Kale stood and turned to face the Governor, pulling his sword from his belt. Before the battle horn sounded, he raised his sword in the air and the blade toward the Governor. The crowd fell silent, and he lifted his other hand and he gave the Governor that same one middle finger salute that Reena had been using in the arena.
Reena saw the sword come down, the sun sending sparks flying off of it — sparks that were almost blinding in their brilliance. She heard an odd meaty thump and tearing, a sound that was reminiscent of her father’s blade cutting through rabbit gristle.
The crowd screamed and cheered. The Governor got to his feet, his face white with fury, and his own screams could be heard over the screams of the crowd, “Get that traitor off my field! Get that coward off my field!”
Reena was grateful for the veil; it hid her tears. Kale had killed himself rather than battle her. He had given her a victory and he had given the Governor his middle finger. The crowd was on its feet, their clapping and stomping and screaming and chanting and shouting rising toward the very vault of the heavens above.
Soldiers burst onto the field, but so did Hector and more of the gladiators. They met halfway, and Hector shouted, “we claim this man. He is one of us and we will take care of his body. We will see to it that he is buried with all the honor that he deserved!”
The Governor screamed at the soldiers. To Reena he looked like nothing more than a spoiled, selfish child who had a favorite toy snatched away from him. The soldiers looked up at him, confused and obviously wanting to follow orders, but yet unwilling to strip away the man’s honor. He’d earned that honor, and they all knew it.
The gigantic bolt of lightning that cracked from the sky at that moment decided it all. It hit disturbingly close to the center of the arena and the Governor fell back into his chair, his eyes wide and his skin turning gray.
It was obvious that the entire crowd, including the Governor, saw that lightning as a sign from the gods. Reena looked upward at the young boy beside her said, “The gods are angry. They are making themselves known.”
The Governor stood again and yelled out an order, “The games shall commence again tomorrow!”
With that dismissal everyone began to flee the arena. The Governor was no fool, he fled as well, but not before he gave Reena a last long look that sent her heart into overdrive and turned her blood to ice water in her veins.
**
They were in the underground room, waiting for the soldiers to come and take her back to her cell. The boy whose life she had saved stood, uncertain and frightened, in a corner. “Can you make it back to the woods?” Reena asked.
“I think so.” The boy sounded doubtful but hopeful at the same time.
Hector said, “Octavia, give him some of the things that they threw into the arena today. Make sure they are things that he can barter with along his way.”
Octavia began to sort things out for him and Hector went to the small ledge where food was kept in case Reno was famished after a match. He put the dark moist loaf of bread, two boiled eggs and a hunk of cheese into a thin piece of fabric which he then folded and tied to the young boy’s belt loop. The small things that Octavia gave to him were folded into another square and tucked carefully up into a hidden pocket in his shirt.
“May the gods favor you on your journey home.” It was the only thing Reena could think of to say to him.
He shocked her by enveloping her in a hot, sweaty hug that seemed to last forever. All the emotion that she had been holding back since her last battle broke through her and she began to weep uncontrollably, her tears soaking through her veil and sliding down her cheeks.
“They will tell tales of you for many lifetimes Reena.” The boy pulled away “don’t ever think that your name will be lost.”
“What’s your name?”
“They call me Deal.”
Hector said, “Boy, run while you have the chance. The Governor is going to be in no mood to spare anybody and your life won’t be worth its weight in water if you are within the city walls by the time he recovers his tongue enough to order your death.”
Deal ran. His bare feet kicked up puffs of dust as he raced past the passageways and toward the door that would lead him out into the city and then beyond it. Reena asked, “Hector, do you think he will make it?”
“If he’s swift. And he does look to be swift.”
“What’s going to happen now Hector?”
“I don’t know. We’re walking in uncharted territory now Reena. Whatever happens, it is in the hands of the gods. They will decide our fate.”
“I think the Governor will decide our fate. That is unless we choose to change it.”
Hector said, “Now you’re beginning to see things the way that most of us do.”
The guards came, and they all stood there silent. One of them finally stepped forward, his battle-weary face sad and thoughtful. “We are going to take you to the Temple.”
“Is that your orders?” Reena met the soldier’s eyes squarely; she had a feeling that now was not the time for her to show any weakness.
“No, it is not. But that is what we are doing anyway. Today of all days an acolyte of Isis should be at the Temple with her goddess.”
Reena looked at Hector, merely nodding her head. She drew her shoulders square and held her chin up at a high angle and she answered, “I thank you for that.”
“Do not thank us; remember us in your prayers.”
Chapter 8
Reena had barely stepped through the door of the Temple before Nemia met her saying, “Hurry, there is little time!”
Reena looked over her shoulder at Hector and Octavia and merely waved her on. “Time for what?”
“Don’t ask questions, just listen.”
Praxis awaited her in the same chamber were he had met her before. His face wore a worried expression and when she entered the room, he pulled her tightly into his embrace and hugged her closely before lifting her veil to survey her face. “Are you harmed?”
“Of course not. I haven’t even had to fight today.”
His kiss was warm, soft and yet exciting. It made little shivers race down her spine, not shivers like the one she had gotten staring at the Governor either — this one was enjoyable. The kiss went on and on, his tongue met hers and teased it and while Reena had never kissed anyone like that before or in any way before, she found that she was quickly learning how.
When Praxis finally stepped away from him, her lips felt pulpy and bruised and she was breathing hard and fast. Strange sensations, feelings she had never felt before were causing all of her nerve endings to feel far too close to the surface of her skin and she wanted to be right back in his arms again.
“I was afraid this would not work.”
Reena asked, “Are you so afraid of offending the gods?”
“No, Kale would’ve killed you within a moment if he had not decided to kill himself. But be that as it may, the Governor would’ve had the right to call another gladiator to the arena to fight you after Kale’s suicide. If the people had not been so adamantly against you battling in the first place and so proud of what Kale did, he would’ve probably done just that.”
“Why is today different than any other day I have to battle?”
“Because today is the only day that it is possible for you to escape.”
Reena’s mouth fell open, “I can’t leave!”
Praxis said, “You must leave Reena. There is a war about to break out here, and your head will be the first to roll into the basket of the Governor.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “My father is still a prisoner! I’m not leaving here without him!”
Praxis put his hands on her shoulders and leaned close to her, so close that she could see the little gold flecks in his eyes. “Reena, he told me to tell you to remember the apples. He said he already told you that once but that he was sure you would not listen.”
“I’m not leaving him! Nothing you say can convince m
e to do so! If he talked to you, you had to have seen him. Where is he?”
“I saw him yesterday, before they moved him again. They move him daily, and nobody knows where he goes. There’s no way to tell, it’s so very random. Only the Governor knows and they say he makes up his mind when he opens his eyes in the morning as to where your father will be that night.”
“Then I am going to the Governor to ask you where my father is.”
“Now you are talking as if you’ve lost your mind.”
“I’m getting a little tired of people accusing me of being crazy.”
Praxis said, “Then perhaps you should stop acting as if you are.”
“What if it were your father, Praxis?”
“My father died in battle, it was what he wanted. All fathers have the right to do as they wish Reena, and your father wishes for you to obey him now.”
“You don’t understand Praxis, he’s all I have in this world.”
“I do understand, and I know that you are all he has in this world too. That is why he’s so determined to protect you. Now go, remember what I told you about the sword. You must take it when it’s offered, and you must carry it with you. No matter what happens if you must remain in possession of that sword.”
She stared at him, confused. “What sword Praxis? Nobody’s offered me a sword!”
They will. Octavia has already prepared all of the things that you got in favors. You’re going to need them to trade with. But the sword… Trade nothing for it. Make them give it to you.”
“Make who give it to me?” Her belly was trembling and her legs had gone a weak. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“There is an outpost of soldiers; they’re near the Old Post Road. You will meet them on your way into the desert.”
“Praxis, I can’t go into the desert!”
“Yes, you can. And you must. I already told you, there’s a war coming. It’s going to be the war that will topple the city if things aren’t done to save as much of it as possible.”
“Why don’t you just stop the war?”
He leaned against her, his forehead resting against hers. At this angle it looked like he had only one eye and she had to close her eyes to stop seeing that disturbing vision. “It’s too late for that Reena. This war has been brewing for years; the citizens are sick of being under the rule of a single figure.
“If the old Governor were still alive it might’ve been put off a little while longer but with the new Governor in power, nobody is willing to wait any longer. They want him overthrown.”
“Then let me stay!” Reena’s voice held savage anger. “I can help you to fight him. I want to fight him, I would love nothing more than to sink a knife into his chest!”
“I know that you would Reena. But there’s something else that you must do and only you can do.”
“What is that?”
“Rally the outlaws.”
“Say what?”
“You must convince the Outlaws to fight Reena. The citizens, many of them want to fight but they are afraid to. There is about to be a war, and there will be bloodshed yes, but the average citizen will not fight. They are too afraid, they think that they will not make a difference. They are so used to the soldiers fighting for them, and being told that they have no rights other than the ones that they are gifted by the Governor that they are afraid to fight for their own freedom.”
“What can I do to help, Praxis?”
“I already told you, you must rally the Outlaws.”
“The Outlaws are never going to come to the city; they are never going to fight in a war here in the city. It’s not their fight.”
“You can convince them that it is.”
“No, I can’t. I don’t know why you think that I can, they left the city to be free. Do you really think they will come back and fight so the other people can be free? They are barely surviving.”
“And that is exactly why they will.”
There was a loud knock at the door and when Praxis opened it Hector said, “she has to go, and she has to go now. Tell her goodbye.”
Reena said, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here and I’m fighting for my father’s life.”
“Then you’re a fool.” Hector met her eyes squarely and his face held nothing but truth. “Do you know why the soldiers brought you here instead of to your cell?”
“Because it’s a Temple day.”
“No, because they were afraid of angering the gods by killing you on a Temple day. But as soon as the sun sets and the state ends they will come back for you, and they will kill you — just as they were ordered. The Governor has decided that you’re no longer amusing and while the crowd might be angry at first, they will eventually forget about you.”
He was telling the truth. Fear made her heartbeat speed up so much that she was afraid of what she was saying. “What about you Hector? What about Octavia? I cannot leave you two here. If they intend to kill me then they will kill you as well and you know it.”
“Octavia and I will be fine.”
She put her hands on her hips. “And what about my father?”
“Do you honestly think the Governor will kill him while you live? He will try to use him to lure you back. He knows how loyal you are to your father and that is not something that he is likely to forget.”
“There is no more time for arguing.” Praxis gave her one last fierce hug before he pushed her away. “Go, and go now. And do not look back, do as I asked you to do. When you get to the outpost and you take the sword go to the Outlaws. They will know the sword, they know the stories. Most of them are from the city, and they will know what that sword means.”
She did not want to go. Every part of her cried out for her to stay, to find her father and to rescue him. To stay and fight for her friends, to fight for praxis. But nobody wanted her there. Hector literally picked her up and carried her down a long passageway that wound its way below the Temple. When they got to the end of it he sat her down in front of the door and he said to her, “You will be too noticeable in this close. Octavia has brought your robe, you must put it on.”
Reena hated to part with the beautiful outfit. Not only was it gorgeous it was practical, and it would protect her far better than a mere robe, but she understood the wisdom of what he was saying. The only thing she refused to give up was the boots.
Reena ran out of the Temple and into the crowded city streets.
**
Three days passed. Leaving the city was harder than she thought it might be at first. The soldiers were checking everybody coming in and out of the gates, and she knew that that was because the Governor had decreed that nobody was to leave. Eventually she found a way to slip out by going over an unguarded section of the high wall. She had to climb down that wall without rope, clinging to every little crevice she could wedge her fingers and toes into and she was positive that she would fall and die long before she made it to the bottom.
She still had the boots, bundled up into the pack that she carried on her back. It was safer for her to be barefoot at first and she knew it, but when she was over the wall and she began to run, her feet immediately became a liability.
Many Outlaws never wore shoes, but Reena had not been raised that way. Her father was a good hunter, and he provided her with shoes even if he had to make them himself from the roughest materials. Small rocks and pebbles cut her flesh and blisters started popping up long before she got to the first farm.
It had been nearing dusk when she made her way over the wall and she knew that the cry would go up immediately, as soon as it was discovered that she was missing from the temple. She was only about a mile away from the city walls when she heard the loud alarms going off, trumpets ringing out loud notes into the air.
She knew the soldiers coming after her would have horses, and that they would be fast. She had no hope of outrunning them and if they had a decent tracker with them she had very little hope of escaping at all unless she was smarter t
han them.
Her father had taught her well, so she skirted around the farm, making sure to leave a faint but visible trail behind her, deliberately breaking stalks of corn in the fields and a single footprint in a muddy patch. Once she had gotten far enough toward the spot that she actually wanted to be, she began to backtrack carefully.
That time she left no sign of her passing. What if they had dogs? Sometimes they did bring dogs, if they were tracking someone whose scent they had with them. She had left enough clothing behind the dogs could sniff her out from that and she knew it.
She also knew something that most people did not. Dogs could smell through water. Most people tried for the water, thinking that that would get them away from the dog, but she knew better.
She did go to the water, again being careful to leave no sign for the naked eye in case the trackers were without dogs. She splashed down the middle of the stream being careful not to get her pack wet and as she went, she drank her fill because she was aware that it might be a long time before she saw clean water again. There was water in her container but she wanted to save it.
Halfway downstream she ducked under the water and swam under a pile of rocks that she spotted. It was not really the rocks that she was after though, it was the trees above them. A few of the trees had limbs, long and sturdy that arced out over the water and it was on to them that she climbed, her bare feet and hands grasping at the bark as she began to ease her way out of the water. She jumped from one tree to another, nimble as the squirrels.
Soon she came to the spot that she wanted to be at. It was a long deep bog, filled with peat and ashes. The dogs would never smell her through this. Reena knew that there were dangerous things lurking in the peat bogs, but there were more dangerous things riding through the night.
Her keen eyesight picked out the glow of torches several miles away and she knew that the soldiers were riding toward the farmhouse. If they had dogs with them it would not be long till they tracked the river and then to the rocks. If things went right, the dogs would continue to smell the branches that were in the water and below it and perhaps soldiers would think she drowned or that she had continued to run through the water.
Call to Arms (The Girl In The Arena Book 1) Page 13
