by G. R. Lyons
Several minutes passed, and it looked like their effort was going to be for naught, until they heard a splitting crack and part of the rock between two of the ventilation holes gave way.
“We're almost there!” one man shouted. “Come on!”
They went at it again, and finally they made one large opening out of two of the holes. Benash tossed his stone aside, braced himself on the bench, and leapt upward, scrabbling for purchase.
The prisoners reached through and caught him by the wrists, pulling as he struggled to push himself up. The bench gave way beneath his feet and skittered back across the room, leaving him hanging on by his fingers.
“Come on, Hawk!”
They pulled him up so he could brace one forearm on the ground, and as he got the other forearm in place, a loud pop sounded just above his head.
Everyone froze, and Benash turned his head as far as he could, looking up as a crack began to split the rock that hung directly above him.
“Come on, Hawk! Hurry!”
Benash scrabbled up the sheer wall, clawing his hands into the ground while the others gripped him under the arms and by the belt, hauling him up while rock rained down around them.
On his belly, he crawled forward, the prisoners still tugging on his clothes, and just as his feet came free of the opening, the rock collapsed, caving in the entire room.
Benash flipped over onto his back, panting as he watched what would have been his end.
“Seven hells,” one of the prisoners said. “The gods must like you.”
Benash shook his head and turned around, crawling over to Vorena. Ignoring the sting of scrapes and cuts all over his hands and face, he took a moment to catch his breath and gather Vorena up in his arms.
“Where do we go?” he asked her in a whisper.
Her eyelids fluttered as she struggled awake, and from her mind he saw an image of the clearing on the mountainside.
That's where we were headed, she told him, even her mental voice sounding weak and breathless. I don't know if they'll still be there.
Rest now, he murmured back to her, and rose to his feet with her cradled against his chest.
“Let's go,” he said, and plunged into the forest with Ashyn at his side and the prisoners following.
Chapter 39
BENASH COLLAPSED to his knees, almost dropping Vorena as he hit the ground. His arms trembled as he lowered her to the springy carpet of undergrowth, and hung his head while he tried to catch his breath.
Ashyn crouched down beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“I just need a minute,” he panted.
“You need to let us help you, is what you need,” one of the prisoners admonished him.
They'd been walking all day, always moving closer to the mountain and away from the prison. Benash wasn't sure if and when the officers would return to Sonekha to inspect the damage, but he wanted them all as far away as possible, just in case.
And all that time, he'd not let go of Vorena.
“You can't carry her the whole way by yourself, Hawk,” another prisoner said more gently. “Let us help you. You helped us. Let us return the favor.”
“I can't…”
He stopped and shook his head.
“Alright, alright,” the prisoner consoled him. “Let's all just rest for a bit, then. Gods know we could use it. And somehow we need to start thinking about what happens come nightfall.”
Benash sat back on his heels, feeling like a fool. The thought of food and shelter hadn't even crossed his mind in his hurry to get Vorena away from the prison.
He stretched out on his back, keeping one hand on Vorena's arm while his own arms trembled with strain and exhaustion. Ashyn sat beside him, gently rubbing his arms and wiping the sweat from his brow.
As soon as he caught his breath, though, he looked around at the dimming light in the forest and pushed himself back up into a sitting position.
“We've got to keep moving,” he muttered, getting up on his knees.
He took another deep breath as he braced himself for the effort, and in that momentary pause, another prisoner came over and scooped up Vorena and started away with her.
“But–”
“Let him help you, Hawk. We can take turns. It'll be alright.”
“But–”
“Come on, Benash,” Ashyn murmured, taking him by the arm and helping him stand. He struggled to his feet and let Ashyn lead him as they continued on with the others, never letting Vorena out of his sight.
They kept moving as darkness slowly crept over the forest, taking turns carrying Vorena, and only stopped when they came to a stream.
The prisoners eyed the water with mixed desire and wariness.
“Is it safe to drink, do you think?” someone asked.
Everyone looked to Benash as though he'd have the answer.
Benash colored under the scrutiny of gazes fixed in his direction, and stammered, “I know the Lower Pascatin is poisoned but…this one, I…I think it comes from farther north, but…”
The prisoners glanced around at one another, shrugged, and dropped to their knees, scooping up handfuls of water in their desperate thirst.
With the suns down and only the feeble light of Garis filtering down through the trees, the prisoners crowded together, quietly muttering about what to do next.
“Think you can take out a deer or two there, Hawk?” someone suggested, pointing at his guns. “If we're all real quiet, of course.”
Benash crouched down next to Vorena where she lay on the grass, rubbing his trembling arms.
“I'm not sure I'd be much of a shot right now,” he muttered, holding out a hand and watching his fingers shake. He looked up at the prisoners and shook his head. “I'm so sorry. I've brought you all out here and–”
“Hawk,” one of the lovers cut in, “if it hadn't been for you, we'd all be crushed to death or suffocating in that damned prison. I think we can all bear a night without food for the sake of living in the free air again.”
Benash sighed heavily. “If her people are still out here…If we can find them…”
“How about we rest for now,” another suggested, “and look again in the morning. See how close we are?”
He pointed up at the mountainside, the clearing just visible in the moonlight, and Benash felt a twinge of hope creep through his weariness.
“Cheer up, Hawk.”
Benash looked down, startled, and saw Vorena looking up at him from under heavy eyelids.
“How are you?” he murmured, crouching down closer and brushing her hair back off her forehead.
“Oh, just splendid,” she joked, then turned away and coughed. “You up for a race later? I'm feeling quite the thing.”
Benash opened his mouth to chastise her, thought better of it, and gave her a smile instead. “Why not? Sounds like fun. I'm sure the trees will cooperate and stay out of the way.”
Vorena laughed and closed her eyes. “Thank the gods, you finally got a sense of humor.”
One of the prisoners crouched down beside them, cradling a soaked piece of cloth in both hands. He squeezed out as much water as he could into Vorena's mouth, then used the damp cloth to wipe the blood and dust from Vorena's face.
“More?” the prisoner asked.
“Oh, gods, yes,” Vorena croaked, and started to crawl toward the stream.
“Oh, no you don't.” Benash pushed her down. “You rest.”
Vorena rolled her eyes, but sighed as she flopped over onto her back. Benash followed the prisoner back to the stream, taking up handfuls of water for himself while the prisoner scrubbed at the cloth under the cold water and let it soak up again.
“Are you alright?” Benash asked, eyeing the bloody rag tied around the man's shoulder.
The prisoner shrugged. “Went right through, thank the gods. Hurts like all seven hells, but there's not much I can do about it now.”
“Hang on to that,” Benash said, nodding at the soaked, torn cloth in the m
an's hands. “You'll need to at least try to keep it clean.”
The man nodded and went back to Vorena's side, and Benash turned back to the stream, taking up a few more mouthfuls and then scrubbing his wet hands over his face and neck, feeling reinvigorated by the icy water.
Benash crawled over to Vorena and collapsed onto his back, allowing himself a moment of rest while the injured man went back to the stream. The man's partner joined him there, and Benash watched as he lovingly cleaned his partner's wound and then bound the strip of cloth under the man's arm and around his shoulder, discarding the dirty rag they'd used before.
When Benash looked back at Vorena, he saw her also watching the men with a smile.
He propped himself up on an elbow, leaning over her as he whispered, “Why are you smiling?”
Her smile grew and she closed her eyes as she sighed. “Love is such a beautiful thing.”
“More beautiful than the sunrise?” he asked.
“Mmmm, infinitely.”
Benash watched her as she lay there, smiling softly. He studied her face, desperate to know what was going on in her mind at that moment, but her thoughts were locked up tighter than they'd ever been. Even in her weakened state, her mind was still incredibly strong.
He slowly lifted a hand, wanting to reach out and touch her face, but her eyes flew open and she lurched away from him as a coughing fit took over.
“Breathe, Vorena!” he cried in a fierce whisper, curled around her from behind while she coughed up blood. “For the gods' sakes, hold on. Please, hold on.”
The fit subsided, and she spat out more blood on the ground before flopping over onto her back, breathing heavily. Benash hovered over her, holding her close and watching her face intently as her chest rose and fell under his arm.
“Gods be damned, Benash,” she growled. “Just leave me here. Please. I'm going to die, and I'll only manage to slow you all down. Just—Fuck!—leave me here and go on. Go find the Gate. Get off this thrice-damned Isle.”
Benash grabbed her by the jaw and forced her to look at him.
“I am not going anywhere without you, do you hear me?” he growled. Her eyes went wide as he continued: “We'll find your people. I'll get you to Agoran. The doctors there can help you, I know they can! I swear it, by the gods, Vorena! You're going to live.”
With that, he crushed his mouth to hers, gathering her up in his arms as though he'd force the sickness out of her with the very desperation of his feeling.
And in that moment, the world was forgotten as Vorena sprung to life, kissing him back with more intensity than he'd ever imagined.
“Oh…by the…gods,” he stammered out between kisses, and lost all awareness again as Vorena clung to him, filling him with sensations he hadn't even known were humanly possible.
He felt tears stream down Vorena's cheeks as he held her, but though he wanted to know what he'd done to make her cry, he couldn't bear the thought of ending the embrace to ask.
She cut off the kiss with a gasp and went very still.
“What's wrong?” he panted.
She glanced to either side, just with her eyes, and he felt her send out a projected thought to every mind in the area.
Don't shoot.
Without thinking, Benash let her go, drew his guns, and sat up, only to find an arrow trained directly at his heart from several feet away.
Opening his mind, he realized there were suddenly a lot more people in the forest than for which the prisoners could account.
“Put the guns down, Hawk,” the archer said, his face hidden in shadow. “You're surrounded.”
All around them, the prisoners slowly gathered in closer, huddling against one another, and Benash saw through the crowd that several other archers stood in a ring all around the group.
Benash froze, his arms shaking as he held out his guns, and the forest filled with silence as everyone tensed, waiting.
“Oh, for the gods' sakes,” Vorena spat. “All of you put your weapons down.”
“Not until you're safe from him, Vor,” the archer said, nodding toward Benash.
“Jevon, he saved me,” she said, struggling to sit up and then collapsing back again with a groan.
“He's a Hawk, Vor–”
“And I said–”
Vorena cut off as she turned toward Benash and coughed up more blood.
“Vor?” the man cried, lowering his bow slightly.
With her back to the man, Vorena waved an arm at him dismissively, then clung to Benash as she coughed into the dirt. Benash holstered his weapons and curled over her, rubbing her back and pushing her hair out of the way while she spat out blood.
When it was over, he helped her ease over onto her back, and looked up to see the archer giving him a strange look.
The two men stared at one another, until the archer broke his gaze to look at Vorena, then around at the shadowy figures assembled in the dark.
The man sighed and let his arms fall. “Lower your weapons,” he murmured.
All around them, Benash saw arms come down, and the shadowy figures stepped forward to join the crowd of prisoners.
“This pack of fools certainly makes enough noise to wake the gods,” the archer said, stepping closer and crouching down beside Vorena, who gave him an apologetic look. The man looked around at the weary prisoners and gave a heavy sigh. “Well, we came back for more people, and I suppose we've gotten what we asked for.” He addressed the crowd at large: “We have fire and blankets and food, though camp is about an hour's walk from here. You're all welcome to come if you can be quiet.”
The prisoners roused themselves and eagerly followed as the archers gathered them together and slowly crept away.
Benash shifted, ready to stand and lift Vorena, but he saw her reach out and grab the archer by his arm.
“Came back?” she asked. “Jevon, did you–”
The archer, Jevon, nodded. “We found it, Vor. Up on that mountain, just like we thought. Took a few weeks of searching but–” He paused, shaking his head. “Gods, Vorena, Agoran is– I can't wait for you to see it. It's everything we ever dreamed.”
Benash stared at the man, his heart racing with anticipation.
A Gate to Agoran! He could get Vorena to a doctor, to freedom!
Filled with a burst of new-found energy, Benash sprang to his feet and gathered Vorena up in his arms.
Chapter 40
THE REBEL camp burst into an odd sort of quiet chaos as Benash followed Jevon toward the fire.
“Vorena!”
“She's alive!”
“She's back!”
“Where've you been?”
“Here, have some food.”
“Lie down here–”
“Enough!” Jevon growled, and the crowd of excited rebels backed away to give Benash space to lay Vorena down near the fire.
Benash sat down next to Vorena, feeling unsettled and out of place surrounded by the rebels in their woods-colored garb. Even the prisoners seemed to fit in seamlessly in their brown uniforms, but Benash's slate grey stood out glaringly in the light of the campfire.
“That's a Hawk,” someone whispered.
“What's a Hawk doing here?”
The camp fell silent as Jevon strode over to him and crouched on one knee. He extended an arm toward Benash and said, “Thank you for getting her out of there.”
Benash looked at the man and his extended arm, feeling the eyes of every prisoner and rebel on him. After a long moment, Jevon rolled his eyes and reached toward Benash, grabbing him by the forearm. Benash slowly copied the gesture, clasping Jevon's forearm in return.
Jevon gave their arms a firm shake, offered Benash something close to a smile, and turned away as one of the rebels brought them plates of food.
Benash helped Vorena sit up against him so she could eat, but instead of reaching for the food, he saw her extend an arm out to her side.
A moment later, Ashyn approached and took Vorena's hand, crouching down beside them. Be
nash felt color rise on his cheeks, chagrined at the fact that he'd entirely forgotten Ashyn was with them.
“These men won't hurt you,” Vorena murmured, offering the girl a smile. “I promise, you're safe here.”
Ashyn nodded, and held Vorena's plate for her while they ate. Benash glanced over at his child wife, and she smiled encouragingly at him.
We'll be alright, he told her.
I know, she said, then paused before she asked, She's not doing well, is she?
Benash glanced at Vorena while she was concentrating on her food, then back up at Ashyn.
No. I'm afraid we're running out of time.
Ashyn glanced around at the camp, then up at the mountain looming over them, and asked, Do you think we should–
“Vori!”
Benash started at the sound of the youthful, shrieking voice, and saw a small child come tearing across the camp, dart around the fire, and plow right into Vorena.
“Ooof!” Vorena groaned, but there was a smile on her face as she crushed the girl in a hug, rolling around in the dirt. “Ah, there's my little one.”
“Vori, where did you go?” the little girl pouted, gaining her feet and letting Vorena sit up again. “Why did you leave us?”
Vorena smiled. “I had to save all these people, dearheart.”
The little girl looked around at all the new faces, and turned a beaming smile on Vorena, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. “You're a hero!” Then she turned and saw Benash, drawing back a step as she took in the sight of his uniform. “Did you save him, too?”
Vorena looked up at Benash, a hint of a smile on her face, and told the girl, “No, love. He saved me.”
The girl looked at Benash, then back at Vorena, then back at Benash again, her eyes lighting up with a delighted smile as she threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely with her little arms around his neck.
She stepped back and said, “You're a hero, too!”
Benash clenched his jaw and looked down at his hands, fighting tears that had suddenly sprung to his eyes.
The girl climbed up on Vorena's lap, and her face turned sad. “Vori, I lost the special story.”
