Voice of the Gods aotft-3

by Trudi Canavan

  Then slowly the lines and structures of a city began to appear.

  The road curved to meet it, turning into a paved street wider than any Auraya had seen. On either side, smaller streets spread in an ordered grid. Houses were sturdy structures of brick with tiled roofs. They stretched in all directions, from the wharves at the sea’s edge out to where green fields began. Here and there gardens of green vegetation and pools of reflected sky caught the eye like jewels in a fantastic necklace.

  It was a city as large as Jarime. Perhaps larger. It had none of the labyrinthine disorder of the Hanian capital, however. Signs of intelligent pre-planning continued to the city edge and beyond. Impressively large aqueducts carried water far out from the mountains, and canals from the river were spanned by bridges of strange and beautiful shapes.

  At the center of the city, where the wide main road ended, a hill broke the urban order. On this was built a complicated series of structures: a muddle of roofs and courtyards. Auraya wondered why this place was so chaotic when the rest of the city was not.

  If this is Glymma, is that the Temple of the Pentadrians?

  There was no other building or set of buildings so grand. She decided it must be. Looking around the city, she wondered what it was like to live there. To her surprise she found herself thinking of Mirar. Had he visited Glymma? He could have passed through on the way to the town Jade had said he was in. A town in Mur, in the north, if Jade hadn’t lied to protect him. In fact, Mirar could be down there right now.

  Her musings were interrupted by a whistle from Sreil. He changed course again, heading away from the city.

  Auraya sensed the mood of the Siyee shift. They had been even more impressed by Glymma than she, most of them having never seen a landwalker city. Now that their fascination had been broken, a gloom was settling over them. If the enemy was this powerful, how could the Siyee ever hope to fight them?

  She wished she could reassure them. None of the whistles of the Siyee could communicate her confidence in them and any words she spoke would be difficult to hear over the wind. And I have no idea if this place they’re going to attack is well defended, she thought. I can’t promise them that they’ll succeed. Sometimes it was better to remain silent.

  The aqueducts and fields stretched a long way from the city. Weariness began to nag at the Siyee. Sreil was leading them toward the low hills, where he hoped they could find a safe place to rest for the night. The sun dropped until all was stained the color of gold.

  They reached the hills as the sun touched the horizon. All were relieved to see the dry valleys and ridges were uninhabited. Sreil gave the signal to descend and circled down into a gully.

  A dim light still remained as they landed, but within moments it had died and left them in impenetrable darkness. Auraya felt the Siyee standing around her, uncertain and a little frightened.

  “Shall I create a light?” she suggested.

  “Yes,” Sreil replied quietly. “It is worth the risk, I think. The hills around us should hide it.”

  She drew magic and channelled it into a tiny spark that barely lit the faces around her. The Siyee crowded around anxiously.

  “Snack?” a small voice at Auraya’s shoulder said hopefully.

  Chuckles broke out all around. Auraya smiled as the Siyee relaxed a little. She reached back to scratch Mischief’s head.

  “Yes, I think it’s time for a snack.”

  The Siyee began to settle in for the night. Food was unpacked and Auraya’s burden as water carrier lessened. Watchers were chosen and patches of ground were swept free of stones. Although the Siyee were used to sleeping in hammocks, not the hard ground, their exhaustion would ensure they got some rest.

  As quiet settled over the camp, Auraya’s stomach sank as she felt a familiar approaching presence. She knew it was Huan by the way the hairs rose on the back of her neck.

  Huan moved to priest Teel and spoke into his mind. First she asked how the Siyee had fared, then, as always, she asked what Auraya had done. Teel reported Auraya’s every movement faithfully.

  :She is not to fight in this battle, Huan told him.

  :Even if we are losing? Teel asked.

  :Even then. This is to be a warning to the Pentadrians that every time they strike at Circlians there will be retribution. It needs to be delivered by Circlian fighters. If Auraya fights, it will appear to come from her.

  :But she is a Circlian, too.

  :But not our chosen weapon of retribution. How will the Pentadrians learn to respect ordinary Circlians if ordinary Circlians do not stand up and fight?

  :I see.

  :Yes. You are a good example for your people, Teel. You are loyal and obedient.

  Auraya felt Teel’s pride swell.

  :I will do whatever you want me to.

  :I know you will, Teel. Your heart is true. Of the Siyee priests, you show the most promise. I know you will not fail me.

  Auraya rolled her eyes. The young man was already stuffed full of his own importance. He did not need Huan boosting his confidence and pride any further. As the flattery and declarations of loyalty continued, she found herself feeling faintly nauseous.

  This is one of the gods I used to love unreservedly? she asked herself. It was terrible discovering that Huan hates me and wants me dead, but this is sickening. She’s turning him into a blind fanatic. He’ll probably be so sure she will protect her little favorite that he’ll rush into the battle and get himself killed.

  Sighing, she rolled over. I don’t love the gods equally any more. When I die Chaia had better be the one to take my soul. I think if it was a choice of being taken by Huan or fading out of existence, I’d choose the latter.

  This was a terrible blasphemy, she knew, but for once it didn’t send a shiver of fear down her spine.

  19

  Ella’s circ lay beside her, neatly folded. On top of her white dress she wore the travelling wrap local women favored. She wore it in the usual fashion: slung around the shoulders. It could also be lifted to cover the head during rain, or wrapped about the torso for warmth, but Danjin hadn’t seen her try either yet. They’d had only dry summer days since leaving Chon.

  Sitting opposite Ella in the platten was Yem, the eldest son of the Dregger clan leader. The young man was as lean and muscular as most warriors were, and he was intelligent and politically astute. Danjin had also noticed that Yem was unusually sympathetic toward servants and for that reason he was a strange choice of guide for them.

  Dunwayan warriors expected loyalty from their servants. There was no law preventing a servant leaving a household; he or she could even try to find employment elsewhere, though doing so was difficult since most clans had plenty of servants and few warriors would accept a servant who had already proven disloyal by leaving the service of another.

  What the Pentadrians had done by arranging the “escape” of servants could rouse a general rebellion of servants against the warriors. Danjin had expected I-Portak to choose someone less sympathetic to the servants to be Ella’s guide. Someone more like Gim, their last dinner host.

  The other occupant of the covered platten was Gillen Shieldarm, the Hanian ambassador. During the long hours that Danjin and Ella had spent waiting in Chon, Gillen had visited at least once a day, keeping them entertained with stories or games of counters. Now, on the road, he did the same using the small set that Silava had packed for Danjin. Sometimes it seemed the only conversation in the platten was between Danjin and Gillen, and about counters.

  Danjin suspected Gillen had offered to accompany them because he was bored in Chon. Ella had accepted Gillen’s offer because he had a deeper understanding of Dunwayan customs and recent politics than Danjin. Ella spent most of her time staring into the distance, listening to the minds of the men they were tracking. Yem remained quiet, only speaking when addressed. Danjin was sure Yem’s silence had nothing to do with snobbery, but was either a sign the young man was unsure of himself, intimidated by Ella, or was simply the sort who prefe
rred to listen rather than talk.

  Yem and Gillen didn’t know as much as Danjin did about the reason for this journey. During the dinner at Gim’s household, Ella had caught the nervous thoughts of Ton, a servant planning to leave his master’s service. For some time now the man had been meeting a Sennonian spice seller. The seller had told him that Dunwayan servants were little more than slaves, and spoke of a place where all people were equal and all work was shared. A place in the south of Dunway.

  A visit to the market confirmed Ella’s suspicions. One of the spice sellers was a Sennonian Pentadrian with orders to send potential Dunwayan converts out of Chon. He did not know where he was sending them, unfortunately, but through him Ella found the mind of the escaping servant, Ton.

  As she’d hoped, Ton had just begun the journey to the haven for servants. From that day he passed in and out of the care of various men and women - none of whom knew where this haven was or more than one other guide. It was a carefully planned system designed to make tracing the Pentadrians difficult.

  Difficult, but not impossible, Ella had said. All she had to do was follow the servant. Though he did not know where he was most of the time, she was able to learn his location from the people around him.

  Looking out of the open door flap, Danjin found himself looking into the tops of tall trees. The road had been hewn out of the steep sides of the mountains south of Chon. If he looked down, which he preferred not to do, he would see the edge of the road and a slope that was too close to vertical for comfort.

  Ella made a small, frustrated sound, drawing his attention away. She was shaking her head.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “They’ve sent him on alone. He has no idea where he’s going.” She frowned and looked at Yem. “Let’s consult the map.”

  The young man drew out a wooden cylinder and unstoppered it. From it he took a roll of thin leather covered in tattooed pictures and lines. He had told them it was human skin. The warrior who had created it had travelled around Dunway for years, carefully etching his map into the back of his most devoted servant. Since hearing the tale, Danjin had done all he could to avoid touching the map.

  Small blurred pictures of fortresses were spread evenly across the country. The roads were inaccurately straight, showing none of the winding turns the platten had taken. Lines in a faded red showed the boundaries of land owned by different clans.

  “He’s here,” Ella said, pointing to a group of symbols that indicated the houses of land servants. “His instructions are to walk along this road until he sees a big rock shaped like an arem, then take the next left turn. Then he’s to look for a large tree and cut across fields.”

  Danjin suddenly understood her frustration. These instructions couldn’t be followed on a map. The man had no idea where he was, or where he was going, and had no companions or guides who did.

  These Pentadrians are clever, Danjin thought. But they won’t evade us. It’s just a matter of time.

  “Eventually he will see a landmark I know,” Yem assured her.

  “And by then we will have fallen behind,” Ella said, clearly not happy.

  “We could travel to the place he just left,” Gillen suggested. “Then follow the instructions.” Their platten was taking a parallel route to the servant’s along roads to his east, in case the Pentadrians and helpers on the route saw them and suspected pursuit.

  “No,” she said. “It is better we wait than take the risk they will discover us.”

  Yem rolled up the map and slid it back in its case. As Ella’s gaze shifted to the distance again, Gillen raised his eyebrows at Danjin. Smiling, Danjin brought out his counters set. It was a finely crafted set for travellers. Each piece had a peg at the base which slotted into holes in the board - but the drawer in which the pieces were stored had warped and would no longer open fully.

  “Care for a game?”

  Gillen nodded. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  The town of the bird breeders was nestled high in a steep-sided valley and was surrounded by caves. It was called Klaff. Auraya had read the name from the mind of an inhabitant, but she couldn’t tell the Siyee without risking the gods guessing how she had learned it.

  It was getting close to the hottest part of the day and the Siyee scouts that had watched the town yesterday had noticed that the inhabitants were quietest at this time. Locals were inclined to retreat inside their houses or nap in a shady place. The birds were safely caged. Hours had passed since their morning flight and more would pass before their late afternoon one.

  Mischief was huddled in the shade of a boulder, panting. Auraya’s pack was not a pleasant place to be in the heat of the day. She poured water into a small depression in a rock and he lapped it up thirstily.

  The Siyee were waiting just over the ridge on one side of the valley. A few were keeping watch on the town while Sreil addressed the others.

  “The birds are kept inside caves,” Sreil told them, “with only iron bars holding them there, so we can shoot them with arrows and darts without even going inside or letting them out. There’s an empty space in front, surrounded by buildings, where we’ll land. There weren’t any guards there yesterday, but they may have been inside. If we are quiet we may get out of there without anyone noticing, though I doubt the birds will stay silent.

  “I want six warriors to land in a half-circle and ready their bows. They will deal with any landwalkers that emerge.” He paused, looking expectantly around until six hands rose. “The rest of us will land between them and the wall. We’ll go to the cages and kill all of the birds. If there are eggs, smash them too.”

  Auraya had suggested she provide some sort of distraction for the townsfolk, but Sreil had decided against it. He wanted to take advantage of the inhabitants’ sleepiness; any distraction she arranged would make them more alert.

  Sreil straightened and looked around at his force of Siyee warriors. “We must work fast. Don’t stay any longer than you must. We are not landwalker fighters. If we meet any resistance we must leave. We’ll meet back here.”

  The Siyee whistled an acknowledgment. Auraya bade them good hunting, bringing a few grins to otherwise grim faces. Then Sreil flexed his arms, sprang into a run down the steep slope and leapt into the air, and the rest of the Siyee went surging after him.

  Auraya watched them swoop away and then wheel toward the town. She climbed to the top of the ridge, finding a boulder to crouch next to that would prevent her silhouette being visible against the sky. Her heart was beating quickly and as the Siyee began their descent she felt her stomach clench with anxiety.

  Looking around the town, she searched for anyone who might have noticed their approach. The streets were empty.

  Heat radiated from the boulder. She hoped the citizens of Klaff were soundly asleep.

  The Siyee were a swarm of distant figures just above the town now. They abruptly dived downward into a courtyard. Buildings surrounded three sides and on the other was a rock wall dotted with dark holes, just as Sreil had described. Auraya held her breath as they landed, but no figures rushed out to attack them.

  ... must still be asleep, she heard Sreil think smugly. She felt his pride in his warriors as they took their places as he’d ordered. Then from all the Siyee came a jolt of surprise and fear.

  From her vantage point, Auraya saw something dark spray out of one of the holes to cover the Siyee. She leapt to her feet as she sensed the Siyee’s surprise and confusion. Their thoughts were an incoherent jumble of terror and dismay. She could not work out what was happening.

  Looking down, she realized the ground was far below her. She had lifted herself into the sky without intending to. Now she deliberately flew out over the town until she was above the courtyard. Understanding finally came as she made out Siyee struggling to free themselves from under a heavy net.

  A net?

  Cold rushed through her as she realized the Pentadrians must have known the Siyee were coming.

  How? Did som
eone betray us? Who?

  Some of the Siyee were thrashing about out of sheer panic but others had brought out knives and were sawing at the thick cords. Auraya felt her stomach sink as she saw men and women in black robes hurrying out of the buildings to stand on the edges of the net, preventing Siyee escaping. A couple of Siyee scrambled clear. The escapees darted toward the cages, leapt up onto the rock wall and used their momentum to help them scramble higher. Springing out into the air and flapping hard, they managed to pass over the tops of the buildings and swoop away across the town.

  At the same time, other Siyee had given up the struggle and Auraya felt a surge of pride as they used their pipes and harnesses to shoot poisoned darts at the landwalkers. A few of the Servants slowly collapsed onto the net, but their weight only served to hold the Siyee more firmly. The rest were unaffected.

  They’re shielding themselves with magic, Auraya realized, her heart sinking. The Siyee can’t hope to fight off Servants.

  :Auraya!

  Her heart skipped as she recognized Juran.

  :Yes?

  :What is going on? I can’t make any sense out of what Teel is showing me.

  :The Siyee attack failed. The Pentadrians knew they were coming, and have captured them.

  Auraya felt a pang of hope from someone below and realized that one Siyee, held down by the net, was staring up at her.

  Help me, he thought at her.

  She felt guilt, frustration and then anger. I can’t, she thought at the trapped Siyee. She clenched her fists. The gods had forbidden her to fight. There was no way she could help the Siyee without fighting.

  :What do you want me to do? she asked Juran.

  :The Pentadrians aren’t killing the Siyee?

  :No.

  He fell silent - probably deliberating. At his question an idea had come to Auraya. If the Pentadrians had known about the attack and intended to kill the Siyee, they wouldn’t have used the net. They intended to capture them.