Amelia approached Halig with slow confidence. Halig growled and strained to get free, saliva dripping from the leather muzzle. "Shh shhh," Amelia whispered. She held her hands up as she drew closer. Even on Earth, she had had the opportunity to work with bears. The rules were essentially the same, and even though Halig would know her, she couldn't rush it. Those paws were large enough to bust her head open.
At last she stood in front of him, almost within striking distance. Halig growled, his shoulder blades straining against the leather bonds. "So many strangers in your home," Amelia said softly. She extended her hand farther, moving closer. "You know something's wrong, but it's going to be all right." She wanted to call him by name, knowing that would soothe him, but WroOth would likely find such knowledge much too improbable. Even for a prophet.
Another growl rose from Halig's throat, but then he stopped and sniffed. His thick black nose twitched. His good eye brightened, and he craned his head back. With a snort, he shook his head. His hackles vanished.
Now standing next to Halig, Amelia rubbed his left ear. His favorite spot. On all fours, he came up to her shoulder. She rubbed down his neck to his shoulder. "There. That's right. We're going to take a trip."
Halig shook his head again, then thrust it against her hand. His long black claws gritted on the marble, but then he lifted one heavy paw and pushed it against her as he tried to rear up. The leather bands held him down.
Oh dear. He thought she wanted to play. She had tapped his shoulder harder than she intended. Amelia shook her head. "No, no. Be still. We're going on a trip." She removed the muzzle.
Halig made no sound, and that was good. He blinked his one good eye at her.
Amelia kept her motions smooth and calm as she unfastened the leather straps one by one. "Yes, good boy. Very good."
As the last strap fell away, Halig reared onto his hind legs, his front paws hanging loose and his belly exposed. "Good boy, good boy." Amelia scratched his stomach and chest with both hands. His sable and honey-brown fur glistened under the sunlight, and, though he stunk of musk and rotted meat, he was beautiful. "That's a very good boy. Now agmatem."
Halig dropped down to all fours and lowered his head when he heard the command to let her climb on. Amelia tucked her fingers into the thick patch of fur between his shoulder blades. So long as she kept her grip close to the hide and in this general area, she wouldn't hurt him. She then jumped up the rest of the way. Uncle Joe had told her that once she learned how to ride a bicycle, she'd never forget it. Apparently bruin riding was the same.
Here on Halig's back, Amelia felt more in control than she had since her arrival. "Evelshi." Leaning forward as Halig lifted his head helped her keep her balance. In some respects, it was easier than riding a horse.
At last she glanced at Matthu and WroOth. Though he still had the arrow nocked, Matthu looked so relieved he might have fallen over. WroOth, however, only smiled. Whether her display had helped or hurt her cause, she couldn't tell. Hopefully, Matthu would be all right. Staying would put him in danger. From all appearances, he had passed the test too, not having shot the bear or WroOth. Time to trust that they could all pull this together if they moved swiftly enough. "Thank you for the bruin," she said.
"It is my pleasure." WroOth swept his hand up. "Safe travels, my improbable Machat. I'm certain we'll meet again soon. We will take your words to heart, and Naatos shall go to Valne's Peak directly."
Amelia nodded, then nudged Halig forward.
WroOth turned to Matthu, his manner still just as easy. "And as for you, you can keep facing that wall until you hear otherwise. See if you can possibly remember how to pronounce my name. Ignorant guard." As he walked by Matthu, he flicked him in the ear.
13
Shon’s Discovery
Shon had finally mapped out where all of the prisoners were in the dungeons, sketching notes and hiding them from the mercenary soldiers. But it did not prove to be as difficult as he feared. The mercenaries were not so much distrustful as they were focused on the tasks at hand.
In between what he and Matthu had learned in their previous reconnaissance as well as this one, Shon had tracked down just about everyone. The king, queen, and prince were all being held in separate cells. The labyrinthine passages beneath the palace had been used at one point to hold thousands of prisoners, though it had not been used for such purposes since the conflict with the Ilnons.
Now those chambers were filled with the Ayamin and most of the palace inhabitants, including his father, Linufe. All of the torches had been lit, making the long wide halls glow a dusky-orange. Sections of these passages had been blocked off so that prisoners could be kept beneath the palace while all the escape routes were cut off. The Talbokians at least left clear black X's over especially dangerous doors though, when Shon pressed his ear to the door, he thought he heard skittering and hissing.
Several of the Ayamin had recognized him, but they said nothing. They understood he had a greater purpose, though he had not been able to do anything more apparent than nod. Matthu should have found the other set of skeleton keys set in the various points throughout the palace. The rescue would happen.
Returning to the central floor, Shon passed the windows. Someone had thrown them all open, and large piles of heather, rose moss, and quin clover had been piled up. The fragrant smells overpowered the scent of death and blood. It was a small detail, but the thoroughness of Naatos's plan worried Shon the most. He didn't appear to be a man who left too many loose ends.
Muffled bruin roars and snarls sounded. Shon was supposed to meet Matthu in the final study room at the end of the west wing, but he stopped. What are they doing with the bruins, he wondered. He passed some of the mercenaries and walked out into the courtyard.
On the far side of the courtyard by the southern wall, fourteen bruins had been tethered in between thick wooden posts. Each one was sufficiently far away from the other to avoid one bruin from harming another. Thick leather straps fastened around each bear's neck and shoulders, attaching them to the posts, a thick muzzle fit over the jaws. Though the bonds did not appear to be too tight or cruel, the bruins struggled against them, swatting at the air and shaking their massive heads.
Naatos, AaQar, and WroOth were in the courtyard as well, their attention on the bruins. Apart from the hunting knives sheathed at their waists, none of the three appeared to carry any weapons. Not that they fooled Shon.
AaQar stood closest to the bruins, studying them as if to evaluate their tactical abilities. WroOth hung to the back and paced while talking to the mercenaries. As for Naatos, he stood directly at the end of the line, almost within reach of the closest bruin. He studied it for a few minutes, then moved on to the next. Apparently something was wrong with it because he motioned for the mercenaries to take it away. A process which was quite difficult. But at last they switched the grey bruin with a new one from the stables. Naatos approved this one and moved on to the third. He went on down the line in a similar fashion. But for what purpose, Shon wondered.
One of the mercenaries along the back of the courtyard had his head turned to the side as he walked along the path. Matthu. Shon cringed inwardly. Subtlety was no friend to his brother at this point. He started forward when Matthu cut back to avoid WroOth.
Something had gone wrong. Shon quickened his pace. Cutting Matthu off once they neared the doors, he motioned for him to follow, then crossed the hall to an inner room. None of the Talbokians were up there currently. "What happened?"
"WroOth sent Amelia off." Matthu's breaths were quick, his face flushed. "She's fine, but I can't let WroOth see me anymore. He knows something is going on, and I think he's suspicious of me."
"What happened?" Shon asked.
A large roar shook the air, far deeper and throatier than any of the bruins, but not reptilian enough for a dragon. Shon opened the door and peered out. Through the open windows he could only see the base of the courtyard, but he'd have to move out farther to see Naatos and the bruins
. More and more Talbokians gathered. They formed an almost solid mass, whispering and nudging one another.
Shon returned his focus to his brother. "Do you know what this is about?"
"Naatos is planning something. I don't know what except that it has to do with the bruins," Matthu said. "And yeah, whatever you do, don't call WroOth Ruth. That's what I did."
"And he didn't take it well?"
"He was really quiet. I thought I'd gotten away with it until he grabbed me by the back of the neck and started asking me all these questions. He did the same thing with Amelia. Called her an improbable Machat and wanted to know if I knew her."
"But he let her go." Shon kept his voice low, even though the chances of their being overheard or noticed were slim. All of the mercenaries appeared far too fascinated with what Naatos was doing. "Did anyone follow her?"
"I don't think so, but WroOth made me stand in front of that wall with the arrow nocked and aimed at the bruin and then the wall until just a bit ago. He left for some time after she left, but he's back now. Fortunately, I did manage to get the keys before I said the wrong thing." Matthu patted the side pocket of his uniform. "From what I've heard, they'll be leaving soon. Right now they're just waiting for Naatos to finish whatever it is he's doing here. He's definitely going to Valne's Peak."
Another roar sounded. It was…nightmarish. Shon looked out again. The air was thick with contrasting scents, and out here, as the wind died, an almost painful tension grew. Something important was happening. Then there was a different scent…a scent like burning fur. Shon and Matthu both slipped out and climbed the staircase to the second-floor balcony that overlooked the courtyard.
As Shon reached the stone railing, it took a moment for him to believe what he saw. It was impossible.
Naatos stood in front of the last bear, his hands gripping its skull. Gold granulated light radiated out of his hands, his expression intent.
But that was not the horrifying part.
The bear's body was changing, distorting, broadening, and shifting. Its shoulders hunched forward, dropping down in the sockets, and its vertebrae sharpened and protruded from its back. Fist-thick spines broke through the deep brown fur, and the bear's body became almost skeletal. Its eyes turned yellow and bulged as the bear's jaw became longer and fiercer with overlapping teeth. It looked like a combination between a hyena and a bear, and it could be only one thing.
"A crudon," Matthu murmured, staring in shock. "He turned it into a crudon!"
Shon's stomach tightened. Crudons were creatures of Libyshan myths. They were deadly hunters. Once they got on a scent, they did not leave it until their prey was captured and destroyed. But they were just stories. They had never existed.
A spasm of nausea pulsed through him as the crudon bellowed again. Shon leaned forward, his hands gripping the balcony. As a child, he'd had nightmares about these creatures. How could Naatos be turning their faithful bruins into such monsters?
Naatos moved back, stepped to the left, and repeated the exercise on the next bruin. It only took a minute or so for the transformation to complete. It was just as horrifying to watch the second time as the first. The gentle sloe-eyed she-bruin retained little semblance of her former self, snarling, drooling, grinding her teeth, straining even harder. The bellows of the bruins had come from the deep haunting timbre of the bears to an otherworldly wail of nightmares and terror.
Shon couldn't move. Cold fear bit into his soul. Wasn't it enough that Naatos and his brothers could become monsters? How could Naatos do this as well?
That sickening, helpless feeling remained as Naatos transformed each of the bruins. Once he finished, Naatos stepped back and shook his hands as if dispelling some of the energy. "Put them in the cages," Naatos said. "And transport four of them to Valne's Peak. Send the rest to Polfradon. You, bring the prince and the queen up. They'll be going with the three of us as well."
Matthu put his hand on his sword. "We can't let him do that."
Shon grabbed his brother's wrist. His gut clenched at the decision he was making now, but it was the only smart thing to be done. "We can't change what's happening. He's probably taking the queen and prince to Valne's Peak so that Inale will go with him when she arrives. He wouldn't execute Alita on a peak when he could do it in front of the whole town."
"But they're all going." Matthu's jaw twitched. "Amelia said she can't handle all three at once."
"And we can't help her if we get captured. We need more men. The only way we're going to get that is if we free the Ayamin. We can mount a rescue, get the word out."
"But Amelia—" Matthu started.
"She's smart, and they can't kill her. She'll figure out what's going on and adapt. Right now we have to launch this rescue as quickly as we can. Everyone seems pretty well-focused on the crudons. Go see if you can get some messages off to the waypoints. Don't get caught."
Matthu nodded, but his expression did not hide his concern. After his brother left, Shon remained to watch for a few moments longer.
The mercenaries herded the crudons into the cages with great care as the beasts snarled and slavered. Once the sturdy cage doors clanked shut, other soldiers moved them out onto low-riding carts. The horses they hitched to the carts shied and stamped, uneasy around the beasts.
Shon edged toward the doorway, his gaze fixed on the three brothers. He, Matthu, and the Ayamin would have to work fast if they were going to be able to give Amelia even the slightest hint of a chance. For now, he had to trust she could handle things as well as she could, hoping that her secret weapon worked better than he expected.
14
To Valne’s Peak
Naatos had been annoyed when WroOth told him that he had set up a meeting with a false Machat. The fact that this person supposedly knew where Inale was made some difference. It was obviously a trap. But finding Inale was crucial, and somehow this woman was connected to her. WroOth had assured him on that point. So Naatos accepted his brother's word. He had not reached his current position by distrusting his family.
Naatos and his brothers rode at the front of the small caravan toward Valne's Peak. The main road was broad enough for five riders to ride side by side comfortably. The day itself was fine and warm. Naatos could have enjoyed it, and much of his annoyance with WroOth passed simply because he did not hold grudges against his brothers. For long. This wasn't even a matter worthy of kuvaste.
AaQar's mood, however, had not improved much. The bleakness in his expression was all the more intense for the absolute pallor of his skin. His jaw worked the way it did when he was contemplating something.
"What troubles you, AaQar?" Naatos asked.
AaQar kept his gaze straight ahead. "You won't like it."
"That shouldn't stop you." Naatos had a few guesses. Many things bothered AaQar these days.
"There is little possibility Inale is alive," he said, after a deliberate pause. "I wish for her to live as much as you, but four times I passed through the aqueducts, and six times I tested it with other living bodies. I alone survived, and that only with my healing. None of the other adults survived. How could a child so young and small live through such an ordeal? We may not have found her body because it was battered into oblivion and then devoured once it reached the river."
"Or because she escaped the river," WroOth said.
"Elonumato intends that she destroy us. If he chose to save her, then she will live. It is the only thing that makes sense, and it is one point on which I agree with him," Naatos said. Divine intervention was unwieldy and unreliable, but it couldn't be discounted.
"There's something we're missing," AaQar insisted. He gritted his fist over the reins and then released it along with a deep breath. "Something is wrong."
"At worst, this meeting is an Awdawm attempting to set a trap," Naatos said. "And Inale is too young to succeed in our destruction. Therefore, we have nothing to fear."
WroOth grinned and chirruped his horse closer to AaQar. "You sound concerned. Does
something finally interest you, brother? Because for someone who is planning to kill himself, this really shouldn't be that great a concern."
"What happens with my life is irrelevant," AaQar said. "But what happens with yours…well, you two have lives to lead beyond this."
Naatos set his jaw. "So do you if you simply decided to take it."
"Once you and WroOth are secure in your reigns, I will take my rest. And that should be enough for you," AaQar said. His voice had a final note of authority, and he signaled that he wished for the conversation to end.
The tension in the air rose. WroOth cleared his throat. "I do have a confession to make. This woman isn't an Awdawm."
"Then what is she?" Naatos asked.
"A Neyeb." WroOth glanced at him sidelong.
"What?" Naatos turned to more fully face his brother. "Why did you not tell me this at once?"
"Because you would have wanted to see her immediately, and she was exceptionally amusing. Besides, I needed to see how far she was willing to go with her little charade and whether she would admit to what she was doing."
"Did she?" Naatos restrained his annoyance and frustration. To his knowledge none had escaped the massacre except Inale, and now a Neyeb lived and walked in Libysha. This could change everything. If one other had survived, then perhaps there could be still more. Was it possible that this Neyeb woman actually did side with them?
No…
"No." WroOth shook his head. He chuckled as if it were a good joke. "She maintained the lie all the way through. I didn't get a chance to see her elmis. Those were tightly covered. But her eyes gave it away. Her name is Amelia. She's protecting Inale. Now she claims that she is going to give her to you, but…"
Identity Revealed: The Tue-Rah Chronicles Page 13
