by Pedro Urvi
“Do these symbols have any meaning for you?” she asked the Assassin.
He looked at them thoughtfully for a long moment, and finally shook his head.
“No, it’s a language I’ve never seen before. Anyway, what I know of these lands is very limited. Are they familiar to you? Any resemblance to Masig language?”
“Not the slightest. I’ve never seen anything like this. They don’t look like any of the symbols our culture uses.” Iruki searched for meaning, but without success. Those markings were completely incomprehensible and alien.
The Assassin passed his hand over the markings, tracing them from left to right. He concentrated and summoned his Gift. A red flash ran along his arms, and Iruki guessed he was trying to feel the essence of those signs.
“These symbols have been carved into the rock, but not by the hands of men. Interesting… look there towards the bottom…there’s another engraving on the opposite side, between the two waterfalls. I have no idea of their meaning, or the intention behind them, but I’m sure they’re not ordinary inscriptions. They’ve been made with some kind of ancient power. My instinct warns me of danger… stalking dormant, waiting…” Seeing the look on her face, he explained: “It’s part of my own power and training. I can perceive danger where others don’t. This place, in spite of its amazing beauty, conceals danger, and it’s lethal … We must keep alert and move very, very carefully.”
Iruki tensed. She nodded, looking around nervously, suspicious now of the beauty that surrounded them.
The Assassin looked towards the entrance to the cavern, and Iruki’s heart raced at the thought of their pursuers. The entrance was empty, but the northern warriors would not be too far behind. They were wasting too much time in that cavern, they had to go on. Their hope lay in finding a way out to the surface, or somewhere they could hide from those dogs of war. The Assassin led her to the next cavern, and darkness closed in on them once more. This cave had five openings, like fingers on a giant granite hand. The Assassin stepped into each of them as if he were trying to measure, or sense, something from inside. Finally he selected the one furthest to the right.
“This way,” he said gravely. “Follow me, quickly and in silence,”
They went deeper still into the innards of the mountain, toward the heart of the rocky giant itself. They passed other caves and followed a sequence of sinuous passages, always turning right. Iruki was sure they would be impossible to find in that labyrinth of tunnels and caves. She herself felt totally lost and disoriented, with her sense of direction gone. Luckily the Assassin seemed to know which way they had to follow. Every once in a while he turned back to erase the trail of footsteps behind them and create new false ones, so as to mislead their pursuers.
After endless turns and narrow passages they reached a large cavern, and the Assassin grabbed her arm to stop her. Before Iruki could ask why, a sensation of freezing struck her body with such intensity that for a moment she thought she had fallen into a frozen river. The temperature in that cave was so low that it seemed as though this was where Winter itself was born. She looked closer at the walls and ceiling and realized that like the ground, they were covered in a layer of shining white ice. Frost had taken possession of every boulder and rock from floor to ceiling, nothing escaped the piercing cold.
“What’s wrong with this place?” said Iruki, her teeth chattering from cold and fear. “How is it possible for this cavern to be completely frozen? It’s hard to believe, it defies every law of Mother Nature. I don’t like it one little bit, my people’s legends are true after all. This is an accursed place.”
The Assassin pointed at new golden symbols above the entrance they had just crossed.
“I don’t think it’s accursed,” he said, “although it’s true that something against Nature is going on here. See? There are more strange markings here and at the bottom of the cave, down there by the way out.”
“So what are we going to do? Go back? We won’t be able to stay here for long in cold like this.”
“That’s just what the Norghanian tracker and his men will think if they follow our trail here.” The Assassin began to cross the slippery ice floor. “Follow me, Iruki Wind of the Steppes. Don’t be afraid, we’ll survive, I promise!”
Unfathomable Forests
“I’m alive! I can’t believe it!” Aliana exclaimed once she had recovered her breath. She was lying in the mud beside the river: the same river which moments before had tried to drown her in its wild current. She dragged herself out of the grasp of the water, fearing it might take her again. By sheer miracle she had not perished, but she was freezing, covered in mud and terribly sore. She was not really a very good swimmer, and the current had been so strong she could not understand how she had managed to survive. She remembered the water filling her lungs, her terror, the convulsive coughing, the relentless roar of the river as it rolled her to the bottom, and her desperate attempts to reach the surface and breathe the precious air.
But she had survived.
She was soaking wet, and her lungs ached from the effort, as did her arms and legs. She lay on her side on the riverbank and breathed deeply. She rested for a while trying to remember what had happened, and suddenly the memory of the waterfall hit her like a slap. Once again came the searing pain and fear she had felt as she was being dragged by the current. At that moment she had thought she was surely going to die.
But she had been wrong. Now she came to think about it, she realized to her surprise that the waterfall had indeed saved her life. By the time she reached the fall she had no strength left to fight the river. In a matter of moments she would have drowned. But the force of the water had launched her into this great peaceful pool. Even though the impact had been violent it had not killed her, and with the last of her strength she reached the bank of the pool.
She rolled over and looked at the waterfall. It was impressive, at least ninety feet tall. Water never ceased pouring in an endless flow, creating a plume of spray as it fell in the great lagoon at its feet. All around it was a colorful wild forest which took her breath away. To Aliana that idyllic spot seemed the pleasantest in the world.
But then an image broke her reverie.
The painted face of a Red Usik.
The memory of it made her start. She immediately jumped to her feet with her hand to her waist. Her dagger was still there, but she had lost her bow. She looked around: all she could see was a dense forest of full-grown oak and fir trees. At the foot of the majestic trees, among their curled fat roots, underbrush covered the ground. Aliana could not help but admire how forest and jungle had formed such a beautifully interconnected, harmonious ecosystem.
But this was Usik territory. She had to get out of there!
Her thoughts went back to the group: Gerart, Kendas, Lomar and the helpless Haradin. Would they come for her? Gerart would search for her, she was sure of that, the prince would do no less. They’ll come for me, I’m sure. They’ll never leave me here, at the mercy of savages. Or am I wrong? They have to take Haradin to safety, what’s at stake is too important to risk coming back for me and stumbling across the Usik.
She sat down, crossing her legs. She had to face the fact that they might not come for her, although the idea made her choke with anxiety. She thought about Gerart again. The feelings the young prince aroused in her had tempted her to jump to conclusions, although thinking about it more calmly, she was less sure that he would start a search for her. The young prince was facing a complicated situation. Gerart would act according to his duty as a prince and take the Mage to Rilentor. It was the right thing to do, and what was expected of him. No matter how much he wanted to save her, in the end he would do what he must, and she knew it. But she would not feel he had been disloyal, since for the prince to betray his country and his honor would represent a greater treachery. She rued her own anxious thoughts, but she would never reproach the prince.
If Kendas had not been hit by the Usik arrows he might come looking for her.
But not Lomar, who would already be out of Usik territory guiding the horse of the helpless Haradin.
I have to face the possibility that they might not come looking for me. Here I am in these great woods right in the middle of Usik territory. I’ll just have to find my way out by myself, with guts and courage. And I will! I’ll get out of these woods and make my way back to Rogdon whatever way I can!
She looked up at the distant sky and half-closed her eyes, to see better through the thick branches of those trees filled with life. She realized with dismay that she had no idea of her actual position. The river had dragged her for several leagues, of that she was sure, but she had no way of knowing how many or in which direction.
I’m lost and totally disoriented. And what’s worse, I don’t have either the means or the knowledge to orient myself in this jungle. How am I going to get out of here if I can’t even find my own position, or work out the course I need to follow?
She felt completely useless, nothing more than a fool, a damsel in distress unable to take care of herself. That negative thought angered her, and she shook her head in denial. She was a Healer of the Temple of Tirsar, she could heal the ailing and injured, but she had never been trained to survive in inhospitable wild nature. Sergeant-Major Mortuc would surely know how to find his bearings. What was more, he would not have the slightest doubt what to do… That made her think of brave Mortuc and his heroic death. Her heart wept bitterly, intense pain filled her chest and she put her hand over the source of the pain to try and make it go away.
Unconsciously, under the influence of that painful memory, she touched the Ilenian medallion. It was still hanging around her neck; she had not lost it in spite of her experience in the river, which was surprising to say the least given the size and weight of it. All the same, she had not lost it, it was still with her.
She seized the medallion in the hope it would dispel her pain.
Suddenly it began to shine with a soft brown light. Aliana was overcome by a strange feeling deep within her, as if it were forcing its way up from her own reserve of energy, as if the jewel were feeding from her own essence. It seemed the Medallion of Earth was casting a spell.
A mist began to form around her, dense and mysterious. For a moment she felt a surge of fear, but then she remembered witnessing a similar incident before. She knew what was involved here.
She recalled the mist which had shown her the young warrior with emerald eyes.
Remembering this, she could not avoid a feeling of joy, mixed with a certain growing nervousness. Would the medallion show her the enigmatic warrior once more? For some reason he had impressed her. There was such intensity in his deep, mysterious eyes… she felt bewitched.
Those thoughts made her blush, and at once she regretted them. What would Gerart think if he knew? What would be the reaction of the handsome, gallant young Prince of Rogdon? No doubt surprise and disappointment.
That’s stupid! I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t even know this young man. My heart pines for Gerart, not for that warrior with the enigmatic green eyes! The moment passed as she thought about the Prince, his handsome features and his eyes as blue as the Summer sky, his gentlemanly poise and his blond hair. Gerart was all a woman could wish for. She remembered the time they had spent together in the palace while he recovered from the wound he had sustained in the Nocean ambush. She remembered how, day after day, the young man she had thought would be a pompous, vain nobleman had turned out to be the opposite: down-to-earth, kind, honest, with a strong sense of duty. Every day with him had been a delight, and to her surprise she found herself looking forward to the next day, to seeing him again and spending another evening with him, enjoying his company, his smile and his warmth.
Still, those thoughts were foolish; her duty was with the Order of Tirsar and the Healers, and there was no room in her life for feelings like that.
The strange mist now covered everything. It was as though she were sinking into a deep reverie, so that what was happening no longer seemed weird or threatening.
The medallion flashed bright brown.
Nothing happened.
There was a new flash.
Nothing.
A third flash came from the jewel.
And the medallion stopped shining, dimmed. The mist faded gradually. The young man with emerald eyes did not answer the summons of the Medallion of Earth.
Pity, but perhaps better this way.
She then realized where she was, surrounded by savage Usik in all likelihood, who if they found her would kill her.
Or perhaps not.
The hard truth was that she was alone. And alone she must fight and get out of there. It was time to move, to act whether she wanted to or not. She had to survive. Her clothes would still take a while to dry completely, but the temperature was pleasant and there was no risk of catching cold. She was still wearing the corselet of the Protectress Sisters’ armor, as well as the arm and leg pieces. She took them off and dried them thoroughly, one by one, so they would not rust. She went over the few possessions which had survived the river and put the armored pieces back on. She only had the dagger and a couple of leather pouches attached to her girdle: one contained medicinal plants, the other an ointment that encouraged scarring and prevented infections in wounds.
She stared at the roaring waterfall, in all its splendor and magnificence. She had to go up-river, that was all she was certain of. The problem was how. It was clearly impossible to climb the vertical wall of the high waterfall so she tried to find a feasible alternative. She would have to go around the cliff and find a way to get to the upper reach of the river. After considering both sides of the wall, she finally decided to go right, as that side looked less steep and difficult.
Filled with optimism, she began the search for a way out of the endless forest.
She walked all morning, hardly stopping to rest, with her optimism gradually dwindling in the face of the difficulties of what she was attempting. To make things worse, she had not found a way to reach the river again. No matter how far she walked, she could not get all the way around the endless upland above her head. And what made her heart sink even more was that with every step she took, she moved further away from the river.
Her surroundings, on the other hand, had not changed, there were still great oaks and firs wherever she looked. The underbrush, jungle-like, reached her knees and made her wonder at the variety of plants, many of them totally unknown to the Healer.
Oh Helaun! This doesn’t look good. The course of action she had chosen that morning, full of hope, was not turning out as well as she had expected; the river was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank as she wondered what to do, but there were no answers to be found. Trying to look on the positive side, she had been supremely lucky to survive the river and the waterfall. She was alive and would stay that way. I’ll manage to get out of these woods.
As she went around a big oak on her right, she found some wild berries. She inspected them carefully, suddenly hopeful.
They’re edible berries!
The discovery made her forget her troubles at once. It meant she would not die of hunger. She had glimpsed several deer among the trees to the south. But I can’t even hunt a rabbit, and anyway, how could I catch an animal as big and wary as a deer without my bow? Once again she felt impotent, foolish and ashamed of being a well-bred ninny unable to hunt for her own survival and find directions in the forest even though her life depended on it. But plants and tubers she knew, and very well at that as they were part of her knowledge, of the training she had received.
She gulped down the berries and looked for more, finding them in different spots nearby. Her stomach groaned, pleading for more food, and she remembered she had not eaten in more than a day. She went on to search for edible roots, not very tasty surely, but nourishing. If she could not find any she would be forced to turn to insects. She had already recognized some she could eat, regardless of how disgusting they were. She was lucky and found severa
l nutritious roots, which she dug up with the tip of her dagger and chewed slowly. Once she had eaten her fill she felt much better, and smiled for the first time in days. I’ve found food, and I won’t die in this hostile environment. That was a small victory for her, enough to give her courage to go on.
She leaned her back against a handsome oak and rested in its shade. Without intending to, she could not avoid closing her eyes and sleeping peacefully, with neither dreams or nightmares. When she woke up she thanked Helaun, the First Mother Healer, for having blessed her with her protection and healing rest. Her spirit was refreshed, and when she checked her body she found that too was fully restored.
She was wondering which way to go when a sound in the forest to her right startled her.
She crouched behind the oak and listened attentively.
The sound was not of animals but of men… men speaking a strange language, very picturesque, as if they spoke in a sing-song. She hid behind the tree, fear growing inside her. Only one kind of people lived in that forest: the Usik. Unfortunately she was right. A little further up and to the right she saw a group of six Red Usik. She made herself as small as possible behind the tree, afraid of being discovered, afraid those savages might somehow smell her fear.
But she was not found out.
She waited, her hands trembling. The Usik were chatting very near her hiding place. After a while the voices faded away and Aliana, with immense care, raised her head to look. The Usik were gathering berries. This must be an area where they grew regularly. I must leave immediately! She could not go forward, because the Usik were in her path’s way. She would have to go back to her starting point and try to find a way around the waterfall from the other side. Her heart sank once more. All her progress that day had been for nothing.
Retreat or risk dying at the hands of the Usik? No, I refuse to die, I’ll go back and find some other route to the river.
Silently, she crept away. Once she had gone far enough she stood up and began to run as if she had been lashed with a whip of fire. Aliana ran and jumped over roots and undergrowth as fast as her legs would carry her. She ran and ran and ran. And finally, breathless, her lungs burning, she stopped in total exhaustion.
