A Voice That Thunders (Voice that Thunders #1)

by Cully Mack

  ‘We didn’t think it was,’ said Neviah. Her tone defied him even though she dared not meet his eyes.

  Dara rubbed the bridge of her nose and flashed her a warning glare. ‘What Nev meant to say was thank you.’ She turned towards Neviah who stood with her hands on her hips. ‘Isn’t that right?’

  Neviah stayed silent, longer than Mirah believed his patience would last, before mumbling, ‘Thank you.’

  He unfolded his arms and dismissed her. ‘I’ve come to tell you there are no prisoners aboard my ship. When we reach our destination… well let’s just say that’s up to you. You are free in daylight hours to come above deck as you please. At night you will go below for your own safety. My men won’t harm you in any way. I just don’t want anyone falling overboard.’ He pointed across the length of the ship. ‘At the stern is a makeshift area for your private affairs.’ He focused on Mirah, ‘We don’t have any ginger but if you give what you have, I’ll make sure one of my crew brews some ginger tea.’ Turning back to the rest he said, ‘For now, eat and enjoy the sunshine.’ He turned to go but hesitated. ‘My name is Nate,’ and then strode away.

  Mirah thought she caught the glint of warmth in his eyes but it disappeared and so did he towards the ship’s bow. She’d had no expectations other than being trapped below deck for her foreseeable future and after that, what then?

  No one dared speak for fear of being overheard and one by one they ate. Halfway through sucking the juice out of a chunk of pineapple, Mirah remembered the giants. Attempting to not draw attention, she scanned her eyes over the vessel and found it larger than expected.

  The hatch opened up roughly in the centre, and behind her, further along, was a small wooden structure with a door which she presumed led down into another section of the ship.

  On the bow of the ship sat one solitary giant. His back towards them as he gazed out over the sea. His frame resembled an ox, muscular as though he’d spent his days on the plough. Strands of his long, red hair had escaped its binding and whipped around in the breeze.

  Nate stood beside him, his head and shoulders rising above the seated giant. From what Mirah discerned, he showed the giant no fear, and he gestured with an air of confidence which Mirah knew she would never gain.

  She caught Neviah’s eye and flicked her own in the giant’s direction. Neviah and the others followed her gaze.

  ‘I need to go to the privy,’ Ayla said.

  Not wanting to separate, the girls made their way to the ship’s stern. They found a private area sectioned off by a makeshift tent hung over wooden beams. Inside, sat a barrel of water for washing and a smaller pail, light enough to carry and throw its contents overboard. Ayla entered as the others waited outside and she retched up the fruit she’d just eaten.

  ‘Did you see the giant?’ Dara asked.

  ‘Of course, we did,’ Neviah said. ‘Who could miss that hulking monstrosity?’

  ‘Where are the rest?’ asked Huldah.

  ‘Maybe they’re on the other ships,’ Abela said, casting her gaze over the ocean. ‘I wonder where they have gone? I can’t see any.’

  Neviah’s lip curled into a feral snarl. ‘I don’t know. Who cares? We only need to concern ourselves with this one. You’re not prisoners aboard my ship,’ she recited, doing an accurate impression of Nate’s accent. ‘I don’t understand what game he’s playing but I’m not buying it. They have just murdered our families. Ripped us from our homes. And who knows what is waiting for us when we reach their destination. I hate them.’

  Neviah’s pale blue eyes became glassy, and she blinked back the tears she refused to let fall.

  Mirah understood she should hate them. What they’d done was justifiable enough to warrant such hostility. They terrified her and she didn’t trust them. But the hatred didn’t come, her emotions were too numb. Seeing the tiny fractures forming in Neviah’s mind, she was at a loss of how to help her. She couldn’t even fathom how to help herself.

  Neviah relaxed her shoulders and let go of her hair. ‘Look, let’s keep quiet, watch their routine and try to find a way off this ship.’

  For the rest of the day they stayed near the makeshift tent at the ship’s stern. The day’s heat battled with a gentle breeze, neither surrendering to the other.

  They watched as the crew shifted around attending one chore or another. Twice men above deck retreated to the lowest deck to relieve those on the oars. The giant never moved from the bow and Nate traversed the deck, giving orders and keeping a constant eye towards its stern.

  Before sunset, the lingering odour of cooking fish mingled into the salty air. They were requested to return to the barrels to eat before returning below deck. This became their routine for the next few days. At night, in the inky blackness of the hold, they thrashed out and dismissed ideas of ways to escape.

  ❊

  Towards the end of the week, wrathful clouds raised a shadowy protest and lightning cracked forked tongues against the choppy waves. They spent the day below deck clinging to anything fixed in place as the ship creaked and groaned. The storm broke just before sunset and they ascended from the hold to the usual smell of fish.

  Mirah stood leaning against the side of the ship as the others finished washing in the tent. She noticed hints of starlight awakening in the dimming sky and turned to go.

  ‘Stay,’ Nate said.

  She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. The others filled out of the tent and paused.

  ‘Go below,’ Nate ordered them. ‘I won’t keep her long.’

  They hesitated and Neviah stepped forward but Dara wrapped her arm around her waistline drawing her away. Their footsteps padded towards the hatch and then they went silent.

  He didn’t say a word as they watched the constellations sprinkle to life and spread their sky map across the heavens. Mirah thought of her brother Gabe, alone, with only spectacles of celestial beauty to breach his darkness.

  ‘How old are you?’ Nate asked, his confident tone a little softer.

  She considered staying silent, but she was too afraid to make him angry, besides knowing her age didn’t appear too much of a risk. ‘Seventeen.’

  ‘And the others?’

  ‘Dara, the slender one with the waist length dark hair, is the eldest. She’s nearing twenty.’

  ‘And the blonde ones, they’re twins, right?’

  She glanced down to see his fingers tapping on the ship’s rail. ‘Ayla and Abela are the youngest. They’re fifteen.’

  ‘And the stubborn one?’

  ‘Neviah is seventeen and so is Huldah.’

  ‘How is Abela?’

  It surprised her he’d thought to ask. ‘The tea is helping, thank you.’

  She was aware he judged her responses, testing them for truth. What else did he see other than her slight frame? She let the waves of her messy red hair fall over her face, creating a shield between them. Through her hair, she watched the universe as it expanded until she felt herself fading. She wished she could walk across the waters or sink into the ocean. If only she could slip into a dream where none of this was real.

  ‘Do you know the constellations?’

  Mirah shrugged.

  ‘Come, let me show you.’

  She followed as he walked to the stern of the vessel.

  ‘The sky is divided into three parts. To the north is the way of Enlil, the south is the way of Enki and in between is the way of Anu, their father.’ He pointed ahead, ‘That is the star of Anunitu, goddess of childbirth. She stands in the path of the moon and behind her is Dumuzi, the hired man. Over that way is The Seven Stars—the seven gods, and that is The Snake—Mastema lord of the netherworld.’

  As Nate pointed them out Mirah tried to remember their locations. She recognised none of their names but their positions mapped out a carousel of incandescent beacons which could light her way home.

  ‘Some believe Anu created the stars as soldiers to destroy the wicked.’

  She peeked through her hair and found him
watching her. ‘What good are soldiers seated in the heavens?’

  She wanted to say if that were true then surely they would have destroyed you but those thoughts were safer kept to herself.

  ‘What good indeed,’ he said.

  His tone stung with an undercurrent of resentment. She considered pressing him further but his white-knuckled fingers gripped the wooden beam so hard she decided to remain silent.

  ‘I’m sorry about your mother. Was there anyone else you cared for at Barakel?’

  Her mind flashed back, and she remembered that it was him who’d dragged her away from the central cavern and how she’d thrashed against his tight hold to return to her Ma. He’d snapped at her saying, you don’t need to see this, and his repentant, furious glare had urged her to move faster.

  She couldn’t work out his agenda as he regarded her now waiting for an answer.

  ‘My Pa died in a hunting accident a few years ago.’

  She recalled Neviah’s warning not to mention Gabe, and it wasn’t a total lie. Gabe, to her relief, had not been there. If Nate noticed her omission, he gave no indication.

  ‘You have to know. I never raised my sword against any of your Kinsmen.’

  ‘Why then? Is the giant in charge?’

  His eyes burned like a blue heated flame, expressive and full of contradiction and for a moment she suspected he’d stay silent.

  ‘Who Bishnor? Don’t be ridiculous.’ Nate sighed. ‘What happened at Barakel, it shouldn’t have gone that way. We came for a tithe but your Elders refused.’

  ‘So you let the giants slaughter them?’

  ‘Your Clan drew blood first, leaving me in no position to stop Bishnor.’

  She knew it was pointless explaining that the one who’d thrown the first dagger wasn’t from her clan. He’d been a trader who’d injured his leg and for reasons unknown hadn’t moved on.

  None of what Nate was saying made sense. The giants could force anyone to do anything as far as it concerned her. The men were Nate’s, they responded to his commands without hesitation. If the giant, Bishnor, didn’t outrank him then why hadn’t he stopped them?

  A well of emptiness in the pit of her stomach filled with angry emotions. They clashed together, spitting sparks of fury, scorching her, consuming her.

  ‘I’m tired, I need to go,’ she said and turned to leave without waiting for his dismissal.

  He followed. If he noticed the unquenchable fire threatening to erupt in her, he didn’t show it.

  As they reached the hatch, she couldn’t even bring herself to face him. ‘Good night,’ she said, dipping her head into the darkness.

  He leaned into the hold and whispered, ‘When we get to Hermonial, I will make sure the Azu heal Abela.’

  By the time she reached the bottom step, burning tears coursed down her cheeks. She wiped them away, so as to not alarm the others and fumbled in the darkness to her bedroll.

  ‘What happened?’ Dara asked.

  ‘I’m tired.’ She pulled the blanket tight under her chin and wiped her nose.

  ‘What did he want?’ Neviah pushed.

  ‘I don’t know. He didn’t touch me Nev, if that’s what you’re thinking. Although he did ask about Abela. He mentioned something about sending her to the Azu. I think they might be healers.’

  Abela sat up. ‘Do you think they can help me?’

  ‘That’s what he said.’

  Ayla shuffled on her bedroll. ‘How?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘What else did he say?’ Neviah demanded.

  ‘He taught me some of the constellations and from what he showed me, we may be heading north but I can’t be sure. He said we are going to Hermonial.’

  ‘Never heard of it,’ said Dara.

  The others shook their heads in agreement.

  ‘If you flash your pretty green eyes at him, you may be able to glean more information. Something which might be useful,’ Neviah said.

  Mirah considered telling them he’d mentioned he was sorry, but she knew they’d never believe it. She wasn’t even sure if she did.

  ‘He said they came for a tithe.’

  ‘What sort of tithe?’ Dara asked.

  ‘I don’t know. I think maybe it might be us.’

  ❊　2　❊

  They had been sailing for several days and Mirah was beginning to understand the layout of the heavenly hosts. Nate had told her the stars were not just used for navigation and announcing the cycle of the seasons, but they were also a symbolic representation of deities and heroic figures of renown.

  He’d said for those who could discern them, they mapped their adventures out across the heavens, from the beginning of time. She had never given much thought to deities but of the ones he mentioned, none of them sounded appealing. He didn’t seem to prefer one over the other and she often caught a resistance to something simmering within his eyes.

  Their routine stayed the same. Up at first light, fruit for breakfast, watching the endless sea as it escaped over the horizon and later spitting out fish bones before the others retired leaving her to gather more information.

  The one thing of interest to report was the giant, Bishnor, was Nate’s younger half-brother and although the strength of his muscled frame didn’t show it, he was only nineteen.

  On the ninth day, land came into view. They followed parallel to a weathered white cliff face until it receded into a sizeable cove. In its basin were the remaining ships of Nate’s fleet. She saw eight in total and like the one they were on, all boasted three levels. The vessels hung low in the lapping water, weighted down by a congregation of battle ready giants on board. Nate’s vessel didn’t enter the cove and soon after the other ships followed.

  They’d been travelling along the coastline for much of the day when in the distance, several spirals of smoke rose from beyond a headland. Nate ordered his oarsmen to cease, and the vessel slowed to a halt.

  The other ships continued on until they reached the headland. Giants and men lowered boats into the water and rowed towards what she presumed was a hidden bay.

  Mirah waited and watched as seabirds launched themselves from the cliff face. They dove into the rhythmic sea, emerging to return to their nests with silver fish.

  It must have been a few hours before the boats returned, one breaking off from the rest and heading towards them. As it neared Mirah could see six girls around her age seated between two hulking giants.

  Bishnor got up and with heavy thudding footsteps crossed the deck. It was the first time she’d seen him move from the bow. Her stomach drained with dread as he towered above her. His face had underlying feline features with a broad ridged nose set over flaring nostrils. Charcoal-black vertical slits slashed through his blazing, fire opal eyes. They pierced right through her without acknowledging her existence. She took a deep breath but the warm breeze felt like it would never sustain her and did nothing to prevent the rise of overwhelming fear.

  He leaned over the side and the whole ship dipped into the wave. ‘Was there any trouble?’

  His voice was as expected, similar to the dreaded rumbling of rocks during a cavern landslide yet she hadn’t anticipated the hitch in his tone as though any trouble sent him shivers of excitement.

  ‘No. They agreed to our terms,’ replied the bulkiest of the two giants seated in the boat.

  ‘Return to your ship. There is another bay not far along the coastline. Tell Balashi we’ll collect tithes from there before nightfall.’

  Bishnor, pushed his hands off the rail, and retreated to the ship’s bow. Nate coordinated the transfer of the girls aboard and then ordered two of his men to lead them below deck.

  ‘You are monsters the lot you,’ Neviah yelled and tore off after the new arrivals.

  Horrified by Neviah’s outburst, Mirah and then the rest followed after her.

  ‘If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll cut out your tongue,’ Nate’s voice echoed from behind them.

  So shocked, Mirah spun on
the spot and glared at him. Every moment of doubt fled when faced with the vision of him standing before her. Nothing, not even a hint of what she thought lay beneath remained. She heard the others’ footsteps distancing behind her but couldn’t move.

  Nate came over, gripped her hand and tugged her after the others. ‘It’s not safe for you here right now,’ he whispered.

  It was as though his manner revealed one thing and his words pleaded something else. She didn’t dare look back at Bishnor for confirmation.

  The new girls gathered together in a corner of the hold. They were all blonde with long braided hair and wearing fine woven, goat hair skirts, decorated with tiny blue beads.

  Dara and Ayla tried to give them solace as best they could. All Mirah could do was offer smiles of reassurance whilst at the same time battling the conviction she had no assurances to give.

  When it was time to eat, they declined to come up on deck. Nate instructed the crew to take food down into the hold but the new girls still refused.

  ‘I don’t blame them,’ Dara said. ‘We’ll be growing gills if we eat fish for much longer.’

  After dark, they ushered another group of six down through the hatch. The girls spread out over the hold, huddled in their own groups on bedrolls in the darkness.

  It was the first night Mirah didn’t spend time gazing up at the stars. She was wondering if Nate had noticed her absence when Neviah’s voice rose above the new girl’s whispers.

  ‘You were right. We are a tithe. That giant confirmed it.’

  Mirah sighed. She imagined the new girls’ Elders had handed them over out of fear. She’d heard no screams or sounds of fighting. Was Nate telling the truth when he’d claimed what happened at Barakel wasn’t supposed to go that way? She knew the others assumed the worst but how could she tell them? Neviah wouldn’t hold her temper. She’d never believe it even after insisting he confess. Mirah didn’t understand his motives but somehow knew to expose him risked endangering them more.

  ‘I think I may know a way to escape,’ Dara said.