“How is she?”
Elle cocked her head toward the entrance. “Follow.”
Inside the cave, Marzi spied Rys in one corner, propped up with pillows and cushions and soft blue-white plant lights hanging above her. The Azyrean bolted across the area to her friend and hugged her, careful not to bump the arm that was held in place with a sling.
“Hello.” Ryshara nodded down toward the injured arm. “It is not as bad as it looks. They say it should be healed within the week.” She paused, her face taking on a more serious expression. “How was your journey?”
“Okay, I guess. I mean, I didn’t have any problems or anything. Ran and Elle went with me most of the way to the Bough, and Lapis was with me the rest of the way.”
Rys studied the Azyrean for a moment. “I have been wondering why you needed to go back to the Bough.”
Panic set in. Marzi wondered how much she should share with her friend. She decided on a half-truth. “All that happened was because of me. With you hurt, I felt I needed to face the empress and your father personally to account for my actions.” That much was true, but she conveniently left out the part about Valyn.
“How is Father?”
Marzi could tell that it pained Rys to smile with her bruised face and cuts that were still healing. “He is well—worried but well—and he misses you.”
“And what was Empress Ariessa’s reaction?”
“About what you would expect. She reminded me of the directions she’d given. She talked a little about accountability and that sort of thing. But she was also grateful that you were healing.”
Rys narrowed her eyes and turned her head slightly to the side. “And her reaction to the human attacks?”
This was getting too close to the full story for Marzi’s comfort. “From what she told me, which was not much, she is considering meeting with Saige to discuss the problem. But I don’t have any details.” She paused before continuing, “Oh, and she was happy to hear that Arien is well.” She chuckled. “But she tried not to show it.”
Ryshara burst out in laughter, and then winced.
The dark elf grew more serious, and then gestured toward the center of the cave with her good arm. “I hope that we can leave here within a day or two. I am anxious to get home.”
The young Azyrean didn’t have the courage to tell her friend that, when she did get back to see her father and present herself to the High Council, it might not be much of a homecoming. There was no telling what punishment awaited her there.
Marzi didn’t hear Saige walk up behind her.
“Welcome back, Marzi Gloam.” She nodded toward Ryshara. “It appears our patient has improved somewhat just having you back.”
“I am indeed better and ready to go home,” Rys smiled as she said it but attempted to hide her wince.
“Let us not discuss that tonight. Eat and rest. We can talk tomorrow. Good night.” And with that, Saige turned and walked away as quietly as she had approached.
Chapter 13: Marzi
The next afternoon, Marzi found Saige wandering north along the shore. Something about the elf’s figure in the distance seemed wraith-like. Her white hair and long robe blew in the wind, with tendrils of low-hanging fog reaching out and wrapping around her like spectral fingers. Marzi paused and shuddered before running to close the distance between them.
“I’d hoped that I’d find you out here.” The Azyrean turned and looked toward the sea.
Saige turned to face Marzi. “I have been expecting you. I trust you are well—rested from your journey.” Her greeting seemed half-hearted, as though her mind were in some other place.
“I have to admit, I was so excited seeing my friends again that I didn’t get a lot of sleep. But I’m sure I’ll make up for it tonight. I thought that you might want to discuss our return to the Bough. Do you think Rys will be up to traveling as early as tomorrow?”
Saige rubbed her chin, her words coming slowly, “Hmmm, she might be up to it. I am sure that you and her other friends will see to her safe return.”
“What do you mean? Won’t you and, well, most of the elves here be coming?”
Saige turned back toward the sea for a moment, as though gathering her strength. When she faced Marzi again, her eyes hardened. “There has been a change of plans. Neither I, nor any of my group, will be going to the Bough with you. You see, I have once again regained my senses.”
“What do you mean?”
The aging elf shrugged as though the matter was nothing more than a trivial detail. “Simply put, I will not be going with you, as I said.”
“But you promised. You agreed to go and speak with Ariessa. You have to come. The empress will be expecting you.” Marzi felt panic overtaking her.
“Bah. Ariessa has no more interest in talking to me than I do her.”
Marzi needed help, but Valyn was apparently not there. She considered her options and then hurled a challenge. “What about Valyn?”
“What about her?” The elf spat the words back with what felt to Marzi like contempt.
“What about her wishes and the promises you made regarding them? She said you must all come together. That there is a need for haste.” Marzi’s patience was quickly disappearing.
“You know nothing of our culture and traditions, least of all our dear goddess, Valyn. I don’t give a fig about what you claim she said. Why would she present herself to you—not only an outsider, but, I might add, a mere child, and a reckless one at that.”
Marzi felt everything falling apart—the task she’d been given as well as her hope of returning home someday. “But, you have to go. What about the humans?”
“We will continue on our original path. And we shall deal with any threats as they present themselves.”
Marzi was on the verge of tears and began pleading rather than trying to reason. “But you can’t. You and the other elves need to work together. You can’t do anything alone.”
“Enough!” The hem of Saige’s robe twirled as she turned away and shot over her shoulder, “I have had enough of this. I have no power over you and you may do as you wish. In fact, I think it is best if you and your friends leave at first light tomorrow. Ryshara will be fine.” And with that, she headed south, back toward the cliff caves.
Marzi collapsed into a heap on the cold, wet sand. What would she say to Ariessa? And what would she say to Valyn? She had never felt like such a failure—one big failure.
As she tucked a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear and wiped a tear from her face, she looked southward and saw Saige a short way down the beach. She had stopped and was talking to Saryn. Marzi couldn’t hear the conversation, but it was obviously contentious. Saryn, at one point, covered his face with his hands, and then thrust them outward as though pleading. Saige kept her hands balled into tight fists at her side.
Even as her tears abated, Marzi felt a sense of futility. She continued to sit, listening to the lapping of the waves on the shore. She drew her knees up under her chin and stared toward the north, away from the two elves. She wanted to go back to the caves, but they blocked her way. She would just have to wait it out on the beach.
She closed her eyes and listened. A part of her became the beach and the sea—a chilled ocean mist, the rhythmic pounding of the waves, the thrumming of her beating heart. She longed to see her mother—mist, mist. She wondered about her father, how he was doing—pound, pound. But mostly, she anguished about Tovi—thrum, thrum. Everything was her fault. Whatever suffering her parents and brother experienced, she had caused it. She should have found a way to keep him off that blue beam. A lone sob escaped her at the thought of her brother, lost in some far away land.
A feeling crept up on her—someone approached and touched her on the shoulder. “Marzi?”
She looked up with a start. “Saryn.”
“I am sorry if I startled you.” He reached out and pointed toward the sandy beach beside her. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Marzi wiped the tears f
rom her face and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He smiled. “I wanted to ask you something. Would you permit me, well, Arien and me, to accompany you and your companions to the Bough tomorrow?”
The words had barely escaped his mouth before she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck in a rather large hug. She came to her senses and detached from him. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forget myself sometimes. But, yes, you would be most welcome. And you said Arien, too?”
He nodded. “If that’s all right with you and your party.”
“Then it’s doubly wonderful. And yes, I feel sure I speak for my friends when I say this is great… oh, wait. Does Saige know about this?”
Saryn let out a long sigh. “Yes, she does and, no, she is not happy about it. We disagree on the subject, but I shall leave it at that.”
Marzi’s broad smile softened and she nodded. “Thank you, Saryn.”
He stood and stretched, as though stiff from sitting. “You are very welcome.” He turned and ambled down the beach toward the caves.
She propped her chin back on her knees and gazed out to sea. Rich orange and purple painted the sky to the west, guaranteeing that darkness would not be far behind. The Azyrean felt a flush of gratitude and tears once again flowed. “Valyn, you might not have been here for me, but at least you provided for me. Thank you for that.”
She heaved one more sob and thought of her family.
Chapter 14: Marzi
The closer the party of six—seven with Lapis—approached the Bough, the slower they moved. No one had spoken it aloud, but Marzi sensed that they all were concerned with their status once they returned. Ariessa and Lothran had both told Marzi that the High Council would deal with the threesome upon their return. And the justice meted out might be anything from imprisonment, or house arrest, to complete banishment from the Bough. Thus, no one seemed in a hurry to get home.
Saryn gave voice to that dread. “Could we take a break here? I sense we could all use refreshment now. And, I…” Here, he paused for a moment before continuing with some hesitation and deliberation. “I feel that we should probably talk about what might await us.”
Ran, Elle, and Rys looked at each other before returning their attention to Saryn.
“If we must. But perhaps we can save you some time. You see, Ran, Ryshara, and I have discussed this among ourselves and we are ready to accept whatever consequences await us.” Elle looked pointedly at Marzi as if she were the root of all their problems.
“Even if it means banishment from the Bough?”
“Yes, even if.” Ran looked at Saryn and then each of the party members before continuing. “We broke our laws together, and together we will stand and bear whatever comes.”
Rys was stretched out on the ground and propped up on her good arm. She nodded in agreement and said softly, “Yes, whatever comes.”
Elle pointed up the path and said, “Shall we continue on and get this homecoming over with?”
Chapter 15: Tovi
The morning meal started in silence. The two ogres seemed to be at a stand-off. After the sharp words the previous night, neither seemed anxious for open conflict. But neither seemed willing to engage the other in anything resembling friendly discussion.
Tovi, for his part, dwelt on his brief words with the voice. He had hoped that it would return and enlighten him some more during the night, but all he got were bad dreams and a stiff arm from lying the wrong way.
As the group finished breakfast and began to secure their loads, Tovi noticed how similar the packs were. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought they were crafted by the same person. That was impossible, of course. Mamaw had made Klunk’s, just as she made leather packs for all the members of her kraal. Unless there was trade between the villages, Kharla’s was made by someone else. “Your packs look the same, like they were made by the same person.”
Klunk responded without looking up. “No. Every kraal has its own crafters. But the way the packs are made is the same everywhere.” He picked his up and brought it over to Tovi. “You see these edges? They are turned under and stitched in place so that they will never fray. All good leatherworkers do this. But Mamaw is the one who started it. Older packs always have ragged and worn edges and eventually the stitches come out. She started folding the edges under before sewing.” He beamed as he bragged about his mother.
“Then how did the other kraals learn to do it that way?” Tovi rubbed his hand over the finely stitched edges.
“When our men went to the mines they carried their packs, and ogres from other villages saw them. After a while, visitors came from the other kraals to learn how and Mamaw showed them. But that was not so long ago—maybe five journeys of the sun. There are still some of the older packs around, but no one uses them much.”
Kharla watched the interchange but didn’t comment. Given the anger Tovi had seen in her, he expected her to challenge the account. Instead, she continued packing her load.
As the group shouldered their burdens, Growl paced back and forth, his gaze moving around the horizon. Tovi thought the animal’s red eyes seemed particularly intense. Just as they started out of the oasis, the beast uttered a deep, guttural growl as he stared out ahead.
Kharla gave words to the concern Tovi felt. “Your pet senses something, maybe some danger ahead.”
Klunk nodded as he paused. “Yes. I hear.” He glanced both to the north and south. “We could adjust our path and move around whatever it is.”
“That’s stupid. We don’t know what it is or where it is. Better to just move ahead and see what disturbs him before we make any decisions.”
Klunk scratched the side of his head and furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. If we move straight ahead, we could walk into something before we even know it is there.”
Kharla seemed to take delight in taunting Klunk. “Are you scared? If you’re going to run from everything that might be in our way, you’re never going to get anywhere. Besides, your pet should be able to find the trouble before we get to it.” A faint smile painted her lips.
At this point, Klunk seemed to have had enough. He dropped his pack on the ground and stood face-to-face with his adversary. “We must have an understanding if we are to go on in company. I am not afraid. I do not run from my responsibility. But I am not sent by Myhrren to look for trouble. If I can avoid it by a simple change of path, I will do that. If you are unhappy, then I trust you can find your way back home without my help. If you want to continue with us, though, we will not have the discussion about my bravery again.”
Tovi silently cheered. He had seen Klunk in action and knew that he suffered little fear. It also reassured the young Azyrean that his friend seemed more anxious to accomplish their task than to go around picking fights.
The two ogres stood in each other’s face for a few moments before Kharla backed away. “As you wish.” She bowed her head and then added defiantly, “But if we come upon trouble, I will not shrink. I will not give up. I will avenge my father, even if it means my life.”
Klunk nodded. “And if it means the lives of me and my friend, will that make a difference? What if it means the lives of many other ogres, would you still take that course? How many lives would you spend to avenge your father?”
Tovi had never heard his friend speak this way. He stared in awe as Klunk maintained a look of dignity and kindness while challenging Kharla.
She pushed past him toward the west. “Lead on, whichever way you choose.”
◆◆◆
The company was less than an hour out of the oasis when Growl came bounding back. He planted himself in front of Klunk and barked, turning back in the direction from which he had just come.
“Growl has found something. He wants us to follow.” Klunk broke into a trot followed closely by Kharla. Tovi ran as fast as his legs would allow but quickly fell behind.
When he caught up with the two ogres, they were staring down at two rock dogs, both of whom had suffered grievo
us injury. Tovi knelt down and touched one of them. It felt rigid and cold. A sickening feeling swept through him. This dog was dead. He eased over to the other, which he could see was still breathing. “Look, this one’s alive. What kind of wound is that?” He touched a large raw area on the flank.
Kharla bent down, took a closer look, and then stood up again. “Looks like a burn of some kind. He won’t last the day out here. We should offer him the kindness of a quick death.” She pulled a two-handed wooden club from its slot on her back.
“No!” Tovi shouted and stood between her and the dog. “It’s alive. You can’t just kill it.” He glanced at Growl, who had dropped next to the injured animal and stared up at Tovi.
Kharla rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. “It is injured. We do not have the time to fix it here and it will suffer the day before the shadows finally take it. We will do what is best.”
“How is it best to kill it? Isn’t it better to be alive?” He stared down at the dog and something gnawed at him, something familiar. He knew this dog, he was certain of it. And then it hit him. “This is the animal that came to me on my journey to Myhrren. It was with me at the fight. I cannot just leave him.”
Growl offered a low whine, something Tovi had not heard from him before.
Klunk tried to intervene. “Tovi, I understand. But this is a beast. It is not your friend or family. I wish it no harm but neither do I feel a responsibility for it. We can ease its passing, as Kharla suggests, or we can leave it to chance. I see no other choice.”
“It didn’t leave me. I won’t leave it.” He looked around for something that might serve as a stretcher, but saw nothing. Tears came to his eyes.
Kharla knelt beside him and the dog. In one fell swoop, she gathered the animal onto her shoulders. “Let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
Tovi almost agreed but then stopped short. “Wait. One more thing. I’m going to bury the other one so that wild beasts will not eat him.” He could hear the exasperated sighs of the other two but, before they could object, he was down on his hands and knees digging in the sand with his hands. Within a few seconds, Growl joined him, digging with his front paws.
To Find a God Page 5