Zastra assured Urbek that they would not hunt any birds and he brightened up instantly. Lorzan reverted to his usual silence. The next day, Zastra stayed close to the Sendoran. Luckily, they saw no birds within range. In the late afternoon, they reached a high plateau, criss-crossed with crevices, some so deep that it was impossible to make out the bottom. They picked their way across the cracked landscape until they reached a gap too wide to merely step across. Lorzan leapt it with ease. Everyone followed except Gwylla and Morvain, who both hesitated.
‘Come, my good man,’ Urbek remarked sarcastically. ‘Not scared, are you?’
Morvain glowered at him. ‘I am merely being circumspect.’
He took a step back and cleared the gap with room to spare. That left Gwylla alone on the other side.
‘Come now, Gwylla,’ Morvain said. ‘There is nothing to fear. It is but a small gap.’
Gwylla was breathing shallowly, her expression pained. Zastra jumped back across.
‘This has happened before, hasn’t it?’
Gwylla nodded. ‘Heights.’ Her voice was strained and squeaky. Zastra took Gwylla’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
‘Then you know it will pass.’
Gwylla nodded again.
‘Let’s breathe together, slowly.’ Zastra waited patiently until the girl’s breathing steadied and her hand stopped shaking.
‘Give me your bag. Here’s what we’re going to do. The gap is not more than two paces. To prove you can do it, we are going to practise.’ She placed her own bag and Gwylla’s on the ground, so that the distance between them was the same as the width of the crevice.
‘That doesn’t look so bad.’ Gwylla managed a shallow laugh. She took two steps forward and jumped, landing easily clear of the second bag.
‘Good.’ Zastra took Gwylla’s bag and slung it across the gap.
‘Don’t think about it. Just do it.’ Gwylla nodded her head three times, gritted her teeth and ran toward the gap. She put so much force into her leap that her legs buckled as she landed. Hylaz grabbed her before she fell.
‘Well done, lass.’
The plateau rose toward a flat ridge that ended against the azure sky. There were more cracks to be negotiated, but none as wide as the one that had frightened Gwylla. Hylaz stayed close to her, giving assistance whenever it was needed. Without warning a dark shape burst out of one of the cracks, almost hitting Polina in the face. She screamed in shock as the shadow beat furiously into the air. Zastra reached instinctively for the crossbow that was slung across her back as another creature flew out of the crevice and joined its mate. They had disturbed a brace of nesting birds, their mottled feathers mimicking the colours of the plateau. Lorzan too, had drawn his bow. The birds began to screech at them.
‘Do not shoot!’ Urbek pleaded. ‘They are giving warning.’
Zastra lowered her weapon and rested her hand on Lorzan’s arm to stop him firing.
‘What kind of warning?’ she asked.
‘I cannot be telling, but we should be looking for danger.’
‘That’s all right. Looking for danger is Ithgol’s favourite past-time,’ Zastra said, trying to lighten the mood. The sudden appearance of the birds had spooked everyone. They proceeded cautiously and the reason for the warning of the birds became clear as they reached the lip of the plateau. Gwylla let out a gasp and hid her head in Hylaz’s broad chest. The ground dropped sickeningly away into a deep gorge of layered rock. The other side rose just as steep, several stone’s throws away. The canyon split the land in both directions.
‘No way to jump across that,’ Justyn remarked.
Chapter Fifteen
They stepped back from the edge and debated how to proceed.
‘I think I could climb down,’ said Lorzan, ‘but I can’t speak for the rest of you. Some of these layers look soft and treacherous.’
‘If we had brought Orika, we might have fashioned some rafts of wood and she could have floated us across,’ said Morvain, shaking his head. ‘If only I had been consulted during the planning of this ill-fated expedition.’
‘Is any person having a suggestion that is helping?’ Urbek asked. Zastra examined the gorge, which ran in a meandering line from north to south.
‘Urbek, did your ko-venteela mention anything about this? If he reached the Serene Sea, he must have found a way across.’
Urbek closed his eyes. ‘Let me be remembering. He said something I was not understanding. Ish primus salu kincheyi on ish kebanchu laykhina.’
‘What does that mean?’ Despite her best efforts, Zastra had made but poor progress learning Aliterran. She couldn’t seem to catch the subtle differences between the various choking sounds that made up the language.
‘The First Born of the Mother shows the way to the looking glass.’
‘And what does that mean?’
Urbek swept his arm in an expansive arc.
‘The Mother is giving birth to all things. She is being everywhere. But ko-venteela believe she sleeps beneath earth and it rumbles when her stomach is being empty. It is being nonsense, but ko-venteela think she is needing to be fed and so they are casting sacrifices into the mouths of her children.’
‘And this is helpful how, exactly?’ asked Morvain.
‘The First Born could be one of the mountains,’ Zastra mused.
‘Che. Yes.’
Zastra pointed to the tallest of the blunt peaks, whose dark forms rose indistinctly against a lowering curtain of black smoke. ‘The First Born should be the biggest, right?’
‘It is being simple, and ko-venteela are a simple people.’
‘Surely we aren’t choosing our route based on some half-remembered story?’ Morvain protested. ‘We should split up and check in both directions. If there is indeed a way across then at least some of us will find it.’
‘We stay together,’ Zastra said firmly. ‘Let’s make camp. Tomorrow, we head towards that mountain.’
The next day, they proceeded north along the lip of the canyon. Lorzan and Hylaz took turns to walk close to edge, looking for any kind of crossing. At noon they stopped briefly for lunch. Zastra sipped her water sparingly. There were no streams or springs on the plateau and the sky above was cloudless. She had already emptied her first waterskin. There was no telling how long it would take to find a way across the gorge and the rock on the opposite side looked equally parched. Morvain shook his metal flask above his open mouth, seeking every drop. Gwylla too, was squeezing out the last water from her skin.
‘Who has water left?’ Zastra asked. Only Ithgol, Justyn and the two Sendorans held up their hands.
‘I told you we should have brought porters,’ said Morvain.
‘People should carry their own water,’ Lorzan muttered. ‘If you hadn’t the sense to bring a spare skin, you deserve to die of thirst.’
‘Not everyone here has your experience, Lorzan,’ said Hylaz.
‘And less talk of dying,’ Zastra added. ‘It is hardly encouraging. From now on we ration our water. No one drinks except when we stop. We share what we have left.’
They continued. Zastra’s mouth was bone dry by late afternoon. She allowed the group a short break and, to set an example, she didn’t drink herself. Even so, by the time they set off again, her waterskin was empty, as was Justyn’s. If they didn’t find a source of water soon, they would be forced to turn back. As she stepped over a small crack she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A shape that seemed unnaturally straight. She called to the others. The bottom of the crack was shaded, but there was something wedged inside. The crevice was too narrow for anyone to climb down. Lorzan followed it to the edge of the canyon and, without hesitating, disappeared over the edge of the cliff. Gwylla squeaked in horror.
‘Don’t worry. Lorzan is good at this,’ Hylaz reassured her. Lorzan reappeared, bringing with him the frayed end of a black rope. It was attached to something inside the crevice. He jiggled the rope from side to side and pulled up a rusty grapne
l.
‘That is how they are getting across,’ exclaimed Urbek. ‘You are having sharpest eyes, Zastra.’
Zastra examined the far side of the gorge.
‘There.’ Part way down the opposite side was a triangular-shaped cave. A matching length of rope hung from its entrance. ‘They must have strung a line across.’
‘Well, that’s the end of that,’ Morvain said with a loud sigh, although he did not look displeased. ‘We will have to turn back. This trip has been a waste of everyone’s time.’
‘Or we can copy the ko-venteela.’ Zastra turned to Hylaz. ‘You brought ropes didn’t you?’
Hylaz pulled two coils of rope from his pack. Zastra took one and threaded it onto the grapnel.
‘It’s too far to throw, surely,’ Justyn observed.
‘I will try.’ Ithgol reached for the grapnel. His biceps bulged as he swung it in a rapid circle, before launching it across the gorge. It fell a long way short.
‘Let me try.’ Lorzan reached for the grapnel. Ithgol gave him a flat stare, but at a nod from Zastra, he stepped away. She doubted Lorzan would do better than Ithgol, but it seemed best to let him find that out for himself. After two failed attempts, the Sendoran threw down the grapnel in frustration. Zastra reached for her crossbow.
‘I have an idea. Ithgol, grab the other end. We don’t want to lose the rope.’ She loaded the grapnel into her bow and fired. It spiralled across the canyon, hitting the wall just below the triangular opening.
‘I thought you were supposed to be a dead shot,’ Morvain scoffed. Zastra didn’t waste breath explaining how difficult it was to predict the flight of such an awkward shape as a grapnel. Ithgol hauled in the line and she tried again. The grapnel flew into the opening and everyone except Morvain cheered. However, when Ithgol tugged on the line, it slipped straight back out. Zastra ground her teeth in frustration. If there was nothing for the grapnel to grab onto, it wasn’t going to work.
‘Now will you see sense?’ Morvain asked. ‘I’ve been right all along. We must turn back. I have a duty of care to my junior mindweavers.’
‘I will climb across and secure the line,’ offered Lorzan.
‘I’ll come with you,’ Hylaz said quickly.
‘There’s no need. I can move quicker alone.’
‘You’ll need a rope on the sheer sections,’ Hylaz insisted. ‘Better safe than sorry.’
Zastra slung their last full waterskin at Hylaz.
‘Take the rest of the water. You’ll need it more than us.’
‘But I’m parched,’ protested Morvain.
‘Then I suggest you be quiet,’ Zastra snapped, finally losing patience. ‘The less you talk, the less chance your mouth will dry out.’
The Sendorans disappeared over the cliff. Zastra did not envy them their task. The sun was beating down and she could feel the heat of the baking rock through the soles of her boots. She led the others to a patch of shade. All they could do now was wait.
Chapter Sixteen
Kylen woke to the sun streaming in around the edges of her shutters. She sat up and pain jagged up her back. The air in front of her seemed hazy.
‘Steady.’ Her brother placed something in her hand. ‘Drink this, you’ll feel better.’ Kylen waited for her vision to clear. She was in her cabin and as far as she could tell it was empty, except for Zax. Her tongue felt rough and swollen. She took a sip from the cup Zax had given her and nearly gagged.
‘What’s this? It smells like sweaty feet.’
‘Medicine. And stop complaining. You don’t smell much better yourself.’
Kylen looked down at her crumpled clothes. Her shirt was stained and stank of vomit.
‘What…? How?’
‘You’ve been out of it for a few days. The wound Borez gave you opened up and you lost quite a bit of blood. Zalboraz patched it up.’
Kylen sank back onto her mattress, her head throbbing. She remembered now. What had she been thinking? She’d felt so alone with Hylaz gone and had taken a mug of spiced wine to help her sleep. It had dulled the ache in her soul and so she had drunk another. After that, she didn’t remember much. Except…
‘Was Findar here?’
‘You wouldn’t let me take the wine away from you, and I couldn’t ask a Sendoran to help. And yes, I see the irony.’ Zax knelt beside her. He linked his fingers together and stared into his palms. ‘I thought I was doing the right thing. For you as well as for Sendor. If I’d known what sort of man Borez was, I would never have supported him.’
Kylen closed her eyes. Yellow sparks danced behind her eyelids.
‘I only want to understand why you did it.’
Zax bowed his head.
‘What Rastran and his mindweavers did to me still gives me nightmares. I rarely sleep. Most days, that makes me too tired to even practise with the broadsword. I felt so useless.’
Kylen reached for him. ‘Not all scars are visible.’
He shrugged her off.
‘Borez kept reminding me of Golmeiran treachery. Like the time we visited Golmer Castle with father to seek peace and they tried to kill us. How a Golmeiran army killed our father. He convinced me Zastra’s blood was tainted and that your feelings for her were stopping you acting for our people.’
‘What do you mean?’ She sat up with a jerk.
‘Kylen, she’s been gone less than a half-month and look at you.’
Kylen flushed and bit her lip. Could it be that her feelings for Zastra ran deeper than friendship? She couldn’t meet his eyes but her voice, at least, was firm.
‘Zax, you must believe me. I would never put anything before the good of our people.’
Zax hung his head. ‘I’ve been a fool. Borez just used me to get what he wanted.’
‘Why didn’t you talk to me?’
‘I wanted to, but you were always off enjoying yourself.’
She shook her head and instantly regretted it.
‘You mean like risking my skin to destroy Thorlberd’s migaradon farm?’
‘Exactly. Enjoying yourself.’
They shared a grin. With a pang, she realised it was the first time she’d seen him smile in a long time.
‘I’m so sorry, Zax. The truth is I can’t bear to see you suffer. That’s why I’ve stayed away. I blame myself for what happened.’
‘That’s ridiculous. I begged you to let me join that patrol. You could never have known what would happen.’
‘Even so, I failed to protect you. And I’m failing again, this time at being a leader.’ She swung her feet off the bed. ‘Zax, what am I going to do?’
‘Well, you could start by giving up the spiced wine.’
She groaned.
‘Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything that stupid again.’
‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ Her brother’s smile broadened. ‘Most of your attacks on Thorlberd could be considered stupid or crazy. The best ones are often both.’
‘I think you mean bold and imaginative.’ But she soon turned serious again. ‘Zax, I have to do better. With Hylaz and Zastra away, you’re the only one I trust. I need to understand what our people are thinking.’
‘You want me to be a spy?’
‘Think of it as finding out what I need to know. Like who else I should be worried about.’
Zax raised an eyebrow. ‘Where do I start?’
Chapter Seventeen
The sun rose over the gorge and Zastra woke with a raging thirst. She reached for her waterskin before remembering it was empty. Everyone else was asleep, all except Ithgol, who stood at the corner of the rock formation shading his eyes against the morning sun.
‘Any sign?’
He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. She stretched and walked to the lip of the gorge. The bottom was still in shadow. She sensed Ithgol behind her, even though she had not heard him approach.
‘Let’s hope they made it to the bottom before nightfall. I wouldn’t have liked to spend the night clingin
g to that rock face.’
Ithgol grunted.
‘Any chance of finding water up here?’ she asked. Ithgol snuffled the air.
‘Not unless it rains,’ he told her, handing her a bag of dried fruit. ‘It will help.’
She took a handful of the fruit. The wet stickiness inside her mouth as she chewed made a pleasant change from the texture of dry sand. The others began to emerge from the shade of the rock.
‘Ked-eyi,’ Urbek greeted her in Aliterran.
‘Ked-eyi,’ Zastra returned, proffering the bag of dried fruit.
‘Nna-eyi,’ he said. Thank you.
‘Nna-chey,’ she responded, with a nod toward Ithgol. Thank him. Urbek wagged his finger.
‘Nna-che,’ he corrected her. ‘There is being only one of him.’
Zastra was starting to wish she had never asked Urbek for lessons. It was disheartening to be wrong so often. She despaired of ever making herself understood.
‘Usi-eyi?’ he continued. Where are you from?’
‘Ko-minalay?’ she offered.
‘Xho!’ He snapped, before switching to Golmeiran. ‘No! You are not coming from worms!’
‘Ko-mnalay,’ Ithgol rumbled.
‘Hei! This is being correct. You are coming from the land of the whiteskins.’ They both turned to Ithgol in surprise.
‘I have ears,’ he said with a shrug, not taking his eyes from the opposite wall of the canyon. Urbek broke into a laugh.
‘He is speaking almost like ko-yamacha. Not like you, Zastra, who is sounding like a dying frogling.’
He continued to speak Aliterran. Zastra followed most of what he said, but whenever she tried to speak, the wagging finger came out.
‘Xho! Xho!’ became his favourite exclamation. ‘No! No!’
Zastra was thankful when Ithgol interrupted the lesson to alert her to two figures on the opposite side of the gorge, inching their way towards the triangular cave.
‘Just how are we planning to get across? Morvain asked. ‘We are none of us tightrope walkers.’
‘We’ll set up a line and slide across,’ said Zastra. ‘Everyone show me your bags. We need one with strong leather.’
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