“You don’t have horses either!” said Earon, pushing himself to his feet.
Before he could move, Jarrett had his sword pressed to the hollow of Earon’s throat. The others stared at him in astonishment. No one had seen him move. “Don’t make me kill you,” he said in a low voice.
Earon splayed his hands to either side and sank back into the snow. “Calm down, calm down. It was all talk.”
Still Jarrett didn’t remove the blade.
“Talk like that is grounds for a change in traveling terms,” said Kendrick, his eyes roving between the Terrian and Earon. “From now on, we’ll be handling the horses. Can you have Kian watch over them at night?”
Tyla nodded, her gaze riveted on Jarrett. “Let him go, Jarrett,” she commanded.
Jarrett withdrew the blade, but he didn’t replace it in its sheath.
“Put it away, man. I’m not stupid. I’m not gonna test you. Keep the horses. Go to Kazden.” He gave a hysterical laugh. “I’m the only one who might be able to blend in. Besides, there are Lawries in Kazden. I can disappear into the underground easily enough if I have to. I was only thinking about you.”
Jarrett sheathed the sword and sat again.
Tyla and Earon both exhaled. Jarrett felt Kendrick and Muzik’s eyes on him. He knew none of them had ever seen him move like that before. He glanced away. They didn’t know half of what he was capable of doing and he’d like to keep it that way. At least for a while more.
* * *
After breaking camp, Earon changed their easterly direction to a southern one. The terrain was much the same, flat, barren and choked with snow, but as the day wore on they came across thickets of trees; stunted, twisted trees, but trees no less, and gradually the land began to drop away on their sides until they crested a series of steepes, where the wind whipped around them.
Scrub grass grew out of the snow and the snow steadily decreased, until it was no more than a few sparse patches. Tyla was grateful for the change in landscape, particularly the disappearance of the snow, although the wind beat against them.
Soon she thought she could catch the faintly gritty, salty scent of the ocean. She’d never seen the ocean before, but one couldn’t live long in Adishian without hearing tales about it. She was reminded of the stories her brother told of their father, who’d grown up under the Nazarien’s protection in Kazden. He’d loved the ocean, even though the Nazarien who he’d thought of as his father had been killed by it.
After Soren’s death, Talar had been entirely on his own, living on the streets. Even so, he’d thought of Kazden and the ocean as home, and when things had become most difficult for him, it was to Kazden that he returned.
It was strange to think that she would soon be in the home of her father, that she would walk down the same streets he’d walked down so many years before, and she felt a longing to know more about him, to know why he’d been so drawn to this seedy little city against the shore.
Usually she thought very little of her father. He was only a legend to her and she’d always felt the loss of her mother more. Yet now, as they neared Kazden, it was of Talar she thought. Not the Talar of legend – not the austere, proud and tragic Nazarien lord, but Talar the man, the troubled and fatally sensitive man.
Jarrett rode up next to her, interrupting her thoughts. “Tyla, I’m sorry about earlier today.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Don’t you think I already know that. In fact, it wasn’t any fault of yours. You’re caught in the middle.”
He looked down. “I don’t know if I agree with that assessment, but it doesn’t really matter. It does raise a great deal of problems though and I don’t think we can ignore them.”
Tyla shook her head. “I can’t think about those problems now, Jarrett, but I promise that if we make it to Temeron, those problems will be foremost in my mind. Please, let’s not press it now.”
He looked away. She knew he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. Neither was she. Closing her eyes, she wished everything wasn’t as complicated as it was. She wished she’d never agreed to that vow before she’d known what it was. She wished…
Jarrett turned back to her. “You said you named him?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. His question was so unexpected. “Yes, I did.”
“And?” he said.
“Spirit,” she answered.
He lifted a brow. “Spirit? Really?”
She laughed again. “What’s wrong with Spirit?”
“I don’t know. It’s so…so…”
“So what?”
“So prissy.”
“What would you have me call him? What would you name your own horse?”
“Horse.”
She frowned. “How unoriginal.”
“It’s better than Spirit.” He made such a face at the name that she giggled.
Ahead of her, Kendrick shifted in his saddle and looked back. His expression made Tyla’s smile dry instantly. He looked wounded and disapproving. Jarrett followed her line of sight. From the corner of her eye, she saw his spine stiffen and his fingers tightened on the reins. Then he kneed the horse into a gallop and rode to the front of the group, pulling up beside Earon. Tyla looked down, a lump rising in her throat.
They rode in silence, until suddenly a loud, thunderous roar could be heard rising and falling just before them. Tyla felt uneasy. The sound and the salty smell increased until they crested a rise of scrub grass and stood looking over the ocean.
Tyla caught her breath. The vast expanse of water stretched before her, farther than her eyes could see. It was blue-green and frothy white where the waves licked the shore. The waves arched high, curling over upon themselves and then pounding against the shore with such force that the sound was almost deafening. Faint specks in the distance rose into the sky and then dove into the waves, lifting up from the water and circling back again. She’d never seen anything as massive or beautiful as this before. In all her years in Adishian, she’d never been allowed to come to Kazden. The sight was so alluring that she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Finally Earon cleared his throat. “I don’t want to interrupt all this reverence, but we’re exposed on this incline. I suggest we move before someone sees us standing here like offerings. We need to find some place to hide and dye these white horses brown.”
“How much farther is Kazden?” asked Jarrett.
Earon shifted in his saddle and pointed behind him. Tyla followed the direction he pointed and saw the faint line of a city sheltered beneath the cliffs. Kazden had been built so close to the ocean’s edge that only the steep cliffs along the shore prevented it from being sunk in waves. It didn’t look to be more than an hour’s ride away.
She gave an involuntary shudder. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she was walking in the footsteps of her father, and her lack of knowledge about him had never seemed so great. Suddenly the ocean seemed too big, the sky too vast, and she far too small. What made her think she could do this? What made her believe she could ever be free of the weight of her birth-right? She was Talar Eldralin’s daughter, exiled Queen of Adishian, heir to the Nazarien, and yet, she was alone.
CHAPTER 16
Tyla stared out over the ocean. She felt the pull of it, the clouds rolling grey and dark on the horizon, the crash of the waves slamming against the shore. Her hand lay in the warmth of Kian’s rough coat, rubbing along the top of his head, between his ears.
“You okay?”
She didn’t look over at Jarrett, just continued to stare, feeling the turmoil of the surf in every part of her. “We can’t take Kian into Kazden.”
“I guess not. He’d attract a lot of attention.”
She glanced up at him, marking his blue eyes. “You and Kendrick shouldn’t go in either. If they see your eyes or Kendrick’s features…”
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” he said, narrowing his gaze on her. “You’re not going in without us. The only way Kendrick and I would agree is if you sta
y here with us and let Muzik and Earon go in by themselves.”
She turned away, staring out over the waves. “You’re going to think I’m insane,” she muttered.
She felt Jarrett’s frown, knew his thoughts were confused. She couldn’t explain it herself, this driving need she had to go into Kazden. “This is the city my father called home. This is where he came when he needed to escape.” She swallowed at the lump in her throat. “He walked those streets, Jarrett, he was there. I want to walk the same streets he did. I want to feel close to him.”
Jarrett let out his breath in a sigh. “It’s just a city, Tyla. It isn’t him.”
“I know, but this is all I have of him, all I can claim.”
“It’s a huge risk. If we get trapped in there, Rarick will have you again.”
She nodded, curling her hand in Kian’s fur. “I know, but I’ve got to take that risk. I wish I could explain it better.”
Jarrett hunkered down in the sand next to the dog and rested his hand on Kian’s ruff. “I understand,” he said quietly. When she glanced down at him, he shook his head. “I understand, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”
“Look at it this way, if we run into trouble, wouldn’t it be better not to split up? You’re pretty darned good with a sword, I hear, and I’m not exactly helpless.” She forced a smile.
He studied her face. “No, you’re not.” Rising to his feet again, he tugged at the Guardsman uniform he wore. “We’d better change out of these. What are we going to do about Kian?”
“If I tell him to stay, he will.”
“What if we don’t return, Tyla?”
She took Kian’s head in her hands and stared into his dark eyes. “When he gets hungry, he’ll leave to hunt. Muzik made sure the predator is strong in him. We never wanted him to be tame.” She felt the lump in her throat tighten. “Instinct will take care of him, Jarrett. Of that I’m sure.”
* * *
They came to the outer wall of Kazden at dusk the following day. After breaking camp on the beach, Tyla ordered Kian to stay at their campsite. Earon and Muzik rode ahead to see if the gates were manned by Sarkisian soldiers. They returned to report that all was as Muzik had said it would be. They passed through the gates into the streets of Kazden without any disruptions.
No one seemed to notice them. In their common, faded worker’s clothes they blended in with the rest of the citizens who meandered up and down the streets. However, Jarrett and Kendrick were careful to keep their prominent Stravad features carefully hidden under their hoods.
Kazden had always been a seedy town at best. Even in Talar Eldralin’s time, the primary features of the town had been its taverns and brothels. Tyla looked about the streets. Kazden didn’t have the abject poverty and degradation of towns like Cambia, but it had their debauchery. Its citizens were relatively well fed and clothed; however, it was and had always been a little hub of lechery. The harlots, thieves and villains chased out from the outlying lands came to Kazden and found a home, the immoral found companionship and understanding, and the wicked found a haven. Kazden was the capital of all things licentious, and it thrived under this unscrupulous philosophy.
Tyla had heard tales of Kazden, but the reality was far more than she’d expected. She had never seen such a band of unsavory individuals, especially as she’d led a very secluded life, and she wondered suddenly what she’d gotten herself and the rest of her company into. Even though she knew it was silly, she found herself searching for something that would connect her with her father, some feeling, some sight. All she saw was filth.
Harlots stood on the street corners, wearing little if anything, and shouted lewd comments to the men as they went by. Pick-pockets and thieves scoured the streets and she watched as two of them lifted a wallet off a drunken man who had fallen in a heap just outside the door of a tavern. A circle of on-lookers cheered them at their work and the thieves, themselves, proudly displayed their bounty to everyone gathered. No one came to the downed man’s rescue, no one cared.
Earon rode beside Tyla and he reached over to touch her arm. She looked up and found him smiling at her. It suddenly occurred to her that he was very much at home in Kazden. “You seem surprised, Your Highness,” he said, leaning close to her. “You never believed you’d come to a place like this, did you?”
She glared at him. “You’d better stop calling me that. We’re trying not to attract attention.”
He ignored her warning. “You see why Rarick’s paid such little attention to Kazden?” He extended his arm. “What’s the point of subjugating people like this? They can’t possibly sink any lower, except if they were deprived of food. Rarick’s no fool. Deprived of food and clothing, these people would be a desperate, hungry lot and dangerous. Good, common folk bow down and are easily broken under adverse conditions, but immoral people become deadly.” He lifted his brows. “It’s not wise to crush them, unless one wants rebellion. Rarick tried it during the First Siege and lost a crap load of men. He’s not going to be so foolish a second time.” Earon took another look around. “No, let them feed off each other – that’s the wisest thing to do. Isolate them here and let them prey on each other.”
“And yet, earlier you told us you thought it was a mistake to come here.”
“Bringing them here is suicide.” He nodded at Kendrick’s back. “Kazden responds to three things: sex, food, and money. They’re money.”
Tyla swallowed hard. Her spine crawled. Maybe this was a terrible mistake? She understood the danger from Sarkisian soldiers. She didn’t understand this. Everyone here was a threat. Everyone here was a potential enemy.
Earon chuckled. “Stick with me, Your Highness. I understand these people like they were my own.”
Tyla’s eyes swung back to him. He gave her a wicked smile and she decided he was probably telling her the truth.
* * *
Earon led them through the city streets and finally came to a bridge, which stretched over a ravine choked by brambles and thin, straggling trees. Both sides of the bridge were being watched by Sarkisian soldiers.
Tyla exchanged a panicked look with Jarrett. Muzik cursed under his breath. This was the first time they’d seen any sign of Sarkisian in the entire town.
“Let me handle it,” Earon muttered under his breath. He gave Tyla a narrow eyed look. “Told you this was a bad idea.”
Earon swung out of the saddle and nodded for them to do the same. They approached the bridge, leading their horses. Tyla was relieved to see the soldiers were regular infantry, no panther emblem on their uniforms. They seemed rather disinterested in their duty, lounging against the bridge supports at the closest end and huddling around a fire drum at the other.
Earon tipped his cap to them and they nodded in return, picking up their conversation without a pause. Tyla exerted just a touch of her power to reinforce their disinterest and they crossed onto the bridge without more than a glance.
They cleared the other side of the bridge as quickly as possible and stopped to mount the horses again. Earon led them through the streets, glancing over his shoulder at the bridge every once in a while. Finally he rode up to Jarrett.
He fingered the scar on his left cheek. “I don’t like it,” he said. “That bridge has never been manned before.”
Jarrett didn’t venture a look back. He glanced at Tyla and away. “Why didn’t they stop us if it’s a trap?”
Earon shook his head. “I don’t know, but I think we’d better not hit the markets here.”
“How are we going to get supplies?” asked Tyla. “That’s why we took this risk.”
Earon studied her for a moment in silence, then shook his head. “You shouldn’t have come. I should have come alone.”
“Wasn’t gonna happen,” said Jarrett. He turned and stared at the Lawry runner. “Don’t mistake tolerance for trust.”
Earon’s eyes involuntarily dropped to Jarrett’s sword. His lip twitched. “I won’t. I remember that sword at my throat.”
&nbs
p; “What do you propose we do?” asked Kendrick, leaning forward so he could see the runner.
“Go underground. I have contacts here. We’ll go to the revolt. They’ll be able to supply us.”
Tyla looked away. She didn’t like this idea. She remembered what happened the last time they got supplies from the revolt. Would these people want to use her for her powers as well? “I’m not a tool, Earon.”
“That wasn’t my fault,” he said. “I didn’t know Revis planned to try that. He didn’t clue me in to his schemes.”
Tyla gave him a chilling look. “It had better not happen again.”
A touch of anger sparked in Earon’s face. “What other choice do we have, Your Highness? Do you really think it wise to walk into the market and order a large amount of supplies? With Sarkisian soldiers in residence?”
She felt her companions’ stares fixed on her. She drew a deep breath and closed her eyes. Gods, what a mess! Whatever choice she made, the consequences could be dire. There wasn’t any other way. She had to trust Earon’s assessment of the situation. She figured he knew more about staying out of trouble than she did anyway.
“Fine. We do it your way. Just get us to shelter. It’s getting dark.”
He led them to a brothel. Tyla was astounded at first, but Earon explained that it was a perfect disguise for Revolt sympathizers. He left them in the street, while he and Muzik disappeared inside the building.
Tyla and her protectors studied the people moving by on the streets, but they didn’t seem to be interested in the newcomers. Everyone in Kazden walked with a purpose and didn’t seem inclined to butt into the business of their neighbors at all.
“Do you think we can trust him?” she asked Jarrett, nodding at the brothel.
“No, but I don’t think we have much choice. I wish we could have planned this a bit better.”
“At least we haven’t seen any other soldiers,” offered Kendrick. “Will Kian stay where you told him to wait?”
The World of Samar Box Set 3 Page 26
