The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1)

by Sam Dogra

  “Hold it there,” he said. I closed my eyes, my knuckles white. His hands reached beneath, and I felt his fingers slip my buttons loose. The cold seeped deeper as my moist skin met the frozen air, and my trembling intensified. The back of Ryan’s hand brushed my bare stomach, and I croaked out a whine, desperate not to push closer. It was tearing me up inside, to want something so much, and yet knowing it wasn’t what I wanted at all.

  “Sorry.” Ryan turned his attention to my sleeves, and pulled them down. The blouse peeled off, and I bowed my head, a hair’s breadth from losing control. It would only take a single touch of his skin on mine to break down the last of my resolve. Please, no, not here, not now…

  Ryan’s fingers brushed the iasometer, and he blinked.

  “What’s this?”

  Oops, I’d forgotten about that.

  “I-Iasometer,” I croaked. Ryan’s eyes widened. He turned the device so the dials faced him, but it wasn’t in the right place and didn’t show any readings. “F-Forget it…” I stammered. It wasn’t worth him trying to use it when he wasn’t trained. “Just…warm!”

  “Okay.”

  The following few minutes were the most agonising of my life, as Ryan dried me off and helped dress my upper half. Thank the Goddess, he took extra care not to touch me again, and had the bright idea to button my blouse first and let me pull it over my head. A woollen over-shirt followed, then one of his spare shirts. I was glad he acted so swiftly; this would work as well as a fire in warming me up.

  Once I’d got about five layers on, Ryan snatched the damp blanket away and replaced it with his coat. It was long enough to cover my knees, and radiant with his body heat. I shuffled inside it, grateful for the warmth, though I had to breathe through my mouth to avoid its scent.

  Ryan paused again, looking at my boots. I swallowed, knowing what had to come next. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t have a choice. Though I didn’t think I was badly hypothermic, I couldn’t read the iasometer to make that judgement, and I’d seen first-hand the effects of underestimating the temperature drop. I couldn’t afford to risk losing my toes for the sake of personal pride.

  Or dignity.

  “Just…get it…over with…” I stuttered. The shivering had become less violent, but it hadn’t quieted anywhere near enough to return my co-ordination. Ryan simply looked at me, an apologetic expression on his face, before he knelt down and started to unfasten my belt. I gripped the tree stump, my teeth clamped together. The curse fought as hard as it could, goading me to give in, but I wouldn’t let it win. I couldn’t.

  Thankfully, changing my trousers wasn’t nearly as painful as I imagined, as Ryan used the blanket and his coat to keep me covered and prevent any inadvertent skin contact. Soon I was high and dry again, save for my soggy boots. I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to retain what little warmth I had left.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  Ryan nodded, discarding my soaked garments, though I made him keep hold of my jacket and scarf. They were too valuable to lose—in more ways than he knew. He stowed them away in the emptied saddlebag, and from the other he pulled out another blanket and his cloak. He sat beside me, pulling me close, and wrapped us both in the layers. My arms folded around him, and I nuzzled his shoulder.

  Ryan rested his cheek against my hair. I was still caught with spasms of shivers, so he gently rubbed my back to soothe them away. I closed my eyes, listening to his breathing and feeling his chest rise and fall beneath my hand.

  “We can’t ride Cielo,” he said at last, brushing a strand of my hair aside. “But Aronzo left his horse behind, so we don’t have to walk.”

  “Aronzo,” I said, fumbling with this new information. It would give me something to keep the Binding at bay. “He was…the man chasing you?”

  Ryan sighed.

  “Yes,” he said. “He’s been after me for a long time. I didn’t think he’d follow so closely once we passed Lanaran.” He gazed to the hole in the lake, which remained still and lifeless. “Guess I don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

  His voice was riddled with sadness. I blinked. That wasn’t a reaction I expected, considering Aronzo’s tactics. Either Ryan was being his usual compassionate self, or—and this was a wild guess on my part—there once was a time he and Aronzo weren’t enemies.

  A tight feeling gripped my chest, and I shut my eyes. Given how Aronzo had reacted to the Amaranthite’s threat, it had to be the latter, which made what I’d done ten times worse. Because of me, Ryan had been forced to injure his former friend. And I hadn’t had any qualms about shoving him into the freezing lake.

  “I’m sorry I never said anything,” Ryan said, breaking my thoughts. “I…I didn’t want to scare you.”

  “Well, it wasn’t like you were expecting company on your travels,” I said quietly.

  Ryan said nothing, and resumed rubbing my back. I didn’t press for anything more. I could only imagine what was going through his mind. Having to choose between me and Aronzo…I shook my head. No wonder he’d made up the story about bandits.

  Despite my guilt, it didn’t stop a flurry of new questions coming to mind. What had happened to turn the friends against each other? Something so important that Aronzo would have done anything to get Ryan in his grasp…

  Ryan prodded my shoulder.

  “We shouldn’t stay here,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  I shrugged. We’d been sitting for almost an hour, and while my muscles ached, I’d stopped shivering. Next to sitting beside a roaring fire, I was as warm as I was going to get.

  “Not exactly toasty, but not an icicle, either,” I said. Just to be sure, I slid the iasometer to my elbow, adjusting the brass pin. Ryan watched, fascinated, as the dials flickered. Soon the temperature dial clicked, and it sat snugly in the green. “See?”

  “Incredible,” Ryan breathed. “Where did you get that iasometer from, anyway? I remember seeing it when we brought you back from the Lanaran shrine.” He pulled back slightly. “Is it your father’s?”

  I sighed. One by one I’d have to spill my secrets, anyway. Might as well start here.

  “Yes.”

  “I see,” Ryan murmured. I took a breath, awaiting the barrage of questions sure to follow. However, he didn’t press the issue; probably because he didn’t want to upset me. Instead he held me at arm’s length, checking me over. “Think you can walk?”

  “Won’t know until I try,” I shrugged.

  Ryan chuckled, and I felt the tension ebb a little.

  “Good to see your swim hasn’t affected your sense of humour,” he said. He pointed to a copse of pines in the near distance. “The horses are over there.”

  He took the cloak for himself—understandable, since he was only wearing his ivory shirt and woollen waistcoat—then stepped away. Clutching the blanket close, I stood up. My legs trembled, worn out from so much shivering, but they held firm. I took a shaky step, then another. It looked promising. Still, Ryan wasn’t taking any chances and took my elbow.

  Cielo and a dappled brown mare stood beneath a broad pine. Blood caked the white horse’s flank, but the bolts were gone, and he didn’t seem distressed by his injury. He neighed in greeting, and I rubbed his nose, his hot breath warming my fingers. Ryan lingered at my side, before he transferred our kit to the other horse. With a wound like that, Cielo needed his load as light as possible, else he would go lame.

  We swapped the saddles, and then Ryan mounted up. I passed him Cielo’s bridle rope, and he hooked it over the saddle horn. He offered his hand, and I swung up to sit in front of him. He pulled me into his chest, so I rested against his torso. The curse frothed again, and I almost pulled his cheek to mine. Quickly I managed to brush back my hair, disguising the gesture.

  “All set?” Ryan asked.

  “Ready,” I said, picking up Cielo’s lead rope. At least it would keep my hands where I could see them.

  We followed a trail of muddied snow, keeping the Earthfire Mountains on o
ur right. As Ryan had said earlier, it would be too dangerous to follow the South Road, even with one of our pursuers…dispatched, so we were going to take the scenic route. For a long moment all was quiet, save for the shuffling of hooves on snow. I didn’t let the peace lull me this time. The Binding was on the prowl again, and I dreaded to think what would happen if I let my attention drift.

  “When we get to Dhjerba,” Ryan suddenly said, his arm tightening around my waist, “I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Huh?”

  “About Aronzo, about why I’ve been travelling,” Ryan went on. “Why I was there that night in the Galgiza, and everything that happened before. You deserve to know.”

  My eyes went wide. Since our exchange in the flower field, I’d been dying to know all of this, yet now my enthusiasm seemed to have drowned in the lake. If Ryan revealed his secret, then I would have no more excuses to hide behind. I’d have to tell him my own truth at the same time.

  I sighed. No putting it off any longer. It seemed both of us would clear the clouds following us since that night beneath the blue moon.

  And Dhjerba was where this game of façades would finally end.

  * * * * *

  A light snow had started by the time Dhjerba, City of Merchants, appeared on the horizon. We’d cut through the woods, stopping to rest every eight hours, before riding through the moonlit darkness. Neither Ryan nor I were keen to stop for longer than necessary, and we’d taken turns to keep watch, but both of us were feeling the effects of broken sleep as dawn crept over the trees. Two days must’ve gone by, though it felt like much longer. I was struggling to hold onto Cielo’s lead rope, my eyelids drooping. Only the pain in my muscles stopped me from drifting off.

  “Two miles to go, give or take,” Ryan said, though a massive yawn cut him off. “We’ve made good time.” He glanced towards the rising sun. “We should be in the city by mid-morning.”

  “Good,” I said, only half meaning it. While it was reassuring we’d escape the road soon, it also meant the countdown had begun. I’d tried to formulate what to say when the promised moment arrived, yet it always sounded so clumsy in my head. It wasn’t the kind of thing you could slip into general conversation. Besides, who would go first? And would either of us let the other continue once we’d heard each other’s story?

  I shook my head. I was making this unnecessarily convoluted. Concentrate on the small steps, Eliza. If I could sort my words out, that was half the battle won. Worrying about the consequences could come later.

  The city’s five towers appeared as we crested the next hill, so Ryan returned to the South Road. At this hour it was quiet; most of the party from Lanaran would still be a fair way away. A few carts hovered in the distance, and a theatre troupe travelled a little ahead of us, but otherwise we were alone.

  I watched our approach to the gates, admiring its decoration of copper leaves and silver trees. Dhjerba was a unique city in Azaria, since it was governed by a Merchant’s Council, rather than a single Councillor selected from a Guardsmen Jury. Oh, they had a garrison and everything, but it was the merchants who ran the place, with representation for every guild. I knew this because Mother’s family hailed from here; tanners by trade. She’d taught me all about the city of her birth, and it had been her dream to bring me to visit. Until Fiona’s sudden departure shook things up…

  A tear escaped my eye, and I flicked it away. I could almost hear Mother’s voice describing the ivory towers, the special lamplights that paved the streets, the Grand Councillor’s hall which hosted public fairs, and the Market Street where you could find anything you wanted. Moments she wanted to share with me, and now never would. Goddess, I missed her.

  “Eliza, you okay?”

  I snapped my head up. Cut it out, Eliza. I had enough to be getting on with without lamenting over the past. Again.

  “…oh, it’s nothing.”

  As we crossed the gates, the checkpoint guard barely batted an eyelid, bored witless. We stepped into the main street. It was much like Lanaran, except the ways were broader and shops more extensive. However, it was no less as frantic. Inventors filled the streets, carrying, wheeling or riding their latest gadgets. Guardsmen in red and grey uniforms were everywhere, directing the lines, but no sooner did they disperse a group than another came to replace it.

  Ryan caught the eye of a soldier, who helped clear a path for Cielo. The congestion thinned as we entered the heart of the city, giving us space to breathe. Ryan’s head darted around, glancing from sign to sign.

  “Can you see a vet anywhere?” he asked. I sat forward, scanning the alleys for the familiar symbol of a dove carrying a red oak branch. The sooner we found it, the better, as I noticed Cielo was struggling to keep up. I didn’t want him to meet the fate of a lame horse after all his faithful service.

  After weaving through the pedestrians and overloaded carts, I finally saw the pinewood building. It was overrun by a massive queue. Women cradled fuzzy cats, boys led speckled dogs, a farmhand stood between two rheumy-eyed oxen, an elderly man had an owl perched on his wrist; there seemed no end to them. Knowing full well what it was like to work under such pressure, I didn’t envy the vet and his staff.

  Sighing, Ryan let go of my waist and took Cielo’s lead rope.

  “This could take a while,” he said. He craned his neck, looking the street up and down. “Why don’t you meet me at that inn? There’s no need for both of us to wait here.”

  “If you say so.” Cielo was his horse, after all. And though I was in no mood to rest, it would give me time to prepare for later.

  I glanced to where Ryan had pointed. A faded sign depicted a riverbank lined with trees. The Water and Willow. I hoped its interior was as peaceful as its namesake.

  As I swung my leg over the saddle, Ryan gripped my arm. My face flushed.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he said. “Do you want me to take you to the healer, first?”

  “There’s no need,” I said. “They won’t add much more to what you already did.” I flicked his shoulder. “Stop worrying so much. I’ve survived so far, right?”

  I didn’t wait for an answer and slipped to the cobbled floor. My legs cried out, and I winced, but taking a few steps eased the stiffness. Ryan watched, unsure if he was doing the right thing. Smirking, I strode over and slapped the mare’s rump. She trotted out, much to my Bound partner’s protest.

  “See you later!” I called. Ryan shook his head, heading to the back of the ever-growing queue of animals and owners.

  I sighed, leaning against a brick building. Okay, so I’d got a few moments to myself. Better make the most of it. Straightening Ryan’s cloak—he’d taken back his coat—I squared my shoulders and strode towards the inn. Now was as good a time as any to ready my speech. Perhaps I should go for the casual approach. ‘Hey, Ryan, about that time you saved me from the bear…’

  On reaching the inn I grasped the door handle, but before I could pull it open, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I frowned. Goddess, could the curse not leave me alone for one second? I wasn’t even ten metres away from Ryan, and it was already pestering me.

  Although, thinking about it, why should it? The Binding shouldn’t act up over such a small distance, and it’d never gone for the fear approach before. Which meant there was a high chance it was my own instincts trying to warn me.

  Hmm.

  Slowly, I withdrew my hand, keeping my head forwards. Pretending I’d made a mistake, I huddled inside my cloak and walked away. A dark feeling crept over me; I was being watched. I resisted the temptation to look around, relying on my peripheral vision to check my surroundings.

  Though the streets weren’t exactly empty, there was a figure that stood out. He wore a black hooded jacket, and leant against a statue of a flock of hellersbirds. I only caught a glimpse, but as I ventured away from the inn, he started following me.

  I stepped up my pace, my palms slick with sweat. The knife sheath pulled
against my hip, but I ignored it. Getting caught in a fight would just land me in trouble. Instead, I began to weave through the masses, taking a twisted path across the city. I was painfully aware of the distance; I needed to stay within my half-mile radius. Fortunately the vet’s was beside a clock tower, and with that as my anchoring point, I stuck to a curved path around it.

  Stalls cropped up on street corners, selling all sorts of odds and ends, and I slipped between their bright coverings. Hopefully, they’d conceal my trail. One woman had an array of mirrors on display, and I used them to spy on my stalker.

  He was trying to be discrete, taking a zig-zag route as I had, but he continually looked my way. My pulse started to rumble, and I pressed my hand to my chest. What if it was another Amaranthite? No doubt he’d want revenge for what had happened to his fellow Order member. If he was anywhere near as armed…

  I was all but running to the next street. I knew it was a bad move, but I couldn’t help it. Our run-in with Aronzo had taken my paranoia to new heights, and I didn’t want to be in such a helpless position again. As expected, the man lengthened his strides. I needed to find some cover, now!

  A gonging echoed above, and I glanced up. I was approaching a cathedral. Not quite as grand as Lanaran’s, but then half of it was buried beneath scaffolding. I caught some curved windows, a grey wall, and the snow-covered roof through the poles. At the top sprouted a pergola housing an enormous brass bell. Its tolling meant the morning service had finished. Aha, perfect. If I hid there now, my pursuer would never find me, as the prayer hall would be shut until the next service.

  I just had to get inside before they locked up.

  As I rounded the corner, the entrance steps appeared. Worshippers filed out, and the acolytes helped the frail to their carriages. Drawing my cloak closer, I tore up the staircase, not bothering to look back. Beige was the colour of the season, so I was sure I blended in quite nicely. He’d never keep track of where I’d gone.

  Once past the archway, I stormed towards the prayer hall. The gate was open, and I jumped over the threshold. I paused against a pillar, catching my breath. The chamber was empty. Phew, the cleric must have gone for the post-sermon cleansing. I’d have the place to myself for the next hour or so.