by Callie Kanno
She pointed toward the southern border of the L’avan camp, where a ragged figure could be seen in the distance.
Adesina used her vyala to enhance her vision, and she immediately recognized her uncle. “Ri’sel!”
The young queen and her guardian sprinted towards her kindred, barely reaching him in time to catch him as he fell out of his saddle. He had been severely beaten and was on the verge of unconsciousness. Had it not been for her vyala, she would not have recognized his swollen and mottled face.
“Ri’sel, what happened to you?”
“L’iam,” he gasped, “they have him.”
“Who?” asked Adesina quickly. Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands gripped Ri’sel’s tattered clothing tightly.
Part of Adesina felt that she knew the answer before he gave it, and she was not certain that she could bear to hear the fatal words.
Her uncle took several pained breaths before he could answer her.
“The Shimat.”
Chapter Two: An Unexpected Guest
Ri’sel was taken to the nearest medical tent, and then Adesina retreated to her own for some undisturbed thinking. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. She could hardly keep her expression free from the rage and fear that coursed through her entire being.
She knew she would have to act quickly, for the news of her husband’s capture would spread through the L’avan camp like wildfire. For now, she had to focus on getting herself under control.
It was frightening how strongly she had been affected by those few words. The Shimat, Ri’sel had said—the most secret and deadly organization of assassins; the society in which she had been raised, and to which she had been loyal until she had been shown their true colors; the group of people responsible for the massacre of her people only five short years ago. The Shimat were continuing in their attempts to wipe the L’avan from the earth, and they had captured L’iam in the process.
Adesina felt the flaring heat of anger shoot outward from her chest, and it overpowered every other emotion. The Shimat had taken so much from her already, and she wasn’t about to let them take anymore.
Her strongest inclination was to jump on a horse and race off to rescue her husband. Every moment was of great importance when it came to such formidable enemies.
The young queen shook her head and paced back and forth in her tent.
The first thing she had to do was reassure her people. She was their leader now, and they would turn to her for some sense of comfort. She had only been queen for a short time, but they trusted her with their lives. L’iam always said that they had to put the needs of their people above their own. He had taught her that being a true leader meant sacrificing on behalf of those being led. Adesina would do her part and make sure that the L’avan were safe and prepared for any danger that may arise.
Once that was done, she was going after her husband.
Ravi entered her tent with a gentle expression on his face. He could see that she was torn between the urge to leave immediately and the knowledge of her responsibilities.
“We will find him, Ma’eve, but we must take precautions before leaving. Taking time to do that does not slow your mission—it raises your chances of success.”
She nodded, knowing he was right. There was a clear plan in her mind, and her heart settled from her frenzied need for action to cool determination.
Adesina would make the Shimat pay for what they had done.
She strode from the tent, her guardian following close behind. A crowd of L’avan was already forming just outside, and they followed her as she made her way through the camp.
“Your Majesty, is it true?”
“Has the king been captured by the Shimat?”
“What are we to do?”
Adesina held up a hand to silence them and spoke calmly, not breaking her stride. “I will be addressing our people on the green in ten minutes. Spread the word, please.”
The crowd instantly dispersed, running to gather together the L’avan. Wren’na stayed at Adesina’s side, and Adesina placed a hand on her arm.
“I need to speak to E’nes immediately. Could you run and fetch him?”
She nodded and hurried away, leaving Adesina with Ravi.
The Rashad turned his large feline eyes on the young queen as they continued walking towards the open area where the L’avan held large gatherings. “You cannot rescue L’iam on your own, dear one.”
“I will not be alone. You are always with me.”
He shook his head. “That is not enough for what is coming.”
Adesina gave him a sharp glance. “Have you had a vision of the future?”
“No,” he replied softly, “but that does not mean I cannot see where this path will take you.”
She clenched her jaw and spoke stiffly, keeping a tight reign on her emotions. “The last time I went up against the Shimat, half of those with me died. I will not make that same mistake.”
“If you go alone you will die, and L’iam will be lost forever,” Ravi said flatly.
Adesina’s head whipped around to stare at her guardian, and she felt a wave of icy fear douse her angry determination. She had not considered what might happen if she failed. “I will consider your words,” she said reluctantly.
A crowd was already forming when she arrived on the green. Her subjects kept a respectful distance from her, knowing that she would address them when she was ready. Adesina walked over to the roughly constructed platform that stood at the far end and sat on the edge, waiting for the rest of her people to assemble.
Within a few minutes she saw E’nes running toward her, and she stood to meet him.
“Wren’na told me that L’iam has been captured! Is it true?”
Adesina spoke in a quiet voice. “Yes, it is true.”
Her brother paled, with an expression of dismay on his face. “What are we going to do?”
The young queen clenched her fists as she replied, “We will get him back.”
E’nes nodded, but he looked troubled. “How? We do not know where he has been taken. Surely they would not imprison him in the Shimat fortress—not after we have successfully rescued our people from there before.”
Adesina frowned. “No, I do not think they would do something so predictable. They will probably keep him on the move, making it difficult for us to track him.”
He studied her eyes, seeing the resolve there. “You are going after him personally.”
There was a hint of question in his voice, and Adesina nodded to confirm his suspicion.
“What about our people? What about this settlement?”
She placed a hand on her brother’s arm. “That is why I need your help. I need you to act as regent while I am gone.”
E’nes snorted at the idea. “Adesina, I have never been a statesman. I am a simple soldier.”
“K’eb could help you,” she insisted. “He knows as much about running things around here as I do. Besides, the people trust you and they will listen to what you say.”
“I would much rather come with you,” he said stubbornly.
She smiled fondly. “I know you would, but I need you here.”
E’nes had come to trust his sister implicitly, even if she was five years younger than him. He wanted to argue, but he simply nodded. “I will stay here and help our people… on one condition.”
Adesina quirked an eyebrow at him, giving him a slight warning. “Oh?”
He smiled broadly. “You have to promise to take five men of my choosing with you.”
“Ha!” she barked. “Absolutely not.”
“Four men,” he bargained.
“Two,” she said flatly.
“Three men,” E’nes countered.
Adesina shook her head. “I will take two men of your choosing. No more, E’nes.”
“I would accept her offer, E’nes,” advised Ravi. “She told me she would think about taking someone with her.”
“Very well,” said E’n
es quickly. “Two men.”
She gave both of them a sharp glance as she stepped onto the platform. “We will work out the details later.”
Her brother folded his arms across his chest. “If you think you can talk me out of it, you are sadly mistaken.”
Adesina hid a soft smile at her brother’s concern and turned to face the crowd of L’avan. She connected with her vyala and used it to manipulate her voice so that it sounded as if she was standing directly in front of each listener.
“Children of L’avan, I am afraid that I have some very troubling news. My uncle returned from a diplomatic mission less than an hour ago, and reported that King L’iam was taken by the Shimat.”
Alarmed murmurs ran through the crowd, but the gathered people waited for her to continue.
“I know you can all understand how frightened that makes me feel. No one knows better than I what the Shimat are capable of doing.” She paused to take a deep breath and calm her emotions. “In spite of our fear, we must not lose hope. King L’iam is a warrior—strong in body, mind, and heart. He will not give up until he has returned to us, and neither shall we!”
Tears ran down many faces, but they all looked up at her with trust and belief in their eyes.
“I will lead a small party to track his location and rescue him from our enemies. My brother, E’nes, will act as regent in my absence. You will continue with your duties in building up this settlement, and we will contact the Governor of Yavar to request more military support. I will not allow our enemies to destroy our new home or terrorize us with their plots. I will rescue our king, and you will create a stronghold from which he can lead our people. We shall continue in our attempts to reach out to the rest of humanity, and we will stand united against the evils of the Shimat!”
A small cheer erupted from the crowd, and the air was filled with their determination.
“I will meet with my counselors in my tent after this assembly, and we will work out the details of the plan. By tomorrow morning we will send out news of our decisions, and we will put them into action. For now, go back to your tents and pray for our king.”
The L’avan slowly dispersed, except for the handful of people that served as her counselors. Adesina hopped down from the platform and began walking to her tent. Ravi, E’nes, and the advisors all followed her.
Cor’a, her maid, had everything in her tent set up for a meeting by the time they arrived. She gave a quick curtsey and left without a word. Once again, Adesina marveled at the efficient young woman. She had even found time to lay out refreshments for the queen and her guests.
Adesina took her place at the head of the table and waited for the others to be seated. There was no chair directly to her right, and that was where Ravi settled himself.
“You should eat something, dear one,” her guardian said quietly, his eyes on the food and drink set out by Cor’a.
The young queen shook her head. “Not now.”
“You will need your strength,” he reminded her.
“I know,” she replied. “I will eat later.”
The advisors seemed just as eager to begin the conference, and the refreshments went untouched. They all sat on the edge of their seats, anxious for their queen to speak. It was traditional—but not necessary—that the leader speak first.
Adesina took a small breath and steeled herself against the opposition she anticipated from the conservative council members. “I know that many of you disagree with my decision to go after the king personally. Let us begin by getting those arguments out of the way.”
There were several wry smiles, but they didn’t pretend that she was incorrect.
“Your Majesty,” started a white-haired woman, “our people have been through many grievous trials over the last several years. They were only just beginning to feel secure again. Now we have had this terrible news about King L’iam, and once again we feel the fear and uncertainty that comes from losing a beloved leader.”
“L’iam is not lost,” snapped Adesina. “He has been captured, and we will bring him home.”
The woman inclined her head. “I know that is your intent, your Majesty, but the people are still afraid. I could see it on their faces.”
The queen could not deny it. She had seen the same expressions of alarm and despair in their eyes.
The aged counselor went on. “The L’avan need to feel that sense of security again. They need to know that the monarchy will be preserved through this tragedy. King L’iam is the last of the previous royal family, and you are the only tangible tie the people have of him right now. If you leave, the L’avan will lose hope.”
Another advisor interjected. “And what will happen if both of you die? Who will become the leader of the L’avan? King L’iam’s cousins died in the same battle that killed King L’unn and Crown Prince L’on.”
Adesina didn’t have an answer to that question, but one of the other counselors did.
“King L’unn’s sister, Lady L’elia, is still living in Yavar. Although, I doubt she would be willing to take the throne. There are the children of King L’iam’s cousins, but they are still very young. And there are also a number of second cousins to King L’iam. King L’unn’s father had several—”
“Stop!” Adesina felt anger boiling up inside her chest. Her husband had only been captured a few days ago, and they were already talking about finding his heir. “I will hear no more of such talk.”
Her advisors had the grace to look ashamed, but one spoke up quietly. “It is your decision that makes such talk necessary, your Majesty. If you stay, we know who our leader is. If you go, we must prepare for the worst.”
The young queen took a moment to calm herself and unclench her fists, but her tone was still rather stiff. “I understand your concerns, but you must see that my choice is the best one. I was trained by the Shimat, so I am the most logical person to lead the rescue mission. I am King L’iam’s best chance for survival. E’nes has agreed to act as regent in my absence, and he will have the help and support of all of you.”
“But the monarchy—” began one of the counselors.
“The monarchy will survive,” cut off Adesina. “As you mentioned earlier, there are many worthy candidates. However, I intend for King L’iam to have a long and prosperous reign.”
“There is more than the monarchy to consider,” inserted the oldest of the advisors. “You are the Threshold Child, and the people know it. You are meant to lead the L’avan to our golden age of prosperity. Will you take away your people’s faith as well as their security?”
Ravi spoke for the first time since the meeting began. “The prophecy of the Threshold Child says nothing about a golden age. It promises that we will be led back to the path of our true purpose, and that will happen one way or another. If the queen is the Threshold Child, she will be the one to lead. If she is not, then the true Threshold Child will take that place. It is not for us to make the prophecy happen.”
“But, the people—” sputtered the old man.
“The people trust me,” stated Adesina simply, “and you should, too. I have given them a purpose during my absence, and I will rely on all of you to keep their focus on accomplishing all that they can. They will not be afraid if they feel they are building our future.”
“What will you do?” asked E’nes quietly.
She sighed and leaned forward. “It seems to me that we have few options. I will talk to Ri’sel and find out where they were when King L’iam was captured. I will go to that location and see if I can pick up the trail. Ravi can help me to track them.”
“Surely you will take a party with you, your Majesty.” It was half question, half statement.
“I have agreed to take two soldiers with me,” she replied.
“Only two?”
“But, your Majesty—”
“I really must object.”
The queen held up a hand and waited for silence.
“I know that you all find such a small force worrisome. P
lease believe me when I say that it is for the best. A small group will travel faster and attract less attention. Also, I do not plan on engaging the enemy directly. All I want to do is free King L’iam and return home.”
There was a thoughtful silence as the counselors considered the queen’s words. Adesina could see by their expressions that they were trying to think up convincing arguments of why she should stay or why she should take a small army.
“Which soldiers will you be taking with you, your Majesty?”
She glanced at her brother. “E’nes has offered to choose them for me.”
He cleared his throat. “I will ask Than’os and Mar’sal to accompany her. They are free to refuse, of course, but I do not think that they will. They are both very intelligent and excellent warriors. I firmly believe that they are the best candidates for this mission to free our king.”
Adesina was relieved that she approved of his decision. She had trained both men personally, and she had worked with them before. She trusted them, and she would be glad to have their assistance on this mission.
“How much time will this mission require, your Majesty?”
Adesina frowned thoughtfully. “A lot of that depends on what type of force kidnapped the king. We will be at least a week’s distance behind, and that is a considerable disadvantage. If they are a larger group, they will move slower and we can catch up without too many problems. If they are a small group, it will be much more difficult. I would assume that it will take at least two or three months. Quite possibly more.”
One of the younger advisors spoke haltingly, as if reluctant to bring up his concern. “How will we know if your mission has…failed?”
Communication was always the most difficult part of any journey. Adesina wasn’t sure how to solve such a problem.
“The Rashad,” answered Ravi.
The queen turned to her guardian. “What do you mean?”
“I will ask that a Rashad be sent to this settlement, and we can communicate through our Dreams. I can also communicate with our leader in Yavar, so all of the L’avan will know how the mission is progressing.”
