by C. R. Daems
"Yes, I agree with Ryana. It's not the king's army that is important as it is the king," Rong said, to puzzled looks. She laughed. "No one has ever been able to invade the Zunji land, and they don't have a wizard. Horses are actually a disadvantage in the desert. They need more water than humans and there is little available. Not enough to support an army. And horses' eyes are just as sensitive to sand as ours. An army against someone who can create sand storms will not be very effective. However, a king can make it very difficult to operate on his land. He can pass laws and use his army to enforce his edicts."
"There are few white-robes in Tarion. Those that are in town are very devout and here to recruit for the Passion farms to the west of Tarion and to convert individuals in positions of power or influence. I don't have any names yet, but there are several under Assur control in the castle." Morana said. "Avdon was easy to find."
"With Sister Morana's help, Sister Fayza and I located and killed Avdon last night, and destroyed the three large bottles of Passion nectar he had. We also killed two others in the camp who had containers of the Passion drug. Sister Morana believes there are four more. She has identified two already, who we will kill today," Sister Hajna said.
"Morag should send all the Shadow Sisters into the field to find and kill the prophets in each province and destroy any of the Passion nectar they find," bile rose in my throat as I said it. Innocent people would die for no reason because of me. But that would slow the Assurs' influence and give us time to develop a plan.
"We have already sent Morag that exact recommendation. Any innocent deaths are the responsibility of the Shadow Sisters, not you, Ryana," Rong said, then produced that amused expression she had before giving Jelena and I one of her exercises to solve. "Well, Ryana, what's next? No one has come up with a good suggestion while you were gone."
"You go show Zunji how to kill Storm Wizard. The Zunji take care of Assur," Gero said, with an award-winning grin, which did not belie the statement.
* * *
I felt we were at a stalemate with the Assur. I doubted they had the military strength to attack Hesland, especially since I doubted a Storm Wizard would be very effective in a non-desert environment since we had walled cites and fortresses to hide in. Their advantage had been the Passion drug, and my Sisters should be able to nullify that advantage by targeting the religious cults. But that assessment was based on logic, which I didn't trust. What were the Assur trying to achieve? If I knew that, then we may be able to stop it. Right now all my opinions were based on insufficient information: they had an army, they were growing Passion flowers, and they were recruiting with the drug.
Was it a military operation or a religious movement? Did the Assur people support the goal, whatever it was, or was it a select group of Assurs, or was it one person? What did he or they hope to achieve?
"I think we need to go to the Assur Mountains and find out what is going on," I said that evening as we sat around relaxing after the evening meal.
"We already know. The Assur are planning to take over Hesland," Gero said.
"How are they going to do that?"
"With drugs and an army," Gero again.
"That would require an army several times larger than Hesland's five armies, since we could hide behind massive walls. Do they have an army that big? Drugs might have gained them an advantage, but the Shadows will soon negate that advantage, or at least, slow it down. And once everyone is aware of the danger, the advantage will no longer exist. And why do they want to attack Hesland?"
"What are you suggesting, Ryana?" Rong asked, in her all-to-familiar game mode. I smiled mentally. My years with Sister Rong had been the most enjoyable. I loved her games.
"We are trying to win the game without knowing the rules or the objective."
"Maybe there are no rules or objectives," she countered.
"Then we would know we can't win, only survive," I said, grinning. Rong grinned back.
"I can't remember a student who loved my games as much as you did. You're right. We are making plans based on assumptions made from too little information." She laughed. "Somewhat like gypsy darts. We must know if the bull’s eye, painted on the ball, is the actual center, if we stand a chance of winning."
"You want us to scout the sands west of Tarion?" Gero asked.
"No. I want to scout the Assur Mountains. I think the answer is there." Not logic but intuition. Logic would say we need more information about what is happening on the sands. Intuition wants me to look at the mountains. What drove the Assur onto to the sands?
"I'm going along," Rong laughed. "My student has drawn me into her game. I like the idea. I think we should put together a small team."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
DAZEL: Assur Mountains - The Sanctuaries
Reluctantly, Gero agreed he should stay home in case the Assur decided to take military action while we were off in the mountains. The Zunji lusted for revenge and would have already attacked the Assur if it hadn't been for the presence of the Storm Wizards. But the Zunji weren't cowards. If the Assur attacked Tarion, the Zunji would join the king's forces to repel them.
The Earth Wizard Erica decided to accompany Sisters Rong, Fayza, Hajna, and me. She would carry several birds to keep in touch with the Earth Wizards in Tarion, and they, in turn, would keep in touch with their brothers and sisters around Hesland.
Sister Rong purchased five mountain ponies, and we planned to leave several hours before sunset the next day. That night, I made my way back to the Tobar clan and slipped into our wagon. Luka lay in our bed looking beautiful. I undressed and slid in beside him. He gave a contented sigh, but didn't wake until I kissed his neck. Somehow, I think he knew I wasn't staying and our lovemaking was more passionate, creating memories that would last a lifetime if necessary.
"What can I tell Santo and Lujza?"
"The king was drugged like wu'Lichak. We think he will recover. It appears the Assur are behind the religious cults and attempts to get important people under their control..." I went on to explain what happened to Sizwe's son and our planned trip into the mountains. "As far as the clan is concerned, the Shadows have taken me to Zunji Province for questions about the religious cults and the Passion drug used on me."
"Be careful, hon. It took me a long time to find you. I don't want to lose you." He pulled me close into a tight hug.
"I have Sisters with me this time, love. They will look after me." I dressed, kissed him quickly, and ghosted into the night. I arrived back to the Earth Wizard lodge as everyone was packing to leave. I finished quickly, and we left, dressed as herders. We stayed on the road to Sebec well past the area Sizwe had identified as where the warrior Efusa had reported being ambushed. Three days later, we left the road to Sebec and onto a trail leading to Dunn Pass, a short cut to Ahasha Valley and the place I had been born. The Pass would permit us to enter the Assur Mountains from behind where the Assur had been spotted, and unlikely to be guarded or watched.
Erica chose to travel in plain homespun clothing of an average herder. Rong, Hajna, Fayza, and I changed into blacks before entering the village. I don't know what I had expected, but not what I saw as we approached the houses. The village houses were the same as I remembered, but more run down. The road was empty and the village deathly silent. The few people I saw were very old.
I dismounted in front of my old house and walked around to the back. An old woman, my mother, looking twenty cycles older than she was, stood feeding a few chickens. She gasped when she turned and saw me.
"Shadow... I'm ready to go," she said looking relieved. When I first saw a Shadow, the one who had bought me, I had thought a dead ancestor had come to punish me. But my mother should know better. But when I looked into her eyes, they looked dead, without emotion.
"Wait in the house," I said and walked back to my horse and retrieved a large piece of bread and entered the house. It hadn't changed. I handed her the bread, which she stared at as if it were something strange. Ironically, the Shadow t
hat found me behind the house those many years ago had given me a piece of bread as an incentive to see if I could call a rabbit to me. I still remember that piece of bread like it had been yesterday. My father had all but starved me, keeping me alive only to work until I was old enough to sell.
"Eat," I said, which seemed to jolt her out of her trance, and she began nibbling at the bread. "What happened to the village? To your husband and son?"
"The Snowmen came," she said between chewing. The common name for the men who lived high in the mountains. Somewhat nomadic, they were hunters not gatherers. They were feared, and rightly so, as they had been known to raid villages, stealing, raping, and kidnapping. "They took all the young men and women and the herds and left us to starve."
"How long ago?"
"I don't know. Nine or ten cycles. Who cares? I'm alone. My husband and son are gone, along with his wife and his son. They will never return." She sat, stuffing the last of the bread in her mouth. Interesting, no mention of a girl-child. No matter. I wished I could do something, but knew I couldn't. As I returned to my horse, Rong rode up.
"This was your home?" she asked. I nodded, tears in my eyes. I felt sorry for my mother. She had never shown me any love, but it wasn't her fault. The men dominated life in the village and made her feel like she had done something wrong in having a worthless girl-child. She wasn't alone, but that didn't help. The men in this village weren't unique in their attitude, but it was more prevalent in these small villages where life was hard.
"The Snowmen raided the village many cycles ago and took everything except the old and the weak. Most of those have since died of starvation."
"Do you want to stay?"
"No. There is nothing you or I can do which will correct what the Snowmen did or make a difference. Life in these small mountain villages has always been hard and the people pragmatic. Those the Snowmen left behind wouldn't have been treated much better if the Snowmen hadn't come. They were old and a strain on the village's available food supply." That sounded cruel but life was not always kind and survival demanded compromises. I had been one of the lucky ones. "We should go."
"You're right," Rong said, studying me as I mounted. We were all quiet as we wound our way out of the village and higher into the mountains.
* * *
The afternoon of the second day after leaving Dunn Pass, we came to another village in a small valley. Looking down on the village, it appeared much larger than Dunn Pass, and had new construction at one end that looked like a separate compound with several buildings enclosed by a wall.
"Looks like a lot more activity than at Dunn Pass," Hajna said. "Those look like white-robes."
"And there are children there," Erica said, pointing to a group of small looking people. It took an hour to make our way down the narrow trail into the village. This time we stayed dressed as herders. As we made our way down the main street, it became clear that people belonged to the cult honoring the God Perun. They didn't seem afraid of us, just cautious.
"Pardon, what village is this?" Erica asked one woman who stopped to stare at us. Her hood was pulled back and her sun-dried, tan face exposed. She had the narrow face, long straight nose, almond eyes, and black hair associated with the Assur people.
"This is Perun Sanctuary seven," she said. "Are you looking for someone or someplace?"
"Is there a Xades Sanctuary?" I asked, assuming she may know of the other cults and think we were disciples.
"No. The Assur mountains are reserved for the people of the God Perun, who is the creator of all the Gods. But you are welcome as disciples of Perun's children."
"What is the purpose of the Sanctuaries?" Rong asked, quick to play off of the woman's mistake. "We don't have any in Calion."
"The Sanctuaries are where the chosen carry out the word of Perun, as directed by His living son, Askell, who He sent to Hesland to instruct us." Her smile was warm when she mentioned his name. "We teach our children the ways of the God Perun, guide them in selecting how they can best serve, look after the comfort of our protectors, and process Perun's nectar by which the ignorant are enlightened."
"Very worthy endeavors. And the rewards for such service?"
"Doing good is its own reward. Perun created the other Gods to make the world a Sanctuary, where everyone can live in peace and harmony."
"That is a wonderful dream, but there are evil men in this world."
"Perun has the perfect solution. As each of us dies, we are reborn again and again until we understand what Perun expects of us and have reached perfection. Then he or she is allowed to join Perun in His home in the sky." As she talked I noticed two men dressed in military-like uniforms coming down the street towards us. They wore white pants and jackets, carried two swords in their belts—one longer than the other—and had bows and quivers strung across their backs. They were a head shorter than the average Heslander, but stockier with broad chests. They weren't smiling.
"Roisin, aren't you supposed to be teaching the children now?" The older of the two asked in a master to servant tone.
"Yes, Lord Ulfur. But these disciples of Xades seemed lost. I stopped to help them as is our way." She gave the speaker a small bow.
"Go. The children are in need of you. I will see to our visitors’ needs," he said, his eyes never leaving us.
"Yes, Lord Ulfur." She gave another bow and walked off towards a long building where several young heads were peeking out of the windows.
"Your reason for being here?" The question didn't appear directed to anyone of us in particular. As he waited, he examined each of us in turn.
"We are travelers seeking truth, Lord Ulfur," Erica said, in a motherly tone.
"Roisin said you were disciples of the prophet Virtor."
"No, we merely asked if there were other sanctuaries for the lessor Gods, like Xades."
"Not here. Each province has a sanctuary of sorts that teaches the ways of a God. The Assur mountains are reserved for the God Perun—the creator. Perhaps he has led you here to learn the truth. Come back to my compound, and I will answer your questions."
We followed him to the compound's main building. It was a long, one-story structure with two wings: in one, a hall that could hold fifty or so, an equally large dining hall, and in the second, ten or more rooms. We were taken to one which appeared a study of sorts except for its lack of books. It had a large, roughly finished desk. Three additional wooden chairs were brought in for the five of us to sit. The three guards who brought the extra chairs stayed.
"My lieutenant has made arrangements for you to sleep here tonight. They are not luxurious but better than sleeping on the cold ground. Tomorrow we can direct you to wherever you'd like or you can stay here for a while if you wish."
"Thank you, Lord Ulfur," Erica said. She had assumed the position of spokeswoman for our group. After a brief attempt to find out more about us, one of the soldiers led us to a small building at the back of the compound. The building had no windows and the inside was bare except for five beds and a small stand with several bowls of water and a bed pan. After we entered, the guard closed the door and a bar was slid in place.
"I suspect Sanctuary seven is a cross between a religious, indoctrination, and prison camp," Erica said, smiling. "And this looks like a poor noble's dungeon."
"Fortunately we're wearing our black underneath our herder clothes and have our weapons on us. They are obviously searching our saddlebags," Hajna said. "It will be interesting to see how well the Snowmen can use those swords."
"Ryana, I believe your intuition has paid off. It appears the Assur are not the problem the Zunji suspected. The Snowmen appear to be in charge and are using the Assur."
"The ground tells me the Snowmen are not friendly," Erica said, sitting with her hands pressed against the ground. "I feel twelve."
* * *
Shortly after sunrise, the door was opened and three robed women brought in fresh water, food, jugs, and replaced the bed pan. Three guards stood near the door whi
le they labored. As they left, one of the guards stepped into the room, blocking the entrance.
"After you have eaten and refreshed yourselves, Lord Ulfur will see you," he said closing and locking the door behind him.
"What do you think, Rong," Hajna asked inspecting the food. I went to the jug, uncapped it, sniffed, and poured a couple of drops on my finger. From the color and smell, I didn't have to taste it, but to be certain, I reluctantly touched my tongue to it. Memories flashed before my eyes of that ugly man stroking my naked body and me wanting more. I gagged.
"I think they are planning a party, and we're the entertainment," I said, still trembling.
"I could bring down the walls of this building easily," Erica said, while rubbing her hand along the wall.
"No, that would spoil our surprise party," Hajna said. "As Sister Rong would tell those who are listening, we are Assassins, not thugs out to prove anything, as much as I would enjoy a good match."
We ate the bland grain and meat mixture, drank some of the water intended for washing, before washing, and sat waiting. I knew it was time when I heard men laughing and joking as they approached.
"Some new women will be a nice change, especially ones on the Passion nectar. The Assur do it out of duty and aren't much more satisfying than a goat."
"Who gets the old woman?" another voice asked.
"Dagur, you heard him. He can't tell the difference between a woman and a goat." More laughter.
"Falkur, stand guard. You can have anyone who get past us." More laughter. A minute later, the bar was slid up and five men walked in. At my suggestion, the five of us stood in one corner rubbing each other and moaning. The drug heightened a person's skin sensitivity to touch and sexual arousal. If we had drunk the Passion nectar it would have produced a similar result.
"There, Hroar, ready and willing." A slightly tall Snowman grabbed me by the arm and pulled me over to the furthest bed, while fumbling with my jacket and laughing. I put my arm around him and jabbed him in the neck with a rocktail needle. His eyes widened and mouth opened to speak, but words never came as he collapsed onto the bed. I mentally sought Anil and Kasi. The area appeared clear, and I directed them to attack the guard. When I looked around, the other four soldiers were on the floor. Hajna, Fayza, and Rong's men had blood stained shirts at heart level. Erica's had a vine twisted around his neck. I opened the door and Rong helped me drag the guard inside. Hajna finished the job with a knife thrust to his heart.
