The Oathbreaker's Shadow

by Amy McCulloch

  He thought of the corrals, where the horses were fenced in. He was very close to them; already the stench of dried grass and manure grew stronger. If he could steal a horse, he could move a lot faster. Of course, if – when – they pursued him, most of the Yun would be on horseback.

  When he reached the corrals, there was someone already there waiting for him.

  ‘Where is your shadow? Where is it?’ Khareh had madness in his eyes, and he launched himself off the fence and onto Raim, his fists flying. One caught Raim on the cheek, and sent him hurtling to the ground, too shocked to try and block the blow. Khareh fell on top of him, pinning him down.

  ‘Khareh, no! I haven’t betrayed you!’ Raim said. He couldn’t let his friend think that. He struggled to free himself from Khareh’s grip, but he only held on tighter.

  ‘But the scar!’

  Raim could feel Khareh’s gaze burning through the material on his arm. ‘Yes, yes, there’s a scar. But it’s not from my vow to you! Look. Look around my neck. That’s my promise to you – it is still intact.’

  There was a long moment of hesitation, then Khareh sat back, freeing Raim’s arms. Raim quickly reached into his tunic and pulled out his promise vow to Khareh. ‘See?’

  Khareh rolled off Raim and sat on the floor. Then he burst out laughing.

  ‘I thought you had betrayed me, Raim. Gods, I was so angry.’ He jumped up to his feet and extended a hand to Raim. Full of relief that his friend believed him, Raim clasped it eagerly, and allowed himself to be pulled upright. ‘You are the only person I trust – you’re still my Protector, right?’

  ‘Always,’ said Raim, deadly serious.

  ‘Good, because I need your help. The sage from the desert has revealed to me the first step to becoming a sage myself, but it’s . . . unpleasant. First though, tell me everything. How can we fix this?’

  Raim slumped against the fence, and ran a hand over his closely shaven head. ‘Mhara said that the Yun want to kill me. The final test is making sure the apprentice is free to join the Yun, with no prior oaths that would make Yun induction impossible – becoming your Protector is obviously allowed, as that doesn’t interfere with the Yun. But you know that bracelet . . . the one I used to say was a good luck charm from Dharma? to speakbllifd’

  Khareh nodded, his expression sombre now.

  ‘It must have held another vow, a vow I made before I can remember.’

  ‘But you have no shadow! That must mean something.’

  ‘I know . . . but I have the scar. That is enough for the Yun. They believe the scar renders any vow I make after that invalid.’

  His voice was barely a whisper. ‘So does that make your vow to me invalid?’

  ‘No, Khareh, no! I will always be your Protector – for life, like I promised. Look, surely the fact that I have no shadow means I’m not fully Chauk yet. I just need to find my grandfather. Help me get to him. He will know what to do. I just need time – time to find the person who I made this promise to and have them forgive it.’ Raim looked into Khareh’s eyes and saw the conflict that was raging there – the doubt mixed with the desire to trust. He knew Khareh so well . . . so well that he knew he would have great difficulty in trusting someone branded as an oathbreaker. If the situation were reversed, Raim wasn’t sure he could overcome it. But this was Khareh. This was his best friend. If his best friend couldn’t believe him, who would? He waited, to see if the tide would change. Then, there it was: the shift.

  There was a look in Khareh’s eye, a small, unreadable sparkle. ‘I will give you more than time. I will help you.’

  Raim hesitated. ‘No – you should stay out of this . . . you should stay away from me, for now.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid. You’ll never be able to do this by yourself. Maybe the Protected has to save the Protector sometimes. I tell you what, make me promise you something.’

  ‘Khareh, I would never make you do that. I am a wanted man, a dead man. You don’t want to make a promise to me.’

  ‘I really want to help you, Raim. And this will prove my loyalty to you, just like you have proved your loyalty to me.’

  The emotions of the past hour caught up with Raim all at once. His face burning, he turned away, so Khareh wouldn’t catch the tears of anguish that were rolling down his face. He wiped them away brusquely. ‘How have I proved my loyalty? By as good as breaking my promise to you?’

  ‘No!’ Khareh’s shout shocked Raim. ‘Look at your promise knot. It’s not broken. You are still my Protector. I believe you. You won’t have to go to Lazar. I have a plan. First, let me promise something to you. Anything, but make it a big one, make it important.’

  There was only one promise Raim could think of. ‘Khareh, promise me that you will take care of Dharma. The Moloti will be shamed by my apparent betrayal. All they will know is that I was arrested by the Yun . . . they won’t understand. Protect her.’

  Without hesitation, Khareh slapped Raim on the shoulder. ‘Done. I promise.’

  Raim removed the second length of promise string from around his waist. It felt strange to have used up so much of the string already. And the one knot he had expected to make today – the one to zar. It is the

  12

  The miles flew past beneath Garna’s hooves as she thundered across the steppe. For the first time, Raim cursed the flat and interminable terrain of his homeland. He couldn’t believe that the Yun would be fooled by Khareh’s deception for long. He was sure they would see him, or the great clouds of dust Garna was leaving behind her. He imagined every gust of wind blowing them closer, but whenever he looked back, he could see nothing following him but the ever-growing darkness.

  Though she was fast, Garna could not gallop for ever and even before the sun had set Raim realized he could push her no further, especially without any nourishment. They were still a long way from Pennar, at least a day’s ride if Raim kept his course straight. But if the Yun were to come they would take the straightest course, to warn the people along the path of a fugitive – a vow-fugitive at that, and the first ever Yun apprentice to be outcast before the final test. He remembered when his tribe had come across a man hiding from his destiny with the Chauk. The man had been stoned to death without mercy.

  No, Raim would need to take a different road and avoid the well-trodden routes.

  His stomach grumbled. With the fear subsiding, he was suddenly reminded that he had left Kharein without any kind of provisions. The clothes on his back stank of sweat and dirt softened. ‘You should ebl { background-color: #404040; seco from the ride, and his legs ached from straddling Garna bareback. His first priority had to be finding water and food, and then they would both be ready to make the final push towards Pennar. Along their current path there was no water source, but Raim knew that a freshwater tributary from the River Iod ran to the south of them, and came up the underside of an ancient monastery. All along there grew the wild vines of Rago, where he was sure they would find berries to eat.

  He hopped down off Garna’s back and rubbed her muzzle. Her deep black coat was covered in foamy white sweat.

  ‘C’mon girl, let’s get you some water.’

  He reached down and pulled up some brush from the ground, careful to preserve the roots. He dragged it along the ground behind the two of them, trying to obscure their prints, which ran deep in the soil. Now that they were moving slowly, they had to be extra careful.

  They walked for an hour, and when the darkness finally caught up with them it swallowed them whole. As he waited for his eyes to adjust to the night, he followed the sound of water, which grew louder with every step. At the edge of the river he collapsed, his knees sinking into the mud. The water ran fresh and cool over his cupped hands and he took several long draughts to refresh himself. Garna took her cue and jumped in, sending water showering over Raim.

  ‘Hey, you!’ He jumped in after her and put his hand around her neck, swimming with her and edging her on gently until they reached the other riverbank. He knew he had to keep
going, without pause, if he was to make it to the sanctuary in time to cover his tracks.

  The air around him was thick and pungent with the aroma of fruit, and Raim’s mouth watered. The vines of Rago grew some of the most delicious berries in Darhan. They were often pressed and fermented to create wine, but all the tribes who stopped here on their journeys took advantage of eating the fruit raw, a delicacy found nowhere else. The berry could not be transported; it rotted only hours after being released from the vine. The ground beneath his feet was ankle deep in the decaying fruit, and he sighed. He wished he had chosen a food source that lasted longer.

  The sharp end of a twig nicked his face as he pushed his way through the thickly tangled vines, and to punish the branch he chose its berries to feast on. He passed the largest bunch to Garna, who devoured the rare treat. It was the least he could do, for putting the innocent mare in so much danger and for pushing her so hard for the past few hours. He coaxed her onwards with more berries, but suddenly she refused to go further.

  ‘What is it, Garna?’ Even in the dark, he could see the whites of her eyes. ‘It’s all right,’ he whispered, trying to sound reassured. He couldn’t allow her to bolt now; he still needed her. ‘We’ll go another way. Let me just check things out.’ He wasn’t sure whether horses could sense intention or not, but she seemed to understand that he wasn’t pressuring her to go onwards. She took steps back, while Raim cautiously pressed on. The vines were sealed across his passage, so densely packed they were like a wall. He took his dagger out of his boot and sliced away the branches that were at eye level. All he could see beyond was darkness, but the way seemed clear of more vines. He pushed the blade down the rest of the way, thankful for the Yun workmanship that made the edge slide through the vines like butter. He took a step forward.

  The ground crumbled beneath his feet. Instinctively he groped for the vines, catching onto them with both hands. They sna a temporary settlementmSVnCC fpped and he slid, the vines shuddering in his arms until finally they caught and held above him. The dagger clattered down into the black abyss. He hung there, in shock. Blood trickled down his arms from where the branches slashed his palms. He took in two deep breaths and gently pulled on the vine he held in his right hand. It seemed to be holding. He put his foot out a="F891C">gnd felt rock. He realized he could balance on it, if he was careful.

  He used the rock as a ledge to lift his left hand up above his right and pulled with all his might. When he crawled over the edge again, Garna was lying down, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I guess you told me so.’ He sat down next to her but immediately regretted it, as exhaustion overwhelmed his body. He manoeuvred so that his legs hung over the edge of the cliff he had just discovered, forced by his training to always face his fear. There was no discernable landscape. It was as if he sat on the edge of the world, looking out into a starless universe. Even the air was still, like it too was playing hide and seek with Raim’s senses. He suddenly felt his heart and throat close, claustrophobic in the dark. He leaned back against Garna’s flank, his head rising and falling in time with her deep, even breathing.

  He sat bolt upright. The back of his head was wet and sticky and when he reached behind he pulled leaves and thick clumps of seed out of his hair. He wondered how long he had been asleep, for though the darkness didn’t seem any lighter he felt uncomfortably refreshed, as if he had rested for a long time. Too long for a man on the run. Garna was nowhere to be seen. He whispered her name tentatively.

  There was noise, but it wasn’t from any horse or other animal. There were human voices amongst the rustling of the vines and the sound of running water. Raim froze, squatting frog-like facing the tangled vines, his back to the abyss. He listened.

  ‘Where?’ The voice, a man’s, was to his left.

  ‘Further.’ The voice, a woman’s, was closer and almost directly in front of him, along the line he and Garna had entered. Raim took two small steps backward and felt the vines press and release against his back, where hours before he had cut them. His muscles tightened, remembering the steep drop that he would encounter if he retreated further. The voices became clearer. It hadn’t taken the Yun long to track him down after all.

  ‘I came as soon as I got the message you had caught the horse.’

  ‘She emerged out of these vines.’

  ‘Have you found trace of him? What if he abandoned the horse? Let us move away from here, get closer to Pennar.’

  There was silence for a few brief moments. The woman’s last words resounded in his head. Pennar. How did they know?

  ‘Here is a trace. Blood. He must have passed through here.’

  They were so close. There was no time to ponder over what they knew about his plans, or how they knew it. The vines to the left of him shuddered, and he knew what force was moving them. He slipped further backward, under the edge of the vines, his toes creeping over the precipice first. He lowered his feet until they found footing on a ledge and his body reluctantly followed suit, stopping when only his fingertips gripped the cliff’s edge. He prayed he had been quiet enough.

  His nose was pressed tightly against the rock and he breath to speakblyou ded in dust and soil. Pebbles bounced over his head as the Yun drew close to the edge.

  ‘An apprentice blade worked on this vine. Look at the smooth edges. He must be around here somewhere.’ The man spat, and Raim felt the moisture settle on his fingertips. ‘Traitor.’ He took a step forward, but the woman stopped him abruptly.

  ‘The vines of Rago obscure the edge of the stone cliffs,’ she said, and as she spoke her foot came down hard on Raim’s fingers. He winced, and prepared for capture. But she continued to speak. ‘It is impossible to go further. He did not pass this way.’

  The man’s voice was gruff and insistent. ‘But what if he descended? Should we not pursue him?’

  ‘At the base of these cliffs begins the Sola desert. If he went down, there is no way to get up again, and he will perish under Naran. Nevertheless, we will post guards all the way along these cliffs from here to Pennar. If the Prince has informed us correctly, we will be watching from every direction. The traitor betrayed and was betrayed. There is no place for him here, no Darhanian will harbour him, no city or monastery will be safe for him. We will find him. And if he is already running across the sands of Sola, then so much better that death will be for him than if he stayed.’ And Raim suddenly recognized the woman’s voice. It was Mhara. And Mhara was not speaking to her Yun companion, but directly to him. She took a step back; he felt her weight lift off his fingers.

  He thought of the promise-knot to Khareh around his neck. His promise was to defend Khareh, and Khareh’s honour, even against the head of the Yun. Even against his mentor. This was his first challenge.

  How did the Yun know about Pennar? Had they tortured Khareh? The thought was impossible. He was still royalty. Maybe they coerced it out of him. Memory tea?

  ‘Let’s keep moving then,’ said the deeper voice.

  ‘You go on ahead,’ said Mhara. ‘I want to examine this path more.’

  Heavy steps moved away and when he could hear the man no more, Raim gritted his teeth and pushed up over the edge.

  Mhara was standing with her back to him, her bow curving across her spine like a snake. ‘It’s not true,’ he said, his hands curled into tight fists.

  ‘Don’t be a fool, of course it is,’ she said, turning to face him.

  ‘Tell me how you found out about Pennar!’ He tried to keep his voice steady, but it broke with his desperation.

  Her eyes held no pity, only anger at his stubborn refusal to believe. ‘Khareh told us. You mean nothing to him.’

  Raim heard a voice in his head: She insults me. Don’t allow her. He knew at once it was the promise. He wondered how anyone at all could break a vow, not with their voice, the person’s voice, in their head all the time, a constant presence. Khareh’s voice was say

  ing: This is part of your vow to me, to def
end me against anything, even words. Meanwhile, Mhara still spoke. ‘Go to Lazar!’ she hissed. ‘Don’t you understand? Khareh betrayed you!’

  ‘You lie!’ Get to Pennar, he told himself. Get to Pennar, get to Khareh, he will put things right. He charged forward into the vines. Lightning fast, she was at himing his movement, her tal softened. ‘You should n from the Ldon-like fingernails digging into his biceps.

  PART TWO

  13

  After he had dropped down from the last hold at the very bottom of the cliff, he touched the sand, and immediately started searching for Mhara.

  He found his dagger first. The red gem embedded in the handle glinted in the light of the desert moon, revealing it lodged in a crevice between two rocks. Somehow, the blade hadn’t shattered. He silently praised the Yun craftsman ship, and then quickly put it away beneath his robes before it reminded him too much of all he had lost. He dropped to the sand, his knees slowly sinking into the soft surface. ‘Please,’ he prayed to Sola harder than he ever had before. ‘Let her be alive. I would do anything to find her alive.’ The adrenaline that he had been carrying with him since his climb down was slowly ebbing away, his mind pushing hard against the creeping advances of despair. But the dagger sparked an ember of hope in his heart that he would find her. the other apprenticesgh } div.shading-50 } h2.chapter- } div.shading-50

  He redoubled his efforts. The darkness made it almost impossible, but if he could find her now there might still be a chance . . .

  Hours passed, and the first rays of sunlight spread rapidly across the sky. As the cliffs around him brightened, he could see just how huge they really were. There was no way for him to climb back up; the fact that he had come down without breaking his neck he attributed to adrenaline-fuelled luck. He retraced his steps to where he had landed and searched again in all the places he had looked the previous night, in case the dark had obscured any clues. But every rock he shifted seemed to add to the weight in the pit of his stomach. He knew now that he was searching for Mhara’s body – there was no way anyone could survive a fall from that height. Still, he scoured the edge of the rock. He dug in mysterious mounds in the sand. He tried to search for a ledge where her body might have landed, but he could see nothing.