by C. R. Daems
* * *
I had just begun to pack when there was a knock at the door. I hesitated, as I had containers of poisons, blowtubes, darts, knives, and blacks lying on the floor.
"Ryana, it's Marku and Stela," a quiet voice said. It didn't matter if they saw. They already knew I was a Shadow. Only my bats were missing.
"Come in."
They climbed in and stared at the floor.
"I know we can't talk you out of or stop you from going, but is there anything we can do to help?" Stela said, taking my hand in hers.
"Yes, go back to Araby. Don't jeopardize the clan. You can't help me by staying, and it'll cause me to worry." It was true and not true. I would worry about nothing once I was committed to action, not life or death, clan or Shadows, only the moment. But the thought might help encourage them to retreat to Araby for my sake.
"You seemed so confused last night. You've changed overnight," Stela said.
Marku sat, staring at the floor.
"You helped me, mother. You told me to rely on my training. I did, and it resolved my confusion. I've been two persons: my visual-self, which I show to everyone, and shadow-self, which I keep hidden. Over time, they have become two distinct persons, one clan and one Shadow. Last night, they became one. The group supporting the roadblock will change Hesland. If they do, the clans and Shadows will be destroyed. Over the next few days, I fight for my clan and the Shadows."
"I understand. Marku and I would gladly give our lives for the clan. I can't ask you to do otherwise." She leaned over and kissed me on each cheek.
"What would you like us to do?" Marku asked, coming to life.
"Return to Windon. News should reach there quickly. If it's safe, I'll send word to join me. Now leave. I love you." A rock formed in my throat. I hoped everything worked out well for them. After the door had closed, Stela began speaking to someone.
"I know you love her, but she needs to be left alone. She's made her decision to leave. We also need to get ready. We're returning to Windon."
An hour later, I stepped out of the wagon. I wore my gypsy clothing over my blacks and carried a small bag with weapons. Although everyone was busy packing, they stopped when I exited the wagon. I blew them a kiss and began trotting toward a thin line of trees. There I stripped down to my blacks, distributed my weapons, and trotted into the night, hoping I walked in the shadow of my Sisters.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Road to Tarlon—Dazel Province
I trotted at an easy pace as Anil and Kasi swept the terrain ahead of me. Sycorax, tonight a three-quarter moon, was low on the horizon, and Setebos, at half moon, was sinking below the horizon. The two moons made for a dimly lit landscape and eerie shadows—a perfect night for killing. I had resigned myself. If I just skirted the line, the roadblock would remain in place, and many more innocent men, women, and children would die. I was already scarred, so a few more didn't matter. As I neared the line of mercenaries, I sank into the moment.
About midnight judging by the position of Sycorax, I stopped while my darlings scouted the area to the road and back. As the Earth Wizard had said, five positions on each side and a hundred paces forward of the roadblock. With each man separated from the next by fifty paces, the line extended three hundred paces from the road. I lay flat. The land was open, with few mounds or shrubs to hide behind.
Shadow Rong would have thought it a good configuration in daylight but too far apart at night. Still too far away to be seen, I veered to my right, circling around the last man in the line. They would look forward, not behind them. An hour later, I lay several paces behind the last man in the line, listening for any communications between them. A faint crash like two rocks being hit together, repeated by two, three, four, and then five came from the man in front of me. Not a good system.
I darted the man in front of me, crept up and pulled out my dart, and began to circle behind the fourth man. I first moved well back before sliding forward, using the few bushes and growing shadows. The fourth man was fighting to stay awake. Every minute or so he would jerk up and shake his head. Two minutes later, his head would be resting on his arms. I waited, listening for the next signal. It came a few minutes later. The man jerked awake and hit his two rocks together four times. Just as he finished, I darted him, then rushed to pick up his rocks and knocked them together five times. I hit the rocks a bit softer to give the illusion of distance. They signaled on the half hour, so it gave me time.
I slid backward and worked my way toward the third man in the line. He seemed wide awake and scanning the area ahead of him. Each man had a sword and a bow. The last two had had them lying beside them. This one wore his sword in his belt and held his bow with an arrow nocked. A very nervous man but not without reason, I conceded.
He gave the signal. I darted him and gave the fourth and fifth signals. So far, it had been simple with everyone staring forward. My teachers had trained me well. I ghosted across the land like a shadow, leaving no trail and making no noise. I reached the second man's position and lay five steps behind him waiting for him to give his signal, when a wild dog howled from somewhere behind me. The mercenary whirled. I lay too close to be missed. As he reached for his sword and prepared to shout, I put a knife in his throat. He stood gargling blood for a second and then collapsed. As he fell, his sword hit a rock, sending a clang reverberating through the quiet night.
"Charg, are you all right?"
I could slide backward, hoping the number-one man would still have his attention forward even if he decided to check on Charg. Ignoring the logical response, I slid in close to Charg, propped him up, and waited. The signal came early. I assumed number one decided to check on Charg via the signaling system. I sent the signals for two through five, trying to give the illusion that each sound came from farther away. Apparently it worked. The man in the number-one position said nothing more.
This time I backed up several paces and moved fast with little caution. By the time he noticed me, two knives were in the air. One hit him in the chest and one in the neck.
I kept going without bothering to collect my knives. Working my way well back and wide of the roadblock, I crossed the road well behind the line and kept going into the desert beyond. By the time the dim light of sunrise spread across the land, I was well out of their sight. If they used logic, they would think I was on the other side of the road, trying to avoid the roadblock and heading to Tarlon.
I sent Kasi and Anil ahead to scout the land of the Zunji. A nomad people, they survived with their small herds of cattle, drank milk mixed with blood, and occasionally found wildlife to eat. Few ventured into their land. The Zunji had a ferocious reputation and were masters at ambush. They guarded their land with fervor.
Exhausted from two days without sleep, I crawled into the shade of a thorny bush and curled up to sleep while I waited for night, when I intended to approach their camp. I woke as the sun was setting and Sycorax was rising. I lay waiting for a late hour when most would be in tents and the guards few. The guards wouldn't be the problem, but the cattle would. Any movement would make them restless and alert the guards. Because I doubted I could keep the cattle quiet, I would have to quiet the guards. They weren't going to be happy when they woke with rockberry headaches.
I diluted the rockberry on four darts and began my approach to the camp. To my surprise, Kasi identified only one guard standing watch on a small mound. Unlike the mercenaries, he stood alert and scanned the entire area around the camp. Keeping to the shadows and the periodic cover the clouds provided, I stole forward as he turned to look in other directions. Then the clouds moved and the moonlight exposed me. Luckily, I was only a few paces from him as he drew his spear back to throw. I blew a dart into him. The diluted rockberry took a bit longer to work, and he managed to throw the spear. I rolled as he did, but the spear still grazed my arm. Nothing moved. I stayed low until I was in front of the largest tent. I dove through the opening and rolled to a sitting position, my blowtube at my lips and ready t
o fire.
To my amazement, the chief was sitting up with a knife in hand. We sat facing each other. Neither of us moved as we sat evaluating the other. He amazed me again when he lowered his knife.
"Good morning, Shadow of Death. I hope you didn't injure my guard too much."
"He'll have a headache in the morning," I said, staring into his face, trying to understand his reaction.
"How can I help you, Shadow?" he asked just before someone opened the flap behind me. My eyes shifted to his wives. They would tell me more than him. He smiled and waved the person away.
"I'll have to remember that. Of course my wives would give you more information than me."
"I would like to know which side you're taking."
"Interesting. I'd planned to stay neutral. I'd be interested in knowing what you would have done if I had said with those against the king." A small smile touched his lips. Like me, he remained ready for action, although I think he knew I'd win.
"I didn't think you would, since neither position's in your best interest. I didn't take the Zunji leader for a fool."
"You have my attention." He seemed to relax. I stayed alert. He could afford to relax, since his people surrounded me. I would never leave alive if I killed him or he didn't want me to.
"Right now, three of the Wizards' guilds are divided across the provinces, but they will unite with those against the king. If they win, the Wizards will side with one of the contenders, probably the strongest but maybe not. In any case, the winners will have an unbeatable force. They will then consolidate their allies to create a loyal and powerful regime. Potential opposition will be destroyed. You will not submit to being controlled; therefore, you will be viewed as an opponent. You're strong, but you can't defeat Wizards. There is only one logical position that offers an acceptable solution." I smiled to myself at the irony of the statement. I used logic to argue my point, but I used intuition when making decisions.
"An interesting assessment and accurate. What do you want from me? My allegiance is to my people."
"I think with your help, I can end this war with little bloodshed and stop the coming chaos. If so, you might get the recognition the Zunji people deserve. Land that's recognized as your own province."
He laughed long and hard. "I see why your enemies want you dead. They have two roadblocks set up to stop you, each with a Wizard, yet here you sit. I'll wager even the Fire Wizard fears you. Do they have reason, Shadow?"
"Yes. I know how to kill them, as well as Wind and Water Wizards."
He clapped. "I'm impressed. Will you share that information?"
"With my allies."
"With the Earth Wizards who follow you?"
"I've told them, although it's of more value to the common man."
"Break fast with me and my sons, and we'll discuss your proposal. If for no other reason, I might support you just to know how to kill Wizards."
The meal was interesting. First a bitter-tasting soup, which was a mixture of berries, ground bark, and roots, and a milk-and-blood drink. Sizwe was the chief elder of the Zunji. His sons, Mosi, Kato, and Gero were the chief elders of tribes that occupied land extending from Tarlon east to the borders to Saxis, Tuska, and Calion. They numbered over two thousand but had never been recognized as a people.
"I think we should remain hidden and neutral. Many will die when the provinces clash," the oldest son, Gero, said. He resembled his father the closest with his long, narrow face, high cheekbones, and sharp chin. His hair had the thin braids of a warrior.
"If we choose the king's side and he loses, we'll be hunted by the Wizards and destroyed," Kato, the youngest, said. He least resembled his father with his heavier build and wider face.
"If we support the king, we'll be recognized and given the land we occupy," Mosi said. Gero slapped the ground.
"No one else wants it."
"No one can remain neutral. You can call yourselves neutral, but will the warring parties recognize it?" I said. "No matter who wins, you'll be seen as an enemy with no allies. And if the king wins, he will appoint new rulers to include your land or make it a separate province under a new ruler. You can fight their armies but not the Wizards.
"You can fight the Wizards," Kato said, his face set in determination. "We could force you to tell us."
"Many will die and the secret will be lost."
"I believe her." Sizwe nodded. "She isn't called the Shadow of Death without reason. She has somehow evaded the hundreds seeking her and killed many hands of them."
"You claim you can prevent the upcoming war. How?" Gero asked.
"If we break the roadblock, they will become desperate, and desperate people make mistakes. I believe they are massing forces here in Dazel. If we can discover their size and location, it'll negate their advantage. Without the element of surprise, the king has the advantage. I'll see that the king gets that information and that the many who helped him are justly rewarded." I paused. When I received no comment, I continued. "I'm not asking the Zunji to rise up against the opposition, only that a small number support me."
The discussion went on for hours. Slowly, an agreement emerged with Sizwe's careful maneuvering.
"My son Gero will lead sixty warriors to aid you. More will be sent if he thinks it'll benefit the Zunji people. I trust you to honor your commitment, Shadow. I would like to know how to kill Wizards."
"I'll try to give Gero a first-hand demonstration." An easy promise when life or death, winning or losing meant little. The outcome lay in the shadow of my Sisters.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Tarlon—Dazel Province
Two days later, Gero stood with his sixty warriors. It seemed to me the men he had assembled were looking forward to the coming sortie.
"Where to, Shadow?" Gero asked.
"I think we'll start back where the first roadblock had been set up." I hoped to find one of the Earth Wizards there and find out what had happened while I had been at the Zunji camp. As we trotted along at a ground-eating pace, Gero ran up beside me.
"You run well, Shadow. You've had good training."
"My teachers thought they were training Zunji warriors." In fact, the training to be a Shadow was as rigorous as that of a Zunji warrior, although Spies and Assassins weren't required to run miles in the scorching heat.
Gero laughed. "Sizwe's guard, Ayman, said you're a good warrior. He deserved headache, because he didn't kill you." Gero looked serious.
Sizwe's guard should be happy all he got was a headache.
It took a half day to reach the old roadblock. The dead mercenaries lay where I had killed them, a feast for the vultures. The air burned with the stink and buzzed with swarms of flies. I stood waiting as the warriors searched the area. Shortly afterward, the Earth Wizard Wallia approached.
"Good day, Shadow. As you can see the Fire Wizard abandoned this area to chase after you. It appears he went in the wrong direction." His bass voice rumbled and the ground gently shook. Gero and the warriors looked a bit nervous. They didn't have any experience with Wizards and, like the Shadows, feared them.
"Wizard Wallia, these Zunji warriors are here to assist me in getting to Tarlon and the king."
"I didn't think you needed assistance. It seems you have your enemies running in fear of you. Not to mention confused."
"I'm tired of killing mercenaries and Wizards and thought to share with my Earth brothers and the Zunji."
"That's generous of you. A Wind Wizard waits up the road a league. The Fire Wizard has moved closer to Tarlon and set up another roadblock with twenty more mercenaries. Ten of the new ones are from the assassins' guild. The Wizards ridicule the mercenaries' fear of you. Little do they know that they should also fear. They still don't know you know how to kill them."
"How are they distributed?"
"There's a Wind Wizard at the roadblock with three mercenaries. Six men are on each side of the road. This time they are spread out even with the roadblock. I believe it's so that the Wind Wizard can
support them. I don't know if it's because of the mercenaries' fear or the Wizards' arrogance."
"Gero, we'll swing well wide of both sides and be in position tonight. We'll strike them from behind two hours after midnight. They'll be facing forward and tired. Kill as quietly as possible and retreat two hundred paces back toward Tarlon. I intend to confront the Wind Wizard, with the Earth Wizard's help, when he retreats toward Tarlon in the morning." I looked toward Wallia, who nodded. Gero grinned and waved to his warriors. They split into two groups and began running on each side of the road. Gero and I followed the group on the east side, while Wallia ambled up the road toward Tarlon.
* * *
Gero and I lay curled up off to the side of the road to rest. I needed my strength for my contest with the Wind Wizard tomorrow. One of Gero's warriors stood guard over us while we slept, although with Kasi watching at the roadblock and Anil in the area where we slept, it wasn't necessary. As the sun broke the horizon, Anil's echoes told me that the warriors had returned. They were positioned well back on each side of the road. Kasi showed a commotion back at the roadblock and kept track of the Wizard's progress toward the Zunji and me. Wallia followed in his wake. An hour later, the Wind Wizard came into sight. He laughed when he saw me.
"Well, if it isn't the notorious Shadow of Death. Your title has gone to your head. Didn't they teach you that Shadows can't kill Wizards? Your Earth Wizard friend behind me can't help you. We're an even match."
As he talked, the wind began to increase in intensity. At first, it plastered my clothes to my body, then forced me to step backward to maintain my balance, and finally threw me on my ass. The Wizard laughed. The wind continued to get stronger and pushed me down the road, scraping over gravel and small rocks.
Suddenly the Earth trembled under me, and the wind lessened as the Wind Wizard redirected his main thrust toward Wallia. A Wind Wizard could maintain a high velocity of wind around him, but the most intense wind had to be focused in one direction. Right now, he had it focused on the Earth Wizard. Roots and vines thrust out of Wallia into the ground to hold him steady. At the same time, he continued to shake the earth, disrupting the direction and intensity of the wind.