The Arena (Ultimate Soldier Book 1)

by Escalera, Tessa

  "I won't," Lila said, mostly to get him to let her go.

  Josef seemed worried, but he released her arm. "Let's go, before everyone else eats all the food."

  He strode down the hallway so quickly that Lila had to trot to keep up. With a suddeness that made Lila stop and blink, they reached the sunlight at the end of the hall. Then she gasped.

  Outside was a courtyard surrounded by a chain-link fence at least a dozen feet high. The ground was more concrete, and several hundred feed beyond the fence soared a high wooden wall with men patrolling the top. To the left, long tables held steaming pots of food. But it was the crowd that caught Lila's eye and made adrenaline flood through her veins. Dozens of people crowded inside the fence. Men, women and children were talking, laughing, with the smaller kids running and weaving through the adults.

  Lila's heart rushed until it pounded in her ears, and she fought to catch her breath. Heads began to turn toward them and the conversation quieted as people began to whisper to each other. Lila swallowed, trying to force her brain to comprehend the sheer number of people. She forced herself to take a step forward, and nearly tripped. Josef's hand under her elbow steadied her and he guided her over to one of the tables and put a plastic plate into her hands. Behind the table stood a tall blond woman with a gentle smile. Peter and John stood on either side of her. "You want some oatmeal, hun?"

  Lila was still too overwhelmed to recognize that the woman was talking to her. "Lila, this is Martha," Josef said in her ear. Louder, he said "Martha, this is Lila. And yes, we would like some oatmeal." Seeker wagged her tail and squirmed under the table to the delight of the two boys, who took off with her in their wake. Lila felt naked without the dog's presence.

  Flushing with emarrassment at the attention, Lila held out her plate. Martha ladled a serving onto Josef's plate, then a much larger portion onto Lila's. When Lila opened her mouth to protest, Martha smiled. "Don't worry about it. You look like you could use a few good meals. Welcome to Antoch."

  Lila bobbed her head and choked out her thanks before Josef guided her to the next station. It appeared that Martha was one of a very few who was ready to welcome Lila with open arms. People parted as she and Josef passed, staring and whispering to each other. The heavyset woman serving stewed apples even went so far as to ignore her completely, causing Josef to clear his throat loudly. Eventually she dumped a portion of apples on each plate, though she refused to look at Lila or speak to them. Lila kept her eyes on her tray, letting Josef guide her through the crowd. She flinched every time someone brushed against her, trying not to hear the unhappy mutters. Even though they were outside in the sunlight, it felt as if heavy walls were pressing in on her--only this time they were walls of disapproval rather than physical ones of wood or stone.

  "Why do they hate me?" Lila asked quietly as they reached the end of the line of tables and Josef led her through an open gate to the packed dirt and grass outside. Josef led her off to the right where Lila saw the rows of vegetables growing, and beyond that a field of grain that stretched out nearly to the wall and ran back around behind the building.

  "They don't hate you." Right behind where the fence joined to the brick wall of the building, out of the line of sight of most of the people in the crowd, Josef sat down in the sun with his back against the wall. Lila sat down beside him, feeling the dew on the grass cool on the back side of her pants. Her plate was filled with what seemed like a great variety of food--oatmeal, stewed apples, a warm doughy flatbread drizzled with honey, scrambled eggs mixed with diced tomatoes.

  "They are just mistrustful of outsiders," Josef continued. "It's been over a decade since anyone new has been brought in. When you live under the continual threat of attack, and the only other people you ever see are the enemy, you start to believe that anyone you don't know must be a threat."

  "I'm not a threat," Lila said around a mouthful of apples. She closed her eyes for a movement, reveling in the flavor. The sweet and tart of the fruit mingled with the bite of cinnamon. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had apples that hadn't come from a can or a package. The eggs and tomatoes were equally amazing.

  She opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly when Josef chuckled at her. "Trust me, I'm quite confident that it would be impossible for you to be any less of a threat to our way of life."

  "I just don't understand why one person would attack another. Isn't it enough that we are all stuck in here with the wolves?"

  Josef shook his head. "Greed, desire for power, need of supplies that the other person or group holds. The human heart holds the capacity for much evil," he dropped his voice, "as you will soon see. Jarda is not content with this one small section of the world, she always seeks more. Her desire is to control or destroy all who cross her path. But you would do well not to repeat that to others--Jarda has little enough love for you without it."

  "Of course." Lila pushed the food around on her plate thoughtfully. "It sure seems like there are a lot ot things to be hidden from Jarda." A slight movement caught her eye and she saw Kenan standing inside the corner of the fence, very obviously not looking at them. When Lila looked away, she felt his gaze like a heavy hand on the back of her neck. She lowered her voice. "Secrets and guards and walls..." she looked at Josef. "Have I escaped one enemy only to be captured by another? Sometimes I can't tell the difference between who is an enemy and who is a friend."

  "Sometimes they are one and the same." Josef spoke in a similarly lowered tone.

  "But how do I know the difference?"

  Josef smiled sadly and shoved the last of his bread in his mouth. After swallowing he finally answered. "Sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith."

  "Is that what you did with me?"

  Josef chuckled. "I figure anyone who can survive the wolves alone for as long as you have and come through on the other side with as much spirit as you do, could not possibly be cowed by something like Fox politics." He sobered quickly. "Unfortunately this makes you a threat in Jarda's eyes. I don't know what she has planned for you but I doubt it is anything good."

  Lila felt her heart sink and her appetite disappeared. "Why bring me here then?"

  Josef turned to face her. "You've got to understand something. In nearly two decades of life I have seen dozens of men, women and children contract and succumb to the wolf fever. I watched my own father wither in its grip and pass away, just a few hours before my little brother. My mother never recovered from the loss, and two months later her heart failed her, followed soon after by my newborn baby sister."

  "Josef, I--" I'm so sorry, she wanted to say, though she knew no words could ease the ache which that kind of loss seared into the heart.

  Josef held up a hand. "You have to understand that if I had known you would survive, I would never have brought you here. My hope was that one of the healers could bring you back to consciousness long enough that we could find the location of your home and that Aran and Elan could return to put their sister to peace."

  "But you said Jarda wouldn't allow that."

  Josef shrugged. "Probably not. But I'm the fool that will cling to the merest shadow of hope when all others have given up and moved on. Perhaps I saw something in you that intrigued me. Perhaps I am a greater fool than I thought. But here you are, against all hope and reason you are alive and you have done what no one else could do. You have conquered the wolves twice over. You have defied death more than the rest of this city combined. So as foolish as it may have been for me to bring you here, I will never regret it. You have a curious destiny, little Lilac, and I belive I will not be the only one watching your journey with great interest."

  Lila shook her head in wonder at the thought that anyone would think her life worthy of interest. "All I did was survive, as anyone would do."

  "No, not as anyone would do. As many have tried to do--and failed."

  Lila squirmed inwardly, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "I didn't ask to be special."

  "No one does."


  Peter and John came barreling around the corner of the fence with Seeker at their heels. Peter tripped and the three went down in a heap of arms, legs and fur. Lila started toward them to make sure they were okay, but before she could stand up the boys popped up, laughing. Seeker saw Lila and came dancing over, her tongue hanging out.

  Lila let Seeker eat the rest of her food. Peter and John had already run off again after waving at her and Josef. Josef shook his head tolerantly then picked up both of the plates and forks. "I'm going to go give these to Martha--would you rather stay here or come with me?"

  Thinking of the hostility of the crowd, Lila had no trouble deciding, and almost instantly said she would rather stay and wait. Josef nodded and left with the dishes.

  After he disappeared around around the fence, Lila pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on one knee. She closed her eyes, listening to the muted hum of chatter and the creaking of the gate as people went in and out. A man patrolled the top of the wall at the other end of the field, a bow and arrows slung on his back. Peter and John chased each other on the thick green grass, their laughter creating a pleasant harmony to the mockingbird calling on the top of the building. She was sitting on the east side of the building so that the warmth of the morning sun was in her eyes, making the man on top of the wall a sillouhette in the glare. A breeze tugged at her hair, bringing the scent of flowers from somewhere nearby, with the mellow tones of dirt and cut grass. The sound of a town was not the same as that of the forest. There was less birdsong and no sounds of squirrels and rabbits scratching in the undergrowth. The leaves rustling as the breeze stirred them was replaced with a constant buzz of conversation--of human life. It was something Lila had longed to experience for so many years, something that she had nearly lost all hope of ever finding. Despite the attitude of the villagers toward her as an outsider, she felt that the sound of life and industry all around her was as warm and comforting as a thick blanket in the coolness of a winter night. It wrapped around her, surrounded her, made her feel part of something much larger than herself, filling the hole that had ached in her heart since the destruction of her own village and family. It was a welcome change from the lonliness and solitude that her life had been for so long. Seeker had rejoined the two boys, and her playful barks sounded like canine laughter alongide that of the children.

  "You ready?"

  Lila jumped and opened her eyes when she heard Josef's voice above her. "Ready for what?"

  "To meet Jarda. Might as well get it over with."

  Lila swallowed hard, willing her stomach to unclench. She rose to her feet and tugged at her shirt, as if the garment would appear any cleaner by being straight. "Show the way." She followed Josef around the fence, through the gate into the now more sparsely popuated courtyard, keeping her eyes on his back so as not to see the glares she could feel directed toward her from all sides. As soon as they entered the shadow of the building, Josef opened a metal door to his right which revealed a set of stairs. Josef's boots echoed hollowly in the stairwell. Three floors up, he opened the door onto another hallway that ended just to their left and ran to the right down the length of the buiding. This hallway had once been carpeted with a rich red fabric, but it was faded and the center of the hall was so worn that Lila's feet touched bare concrete. On either side were doors that seemed to be made of wood, with golden handles. Josef led her to a double door that opened outward. He flashed her an encouraging smile before placing both hands on a handle and pulling them down and out.

  Chapter 9: Jarda

  The first thing Lila noticed was the smell. The odor of unwashed bodies, rusty metal and spoiled food washed over her as soon as the door was opened. The next thing she noticed was that the whole room seemed to follow this impression of unkempt and unwashed. Men clad in black leather with chainmail peeking around the edges of their shirts stood lined along each wall of the long, narrow room. The only light was indirect sunlight from the window on the far end, and candles in sconces every few feet along the wall. Lila's breath caught in her throat as every face, most scarred in some way and all the visages of fighting men, turned toward her. They reminded her of nothing more than wolves, knowing nothing other than bloodlust and the desire to cause pain. For some reason this comparison made Lila feel as if she walked a familiar path, even though the dimly lit room was nothing like the open of the forest. She straightened, and held her head high, letting a hand fall casually to the knife on her belt. She followed Josef through the center of the room, realizing that the three figures at the end of the room were people.

  Behind a long plastic table sat what had to be Jarda. She was by far the fattest person Lila had ever seen, but instead of implying weakness it gave her an aura of solidity and power. Small eyes glowed in the dingy light from a single candle set on the table. To Jarda's left and right sat a young man and woman, who were also heavyset and appeared to be the woman's children. They had the slack-jawed look of someone either with little intelligence or little reason to use it.

  When they reached the table Josef stepped aside, leaving Lila standing alone in front of the woman that was called the leader of the Fox village. Jarda's flat, glassy eyes reminded Lila of those of a snake hiding under a bush. Her unexpected feeling of strength persisted, allowing Lila to look Jarda straight in the eyes.

  "So," Jarda's voice drawled, her tongue coming out to lick her thick lips. Her daughter's eyes focused briefly on Lila's face before turning once more to gaze off into the distance. "I am told my boys found you in the forest."

  Lila nodded slightly. She bristled inwardly at the possesive way Jarda mentioned the men who had found her.

  Jarda's face darkened almost imperceptibly. "What are you called?"

  "Lila."

  If Jarda really had been a snake, her rattle would have been humming in warning. "Hmm. Such a pretty name for such a...pretty little thing." The way she drew out the word and her eyes sized Lila up made her feel dirty, almost violated.

  She's nothing but a snake coiled under a bush, afraid of the sun, Lila thought, the image adding to her courage. She stood straight and unwavering in front of Jarda's gaze. "Thank you."

  Jarda sat back in her chair, which groaned beneath her bulk, folding her arms over where her chest blended into her massive belly. "Tell me more about yourself. Why were you at the house at the same time as my boys? Were you following them?"

  "No, I came upon them by chance. I was looking for medicine."

  "Oh? You don't look hurt or sick to me."

  "It was for a friend."

  Interest sparked in Jarda's eyes. "I see. Does this friend have a name?"

  Lila could feel Josef shift nervously beside her, and knew that mentioning Katie's name would not be a good idea. Instead she shrugged in attempt to appear careless. "My friend is dead by now, the person she was no longer exists." Oh Katie, how I wish that weren't true...

  "I see," Jarda said again, her eyes narrowing. "You and this friend, how long have you lived in the forest?"

  "I have lived there since I was five."

  There was a low murmur that swept the room behind her. Lila had a sudden image of a snake coiling to strike as blood rushed to Jarda's face. "That's not possible."

  "I have no reason to lie to you. I was raised by a woman who found me and taught me to survive. For the last two years I have survived on my own, in a cave in the side of the Cliffs."

  A man burst into the room behind them, causing Lila to spin around. He strode quickly forward until he stood next to Lila and Josef, limping slightly. Jarda acknowledged him with a brusque nod and he moved to stand along the wall next to a short man with wild blond hair. Jarda turned back to Lila, her demeanor suddenly changed. "Well, we can always use an extra set of hands around here, especially one so experienced with survival. You will be expected to earn your living as does everyone here. Josef, take her to see the Master of Arms. He will test you to see where we can best use you." This last sentence was direct
ed at Lila, and an obvious dismissal. Lila turned and followed Josef as he walked rapidly out of the room, feeling the burning sensation of many eyes on the back of her neck, keeping her hand on the hilt of her knife. Once they reached the hallway and the doors were shut behind them, Josef took a deep breath and seemed to shrink, rubbing at his face with his hands. Then he straightened and looked at Lila, who was shocked to see a brilliant grin on his face.

  "What?"

  "Not here. Let's go see Nolan, like she said. Come on." He didn't speak again until they were on the stairs with the door to the third floor shut behind them. When he did, his tone was gleeful. "You've got Jarda as mad as a kicked nest of hornets, girl. I've never seen her go purple in the face like that."

  Now that her surge of courage was fading, Lila just felt confused. "Why? What did I do?"

  "You looked that old toad in the face and defied her, that's what you did! How is it that you whimper like a kicked puppy around those who could do you no harm, but you faced Jarda down like she was nothing but a brat of a child?"

  Lila rubbed at her forehead with one hand, the other holding onto the stair rail for balance. Politics made her head hurt. "She reminded me of a snake curled under a blackberry bush. It knows it has poison and could kill me but at the same time it's afraid of me."

  Josef shook his head in wonder. "That's an apt description." Then he abruptly sobered. They reached the ground floor and kept going down, into a stairwell lit only by the sunlight from the windows above. "You made a deadly enemy in there today, you know. You've made a liar out of Jarda to everyone in that room, and she can't stand that. Your very existence is a threat to her tyranny."

  "Why?"

  The stairs abruptly ended one floor down. Josef shoved the door open and waved Lila through. "From our childhood we are raised on the belief that even the sight of a wolf will strike someone with the fever. So far, the story had held true. My father was sent on a mission into the woods and contracted the illness soon after, then passed it on to my brother. It helped that the stories tell us of monsters as big as a man that could tear the strongest rider from the back of his horse--monsters that no one could face, then live to tell the tale." They were in yet another hall, this one dimly lit with panels on the ceiling that cast a greenish hued light over everything.