"What are you doing here?" The one who spoke stared at them out of vacant eyes.
These soldiers must have been converted by the Queen. What else could cause their eyes to show such mindlessness? The lack of life in their expressions reminded her of Marcus. Was this his future? Would he always live with this look of supreme indifference for everyone and everything around him?
"We're travelers," Bikkar said. "This is my daughter, Maria. We were on our way to visit her maternal grandmother when the fire forced us to head this way."
"What do you want?"
"We seek a safe refuge from the fire."
"Come with us," the soldier ordered.
They followed two of the soldiers while the other two walked behind, as if to make sure that their prisoners did not escape. As they crossed the ridge, Aria looked ahead and for a moment, her breath stuck in her throat at the scene spread out before her. Beside her, she sensed Bikkar's falter.
On this side of the river was a small makeshift hut, constructed out of wooden logs but on the other side was a sea of cotton tents, their canvas flapping in the wind. Surrounding them were horse-wagons, makeshift pens for horses and for animals marked for slaughter in order to feed an army of thousands. She estimated the army spread before contained no less than three thousand strong men, with perhaps five hundred of them cavalry and the rest foot soldiers.
War was indeed about to engulf the whole land.
"What's this?" Bikkar's hands were quivering as he rested them on his horse's neck.
"Stop talking and keep moving." One of the soldiers slapped his horse's flank, urging the animal forward.
Aria and Bikkar were made to stop in front of the log hut and their horses were taken.
"Wait here." One of the soldiers stepped inside and reemerged with another who appeared to be a high-ranking officer.
Disdainfully he looked them over. "Who are they?"
"They claim to be travelers who got waylaid because of the fire," one of the soldiers replied.
"Search them," the officer ordered.
One of the soldiers ran their hand over Bikkar's body and searched the bags he had tied to his saddle. Another searched Aria's saddle bags and even dared to put his hand on her shoulder, as if to do a body search.
Aria quickly shrugged his hand off and glared. "Wait!" With a swift movement she dropped her cloak to the ground and stood before them in her blouse and skirt. "I've nothing to hide and there's no need to search me."
"Leave her alone," the officer ordered. Stepping forward, he picked up her cloak and handed it over to her.
"Thank you." Aria accepted the cloak, glad that he had the decency to not let his men run their grubby hands all over her body. "You're very kind."
The officer turned away without a glance. "Hold them until I decide what to do with them."
"But--" Bikkar stepped forward, but one of the soldiers grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back. He dragged Bikkar behind the log hut. Aria followed quietly before they could drag her too.
Behind the hut was a small tent. It was too small for them to stand, and all they could do was huddle close together.
"What do you think they want from us?" Aria whispered.
Bikkar rubbed his eyes. "Hard to say. Maybe they want to make sure that we aren't spies. Did you see the size of the army?"
"It's huge. Three thousand strong."
"More than that, I'm sure." Bikkar sat back. "And that is just what's stationed here at this border. What about the rest of them? Has the Queen sent troops to all borders?"
Aria shrugged. If the men were at this border, it was most likely that there were other units stationed at the others too. Did this mean that war was close? How soon did the Queen intend to launch an offensive on her neighbors? And did any of the other kingdoms stood a chance in front of such a committed large force?
Azmeer's victory was certain. Would this mean the end of the free world? Would all kingdoms be enslaved by the same evil magic that the Queen retained at her disposal?
Tired by the thoughts swirling in her mind, she closed her eyes and sat back. No escape was possible until darkness engulfed the land. Once it was night, it would be an easy matter for her and Bikkar to slip out of the tent and make their way over the ridge. What about the horses, though? She hoped their mounts were not tied too far away from their prison. The idea of travelling on foot did not appeal to her at all.
Slowly it grew quiet and dark around them. Through a small gap in the tent flaps, Aria saw the soft light of dusk disappear, only to be replaced by yellow lantern light. This will not do.
She flipped back one flap and peered outside. One of the guards was sitting on soft moss, his back against the log hut. Next to him was a brightly burning torch, made from a wooden stick covered with a rag and soaked in kerosene. It was stuck deep in the earth to make it stand erect. When he saw her peering out of the tent, he got up and pushed the flaps of the tent back over the entrance.
Escape would not be possible if he sat there all night. "Aren't they going to give us some food?" Aria whispered, as she thought how best to distract the guard away from their tent.
Bikkar opened his eyes. "I'll ask the guard."
Almost as if on cue, another guard lifted back the flaps and pushed a trencher filled with cheese and dried meat at Bikkar. "You'll dine with the captain," he informed Aria.
"With the captain?" Aria glanced at Bikkar. This was not good news. "Could I not--"
Not giving her a chance to complete her question, the guard caught her by the wrist and dragged her out of the tent. "Move. Now!"
Stumbling, she followed him to the door of the log hut. The guard pushed her inside and closed the door behind her. The inside of the hut was bare, save for a straw pallet against one wall and a wooden chest against the other wall. Upon the chest was a pair of candles in clay pots, two trenchers and a tin pitcher. This was obviously the private quarters of the captain, who was sitting on the pallet, holding another pitcher.
"What do you want?" Aria stuck close to the door, eager to go back to Bikkar.
"Come, join me." He patted the seat beside him. "A fine lady such as yourself shouldn't be imprisoned in a tent for the night. I thought you might enjoy dinner with me."
"I prefer to eat with my father."
Smiling thinly, the captain drank from his pitcher. "Come, don't be shy. Tell me about your travel across the land. Where do you hail from?"
"Akba."
The captain placed his pitcher on the floor. He stood and walked over to her. "Well, isn't it a coincidence? I hail from Akba too."
"I would like to leave now."
Without displaying any emotion, he stepped closer, until she was backed solidly against the door. Aria attempted to dodge aside but he captured both her wrists with his hand. He raised her arms above her head so she had no room to maneuver. With his free hand, he ripped off her headband. "You're a pretty thing," he said and ran his fingers through her long tresses. "What's the rush? The night is still young."
Aria tried her old trick of kneeing him in the groin but he ground his hips hard against her, immobilizing her. She tried to break free but he held with a strength born out of years of hard labor.
"Do you know what my duty is?" His face was so close, Aria could smell ale on him.
"Please, let me go," she turned her face away and sobbed.
"Sitting here day and night with my battalion, overseeing the arrival of thousands of soldiers from all over the kingdom and then waiting and waiting for the war to begin," he murmured in her ear. "When we win the war for our glorious Queen, it will all be worth it. But in the meantime, the waiting can drive a man crazy. And here you are...such a delicious morsel. Aren't you going to entertain me for one night?"
Fueled by anger and desperation, Aria whipped her head around. She bucked her body, trying to free herself, but he pushed her even harder against the door. She screamed, and rammed her head against his face. "Let me go!"
The captai
n sent her crashing into the adjacent wall. Aria screamed again, but retained enough presence of mind to draw the dagger from its sheath around her ankle.
The captain snarled an oath, and wiped the blood that gushed out of his nose where her blow at caught him. He took a step forward and grabbed her hand. With little effort, he twisted her arm behind her. Aria thought her arm might break as he forced her to drop the dagger. Pushing her against the wall, he slapped her face.
Aria screamed again, as much in rage as fear.
"How dare you defy me?" Eyes bulging in rage, the captain grabbed her shoulders with both hands and spun her around. With one great push, he forced her to the pallet and fell on top of her.
Kicking and screaming, Aria scratched at his face, pushed at his hands as they groped her, bit at his shoulders, his neck as he began ripping off her clothes.
Suddenly the hut door burst open with a mighty crash. The captain froze. The figure who stood in the doorway was not the Bikkar Aria had grown to know over their long trek across the kingdom. This was no ordinary old man. From his hands burst flames of blue fire. He raised his hand and a ball of fire struck the captain's back.
He screamed in agony.
Aria shoved his writhing body away as the fire spread all over him.
"Let's go!" Bikkar said.
Aria grabbed the dagger she had dropped on the floor and followed him out of the hut. Outside, two of the guards lay on the ground, half-burned. The rest were missing.
"We'll need our horses," she said.
"There." Bikkar pointed. In the near distance stood their horses, tied to a wooden post. They ran to them, untied the ropes and mounted. She looked to her companion. Once again Bikkar was an ordinary old man. He set a fast pace over the ridge and Aria followed, her hair streaming behind her.
He had protected her from a certain rape. Was he really a wizard? Despite spending weeks in his company, Aria felt as if she did not know him at all. She owed him, and nothing she could do would ever repay him for saving her honor.
Chapter Eight
Behind them Aria could hear the clamor from the far bank of the river. The captain's screams had not gone unnoticed. No doubt a battalion of soldiers would be after them in no time. Fortunately clouds covered the moon. Trackers would not be able to detect their trail easily until dawn. By then she and Bikkar would be far away.
After a while, Aria looked over at Bikkar and was startled to see him slumping over, his hands clutching his stomach as if he was in great pain.
"What's wrong?" She guided her horse closer.
"Don't worry about me," he groaned. "Just keep on going. Remember keep the star of Isabella to your north, always."
Aria got hold of his reins. He was in no condition to guide his horse.
She used the star of Isabella for guidance and hoped that they were on the right path. The terrain was easy, at least. Her only worry was that they might blunder into a pit or a pool of water. Surely the horses would realize any such danger. Or at least, she hoped so.
Behind her, she could not detect movement or noise of pursuit, but that signified nothing. Their pursuers could be gaining on them gradually. Her only hope was to put a great deal of distance between her and the soldiers.
All night long, they rode silently. With each passing moment Bikkar slumped lower, until he was practically lying down, resting his face on the horse's neck. Aria slowed the horses, scared of dislodging him from the horse as he slept on.
Dawn broke, orange and red, on the distant horizon and the grass around them glowed under its faint light. Aria glanced behind and was reassured to see no sign of pursuit. It was time to take a break; the horses needed rest.
As the sun rose, she detected a glimmer to her right. A waterhole. She headed straight for it. Luckily for her, only a few wolves were drinking this time of the day. Keeping a safe distance from them, she stopped the horses and helped Bikkar dismount. He was all but unconscious. The horses cantered off to drink from the pool.
She dripped water from her waterskin on a strip of cloth and used it to wipe Bikkar's face. There seemed to be no blood in his body, so white was his skin. His lips were parched and blue. Carefully, she dribbled a few drops into his mouth. He swallowed, but barely. Keeping her head on her lap, Aria massaged his ice cold hands.
"Bikkar!" she called softly. "Can you hear me?"
He nodded.
"What's happening to you?"
He shifted his head slightly. "The magic...Orb," he whispered as she leaned forward.
With a gasp, Aria understood the reason for his condition. He had used magic to protect her, and in doing so had alerted the Black Orb to his presence. Even as he rested, the magic was being sucked out of his body by that evil device.
"What can I do?" Her heart trembled with fear. Why had she ever doubted him? He had been telling her the truth about the Orb and everything else.
He sighed deeply, his face ashen with the effort it took for him to speak. "Go to the Forest of Dryads."
"But you're in no condition to travel."
He groaned. "Take the key. Leave me. No use now."
Leave him? How could she do so? Not only would it be an act of inhuman cruelty, but also she could not even think about it after all he had done for her. Knowing that the use of magic would put his life in danger, he had risked all to protect her from her would-be rapist.
After all that, how could he even think that she would leave him?
Without wasting time or thought, she whistled to the horses. She managed to put Bikkar on his mount and tied his legs around the saddle to make sure he did not fall. Once again he slumped down. Aria mounted her mare and set a steady pace for the direction of the forest, leading Bikkar's mount.
They were off the path Bikkar had chosen for them, but hopefully, they would get to the Forest of Dryads after a hard day's ride. Perhaps, she would be able to get some help for him from the dryads.
What were the effects on a wizard when he was robbed of his magic? Would he be able to survive without it? She agonized over Bikkar's condition as their horses cantered ahead. The mounts were tired and lethargic after a night of hard riding. They hadn't rested or eaten enough. She was scared if she pushed them too hard, they might collapse.
At midday, she was forced to stop to rest the horses. She fed them grain and washed their bodies down with cool water from a nearby spring. Once again, it was an effort to help Bikkar remount. To her relief, his condition had not deteriorated, although there was no improvement either.
Ahead she saw nothing but acres of grass and tall reeds. Where was the forest? How far was it? As she mounted, Aria looked back and was horrified to see a cloud of dust far behind. Was it caused by soldiers following her?
With a sense of urgency, Aria urged the horses forward at a brisk pace. The cloud of dust seemed to come closer with each passing moment. As the afternoon glare phased into a soft evening light, she sensed that her pursuers were not far behind. If she stopped for a moment, they would be upon her. There was no time to lose.
Where was the forest? She strained her eyes and detected a deep shadow in the distance. As they continued in that direction, the shadow spread as far as eye could see. Was it a range of hills? Eventually Aria realized she was looking at a wall of huge trees. Each trunk was as wide as three horse carts set side by side and their height was incredible. All of them seemed to be touching the sky. Aria realized it would still be impossible for her to see their tops, no matter how she craned her neck.
Was this the Forest of the Dryads? In the circus, she had heard tales of the forest. Some said that spirits resided in the trees. Others insisted that the forest was the hiding place of the gods. Aria had never thought she would be close to the legendary forest.
Now the horses picked up speed, sensing perhaps the end of their journey. Aria found herself sitting up straight in eager anticipation.
In a forest this size, she and Bikkar would be safe from their pursuers. Perhaps she could get some help for him
? Soon they were in the shadows of the giant trees. No grass grew in the deep shade. Boulders, big and small, guarded the entrance. Slowly the horses picked their way among the boulders and entered the cool confines of the forest. Despite the filtered evening light, Aria noticed that the ground was clean of fallen leaves and debris.
Despite a deep longing to stop and take a closer look at the trees, Aria pressed forward. The soldiers would be here soon. She wanted to push deep inside the forest where it would be hard for them to pick up the trail.
The horses seemed to have a renewed energy. Slowly they trotted through the forest, going around the giant trees, only to encounter more trees. Barely any sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the silent trees. When she looked up, Aria couldn't tell if night had fallen or if the lack of light was simply because of the tangled and impenetrable branches of the trees that spread overhead
Behind her, Aria sensed no movement. Perhaps the trackers had given up. She pulled the horses to a halt and dismounted. This was a good spot. Thick soft grass grew under the trees here and the horses could graze on that. She laid a blanket next to the tree trunk and pulled Bikkar down, barely preventing him from toppling to the ground. He was heavier than her. After dragging him to the blanket, she took off his soiled cloak and checked his breathing. He seemed to be as ill as before, but at least he was still alive.
Aria longed to make a fire. Although there was no wind here, she felt a chill in her bones. As the darkness fell, a strange sense of foreboding overcame her.
She wiped Bikkar's face with a clean strip of cloth and dribbled a few drops of water on his lips. After covering him with a blanket, she sat down close to him, drew her knees up and rested her head on them. The horses stood munching the grass nearby. Earlier, she had let them drink from a water skin.
What was she to do now? She had hoped to find someone who could help her with Bikkar's inexplicable condition, but no one was around. Would he survive the night?
The Black Orb Page 7