Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, a Fantasy Adventure

by C. R. Daems

  We went from there into another room with another large pool filled with cold water. Surprisingly, it was invigorating. Hala and the other woman held towels ready to dry us as we stepped out. Once toweled off, we were led into a smaller room with padded tables, and they helped Anka up onto one. I stood to one side and watched.

  "Aaaaah, Aisha. This is wonderful." Rhiannon moaned for what seemed like hours but was probably only a little over fifteen minutes. When Hala finished the massage, our cleaned clothes were waiting. Dressed, we met Uzoma as we exited the baths.

  * * * *

  Uzoma led us down several narrow passages to a small, light-brown wall with decorative tiles around a wooden door. Inside the gate was a narrow garden and a small white building with a flat roof. The narrow windows were outlined with tiles that had intricate green, yellow, and orange patterns and carved sigils I didn't recognize. A heavy cloth material, not glass or wood, covered all of them. In the doorway, a small, plump woman awaited us.

  "Welcome to our home, Mistress Aisha and young Anka. May your days be filled with gentle, cool winds. My name is Akinyi, and this is my daughter Nyah."

  "Thank you, Akinyi. We are honored by your kind offer," I replied. Once inside, I saw a small house, two rooms separated by an arched opening with a cloth covering acting as a door. I assumed the room we entered served as kitchen, dining, family, and guest room, and that the other room was sleeping quarters. Their daughter, Nyah, looked a few years older than Rhiannon. She had her mother's features, raven hair and a striking figure. I found the food hotly spiced and tasty. Eating with my hands became strangely relaxing.

  After the meal, the five of us left for the market outside of the city gates. I sensed that most of the merchants had weak to moderate sigils that indicated amulets purchased from the Blessed ones. The most popular were Charm and Truth Sigils, although a few had Illusion Sigils. As we mingled with the shoppers, warriors passed with War or Energy Sigils and nobles, with a variety of sigils, mostly weak to moderate in strength. I wondered if the sigil holders realized the strength or weakness of their sigils. I kept my sigil off. I could just imagine the chaos if I suddenly negated all the Charm, Illusions, and Truth Sigils in my vicinity.

  Akinyi led us to several stalls with ready-made clothes. These were acceptable because the styles tended to be baggy or were cloth wraps. Sizes sold as small, medium, or large. For a silver scrule or two, they could be altered in minutes. I had to chuckle at Uzoma's bemused expression as he stood aside to watch us shop. Obviously, he had told the truth when he said he did not normally escort his wife and daughter. Even so, he stayed close enough to aid me if we should be attacked.

  "It's so strange and wonderful at the same time," Rhiannon said as we wandered the market visiting merchants. At one stall she found a small knife with a strange animal carved into the handle. "What is this figure? What is it carved from, Mistress Akinyi?"

  "There are giant animals in the Great Lake Tiamat. These figures are replicas of the animals, carved from their bones."

  I purchased several outfits for Rhiannon and me and found a set of black pants and shirt that could be tailored in the Talon style.

  "I hoped you found everything you needed, Mistress Aisha and young Anka," Akinyi said as we prepared to leave the market.

  "Yes, we did. You and your daughter have been very helpful, and you were very generous, cooking a meal for us, Akinyi. We hope you will accept this small gift from us." Rhiannon handed her the cloth that she and her daughter had admired while we shopped.

  "Thank you, Mistress Aisha, young Anka. We enjoyed your company. Feel free to call on us if you need any more help."

  I turned to Uzoma, who lagged behind us after hours of shopping. "Uzoma, would you please talk to the others? I will need one of you to escort two Talons to Granya. I will give the person who goes an additional gold piece. Whoever is selected should be at the castle training yard tomorrow morning at nine glasses, ready to leave."

  "I will take care of it, Mistress."

  After saying goodbye to his family, Uzoma escorted us back to the Red Hawk Inn to take up his post outside the door. Once in our room, Rhiannon sat quietly on the bed as her expression grew sad. "Mistress Aisha, do you think my father is dead?"

  "I don't know, Anka. Many people died that day because someone wants your father's power." I paused. Based on the size of the attack and the carnage, someone already with power wanted it badly. "I wish your father alive and well, but it would be best if you planned as if he were dead. It's like when I assumed the caravan would be attacked and planned accordingly. If I had been wrong, you and Leszek would have laughed at me. Not such a terrible thing. However, when we were attacked, we were prepared, and you survived."

  "I'm not old enough to be hi'Lady," Rhiannon said, her voice rising in desperation.

  "That is a wrong attitude. You are truly hi'Lady or you are not. If you are not, others will rule in your place. You need to listen to those with experience, but you must make the final decisions. I thought you were excellent today with Anton and so did the Talons. You listened to advice and you negotiated a very good contract." I spoke the truth to Rhiannon rather than words of comfort.

  "Anton Talon just felt sorry for me."

  I laughed at her suggestion. "Anka, Talons never feel sorry for anyone. Negotiating the best contract he could for the clan was Anton's responsibility. Although a Talon will never cheat you, he will charge as much as he can if you are willing and able to pay it. He merely conceded to your arguments because they were valid. The risk is minimal. And the Talons need to know what happened to the others of our clan."

  I wondered whether I had gone beyond protecting my young charge to tutoring or if tutoring was an intrinsic part of my contract in protecting her. Tomorrow I would allow Talons to teach her how to use a knife. I hoped I was doing the right thing. At times I felt so old, and at other times, like now, I felt so young and inexperienced.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Zenjir: A duel—Talon vs. Fang

  I awoke to the sound of voices outside the door to our room, footsteps fading into silence. I assumed it was our Jaddahan guard changing shifts. I would have to arrange a signal with them so I wouldn't have to assume such things. Rhiannon was sound asleep, but the room filled with the dusty light of dawn, so I rose.

  "Anka, it is time to rise. They will expect us at the castle at dawn." I gave her a slight shake.

  "You've gone from a cruel chaperone to a cruel advisor." She buried her head under the pillow.

  "At least you know I'm not trying to get on your good side." After a few minutes, she did get out of bed. We pulled on our new outfits I had tailored for physical training, loose shirt, pants pegged at the bottom, and a narrow sash to hold up the pants.

  Kibwe stood guard outside our door when Rhiannon and I stepped into the hallway.

  "Would you like to break fast with us, Kibwe?" I asked.

  "Yes, Mistress Aisha. Oluchi will meet us at the castle. He volunteered to guide your Talons to Granya and back. He thanks you for the extra coin." Kibwe's face lit with an easy smile. "They have a baby on the way. Their second."

  Breakfast was strange but tasty, a mixture of grain, meat of some kind, and egg. Kibwe, bright and cheerful, made good company.

  "Uzoma told me," Kibwe said, between bites of food, "that you and Anka are going to the castle today to work out with Baqir's Fangs. They are the finest warriors in Jaddah. The castle is the oldest structure in Zenjir. It was built over two hundred years ago and the mosaics are the builder's original work. Beautiful work. Of course there have been many additions since then."

  The trip to the castle was interesting in itself. The houses grew in size and so did the walls surrounding them as we moved closer to the castle, but the architecture seemed to remain the same. The only difference seemed to be that the mosaic designs adoring the walls and doors were bigger and more complex.

  The castle walls stood five stories high, easily five paces thick. Eight massive t
urrets were embedded in the outer wall and another five turrets rose to a height of ten stories. Two massive gates, now open, limited the access into the castle grounds. The guards looked alert, indicating good training and discipline.

  The guard gave Kibwe a quick yet thorough eye, then said to me, "Your reason for wanting access, Warrior."

  "We have an appointment with Master Anton Talon," I said.

  "One moment, I will have a guard escort you to him. He's in the training yard."

  While we waited off to the side, I looked around. Very different from the castles in Granya. This one didn't seem to be made of stone. Its surface was smooth and bright white except for inlaid mosaic tiles, which adorned the walls and pillars of an arched colonnade that spanned the length of the building. The mosaic's colors and intricate designs overwhelmed my senses. I had never seen a structure so amazing. The main building, a modest three stories high, had four golden domes of various sizes that rose close to four stories and a narrow cylindrical tower soaring twenty stories from one corner of the building.

  When the guard arrived, he led us around the main building to a smaller dome supported by two-story pillars every ten paces, creating a large covered space out of the intense sun. Inside, some warriors paired off to practice with a variety of weapons, while others lounged around the edge, watching.

  When we entered the training yard, Oluchi, Marku, and Stanko were waiting. Anton joined us immediately.

  "Anka, I have the contract ready for you. Please read it and sign it, if you agree." Anton handed Anka a parchment.

  "Anka, you need to read the contract," I said. "I will answer any questions you have." I led Rhiannon over to some empty benches used to observe the practice area. Anka sat and began reading. Anton had made the contract short and concise, typical of Talon agreements.

  "Mistress, it is what we agreed to. How should I sign it?" Rhiannon asked. I wasn't surprised. I had been calling her Anka to avoid advertising her identity, and Rhiannon didn't know whether she was Anka, the hi'Lady, or the hi'Lord's daughter. And she had never had to worry about money or signing anything.

  "Sign it ‘pri'Rhiannon' since, as far as you know, that is your current rank." Rhiannon signed it and we walked back to Anton. She handed it to him.

  "Marku, you and Stanko now are under contract to Anka. Warrior Oluchi will guide you to Granya and wait for you in Dahab to guide one of you back." After Anton waved them away, he turned to me. (dismissed them turning to me.) "Aisha, with your permission, I would like you to work with some of the Fang warriors while Cezar helps Anka with a knife. He will not leave her alone."

  "I could use the knife practice. Acting as a chaperone prohibits working out with a knife." I signed, **What is my cover?**

  **You are, Talon. Anka is your business. You could imply she is your daughter. Pri'Rhiannon is dangerously fond of you, Aisha.**

  **She is feeling very vulnerable.** I turned to Rhiannon. "Anka, Cezar Talon is going to show you how to use a knife while I practice." I pointed to Cezar. "It is very important that you work hard."

  "Yes, Mistress." Rhiannon said, smiled, and headed toward Cezar.

  "Farai, why don't you and Aisha Talon work out?" Anton said to a tall young man, dressed in a dark purple shirt and baggy pants, black calf-length boots, and a red sash. Farai went into the ring with me. Behind him, smirking, stood a young man that I heard someone call Amadi. He wore a rakish mustache and goatee. I shrugged and began my sparring with Farai.

  During the morning, I sparred with ten different warriors, only one of them a woman. They were all good, but none of them could match my skill. I did learn a few new moves and eventually worked out reasonable counters. For the most part, the Fangs' techniques were basic moves taught at the Aerie. After each fight, I went over the details of the match with my opponent.

  "Anton, I think that is enough for me today." I felt tired after my tenth match. I would be slower and my opponents wouldn't oppose my best.

  "You need a real man to fight. I'm next." Amadi approached me.

  "I'm finished for today, Warrior Amadi," I continued walking over to Rhiannon.

  "Are you afraid of a real fight?" Amadi yelled, but I ignored him.

  "Well Cezar, how did my ward do?"

  "They treated you easy because you are a woman. I think I could reduce you to tears," Amadi interrupted.

  "She did well, Aisha. She worked very hard," Cezar also ignored Amadi.

  "I think you are a coward and afraid to fight me!" Amadi shouted, spitting in my direction.

  "If you like, Warrior Amadi, you can demonstrate how bad I am tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to go get something to eat." I steered Rhiannon toward the gate.

  "Mistress, he called you a coward!" Rhiannon said indignantly as she intently watched me.

  "Amadi ignored the most important rule of fighting. He got excited. Emotions make you overly aggressive, careless, hesitant, or slow because you are distracted. The thought of embarrassing me had him excited, and he could have been pushed into anger with little effort. A Talon learns early not to be pushed into an emotional reaction. Besides, a Talon has nothing to prove, especially against wooden knives with stain on them. The only test of one's skill is when you are staring at someone with steel who wants to kill you." We followed Kibwe back to the inn. I noticed that he was very attentive during the walk.

  Back in the room, Rhiannon showed me the techniques she had been taught. Cezar had chosen situations that relied on the element of surprise. I concurred with his choices for Rhiannon.

  "But I doubt I will ever be good enough to fight with a knife, and I don't think I could stab anyone, anyway," Rhiannon said.

  "The most important element in a fight is surprise, doing something your opponent doesn't expect. If no one knows you carry a weapon and know how to use it, you have the element of surprise. The next most important element, knowing where to strike. Cezar will teach you that while we are here, but without the will to use your knife, it is useless. The final choice is yours. Remember, never draw your knife unless you decide you are willing to kill someone with it. Otherwise, it will be taken away and used against you. Either fight to kill or wait for me to do your fighting for you."

  "Why are you teaching me, Mistress?"

  "Because people are trying to kill you, and I may not be able to get to you in time. At least this way you will keep yourself alive until I get there. But the only way to truly defend yourself in a knife fight is to kill the one who is trying to kill you."

  * * * *

  The next day, when we arrived at the training yard, Anton pulled Rhiannon and me aside.

  "Aisha, Leszek Talon arrived last night. The healer treated his wounds, and he should recover in a few days. He had serious cuts to his arms and chest and lost a lot of blood."

  "Can I see him?"

  "Farai," Anton called. He joined us. "Take Aisha over to the room where Leszek Talon recovers. Cezar and I will watch Anka."

  Farai laughed and said, "The warriors who brought him in last night said he was a magnificent fighter. They found him fighting twelve soldiers. They were tempted to wait and see if he would win." The room was large and could accommodate several persons, but Leszek was alone, lying in bed covered with a light blanket. I walked over and kissed him on the forehead. I was happy to see him. He opened his eyes.

  "Sister Aisha. It is good to see you alive. I heard you escaped with Rhiannon." His voice sounded weak and shaky. "I'm sorry I can't get up to greet you."

  "Don't you dare try. I convinced myself you hadn't survived. The last time I saw you, I thought I was leaving you to die." My eyes moistened. I choked back a sob of joy.

  "I probably would have, but a group of attackers got around us and entered the forest a few minutes after you did, so I disengaged to follow them. I thought I could harass them from the rear to slow down their pursuit. They split into small groups and took off in different directions, tracking where you had gone." Leszek paused, and I handed him a glass of water on th
e table next to his bunk. "I hunted your pursuers, killing everyone I could find. If any other Talons escaped, I didn't see them."

  "I had wondered about the lapses in our pursuit." I thought about our encounters in the hours after fleeing the camp. "Your distraction helped us elude them."

  "At some point in the action, they encircled me. I fled into Jaddah, but they pursued me across the border. I started toward Zenjir, and then they trapped me in a ravine an hour later. I fought. It was a losing battle. I think I may have killed three or four and wounded another two before they closed in for the kill. That was when ten Jaddah warriors descended on them. Afterward, I agreed to pay the Jaddahans to take me to Zenjir, and the rest..." He waved a hand weakly.

  "Did you know they were Valdans, supporting sec'Lord Tadzio?"

  "Not until yesterday. The Jaddahan told me on the way to Zenjir." Leszek paused, stared at the opposite wall with a scowl, and blinked hard as though forcing back tears. "Aisha, I'm scared." I couldn't believe what I heard.

  "Why?"

  "Healer Herk wants to be the Master Healer for Savona. Remember that he conspired with tri'Lady Caster. She told him he would be appointed when hi'Lord Varius was replaced."

  Once more Leszek stopped and looked at me for several heartbeats before continuing. "I fear that Healer Herk knows Healer Luminita is my wife. He will want her imprisoned or killed. The hi'Lord Radulf may execute her and my son because she married a Talon." Leszek blurted in a rush as a tear ran down his cheek. I stood shocked and didn't know what to say. He had a son. He was married to Master Luminita, and he was distraught. I sat down and took his hand in mine while I tried to sort out my thoughts. He looked away but squeezed my hand in his.

  "Unless I'm wrong, Brother Leszek, your wife is no one's fool. She will understand the danger and take appropriate action. She won't risk herself or your child by staying in the castle. We will find her. Rhiannon and I will help."