“Mother?” I croaked before I lost consciousness.
Chapter Five
A group of wild men rode through hilly countryside. The distant smoke of a farmhouse drifted on the wind. A flock of seagulls wheeled overhead. At their head rode Johai. He sat forward in his saddle, his white hair streaming behind him in the breeze. His companions wore furs and leather to stay off the fall chill. Their beards were long and braided at the ends. In their hair they wore feathers and beads. Their mounts were broad and thick-limbed horses suitable for pulling heavy loads. Johai rode a white long-legged horse, a horse meant for a prince or a king. Along with its rider, it seemed out of place among the wild men and their shaggy horses. They came to a halt at the mouth of a valley between hills. The stallion tossed its silvery mane and dragged a hoof across the ground. The image was so vivid I could smell the salt in the air as the breeze ruffled Johai’s long hair. Johai surveyed the rolling landscape before him. I recognized the landscape. It was just outside of Keisan.
“Why have we stopped?” one of the men asked. He had several braids in his hair tied with feathers and beads. He wore a yellow tunic with pictures of boars along the hem. Over that he wore a leather jerkin and carried an axe slung over his shoulder.
Johai did not answer him. The two men behind him looked at one another. They carried weapons, axes and bows; Johai had nothing about him. He was lightly dressed, wearing a black tunic and leggings with a black cloak over his shoulder, yet these men seemed to fear him. Perhaps sensing their fear, Johai looked over his shoulder at them at last as a seagull screeched overhead.
“We are near the capital of Danhad. We will need to be wary. Adair is most likely uneasy about the retaliation from Neaux. He may have scouts about. Keep your weapons close and your wits about you.”
“Why have you taken us north to the capital? Is this some kind of trick?” It was the man Jomeg, who had discovered Johai in the wilds of the Biski, that challenged him.
Johai’s unnatural black eyes narrowed. “Do you question me?” he said in a voice that was sharp and malicious. “Aland put me in charge of scouting the north. Do you question my motives?”
The horse Jomeg rode stomped its foot and danced underneath him. He soothed it with words in a foreign tongue. Then he met Johai’s gaze without flinching. “I question the reasoning for brushing this close with danger,” Jomeg said. His voice was steady, but his hands shook.
Johai laughed. There was no humor in the sound; it was cold and grating. The men to the rear leaned back in their saddles. At the front a man folded his arms over his chest. Johai cut his laughter off abruptly and then just glared at the man. They stayed in a stalemate for a few moments longer, and then Jomeg bowed his head in defeat. His dark hair fell forward to curtain his face. Johai smiled a thin smile.
“You are correct. This is dangerous, but necessary. If we hope to topple Danhad, we will need to know where their weakness lies. It is important that we survey the land where the battle will commence.” He paused as he glanced about once more. “Besides, if they made the foolish mistake of attacking us, none would escape with their lives.”
The men shuddered. They had no doubt, it seemed, that Johai spoke the truth. I shared their fear. Johai, possessed as he was, seemed ruthless. I had no doubt he would kill without mercy. Then why did he spare me? I wondered. Is it too much to hope that the Johai I love remains? Johai turned the head of his mount. The animal responded to him with little effort, and they made their way down the hill and into the valley.
The sun was low on the horizon, and the hills surrounding the valley cast long shadows in which the men could conceal themselves should anyone happen to cross up above. The men reached for their weapons. An ominous air hung about the place, the valley floor was carpeted with crimson flowers—bright as blood. They grabbed at charms with their free hands and stared dubiously at the flowers. The valley ended, and there was no return but for the way they had come. Johai held up his hand and called the men to halt. He swung down from his horse and paced about the clearing. He squatted down to pick one of the blood-red flowers.
“We shall make camp here and head south in the morning,” he announced to the men.
Jomeg frowned. “This place is sheltered but too close to the enemy. We would be better to ride until sunset and camp among the trees we passed earlier today,” he said.
Johai ignored him and contemplated the flower. “That is not what I said. Start a fire; settle into camp.”
He opened his mouth to argue, and then Johai lifted his head. “What are you waiting for?” He opened his hand, and the flower had turned to stone. He closed his hand, and it crumbled to dust.
“Herett, look for fuel for the fire. Kever, tend to the horses,” he instructed the other two men.
Johai smiled and walked across the field away from the other men as they performed their duties. He spent some time looking at the field climbing the hills, and occasionally stopped to contemplate some inconsequential spot. The men got a fire going, and the smoke drifted on the wind. He watched it rise into the sky and smiled.
The men were chatting around the fire. Their eyes occasionally drifted over to Johai as he stared at the valley walls surrounding them. Then a figure appeared on the rise, followed by another and another. Soon the entire valley was surrounded.
The Biski men jumped to their feet, weapons in hand. Kever, a thin youth with a sparse mustache, drew a bow and arrow from his back and notched an arrow, pointing it at the men along the rise. He pointed it upward, but there were too many to pick one target.
“If you value your life, you will put down your weapons,” an authoritative voice said. His voice echoed across the valley.
“What have you done?” Jomeg hissed at Johai, who was standing at ease, looking to the rise. “You led us into a trap.”
Johai ignored him and replied to the man on the rise, “Layton, it is me, Johai!”
The figure shaded his eyes and gazed down at them in the ravine. “Johai? Is that truly you?”
Johai smiled his malicious smile. “It is me, and I bring news of your mother!”
It was a gamble on his part. Johai did not know much of Damara other than that she was in Neaux. Besides, she and Johai were both considered traitors—Layton would be within his right to kill Johai on sight. I feared the outcome if he tried. No man-made blade could kill Johai now.
Layton waved a man forward. The two of them conferred for a moment before he called down to Johai, “Tell your men to step back and throw down their weapons, and we shall parlay.”
“Done.” Johai waved to his men.
Jomeg frowned. His busy brows were pulled together. His men looked anxious and clung to their weapons for a moment. Johai did not say anything, but the threat remained in his eyes. The men dropped their weapons with reluctance. They kicked them out of reach as well.
Layton urged his horse forward and rode down to the base of the ravine. Johai stood, hands behind his back, as Layton rode towards him. Layton stopped a few feet away, his horse shying from the power Johai emanated.
Layton glanced Johai up and down. He contemplated Johai for a moment with a quirk of his auburn brow that reminded me of his mother. Does he sense the subtle change in Johai? I wondered. Or is it obvious only to me, who was close to him? Layton swung down from his horse. His sword swayed along his belt. Layton’s hands flexed over his sword as if he itched to draw it and use it. The Biski men were grimacing behind Johai, and Layton’s eyes flickered in their direction briefly.
“Courtesy would dictate that you drop your weapon as well,” Johai said. His voice was smooth with an edge of danger.
“Courtesy would be cutting your traitorous head off. However, I have not forgotten that you saved my life, so I will give you the benefit of parlay.”
“Thank you, your grace.” Johai bowed with a mocking smile.
“Enough games. What are you doing here, and what news do you have of my mother?” Layton squared his stance, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Johai remained at ease. “It is good to see you once again, Layton,” he said with a sardonic smile. “You remind me how direct Danhadines can be.”
“Do not think to press upon me courtesies. I will end this conversation before it has begun if that is what you wish.”
Johai inclined his head in recognition. “As you wish. If we are being direct, I will let you know your mother is alive and well, living in Neaux. She has made herself useful there.” He smiled. “As I am sure you’ve already surmised, I did not just come to talk to you about your mother.”
“No, I did not expect so. Then what is your real motive for coming here?”
The Biski men were glancing between the two men, and I realized that Johai had switched to Danhadine and the Biski must not have been able to understand.
“I’ve come to give you a warning. Neaux is planning an attack. They want revenge for a recent attack on their capital, which they blame on Danhad.”
“That news is weeks old. We have already had word that the soldiers we sent to help with the Biski uprising have all been executed. She has declared war upon us. You risked too much coming here with this news. You cannot think this would be enough to wash away your treason.” I was sick to my stomach. There was more blood on Arlene’s hands and mine; those soldiers had paid the price for their ruler’s ambitions.
Johai shrugged. “I thought to pass along the news, but that was not my reason for coming here. I have come here with an offer.” He let his words linger.
“What can you offer that the king does not already have?” Layton asked. He glanced once more towards the Biski men behind Johai.
“I can offer him swords and men.” Johai motioned to the three Biski men standing behind him. “The king of the Biski wishes to ally himself with King Adair.”
“Are you mad? The Biski have no king, and these savages would slit our throats rather than join our forces.” Layton motioned towards the Biski with an angry point of his finger. Though he spoke Danhadine, the Biski men seemed to sense the meaning of his words. They balled their hands into fists, and Kever motioned to pick up his bow. “Do that and die where you stand,” Layton said in the Biski tongue.
Kever continued to scowl but took a step away from the bow.
“The Biski have been battling Neaux as well. They are willing to put differences aside if it would mean eliminating our mutual enemy.”
“Yes, but at what price?” Layton asked.
“The king would have his sovereignty recognized, and if Adair has a son, he would marry him to one of his daughters, and if the child is a girl, then one of his sons.”
“I see,” was all Layton replied. He waited another moment and studied Johai. “Wait here a moment.”
Layton jumped into the saddle, wheeled around, and went back up the hill towards the other men. When he was gone, Jomeg came over to Johai.
“What were you and that man discussing?”
“A way for your people to regain this land,” Johai replied.
Jomeg scowled but did not press him further. Layton and his men were talking. Layton was standing silhouetted against the sky. His hands were on his hips as a man he spoke with waved his hands about. After a few moments, Layton and the other man rode down the hill toward Johai and the Biski.
The man he brought with him, I did not recognize, but he had an air of authority about him. He had dark brown hair that was almost black. He was of middle years with a scar bisecting his face from eyebrow to the corner of his lips. This time, they did not dismount but looked down on Johai, who continued to stare back at them with a placid expression.
“We will take you to the king and let him answer your offer. There he will decide your fate and the fate of these men. Come.” Layton motioned to Johai and his companions. They waited for Johai and the others to gather their things before leading him up the hill. The men surrounding the hill had arrows trained on them; if any of them attempted to make a move, they would be dead on the ground before they could raise a sword. While Layton led, the second man followed behind Johai and the Biski men. As they travelled, Johai smiled to himself.
When I awoke once more, I was covered in thick furs. I blinked bleary eyed at a tent canopy. The light coming through was dim and murky. I sat up, and the blankets slid off my shoulders. I was naked beneath them. I clutched them to my chest and stared around the tent. Where am I? Then the events at the river came crashing back to me. Elenna! Everything was a blur when the water hit. Had she, too, been swept away by the river? What about Beau? Goddess, please let them be safe. I touched my temples where a headache was throbbing. Where had that water come from? That could not be natural. I would have thought it was Johai, but he seemed to be hundreds of leagues away. Does the power of the specter extend this far? Was he trying to kill me? I attempted to climb to my feet, with the fur held close to keep me covered. My legs wobbled, and I collapsed back on to my rear. Since I was weak, I took a moment to regard my surroundings. I was in a tent, larger than the travel tents we had been using. It was tall enough for a grown man to stand upright and perhaps five arm-length’s wide. I was lying in a pile of blankets and furs, and to the far side there were woven baskets with lids, which appeared to be used for storage. There were ceramic jars on the floor as well, and beside the bed was a jug with water.
The door to the tent was a flap, and it was pushed back by a woman. She was young, perhaps close to my own age. She had nut-brown skin and almond-shaped eyes. Her hair was dark and braided with beads that clanked together, tinkling as she moved. She was long limbed and willowy of frame.
“Ta hu foryel bejeth?” she asked me in her native tongue.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I do not understand your language.”
She smiled and sat beside me. She continued speaking in her foreign language and picked up the pitcher of water. She had a mortar and pestle and was grinding some herbs in it as she chattered. She poured the water into a cup and then sprinkled the herbs in it. She handed it over to me. How did I get here? Who is this woman?
I took it uncertainly. The bowl contained a fragrant mixture of herbs. She made a tilting motion with both hands towards her mouth and said, “Korew.”
I surmised I was supposed to drink it. I gulped down the brew. It was sweet with a bitter aftertaste. The woman watched me until I had drunk all of it.
She stood up and bustled about the tent. I watched her as she opened a wicker basket, then some of the ceramic jars. Then I did imagine my mother back there in the river. I must have mistaken this woman’s dark hair and imagined the violet eyes. My mother had passed long ago. She could not have saved me.
The woman came back over and offered me a bundle. I took it and opened it up. It was a simple dress made of a rough weave, and it seemed similar in style to what the woman was wearing.
“Yu joyelle veu. Ne Aba o weyu ta,” she said with a smile.
“I wish I understood you, but thank you. I think you saved me from the river,” I said in reply. Though I knew we could not understand one another, it seemed appropriate to thank her.
She only smiled again and left me to dress. Once I was dressed, I rose once more on wobbling feet. I had to lean against whatever I could find, including a tent pole, but I found my strength returning a little. There must have been restorative herbs in the drink she had given me. I made it to the tent flap and pushed it back. I blinked into the daylight. Outside, a camp of several more tents awaited me. At the heart of the camp was a cook fire with a few burning coals under a pot. Children were running about, with dogs barking at their heels. Four women chatted together in a circle beneath a nearby tree.
The woman who had come to help was among them, and she jumped up to assist me. I was leaning heavily on the tent poles that framed the doorway to the tent.
When she reached me, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and said something to me in her language in a scolding tone. She tried to turn me back inside.
I shook my head. “No. I need to get back to
my friends.”
She shook her head in reply. She pointed at the ground and then her friends. I didn’t understand her meaning. A second woman who looked older than her, hair streaked with gray, came over as well.
They spoke rapidly in their tongue so fast I could not distinguish the words.
The older woman smiled at me and then said, “Come. Sit.” She motioned to the circle of women, now two, sitting at the far edge of camp.
“Do you speak Danhadine? I was separated from my friends. I need to get back to them,” I said to the older woman.
The older woman only shrugged and pointed again to the circle. “Sit,” she repeated.
My shoulders slumped. Perhaps she only knew a little of my maiden tongue.
I nodded and let them guide me to a seat in their circle. The women smiled at me but watched me with cautious eyes. Once I was seated, they continued their conversation. The young woman who had first greeted me handed me some flat bread and made a motion as if she wanted me to eat. I picked at the bread, mostly out of want for something to do. I tried to organize my thoughts. The woman who was caring for me seemed to have rescued me from the river. I would guess they were Biski, judging from their appearance. The river had separated me from the others. Or they are all dead, a voice nagged at the back of my mind. The women chatted amicably as they wove baskets and sewed blankets together from what appeared to be animal hides. Just beyond them, I saw a few more animal hides drying under the sun. Children played nearby. I did not see the men, which seemed strange. I decided to venture communicating again.
“Where am I?”
The older woman, the one who had commanded me to sit, regarded me with her dark eyes. “Home fire…” She paused as if searching for the word. “Safe.”
I was frustrated with the lack of information, but at least it seemed she understood me, somewhat. “You pulled me out of the river?”
She shook her head.
“A woman”—I motioned to the circle—“pulled me out of the rapids.” I waved my hand up and down like a wave. “Who?”
[fan] diviners trilogy - complete series Page 63
