“You will know me next time without introduction, Your Highness. I don’t exactly blend in,” she replied. Her hands lifted to the material around her face, tugging it back slightly to reveal a pair of brightly glowing eyes, the color reminiscent of apricots in their pale orange-gold hue. A soft wave of chestnut hair fell across her forehead, the bangs nearly concealing her left eye from view. Its length was impossible to determine from under the hood, though it appeared pulled back to keep it off her shoulders during their trip. Calmly she offered her hand to Edric, casting a charming smile in his direction. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I was beginning to think I never would.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t,” Edric mused. It came as a shock that a woman had made her way through the ranks to hold a prestigious title of leadership without having come to his notice. He didn’t know many soldiers, but those in charge of them were more familiar at court. “Tell me, Sahra. Do you not frequent the palace?”
She let the hood of her cloak fall back over her face, directing her gaze ahead once again. “Court is not something I have ever had the luxury of experiencing.”
“If you experienced it, you would know it was not a luxury.” The words fell from his lips before he had a chance to think better of it. Biting his tongue in frustration, he refrained from saying anything further. He needed to watch what he said to these people. They may serve his family, but that didn’t mean they could all be trusted as friends. He couldn’t let his downheartedness become known throughout everyone in the Tanispan military.
They walked on in silence. Edric watched the mist of his breath rise into the air in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to find a place to sit down and build a fire to warm himself. With his joints frozen to this degree, he would be no use to anyone on the battlefield. It was a miracle he was able to move his body at all.
Clearing her throat Sahra gave a sharp nod to Edric and Gadiel. “I should return to my position. Let me know if you need anything, Commander. And you, Your Highness.” She bobbed in a quick bow, the gesture brief and unladylike. Edric wasn’t used to seeing women bow. It was an indication of her many years in training for military combat rather than feminine etiquette. In a way he liked it. She wasn’t skilled in the art of deception like the women at court. There was a fire to her which a man could appreciate. Confidence. Self-assurance. She reminded him of Aiva.
He hung his head at the thought of his sister, reminded of the sadness in her eyes the day they departed Sivaeria. It haunted him. Much the same as the worry in his mother’s eyes to see him go. Thinking over his final farewells to his family he couldn’t blame Callum for his lack of conversation. Knowing his friend, he was replaying his final moments with his wife over and over in his mind. While Callum might be able to suffer the memories, Edric had no desire to dwell on it. There was no sense in both of them being distracted in the event of an unexpected attack in this unfamiliar land.
“I must admit, Commander. I was not expecting to see any women on this journey,” he said calmly, anxious to break the quiet. “Are there others I should know about before they sneak up on me?”
Gadiel chuckled, his arms folding across his chest, rubbing at his sleeves to try and increase the circulation in his veins. The cold was getting worse. If the temperature dropped much lower, Edric wasn’t sure how they would continue. “There are one or two others. None that you will likely meet directly. Sahra has been with us for years. Joined not long after we returned from our mission in Luquarr. She is the second daughter of a wealthy aristocrat in the countryside outside Ehera. The eldest is married to a Baron from the west. With the family line secured, she was able to convince her father to let her join the Royal Army. She’s a good girl. A strong fighter. Nothing like your sister or mother, but talented in her own right.”
“The two of you seem rather close. Are you fond of her?”
“Gods, no,” he grinned, slapping Edric on the back jovially. “I have no time for women. Besides, I’ve seen how complicated the life of a military man is when attached to a lady. Callum has hopes that I might take his place as Captain once the General retires. I don’t want to end up like him.”
“I can’t blame you. Life is easier in all aspects without a woman distracting you. I used to envy the married men but as of late, I’m thinking it is better to be alone…” Edric’s voice trailed off at the realization that Callum had come to Gadiel’s side, a slight distance between them to avoid notice. His eyes were fixed on Edric, a curious expression on his face. “Callum,” he stammered, clearing his throat, embarrassed. “I did not see you there.”
“Oh, by all means, don’t let me interrupt,” he waved dismissively, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “If I may make a suggestion, however, that if you intend to talk about me behind my back, you may not want to talk loud enough to be overheard.”
“I say nothing behind your back that I wouldn’t say to your face, Captain,” Gadiel simpered. “We were merely discussing womenfolk. I didn’t think you would want to partake in the conversation, you being a happily married man and all. The rest of us could only be so lucky.”
Callum smirked, rubbing his gloved hands over his cheeks for warmth. “Let’s get through this mess and then we can discuss who is luckier. Do you have the map, Gadiel?”
Reaching into his cloak Gadiel retrieved a folded piece of parchment. His fingers fumbled over it, hindered by the heavy gloves he wore. “I’m not sure what good it’s going to do us,” he grumbled. “The men at the checkpoint were no help and unless this map tells us which snow drift to turn at, there isn’t much to go by.”
“This is no different from when we passed through the Palinoen desert to reach Luquarr.”
“Other than the temperature being at the exact opposite end of the spectrum?”
“A minor detail,” Callum rolled his eyes. “There may not be any landmarks to guide us, but the Chief ’s daughter made it sound quite simple. Their tribe is one of the largest and has settlements throughout central Ethrysta. We are looking for one called Nahedu which should be somewhat further north.”
“A slight miscalculation could mean the difference between finding it and getting lost. How do we know if we pass it?”
“Who knows? Maybe we will simply fall off the face of the planet.” Callum snatched the map from Gadiel’s hands, sniffling from the cold. “We are already half a day behind schedule. If we don’t make up some of the lost time before nightfall, the Ovatai are going to think we aren’t coming.”
Edric stretched his neck to see the map from across Gadiel’s body, the lines on it wobbling in Callum’s hands with every step he took, sinking into the snow. Relief filled his heart to hear his friend talking. Passing jokes the way he used to in his younger days. It provided a sense of hope. The distance in his eyes revealed that Aiva remained ever present in the back of his mind, but his focus appeared to have shifted to the here and now. A far better place for it to be at a time like this.
Raising his hand Callum brought the men to a sudden halt, his head lifted, eyes scanning the area, alert and watchful. The tension in his body and deliberate motions put Edric on guard. It was no normal search of the landscape for direction. He had sensed something. And whatever it was, he was wary of it. “Look sharp,” he mumbled, passing the map to Gadiel once again to rest his hand over the bow at his back. “We are being watched.”
Gadiel took his lead, folding the parchment map to tuck it inside his cloak, tensed and ready to draw his sword if Callum gave the order. “Is it possible the Ovatai have sent someone to guide us to the village?”
“Not unless they intend to take us there at the point of their arrows. I heard the creak of a string drawn on a bow. We are being hunted.”
With precise steps he broke away from the group, hand held up to the soldiers, indicating for them to remain still. Edric was impressed by the way his friend moved. He gave no sign of hesitation, his hand slowly removing the bow from his back. Each step was so light that he
walked on top of the snow, distributing his weight carefully, cautious, vigilant of his surroundings. In a moment of panic Edric realized what he was allowing Callum to do. This was exactly what he was supposed to be there to prevent. “Callum,” he hissed, stepping forward to try and reach his friend. Gadiel’s arm extended across Edric’s chest, holding him in place.
This couldn’t be happening. They had only just begun the journey. Not even to their destination. How could he have let Callum slip through his fingers so easily? Away from the men he was an easy target to the Ovatai hunters. If they wanted him dead, it would be accomplished with little effort.
Horrified, he watched as Callum continued onward. He retrieved an arrow from the quiver at his thigh, loading it onto the weapon with ease. “We are here on request of Chief Okivra!” Callum shouted into the empty landscape. The sound echoed into the distance. A reminder of how far from civilization they were. “Lay down your weapon and show yourself. We are not your enemy.”
Through the silence Edric heard a creak come from somewhere nearby. The bending of wood under pressure. He’d missed it before. Now it rang through Edric’s head like thunder. Whoever stalked them paid no heed to Callum’s assurances. They were under aim. He needed to get Callum away from there. Muscles tensed, he tried to force his way through Gadiel’s hold, surprised by how strong he was. A significant improvement from when they fought by one another’s side before. “Do not distract him,” Gadiel whispered. “The slightest move from us will break his concentration. We cannot give our opponent the upper hand.”
“But how can he defend against an arrow he cannot see?”
“By using his ears. I beg your pardon, Your Highness – but you need to be quiet.”
He despised the helplessness which crept over him. Gadiel was right. If he tried to get to Callum now, he would only expedite an almost certain death at the tip of the Ovatai arrow… assuming it was at the hands of an Ovatai at all. They had no way of knowing who the threat was against the Chief ’s people. Could it be that another race had invaded Ethrysta? Who would target such a frozen, barren place? There was nothing here that would be of use to anyone else.
A sudden twang rang out through the silence, coming from a large drift of snow to Callum’s left. Reflexively Callum’s body snapped to one side, narrowly evading an arrow aimed directly at his head. It was an impressive sight. The speed and accuracy with which he moved. And this was the man the military felt it necessary to test? Could they not see his skill in everything he did without having to throw him to the wolves in this miserable place?
Callum wasted no time in firing a counter attack. The arrow exposed the enemy’s location, his bow lifted and positioned by pure instinct. Edric flinched at the sound of the string releasing the shot, a pained grunt erupting from the drift where Callum’s arrow landed. In a burst of snow a man emerged, clutching his arm, blood trickling from the injury inflicted upon him.
The man rushed forward, snapping the wooden shaft of the arrow protruding from his right bicep. It surprised Edric to recognize the features of their attacker to be those of the Ovatai. The long strands of snow-white hair fluttered behind him in the wind with every step, his lithe body clothed in white fur and leather, a bone-handled knife gripped in his hands. His face was contorted in rage, covering the ground between him and Callum with incredible speed. Gadiel’s arm had barely eased across Edric’s chest before he was in motion, running to aid the Captain against the unexpected threat. Edric fought to get the knife from the man’s hand. He had to disarm him. If given an opening, Callum would be the first target of the blade. This man desired revenge above whatever reasons had sparked the initial assault.
His strength was beyond anything Edric had come across in battle before. It took all three of them to pin him to the ground while Callum straddled him in the snow, prying the knife from his hands to press the finely sharpened blade against the man’s neck, gaining control of the situation. All around them the wind increased, blowing with a fury unlike that of a normal occurrence. Snow pelted them in the face, blurring their vision. Edric tightened his hold, fighting against the urge to release his grip on the man to shield his eyes. It was nothing more than a tactic. A display of the Ovatai energy.
It was Gadiel who acted first, utilizing his knee to maintain control of the man’s wrist against the ground. A single strike from his elbow left the Ovatai warrior dazed. In an instant the unusual blizzard stopped. Gadiel’s fingers weaved through the man’s hair, securing his head in place where Callum retained his grip on the blade at his throat. “I told you we come in peace. Why do you attack the allies of your Chief ?” Callum demanded, his palm flattened over the man’s chest to keep him still.
“He is not my Chief!” the man spat. There was no sign of fear in his eyes. He looked filled with pride and conviction that his actions were justified. “A friend of Okivra is no ally of mine. You will all die.”
“You may want to choose your words more carefully than that, given your current predicament,” Callum stated firmly. “If you are no friend of Chief Okivra than I am under no obligation to spare your life. You have attacked the Captain of the Tanispan military. I am within my rights to kill you, so I suggest you explain your actions quickly before I decide not to be so merciful.”
“I will not explain myself to you, Vor’shai. Your very presence reveals Okivra’s weakness.”
“If that is how you feel then I will let you tell him to his face when we reach Nahedu.” Callum’s eyes remained trained on the man, unflinching. “Lieutenant! Fetch some rope. Commander, you and the Prince can see him bound. Keep it tight. He is no petty criminal. We shall let Chief Okivra decide his fate upon our arrival. It’s not our place to pass judgment on one of their people without further knowledge of the situation. I came here to stop a war, not start one.”
Staring down at the man in their grasp Edric found himself overcome with confusion. It didn’t make sense. Why would Okivra call for their assistance if his people disapproved? How many other Ovatai waited along the way to ambush them? They were strong warriors. Had there been more than one man, Callum would be dead. They might all have been dead. To fall in battle was honorable but something about dying at the hands of the people they came to protect felt foolish.
Sahra approached from behind Gadiel, offering out a length of thick, sturdy rope. Digging his knee into the man’s wrist to hold him still Gadiel accepted the rope, waving Sahra in closer with a sharp gesture toward the man’s feet. “Tie his ankles before the Captain moves,” he commanded. “We’ll need your help with his wrists when you’re finished. I doubt he’s going to give up easily.”
Edric followed Sahra’s every movement as she knelt at the man’s feet, wrapping another rope tightly around his ankles, the knot fastened firmly in place. She was skilled with the application of restraints. A benefit of her military training. He couldn’t help being fascinated by her. Over the years he’d seen many strong women yet the occasion to witness one in action rather than practice was rare. With the rope secured she came to Gadiel’s side, kneeling in the snow to offer her hands in keeping the man held to the ground.
Fluidly, Callum rose to a standing position, stepping away from their hostage to grant them a better opening to roll him onto his stomach, wrenching his arms behind his back. The man struggled against them in vain. He was strong. Against one of them he might have been successful in his attempts to break away. Three pairs of hands were too much for him to overcome. “Take him to the wagons. We will keep him under constant supervision until we reach our destination. It would be unwise to leave him out in the open where other Ovatai can see. They might misunderstand and assume us to be hostile,” Callum directed. “Gadiel, inform those left in charge of his observation that if he tries anything to escape through means of the Ovatai magic, they are to render him unconscious. I want him alive and well when we arrive so the Chief can explain the reason for this unwarranted attack. For his sake, I hope he has a good excuse.”
Neo
mi did her best to mask the desperation in her gaze while staring out over the snowy landscape. It was a full day past the time the Vor’shai Captain advised they would arrive in Nahedu. She felt her uncertainty bubbling to the surface, replaying in her mind the brief time she’d spent in Tanispa. Her worst fear was coming true. What if the Prince had convinced the Queen not to send their troops? Neomi’s ignorance of their culture could cost the lives of her people. Why had she struck at him? Of all the things she could have done to slight their allies. To raise your hand to the son of their leader…
There were other possibilities for their tardiness. It was simply easier to blame herself. She was embarrassed by her mistakes. Among her people she was well-versed in how to conduct herself appropriately. In Tanispa she was out of her element. It seemed more likely that her actions were at fault rather than considering the Vor’shai soldiers lost in the wild. Or worse – to have been attacked by the Avaern on their way to Nahedu. She’d given no warning of what they were up against. The explanation she provided to the Captain had been vague at best. Caught off guard by the creature, their entire army could fall victim to the strength of the beast. No. The delay was surely because of her. Anything else was too worrisome to consider.
“We have men positioned around the perimeter for a reason, Neomi. Come away from there,” Okivra’s voice cut through her thoughts. She inhaled a breath, turning to face him, making no attempt to conceal the concern that was evident on her face. Tilting his head to one side he looked at her, immediately aware of her troubled expression. “It is unlike you to fret. What weighs on your mind?”
“They are late,” she stated simply. “I have reason to believe the Vor’shai may not come and it will be my fault.”
Forehead creased, her father strode over to where she stood, his hand outstretched, beckoning her to come closer. Hesitant, she took a single step, her eyes straying over her shoulder, anxious for a sign of the Tanispan military. “The Queen would not go back on her word. If she said they would send aid then their men will come. Our land is unfamiliar to them. We cannot expect them to find the way the same as we do.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 20