Woman of Silk and Stone

by Mattie Dunman

  Or maybe I'd just had my neck squeezed really tight.

  As people crowded the room, their gasps and exclamations faded out a bit, leaving me with a sense of detachment from the whole thing. Apart from my friendly guard, everyone else seemed to forget about me in the face of the mangled body on the floor.

  "You have a warrior's heart," the guard said quietly, kneeling down beside me. I glanced at him, surprised at the statement. "You fought against a man twice your size and won. Not many could have done so."

  I gave him a wan smile and forced myself to pay attention. "What is your name?" I asked, suddenly feeling rather fond of the guy.

  "Hamsum, Beleti Honey." Now that I was really looking at him, I was glad he seemed to be on my side. The man was huge; even kneeling next to me he was nearly as tall I would be standing. Heavy muscles were covered by a close-fitting tunic and his tree-trunk legs were encased in soft leather breeches. A belt lined with knives and other unfamiliar sharp things was strapped around his thick waist, making him look a lot like a really tan Rambo. His hair was a burnished brown, unlike the typical sandy blond I'd encountered thus far, but his eyes, they were what really caught my attention. In a face that was too rugged to be considered handsome, his glorious teal-hued eyes reminded me of Caribbean seas back home, serene and deep.

  "Please, just call me Honey," I responded. "Thank you for what you said. And thank you for your help."

  Hamsum flushed, nodding at me before turning away, a small smile on his face. As though the sound of our voices had alerted the rest of the gawkers by the body that I still existed, four people broke away and headed for us.

  I could tell that the others were preparing to move the body, which was a huge relief. No matter how detached I was trying to remain, it would be a lot easier when I didn't have to look at the evidence of my attack.

  Efrim was among those who approached me, and based on their uniforms, the others appeared to be guards like Hamsum.

  "Honey Sullivan, you are a very fortunate woman," Efrim declared, his face stony with repressed emotion. Was it disappointment? I couldn't tell. But I also couldn't think of anyone else in this world that I'd pissed off enough to want me dead other than Jafar's evil twin here, so he was riding high on my list of suspects at the moment.

  Too worn out from the fight and the shock, I didn't bother answering diplomatically. "You know, 'fortunate' is the last word I'd use to describe myself, Efrim. Having someone try to kill me in my bed my first night here seems pretty far from 'fortunate' to me." I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what devious little plot was swirling around behind his closed expression. "And I promise you, my surviving had nothing to do with luck," I added, menace clear in my voice. I was beginning to rethink my earlier determination to keep my newfound strength and durability a secret. I might be safer in the long run if these people were a little afraid of me.

  He flushed and opened his mouth to speak, but I forestalled him. "I was under the impression that Halqu were valued here, treasured." Shaking my head, I allowed my gaze to wander about the room, noting the varying degrees of distress and, in some cases, unnerving antipathy in the occupants' expressions. "If this is how valued guests are treated, I have to wonder if I really wish to remain here in Solis."

  There was a general gasp as my audience took my meaning and I nodded, feeling satisfied that I'd made my point. Deep down, while I had no idea what they really wanted with me, I had to believe they felt they needed me somehow. So, as I often told my clients, make the public come to you.

  Efrim's face was a dark shade of orange, reminding me vaguely of George Hamilton's famous tan. I supposed the color was an indication of rage, given the vicious look in his eyes as he stared me down, clearly holding in whatever it was he really wanted to say. Oh yeah, Jafar was definitely involved in my attack somehow.

  Before he could say anything, there were shouts in the hall and Tam burst through the door, his aunt hot on his heels, an exasperated expression on her face. Ninna glanced around the room, taking in the broken body on the floor with a brief look of disgust before she turned her gaze to me, her face softening in concern.

  Tam, on the other hand, was inconsolable. I'm not sure what bothered him more, that I had been attacked, or that something so violent could happen in his sheltered world, but his young face was gaunt with fright. He paled when he saw the body, and Ninna gestured at one of guards; he threw a sheet from the bed over the corpse, shielding the bloody wreck of a man from view.

  Relief made my shoulders sag and I leaned further back against the cushioned sofa with a sigh. Tam immediately snapped out of his state of panic and ran to me, dropping to his knees before me.

  "Honey, are you well? Did he harm you?" His earnest, violet eyes ran over me looking for injury. He reddened when his eyes settled on the fading bruises decorating my neck, and tears glimmered in his eyes. "Oh, no. I am so sorry, Honey. I don't know...I don't know how this happened."

  He sounded so lost, so unbearably raw, that I ignored the crowd around us and opened my arms to him. Immediately, he crashed into them, a wounded bird seeking its nest.

  "I'm okay, Tam. I promise. Just shaken up a bit," I assured him, holding tight to his trembling body. Having known him for so short a time, it was ridiculous for me to feel the amount of affection I did for the boy-king; and yet, something came over me then, some deeply buried longing for approval and love, a sense of family for this child who had lived longer than me. When I was little, I used to dream of having a little brother or sister, someone to play with and love, someone to tease and guide. Someone who would depend on me, need me. For a child who was left to her own devices most of the time, the idea of a sibling was all-consuming. Up until the day I got up the nerve to ask my mother about it, and she assured me she'd gotten her tubes tied after my birth so she wouldn't be 'distracted' by any more children. When I finally understood what that meant, and the dream of having a brother or sister died, some part of me that had once been open and giving shriveled up and disappeared.

  But it was alive and blooming now.

  Ninna strode towards us, anxiety creasing her weary face, but I just shook my head at her. I think if anyone had tried to pry that child from my arms just then, I would have come out swinging. The feel of his thin arms wrapped around my neck, his warm weight and utter dependence on me comforted me on a level I never knew I needed.

  "It won't ever happen again, Honey. I promise," Tam was rushing his words together so much I could barely understand him, but it finally dawned on me that he was worried I was angry with him. "Please don't leave! I promise you'll be safe."

  "Hey, hey," I interrupted, taking hold of his chin and shifting him so he looked me in the eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I like it here, and we're friends now, right?" He looked at me uncertainly, his heart in his eyes, and I thought of the parents he had lost, and the seeming lack of people his age running around, and recognized a soul as lonely as my own. "Hey, none of this was your fault. You didn't order that guy to attack, did you?"

  Tam looked so appalled at the thought I had to laugh. "Yeah, I didn't think so. So don't worry about it, okay? You're stuck with me."

  His shimmering purple eyes searched mine for sincerity and then he relaxed in my arms before regaining some of his composure. Darting a glance over his shoulder, he saw Ninna eyeing us disapprovingly and straightened his shoulders, donning some of that intrinsic royal attitude. I released him and he sat himself more conventionally on the sofa, sending a hesitant smile at his aunt.

  I was at little surprised at her reaction. As the apparent guardian and only living family member to Tam, I would have imagined she would want to shield him from what had happened. If he'd been my little brother in truth, or my nephew, and one who had already suffered more than his share of burdens in life, I would have tried to prevent him from coming to the scene until things had calmed down. Not only was he witness to the rather grisly remains of the attacker, he had to see me injured and shaken, something I wouldn'
t have ever wished.

  It was on the tip of my tongue to say something, to admonish the woman for exposing him to the aftermath of such violence, but I stopped myself, not wanting to embarrass Tam in front of his overly observant subjects.

  Ninna watched her nephew with furrowed brows for a moment before shaking her head and joining us. "Sweet son of my sister, I know you are worried about Honey, but you must remember that you are king. Dry your eyes and do not show weakness now," she said, her voice kind but stern. Personally, I thought for a kid he was handling the whole dead body on the floor thing pretty well, but what did I know?

  "It's fine, Ninna. He's just comforting me, as he should any guest of the crown," I reassured her, my voice loud enough to carry. "I am fortunate," I said with a glare at Efrim, "to have the king care so much for me."

  Some of the tension in the room eased until the moment I realized the guards were carrying out the body of my assailant.

  "Hang on, did anyone recognize him? The man who attacked me?" I asked, stunned by immediate look of shame that descended over my new friend Hamsum's expression.

  "Forgive me, beleti Honey, but I cannot tell you much until we investigate further. It appears..." he hesitated and looked over his shoulder at the other guards, all of whom were avoiding my gaze studiously. Hamsum sighed and shook his head. "He is one of our number, a Litum. We are elite warriors; why he would do something like this...I cannot say until I know more." He looked at me apologetically, seeming to take the attacker's identity as a personal failing.

  Ninna moved closer to me and patted me on the shoulder in an awkward attempt at reassuring me. "Don't fear, Honey. This attack is highly unusual, and against a Halqu! Unheard of. Perhaps Sukkall Efrim can help shed some light on the matter; he often meets with the Litum."

  My eyes darted to Efrim and I noted with suspicion the blank look on his face as he stared at Ninna, his eyes unreadable and jaw clenched. Something about the moment struck me as wrong; perhaps that it was too easy to connect Efrim to the attack, or just the strange vibe that passed between the king's two most trusted advisors. I reached for Tam's hand and squeezed it, abruptly more afraid for this sweet-tempered kid trapped in a court that was clearly burdened with an abundance of hidden agendas.

  I was distracted from this train of thought as Hamsum reappeared abruptly and knelt before me, bowing his head. He clenched a fist and pressed it to his forehead, forearm straight and stiff in front of his somber face. "Beleti Honey, Halqu of Earth, I pledge my sword to your safety, my feet to your path, my heart to your joy, and my blood to your blood. To the last of your breath will I defend you, and with my last breath will I serve you. To the land of no return will I follow you, and to the gates of the Ilati will I carry you."

  The fire at my side blazed into life, casting a brilliant glow over Hamsum's earnest face. A hush fell over the room and I felt a cold stone in my chest, a weight making it impossible to breathe. I had no idea what had just happened, but I knew it was significant, not only by the reaction of the crowd, or the solemnity of Hamsum's vows. It was the hovering sense of destiny, of some presence witnessing the pledge and waiting to see if it would be accepted. Unsure of how to respond, I glanced at Tam, knowing that of everyone in the room, this boy was the only one I truly trusted.

  He seemed to grasp my dilemma and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "He offers his pledge as your warrior, your personal guard. It is the highest honor he can bestow, and a pledge he can only make once in his life. He will remain with you until he dies, and if you die before him, he will follow."

  I swallowed thickly, completely overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. I had no idea what was making this man I had only just met pledge the rest of his life to mine, nor was I certain how to respond. I didn't need anyone to tell me explicitly that refusing his vow would be a grave insult; clearly the fact that he made the offer at all was a big deal and not to be treated lightly. Still, the implications of accepting his offer were far-reaching and without understanding his motivation for making it, I was wary of just jumping in.

  "Honey, you must accept!" Tam whispered urgently, his young voice edged with command. "He will be forever shamed if you do not!"

  Sick to my stomach, I realized I was backed into a corner with no way out. Everyone's eyes were on me, some in disapproval, some in envy, and a few in slack-jawed shock, but it was Hamsum's gaze that burned me, that made my skin tighten and writhe with nervous energy. His roughly carved face was void of emotion, but eyes the color of polished turquoise pierced through me, intent and focused, trying to communicate with me through sheer will.

  Glancing at Tam again, whose eyes were still wide with worry, I sighed in defeat. I was getting really tired of having crisis after crisis shoved on me since landing in this world. I still hadn't really managed to get my bearings or get a clear understanding of the culture in which I was now living. It seemed as though every step I took was over a trap waiting to trigger and suck me down into a pit of snakes.

  Why couldn't I have been magically transported to some nifty futuristic dimension, one with flying cars and a progressive government, rather than this odd amalgamation between Victorian England and some barbarian kingdom? Or couldn't someone have passed me a handbook when I got here, one that outlined what was expected of me and any pitfalls into which I might blunder?

  The silence had stretched on too long and now everyone was shuffling awkwardly, Hamsum's expression taking on a pained mien of mortification.

  Well, shit.

  "Hamsum, I am honored by your offer. If it is truly what you wish to do, then I happily accept," I finally ground out, trying to match my tone to the occasion. His face relaxed and everyone in the room seemed exhale at once. The fire flickered and a phantom hand seemed to squeeze my shoulder before the impression faded.

  Man, as soon as people stopped trying to kill me, I was going to look into that.

  Swiftly, too quick for me to guess what he was about, Hamsum gripped my right hand and slashed the palm with a small knife he kept strapped to his belt. As I gasped in pain and dismay, he did the same to his own hand and slapped it against mine. A strange heat seemed to flow between us, almost as though the mixed blood was fusing something into place.

  "Blood binds me, and may it only be shed in your service," Hamsum stated solemnly, holding out his good hand to one of the other guards, who gave him a pristine white cloth. A sick feeling swirled through my gut as he wiped my wound clean before releasing me and turning his attention to his own cut. I closed my fingers over my palm, feeling the tingling and stretching sensation that had bewildered me earlier when I struck the wall and healed so quickly. Hoping that no one would notice or ask to see, I put my hands solidly in my lap and tried to look as though I had giant warrior men pledging their lifelong loyalty with a blood bond every day of the week.

  Ninna noticed my sudden agitation and gave me a shrewd look, but I ignored it and watched Hamsum, who had regained his feet and was moving to stand just behind me, in what I guessed was going to become his new favorite position. In all the commotion, the body had been removed and most of the crowd had begun to disperse, leaving just our small group huddled around the couches.

  "Well, this has all been very exciting, but..." I started, trailing off as I realized there was really no socially acceptable way to end this impromptu party.

  Thankfully, Ninna caught on to my dilemma and began the task of dismissing everyone. "We will begin the investigation immediately. In the meantime, Honey, perhaps you would like to be moved to a different room?" she asked, rather thoughtfully. Although I wasn't wild about showing weakness to this crowd, I had to admit that spending another night in a bed where I nearly died wasn't terribly appealing. Still, the knowing look on Efrim's face and my own stupid pride made me dig in my heels.

  "No, there's no need. If we can just get this room...uh, cleaned up...it should be fine," I said, less than convincingly.

  Hamsum nodded in agreement. "It is still a more easily def
ensible room if there should be another attack. I will stand guard outside until more permanent arrangements can be made."

  At last, the room finally emptied. After I had given Tam a reassuring hug and promised him once again that I didn't blame him. After Ninna had patted me on the shoulder and confirmed that a better permanent solution would be found. After Efrim grudgingly expressed his relief at my continued survival. After the servants had cleared away the bedding and washed the blood off the stone floor. After Hamsum thanked me for accepting him as my personal warrior and swore to hang around just outside my door until the end of time.

  And that's when I curled up in front of the fire and stared into the flames, knowing I would never sleep soundly again.

  Once again, the flames seemed to grow brighter, and I saw colors in them that shouldn't have been there. A deep emerald flickered in the heart before morphing into indigo, and then back to the red of the hottest flames again. Something about those sparking colors comforted me, made me feel less hollow sitting there in my big, lonely room. Smiling a little, I blew the fire a kiss goodnight and fell into a dream of strong arms enfolding me, and a low, soothing voice whispering, "Soon, ti arrami, soon."

  And I slept peacefully until morning, smoky phantom arms surrounding me.

  Part II

  To Be a Rock and Not to Roll

  I am sitting in a vast, barren field with rocky soil and chill wind sinking into my bones. I recognize the dreamscape as one I have visited since I can first remember dreaming. But this time, there is no sound of encroaching battle, no hooves pounding the ground.