by S E Turner
'I'm not sure,' said Eujena slightly startled, remembering only too well that she was still a married woman.
'Laith, really, it's not our business. I'm sorry, Eujena. I think my husband to be has had rather too much to drink.' Artemisia rolled her eyes as she got up to collect the plates and put them in a large metal bowl outside the front porch. Then she returned to her husband's side.
Eujena smiled at the bond that these two people shared.
'But they make such a wonderful couple. Like us.' He reached over to kiss her cheek. Artemisia reached for Laith's fingers and entwined them with her own.
'One day, perhaps, when we are settled,' she said.
'But you are settled here, surely,' Laith remarked.
'We are getting there,' Eujena smiled.
'Have you seen what Hagen has done with their home?' said Artemisia. 'He is a wonderful carpenter and his workmanship is so skilled.'
'I have, my dear, and he is undoubtedly very talented.'
'And the clothes that Eujena has made—the curtains and the spreads—their home is one of the finest.'
Laith smiled and raised his eyebrows as he agreed with her. 'I know, and have you seen how that young boy has taken Ajeya under his wing and is teaching her the way of the forest? It truly is inspiring.'
'She loves it here,' said Eujena, recognising her own good fortune. 'We all consider ourselves very lucky to be able to call this our home.'
Artemisia took her hand. 'This will always be your home. Always,' she smiled tenderly. 'And Laith,' she continued, noticing his heavy eyes. 'This fine lady has promised to teach me how to make clothes after our wedding.'
'Do you think you will have time, my love? You will have your hands full not long after.' He tilted his head in the direction of her growing bump.
'You will be wonderful parents. Your child is very lucky.' Eujena's tone was melancholy, and she shivered at the memory of Ajeya's biological father, remembering how he had never accepted their only daughter.
'I am a very lucky woman and I thank the gods every day for guiding me.' Artemisia kissed Laith's hand. He leaned over and nestled his head on her shoulder.
Eujena pondered on the good fortune of these two people, finding each other and falling in love, making a home together, and now bringing a new child into the world. What blessings they had been given; nothing on this earth could part these two. She smiled on them with affection.
'We are all lucky,' he slurred, but was completely in control of his chosen words. 'Lucky to have such good friends and family.' He knocked back the last of his wine and struggled to keep his eyes open now.
Eujena stood up to go. 'I think it's time I went, so I can let you two get some much-needed rest. When that little one comes, you won't be getting any sleep at all. Your whole life will change in an instant and...'
The sound of snoring cut short her words, and the two women laughed.
'How can men do that?' chuckled Artemisia. 'Just fall asleep wherever they are?'
'I know, I can't do that. I need a nice warm bed with plenty of soft downy blankets.'
'Me too,' agreed Artemisia. 'I had better get this big lump to bed… or shall I just leave him there?'
Eujena wrapped a woollen shawl around her shoulders. 'I would leave him there, you don't want to do anything too strenuous now do you?'
'I heard that,' mumbled Laith.
'Eujena laughed. 'I will call by tomorrow to give you a hand with the dishes.'
The fire was out when she got home, and the house was dark and gloomy. It seemed really empty without her family there. Even though the new furniture adorned the room and her curtains and bedding added vibrant colours and warmth, it still felt very cold and very empty. Outside it was eerily quiet, punctuated by the occasional noise. Something rustled outside. Then came the screech of an owl. And finally, the scream of its victim. Silent wings carried the kill back to its lair.
She lit the fire, boiled some water, and made a cup of dandelion tea. She sat down on the bed. It seemed a long time that she was alone in there. The warmth of the embers made her sleepy and the tea relaxed her. But falling asleep was full of disturbed dreams. She dreamed of Keao fighting for his life in a troubled land and she dreamed of Hagen driving Coal through the dark in an attempt to get away from something dreadful. In that dream, she was left on her own again with Ajeya to battle through the wilderness. Bats and other mythical creatures swooped down on them and tried to peck at their eyes and claw at their skin. She woke in a sweat of fright. She got up and stirred the fire, then warmed her tea and sipped it. At last she heard laughter and familiar voices and a smile swept across her face as her family returned to their home safely.
That night as they lay sleeping, Hagen looked over to the slumbering woman. He breathed the smell of her and watched the rise and fall of her breasts. A wispy tendril of hair lay across her face and moved with each breath she took. He reached over and gently moved it aside. He covered her with the soft downy blankets to keep off the chill and then her breathing changed—it became slow and heavy. She rolled over onto her side and in her sleep, she murmured, 'Strong and handsome, my beautiful Hagen. I wish that one day we too could get married.'
Chapter Eighteen
It was the day before the wedding and something about the way the trees creaked that evening sent a shiver down Eujena's spine. Even though it was the eve before the longest day, the air was heavy and full of uncertainty. The trees bowed and twisted as Hagen drove his family through the forest, so much so that they didn't even resemble trees anymore; rather, they took on the form of hideous deformed monsters trying to hide away from the stretch of the sun. The huge oak towered over them with its bulbous arms weighted down with a harvest of leaves and its gnarled claws crawling out yonder in search of life-giving sustenance. Coal nickered and became skittish. He, too, was spooked at the squawks and hoots that came from the overhead limbs clustered around them.
'It's been a good day of hunting,' said Hagen looking back at his haul.
'Yes, very successful, but I'm keen to get back now,' said Eujena, fearful of the hour.
'We should be home soon,' assured Hagen.
'I still have a few alterations to do on Ajeya's dress and need to catch the light.'
'I will get you back in time, and then I will make sure that all the food is prepared for the wedding feast.
'It will be a wonderful day, Hagen. I really can't wait to see them married.'
'You have become very close to Artemisia, haven't you?'
She looked at him tenderly. 'I really have. I don't remember ever having such a close friend–well, apart from you, of course.' Her hand found his and she knitted their fingers.
Hagen smiled at the touch. 'And look at those two in the back, see how close they have become.'
'I know,' Eujena's voice was tender. 'Ajeya loves Keao, and he is so good with her.'
'He's teaching her to use a bow and arrow now. They practise every single day.' Hagen's voice was full of pride.
'Yes, she is always practising with the one he made her, even when he is off doing something else, she will carry out his instructions and fill her days.' Eujena smiled at the thought. 'But it's good for a girl to know how to use a weapon, don't you think?'
'I totally agree,' Hagen nodded. 'It's a sign of the changing times we are in.'
Eujena gripped his hand tighter and smiled with ease until a raven landed on a broken branch above and gave a harsh raucous rattle of distress. She looked up in alarm—the last time she saw a raven like this, she was close to death. She noticed it had blood on its wings and it opened and closed its beak in fear of something. She shivered and leaned into Hagen. 'Can we go a bit faster, my love. I feel I am getting a chill.'
'Of course, we can. Come on Coal, let's get home.' And with a wink and a smile, he snapped the reins over the horse's rump, and the cart immediately responded. But the smile vanished from his face when a terrible scream split the air and he pulled the cart to an immediate halt.
'What is it?' cried out Eujena, looking around to where the sound had come from.
'I don't know. I can't see,' Hagen's response was shocked and his heart quickly accelerated as he hunted for the source.
'Children get down! Keao, get that blanket and pull it over you!' The acuity in Eujena's voice was hushed.
Then they saw a great rush of men, women and children running in all directions, followed by soldiers on horseback. With a thunder of galloping hooves, an army of devils descended on the vulnerable clan. With swords flashing and bayonets charging, they attacked anyone who got in their way. Those that fell or turned back were cut down by the long swords, and as the horsemen advanced, their horses rode over the bodies of the wounded and the dead. Terrified, the people of the clan had nowhere to go; and even the men armed with spears and arrows were brutally cut down before they could fire a shot.
Eujena recognised the colours of the army and the blood drained from her face. 'What do they want?' her voice was a faint whisper. Ajeya was camouflaged in the back; listening, watching, pretending.
'I've got to go and help them,' cried out Hagen jumping down from the wagon and reaching for his spear. 'Keao come with me and bring that catapult with you.'
The boy did as he was told. Throwing the covers off him, he jumped down and covered the little girl again.
Eujena clung on to his arm. 'You can't go in there, Hagen. You can't!'
'I will not leave these people on their own, Eujena. Look at them, they are being slaughtered out there.'
Still she grabbed onto him. 'They are the Emperor's men, Hagen. They are here to find me.' Her voice was frail and breathless.
'What do they want with you?' He was getting impatient as more of his kinsmen were getting mowed down.
'I can't tell you right now, but my life is in danger and I have to get out of here,' she spoke quickly, sensing the danger she was in.
Hagen looked at her. 'Why do they want you though? What have you done?'
The four of them were frozen in suspension and time moved slowly as Hagen was torn between duty and honour. It was his duty to take care of Eujena and Ajeya, but it was his honour to look after the clan. The trees camouflaged them, but didn't spare the stench of death and blood.
Cruel fires burned rapidly, devouring homes and precious possessions. Corpses were cremated where they lay, and columns of black smoke rose up to stain a deepening crimson sky. An old man writhed on the ground in agony, screaming at the grey belly of smoke above—his flesh was on fire and no one could help him. The flumes of burning wood filled their lungs and the constant wail of screaming reverberated around the camp. The reek of burning skin was worse.
They dared not move a muscle. Even Coal didn't flinch. Eujena watched the leader of the invaders ride by on his horse. She saw him clearly in the light of the setting sun, those eyes were as cruel as a devil hunting its prey. That face terrified her. She thought her thumping heart would give them away it was beating that hard. She recognised him at once, even under all the armoury and the royal disguise. She would never forget that face. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? She had gone like he had demanded. She had found refuge in the clans like Ariane had said. Was he now punishing the clans and going to put her and Ajeya to death after all?
The Emperor of Ataxata looked straight through the blistering scene with his eyes fixed in her direction. Her heart missed a beat. Had he seen her?
'He will kill me if he finds me, Hagen,' her voice matched the panic on her face. 'He will kill Ajeya, and he will certainly kill you for harbouring me. I was married to that monster and he banished me for having a disfigured child. He said if I didn't leave then he would let me and Ajeya rot in the darkest dungeons. He made me go into the wilderness and left me to die out there, and I know that if he sees me now, he will kill me.' Her eyes ran with tears as she begged and pleaded with the only man who could save her.
Hagen dropped his head to the floor and breathed heavily with the weight on his shoulders. Which one should he help?
The soldiers brought in the caged wagons, and as the remaining survivors were herded in a beleaguered line, the horse and cart that protected the woman he loved and the children he had sworn to take care of slowly rolled down the hill: quietly, steadily and out of sight.
'Right, now that you are paying attention, I need a little information.' The Emperor marched his horse along the long line of terrified villagers, trying to find the weakness in the clan. 'And you have seen what I am capable of.' Still, he walked purposefully while the clan trembled fearfully. Then he stopped in the centre and faced them.
'I need to know the whereabouts of something.'
The clan looked at each other in total shock—what could they possibly have that he needed? 'And I will remind you that lying to me is punishable by death.'
The clan's eyes fell on the remaining soldiers kicking anything in their path and crashing through burnt out homes.
'I am looking for The Seal of Kings.'
Terrified expressions abounded because they really didn't know what he was talking about.
'I have been told by a reliable source that the Seal of King's whereabouts is known by a clan member. So, I ask you again, who can help me with my enquiries?'
Still, there was nothing from the crowd except the guise of fear and trepidation.
'I will give you one last chance before I start taking even more lives. Now where is The Seal?' His threatening voice reverberated around the camp, and even his grey mare paced about nervously.
'We don't know, my lord,' came a pitiful response. 'We are peasants and know nothing of such things.'
The Emperor rode menacingly close to the owner of the voice but kept his words slow and even. 'I don't believe you, and I should take out your tongue right here, you miserable wretch.' His eyes narrowed and a sinister smirk grew too easily. 'But I am a lenient man, and because you are the only one who spoke up to spare your clan, it is you who I shall take as a prisoner.' The sickening grin widened menacingly.
'No, please, have mercy. We do not know what you speak of. please, spare him,' cried out his wife.
The smile vanished and his lips were thin. 'Another woman asked me for mercy once. I didn't listen to her pleas, either. Lock him in the wagon.'
The berating clan tried to stop the soldiers’ advancement but were cruelly beaten back with fists and clubs and anything else that would inflict a cavernous wound. Suddenly the air cleared, and a movement froze the proceedings. 'Leave him. Take me!' An exhausted but authoritative voice took precedence.
The Emperor tipped his head, and with a sly grin, looked straight at the owner of the offer. A strong young man with the air of grandeur and leadership about him had spoken up. Gored with battle wounds and leaning on a blood-stained sword, he had no fight left in him. He would be no trouble. But this would do nicely. This was their leader. So much better than a mere peasant.
'Laith, no!' A woman screamed.
Artemisia stood at the entrance of their hut, tears streaming down her face. 'Laith, please don't go. It's our wedding tomorrow. Our unborn child needs you. I need you. Please don't leave me.'
Zoraster put an arm around her and tried to hold her back.
'I have to go, Artemisia. I am the leader here, I cannot let another man take my place.'
Artemisia ran out and clung on to him. 'Please, Laith, please.'
'I will return soon. I promise.' He held onto her tightly and kissed her face.
The Emperor looked at them and sneered with total disregard. 'In your wildest dreams,' he thought.
'Take him!' came the order. 'Lock him in the wagon and we'll be on our way.'
Chapter Nineteen
The plump grey clouds seemed to follow their route, and the rain fell soft and steady, muffling the sound of Coal's steps and camouflaging the tears that fell in pools down Eujena's face. They rode in silence as if the woods were full of ears. The children slept peacefully in the back of the cart. Following the road north, they took a barr
en path that meandered through sparse woodland where the trees leaned drunkenly on each other and created a wall of black through which no stars could shine. Coal nickered nervously, and Eujena glanced over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following. In the pits of darkness all she could see were monstrous shadows taunting her, so she pulled her shawl tighter and leaned into Hagen.
By nightfall, the clouds had emptied their heavy load and now only a fine drizzle fell around them as their journey led them to a vast open space. The stars could be seen shining brightly from here, straining to break through the cracked and pitted black barrier of the night sky. The moon was full, and her light cast hideous shapes across a desolate landscape while the bark of a fox and the howl of a wolf made Coal skittish again.
Strange nocturnal sounds in the distance told them that an unseen world was close by, and the screams of a victim were evidence that a hunting predator had taken its prey. The dark concealed many secrets—some were so grotesque that they would only play out silently in one's owns thoughts. Sometimes they became real and turned into folklore and fables to tell over a campfire by men high on liquor. For if left alone, they would surely grow into something more terrifying. So, when it got too much to bear and Hagen couldn't stop his exaggerated thoughts, he had to know the truth.
'Will you tell me what that was all about back there, Eujena?' His voice was barely audible. Eujena felt her heart beating faster and the nausea in her stomach rose to the back of her throat. She remained silent, unwilling to divulge her past.
'Eujena, please,' his voice was an octave louder.
She began to sob quietly. 'I'm so sorry, Hagen. I truly am.'
'What are you sorry about?' His tone was puzzled.
'Everything, simply everything.' Her face was stained with a thousand tears and for the first time, he was aware of the weight that she carried on her shoulders.
Hagen looked at her as the wagon rolled along on even ground and the darkness weighed down heavily on them. Neither of them felt scared anymore, though. The night with all its secrets and concealed monsters were of little consequence now, for both of them knew that what she was about to say would consume them even more. She looked back at the children to check that they were both settled and that they wouldn't hear what she was about to divulge. The deep sounds of sleep from both of them told her that they were immersed in pleasant dreams.