“Do you really believe this?” Pehrona’s eyes opened wide, stepping around to look at Kaori as if seeing her face would somehow prove she was lying. The uncertainty in her expression only grew to see the solemnity in Kaori’s eyes, her features hardened, serious. Lifting her hand to her mouth Pehrona stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. “How can he do this? What purpose does it serve?”
“His purpose,” Kaori stated simply. “The Emperor has a grudge against our people that I may never understand. He wants to see us destroyed, be it by death or slavery. In his mind, only humans deserve to rule, and he will stop at nothing to see that come to fruition.”
For the first time since the crowd departed Davian spoke, his tone less troubled than the others. Of everyone in the room, he had the least concern about the latest Imperial decree. He was already a wanted man, stripped of his wealth and prestige. There wasn’t much more the Emperor could do to him other than death. “I could have predicted this,” he frowned. “We all should have seen it coming. First our traditions, then our gods… now our titles. The more we fight against him, the more justification he has to take everything away. We may be condemning ourselves by going forward with our plans tonight.”
“We would be condemning our entire race if we do not follow through.”
“So what you are saying is that we are damned either way,” Davian sighed, his shoulders bowing forward as if under some great burden. He looked miserable. Saddened by the truth, yet unsurprised. “Do you really intend to fight in your condition? You’re vulnerable. If the soldiers discover you among us, they will aim to kill you.”
“I have no other choice.” Kaori’s anger slowly started to wane. Part of her wished she could get it back. While enraged she was distracted from the discomfort of her injury. Now she found herself reminded of it again, her left hand carefully sliding along her midsection to cover the sutures, pressing on it gently to try and ease the sharp sting that had set in. “For all I know, Sivar is among the prisoners they are taking with them to Eykanua. If we let this opportunity slip through our fingers, they will kill him, and his death – along with all the others who die with him – will be on my head. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt.”
Just as Kaori finished speaking, a distinct sound of horse’s hooves could be heard from outside, clattering along the gravel road. Afraid of who it might be, Kaori couldn’t bring herself to move. Given the current circumstances, it could be almost anyone. Soldiers. Citizens. If Sivar had been discovered amongst the prisoners, the General himself may even have been compelled to pay her a visit. He no doubt wished to finish the job he started at the execution. For her brother to be among the rebels would only fuel his suspicions and grant him the evidence required to advocate her arrest.
Reluctantly, Pehrona took a step away from Kaori, her eyes locked on the door, alert, guarded. Kaori watched her, uncomfortable with the thought of letting her friend get any closer to the entrance. Pehrona wasn’t much of a fighter. Strong in spirit, but frail when it came to physical strength. If the soldiers chose to force their way inside the house, Pehrona would be killed. By pure reflex Kaori’s hand went to her waist, cursing silently at the realization that she had no weapon. Liurn and Davian would be their only line of defense if they found themselves under attack.
Footsteps could be heard outside, moving at a swift pace along the yard. With hasty steps Pehrona covered the remaining distance to the door, hands pressed against the thick wood, drawing the latch into place. She leaned against it as if her weight would be enough to stop anyone from kicking it in. Kaori wanted to laugh but she couldn’t bring herself to, apprehension setting in, waiting in fear of who might be outside. When she heard a voice call through the door she thought she might faint, clutching at her stomach as she ran to where Pehrona stood, groans of pain escaping her despite her efforts to conceal it.
“Kaori, let me in!”
“Sivar!” Her fingers fumbled with the latch, unable to focus on the simple motion. Pain clouded her mind. She knew what she wanted to do but her body wouldn’t respond. To her relief she felt Pehrona’s hand come to her aid, detaching the lock to allow the door to open as Sivar stumbled inside, his breathing ragged, heavy, the palm of his hand resting over his chest to try and ease the burning in his lungs.
At the sight of Kaori standing there, doubled over in pain, Sivar was at her side, arms wrapped around her shoulders to help hold her up. “We need to get you lying down.” Instantly his gaze lifted to look at each of the others in turn, the grey light of his eyes flashing brightly in disapproval. “Why is she not in bed? Has a physician been summoned?”
“I am fine, really,” Kaori argued through clenched teeth. She should have known her brother would come back. He knew she was injured. No matter how much it meant to him that the prisoners be rescued, Kaori would always be his first priority. And if she couldn’t convince him that she was capable of being out of bed, he would never let her out of the house. Drawing in a deep breath Kaori forced her posture straight. It would be easier to make him think she was okay if she wasn’t relying on him to keep her on her feet. “The wound is not that bad. It has already been cleaned and sutured. There is no need for a doctor.”
“Not that bad?” Sivar scoffed. “I saw what happened, Kaori. I am not blind.”
“Your brother is right, Kaori. You really should not be out of bed…”
Kaori cast an angry glare at Pehrona. Her heart was in the right place, but she was doing nothing to help Kaori’s cause. “Why is everyone so concerned about a little cut?”
“Because it is a deep little cut,” Pehrona frowned. Nervously, she peered out the door before pushing it closed, gently slipping the latch back into place. “You are lucky the knife missed any vital organs that I could see. Unfortunately, I am not an expert. It is possible I may have overlooked something.”
“You are all exaggerating. It is superficial at best. I am more concerned about the prisoners.” Kaori turned to face her brother, continuing quickly before anyone had a chance to argue. “Where is Koyl? Are the others safe?”
“Koyl and Arcell were taken by the soldiers,” Sivar lifted his chin to stare down his nose at Kaori. “That changes nothing. I am taking you upstairs so you can lie down.”
“Taken?” Kaori’s heart dropped in her chest. It was exactly as she feared. If they weren’t able to catch the soldiers before they reached Eykanua, her friends were going to die alongside the rest of their people held captive in that wretched wagon. “Did you follow them? Do you know which road they have taken south?”
Sivar’s frown deepened, his eyes staring back at Kaori in frustration. “They took the main road toward the Sovehu River. They won’t deviate. It is the quickest route to the palace. Now stop arguing and let me take you upstairs.”
“I am not going upstairs!” A long breath escaped Kaori as she fought to keep from working herself into a fit. The stress was getting to her. There were too many things on her mind to deal with her brother’s overprotective nature right now. “I thought you were all with me in this. Why do I suddenly feel like I am alone?”
“You’re not alone. We are just worried about you…” Sivar’s words were cut short by Kaori’s hand reaching out to push him away, his feet stumbling backward under the force, eyes opened wide by the power she generated. He looked down at her hand as she retracted it, mouth agape, speechless.
Adrenaline helped mask the pain Kaori felt as she moved toward the door with determined strides. She didn’t care what anyone said. She was going to save Koyl and Arcell. It didn’t matter if her friends were with her or not. Their constant concern for her well-being was becoming obnoxious. How was she supposed to accomplish anything if they insisted on holding her back simply out of fear that she would get hurt? They were fighting a war, as far as she was concerned. In all the books she read as a child, the heroes didn’t sit down and give up just because of a single wound. A good leader pressed on through the pain be
cause it was what was expected of them. It was what they had to do in order to achieve victory. And that was exactly what she was going to do.
Pehrona made no attempt to stop her as she unhooked the latch. It was Sivar’s hand that reached out to pull her back before she could open the door, the motion gruff and authoritative. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You are going to get yourself killed!”
“Our friends are out there, Sivar! If I don’t find them, the General will see them dead.”
“In your condition, it is more likely that you will find death before you find that wagon.”
“At least I will have died doing what was right.” With another burst of energy Kaori pulled free of Sivar’s grasp, turning to face the door. Her hand reached the knob before she felt her brother’s fingers clasp her wrist, preventing her from completing the motion. Angrily she slapped at his hand, her irritation turning to rage at her inability to get away. “Let me go, Sivar!”
Tightening his hold on her wrist, Sivar tugged her forward, his free hand managing to catch Kaori’s other wrist, stopping her desperate strikes against him. She stared up at him, tears building in her eyes. She wanted to scream. Why was her brother doing this to her?
They stood there for several long moments, their eyes locked on one another. Sivar grimaced at the sight of her before turning his face away, unable to look at her any longer. “Even if I were to let you do this, I cannot let you leave here looking like you do.” His voice was quiet. Strained. It was obvious it took every ounce of will he possessed to force himself to say the words which now came from his lips. “You can’t fight in that gown and you are not wearing shoes. At least make yourself presentable before you ride off to save the day.”
She wanted to hug him. If his grip on her arms wasn’t so tight, she would have wrapped them around him in a joyous embrace. Instead, all she could do was stare at him in disbelief and awe, the hardened expression on her face slowly transforming into a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she whispered, overcome with happiness. Her brother’s approval meant everything to her. If she had his support, it didn’t matter if Liurn was with her or not. Sivar was the only one she cared about. With him by her side, they would lead the others to victory. She was sure of it. “Give me a few minutes to change,” she smiled. “When I return, we should be on our way. The others will be waiting for us… and I have no intention of letting them down.”
Every step Kaori’s horse took caused her to grimace. Aggravating the wound on her side. She was beginning to doubt her decision to come along on the rescue. Stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to admit that Pehrona and Sivar were right about her condition. She should have stayed in bed. The more she moved, the longer it would take for the injury to heal, and her followers needed her at her best. After the people of Rothdara were safe, there were still more prisoners waiting for execution in Amalo. Sivar was a strong fighter, but Kaori couldn’t leave the rebels in his hands again. Not that she was convinced she could do any better. It just didn’t seem right to pass the responsibility onto him. She was the one who chose to take on the task of leading a rebellion. Her brother just happened to be dragged into it along the way.
They moved at a steady pace along the road, the sound of hooves upon gravel echoing through the dim light of the setting sun. She was impressed by the number of citizens who had come to her aid. When she and Sivar arrived in the city, they were greeted by a larger crowd than that which had been at her home earlier that afternoon. Word must have spread quickly throughout the townspeople. Some chose to mask themselves with cloaks in a similar fashion to Kaori and Sivar while others proudly remained visible, caring little about who saw their faces. The unknown citizens could get away with such brazen behavior. Kaori was too well known to the soldiers. Regardless of her willingness to announce her intentions to the Vor’shai, she wasn’t ready to make herself a known outlaw with the Imperial Army.
She rode in silence, lost in the depths of her own thoughts. There was so much on her mind that it was difficult to keep it all straight. Her focus drifted. Distracted from the current mission. She was filled with uncertainty about those who rode with her. Liurn had been a strong asset from the start but now she was starting to wonder if his heart was in the right place. Back in Tialore, Therek had been bold enough to suggest that Liurn followed her because of some ridiculous infatuation. At the time she doubted the validity of the claim though now she couldn’t help but wonder. Did he fight by her side simply in hopes of garnering her affection, or did he truly desire to see their people freed from the Emperor’s tyranny? There was no way to know. And now wasn’t the time to test him. She required his assistance, and that of anyone else who could be persuaded to fight. Victory couldn’t be attained alone.
Then there was Therek. What was she to think of him? Her mixed emotions made it difficult to come to a conclusion about her feelings toward him in regards to his decision to walk away that afternoon. He had his reasons. That much was made clear before he chose to leave. What she didn’t understand was why he remained with her after the display at the execution if he was so concerned about their association. In the carriage he had been distraught. His usual calm broken over the fear of Kaori’s injury. It was unlike him to behave in that fashion. As if he genuinely cared about her safety. But that couldn’t be the case. If he worried about her at all, he wouldn’t have left. He knew what she intended to do. So why did he walk away? It was possible he trusted her ability to handle herself in combat, but that seemed unlikely. Especially given her condition.
Frustrated, she closed her eyes, tightening her grip on the reins. The waistline of her trousers rubbed against the sutures, pulling her from her reverie, the world around her spinning under a wave of vertigo. How was she supposed to fight like this? The pain would be a distraction. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about it now. She’d made her decision to come. The people were counting on her to lead them. Her only hope was that the rush of adrenaline in battle would keep her mind off the discomfort long enough to accomplish their goal.
From somewhere off to the right she could hear a horse coming closer. Its steps faster than those around it, quickly closing the distance to reach Kaori’s side. Out of the corner of her eye she tried to make out who the person was, disappointed to find the figure covered by a heavy cloak, the hood pulled low over the face, perfectly concealed from view. There was something familiar about the way the person carried himself, posture straight, proud, confident. A pair of perfectly polished leather boots could be seen hooked into the stirrups, the clasps on them shining with a bright golden gleam reflected off the surface in the final rays of the sun’s light. They were well made. Expensive. A display of wealth unlike that which fit with any of the other men in their midst.
A strange feeling began in Kaori’s stomach at the thought. As if a swarm of butterflies were bouncing off her insides in attempts to escape. She wanted to address the man, though she didn’t dare utilize the title to which she believed he would answer. If his intention was to remain anonymous, she couldn’t risk doing or saying anything which would reveal his presence to the others. “I thought you were not going to fight.”
The man’s head turned at the sound of Kaori’s voice, a brilliant azure glow visible from under the thick hood. “Do not get used to it,” he replied quietly, the words no louder than a breathy whisper to avoid being overheard. “You are not well enough to fight. Someone had to be here to watch your back.”
Kaori’s lips twitched into a smile to hear Therek speak. He had returned. She wasn’t sure what that meant, and she didn’t care. All that mattered was that he was there. “I thought you were gone for good.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“No, not at all,” she glanced over to him, hoping he could see the gratefulness in her eyes. His presence meant everything to her. Of everyone there, he was the one she trusted the most. Despite the warnings given by Davian and Liurn, Therek had proven himself more loyal than any of the rest. He
just had a strange way of showing it. “I am sorry for the way I spoke to you. I was out of line.”
A soft chuckle could be heard from under the cover of Therek’s cloak, his head turning away to look out over the road. “You were just being… you.”
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Kaori wrinkled her nose in disdain. Did he intend to insult her? That was what she got for being woman enough to apologize. Next time she would remember not to feel bad about mistreating him. He said nothing in response, the only sound that came from him being that of his continued laughter. He was enjoying this. Finding amusement at her expense. With a huff, she jutted her chin outward, nose lifted haughtily in the air. She refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her say anything more.
Quietly, they continued along the road, alert, watchful for any sign of the soldiers’ passing. It was still too early for the men to have made camp for the night. Now that her mind was clearer, she realized that she had no plan for how to approach them even if they discovered their location. With the number of Vor’shai she had behind her, their arrival would be far from stealthy. Even if the soldiers were asleep, they would hear Kaori coming from miles away. She needed to come up with a strategy before they got much further or she would reveal herself as the clueless leader she felt herself to be. One of these days she would learn. Her fear was that her foolishness would lead them all to their deaths before that day came.
“I will ride ahead and see if I can locate the soldiers,” Therek said suddenly, the sound of his loud whisper cutting into Kaori’s thoughts as if he had somehow read her mind.
She looked over to him, relieved to hear him propose some kind of plan. It was better than nothing. If he could find where the soldiers were, it would be easier for them to arrange a proper ambush. They just had to hope he wouldn’t be noticed along the way. “Be careful,” she warned, afraid to let him go on alone. His eyes settled on her, seemingly confused by the sincerity of her tone. In that moment Kaori couldn’t deny the attractiveness of his features. The sharp lines of his high cheekbones and perfectly sculpted chin. A soft breeze lifted his hood away from his face slightly, wafting through the short strands of his ebon hair that hung across his forehead, settling once again to slightly cover the bright glow of his left eye from view. Embarrassed, she turned away, praying he hadn’t noticed her staring.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 40
