Change of Chaos

by Jacinta Jade

  ‘We will travel the usual route to the pass, leading them off your trail for as long as possible,’ Roalger said to them both before turning to address Siray directly. ‘Give me your overshirt.’

  Siray blinked at him for an instant, stunned at the blunt order, but when she saw Baindan nod quickly to her over Roalger’s shoulder, she hurried to comply. Clumsily, due to her cold fingers, she peeled off the top wet layer of her clothing and passed it over to him, goose bumps rising on her bare wet arms in the night air.

  Roalger turned back to Baindan as he held her dripping shirt. ‘You’ll have to go straight through the Dil’wat Ruins and meet us at the pass.’

  Baindan paled and started shaking his head.

  Roalger growled at him. ‘There’s no other choice. Right now, they’re Changing and beginning to hunt for us—for her. Without the ability to Change, she won’t last a span on the run before them.’

  Now Siray felt the blood draining from her own face. ‘I can ride,’ she said, thinking that might be the issue, ‘if someone could—’

  Roalger cut her off. ‘Only two of my soldiers can take the form of yeibons, and they’re already carrying others.’ He switched back to Baindan, speaking curtly. ‘They won’t even consider that we’d take her through the ruins. They’ll assume she’s with us, and this,’ he raised her dripping shirt, ‘will convince them. For a time.’

  Roalger glanced at the disappearing Resistance members before looking back at Baindan and Siray. ‘I’ll lead them on as much as possible before more reinforcements come.’

  He began stepping away from her and Baindan, dropping Siray’s shirt to the ground before him. ‘They won’t approach the pass yet, but they will try to stop us from reaching it. We’ll wait before the pass for you, for as long as we can.’

  Roalger’s voice deepened, and his eyes grew larger. He was Changing, preparing to follow his men. He said one last thing to Baindan. ‘Head straight through. Don’t stray, and don’t lose the path.’

  An instant later, a large cripwof stood before them. It lowered its sizeable head to pick up Siray’s shirt in his jaws, and a pair of big dark eyes stared at both of them for a moment before it whirled smoothly and took off in the direction the others had gone, the ends of the shirt trailing between its front legs on the ground as it ran.

  Baindan spun towards her, his face set and determined. None of the paleness from before was evident. ‘Follow me and do as I do,’ he said, his voice now carrying the same curtness that Roalger’s had.

  Baindan circled back in the direction they had come from and began running down the hill, veering towards the edge of the river.

  Confused at this unexpected alteration in course, and too tired to think about the exchange that had just happened with Roalger, Siray followed Baindan obediently down the hill, her legs working hard to keep her from falling as the incline gave her extra speed.

  As they reached the riverbank, she stayed right behind Baindan as he stepped into the river and began running through the shallows, following the river downstream.

  More confused than before, but still adhering to Baindan’s instructions, Siray pushed her legs through the water flowing around her calves and followed closely, keeping her eyes on the back of Baindan’s head as she tried to ignore her still-protesting body. What she wouldn’t give for a full nights’ rest and another warm meal.

  In front of her, Baindan’s head swivelled constantly as they ran, and Siray guessed he was scanning for any sign that their pursuers who had made it this far around the falls.

  Past Baindan’s head, Siray saw that the river split into a wide fork, with the current generated by the falls pushing the waters along at speed.

  As they came up to the fork, Baindan slowed to a walk and gestured for Siray to come up beside him. ‘We’ll cross here and then continue straight through,’ he told her, an odd tone to his voice. He didn’t wait for her response but charged on ahead and moved farther into the water.

  Siray moved with him, pushing against the current as the water rose up the length of her body.

  Already wet, the water felt warmer to Siray than the night air, and she felt the temptation to just let herself float along with the current to wherever it might take her. Still, she kept pushing on, and, when the water level reached chest height, she pushed off the bottom of the river and began swimming behind Baindan. Taller than she, he did the same a moment later, and together they swam for the centre of the bank in front of them around which the river divided.

  As Siray swam closer to the centre of that fork, the current grew noticeably stronger, trying to sweep them to the sides. Siray could hear Baindan grunt occasionally as he forged his way through, outpacing her and quickly reaching the other side. As she stretched out her arms to keep pulling herself through the water, she saw him grab at a rock on the embankment, his hands slipping twice before he was able to successfully find a hold.

  Siray kicked her legs harder, forcing her body forwards. Yet after days of enduring physical stress, her body was at the point where only her will was keeping it going. And even that was becoming hard, her mind, and stubbornness, beginning to fog. But she was drawing closer to the other side now. She only had to fight a bit longer against the current. However, a moment later, as she kicked out, she was struck by a muscle cramp in her side. Gasping as she paused in the water to reduce the pain and hoping it would pass swiftly, Siray realised she could be in trouble. She was still moving forwards, but now she was also starting to drift to the right, away from Baindan. She saw his head turn as he pulled himself from the water.

  ‘Come on, Siray, just a bit farther!’ he said to her, his hands on his knees as he recovered his breath.

  Siray couldn’t spare the breath to reply but fought against the current as she kicked her legs harder. The cramp intensified, and she had to pause for another moment so she could draw breath. In that moment, her head sank beneath the surface, the water closing over her head briefly before she kicked out once again, the cramp sending stabbing pains through her torso. Growing angry at her own weakness, and preferring to stay angry rather than give in to panic, Siray fought even harder than before and emerged above the surface again.

  One stroke, two strokes. She saw the rocks before her and reached out for them, but her wet fingertips merely slipped against the rocks’ moist surface as she was dragged past them by the current. She tried to twist her legs down to the bottom of the river in order to find the bottom and stabilise herself or use it to push off from, but this side of the river must have been deeper as she could not feel the bottom.

  Bumping into rocks as the current hauled her farther along, Siray desperately reached out again. But this time, she felt a strong hand grab hold of hers, right before an irresistible force was applied to her hand and she was wrenched from the water and up onto the rocks, various parts of her being scraped and cut as she was pulled to safety.

  Looking up at Baindan as he stood there, holding on to her hand, he nodded to her, his other arm coming down to encircle her waist as he guided her away from the edge of the river. Safely on solid ground, they both collapsed.

  Baindan didn’t move for a moment, and Siray realised he also had to be exhausted from the exertions of this and the previous night’s activities. Then she felt him stir beside her.

  ‘We’ve got to keep moving,’ he said. ‘They’ll have gone through the caves by now and will be working their way along the river soon.’

  Siray nodded and slowly stood up, first kneeling and then using one leg to push off the ground and heave herself to her feet, muscles protesting. She rubbed her arms as she turned to follow Baindan once more.

  ‘Aaaaaooooooooohhhhh …’

  Baindan spun back to face her and the river behind her, his face alarmed.

  Siray whipped around as well, the hairs on her head raised by that echoing call. She stepped backwards slowly until she was standing next to Baindan and could watch him carefully as he scanned the darkness. Clouds had moved in front
of the three moons, reducing the light and making the waters behind them seem even more dark and ominous.

  ‘They’re coming.’ Baindan’s jaw was set, his face grim.

  He wheeled away again from the river, taking up Siray’s hand and pulling her forwards in a jog into the trees ahead. ‘Keep going, Siray—we need to get as far in as possible.’

  Stilled chilled at the sound, Siray held tightly to Baindan’s hand. ‘What was that?’

  Baindan kept looking ahead and only answered her after a long silence. ‘That’s them—soldiers of the Faction, as we call them. They must have found the group’s trail at the edge of the pool.’ He pushed aside a branch as they ran. ‘They’ll be at the fork in moments, and we need to be gone and hidden when they are.’

  Baindan began moving faster still, and Siray realised this was it—the last push. As the trees became thicker, she felt Baindan relinquish her hand, and she fell back behind him, following as they continued in a straight direction, weaving around trees and pushing through undergrowth.

  After a time, Siray glanced back. When she couldn’t see the river or anything beyond the leading edge of trees, a small flicker of relief ran through her. Turning forwards, she gasped, unable to stop herself from running straight into Baindan’s back.

  He didn’t make a sound as she hit him, though, instead turning and pulling her to the side towards a group of large boulders.

  With the clouds and tree cover, the night was very dark, and Siray kept close to Baindan as he led her into the collection of large boulders. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder, the pressing weight making her pause. She watched as he moved past her, his head bobbing, his arms outstretched. He seemed to be feeling his way, looking for something.

  ‘There it is,’ he muttered.

  Siray could see enough that she was able to discern his silhouette turning sideways before he disappeared completely between two tall boulders, and her eyebrows lifted as he melted away into the darkness between them.

  Approaching the boulders, she almost shrieked when Baindan’s head suddenly appeared again in the dark before her.

  ‘Quickly!’ he said to her before he disappeared once more.

  Siray wasted no more time before she, too, turned side on and slid into the impenetrable darkness after him. Feeling her way forwards with her hands outstretched and touching cold stone, she pulled them back swiftly when she encountered something soft, wet, and warm.

  Baindan’s voice was a whisper. ‘It’s going to be dawn soon, but we can’t move during the day in case their scouts fly over to monitor this area.’

  Siray felt Baindan’s body shift in front of her.

  ‘Sit and rest, Siray. I’ll keep watch.’

  Siray stepped carefully around to the other side of where Baindan’s voice had sounded from, and upon touching the other side of the rock wall, pivoted and put her back to it, sliding easily to the ground. Twisting her head to where she knew Baindan was, she asked the question that was on her mind.

  ‘Will they cross the river?’

  Baindan’s clothes rustled as he shifted. ‘No one crosses the river.’

  But we did, Siray thought, inhaling deeply and wrapping her arms around herself to try to block out the cold. Her clothes still wet, the stone against her back, although reassuring, only increased the chill sweeping through her body, making her shiver.

  Baindan must have sensed the slight movement of her body, as she heard him shift closer, and then their shoulders were touching. As heat from his body slowly crept into hers, Siray felt her limbs and head grow heavy. As she leaned her head back against the wall, she yawned, long and deep, with even the ground not feeling too hard beneath her. Closing her eyes, Siray focused on the only thing she could hear—the sound of Baindan’s breathing.

  Sleep took her quickly and deeply.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  WHEN SIRAY AWOKE, she didn’t open her eyes and instead rolled over to return to sleep. As she did so, she hit something soft and warm, which startled her upright, her eyelids bursting open.

  ‘Afternoon,’ said a low voice.

  Siray looked down.

  Baindan lying at her side, his grey eyes regarding her with amusement. ‘Forget where you were?’

  Siray nodded glumly. ‘Until I opened my eyes.’

  Baindan half sat up, one arm braced underneath him. ‘And that’s when you saw my handsome face and remembered our adventures from last night?’ he said, turning his face this way and that for her to admire.

  Siray quirked an eyebrow at him. ‘Seems like you’re in a good mood today. I take it that they lost our trail, then?’

  Baindan nodded. ‘After a long time of hunting cries sounding on each side of the river—all of which you slept through, by the way—they must have caught on to the scent laid by Roalger and they continued on.’ He sat up the rest of the way up and stretched his arms and legs in a languid fashion. ‘I’m guessing they did exactly what Roalger wanted them to do—they’ve split up into two groups and are chasing after the others.’

  Siray took a deep breath and let it out as Baindan stood. ‘So,’ she said hopefully, ‘the worst is behind us, then?’

  Baindan’s stillness was unexpected, and Siray felt herself go still as well as he turned to face her, and, after a moment’s hesitation, he slowly sat down next to her again. His face seemed to be carefully neutral, and Siray felt the smile drop from her face.

  ‘The worst isn’t over?’

  Baindan nodded. ‘There’s a reason why no one crosses that river, Siray,’ he said, speaking slowly. ‘This side of the river belongs to those who are lost.’

  Siray paled. ‘But that would mean we’re almost at the Dark Ices! But we can’t be—you rescued me from the city only two days ago.’ She thought back to the mountaintops she had glimpsed the previous evening from the cavern entrance.

  Baindan shook his head. ‘You’re forgetting that you were unconscious from the moment Roalger found you until you awoke in the cavern. We travelled a long way that day in our forms.’

  Siray stared at him, stunned, then shook her head in horror. ‘We can’t be here, Baindan. We have to leave. Now.’ She pushed herself to her feet, ignoring her stiff and aching muscles. It was a constant in her life that she was starting to get used to.

  Baindan grabbed her wrist, his hold making her pause and turn to look back down at him.

  ‘Siray, we can’t go back. Its daylight, and the Faction will almost certainly have people in the air searching the area.’ Baindan let go of her wrist as he stood. ‘All it would take is just one scout to spy us, and we would be cut off from any hope of making the mountains.’

  Siray shook her head again. ‘Baindan, those who are lost are dangerous—wild minds in a fog of memories, unable to tell friend from foe. You can’t reason with them.’

  Baindan nodded. ‘I know, but we stand more of a chance of making it to the mountain by passing through their territory than we do by going back.’

  Siray bit her lip, uncertain, but Baindan continued, touching her on the arm to get her full attention.

  ‘Siray, going back means capture, torture, and maybe death, if we’re lucky. Going forwards, there is a chance we could run into the Lost Ones, but we might avoid them if we’re careful.’

  Siray stared at him, all the warnings she had ever heard about the Lost Ones running through her head. But when she tried to think up another alternative, she couldn’t. So what choice did they really have? Besides, Baindan and Roalger had already risked much just to give them—or really, her—a chance to make it through.

  ‘You’re right,’ she told Baindan, swallowing against the sudden dryness in her throat. ‘We keep going.’ Siray took a couple of steps forwards and looked out into the sliver of light that highlighted the space between the boulders that formed the entrance of their hideout. ‘But if we make it through,’ she said, turning to face Baindan once more, ‘I might just kill Roalger for making us do this.’

  Baindan chuckled app
reciatively. ‘Don’t think I’ll stop you.’

  Siray turned back around again. She couldn’t see much at all as she peered out from their hideout, just hints of greenery and rocky ground. ‘When will we move?’

  Baindan stepped up next to her. ‘Once it becomes full dark. Moving in the daylight is too risky. At night, scouts will have a much harder time spotting us, and the chances of us running into any Lost Ones will be slim.’

  Baindan was staring out into the light, but Siray could tell that he was seeing other things.

  ‘We’ll stick to the path, and we’ll move fast,’ he said, nodding to himself.

  Siray nodded too and, looking at the light, saw they had some time before nightfall. When she looked back, she saw Baindan was still watching her.

  ‘You could go back to sleep for a little longer if you want,’ he suggested kindly. ‘I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go.’

  Siray shook her head. There was too much to think about now that she had the time. ‘That’s okay. I’d rather just talk instead.’

  Baindan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he walked back across to their spot and settled himself against the surface of the boulder across from her. ‘Alright, what ails your mind, then?’ he said, gesturing grandly, as if he were an elder.

  Siray smiled in amusement as she also took a seat on the hard ground, but then frowned. ‘Well, you say we are in the land of the Lost Ones—which I do believe you about,’ she added hurriedly, ‘but then you said you had to travel a great distance in one day after Roalger found me in the forest.’ Siray waved her hand in the air. ‘How did you manage that with me, if you all Changed?’ This was of particular interest to her, considering Roalger had said none of his soldiers could carry her yesterday.

  Baindan smiled. ‘Ah. Well, that presented an interesting challenge, but lucky for us, you’re pretty slim, so we ended up just tying you to Roalger’s back, and he ran all that way with you.’