by E. V. Greig
Kaiwan stepped forwards: handing Slo’annathorys to Drithik as she went. “It is alright, Nala: we do indeed need to talk. I will go with him.”
Their companions watched as they walked out of sight. “Do you suppose that he lied to her then?” The veldaan was worried.
Saylii nodded. “The little weavers know that he did: they told Vethnorn of it weeks ago now!”
“Then what’s the truth of the matter?” Nala prodded at Hugo with the tip of her spear. He gave a faint groan but did not awaken.
“Our friend Bandhir betrayed his wife by trying to seize control of her keep. He almost killed her uncle in the process, but Hugo stopped him. There was a woman too: she was caught up in the fighting and killed by Bandhir, but that was before.”
“Before what, Saylii – what happened?” Drithik gave in and moved closer.
“Before the spell happened, of course.” Saylii began crooning to the spider in her own strange tongue. “His people came here when their own world fell to the Vor’Barysk.”
Nala sighed and gave up trying to awaken Hugo. “Well, he shan’t be fit to listen to you for a while yet, Saylii! I wonder what he will say to Bandhir once he sees him.”
∞∞∞
Bandhir led Kaiwan to the far side of the ridge. “You do not know me so well as you think, my love, although perhaps I may not call you that now.”
Her eyes were wide: the silver pupils dilated in concern. “What do you mean, Efrym? Why should I not be your love? Have I done something wrong?”
“I – no, you are blameless in all of this. Kaiwan...I was not entirely honest with you when we first met. I told you that I was falsely accused of treachery, and that Briersburge belonged to me. That is not so. I came there a little over three years ago: seeking revenge upon Skegyl.”
She frowned and nodded slowly. “You mentioned him – he was the one that polluted the sacred oasis of Quezzabec. You said that you had him transformed into a dog, and that you made a gift of him to his wife.”
“Yes, that part is all true. But I neglected to mention that I then seduced her, and eventually married her myself in order to gain control over her keep.” He waited for her to connect the pieces of his convoluted tale.
“You are speaking of the Lady Naomi, and of Briersburge.” Kaiwan stared at him. “But before...when we first met...you claimed that the keep was yours! Why did you lie to me?”
“I did not trust you then, sorceress.”
“Am I merely that to you now, then? Do you turn from me for asking you these questions, Efrym?”
He blinked at that. “I do not expect you to understand, or to forgive me.”
“I still have not heard what it is that I am to forgive you for.”
“When Hugo first arrived at Briersburge, there was an altercation. I heard my wife’s maids screaming and rushed to investigate. I found Naomi unconscious and saw Hugo standing over her. He was accompanied by a woman that he called Partola. I assumed the worst and attacked them. The woman fell beneath my blade, but Hugo was more than a match for me. Naomi’s uncle, Lord Von Rosenhof had also heard the screams and he came to my aid. It was he that bested Hugo. Then his spell took effect: Briersburge was transported here and Lord Von Rosenhof collapsed from his efforts.”
“And then what happened?”
“I seized the opportunity before me and attempted to kill him. I hoped that with him gone, I could force Naomi to cede her control of the keep to me. But Hugo recovered his wits and intervened. He drove me from Briersburge: I thought that he would become its ruler. It seems that he did not.”
“You assumed the worst of all of them, and reacted accordingly.” Kaiwan sat down and covered her face with her slim brown hands. “Dearest Efrym! How do we make all of this right?”
The immortal stared down at her. “Why should you want to do so? I lied to you, Kaiwan. I am a killer of women, and a traitor too. There is no reason that you should wish to help me now that you know the truth.”
“I wish to make it right for everyone involved, not just you.”
“I do not see any way that you can do so.”
“There is a spell that can raise the dead.”
Bandhir blinked. “What are you saying?”
“I can bring them back: Partola, the woman that you killed, and Olef, the guardsman who was murdered. I can bring them back to life again, provided their souls have not been corrupted into members of the restless dead or their ilk. But if I do, then I shall surely be expected to bring back everyone else that has died there too, including the two stable hands that Seranor killed. I do not wish to see those two again, Efrym. I am afraid of them.”
“I would never allow anyone to harm you, my love.” He knelt and placed his arms about her: burying his face in her soft dark hair. “Kaiwan, I cannot ask you to do this.”
“It is something that I must do, Efrym. I am the Ca’Ryln – I cannot refuse to put right such a wrong! And besides, it may be the only way for me to persuade Hugo not to treat you as an enemy. I do not wish for the two of you to be at odds.”
“You are too kind a soul.” Bandhir kissed her. “I only wish that there were some way for me to repay you for this.”
“Come with me back to Briersburge: that is all I ask you to do! I can put this right, Efrym, but I am too afraid to go there alone. I – I rendered Lady Naomi unconscious before I left. I panicked, but it is not an excuse. They shall be angry with me. I suppose that you are too now. I am sorry.”
“Kaiwan, I am not angry. I do not think that I ever could be towards you. Now, come: we must return to the others and attempt to reason with Hugo!”
About the Author
E.V. Greig is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, and the co-founder of the literary e-zine A New Ulster. She has been actively involved within the Arts Community in Northern Ireland since 2001. Her debut work The Legend of Graymyrh is an Experimental High Fantasy Adventure, originally developed with the support of the Arts Council NI and National Lottery under SIAP 2013. This serialization is a revised edition of that work. Her novella series Bird Bright Shadows is what she terms as Cyphernoire: a Feminist friendly genre combining Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, and Espionage, with an underlying current of BDSM.