“We wouldn’t have caught up to them without horses anyway. We just needed to get far from the city as fast as we could before your father’s guards found us.”
“Where did Andrasta go? Was she angry?”
Rondel chuckled. “She’s rarely not angry. She spotted the traces of a morning campfire. I swear the woman has eyes like a hawk. Anyway, she went to see about getting us some horses.”
“That should make the journey much easier.”
“How do you think you’re going to feel after a full day of riding?”
Jahi’s eyes widened. He hadn’t considered that.
* * *
Jahi tensed as noise sounded in the woods beyond. Rondel rose quickly from his slumber and drew his short sword with one hand and rubbed at sleepy eyes with the other.
Andrasta emerged from behind two sycamore trees, leading three horses by their reins. Each mount held supplies strapped to the backs of their saddles.
“That worked out well,” said Rondel, sheathing his sword.
Andrasta handed him the reins of one of the beasts.
Jahi rose gingerly. His legs screamed in anguish, making him wish he had tried to stand sooner. He forced himself to straighten while limping toward Andrasta.
“How much did all this cost?” he asked.
She handed him the reins of a speckled young mare. “Nothing.”
“You stole them?”
“You think I’d pay for these?”
“But I gave you money. You could have used some of it.”
“The money is mine. I’ll spend it when and where I like.”
“You mean ours,” coughed Rondel.
Andrasta shot her partner a look. “Get in your saddle. We have much travel left for the day.”
“But the people you took all this from,” called Jahi. “What if they need it?”
“They still had two horses left. If they need more, I’m sure they’ll take it. They were bragging that’s what they had done last night. Robbed some family on the way to the festival of your goddess.”
Jahi stared at Andrasta’s back as she edged her horse over the rough terrain toward the road. The woman showed glimpses of kindness as when she helped ease the cramping from his legs, but mostly came across as cold and distant.
Why is Rondel even with her?
“Better climb up,” said Rondel. “She won’t wait long, even if you are the one paying us.”
Jahi grimaced as he climbed in his saddle, feeling all his muscles pull and tighten. “I don’t understand how she can be so nonchalant about all of this. Stealing from people as if it’s no big deal, even if they deserved it. It shouldn’t be like that. You agree, right?”
Rondel winced at the question, and Jahi wondered if he had said something wrong.
The former minstrel worked his jaw. “You’re probably right. But that’s just the way the world is. Don’t fool yourself into thinking things are different among the nobility. You know what happened to your father. The rich steal, cheat, murder, and scheme. The only difference among the nobility is that the stakes are higher.” He paused. “Your father knows that. He’s a good man, better than most, but he’s done his fair share of questionable things. In his eyes it was warranted because of who he did those things to. In the eyes of the person he did those things to, he’s probably no better than how you perceive Andrasta. The severity of a crime depends on what side you’re standing on. The sooner you understand that, the easier it will be for you to succeed at the life you’re going to be involved in.”
Jahi scowled. He had not expected a lecture in morality. “I don’t want to play by those rules.”
“Then you won’t have a long life. Certainly not a rich one.”
“I don’t believe that. It’s possible to do the right thing and still live a long life.”
He snorted. “Let’s talk in ten years.”
“Hurry up!” Andrasta called from the road.
Rondel kicked his mount forward, leaving Jahi in thought.
* * *
Jahi no longer felt each bump tighten the muscles in his lower back and buttocks or the saddle chafe his inner thighs. He had grown numb from the chest down, not long before the sun dipped below the horizon.
He had been grateful to see that pink and purple sky, knowing at any moment Andrasta would call for a halt to make camp. However, she kept going, and hours later when Jahi asked when they would stop for the night, the woman looked at him like he was mad.
“They are still far ahead of us, and I promise you they have not stopped yet.”
Jahi frowned. He was ready to fall off his horse, but given their goal he could not say anything.
Once the numbness truly set into his limbs, Jahi no longer cared about the pain. He could travel for days without feeling anything.
He was surprised when Andrasta finally called for a halt with the moon at its highest.
“We’re stopping now?” He slurred the question.
Andrasta swung off the saddle, her movements as fluid as if she had gone for a short evening ride. “The horses need rest. I don’t want to push them anymore without knowing if we’ll be able to find fresh mounts.”
Jahi dismounted. When his feet hit the ground, his legs fell out from under him. Footsteps sounded. Rondel appeared in his line of sight.
“Are you all right?”
“I can’t feel my legs. Tired from all the running and riding, I guess.” His voice sounded so much weaker than it did in his head. “I’ll be fine after some sleep.”
He closed his eyes, intent on sleeping right where he landed.
Andrasta walked up and hissed a curse. She grabbed at his legs. If he hadn’t been so exhausted he might have blushed at his trousers being pulled down, but modesty was the last thing on his mind.
He opened his eyes to Rondel staring at his legs, shaking his head. Andrasta swore again and went back to her horse, searching through their gear.
“What’s wrong?” asked Jahi.
Rondel sighed. “Why didn’t you tell us you were hurting this bad?”
“I didn’t want to be the reason we were unable to reach Dendera.”
“You’re bleeding. Blisters are running up and down your legs. Bruises everywhere. I guess your legs were too tired from running to sit in the saddle properly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we aren’t going anywhere for a while. Andrasta is getting some stuff to put on the blisters. That should speed the recovery, but they will need time to heal before we can travel again.”
“No. We can’t wait. Think of Dendera.”
Rondel laid a hand on Jahi. “I’m thinking of you. It would do no good to kill one of Horus’s children in order to save the other.”
“But they’re just blisters. . . .”
“Which can become infected.”
“Can’t we do anything more?”
“Not unless you know some healing spells.”
“No. I don’t have talent in that area.”
“Then we wait. Close your eyes and go to sleep. We’ll wake you if there’s a need.”
Jahi wanted to protest further, but the mention of sleep made his eyelids feel as heavy as a basket of bricks. He felt his body being lifted off the ground and then eased onto a patch of leaves. Hands rubbed a cool salve onto his thighs. A blanket fell over him, and he slept.
* * *
Jahi woke chilled despite warm sunlight on his face. A hand coaxed his jaw to relax and warm spoonfuls of broth ran down his throat. After several minutes of feeding, he opened his eyes, but saw nothing more than dark blurs wherever he turned.
Thankfully, his ears worked fine.
“His fever isn’t getting any better,” said Rondel.
“What do you want me to do? You’re the one that knows herbs.”
“And what I’m doing isn’t working. Feel his skin. He’s burning up.”
“Do we cut our losses, then?” asked Andrasta.
“I’m going to p
retend you didn’t say that.”
“What? You’re no saint. We’ve both done—”
“I’ve done nothing like what you’re thinking of. Find the nearest town with a healer. Tell them what’s going on and get whatever it is you need for however much it costs.”
Andrasta snorted. “I could just ride off and leave both of you behind. I have the money.”
“But you won’t. Despite what you pretend, you’re not that cruel.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” There was a long pause before Rondel spoke again. “Go. It can’t be more than a few hours ride.”
Jahi couldn’t make out Andrasta’s muttered response. He began to grow tired once more. The last sound he heard before drifting off was fading hoof beats.
* * *
The next time Jahi woke he felt like a new person. A weaker person, but one much better off than what he last remembered. He sat up slowly, noticing the crick in his back as well as the taste and texture of dried leather in his mouth.
“Hey! He’s up,” said Rondel.
He and Andrasta sat by a small fire. The woman looked his way.
Rondel got up and brought Jahi a skin of water and a small heel of bread.
“Only bread?” asked Jahi.
“You’ve had nothing more than broth for two days. You need to take it slow.”
“Two days. We need to leave right now before—” He started to rise.
Rondel pushed him back down with ease.
Andrasta shouted. “Sit and eat. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“But the trail?” he asked.
“As cold as the winter wind,” said Andrasta.
“Do you mean we won’t be able to find Dendera?”
“She didn’t say that,” said Rondel. “We just can’t track them as easily. We’ll have to do it the hard way.”
“What’s the hard way?”
“Taking our time, asking around, doing some guessing and hoping we’re right.” He must have seen the look on Jahi’s face as he added. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Get to work on that bread.”
* * *
Andrasta glared at Rondel as he sat back down at the fire. Her partner had too big of a heart. Master Enzi would have called it a weakness.
“What?” he whispered.
“You shouldn’t have lied to him.”
“It wasn’t a lie. We still have a good chance of finding her.”
“You still don’t need to get his hopes up. The boy’s not someone from your younger days who you used to rut with. Like Jamila.”
“Rut with?” Rondel shook his head. “Do you have to be so lewd? Can’t you come up with something else to describe lovemaking?”
“Like what?”
“Anything. Call it something juvenile for all I care. But ‘rut with’?” He made a disgusted sound.
Andrasta rolled her eyes.
“Anyway. You don’t think we can find the girl?”
“We can. But can we rescue her once we find her? And more importantly, when we get there will there be anything left to rescue? There are always crazy stories surrounding cults. The girl could be a shadow of what she once was.”
Chapter 9
When Dendera’s eyes opened, she woke to the soft morning air against her face, the hot breath of the man behind her on her neck, and the up-and-down jostling of a galloping horse between her legs.
Her mouth opened to let out a scream when thick arms pulled her tight. “Do it and you will be gagged.”
She clamped her mouth shut and looked down at those thick arms holding the reins. Black and gray cloth covered them. Realization struck her as her brother’s stories ran through her mind.
A member of the Cult of Sutek?
Seeing another four similarly garbed men riding beside them caused her to suck in a quick breath. One of the men had bits of silver on his torso, possibly signifying a rank of sorts.
Definitely members of the cult. Jahi was right.
She blinked, trying to clear her mind. The last thing she remembered was a brief conversation with Rondel. Then something bit her in the neck and the lights in her father’s dining hall had gone out.
A dart. I’ve been drugged and kidnapped.
Whatever drug they had given her made it hard to concentrate. Still, she remembered the conversations with Jahi about his theories and deductions.
Menetnashte. Things must be worse than I thought. Is that what Rondel was getting at when he said it was important I marry Kafele?
Kidnap me and Father is made weaker.
Her eyes watered, wind whipping her face. Slowly, her mind cleared. A knot formed in her stomach. She had begun to remember some of the horrors Jahi discovered about the cult from long ago when it held more power.
Kafele doesn’t seem half as disgusting as before.
A short and slightly bemused laugh escaped her throat.
* * *
Dendera had calmed considerably, coming to terms with her situation by the third change of mounts on their journey north. When Captain Haji, the man with silver on his garb, called for a halt the next day near a thick copse of sycamores, she told herself that all hope was not lost.
If they wanted me dead, they would have killed me in Girga. This means I’m probably a bargaining piece.
Her father might not be willing to let her choose her own husband, but she could not imagine him letting her die.
“Eat.”
Dendera looked up from the old mulberry stump she sat on. One of the Sutek followers held a small wedge of cheese and a heel of bread. She accepted them eagerly, taking a large bite of the cheese first. It was sharp, but after almost a day without food, one of the best things she had ever eaten.
“Thank you,” she said out of reflex, mouth half full. She considered taking her thanks back until she realized it might be best to stay on the good side of the men who kidnapped her.
The man grunted and set a skin of water at her feet before walking away. She watched him check on the horses for several minutes until he settled next to a lotus tree to keep watch. The beautiful white flowers adorning the branches above him contrasted against the ugly black garb worn by the man.
A slight breeze pushed against her, bringing with it the scent of the beautiful flowers. Their smell reminded her of her father’s private garden.
Pay attention. Now isn’t the time to daydream.
She glanced to the other four men. They slept on the hard ground despite the rising sun, arms across their chests and black cloth covering their faces. The position, coupled with the color of their attire reminded her of bodies ready for embalming.
She wondered what sort of men would join a cult and worship a god who most looked down upon. A shiver ran up her back when she thought of the atrocities associated with Sutek, most of which involved torture.
The kind of men you wouldn’t want to be kidnapped by.
No longer hungry, she had to force herself to eat the rest of her meal. She didn’t know when the next might come.
* * *
Each time her kidnappers stopped to rest, Dendera switched mounts and rode with a different cultist. She assumed it was so no one horse had to bear the burden of two riders for too long.
Or possibly to better mask our tracks? Gods if I know.
She attempted to initiate conversation throughout these rides, hoping she might develop sympathy from at least one of the men.
“I’m Dendera. What’s your name?” “Do you think the weather will hold?” “The cheese we had earlier was lovely, how did you come by it?” “My mother taught me how to ride. Who taught you?”
Each question was met with thundering silence.
Dendera had no clue where they were taking her or how long she had until they reached their destination. Because of that, she realized her approach of childish questions would take too long to develop any sort of relationship with the men.
She swallowed hard realizing what she’d need to try next, hoping that neither her father nor Jahi would learn of it.
What other choice do I have? I can’t fight my way out of here.
They stopped for the night and made camp well off the road. Dendera sat against a tree, bound at the wrists and ankles. One of Sutek’s followers brought her dinner.
Cheese and bread again.
Dendera pushed aside her annoyance and put on a bright smile. She wished she knew the man’s name, but they rarely spoke where she could hear them.
The man handed Dendera the meal. She reached up, but rather than accept the food right away, she rested her hands over his and softly stroked each of his digits, hoping that it somehow came across as seductively as she intended.
Dendera met the man’s eyes peeking through his face covering. “I would love some conversation. Won’t you sit by me for a while?”
The man froze and Dendera smiled wider, thinking she had finally made a connection. The back of the man’s hand lashed out, slapping her across the cheek. A sharp knuckle cut her lip and the force of the blow threw her head back against the tree.
Blinking through cloudy vision, someone else had appeared at her side.
“Harsaf! Have you gone mad?”
“Captain, I was teaching her manners. The little whore tried to seduce me.”
“It’s not your place to teach anything.” A hand grabbed her by the jaw and forced her head up, turning it to either side. “You are lucky her lip should heal by the time we make it back. You know she was not to be marked. Get the whip from my bag. Five lashes for going against the High Priest’s orders.”
“But—”
“Ten, since you are having trouble obeying mine as well.”
Dendera’s vision cleared as Harsaf bowed his head. “Yes, Captain.”
The captain turned back to Dendera as Harsaf walked away. He spoke in hushed tones. “Don’t think this excuses your behavior. This is your one and only warning. If you talk to or touch any of my men again, you will be the one to suffer.” He paused. “There are many ways to inflict pain without leaving cuts or bruises.” He tilted his head to the side. “Those are my favorite.”
Chapter 10
The Cult of Sutek Page 13
