by Jane Glatt
KARA RINSED HER finger in the cold stream before inspecting it. There were no signs of infection, and the skin was a healthy pink. She crooked her finger—it moved smoothly with just a spasm of pain. She wrapped the wound in a bit of clean cloth and stood, wiping her damp hands on the loose trousers she wore.
She felt good today—better than she remembered feeling for a very long time. And it wasn’t just that her finger was on the mend.
She’d been living with the burden of failure for so long that it took her a while to realize that what she felt was relief. No more conversations explaining what she couldn’t do, no more accusing glares from Noula or her father, no more worrying and waiting for her mother to come and see her disappointing daughter. All of that was behind her.
As uncertain as her future was, she had a chance to decide who she wanted to be. She was no longer Kara, the Mage without magic—now she was Kara the teacher who could read, write, and do sums. Skills that had value, as Mika had confirmed.
Kara climbed up from the river and looked out across the valley. A great adventure, her mother had called it. Now she was beginning to believe it.
KARA WIPED HER sleeve across her forehead. The Mountain Road wasn’t much more than a trail right now—she doubted that anything bigger than Mika’s burro cart could actually travel on it. The road stubbornly hugged the edge of the mountain, and below, rock striated with browns and tans and deeper lines of grey stretched down for hundreds of feet. The valley floor far below was lush and green where the silver glint of the River Dag snaked. The mountains across the valley were blurred by the heat of the afternoon sun.
Two days they’d been walking. Two days of endlessly putting one foot in front of the other. She’d come to appreciate the slow, steady pace of the burro. It kept to the same rate, hour after hour, uphill or down, persistently eating away the miles.
They were far above any streams now, but Mika had traveled this road many times and knew where the springs were. Last night they’d climbed off the road—up past the tree line—to a well-used campsite. They’d had little fuel for a fire, and the trickle of water that ran down between two large rocks had left a metallic taste in her mouth, but she had slept soundly. In the morning she’d woken to the snorts of three wild burros nose to nose with Zayeera. Mika had been delighted with the company, but Kara had worried that they’d kick or bite.
She and Mika had settled into a reasonably comfortable companionship. Neither trusted the other, not completely, but Kara did trust that Mika would keep his promise and take her all the way to Rillidi Port.
“We’ll camp soon,” Mika said. He offered her his water skin.
“Thank you.” Kara took a sip. Since she didn’t have her own water skin, Mika had taken to handing his to her whenever he drank. She appreciated not having to ask.
“Can we have a fire?” she asked. They’d been above the tree line since last night. She looked down onto the tops of the scrubby mountain pines that grew below the trail.
“Probably,” Mika replied. “We’ll be heading downhill soon. Tomorrow we reach the bridge.”
“Broken Burro Bridge,” Kara said and shivered.
She’d heard about it, of course, the highest bridge in Tregella. The gorge it spanned was very deep, and the rock face was sheer, so she’d read. Mika was the only person she knew who had actually been across it. Her Mage Guild Tester had avoided it by keeping to the valley roads.
“It’s safe?”
“Aye, Mason Guild makes sure,” Mika replied. “We’ll need to watch for a work crew. Sometimes they don’t appreciate that their hard work helps unguilded.”
“Would they stop us?” Kara asked.
“Not if we don’t give them a reason to,” Mika said. “Keep quiet, and let me talk to them.”
Kara handed the water skin back to Mika. He’d been across the bridge many times, he’d said. She had to trust that he could get them across—she had no choice.
Mika pulled on Zayeera’s harness, and the wagon picked up speed. Kara fell in behind it and pulled her shawl over her head.
Mika was pleased with their trade—Kara didn’t think he was pretending. He’d been traveling with books he couldn’t read—books that he desperately wanted to read. He would keep her safe.
KARA FOLLOWED THE wagon around an outcrop of rock and stopped.
Ahead, the world fell away.
The usual scrubby trees and dry grass led up to the edge, and then there was nothing but sky, as though she could step directly out into the brilliant blue morning. Earth and rock, scoured by years of wind and rain, formed ledges and layers as far down as she could see. The road wound down and away, following the edge of the rock face. Here and there determined trees and shrubs clung to the side of the rock. Dry branches lashed back and forth, buffeted by the hot wind.
“It’s a sight, isn’t it?” Mika stood to one side, holding Zayeera’s halter.
“Yes,” Kara agreed. “If you dropped something over the edge, I think it would fall for days.”
“Don’t go doing that,” Mika said and scowled. “One single pebble from way up here could turn into an avalanche down at the bottom. If it causes trouble, the Masons would know it were us. Then they’d never let us cross on the bridge.”
“I wasn’t going to do it,” she said quickly. She had no intention of getting closer to the edge than she needed to.
“Good.” Mika nodded. “Then let’s keep moving. We still have a few hours before we get to the bridge.”
An hour later, Kara was still awed by the scenery—as the road descended, one spectacular view followed another. The blue sky lightened as the sun climbed higher, and a few clouds shrouded the distant mountains. Mika called a halt at midday, dividing up some hard journey bread and passing the water skin to her. Once she’d drunk her fill, she passed it back to him.
“Going down’s almost harder on a burro than going up,” Mika said. He pulled out a chipped bowl, filled it with water, and shoved it under Zayeera’s nose. The burro sniffed once then started lapping it up.
“Is that why you’re holding onto the halter?” Kara asked. Up until now Mika had walked in front of the cart, not beside it, and had let Zayeera follow him without a lead.
“Partly,” Mika replied. “Zayeera knows she’s got to keep that cart under control. I’m there in case she gets spooked.” He looked over at her, his face serious. “It’s not a good idea to be in the path of a cart on the way down. If a cart got away from a burro on this type of trail and the burro was smart, like Zayeera here, and knew the terrain, she might be able to outrun it and not have it pull her over the edge. But anyone in the way would get trampled.” Mika wiped a sleeve across his forehead. “Or worse. I once saw a man jump out of the way of an out of control burro only to slip over the edge.” Mika’s face was still and hard. “The burro and cart were fine, but we never did retrieve his body. Too far down the rocks. We knew where he ended up by the vultures and crows, though.”
Kara stared down the winding road and out over the edge. It was a long way to fall, a long time knowing that you were about to die, knowing that you couldn’t be saved. All the while praying to Gyda that you died quick, before the birds came. She shuddered.
A few switchbacks later, Mika stopped again. He pulled Zayeera off onto a flat area and tied her to a stunted pine tree.
“Stay here,” he said. “We’re close to Mason Guild’s camp.” Then he disappeared around a rocky outcrop.
KARA WIPED HER shawl across her forehead and sat down, her back against the slope of the mountain.
Mika hadn’t said how long he would be. If he hadn’t left the cart, she would have worried that he’d decided learning to read wasn’t worth the risk of being caught with her.
She gazed out over the valley—it stretched out below her, browns and russets and a ribbon of green that followed the path of the river. She lifted her hair off her neck to let the warm breeze dry her sweat-soaked skin. The sun beat down on her face, and she closed her eye
s.
A boot scuffed a rock beside her, and she started. She must have fallen asleep. Even without opening her eyes she could tell that the angle of the sun was different.
“Did you see any Masons?” she asked.
“You could say that,” said a strange voice.
Kara’s eyes flew open. A man stood over her, his face a shadow. He leaned down and grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet.
“Your friend told us you were here,” he said. “Didn’t say it but I know what you are. Runaway.” He spat the word at her, his lip curled in disgust. “Bet there’s a guild favour for us when we return you to your guild.”
Mika had told them where to find her! She stared at the stranger, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth, that Mika hadn’t told them she was a Mage Guild runaway.
He was younger than Kara had first thought—not more than a couple of years older than her. But he was thin and hard and dry, like an old man. Poor then, not well connected within his own guild, so a guild favour could be the making of him. His blue eyes glittered in his pinched and tanned face. She fought the urge to cringe from the way those eyes traveled over her body.
“Maybe we get a chance to have some fun before we hand you over,” he said. “A pretty one like you.” He leaned close and let his free hand trail along her cheek. His breath was rank, and two of his front teeth were broken and black.
“If you do, then you better not hand me over at all,” Kara said, her head up. “Mage Guild won’t want me if I’ve already been bred to such as you.” She almost laughed when he flinched away from her. But his surprise told her that Mika hadn’t told him her guild.
“Mage Guild you say.” His grip on her arm loosened. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“I am.” Kara shrugged. “Mage Guild wants to breed me to a Mage to see if my children have power. If you get me with child, or ruin me for breeding—Mage Guild won’t like that. I doubt Masons would protect you against the Mage Guild Secundus.” Gyda, would fate be so cruel that in running from forced mating she would be forced anyway?
“I’ll think about it,” the man said. “Meantime you’re coming with me.” He dragged her over to the cart. After rummaging one-handed through the contents, he found a piece of rope and tied her hands to the rear of the cart.
“I could just get rid of you. After.” He nodded his head to the edge of the cliff.
Kara’s heart constricted. Not over the edge, Gyda, not that.
“They’d know,” she said. “They would find out by magic.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” The man yanked on her bonds, and she stumbled forward. “They have to know where to look, don’t they? And who’d look here? Broken Burro Bridge is near enough to the end of the world that no one comes here unless they have to. I’ve never heard of a Mage setting foot near the bridge. Why else would I be out here?” His voice held an age of bitterness. “If we could get a Mage up here, they could put a spell on the bridge. No need for Masons to spend day after day, year after year, tending a bridge that mostly gets used by thieves and ruffianos.” He turned and spat on the ground. “It’s a waste of my life, is what it is. A waste of my life.”
He untied the burro from the tree and set off down the road, the cart and Kara trailing behind him.
The road wound gently downward. As they walked, her captor muttered a litany of evils done to him by everyone he’d ever known. Kara kept her head down and her eyes fixed on the cart in front of her, trying to push down her fear.
She’d been terrified when he’d calmly suggested that he’d rape her and toss her into the gorge. This was not the proud Mason Guild she’d read about in her history books, the guild the First Guildsman had established to create order out of chaos. No, this man, this Guildsman, was loathsome. Mika, who lived outside of Guild Law, had treated her with respect and decency. This Guildsman had threatened her and tied her up like an animal.
“Gilson,” the man called when they rounded a bend in the road. “The unguilded was telling the truth. A burro, a wagon, and a girl.”
The camp was small and looked like it had been there forever. A wooden cabin, weathered to a silvery grey, stood in a clearing. Mika was tied to a tree close to the cabin, near an old fire pit. He looked up, and when she met his eyes, she saw regret. Kara nodded. She was glad to see he was safe, at least.
“Gilson,” her captor called out. “Where are you? Did you hear what I said? Come look at our prize. She’s a pretty one.”
A second man—Gilson—came out of the cabin. He was small, one of the smallest men she’d ever seen, not much higher than her shoulder. His skin was as dark as tanned leather, and his bushy black beard and hair were matted and tangled.
“I heard you,” he said. He glanced over at her and then ducked inside the cabin.
“Damn crazy ruffiano,” her captor swore. “Can’t he see that I could use some help? It’s not like we usually have prisoners to tend to.” He steered the burro across the clearing and tied Zayeera to a small tree opposite the cabin.
“Gilson.” Her captor headed towards the cabin. “We need to talk about this, about what we’re going to do with these two.”
Gilson leaned out the cabin door.
“What’s to talk about,” he said. “We’re taking them over to Villa Grana and the Mason Guild.”
“I know, but she’s mighty pretty. It’d be a shame to hand her over without us having some fun.”
“What did you say?” Gilson stepped closer to the other man and glared up at him. “Ranit, if you touch her then you better watch yourself from here on in. Might be that one day you’ll stumble and just fall off the edge. And no one here but me to tell the tale.”
“You’re crazy,” Ranit said, but he backed up a couple of steps. “You’re siding with her? I’m a full Guildsman. She’s nothing—a runaway. No guild, no family, no use. Who would care what happened to her?”
“Me,” Gilson said. “’Cause what you’re talkin’ about isn’t right. We’re taking them to Grana. Unharmed and untouched. Let the guild sort out if she’s a runaway and if the other one helped her. Now make sure they get some water. The burro too.” Gilson went back inside.
“He’ll toss me over the edge?” Ranit grumbled. “I’ll toss him. Just wait. Just wait.”
Ranit continued to mutter even as he followed Gilson’s instructions. He held a waterskin and let Kara take a few sips before taking it to Mika. He poured what was left into a bowl for the burro.
Kara, her hands still tied to the wagon, slumped to the ground. She tried to shelter in the shadow of the wagon but was only able to get one shoulder out of the sun. Zayeera brayed, and then the wagon was tugged forward, and she was dragged onto her knees.
“Stop moving,” Kara said.
“She’s just trying to reach some grass,” Mika said from across the clearing. “She’ll move again once she’s eaten what she can reach.”
The wagon lurched again, and her arms were pulled tight. “At least someone gets to eat.”
“Zayeera will always look out for herself.” Mika’s voice held a hint of humour, and she wondered at his acceptance of the situation.
“Be quiet,” Ranit barked. He was scraping ashes out of the fire pit. The wind caught some, and they flew up into his face. He coughed and rubbed his eyes.
“Gyda curse this stinking camp.” He stomped on the ashes, flattening them down. “And why do I always have to get the wood?” he muttered. “Just ’cause I’m a Journeyman and Gilson’s a full Mason don’t mean he shouldn’t have to do his share.”
He kicked at a clump of dirt as he headed into the trees but came into view a few minutes later with some cut logs stacked in his arms. He dropped them to the ground beside the fire pit.
“Let’s go.”
Kara turned to see Gilson stooped over Mika. He untied him from the tree and herded him towards the cart.
“Ranit, you lead with the burro. I got the unguilded,” Gilson said.
Ranit dusted his hands on his pants and glared at Gilson. “What’s the hurry all of a sudden?”
“We need to be over the bridge before sundown.” Gilson looked up at the clear blue sky. “A wind is coming in tonight, a strong one. Can’t be on the bridge when it hits.”
Ranit eyed the sky, his face worried now. “A quick pace then,” he said. “To get us there in time.”
Kara was on her feet by the time he’d untied the burro. He set off down the road, Zayeera, the cart, and Kara trailing behind him.
Chapter five
RANIT WALKED AS quickly as Zayeera would allow, tugging at the burro’s halter. He swore at it when it kept to its steady walk.
Kara tripped over a rock and fell to her knees—her arms stretched out, and the ropes dug painfully into her wrists. Ranit turned and screamed at her, his face contorted with fury.
Once she regained her feet, she tried even harder to stay upright. Gilson would be angry if Ranit hurt her, but he was a few steps behind them, with Mika. An enraged Ranit could push her off the road and into the gorge before the other Mason had time to react.
In some places the road cut right through the mountain, while in others it seemed to lead straight over the edge before turning sharply to hug the mountain.
And always the road led them down.
They’d been walking for close to an hour. Kara kept her eyes straight ahead, focused on the steady up and down of the burro’s rump as it calmly pulled the wagon, rather than on the sheer drop that was always just a few feet away from her.
In Grana, Mason Guild would send her back to Mage Guild. If she told them she was Maker or Merchant, would they send her to another guild? She’d read their histories—she might know enough about them to fool Mason Guild. It might give her a chance to escape before they realized their mistake.
The wagon lurched. Pain shot up her arms, and she was pulled forward. Kara pulled against the rope, concentrating on her feet. She blinked, trying to keep the sweat from running into her eyes.