The Apprentice In The Master’s Shadow

by Ian Gregoire

  She ambled absent-mindedly towards the gaping hole in the perimeter wall that had once been the north gate before she had destroyed it. The time had come for her to resume her manhunt, but she was still waiting for someone to find Onyx. She sighed. How difficult was it to find a temperamental black gelding, carrying two large burlap sacks over his rump?

  “Kayden!”

  She recognised Dashina’s voice, and promptly glanced back over her shoulder. The matronly woman was walking excitedly towards her, arm-in-arm with the freed female captive Kayden had seen earlier. Kayden turned around to face them. There was little doubt that the young woman was Dashina’s daughter; she looked like a svelte, younger version of the innkeeper’s wife. And pacing behind the pair was Tasarik, son and brother of the two women.

  “I take it you found your daughter?” she said rhetorically.

  “Thanks to you,” said Dashina. She was positively beaming with delighted pride. “Let me introduce you to Shalina, my eldest child. Shalina this is Kayden, the Vaidasovian miracle worker hailing from Zenosha.”

  “I guess we sort of met earlier,” said Shalina, extending a hand to Kayden. “But I never got the chance to thank you for rescuing us.”

  “Unnecessary,” Kayden insisted as she shook Shalina’s hand. “I just hope your ordeal hasn’t… had any lasting damage.” She wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Baldassian will pay for what he has done. I hope you can find some comfort in that.”

  A half-smile appeared on Shalina’s face, but it didn’t conceal the pain in her eyes. “It’s strange,” she commented. “I can remember all the times I was taken up to see Kazdaranian in the governor’s office, but I could never recall actually entering the room and seeing him. I just know that when I was taken back to rejoin the other women, I could feel that I had been…” She trailed off, but it was obvious enough that she had been violated. “Yet today we learn that Kazdaranian was an unwilling pawn in Governor Baldassian’s scheme. So does that mean Baldassian was the person in the office… using us? And why can’t I or any of the other women remember meeting him, yet we all remember the times we were taken to rooms to… entertain the bandits working for him?”

  Kayden recalled her encounters with the different groups of abducted girls and women when she had infiltrated the governor’s residence. At the time, she had thought it strange that no one was able to give her a description of Baranzev Kazdaranian, though it made sense after she learned of Baldassian’s duplicity. Only now did it dawn on her that none of the abductees had mentioned the governor’s involvement in what had happened to them, even though they should have known. Clearly, Baldassian had used his Zarantar to eradicate the memories of his victims whenever he assaulted one of them. That way nobody could dispute the guilt of his scapegoat, Kazdaranian.

  “Baldassian is a wielder of Zarantar,” she said to Shalina. “It appears that he took the memories of anyone he violated in order to maintain his cover. For the past ten months he has effectively portrayed himself as a hostage, while compelling Kazdaranian to issue orders to the bandits. That ruse would have been blown if the captive women were able to testify that the bandits had taken them to Baldassian on multiple occasions to be raped by him.”

  “There’s no need to dwell upon the awful past,” Dashina interjected soberly. “Now that the province is free again, we can soon return to Azderan and rebuild our lives.”

  “Are you not leaving today?” asked Kayden.

  “We want to stay long enough to see the arrival of the Royal Guard, and the restoration of government authority,” Tasarik offered in reply. “We’re about to head out and begin our search for accommodation for the next few days. So what are you planning to do now that you’re a hero?”

  Eyebrows raised, Kayden wanted to chuckle at the notion she was a hero, but it was an apt description now that she thought about it. “I’ve done everything I set out to do here,” she said. “I’ll be resuming my journey just as soon as someone finds my horse.” She took a quick glance at the remains of the north gate, wondering why no one had found Onyx yet.

  “You will be missed when you go,” said Dashina. A look of sadness appeared on her face. “My family owes you a debt of gratitude, as does the whole of Azderan and the wider province, too. I wish there was some way I could repay you.”

  “Perhaps there is.” Kayden’s mind was suddenly ticking over at the possibilities.

  “Name it,” said Dashina.

  “All I ask is that you remember my name: Kayden Jayta, the Vaidasovian Sanatsai. Tell everyone you know about me, and what I have done these past two days.”

  With a smile, Dashina agreed that she could and would do that, then seized Kayden in a bear hug—the ferocity of her embrace taking the black-clad hero by surprise. Kayden duly reciprocated, feeling warm and fuzzy inside at having reunited a devoted mother with her daughter. Finally they released their hold on each other, and the family from Azderan said their farewells before departing the courtyard of the newly liberated governor’s compound. Kayden couldn’t help but smile to herself as she stood alone once more. She had come to Anzarmenia because of a desire to step out of Fay’s considerable shadow, and earn people’s respect in her own right. It now seemed she had taken the first steps in establishing her own legend, independent of her master. She was a leader of freedom fighters, a liberator of enslaved women, the subduer of an evil Saharbashi, and the thwarter of a nefarious political conspiracy. All that remained for her to do was capture the infamous Usurper King, Josario Sandolari.

  Still facing the governor’s residence, Kayden’s eyes were drawn to the front entrance. Sister Valeria was exiting the building flanked by two armed militiamen. Her cream and beige uniform was stained with blood, though she didn’t appear to be injured. As the newly appointed caretaker governor and her escorts approached, Kayden could discern from their expressions that something unpleasant had just occurred.

  “Sister Valeria, what’s happened?” she said, meeting the trio halfway. “Are you hurt?”

  “It’s not my blood,” replied the Sister. “I’m afraid to say that Baldassian is dead. I tried to save him, but it was too late.”

  “Dead! How?”

  “Suicide. He slashed both his wrists with a dagger, and bled out.”

  Incredulous, Kayden didn’t believe that explanation for a moment. “He was searched for weapons before being detained in that room,” she said, voice rising, “so how did he get hold of a dagger?” She didn’t need an answer to her rhetorical question. She knew that Baldassian had been murdered in cold blood. “Someone went into that room and killed him.” She glanced accusingly at both armed men standing on either side of Valeria. They were two of the four men placed on guard duty outside Baldassian’s holding room.

  “There’s only one way into that room,” volunteered the taller of the two. “An assassin would have had to get past us, and I’m sure we would have noticed.”

  “And we certainly didn’t kill the son of a bitch, if that’s what you’re insinuating,” said the other man, sounding aggrieved.

  A thought flashed through Kayden’s mind. If the two men were being truthful, and she had no reason to believe that they weren’t, then logically only a wielder of Zarantar could have gained access to Baldassian without the knowledge of the four men who had him under guard.

  “There’s always the possibility that the dagger was already in the room,” Valeria offered. “Keep in mind that Baldassian had been governor for over a year; and his greater familiarity with the residence means he would have been aware of concealed items in the room that no one would have thought to check for.”

  Kayden silently scrutinised Sister Valeria with an intent gaze. There was an awful lot of blood staining her Jaymidari robes. What if…? She quickly dismissed the thought before it could fully coalesce. In the short time she had spent in Valeria’s company, Kayden felt she knew the Sister well enough to be certain that Baldassian hadn’t died at her hand. Though she was not likely to agree with the An
zarmenian prohibition against killing Saharbashi, Valeria would no doubt reluctantly tolerate it and not violate the law of the land. But the same could not be said of someone else, Kayden suddenly realised.

  “Where is Sister Zarina?” she asked pointedly.

  Peering to her right, Valeria replied, “She’s over there in the triage with the other Sisters.”

  A quick glance at the triage confirmed Zarina’s presence. Chewing her bottom lip, Kayden stared through narrowed eyes at the Sister tending to a patient. Depending on how long Baldassian had been dead for, it was conceivable that prior to making her way to the triage, Zarina had entered Baldassian’s holding room undetected, and incapacitated him so she could slash his wrists while he was unconscious. The fact that she was out of uniform meant she would have been even less conspicuous.

  “Kayden?” Valeria’s gentle tone intruded upon her ruminations. “Surely you’re not thinking Sister Zarina had something to do with Baldassian’s death, are you?”

  “It makes sense,” she answered, returning her gaze to Valeria. “She accosted me inside earlier. She lambasted me for bringing Baldassian back here alive, then demanded that I go to the room he was being held in and eviscerate him.”

  Valeria was silent for a moment, looking contemplative. “It’s a stretch to go from there to accusing her of assassinating Governor Baldassian,” she said. “There’s no proof that his death is anything other than the suicide it appears to be.”

  “How well do you know Zarina?” she asked rhetorically.

  “I only met her today, as you know,” said Valeria. “But we share the same calling, so that entitles her to the benefit of the doubt.”

  Kayden glanced back towards the triage. “Well I don’t trust her,” she muttered. “Neither should you.” She turned her attention back to Valeria. “While she remains here, you and the other Sisters should be wary of her.”

  “So what are you going to do if you’re adamant that Zarina is responsible for Government Baldassian’s death?”

  “There’s nothing I can do,” Kayden remarked simply. “As you said, I have no proof. Besides, I think it’s safe to assume that no one will be sad to see the back of the late governor, so Zarina will go back to wherever she came from, content with a job well done. All that’s left for me to do is get back in the saddle and resume my journey. Just as soon as someone finds my horse.”

  A minor commotion outside the perimeter wall prompted Kayden to turn around and face the obliterated north gate. She smiled at the sight of a bridled black horse in the square, rearing up on two legs as a militiaman holding the reins tried to lead the beautiful creature into the courtyard.

  “Onyx!” she cried out. “Come here boy!” Onyx relented at the sound of Kayden’s voice, and her elation at seeing him brought home just how worried she’d been that someone had taken off with her four-legged friend.

  “It seems your beautiful travelling companion has just been found,” quipped Valeria light-heartedly. She moved to stand alongside Kayden while her two escorts held their ground.

  “Finally,” said Kayden, glancing sideways. “Now there’s nothing keeping me from leaving at once.”

  With a warm smile, Valeria stared at her fondly. “Before you go, I just want you to know how privileged I feel to have met you, Kayden. It’s not everyday I get to meet such a mysterious stranger, and never have my Sisters and I been led on quite an adventure before. Today is one of those days that people will tell their grandchildren about.”

  Kayden liked the sound of that. “I’ve been glad of your company these past couple of days,” she admitted. “And the assistance you and the Sisters provided was invaluable. I hope we will meet again, someday.”

  “I expect our paths will cross in Temis Rulan in the not-too-distant future,” said Valeria with a knowing wink.

  The comment left Kayden momentarily speechless. Eyebrows raised, she stared at Valeria, wondering how long the Sister had been aware of her association with the Order.

  “My last trip to Temis Rulan was a few weeks after an apprentice of Vaidasovian descent visited with her master,” Valeria volunteered in explanation. “Apparently she had completed a training exercise that no one in the history of her campus had ever managed. And I seem to recall that her name was also Kayden.”

  Kayden wanted to smile at the memory of that fateful day two years ago, but she had reasons for wanting to conceal her connection to the Order while she was in Anzarmenia, so she wasn’t happy that someone had worked it out.

  “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” Valeria assured her, in a hushed tone. “If the mission you’re on is related to the disturbing things occurring in the south over the past three years, I wish you the best of luck with it.” Raising her voice to its usual level, she added, “Now it’s time to say farewell. As the acting provincial governor for the next couple of days, I have a host of matters to attend to.”

  The two women embraced and said their goodbyes. Valeria then departed with her armed escorts, leaving Kayden to welcome the overdue return of Onyx. She gratefully received the reins from the militiaman who brought him to the courtyard, before enthusiastically patting and stroking the black gelding’s neck.

  “You had me worried for a while, big boy,” she said, affecting the voice of a mother speaking to a baby. “I thought someone had stolen you from me, and that I’d have to walk all the way to Nagornorak by myself.”

  Onyx snorted and shook his mane, as though rubbishing the notion that he’d let anyone take him away from her.

  For a full minute, Kayden continued to dote on him until she was finally ready to clamber up into the saddle. She mounted Onyx in one fluid motion and leaned forward to playfully scratch him between the ears. “Let’s get going, shall we?” She gently kicked her heels into his flanks to urge him forward at a trot, steering him towards the gaping remnants of the north gate. As his hooves clopped across the flagstones of the courtyard, Kayden instinctively felt the weight of someone’s gaze upon her. Glancing to her right, she saw Sister Zarina loitering outside the makeshift triage, watching her departure with an expressionless face.

  Pulling Onyx up just short of exiting the courtyard, Kayden steered her mount to the right, heading straight for Sister Zarina while the Sister ambled forward to meet her halfway. “Congratulations!” she said, staring down at the unassuming Jaymidari.

  “On what?” asked Zarina.

  “You killed Baldassian and made it look like a suicide. How clever of you. No one has any idea what you did… except for me.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you saying Governor Baldassian is dead?”

  Kayden glowered, refusing to answer the question. She wasn’t buying the innocent act for one moment.

  “Well, whatever the case,” said Zarina, resuming the conversation, “I commend you for the part you played in the removal of that unworthy… traitor. If left to his own devices for long enough, he may have become a problem.” Her eyes wandered to the north gate, then back to Kayden. “I guess you’ll be returning to the Kingdom of Mirtana now that you’re done here. Please don’t let me hold you up.”

  A smirk curled one corner of Kayden’s mouth. It was careless of Zarina to let slip that she knew where Kayden had journeyed from. “Actually, I’m heading to Nagornorak,” she said. “As I recall, your seminary is outside the city. I’m more than happy to give you a ride there, now that you’ve eliminated your problem here.”

  Not for the first time, Zarina’s face was marred by fear. Kayden couldn’t understand what it was about her that seemed to provoke such a strong reaction in the other woman, but it added to the suspicion she harboured. This obviously wasn’t a case of Zarina being disconcerted by the sight of someone of Vaidasovian descent who wielded Zarantar.

  “That won’t be necessary,” said Zarina. “I intend to stay here for the next few days. Now, if you’ll excuse me there are still people needing treatment for injuries.” Without ceremony, she turned her back on Kay
den, and ambled back towards the triage.

  Despite her suspicion of the young woman, Kayden realised there was no point wasting time dwelling upon it. She tugged on the reins to bring Onyx back around so they could resume their departure from the governor’s compound, and not look back. Passing through the north gate, she steered Onyx left and set a course westward, commencing the two-day journey to Nagornorak.

  As the black gelding trotted sedately across the crowded square, a voice cried out, “Let’s hear it for the Vaidasovian Sanatsai!” and a chorus of cheers followed her departure from the scene.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  One Step Closer

  Once Onyx had settled down on the grass to rest, Kayden sat down beside him, her back against his flank, with his bridle and saddle discarded nearby. Spending the coming night outdoors, underneath the stars, wasn’t ideal—especially in light of how close Nagornorak was—but Kayden had placed the well-being of her horse over her desire to reach the city as quickly as possible. She had ridden Onyx hard since leaving Sevdanor, and she was astonished when they came upon a road sign less than an hour ago, informing them that Nagornorak was only ten miles away. Her black beauty had more or less completed a two-day journey in just a day and a half. She subsequently tempered the urge to force him into a gallop just so they’d reach their destination not long after nightfall. Onyx could only manage a laboured trot by this time, and at that pace she’d arrive in the city too late to find an inn still open.