The City of Pillars

by Joshua P. Simon

  “There was a sorcerer hiding in the bushes,” Rondel said. “He had us bound until Athar killed him.”

  Andrasta flicked her gaze to the smug-looking camel, then to Shadya. “Did you train Athar how to protect you?”

  “No. He’s just loyal.”

  “A loyal camel who not only killed two people on its own, but one of which was a sorcerer that managed to incapacitate the two of you? I don’t know any dogs that could have pulled off something like that.”

  “Athar is not a dog. He’s far more intelligent,” Shadya said.

  Too intelligent.

  “Have either of you talked about why Hubul’s Host tried to kill us?” asked Andrasta

  “No,” said Rondel.

  What in the name of the gods is wrong with him? For a moment after the fight he almost seemed his old self again. Even joking. Now, he’s back to being an idiot.

  “So, let’s talk about it. Why were they trying to kill us?”

  “I thought that would be obvious,” said Shadya.

  “Enlighten me,” said Andrasta.

  “They know we seek the mask and they want to stop us before we get close enough to steal it.”

  “That doesn’t seem very obvious when you told us that they didn’t know that you survived their attack on your family’s camp.”

  “That is strange,” added Rondel.

  Shadya shrugged. “They still knew someone was following them. I’m sure they presume we’re after the mask. I mentioned before they have several sorcerers among them, one of which is very powerful. Any time I’ve had to perform a divining to learn their location, I open paths that allow them an opportunity to sense us as well.”

  “What!” shouted Andrasta. “You didn’t say that before. How can we maintain any level of surprise if you’re letting them know where to find us?”

  Shadya narrowed her eyes. “There was no other way. How else do you suggest we find highly skilled soldiers and sorcerers who are used to staying hidden?”

  “I understand your point,” said Rondel in a much calmer tone. “But Andrasta’s right. You should have told us what was going on so we were ready for an attack like this.”

  She bowed her head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Regardless, the simple fact that they knew we sought their location more than once was likely enough for them to guess our intent.”

  “Makes sense,” said Rondel as if the answer left no question of doubt.

  “No. It doesn’t,” said Andrasta. She ignored the looks cast her way. She jabbed an index finger at Shadya. “Those I fought called you an abomination. And we were to die because we were helping you. That makes their attack not something of precaution. It makes it planned and calculated. It ties it to their beliefs. They were here to kill you. Why else would they send so many men, one a sorcerer, to take down three otherwise insignificant people? You need to start giving me better answers because unlike him, I’m not in love with you.”

  Rondel turned red-faced and started to protest. A slight touch from Shadya calmed him.

  Making my point for me.

  “It’s all right. I have been holding back information from both of you. I’m sorry.” Shadya had the wherewithal to at least look ashamed. Rondel appeared hurt from her admission.

  Thankfully.

  “What have you held back?” he asked.

  “The stakes. You see, this mask isn’t just something that once belonged to my family. It’s an item of great power.”

  “Let me guess. It gives one the power of a god?” asked Andrasta. “We’ve done that before. It’s not something I want to do again.”

  “No. This isn’t something that magnifies sorcery or even something that allows certain attributes of their god to be bestowed on them like what Rondel said you faced in Iget. The mask makes the wearer an actual god who would be able to straddle the human world and the heavens.”

  “I thought you said the Host was filled with fanatics, sworn to Hubul. Why would they seek to use the mask? Wouldn’t it betray their god?” asked Andrasta.

  “I agree,” said Rondel. “That doesn’t sound like the stories I know.”

  “Their new leader, a man named Captain Melek, is much different than his predecessors,” said Shadya. “He wants to use the power of the mask personally. My family knew we needed to protect it from falling into his hands.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us this before?” asked Rondel, looking hurt and confused.

  “Because.” Her lips quivered. “I thought that if you realized the greater risk involved, you’d no longer help me.”

  Rondel put an arm around her as tears streaked down her cheeks.

  Oh, you’re good. Lie and trick us both and still he comforts you.

  “I think I speak for us both,” Rondel said as he made eye contact and nodded at her, “by saying that we’re not going anywhere. Right?”

  Andrasta snorted. “Yeah, sure.” At least not now. “When can you perform another divining?”

  Rondel looked up. “Why don’t we light this oasis on fire so they know how to find us instead?”

  “They already know we’re here. Better to do one more divining tonight before they figure out the attack failed. Let’s get all the information we need, regardless of what they learn from us in return. We leave as soon as we can without making contact again until we get to their camp. Guessing from here on out isn’t going to work.”

  “I don’t—”

  “No,” said Shadya. “She’s right. Give me a chance to gather myself.”

  * * *

  Rondel covered Shadya with a blanket and watched her drift off to sleep. He stayed longer than necessary, admiring her beauty, saddened by the stress in the contours of her jaw. All he wanted to do was take the pain and worry away.

  Soon. Soon this will be over. He thought of their impossible task. Dark thoughts clouded his mind. One way or another.

  He joined Andrasta away from the low fire.

  “Well?” she asked.

  Rondel kneeled beside her. “She found them. They’re less than two days ride from here. Southeast. Near the coast. She felt the touch of one of their sorcerers at the end, but she hid herself from being discovered. The process exhausted her.”

  Andrasta shrugged. “At least we got what we needed.”

  “You could be a little sympathetic, you know.”

  She gave him a look.

  How can you and I feel so different about the same person?

  “All right. Whatever. Let me see to your wound then.”

  “You sure your woman won’t get jealous?”

  He motioned Andrasta to lie on her side and pulled up the boiled leather she wore as well as the shirt underneath, exposing brown skin. Rondel squinted, repositioning himself to allow more light from the fire. The wound was long, but mostly shallow except for a small section near her stomach that would need a few stitches. He began to clean the area.

  “We’re not married,” he finally said, unable to let her question go.

  “Fooled me.”

  “You’re a brave woman to chide the person looking over your wounds,” said Rondel trying to keep his tone light.

  Andrasta left well enough alone, and Rondel focused on his task. He finished cleaning the wound, then threaded a needle and began stitching.

  “I think we need to split up when we leave.”

  Rondel paused, raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

  “They’re closer than we realized. And they’ll be expecting our attackers to report soon. The more time that passes before they hear back from them, the more they’ll realize we’re still alive. Obviously, we don’t want that. The sooner we infiltrate their camp, the better.”

  “Makes sense. But why split up?” Rondel tied off the last stitch and cut the thread.

  Andrasta examined her wound, gave a nod of approval, and lowered her shirt. “Because I can ride faster alone.” She began drawing in the dirt with her dagger. A crude outline of Erba’s coastline appeared, low mountains, a short bea
ch and the ocean. Andrasta continued filling in some of the more prominent landmarks that littered that part of the country.

  “Hey, when did you get a chance to study a map of Erba?” asked Rondel.

  “In the library in Zafar. I had to do something to pass the time other than pace. Show me exactly where Shadya said the camp is at.” She added a small divot in the ground with a twist of the blade. “We’re currently here.”

  Rondel took the knife offered to him and based on Shadya’s divination, drew several smaller landmarks. He explained where the Host’s camp was and where Shadya suspected they would move based on what she knew of their habits.

  Andrasta grunted. “I hope she’s right.”

  “She seemed certain.”

  “I’ll ride ahead and scout out the camp. You and Shadya leave at first light and meet me here,” she said, pointing to a small rock cluster near a narrow tributary that originated from the Undis River and flowed into the Madacan Ocean.

  “I still don’t see why we can’t travel together.”

  “Considering the skill of our attackers, I’d rather scout alone. I’ll get the information we need then meet you here,” she said, pointing. “We can finalize plans then.”

  “Seems like you’ll be waiting for sometime though since you’ll be on horseback while we’re in the wagon.”

  “You’re going to leave the wagon and that blasted camel here.”

  “Shadya might not like that.”

  “I don’t care. We’ll need to leave as fast as possible after we steal the mask. A camel pulling a wagon will be our death. If we have time, we can pick them up later.”

  “I’ll talk to her. How soon until you leave?”

  “A few hours. Just long enough to catch a bit of sleep. You follow at first light.”

  “I know it goes without saying, but be careful.”

  Andrasta tilted her head. “Look, while you’re acting like your old self, do you have any reservations about this?”

  “About what?”

  “Everything. Shadya. This job. Hubul’s Host. The mysterious mask. You know, we can just ride away right now.”

  “And leave Shadya alone?”

  Andrasta shrugged. “She has her beloved camel to keep her company.”

  Rondel narrowed his eyes. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.” He paused, thinking of the rift between his partner and the woman he cared for. “I don’t have any reservations. Especially after what she said about the mask. Stopping someone from using it is the right thing to do. Just like dealing with the Cult of Sutek was.”

  “So all the stealing, strong arming, and everything else in between we’ve done, you consider to be right?”

  “Well, it worked out well for us.”

  Andrasta gave a rare grin. “Fair enough.” She sighed. “Do me a favor while you’re riding tomorrow.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Find out more about this mask. There is a lot she still isn’t telling us and at this point I don’t understand why she’d withhold anything.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like how some random nomadic family had the mask to begin with. How did the Host know they had it? Why hasn’t it been used yet by this new captain? Come on, you’re the thinker when it comes to stuff like this. Think.”

  She’s right. Why do I keep missing such obvious questions?

  * * *

  Rondel woke to the gentle touch of a hand on his stomach, the soft breath of his name being whispered. His eyes shot open in a panic thinking he had overslept, but the sky was still dark.

  “Shh,” said Shadya next to him. “It’s all right.”

  Rondel turned toward her, rubbing away sleep. “What’s wrong?”

  She smiled. “Nothing is wrong. Andrasta left a few moments ago.”

  “Oh.” He frowned, not understanding.

  She draped her leg over his. “We’re finally alone.”

  He swallowed, realizing the leg was bare. He glanced away nervously and caught the piercing stare of Athar’s dark eyes reflecting off starlight. “Well, not completely.”

  Shadya sat up slightly and jerked her head toward the camel. Athar regarded her, made an odd sound with his tongue and left.

  He frowned. That camel is too smart for its own good.

  “Better?” she asked.

  “I guess.”

  A twinkle of mischief shone in her eye. “You only guess?”

  CHAPTER 13

  The sun rose above the horizon to Andrasta’s left as she rode south. The tip of the reddish disc glowed brightly, reflecting off the orange rock and dirt as if someone had recently painted the landscape in fire.

  She had never been one to appreciate such things, at least not in the way Rondel often did. She attributed his outlook to his former life as a minstrel.

  The man can make anything sound like a song, she thought, half with disgust, half in appreciation.

  She wasn’t sure if she admired the rolling contours of the land around her more now because she missed her partner’s company or because, alone, with no distractions, she had a chance to notice them herself.

  Perhaps both.

  A weight had been lifted from her shoulders the moment she left camp. So freeing was the sensation of leaving Shadya behind, that she had the urge to just keep riding and never turn back. But that would mean leaving Rondel too and despite the increasing thoughts that crossed her mind to do so, she couldn’t bring herself to take that step.

  I keep hoping he’ll see things from my perspective. Idiot. Do you really expect him to do that after you left them alone?

  She urged her horse harder, allowing the ride to clear her head again.

  Given the time of day, she pushed her mount to take advantage of every second available before the temperature rose to levels that would hinder her progress.

  She squinted away from the sun’s rays, enjoying the cool morning air as it whipped against her face. Too long she had ridden in the back of a wagon, listening to the mindless chatter of Rondel and Shadya while smelling the poor digestive system of Athar.

  The camel might be a better choice for desert travel, but the land had hardened and she galloped across good, packed earth. Up ahead, patches of vegetation became more regular, interspersed in areas not just near a watering hole or an underground supply.

  The faster she rode, the quicker the tension melted from her shoulders.

  Gods, I missed the freedom of riding. She thought of Jewel, her mount left behind in Zafar. Andrasta hoped she was being treated well. If not, someone will pay.

  She questioned whether she should pull up on the black stallion beneath her. The smaller Erban beast had been bred centuries ago for the hotter climate. However, if she wore her mount out so soon in her journey, she’d have trouble fleeing from trouble if it presented itself later.

  She weighed the decision for a breath when the mount sped up on his own.

  She grinned. Let’s push it then.

  * * *

  Rondel struggled to focus. It seemed that Andrasta wanted him to ask Shadya something but he couldn’t quite remember what. Every time the words reached the tip of his tongue, his chest would start itching and his mind would revisit the passion from hours before.

  Lying entwined in each other’s limbs, staring into Shadya’s eyes until dawn arrived had been perhaps the happiest moment of his life. Never had he cared for someone so much.

  Rondel shook away those thoughts again, trying to focus. I wonder how far ahead Andrasta is.

  “Is something wrong, my love?” asked Shadya.

  Rondel gazed at Shadya. She rode unveiled, her dark eyes mesmerizing, her lips inviting to be kissed. As they slowed their pace, she busied herself warding a bag full of stones with symbols she said they could use to confuse the members of the Host.

  “Just thinking about Andrasta.”

  Shadya’s face soured. “Why?”

  “I’m worried about her.”

  “It seems she’s more than
capable of taking care of herself.”

  “She is. It’s just since we partnered a year ago, I’ve been there to watch her back. And if she gets into any trouble, she’ll be by herself.”

  “For as long as you’ve been together, it seems like by now you would have figured out that she prefers to work alone. She doesn’t like people watching her back.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. You tell me all the time how hard she is on you when working a job. I’ve witnessed it myself when the two of you train. It takes everything I have not say something.”

  Rondel smiled. “I appreciate you being protective.”

  “I know you have some sort of twisted affection for her because of her helping you escape prison, but I really think you should terminate your partnership.”

  He nearly fell out of his saddle in shock. “What?”

  “Don’t sound surprised. You’ve thought about it yourself, haven’t you?”

  Rondel said nothing, afraid to admit aloud thoughts that had run through his head.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” said Shadya. “Which makes my point.”

  “We promised each other . . .”

  “You’re in a much different spot than when you made that promise to her.”

  “I guess. . . .”

  “I mean, wouldn’t you rather spend your days making love to me than doing things that can get you killed on a continual basis?”

  Rondel reddened, but then his thoughts shifted. He knew the question was supposed to be rhetorical, but despite all the injuries and stress he had endured as of late, he had also really enjoyed his new life. It gave him purpose.

  A fire formed in his chest, warming his body. He turned his gaze away from the road and looked at Shadya.

  But what better purpose is there than to be a great husband to a wonderful wife? How could I not choose her? She’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

  “Of course I’d rather spend my days and my nights with you.”

  Shadya grinned. The gesture eased the ache in his chest. “Then there’s really only one thing for you to do, right?”

  Rondel nodded absently, not really sure what had just happened.

  “Good. Then you’ll tell Andrasta that it’s necessary to end your partnership. She can go her way and we can go ours. After we take the mask from Hubul’s Host first, of course.”