by C. R. Daems
Rhiannon stood up and waved. "Look, Aisha, one of my father's knights."
I sensed the Illusion Sigil. Rhiannon saw a knight in her father's colors, tall, handsome, and smiling. Our savior. What I saw was a misty illusion and an enemy knight with a menacing sneer.
"Rhiann—" echoed through the forest as he fell off his horse with my last arrow in his eye.
"No, he is here to help us!"
He fell and his illusion faded. Three soldiers appeared out of the trees. I sensed they each wore War Sigils. They smiled as they fanned out in a line. Rhiannon realized her mistake and moved behind me. I edged to my right, forcing them into a line so they couldn't encircle us.
The lead man wasn't worried because he trusted his sigil. is sigil didn't notify him it stopped working. He rushed in, sword flashing in a figure eight. I put a throwing knife through his neck on his first step. The next soldier waited for his partner to get even with him. I shifted left to attack, putting him between his partner and me. We locked guards. I kicked hard down through his knee. Bones crunched, he screamed, and I pushed him into his partner. By the time the other shoved him out of the way, I moved in close with a knife in my hand. He tried to swing at me, but I was close and moving fast. My knife slid into his belly and up into his heart. The attacker with the broken knee crawled toward me, sword in hand, as I brought my sword down on his neck in a killing blow.
"Can you make a fire, Anka?" I collected my knives.
"Fire? They will see it and know where we are!"
"The wind is from the south. If we start a fire, it will spread back toward the soldiers following us." I plucked a handful of grass, tossed it into the air, and watched it drift on the breeze. "The wind is from the south."
"They will just go around it. They know we are headed to Dassel." Rhiannon sounded weary.
"Think! Yes, they'll go around it and assume we'll continue south after setting the fire. They will think we're headed for Dassel. And yes, they will kill us if we do what they think we'll do." I sighed at how much she had to learn so fast.
"So what do we do instead?"
"Go west?"
"Right. They're trying to box us in. That's why the pursuit has slowed. So instead of doing what they expect, at first, we'll follow along the line of the fire so that we end up behind them. Instead of doing what they expect, we'll go toward Jaddah to the west." I watched Rhiannon as I talked. I needed to know if my charge would focus and obey my commands. It didn't affect my duty, but it might affect our safety.
"I'm sorry, Aisha. You're right, I'm whining. I'm scared, and I'm not helping. I think I can start the fire." Rhiannon opened our kit and found the flint and char cloth. It took her a few tries, but she got a small fire going.
"Very good, Anka." I lit the two torches I had made while Rhiannon was starting the fire. "We are close to the road now because we have been traveling east since our last encounter. We will set a fire here and work our way to the river's edge, then backtrack and follow the fire north for an hour or two. By that time, the attackers should circumvent the fire and search for us ahead of the burned-out area. We'll cross the river and head west into Jaddah. Any questions?"
"Aisha, father always said that the Jaddahan people are vicious and cruel. Will we be safe?" We trotted toward the river, trailing our torches in the brush to set fires along the way.
"Nothing we do will be safe. As for the Jaddahans, the desert nomads lead a very harsh life. That makes them appear cruel to those who live in kingdoms like Granya and Valda where life is easier. They are excellent fighters, seen as vicious by those who challenge them. Who could be more vicious than those who attacked us last night?"
Rhiannon didn't answer. My remarks were based on what I had learned at the Aerie about Jaddah and its people. Soon, we would find out the truth.
The fire line was set in about half an hour.
"Now we go back to the middle and follow the fire north." I pointed into the already-burned-out area. The wind had stepped up and the fire gained strength. We followed the most intense part of the fire so we wouldn't be seen; the smoke hid us as well. After an hour, we rested next to a small gully surrounded by burned-out brush. We were hot, drenched with sweat, and covered with soot.
After some respite, I heard men talking. Through the brush I saw ten soldiers walking along the edge of the water, about fifty paces away. I wanted to get into the river before daylight, but I needed to make sure all the soldiers were well ahead of us before we tried to cross. So we waited.
I nudged Rhiannon, who had fallen asleep. A good thing. Many hours will pass before we get to sleep again. "Can you swim, Anka?"
"No, Aisha," Rhiannon said. She rubbed her eyes to wake up. Then she straightened. "No, but I can hang onto something."
"Good, we'll find a log or something to hang onto. I'm not a good swimmer either." I spotted a large log in the water, caught in a small inlet. It looked big enough to keep Rhiannon and me afloat.
"Anka, our ferry is waiting over there."
I helped Rhiannon into the water, tied our kit to the stub of a branch, and pushed off into the river. I kicked to maintain travel in the middle of the river until I saw a clearing on the opposite bank. We scrambled to shore and into a sparse growth of trees.
"I'm sorry we can't rest, Anka, but we must get as far as we can before it gets light. The soldiers might realize what we have done. Besides, it is best to travel at night in the desert." I felt sorry for her. I was in excellent condition and used to hardships. Rhiannon was not. This experience could build her character or destroy it.
"Lead on, my cruel chaperone. I'm so tired I think I'll be able to sleep while we walk." Rhiannon waved her hand toward the infinite sandy landscape.
With no landmarks, finding our way to Zenjir would be difficult. Sand dunes prevented us from seeing long distances. I became concerned that we could travel in circles or become lost in the desert and, worse yet, run out of water, a worse death than assassination. I remembered that sailors navigate using the stars. I wasn't a navigator, but I thought I could use the moon to guide us. It would rise in about the same place each evening. So I could use it as a reference starting point for the night's journey. Behind me was east, directly in front of me west, and the moon about a quarter of a turn to my left, about where Zenjir should be. If I was right, we should soon meet other travelers.
I slung the kit over my shoulder and started out facing the moon. In places, the ground was hard as rock, walking easy, but most of the time we walked in soft sand, where our going was slow and tiring.
Trudging along, I wondered whether Rhiannon's father or my instructors at the Aerie were right about Jaddah. Or were they the same view expressed in different words?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Escape into Jaddah: Encounter with warriors
I wouldn't let Rhiannon stop until well after dawn. I knew from my studies that the sun made Jaddah scorching hot. We would make better time to rest under cover until the sun went down. I found a few sparse bushes and, using my sword and bow, made a small lean-to with clothes from our kit. Rhiannon fell asleep almost immediately. I stood watch, listening to the sounds of the desert until I was sure any change would awaken me. I awoke as the sun began to set. The air was still hot, but it would soon be cool, if not cold.
We had another cold snack from our dwindling supply of food. I had decided on a week's supply of food when I made up the kit's contents, a week of Talon—not palace—meals. I might have underestimated the time we would be on the run and the difficulty of finding edible game.
We began walking even before the sun had set. Before long, the moon would be visible, so I could determine the direction of Zenjir.
"Aisha, are we going to die?" Rhiannon said.
"Eventually."
"You know what I mean, here, in the desert."
"I hope not. I'm too young."
Rhiannon walked in silence for several minutes, looking down at her feet as they sank into the soft sand. "Yes, I'm whining.
I can't help it. I'm tired, hungry, and scared."
"And you're alive. Think of this as an exciting adventure."
"Adventure? Don't you ever get scared, Aisha?"
"I would if it helped, but it doesn't. In fact, when you're scared, you tend to stop thinking, and you have a real reason to be scared." I laughed and soon Rhiannon joined in.
We trudged through the soft sand that dragged at our feet. At the top of each dune, I stopped to scan the distance. I hoped the soldiers figured that we had either doubled back toward Livorno or fled through the forest toward the town of Borkum on the East Mystic River, eighty leagues away. Most people wouldn't flee into the desert. Moreover, the people of Jaddah wouldn't treat armed soldiers as friends, should they cross their borders.
Late that night, I saw them. I stopped; we had nowhere to run or hide. I prepared myself to fight.
"Anka, there are at least four mounted riders several hundred paces behind us. I don't know whether they are friendly or not, but, if they aren't, do you remember our practice sessions in Savona?"
"Yes, Aisha."
"Good. Stay three or four paces behind me and keep me between you and the attackers." I had only my knives and a sword, because I had used all of my arrows during our flight through the forest. They had the initiative. I could do nothing but wait and see what they would do. I thought it was curious that they didn't seem to be rushing to overtake us. In fact, it appeared that they were walking their horses, content to follow us.
Ten minutes later, four Jaddahan warriors wandered in. They dismounted several paces from Rhiannon and me. Rhiannon moved behind me. They were dressed in white baggy shirts and pants, leather sandals tied up the ankle and around the bottom of their pants, dark maroon sashes with two curved, black-handled daggers, and in the keffiyeh headdress of Jaddahan warriors. The woman, who seemed to be their leader, had a longer sash striped with a vivid red. Their horses, Sangolas, were much shorter than Savona warhorses, had wide feet with no apparent hooves, broad chests and shorter backs than other breeds, which I had learned was to give them enormous endurance.
"Chimola, what do you think? A slave and a noble for ransom, or two slaves?" a young warrior asked while the warrior in the lead stood and inspected us.
"They are being chased by Valdan soldiers, Kibwe. They are either criminals or nobles," Chimola said as she approached us. She was tall, dark skinned, in her thirties, with a weathered face that smiled at the moment. I also detected a strong Illusion Sigil.
"Kneel, so I can put collars on you. We will determine later if you are ransomed or sold. In the meantime, you are my property." Chimola drew her dagger and pointed her knife to the ground at her feet.
She took a step toward us. I drew my knife and motioned for Rhiannon to stay where she was.
"Continue, and you will have no need of slaves or mates," I said.
Chimola stopped in surprise. Her three companions laughed.
"Chimola, I can't believe a girl has put you in your place," one warrior said.
"I'm embarrassed for you, Chimola," another said.
"Oh, the drinks this story will earn," Kibwe said, still laughing. He was younger and smaller than Chimola with an easy smile and laugh.
"Astrakan steel. A knife fighter." Chimola broadened her smile as her warriors cheered her on.
"Fight, fight! First blood wins!" they chanted.
"First blood wins. If I win, you and she are my slaves. If you win, you go free." Chimola proposed this challenge as if being a slave wasn't all that bad.
"First death wins," I answered. Anyone could draw first blood. To the death was the only way to determine the best fighter. Besides, no Talon would ever agree to be a slave under any conditions.
Chimola stepped back and frowned as she stared at me. Three more figures of Chimola appeared, merged as one, and then separated again. The real Chimola meant to hide in her illusion. My sigil, however, revealed that the real Chimola was second from the right. The quartet fanned out in a crescent formation and began their approach. I waited as the illusions circled me. All four rushed me simultaneously. I parried the real Chimola's stomach-level slash and ignored the other three. Surprised, Chimola stumbled backward as I pressed my attack, scoring a three-inch cut across the back of her hand. I stopped and let her back out of range.
Shaking her head, she gave a signal. Her three companions dismounted, drawing their daggers, and spread out in a crescent formation. I never moved except to draw a throwing knife from my back harness for my left hand and folded the dagger in my right so that the blade's spine lay along my wrist.
"Chimola, she's a Talon," the older warrior said.
"You're good, Talon. I don't know how you were able to pick me out of the illusion, but do you think you can win against four Jaddahan warriors?" Chimola crouched and prepared to attack.
"Ah. Perhaps what I heard about Jaddahan honor was a lie. I'm embarrassed for you. Four against one, then." I motioned with my knife. "We shall see warrior. The question is who will die first."
"I don't want you to die for me, Aisha!" Rhiannon cried out.
"There, Aisha Talon, you have an alternative to dying," Chimola said. "You can be a live slave."
"You have a choice, warrior, live or die. I have only duty." By now, I was deep in combat mode, where no emotions exist, only awareness. The slightest move would begin the killing. Death meant little to me now. I am Talon. Only duty to the clan and the clan's contracts mattered.
"Chimola, a Talon with duty is a bad thing," the older man said softly.
"What do you want, Aisha Talon?" Chimola asked. The tension vibrated in the air around us like angry bees.
"I would like to hire you to take us to Zenjir and to be our bodyguards until Anka is able to return home." No one moved. I could hear their breathing and sensed a subtle shifting of weight. Chimola and the older man's breathing were normal and their bodies still. Kibwe and the other warrior's breathing were fast as they shifted their weight from foot to foot.
"How long, how much?"
"One half gold each week, ten gold when Anka is returned safely."
"Two gold each week, one hundred gold when Anka is returned safely," Chimola countered.
"One gold each week, fifty gold when Anka is returned. A fair offer and final." I could hear Rhiannon shuffling closer as the deadly negotiations went on, closing the angle of exposure to the four warriors as I had taught her.
"Blood oath of Talon and Jaddah warrior," Chimola demanded.
"Blood oath," I confirmed. I relaxed as the warriors returned their knives to the sheaths in their sashes and beckoned Rhiannon to join me.
"Give me your arm, Anka," I said. I made a small cut on my arm first then hers, using my throwing knife.
She was too shocked even to flinch as I made the small, shallow cut. She stared at it and looked faint as the blood slowly oozed out. At the same time, Chimola and her companions repeated the process a few paces away.
Chimola and I repeated the bargain and gripped arms, touching the blood together. I pulled Rhiannon over by her arm and held it against Chimola's. We repeated the process six more times before the bargain was considered sealed.
"Are we being followed, Chimola?" I asked as we sat sharing the Jaddahans' meal of dried goat meat, flat bread, and water. Their cold food was not only different but also far tastier with its exotic spices.
"No, they searched the shore for your tracks but couldn't find any trace, so they abandoned the river search and went inland."
"They must have been blind or lazy." I thought back to our rush to cross the river. "We must have left tracks."
"You did. We covered them." Kibwe laughed. "Not every day good slaves cross into Jaddah."
"We should leave now," Chimola said. "With only four Sangolas between us, Aisha Talon and Anka can ride one Sangola while each of us will take a turn walking."
"Chimola, you may call me Aisha. I will take my turn walking or running."
"It would have been a good f
ight, Talon."
* * * *
It took two more nights to travel twenty-four leagues to Zenjir. Except for Rhiannon, we each took our turn trotting alongside the Sangolas. I enjoyed the opportunity to run. The last several weeks had given me little chance to practice. Before dawn each day, we stopped and had our only hot meal of the day. The meal tasted strange and spicy hot but tasty: flat bread, flavored grain, brown fruit with seeds, and goat meat with a hot and spicy milk sauce. As we sat around the fire, I asked what Chimola and her friends knew about events in Granya.
"Chimola, you said that you wiped our tracks clean and that there were Valdan soldiers. Are you sure?"
"Oh yes," she said. "Those chasing you from the north didn't have Valdan uniforms. But the ones who backtracked came from the south and had Valdan uniforms. They knew each other and were from the same force. Strange that Valdan soldiers were on Granya soil and stranger still that they were chasing you and Anka. Did they chase you from Valda, or did they enter Granya to find you?"
I changed the subject. "What is Zenjir like?" I didn't want to talk about what had happened until I knew more about Chimola and the situation in Granya. Chimola smiled at me and didn't press further.
"It is an oasis in the desert. A great city, many people and many warriors." We learned a little about Zenjir and the Jaddahans that night as each of the warriors shared stories about their homeland and their travels. Chimola and her small group were scouts who roamed the border with Granya and sometimes Valda, watching for undefined incursions into Jaddah. Their clan paid them for their services. Chimola avoided the details.
* * * *
Magnificent! The only word I could think to describe what I saw did it no justice. The town of Zenjir shimmered in the sunlight like the grains of sand that made up the kingdom of Jaddah. The architecture radiated a beauty I never had seen, strangely designed domes and curved arches. I saw paintings as a student at the Aerie, but no picture could approach the vivid colors and majesty that lay before me.
