“Tell the council how you came to capture this prisoner,” the lord commander said to Sigrid. Out of the corner of her eye, Eva saw Vance suppress a frown. He might have only been a few years older, but as a superior officer to Sigrid, Eva knew it rankled Vance to be glossed over for an event that’d happened under his command, on his patrol.
While Sigrid recounted the events from that evening, Eva did her best to hold still, fighting an impulse to shift her weight from foot to foot or twist her hand round the grip of her sword. The toll of their journey washed over her, fatigue pulling at the chainmail and leather armor she wore as part of the Windsworn field kit. When Sigrid finished, the lord commander — Eva wouldn’t dream of calling him Uncle Andor in front of the council — nodded to Chel.
“I think it’s time we heard your version of the story, Juarag,” he said, face a blank mask.
Chel took a step forward, ignoring her bristling guards. Eva admired the courage the young woman showed before the council but wasn’t sure if it was born from Chel’s confidence or ignorance about who she was speaking to. As Chel started speaking, Eva felt her heart pound faster and the nape of her neck tingle.
“Over twenty years ago, a man on a golden gryphon wandered across the prairie, alone,” Chel said. “I was separated from the rest of my tribe and he saved my life. Once safe, I ran back to my tribe and told them of this man and his gryphon. Our chieftain told me to lead her and our warriors back to the spot where I had seen this man. She told me she had foreseen his coming, that he would save our people.”
“Your people?” Andor asked. “The Juarag?”
Chel shook her head. “My people are Juarag-Vo, a tribe without a tribe, outcasts and unwanteds who banded together for safety and protection. Our matriarch, Shera-Tal convinced this sky warrior to help us.”
“Help you with what?” Captain Velinda asked. She’d been promoted to Andor’s Left Wing following Celina’s betrayal and had spent the majority of her time since protecting trade caravans from Juarag attacks. About a year previous, her gryphon had been injured in a fierce battle with a sabercat. As a result, Velinda had a personal vendetta against the Juarag.
“The iron men from the east were growing bolder, venturing into the eastern edge of the Endless. We were driven from our hunting grounds, caught between the Juarag and the iron men with nowhere to go.”
“What are these iron men you speak of?” Uthred asked, speaking for the first time. Although his voice was low, it carried across the room for all to hear.
A knot like a hot iron ingot settled in the pit of Eva’s stomach. She had a bad feeling she already knew what Chel meant by “iron men.” They sounded eerily similar to the iron golem she’d fought in the catacombs of the Gyr, an automaton brought to life by Celina to destroy the Windsworn.
“Giants in armor, driven by foul rune-magic,” Chel said, confirming Eva’s worst fears. “They have no bodies, they do not tire and they know nothing but destruction. The sky warrior agreed to help us fight them. With his help, we managed to drive back a small group of them, after much loss to our tribe. This man, who called himself Aleron, decided after the battle to remain with us. In the years since he has lived with our tribe and protected us from many dangers.”
“Liar!” a council member cried out.
“What foul magic is this?” asked another. “There must be a spy among us feeding the Juarag this information!”
Andor raised a hand, silencing the Windsworn veterans. “What you say may or may not be true,” he said. “I’m more curious to know why my brother would send a young woman across the entire length of the Endless Plains to give the Windsworn a message.”
The council room went silent and all eyes fell on Chel.
“I have been sent to warn you,” she said, voice hardening. “The iron men are growing stronger. More come every year, killing and burning everything in their path. Nothing can stop them. They are driving the Juarag across the Endless Plains and soon, they will come here too.”
Chapter Four
Anticipating the outburst that ensued, Andor stopped most of the shouts and exclamations with a stern wave of his hand. When the room settled down, he fixed his withering, cold stare on Chel.
“Why did Aleron not come himself?” Uthred asked.
Because the king had him exiled, Eva wanted to yell out. It’d been two years since she learned that Lord Commander Andor and King Adelar were her uncles and that they were responsible for her growing up without a father. Even though she’d developed a working, albeit sometimes strained, relationship with them both, she still had a hard time coming to terms with what they’d done.
Her father, Aleron, and Uncle Andor had returned — long overdue — from an expedition to the far east of Altaris, only to find Eva’s grandfather had died while they were on the journey. Their eldest brother, Adelar, ruled as the new king of Rhylance. That wouldn’t have mattered, except Adelar, believing his siblings were dead, had taken Aleron’s betrothed as his wife.
But Eva’s father hadn’t let that stop him. Soon, Aleron started seeing his previously betrothed in secret. Eva was the result.
When Eva’s parents confessed what they’d done to the king, Adelar sent Eva’s father into exile. Soon after, Marien died giving birth to Eva. With Aleron long gone, Eva had been raised by a friend of the family, a smith named Soot. The problem was, nobody told Eva any of this until after her seventeenth year, hence the strain in her patchwork family’s relations.
“Aleron said he would be put to death if he came back,” Chel said, “But that his brothers had to be warned.”
“This is nonsense,” Velinda said. “Are we going to sit here, beguiled by some Juarag witch while her people slaughter our citizens on the frontier?”
“They are not my people,” Chel said, unfazed by Velinda’s fire. “I am Juarag-Vo — tribeless. Why else do you think the Juarag are attacking in such greater numbers?”
“It is the way of the Juarag to seek violence,” Uthred said. Several people around the room nodded in agreement. “They’ve raided the frontier as long as there have been settlers to attack.”
Chel shook her head so hard her raven hair spilled across her face. Eva could tell the young woman was getting frustrated with the assembly. Losing her composure would do little to win anyone to Chel’s case, but Eva had no way of telling her. “They are not just raiding,” Chel said. “They are invading! The iron men are driving the tribes from the Endless. Aleron realized this. Both the Juarag and the iron men are coming west! Coming to you!
A dozen murmured conversations broke out amongst the council members. Andor kneaded his temples and Eva noticed for the first time how pronounced the wrinkles and creases in his face had become over the past few years.
“Take the prisoner to a cell,” he said at last. “The council must discuss this matter in private.”
“You must listen to me!” Chel shouted, struggling against the guards as they grabbed her arms. She fought harder as they started dragging her from the room. “There is no time!”
Eva followed her out the door, thoughts whirling. As soon as everyone but the council exited the guards shut the stone doors, sealing the sound of debate within.
“Lying cat woman,” Vance muttered under his breath. Eva shot him a cold look, but the Wing Captain shrugged it off and stomped down the stairs, leaving Sigrid, Tahl, and Eva alone outside the council chamber doors. Keen to avoid the council members who thought a Scrawl riding a gryphon was less than appropriate, Ivan had disappeared as soon as they’d landed.
“What reason does she have to lie?” Eva said as soon as Vance was out of earshot. “How does it benefit her?”
“Hard to say,” Sigrid said with a shrug. When it came to politics, books, and tactics, the dark-haired girl had few opinions. Her idea of a grand strategy amounted to rushing headlong into a fray, knives, and axes flashing until her enemies were dead.
“Eva, you’re getting all worked up about this,” Tahl said, reaching for
her.
“Stop patronizing me,” Eva said, the word carrying more venom than she’d intended. “I told you, I’m not a child. It’s not your father they’re talking about.”
Tahl frowned and folded his arms as Sigrid muttered something about food and walked off. Right after books and politics, talking about emotions and feelings was her least favorite subject.
“I’m sorry,” Tahl said after Sigrid disappeared down the steps. “I’m sure it’s hard…I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Eva blew out a long breath and stared at the floor “I know. It’s been a long few weeks.”
She looked up to see that familiar, jaunty smile Tahl wore as he stepped forward and kissed her on the forehead. “Let’s go get something to eat,” he said.
Eva shook her head and Tahl’s cocky smile faded. “I can’t,” she said. “I’ve got to talk to my uncle after the council adjourns.”
Whatever Tahl was about to say, he thought better of it and gave a defeated shrug instead. Eva forced a smile and gave him a playful shove. “I’ll catch up with you later, I promise.”
Tahl sighed. “You better!”
Time stretched by and Eva’s rumbling stomach was the only sound to cut through the empty hall. Drifting up the staircase and down the passage, Eva could smell the afternoon meal wafting up to torture her and could hear the happy chatter of Windsworn as they gathered in the main hall to eat. She wished she’d had Sigrid or Tahl bring her something but didn’t want to risk leaving, in case the council adjourned while she was gone. Committed, she slumped down to the floor and waited.
It seemed like hours later — it was hard to tell time in many places of the Gyr where there wasn’t a window to the outside world — when the council finally adjourned. The stone doors slid open and Eva jerked out of her doze, leaping to her feet. The Windsworn council gave her a small nod or greeting as they passed. Even Uthred grunted as he swept past. At last, only Andor remained, bringing up the rear.
“I knew you’d be out here,” he said. From the way he spoke, she couldn’t tell if it was a good thing she’d waited or not. “Come, let’s talk in my quarters.”
Eva followed him down the hall to a single door on the left. Inside, Eva made her way toward a stone table cluttered with maps and parchment. Andor gestured for her to take a seat and then sat down across from her, rubbing his face.
“So what’re you going to do?” Eva asked.
“Is that any way to speak to your Lord Commander?” Andor replied, eyes narrowing a bit in annoyance.
Eva grinned. “Sorry, uncle.”
Andor sighed and swept back his shoulder-length, graying blond hair from his face. “When you first came here, I found it hard to believe you were Aleron’s daughter — so quiet and well-mannered.”
Eva didn’t know how to take that, so she plowed onward. “What did you and the council decide?”
Instead of answering, Andor picked up a quill and turned it over between his fingers, seemingly lost in thought. “The council didn’t reach a decision. They want to know what the king’s thoughts are.”
“What else is there to know?” Eva asked, voice rising. “If more golems exist, it makes perfect sense that they are the cause of the Juarag moving west,”
“It’s not as simple as that, Eva,” Andor said. “The Juarag are still our enemies, no matter the reason they’ve chosen to increase their attacks. We can’t just fly over them to deal with some army of golems that may or may not exist. We don’t have enough gryphons and riders for that. Sending soldiers on foot or horseback would take months.”
“So you don’t believe her,” Eva said in a flat voice. “What would it hurt to just send someone to see?”
Andor sighed. “Some parts of the woman’s story add up, it’s true. But others just don’t make sense. Aleron spent years fighting the Juarag, why would he decide to join them?”
“Maybe because he didn’t have anywhere else to turn to,” Eva said, surprised at her own bitterness.
She expected Andor to get angry, but he looked like he’d had his fill of arguing for the night. “Eva, I’ve told you this before. Your father was a great man, but… he made some terribly rash choices when the mood took him. I know you think we’re the bad guys — especially Adelar, but what else could have been done? Adelar’s hand was forced.”
“Nothing can change what happened in the past,” Eva said, weary of hearing the same old justifications. “I want to know what you’re going to do about now.”
Andor looked at her for a long moment. Long enough for Eva to realize she wasn’t going to like what her uncle had to say next. A sinking feeling gripped her, even though she’d told herself over and over not to let any hope in.
“Eva, you have to understand —”
“You’re not going to do anything!” Eva yelled, bursting out of her chair. “Your own brother might still be alive out there — alive and in need of our help and you’re not going to do anything!”
“Eva, we’re in the middle of a war,” Andor said. He didn’t raise his voice or even stand up, which somehow made Eva angrier. “I don’t think you understand the distance we’re talking about here. A journey to prove if the Juarag woman is telling the truth would take months and cut right through Juarag territory. That doesn’t even take into account all the other dangers that lie east of the Windswepts. I can’t risk the lives of any Windsworn on a mission like that.”
“Then I’ll go,” Eva said. She gripped the back of her chair so hard her hands ached. “Send me. I’ll leave tomorrow.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Andor said, in the voice of the Lord Commander of the Gyr, not her uncle. “There’s too much of a risk. Believe me, no one would like to find Aleron alive more than —”
“It sure doesn’t seem that way.” Feeling the tears welling in her eyes, Eva spun around and stormed out the door.
“What you doing up here?”
Wynn’s voice cut through Eva’s solitude and she resisted the urge to tell the younger girl to leave her alone. When she’d first come to the Gyr as a teenager, Eva was placed in the class of younger cadets to catch up on her training. That’s where she’d become friends with Wynn. Together, they’d helped each other pass the grueling trials of Windsworn training, designed to push recruits to their limits. Now, Wynn was almost the same age Eva had been when she first arrived at the Gyr and soon to be a full-fledged Windsworn.
“Nothing,” Eva said.
She sat on a secluded ledge overlooking Rhylance’s capital, Gryfonesse, below. The carts and people moving through the streets looked like ants scurrying through a maze of white, toy buildings. It was Eva’s favorite spot to go whenever she wanted to be alone, or share a few private moments with Tahl, especially at sunset. Sigrid, Wynn, and Ivan knew about it as well, but Eva had still hoped for some private time to sort out the day’s events. She’d grabbed a quick meal in the kitchens and hurried out to the spot, using the Gyr’s extensive system of side passages to avoid any potential conversations as word of their patrols spread throughout the mountain.
“I heard about your patrol,” Wynn said, sitting down next to Eva. The girl’s light brown hair blew across her face in the breeze — Wynn could never get her braids quite right and they always came untangled. “Must have been quite the news.”
Eva nodded and made a small sound in reply but Wynn wasn’t deterred. Piece by piece, she teased out the council meeting and Eva’s conversation with Andor.
“What’re you gonna do?” Wynn asked after a long stretch of silence following Eva’s account.
“Dunno,” Eva said. “I’ll try talking to the king tomorrow, but I’m not holding out much hope he’ll do anything either.”
After Eva’s mother died, the king hadn’t taken another wife and had no children of his own. Andor and Eva were the extent of his family. Although he’d spent the last couple of years working to build a relationship with Eva, she still found it hard to forgive Adelar for taking her father from her befor
e he even knew she existed. She didn’t hold much hope that the king’s answer would be any different than the Lord Commander’s — her uncles were cut from the same unyielding cloth.
“Anything I can do?” Wynn ventured.
“No, but thanks,” Eva said.
The sound of boots on loose gravel caused them to turn around, revealing Ivan making his way out on the ledge. Eva bit back a sigh — the last thing she wanted was to entertain yet another person.
But when Ivan saw them, he stopped in his tracks, a surprised look on his face. “Oh…hello,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone would be out here.” He stared at them like he didn’t know what to do next.
Eva threw her hands in the air. “Why don’t we invite a few more people and throw a party out here?”
“No — no, that’s okay, I was just leaving anyway,” Wynn said, hurrying to stand up. In her annoyance, Eva missed the glance between the pair. “Well, I mean I’ll go somewhere else. Ivan, I think Eva would like some alone time.”
Ivan continued to look between the two, confused until Wynn punched him in the arm. “Ow! What’re — oh, right. Yeah, I think I’ll leave as well. On my own. Somewhere else. Alone.”
The pair made a hurried exit. Eva watched them go, sure something was up but too concerned with her own problems to try and guess what it might be. She continued to stare out into the west long after Wynn and Ivan’s footsteps faded. Gradually, afternoon turned to evening and the blazing fall sun dipped into the horizon. A chill settled in the air, but Eva remained on her ledge, even though an answer alluded her. Sometime later, she heard footsteps approaching again and turned to find Tahl carrying a tray of food.
Windswept: Gryphon Riders Book Two (Gryphon Riders Trilogy 2) Page 3
