“You will allow everyone who surrenders to leave unharmed, and you will take no prisoners.” Elijah watched the Khan as he shifted nervously in his seat; obviously he was not used to taking orders.
“Very well, I give you my word.” The Khan extended his hand to Elijah.
“If you don’t do as you say, I will cut down your entire army, your family, and I will burn everything you love to the ground.” The Khan’s eyes widened with shock as he raised his brow. Elijah rose from his table and walked towards the exit.
“And her, I want her.” Elijah turned around and pointed at Ayda just before he reached the opening.
“I am not a slave.” Ayda jump from her seat and looked at Elijah with disgust.
“I’m sorry Elijah, she is my best servant, and, as she made very clear, she is not a slave.” The Khan leaned his head to the side and scratched the right side of his head. Elijah looked at him and then at Ayda, who was staring back at him, the grin on her face a boast.
“Please, for the sake of you own men, take time tonight, as you are sitting with your generals and planning out your strategies, to consider one basic fact, one deadly certainty.” Elijah took a couple steps back towards the Khan.
“There is only one way to that fortress. You have to climb down that hillside. Just remember, whenever and however you decide to come down, nothing will change the fact that I will be waiting at the bottom, and I don’t sleep.” Elijah glanced over at Ayda and smiled before turning to leave.
“Wait.” The Khan’s voice sounded defeated. Elijah’s smile widened as he turned to face the Khan. “Take her; she’s yours.”
“What?” Ayda shouted in protest.
“I’m sorry, Ayda; I have no choice. Have we reached an agreement, then?” The Khan ran fingers through his dark hair as he looked up at Elijah.
“I will be back in the morning. Make sure there is a tent ready for me. I’ll need a bed, and a table with a bowl of fresh fruit. And make sure I have an extra room in the back as you have.” Elijah nodded toward the overlay in the cloth behind him.
“Is that all; are you sure there is nothing else?” Hulagu Khan rose from his chair and shrugged his shoulders.
“Just wine, a few jugs of that wine. Chain her in my tent until I get back.” Elijah watched as Ayda dropped her chin to her chest; her beautiful dark hair hung like a silk blanket over her face as she folded her arms.
“Leave someone there to tend to her needs, a woman. Make sure she gets whatever she requests, and make certain your men know, no matter what happens, they are not to touch her.” Elijah walked to the edge of the tent and disappeared into the camp.
Chapter 22
After leaving the Khan’s tent, Elijah spent a few hours in solitude. He knew how much Hassan depended on him, how high Hassan’s hopes would be now that they had forced the Mongol horde to retreat, and how upset he would be when Elijah informed him of the new direction he must take.
Hassan was a proud and stubborn man. He believed in planning and preparation, numbers, thick walls, and in the art of intelligent warfare. But beyond that, once he had done all he could, Hassan slept peacefully, foolishly believing everything was and would always be as God willed it. This was exactly why Elijah believed neither Hassan nor any of his men would surrender; they would die in that fortress when the sun came up.
Elijah had never met a more intelligent man, which made it all the more confusing for him, how a thoughtful philosopher of sorts could find his peace in answers that only created larger and more complex questions. There was no reasoning with the man; he was too stubborn when it came to his convictions.
Still, Elijah had to try.
On his way back to the fortress, Elijah was still wrestling with what he had just done to Hassan and his men. He told himself he didn’t have a choice. He had to find his father and avenge his family, and this was the only glimmer of hope he had found since he last saw his father.
This was his life. Besides, Hassan and his men had already forced him out. He was under no obligation to them, and he wasn’t a fool; he had no illusions about who he was. He knew he wasn’t a good man, not anymore.
So why couldn’t he rid himself of this miserable feeling? Why did he feel guilty about betraying a man who had just betrayed him? Perhaps it was because he knew if he couldn’t convince the big man to leave, then Elijah would be consigning him to death. Perhaps it was because Hassan had been Elijah’s only friend since he had lost Sara. Perhaps it was because Hassan had probably saved his life earlier that day.
Elijah didn’t know… perhaps it was because he understood the reasons for Hassan’s betrayal. Elijah knew Hassan had done everything he could to help him, not just with weapons, but also with his soul. He had tried to help Elijah find peace, and when that didn’t work, he had tried hard to make the brotherhood find a place for him, to allow him to stay.
It was only after Elijah had burned down every bridge Hassan had built for him that Hassan was forced to deceive him, to bring him here, perhaps still hoping Elijah might prove himself indispensable to the leaders and be allowed to stay. It seemed Hassan was still looking out for him, as he had since the beginning.
But Elijah had to find his father; he couldn’t renege on his deal with the Khan, not now that hope lingered just beyond the horizon.
He would have to find a way to force Hassan to surrender. Elijah swallowed hard and took a deep breath before entering the fortress.
Chapter 23
Hassan and Elijah argued for hours. “We have their backs against a wall. If you would just continue with us, we can win.” Hassan pleaded.
“This is the only chance I’ve had, after so many years of searching, to confront the man who killed everyone I loved, nearly everyone I knew.” Elijah slammed his hands down on the table where Hassan was sitting. “If I don’t take this chance, there might never be another; I cannot risk that.” Elijah rocked back onto his feet and continued pacing back and forth across the stone floor. “If you surrender, he has promised me that no harm will come to any of you; you can all go free.” Elijah stopped pacing and turned to face Hassan.
“We will not surrender.” The imam shouted from his seat at Hassan’s side.
“I am speaking to my friend!” Elijah was growing more and more frustrated. “Hassan! Look at me!” Hassan raised his head from his hands and looked Elijah in the eye. “Please don’t listen to this old fool.” Elijah motioned to the imam.
“That is quite enough Elijah.” Hassan rose from his chair and stared down into Elijah’s eyes. “You are speaking out of turn, my friend.” Hassan held his stare for a few moments more before turning around and walking to the front window of the high tower. For a moment he just stood, gazing out at the huge force resting below him on a rise in the valley floor.
“Have you ever seen such an army, Elijah?” Hassan seemed mesmerized by the sheer size of the force. “I want you to know that I do not blame you for this. This is not one man’s fight, and I apologize for the way I brought you here.” Hassan didn’t give Elijah time to speak. “Your path is away from here, and our path together seems to have come to an end. Go now, Brother and find the answers you seek.” Hassan closed the shutters and stepped away from the window. He took a deep breath and sighed before turning towards Elijah.
His strong body had aged since he and Elijah had first met. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before; it seemed so obvious now. Shades of silver and white streaked just above Hassan’s temples and threaded through his beard. The skin around his eyes looked thin and sagged gently; wrinkles spread from the outer corners of his eyes like rivers flowing into the sea. He looked weary.
As he raised his eyes from the floor, Elijah saw something in them he had never before seen there; still, he recognized it. In that instant it seemed as if all the labors of Hassan’s body had finally caught up with his mind and he was tired. It seemed he was now longing for death, the way Elijah had longed for it for as long as he could remember. And it was not longing in
the way a religious man joyfully embraces death in greedy anticipation of receiving all he has been promised. It was the simple desire to close one’s eyes in hopes that it would be for the last time. Elijah finally saw what Hassan had become; despite his speed and strength on the battlefield, he was an old man.
“Hassan, don’t stop fighting yet, not yet!” Elijah begged urgently.
“I will not stop fighting, not until they break through those walls and put me down. That I promise you.” Hassan walked back to the table and took his seat once more.
“No, Hassan! You are stopping, giving up, quitting. Men like you and I have nothing. We know nothing but war and death; we love nothing, except the way the iron feels in our hands and the perfect balance and curve of a well-forged sword.” Elijah walked over and knelt beside the big man. “This comes easy to us, as does dying,” he whispered.
“What would you have of me?” Hassan spoke in a low voice; his fingers began wrenching the edge of the table as he turned to Elijah.
“I would have you survive, to fight the real fight, the painful one; fight to live. Save your people; save them for a better death, at least.” Elijah stood and walked away from the table.
“We will not surrender!” The imam stared intently at Elijah, but his eyes were full of fear. Elijah understood the conflict between the man’s words and what he saw in the man’s eyes. Elijah had known fear each time he stood before his father, but his soul wouldn’t allow him an escape.
“Then you will surely die.” Elijah walked through the archway leading to the gate.
“Elijah.” Hassan shouted.
Elijah turned to face him.
“I truly hope you find what you are looking for, and much more.”
Elijah nodded and was gone.
Chapter 24
“You are really going to betray your friends so easily?” Ayda looked up from the floor. Her ankle was chained to an iron ring that had been hammered into the side of a thick wooden slab that was part of Elijah’s bed.
“I only have one friend.” Elijah sat on a thick cushion which was layered in silk and topping the wooden slab. Ayda retreated slightly as he reached for her leg.
“I’m only trying to help you, girl. Besides, you are no use to me chained up.” Elijah grabbed the chain and began dragging her towards him. As she slid forward on the ground, her gown was forced up, exposing the smooth skin on her legs to above her knees. Elijah was caught off guard for a moment; his eyes followed from her ankles, to her knees, and further. He leaned forward, hovering over her as if her legs were the steps to Mount Olympus and he had just climbed to the heavens.
“Please don’t.” Her lips trembled.
“Shhh.” Elijah quickly hushed her as he pulled her dress down to cover her thighs. He fumbled with the cuff around her ankle for a minute before leaning back and pulling the chain loose from his bed. “Here.” Elijah handed her the loose end of the chain. “Take that to the Khan and have it removed.”
Elijah walked to the tent opening and called to a guard standing outside. When the guard entered, Elijah instructed him to take Ayda to the Khan and have the chain removed.
“I have the key here, sir.” The guard pulled a small key from his pocket and handed it to Elijah.
“Thank you.” Elijah knelt and removed the cuff from Ayda’s ankle, handing it and the chain to the guard, who quickly exited the tent.
“What do you want with me?” the girl asked as she picked herself up from the floor and sat on the bed.
“Well.” Elijah remained on the floor, but leaned back against the bed. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know why he had asked for her, other than he had wanted to wreak some small revenge on the Khan for putting him in an impossible position.
Still, he couldn’t deny that the girl intrigued him. She had courage; she was beautiful. She was one of the very few things that had distracted Elijah from his blinding rage and driving need to avenge his family’s slaughter. “I just want to talk.” Elijah bent his right leg and wrapped his arm around his knee.
“Talk?” Ayda shook her head in confusion. “What do you want to talk about?”
“We could start with you; tell me about your family.” Elijah stared up at her from the floor.
“My family is none of your business.” Ayda raised her voice, but her eyes dimmed and the muscles in her face loosened as she dropped her head slightly and rubbed the side of her neck.
“Why don’t you tell me about William?” Ayda raised her head and looked at Elijah, the fire back in her eyes.
Elijah held her stare for a moment and then looked away.
“I’ll be back. I don’t need to chain you up again, do I?” Elijah got to his feet and smiled. He selected an apricot from the bowl sitting on the table and turned back towards her. “This is excellent. Now, please inform the Khan I need some pineapple.” Elijah turned and walked out of the tent.
“Is that it?” Ayda followed him out.
“Yes, that is all.” Elijah took the last bite of his apricot and threw the pit on the ground.
“I am here only to fill your bowl?” She bumped into Elijah and took a step back when he stopped walking and turned towards her.
“Yes, and to talk.” He stared at her in awkward silence. “You seem disappointed. I can give you more chores if that’s what you really want.” Elijah stepped forward and gently placed his hand on her hip. The gown she was wearing followed her curves, as did his eyes, from her hips up to her breasts.
“No.” She spoke softly.
“No?” Elijah leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart. He looked down at her lips and then back up at her eyes; he watched them as they shifted down towards his lips and then quickly back up.
He leaned in closer; his hand moved from her hip to the small of her back. Just as their lips were about to touch, Elijah turned his head slightly to the side and pressed his head against hers. “Then get to work,” he whispered into her ear, and quickly walked away, marching to the edge of the camp. He stood on the hillside, looking down at the Assassin fortress.
Chapter 25
The sun had been up now for a couple of hours. Due to Elijah’s insistence, the Khan had waited, giving the Assassins more time to consider surrendering the fortress. At this point, Elijah believed there was no more reason to wait, no reason to drag out the inevitable; it seemed Hassan was not going to change his mind.
Elijah stood with the Khan on the hillside and watched as the Mongols moved their siege engines into position. The fortress was strong and well positioned, but the Khan had collected the best engineers, weapons, and techniques from around the world. It wouldn’t be long before the walls fell around Elijah’s big friend. He instructed the Khan to send in soldiers once the walls fell, to fight the Assassins hand-to-hand. Elijah knew it wouldn’t be the Khan’s smartest move, but it would give Hassan a good death, one he deserved.
There weren’t many other options; the only way into the fortress was up a narrow ravine. The Khan agreed, but had one stipulation. He would not waste his human soldiers; he would only send in vampires. Elijah agreed, and just before the Khan gave orders to begin the bombardment, the Assassins, led by Hassan and the imam, walked out unarmed. The Khan ordered for the two leaders to be brought to his tent. He and Elijah were waiting just outside the tent when the pair arrived.
“Get on your knees before the Khan you Hashishiyun dogs,” barked one of the guards. Hassan’s hands were bound at his back, and the man standing beside him kicked the back of his right knee and pressed on his right shoulder, forcing him to the ground.
Elijah quickly stepped forward and smacked the man with his open hand. The man fell to the ground, unconscious, as Elijah knelt at Hassan’s side. The other officers and guards standing near them backed away and pulled their swords. A couple of other men stepped forward and carried the unconscious man away.
“Elijah! Please, relax,” the Khan shouted as he motioned for the men around them to stand down.
“Elijah, you need to stop for a minute and think about what you want. Is this man more important than finding William?” The Khan waved his hand over his head as if he were summoning someone.
Elijah cut the ties binding the two men’s hands and then slid the kopis back under his arm. As he stood up and pulled the two men to their feet, a huge man seemed to appear from out of nowhere.
Elijah took a moment to examine the giant standing before him. The darkly painted wooden mask covering the man’s face took him aback, but it was the man’s burning blue eyes that commanded Elijah’s attention. He was a vampire lord, but was too big to be his father.
“That is a lovely mask.” Elijah turned to the Khan. “Instruct your giant that if he doesn’t want to lose his fancy mask, along with his head, he needs to get out of my way, right now!” Elijah pressed the palm of his hand against the hilt of the old kopis on his hip—he had left the other one in his tent—and gently stroked it with his fingertips.
“Elijah, I think it is time we establish a few ground rules; please come.” Elijah watched the Khan as he gestured invitingly towards his tent.
Elijah glanced once more at the masked giant and then turned his attention to Hassan. “Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine.” He was rubbing his wrists.
“Elijah!” The Khan shouted from the entrance of his tent. Elijah quickly pulled the kopis from its scabbard. Everyone took a step back, except for the man in the mask, who stepped forward.
“Here.” Elijah threw the sword to Hassan. “If that man takes another step towards this tent, make sure I don’t have to look up at him when I come back out.” Hassan nodded to him before Elijah turned and followed the Khan into his tent.
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