WroOth's fingernails grated over the wood. "I do not understand how a simple command that they are not to rape the people of the conquered nations did not translate into 'do not rape your leader's wife.' It would seem to be the natural conclusion. They haven't done this to anyone else! Why change now?" Stepping back, he sat down on the window bench and removed his puzzle box from inside his doublet. He began to move the tines back and forth. They clicked in rapid succession.
"They have tested us in other ways, but I suspect that in this case, they are falling back on their traditions," AaQar said. "The instructions against violation were specifically given in connection to the capture of the nations. Some may see this as a separate situation given its ability to grant them greater influence, if not with you at least among the other Talbokians."
"They will be dealt with." Naatos had shifted his focus to her shoulder. He pulled the fabric of the tunic down. Amelia gasped in pain and grabbed his arm with her left hand. For a moment, the world spun.
"Amelia, I need to see how bad the damage is," Naatos said.
"I can tell you," Amelia said tightly. "At least one of my left lower ribs, possibly three, are fractured. Maybe broken. Another two for sure on my right, also lower. My foot is shattered, all of the tarsuls most likely as well as the talus. There is probably internal bleeding, and I am incredibly lucky that my lungs weren't punctured. My hands are fractured, at least three fingers on my right hand broken, my elmis are torn. I probably have a concussion, and I've been stabbed in the shoulder and across the ankle, and the tendons in my leg have been severed along the back of my knee. So unless you have some amazingly high-tech and completely out-of-place medical devices, there is nothing you can do for the larger injuries, and since you can't fix those, there's no need for you to strip me." She pulled away, moving as far to the side as she could. The tension increased her pain, but she didn't dare relax. "So leave my clothing alone."
"The draught AaQar gave you will help with the internal bleeding and the pain; it isn't from this world or yours, but it will work," Naatos said. "Will you let me bind your shoulder and your leg? We'll deal with the breaks and fractures later."
Amelia nodded slowly "Just leave my clothes alone." Though she was braced for more pain, she was surprised to find he was much gentler than she expected.
Naatos and his brothers continued to talk intermittently. Anger built within the room, fierce and cruel, but not against her. At different points, they all asked her questions, demanding to know what had happened, what had been said, and what had been suggested. AaQar prepared more medicine for her to drink. Eventually both WroOth and AaQar left.
Amelia remained silent as much as she could. Humiliation still burned within her, and shame hung hard about her. Had all her training been for nothing?
Being ganged up on, trapped, and beaten wasn't something she could have trained harder to defeat. And how could she fight again within a reasonable time? It took months for bones to heal. Then again, if the medicine was somehow able to correct internal bleeding and mend the horrific spider bites, perhaps it could mend broken bones?
No. Amelia dashed that thought aside. It was in their best interests if she remained broken, unable to walk or move quickly. And Naatos had said that he would set the bones later. It seemed too much to hope that there might be additional medicines that would knit her bones back together straight and whole.
She accepted the medicines Naatos gave her and murmured her thanks. The worst feeling of all, far worse than the physical pain, was the sensation of abandonment and helplessness. In all her life, she had grown up thinking that Elonumato watched over her. That He had called her to some special destiny. And yet time and again over these past couple days, she was left to face these dangers alone. And if Elonumato's plan was for her enemies to help her? Well…
It was hard for Amelia to admit it. But Naatos's words were settling in her mind. Perhaps she wasn't capable. Perhaps she couldn't destroy anyone. No.
She couldn't accept that.
The dark heat inside her absorbed her attention so fully she became aware of little else. Naatos, AaQar, and WroOth apparently settled on a plan.
Amelia remained as still as possible, her head resting on the thick pillows. She hadn't really trained for recklessness. A least not her own. That was part of the problem. She'd climbed walls, yes. She'd climbed them in timed races with moving and limited handholds. But she hadn't climbed them with reckless abandon and terror. She hadn't trained with her elmis uncovered. She hadn't prepared for such a deep exhaustion and helpless weariness. The adrenaline rush had all but faded, leaving only a bitter tang in her mouth that was even worse than the blood. Defeat hung over her like a suffocating curtain as she accepted care from the man she was sworn to kill.
Naatos began cleaning the wounds on her left cheek. "It's hard to believe I didn't recognize you." He lifted her chin to better expose the deep gouge. "It is obvious now. Though I admit, I did not pay much attention to you when you were a child. It was…uncomfortable interacting with you before you were of age."
"It's uncomfortable now," Amelia said softly.
"Even so, it was a clever trick of the Tue-Rah to age you. Even in all our dealings, we did not consider that ageing would have happened. Yet…I am glad that I do not have to avoid seeing you for another twenty years. I had no desire to see to my wife's upbringing in any manner, even if that failure has made you unbearably defiant and ill-informed."
Amelia shook her head. She barely knew what to think. "I don't want to talk about this."
Naatos bandaged her cheek. "They were not entirely wrong."
Amelia glanced at him.
"You do need allies." Naatos smoothed the bandage. She didn't even feel the sting anymore. "Where they were wrong is that you already have them."
"You are not my ally," Amelia said. "You are ruthless and cruel, and I am supposed to kill you. You can't be my ally. I don't even want to be associated with you."
"It's too late for that." Naatos rinsed his hands in the bowl of water. "I will be formally announcing our union at the execution. Whether you want to be associated with me or not, you are."
Footsteps thudded outside the door.
Naatos placed his hand on her arm. "Do not be alarmed by what happens next, viskaro," he said. "You are not in any danger from us. Regardless of what you think."
37
Judgment
The door slammed open. WroOth and AaQar both entered, Amelia's four Talbokian attackers between them.
Amelia flinched and drew back on instinct. With all but a dull pain remaining from the medication, there was plenty of room for the fear and unease to return.
The Talbokians no longer looked so confident. Their faces were ashen, their muscles knotted. One had a black eye.
Naatos remained seated beside Amelia, his hand on her arm protectively. He sized the Talbokians up, letting the silence build with painful tension. When at last he spoke, he did not sound angry at all. More contemplative. "My brother tells me you four decided to teach my wife a much-needed lesson." His fingers curled around her arm slightly as if to reassure her.
Amelia continued to stare down at her hands. She'd rather not see anyone here at all.
The Talbokians shuffled, their posture uneasy. There were no other guards in attendance, only AaQar and WroOth flanking the four.
Hialtho spoke first. "She was trying to escape."
Naatos rose. He crossed to the second table and picked one of the small wooden chests beside the stacks of paper. When he lifted the lid, a small black snake poked its head out. Its scales were so delicate they looked as if they had been carved, and its tiny black eyes glittered like glass beads. The small serpent coiled around his wrist. "If Amelia was trying to escape, she would not have been in that part of Polfradon. She is not so foolish as to think she could escape by going farther in and higher up." The snake continued to coil around his wrist, arching its head and tasting the air.
The Talbokians dre
w back, eying the snake.
"Actually," Phelsco said, his eyes darting toward Amelia, then back to Naatos. "The woman propositioned us. She wanted to gain allies."
Naatos blinked as if surprised. "She propositioned you?" He folded his arms though he kept the hand with the snake on top. "And you refused, of course?"
"Of course." All the mercenaries nodded.
"So…because she propositioned you, you determined that the best solution was to beat her."
"It was better than troubling you with her infidelity," said Phelsco.
"Yes," said Cheruch with an abrupt nod. "Far better. And simpler. The advantage to our plan was that you need never know."
Naatos gestured toward Amelia as if surprised. The snake hissed at the motion. "What? You did not think I would have noticed she had been beaten?"
"Admittedly," Phelsco said slowly. "In our enthusiasm to defend your honor, we may have…miscalculated. But we assumed that it would be less of a blow to you than believing her to be unfaithful to you yet again. Particularly after what happened with that Awdawm."
"Yes." Naatos's tone darkened. "A man always prefers to hear that his wife is willing to risk life and limb to escape rather than be with him. I had not realized you were so concerned. Yet somehow I don't think that's what happened."
The tension in the room grew. "It…it is," said Hialtho. The Talbokians edged closer together.
"No." Naatos tilted his head. The snake spiraled over his wrist and fingers. "See, I have heard rumors of a certain Talbokian tradition that actually did not give me much cause for concern at the time. After all, I assumed commonsense and observation would make it clear what my stance was on the subject. Particularly after my brothers' and my explicit orders regarding sexual assault. It seemed that was understood. Perhaps not." He stopped a few feet in front of them, his voice low and deadly. "My understanding is that this tradition involves gaining access to a chieftain's primary wife. By seducing or raping her, his warriors gain a foothold in his authority and in his strength. All the others must respect the faction which has gained such an advantage. Is that not so?"
Silence filled the room. Amelia watched them now, certain that whatever Naatos planned to do wasn't good.
Naatos's intensity increased as he watched them, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "Is that not so?" he demanded, louder this time.
"Yes." Phelsco gripped his fists at his sides. "But that is one of the older traditions."
"Older does not mean that it is not still practiced." AaQar crossed his arms. "In fact, its age may mean that it is held in that much more esteem."
Naatos nodded. "Indeed. And you four are influential within your own faction. As I recall, you all did adequately in your training. It seemed that in many respects you were taking to the Vawtrian ways. Yet here you are returning to Talbokian traditions."
Naatos continued to circle the room slowly. "Now as I recall, a chieftain, upon discovering this, was to reward the most valuable of the warriors. The ones who possessed the greatest potential. My brothers and I will soon be leaving for Ecekom, and we will be requiring such individuals. So tell me, how were each of you involved?"
Naatos's expression was masked, making it impossible to tell whether he was serious. Amelia studied him. He had no apparent tells.
None of the mercenaries spoke though. The only sound was their harried breathing. Neither WroOth nor AaQar moved.
"Amelia." Naatos turned toward her, moving his hand so that the snake could continue its slow winding path. He returned to her side with slow steps. "What did these men do to you?"
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but Phelsco cut in. "Your wife is a whore. Everyone knows this. She is an unfaithful pinchat. We are your faithful warriors, and we have only done what we have done to defend your honor."
"Then why did you take it upon yourselves to discipline her rather than bring her to me?" Naatos asked.
"It is the Talbokian way. Contradictory though it may seem, if the warriors discover that the wife of a chieftain is appearing indiscreet or unfaithful to him, then, to save him the dishonor, they chastise her for him," Cheruch said, the words stumbling out of his mouth.
Naatos lifted his hands as if surprised. He glanced at his brothers. "So the general consensus among my troops is that my wife is a pinchat?"
"Who knew?" WroOth shrugged. "She's only been here what, a day?"
Naatos smiled faintly. "Well, if my understanding of Talbokian law is correct, a wife who is unfaithful in the manner you have described is to be treated as a whore. You may proposition her, but she may not proposition you. Which makes good sense, does it not? After all, what could she possibly mean to me? It's not as if I have feelings for this woman. How could I?"
"The question must be asked," AaQar said.
"If I am to take you Talbokians at your word, your leadership does not always burden themselves with feelings for their wives. So why should I?" Naatos paced around the table. "This is, after all, the Talbokian way. Why would I not follow that. Ah!" Naatos snapped his fingers. "I remember now. I am not a Talbokian. I am a Vawtrian." Naatos struck his fist against the table. The chests and wood rattled. "Delorme, guaras. Devour."
A large salamander-like creature dropped from the ceiling, its thick jaws clamping over Hialtho's head. Its slate-blue frills flailed out as it shook the mercenary like an old bone.
Amelia choked on her own scream.
The other three Talbokians brought out their weapons, short swords and daggers. But their blades did not pierce the creature's thick overlapping scales.
"Delorme, guara, leave two." Naatos returned to Amelia's side and sat beside her, blocking her view. "You don't have to watch this, viskaro."
Amelia clenched her eyes shut, turning her face away. She covered her ears to block the screams and cries of distress, but even so their emotions and terror leaked into her. The faintly metallic scent of warm blood filled the air. Furniture clattered. Dishes broke. Then there was an awful slurping sound.
Naatos stroked her leg for a moment, then tweaked the bandage on her ankle.
Silence fell.
Amelia lowered her hands, slowing her breaths. She was not going to allow herself to vomit.
Before she could lift her head, Naatos slid his hand over hers. "Hold this." The small snake slithered onto her left wrist, avoiding the cuts as it coiled over her hand. Its scales were smooth and warm.
Naatos stood. Claws clicked behind Amelia. She heard the Talbokians' shuddered and rapid breathing, but their emotions were frazzled and tangled in ragged tendrils. "You two are still alive for a reason," Naatos said. "You will go through all of Polfradon with what remains of your comrades' bodies and inform everyone what happened here. You will also inform everyone that they are to be present at the execution. You will report to me there. If I am satisfied that all notions of this Talbokian tradition have been eradicated from my troops, you will be cleansed of this offense. If I am not…well, I have a philosophy. All pain should be paid back with interest. You offend or harm me, and I will pay you back ten times. Offend or harm my wife, and I will pay you back a hundred times over."
Amelia cringed.
Naatos continued. "A guard will accompany you. If you defy me, it will eat you. Don't be fooled by the fact that it already ate two of you. These creatures are practically bottomless pits of hunger. Now go."
The door closed, footsteps shuffling away as the Talbokians left. Amelia kept her fingers dug against her palm, shaking. The door clicked shut. "You're going to kill them regardless, aren't you?" she whispered.
Naatos kissed the top of her head, fingering a loose curl. "Would you like me to?"
It should have been an easy question to answer. They had beaten and attempted to rape her. But Amelia's gut clenched anyway. "I don't think it matters what I say. You'll do what you want to do." She glanced up. Blood stained the stone floor, and the room smelled of blood and gore. Both AaQar and WroOth had left as well. "You won't be satisfied."
; "I'm not always difficult to satisfy," Naatos said.
"You're going to make some point with them. Something horrible." The turmoil in Amelia's stomach tightened. She hated what this world had become, and most of all, she hated how helpless she was in it. The confidence she'd felt when she had first arrived had been meaningless.
"And that bothers you?" Naatos sat beside her. The mattress dipped. "Amelia, I cannot have my army believing that my wife is some trench to plow on the path to authority. I would assume that my position on this would please you. I would also assume you don't like being assaulted."
"No. But it's ironic coming from you. And let's face it.” Amelia bit the inside of her lip. “You only saved me from them so you could do it yourself."
Naatos studied her, his eyelids half lowered as if he was in deep thought. "You're afraid."
"Shocking, I know," Amelia muttered. There wasn't any point in denying it.
"You don't have to be. At this point it is your choice to fear me. This is not ideal, but it is what it is. And I have no desire to harm you."
Amelia kept staring at her hands. No desire didn't mean that he wouldn't.
Naatos crossed the room to the shelf, opened a panel, and removed a small cloth bag. It was the one that AaQar had placed the Salvation of the Third Nalenth in. The orbs rang softly against one another like tiny bells. Reaching in, Naatos removed one and held it up. The light from the window caught within the crystal-like form. The faint hues intensified, then faded.
Naatos let the orb roll to a halt in his palm. "So much can happen within a week. At first, we were convinced the Salvation of the Third Nalenth was a weapon. It made sense. A weapon hidden within an instrument of healing to overcome the blood curse. After all, what would you most need to defeat me? Besides it wouldn't be the first time someone we trusted lied to us. But then…" Naatos's voice trailed off in a low chuckle. He shook his head. "Then I met you as you are. You are certainly more ferocious than almost any Neyeb I have met, and yet you are essentially helpless because of the curse. You lack the skills to actually succeed in what you believe you were intended to accomplish and seem to have a knack for finding trouble. These truly are intended to be your salvation. They are meant to save your life."
Identity Revealed: The Tue-Rah Chronicles Page 34
