Souls of Aredyrah 2 - The Search for the Unnamed One

by Akers, Tracy A.

  A dark-haired boy of about nine rose from beneath his blanket, blinking at the sudden commotion. “Back to sleep, Farris,” Mya commanded. The boy opened his mouth to protest, but a flash of his mother’s eyes backed him down immediately.

  Dayn peered over Jensa’s shoulder at the gaping wound now revealed. It looked menacing, but did not seem to have caused major damage to Reiv’s internal workings. The greatest risk was of infection. Jensa rose and Alicine took her place to help clean out the contaminants. Mya handed her cloth after cloth, while Jensa brought fresh water each time the bowl became red. When the bleeding finally slowed, Mya pulled a few bottles of potion from a nearby cabinet.

  Dayn paced back and forth, his attentions vacillating between his injured cousin and other thoughts deep and troubling.

  “He’s not going to die, Dayn,” Jensa said, recognizing his anxiety. “Agneis would not have sent him back only to have him killed so soon. Reiv has a purpose. Perhaps this was meant to happen.”

  “Meant to happen?” Dayn said. “Reiv was meant to lead us. That’s what was meant to happen, not this!”

  Reiv moaned as Alicine dabbed at the wound. He slapped her hand away.

  “Good! Stubborn as ever,” she said.

  Dayn marched to the bed and leaned over Reiv. “What were you thinking, going and getting yourself stabbed again. And by Crymm, of all people. I swear, I can’t leave you for a minute!”

  “You do not have to shout,” Reiv said. He struggled to raise himself on an elbow and frowned at Alicine’s probing fingers. “Gods, girl. Do you have to be so rough?”

  “Stop your complaining,” she said. “Do you want this to fester?” She pushed him back down and poured a cool liquid into the wound. It fizzed a foamy pink.

  “Well, I mean to shout,” Dayn said, diverting Reiv’s attention back to him. “You actually deserve far worse than this, you know. How are you supposed to lead a rebellion if you’re confined to a bed?”

  “I am not supposed to lead a rebellion, fool. You are.”

  “Can he be taken with fever so soon?” Dayn asked Alicine. “He’s speaking gibberish.”

  Reiv captured Dayn’s attention with a piercing stare. “I am not speaking gibberish. The Unnamed One is to lead them.”

  “And that would be you,” Dayn said.

  “No, Keefe, that would be you.”

  Dayn jabbed his finger in Reiv’s direction. “Don’t try to shove your responsibilities off on me, Ruairi. I’m no leader, and I’m certainly no warrior. I just killed a man and have no intention of ever doing it again.”

  “Dayn,” Reiv said, “not all wars are won at the end of a sword, but if it is swords that are needed—”

  “I told you. I’m no warrior! You’re the one who’s supposed to do this, Reiv, not me. You! You’re the one who was a prince. You’re the one trained for battle. You’ve even spoken with a goddess for goodness sakes. I’m just a nobody from Kirador who used to get his tail kicked on a regular basis. What sort of warrior is that?”

  “Maybe the sort of warrior we need,” Reiv said.

  “No! I’m not who you think I am!” Dayn turned and stormed toward the door, then paused and barked over his shoulder, “I hope you have some strong medicine, Mya, because it looks like he’s going to need it.” Then he left, slamming the door behind him.

  Alicine jumped up and followed Dayn out. She found him around the side of the building, his back braced against the wall, muttering to himself.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “No, I’m not all right!”

  “Look, Dayn, I know you’re upset about all that’s happened, but—“

  “But what? But I only killed a man? One minute I’m standing there and the next thing I know I’m plunging a sword into his chest. I don’t even know who he was.”

  “It was him or you. You were only defending yourself.”

  “Maybe I could have done something different. What right did I have to kill him?”

  “You reacted the way anyone would. Are you saying you would have given your own life to spare that of a stranger coming at you?”

  “No, but…”

  “What did you think all those weapons you made were going to be used for? Did you expect no blood to be shed?”

  “Well, I didn’t think I was going to be the one to shed it! And now Reiv’s in there, wounded. This is too much.”

  “You know it isn’t over. You wanted to help. Now’s your chance.”

  Dayn shook his head. “I don’t know if I have it in me, Alicine. And this nonsense Reiv’s saying about me being some sort of leader. He’s the brave one, not me.”

  “You’re every bit as brave as he is,” Alicine said. “I know you are.”

  “No. I’ve had enough. Let’s go home…back to Kirador… tomorrow. I’ll take you back tomorrow.”

  “We can’t go back tomorrow.”

  “I thought you didn’t want me to have anything to do with this. You’ve sure changed your tune.”

  “A female’s prerogative,” Alicine said. She offered an encouraging smile. “Reiv will be fine, you’ll see. But we have to stay and see this through. You know that.”

  Dayn nodded reluctantly. “Yes, I know it. But I sure wish I didn’t.”

  * * * *

  Reiv stared up from the bed at Mya. She was standing behind Jensa, handing her fresh cloths one at a time, her attention fully focused on the wound. Reiv could not seem to remove his gaze from her, but she had yet to allow her eyes to meet his. He suddenly recognized the unusual color of them—one brown, one blue—and an uneasy memory swept through him.

  “We have met before,” he said.

  Jensa looked between the two of them and rose. “I’m going to go check on Dayn. Mya, will you take over for a moment?” Mya nodded and Jensa slipped quietly out the door.

  Mya pulled the blood-spotted cloth from Reiv’s wound and pressed a clean one onto it. “I’m surprised you remember.”

  Reiv remained silent for a moment, then said, “It was a long time ago.”

  “Yes.”

  “I am sorry about...that day.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said “You did nothing wrong.”

  “My father seemed to think I did.”

  “And you were backhanded for it as I recall.”

  Reiv winced at the memory. “My father had brought my brother and me to Pobu to see the ‘enemy’ as he called you all. I was only seven. I remember a guard pulling you out of the crowd and marching you over to us. I should have protested, but I just sat there on my horse and said nothing.”

  “You were a child. What more could you do?”

  “Well, apparently I did more than was expected.”

  “That you did,” Mya said. “I remember standing next to your horse, my arm wrenched behind me by a guard, looking up at the face of a little boy with big responsibilities. But what I remember most was your eyes as you stared down at me. They didn’t hold a look of superiority or disgust…not like your father’s. It was something else. Then you touched my face.” Mya sighed. “I always felt sad about what happened, your father backhanding you like that.”

  “Well, if it is any comfort to you, my father never struck me again. My cheek was bruised for a week, and he worried grievously for it. The guards did not harm you, did they? I do not recall the scar.”

  “Don’t concern yourself,” she said.

  Reiv’s heart filled with guilt. Mya must have recognized it, for she said, “No matter what your father’s guards did, I always felt somewhat fortunate to have been selected that day.”

  “Whatever for? You were so beautiful…I mean…you still are, but…”

  “Oh, don’t misunderstand me,” she said. “I would prefer not to have a scar across my face, but it never kept me from being loved. I had a fine man for a while. Eben. Do you know of him?”

  “He was a friend of Jensa and Torin. A potter wasn’t he?”

  “Yes. He was there the day you
and I met,” she said with a smile. “Torin was, too. Did you know that? You were lucky the two of them didn’t kill you right then and there. They always blamed you for what happened to me. Those two, great friends, but friends who rarely agreed on anything. But they agreed on one thing that day: had one of them allowed the other to defend me, I would have been left with no one to scold for their stupidity.”

  “No wonder Torin hated me. I guess I cannot blame him.”

  “Well,” Mya said, “he does not hate you now.”

  “You said you felt fortunate. Considering what they did to you, I cannot help but wonder why.”

  “I was terrified, of course. But you know, for some strange reason I have always carried the image of you with me. When I looked into your eyes, I was certain I saw compassion there. It gave me hope that things could get better when you were King.”

  Reiv turned his face to the wall, his role in her disfigurement weighing heavy on his mind. “I fear I would have let you down, then,” he said. “If I had not been damaged, I would be walking the same path as my father.”

  “No you wouldn’t.”

  Reiv turned his face to hers. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because your path was decided a long time ago. And you are walking it.”

  BACK TO ToC

  Chapter 21: Call to War

  Two days had passed since the raid, and there wasn’t a single person who hadn’t heard of it. The number of dead was thirty-eight: twenty-eight Jecta, six Shell Seekers, and four Tearians. The guards were not included in the count, their bodies scavenged and tossed into the trash heap outside of town. Talk abounded amongst the Jecta that this was a call to war. Now all they needed was a battle plan and someone to lead them in it.

  The weapons that miraculously appeared the night of the meeting had, luckily, been smuggled there in advance by Gair. He was not a man to take any chances. The fifty-one assorted daggers, knives, and swords that he and Dayn had made were now officially initiated by blood and distributed into Jecta hands. Dozens of Tearian swords had also been confiscated during the fight and were now assigned new owners along with twenty or so Guard horses.

  Gair and Dayn moved to a new location to fashion their weapons after that. The smithy, they decided, was too close to the main entrance of the city. They labored to produce additional armaments, but all were crudely made; there was no time for fine craftsmanship. The Jecta, meanwhile, gathered up every tool at their disposal—hoes, sickles, stakes—anything that could be used as a weapon.

  Reiv remained at Mya’s to heal. Few knew he was there, but it was only a matter of time before word got around. He grew restless and grumpy, anxious to leave the confines of the bed and the stuffy room where Mya’s three children never seemed to stop jumping, running, and shrieking around him.

  “Gods, Dayn, get me out of here!” he said the afternoon of the third day. Dayn had come to check on him as well as give him an update. But Reiv was in no mood for company or reports, only rescue.

  “You have to stay a while longer,” Dayn said. “You’re not yet healed and—”

  “I am healed enough! Look—see? Healed.” Reiv pulled down the bandage wrapped around his ribs. The wound had begun to scab, but it still oozed a bit, and a puffy patch of red circled it menacingly.

  “You’re dreaming, cousin. Just be patient.”

  Reiv tossed his head back against the pillow and clenched his hands, kicking his feet beneath the covers. He sat up and grabbed Dayn’s arms. “I swear I will go mad here, Dayn. I will! You will come in one day and find me drooling and pouring porridge over my head. You have to help me. I beg you; save me from these—these—ruffians!”

  Reiv threw a glare at the children, then toward the partially opened front door. Mya sat outside it, working a wheel. She seemed oblivious to his plight, as well as the assault of nervous energy and high-pitched voices going on in the room behind her.

  “What is that woman thinking, leaving me trapped in here with these three? Those girls, squealing at all hours. And that boy…I swear, if he asks me one more question! Has Mya no mercy? Gods!”

  Dayn laughed. “I’ll see what I can do. Maybe we can get you moved somewhere more to your liking.”

  “Today, Dayn. Please,” Reiv begged. Then his eyes brightened. “What about Torin and Jensa? I could go back to Meirla with them.”

  “They’ve already gone…left day before yesterday.”

  “What? So soon? Why did they not take me with them? I cannot believe this.” Reiv raised himself on an elbow and threw off the covers. “You would think they would have at least had the decency to come by.” He slid his legs to the side and dangled them over the bed, then scooted to the edge and pushed his feet to the floor. “Fine. I will get there on my own.”

  “Oh, no you don’t!” Dayn said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “You’re staying right where you are.” Reiv fell back onto the bed, his legs still dangling over the side. “Well what is going on then? No one has told me a thing.”

  Dayn grabbed Reiv’s legs by the ankles and deposited them back onto the mattress, then pulled up a stool and sat. His face grew serious. “The Jecta are preparing for battle,” he said.

  “You must be joking. The Guard is thirty-seven hundred strong. How could the Jecta possibly—”

  “They say the raid was a call to war.” Dayn waved his hand in response to Reiv’s obvious need for argument. “I know, but their resentments have been building for a long time.”

  “They are making a terrible mistake,” Reiv said.

  “Maybe, but right now they’re only making preparations for defense. If the guards come back, they want to be ready.”

  “Speaking of guards, how is our friend doing?”

  “Crymm is doing well. He sends his regards.”

  “I have had enough of his regards for one lifetime. So, what do you intend to do with him?”

  “We intend to keep him in a state of discomfort until he can be used as leverage. He’s not good for much else. That’s one of the things I came to talk to you about. The Guard hasn’t returned. We expected them back long before now. You know their ways, Reiv. What do you think they’re planning?”

  Reiv winced and inched himself up stiffly, then leaned against the wall at his back. “It depends on what they know, or think they know. I am surprised they did not return for their dead, at least. That should have been the first thing they did. And for Whyn not to send a great show of force in response; it is odd. Possibly he is trying to build up tension or is honing up the forces. The Guard has strength in numbers, but they have grown somewhat complacent over the years. It is possible they are reorganizing in preparation of a major assault to take care of us in one clean sweep. How many weapons do we have?”

  “Not enough.”

  “Are you armed?” Reiv asked.

  “No, and I only will be if absolutely necessary. I have no intention of using a weapon again if I can help it.”

  “That sounds very noble, Dayn, but you have to defend yourself. You had best have one ready.”

  “I know, but we haven’t enough weapons to go around and there’s little time. We’re going to have to find another way to win the battle with Tearia.”

  “In the meantime, what is being done?”

  “More spies have been posted. At least if the Guard comes, there’ll be enough warning to run in the other direction.”

  “How long do you think people can keep running?”

  Dayn threw his arms up with frustration. “I don’t know, Reiv! God, you act like I’m some sort of expert. We have few weapons. We have no plan. All we have are some people to watch the perimeter of the city and keep an eye out for a possible assault. Maybe the Guard won’t come back. Maybe that was the end of it.”

  “I would not count on it,” Reiv said. “Listen, Dayn, I cannot lie in this bed a moment longer. I have to get out of here.”

  “Oh? And where do you think you would go?” Brina asked from the doorway.

  �
��Brina!” Reiv exclaimed. “What are you doing here? You know it is forbidden for Tearians to come to Pobu.”

  “That is true,” she said, crossing over to the bed, “but I am no longer Tearian.”

  Reiv looked her up and down. She was no longer dressed in her usual gown of yellow, but in a simple frock of brown. “What are you saying?” he asked.

  “I am saying I have made a choice. For sixteen years I have been secretly working against the customs of Tearia and have been forced to sneak around like a common criminal. Now I have been ordered by Whyn not to utter your name. I will tolerate it no more, Reiv. I will say your name proudly and with all the love I feel in my heart for you. No one, not even a king, will tell me I cannot. When word reached me that you had been injured, well…that was the catalyst I needed. I am here now, at your side. But I have also come to offer a service. I understand the Jecta demands were drafted the other night, but have yet to be presented. I intend to present them.”

  “No!” Dayn and Reiv cried.

  “Oh, so now you two are going to tell me what to do?” She smiled and leaned over to inspect Reiv’s wound. “I see you still have some mending to do.”

  “Do not try to change the subject, Brina,” Reiv said. He brushed her hand away from the bandage. “It is too dangerous. To turn against your own family and then deliver a message of demands from the Jecta? What do you think it will accomplish?”

  “I think it will send a very strong message. I think it will drive a point home to your brother that his proclamations and continued persecution of the Jecta is reaching a breaking point. After all, if his own aunt would turn against him…”

  “I will not allow it,” Reiv said.

  Brina laughed. “Well, I do not think you can stop it. You are, after all, confined to a bed.”

  “Well, I’m not,” Dayn said.