses. I don’t have any answers, but it opens up possibilities I hadn’t considered. Unfortunately I have no solutions, and her state is worsening…”
“I can’t just stay and watch her die. I have to do something. Are you sure the Witch option is the right one?”
“It’s the one my instincts suggest ‒ but no, I’m not totally sure.”
“What if we don’t run any risks?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if we choose both options?”
“Ikai’s already left…”
“But I haven’t.”
“No, Kyra, you can’t go after Miratos. That’s crazy!”
“My mother’s getting worse, she’s dying. I must do something. The Regent’s Surgeon is a reasonable option. I’ll bring him.”
“But Kyra… the risk… Sesmok’ll capture you!”
“I’m not afraid of him or his henchmen. You know me. It’s not easy to scare me. And the risk is worth taking if I can save her life.”
Idana was shaking her head. “Ikai will manage it. Wait for your brother.”
“And if he doesn’t? If he doesn’t get back in time?”
Idana sighed. “I’m sure he will.”
“That’s because you’ve got a good heart and you’re an optimist, and I say that affectionately.”
The apothecary smiled kindly at her friend.
Kyra put her hands on her hips. “I don’t see any other option. I have to cover all my bets. Tell me, could Miratos be the right option, instead of the Witch? Could he?”
Idana turned worried eyes to Solma. She sighed and nodded reluctantly.
“Then there’s nothing left to say. I’ll go for him and drag him here by the neck. And if I have to fight the entire capital Guard, then I will.”
“In that case you’ll need me,” came a voice from the door.
The two girls turned to see the robust figure of Urda.
“How long have you been there listening?”
“Long enough.”
“You don’t have to come with me.”
“Oh, I think I do. Your brother will kill me if I let you go by yourself, and I don’t fancy arguing you out of it. I know you well enough to know that when something gets into your head…”
Kyra shrugged.
“Besides,” Urda added, flexing her biceps with a look so sullen it would have scared a panther, “you’ll need me.”
Kyra was won over. “We leave at dawn,” she said.
“I’ll be ready.”
Idana tried to dissuade them, but in vain. Finally she gave up. She needed all the help she could get. Solma was dying, and nothing would put Kyra off.
“How long do we have?” Kyra asked.
“Not much. With things getting worse at this rate I think I can keep her stable a few more weeks. I couldn’t say how many… I’ll do my best to keep her alive, but honestly, I don’t believe we have much time. The capital, Osaen, is a long way from here. It takes weeks to get there. I doubt whether you can get there and back before she leaves us…”
“I’m not going to give up! I have to make it, I must save her! We’ll just have to move fast. Very fast!”
“Very,” Urda agreed.
“We’ll make it. You keep my mother alive. We’ll get back in time with the Surgeon. You have my word on that.”
Kyra bent to kiss her mother goodbye. “Hold on. I’ll come back with a cure for you, I promise.”
The warm dawn found the two friends leaving the island with satchels on their shoulders and weapons at their waists. Kyra looked back over her shoulder for one last time and said goodbye to the Shelter. Leaving it behind, together with all its people, she felt an unexpected sorrow which surprised her. In the end this place has gotten under my skin. I’m like my brother. She shook off the thought and went into the forest, with Urda at her back. They kept up an unyielding pace until well into the evening, when they were forced to stop for lack of visibility. They sank to the ground under a beech tree to rest and have something
to eat. They lit a small fire: in that area there were only wild animals, so they had no fear of being discovered. In fact it was a good idea to light a fire to dissuade the marauding beasts.
While they were having their supper Kyra shivered.
“Everything all right?” Urda asked with a frown.
“I have a bad feeling. Something doesn’t feel right…
“What is it?”
“I don’t know, and that’s why I don’t like it.”
Urda reached for the bow which lay beside her. “Easy. I’ll be on the lookout.”
Kyra winked at her. “Thanks. That makes me feel better.”
With the first rays of sun coming through the branches, they set off again. Kyra set a very fast pace. Time was short, and she was well aware that they had to keep up this exhausting pace if they wanted to get back in time to save Solma. She glanced aside at her friend. She was unsure she would be able to keep up with her, bearing in mind her size. It was already exhausting for Kyra herself, and she dared not even think what it must be like for Urda.
On the evening of the fifth day her friend came clean.
“I don’t think I can keep up this pace another day.”
Kyra nodded. Her friend’s face was drained. She recovered to some extent at night, but each day she walked a little more slowly. The pain showed more and more clearly in her face, even though she never once complained.
“I know what you mean. I’m at the limit of my strength too.”
“I’m sorry, I hate delaying you… running isn’t my thing… my body…”
“Tomorrow we’ll go easier and get some strength back.”
“But you’ll fall behind… your mother…”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it.”
“Maybe you should go on without me… It might be best… I’ll join you in the capital.”
“I’m not going to leave you. We’ll both go.”
“Kyra…”
“We’ll both go, and that’s that.”
They went on for two more days. In the end Kyra had to give in to the evidence, Urda could go no further; her massive body had taken all the punishment it could. She needed to rest and walk on at an easier pace at least for a couple of days, to regain some strength. The big soldier was as white as a sheet, and though she had spoken little enough before, now it was impossible to get a word out of her. Kyra set up camp for the night beside a brook. Urda leaned back against an oak and fell asleep with a piece of cheese in her hand before she had even had time to eat it.
Poor Urda, she’s given all she had to give, but she can’t go on. She poked the fire and wondered what she ought to do. I don’t want to leave her behind, but I’ve still got enough strength to go on at a fair pace. At that moment that strange feeling came over her once again, and a shiver ran down her spine. What’s wrong with me! It must be just because I’m so tired.
“Urda’s right,” came a man’s voice from the darkness. “You’ll have to leave her behind.”
Kyra’s heart missed a beat. She turned like a panther and reached for the throwing dagger she carried at the back of her belt.
“You don’t need the dagger, I’m a friend,” the voice said, and a hooded figure appeared by the fire.
Kyra looked in Urda’s direction, but she was deeply asleep. She would not be able to rouse her in time. She raised the hand which held the dagger.
“Easy, Kyra, it’s me,” the young man said. He pushed back the hood and removed the scarf that covered the lower part of his face.
Kyra narrowed her eyes and recognized him.
“Romen! By Oxatsi, what the hell are you doing here? I almost killed you!”
Romen smiled. Kyra saw the gleam of his large blue eyes and his handsome face beneath hair as black as night.
“Yes, you have a certain tendency to throw first and ask later.”
“By the Enforcers! What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been following you since the evening of the day you left.”
“But why, for goodness’ sake?”
“Would you mind lowering your arm?” he asked with a smile. “It makes me nervous when I see that dagger ready to search out my neck.”
Kyra lowered her arm with a muttered curse.
“For some reason you forgot to mention this expedition of yours. I found out you had left at nightfall. A goodbye would have been nice.”
“It’s none of your business. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
“But you see, actually it is my business. If Ikai leaves the Shelter, then you do the same, it makes no sense for me to stay. After all, I came to get your help.”
“Well, we can’t help you. So go on your way and stop following me.”
“Luckily Idana’s a girl with a great heart. She told me what’s happening and the reason you’re both away. I understand what you’re trying to do, and I think I can help.”
“Idana!” Kyra moaned. She knew her friend had acted out of goodwill, but she should not have talked to strangers about it. And Romen, even though he was with Liriana and the resistance, was a stranger.
He smiled. “Don’t blame her. I insisted a lot.” He crouched beside the fire to warm his hands.
“How are you going to help me?”
“Kidnapping the Regent’s Surgeon is a crazy idea. But you’ll need someone who knows the capital, Sesmok’s palace and the surgeons’ quarters very well. And that’s me.”
“For the sake of Girlai Father Moon who’s watching us right now, if you were any more conceited your face would fall off!”
“And I bet you’ve forgotten that important detail.” Romen laughed. “I admit I’m a little conceited, but in this case I’m sure of my knowledge. I know the city like the back of my hand. I’ve patrolled it with the Guard for years. I’ve been in all the quadrants and neighborhoods and I know every corner. That much I can guarantee. And as far as I know, you’ve only been there once…”
Kyra wrinkled her nose and muttered something inaudible.
“Listen to me. You’re going to need me in there. It’s a hornets’ nest. One false movement and the whole swarm will fall on you. You won’t survive.”
Urda had woken up by now, and she joined them by the fire. “He’s right,” she said.
Kyra looked at her friend, who nodded.
She gave in. “All right, then! But if you put my mother’s life in danger I’ll cut you open.”
Romen smiled and sat down in front of the fire. “That won’t be necessary.”
At dawn Kyra said goodbye to Urda, put her arms round her and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ll be right behind you,” her friend assured her. “See you in the capital.”
“We´ll meet there!”
Romen came up by her side, matching his pace to her own.
“Will you be able to keep up with me?” she asked defiantly.
“I think so. We’ll soon find out.”
Kyra went on for days, at the limit of her strength. Every day she went through agonies as she marched as fast as her body would allow. And every day she ran out of breath and was forced to walk instead of run. It was a small defeat which gnawed at her inside. But she kept going all the same. Every evening she was even more tired, until at last she was not even able to set up camp. Her legs ached terribly and she had such cramps that she could not sleep. Romen offered to massage her exhausted muscles, and she threw a satchel at his head. But the following evening the pain was so intense that she swallowed her pride and begged him to help her. His firm hands massaged her back and legs, and she let herself enjoy the pleasant sensation until she fell asleep. That night, instead of nightmares, she had very pleasant dreams.
The following day they reached the Boundary.
“How I hate this wretched barrier of the Gods!” Kyra muttered. She could see her left arm shaking uncontrollably now that the Ring was so near the translucent barrier.
“How are we going to manage this? One of us has to cross, while the other watches t
ill the one who’s crossed wakes up.”
“You cross and I’ll watch,” Kyra said sarcastically.
Romen looked at her in amusement. “You realize that then it’ll be your turn to cross, and it’ll be me who’s awake, not you?”
“That’s enough of that! And stop smiling at me!”
Romen laughed, bent forward in a mock bow, and crossed the Boundary.
Kyra watched until the rebel woke up and recovered from the unpleasant effects of crossing. Then he went off to reconnoiter the surroundings.
“All clear,” he said when he came back. “You can cross.”
Kyra hesitated for an instant and finally made up her mind.
“Nothing had better happen to me, or else I’ll wipe that bloody smile off your face with a stick!”
Romen shook his head, laughing.
When she awoke, her entire body aching and disoriented, she was between tall shrubs, next to an oak. She looked around to see Romen crouching behind her looking out at the fields.
“At last! I thought you were going to sleep all day.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I tried but you were in a pitiful state. I couldn’t manage to bring you round, so I hid you here.”
“Damn! We have to go on.” She got to her feet and picked up satchel and weapons.
“Where are we headed? The capital’s more than three weeks away, and honestly, I don’t think you’re in a fit state to get there.”
“I have a plan.”
Romen raised his brows in puzzlement. “A plan? You?”
“Yes, me! Shut up and follow me.”
“But where are we going? Let me remind you, just in case you’ve forgotten, that here there are Enforcers, the Guard and Hunters, and they all want our heads. Particularly the head of a Hero.”
Kyra narrowed her eyes “Of course I haven’t forgotten.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“We’re going to get ourselves horses.”
“Really? And where are we going to get them? As far as I know, only merchants and rich families have them.”
“I know where to get them.”
“Where?”
