by Hurri Cosmo
Tama huffed. “Yes.”
“Good.” She glanced at the man holding Tama. “Put him in with the screaming kid so he is finally quiet and I can get some rest.” She returned her glare to Tama. “See to it that you don’t try to run off with him, or I will have you both killed. Do you understand?”
Tama swallowed hard and nodded.
“Good!” She turned back toward her tent and waved a hand in the air. “Put a guard on the both of them. We depart in a couple of hours.” She disappeared back inside her tent, leaving the guard with his task.
He grunted and pushed Tama back toward Aydin’s tent, letting him go. “Get back in there and quiet that kid. If you so much as stick your head outside the tent before I call you to come out, I’ll kill you.”
Tama never looked back. He dashed inside the tent and dove for Aydin, pulling him into his arms and hugging with all his heart.
Tears were streaming down his face as those strong little arms pulled him in with tiny hitches of “Papa” whispered in his ear.
“Yes, Papa is here, my sweet. Papa is here.”
Tama was hearing whispers again. Occasionally, they seemed to be close, right next to him, murmuring into his ear. He could even feel the air move, making them all the more real even though he seemed to be the only one who noticed them.
At one point, when the whispers were particularly loud, the princess did cock her head and look directly at Tama with narrowed eyes, her eyebrows furrowed. But she went right back to staring intently out the window as if there was anything out there that was interesting. Scary, maybe. Alarming at times. But there was nothing Tama wanted to watch as keenly as she did.
Most times the whispers were more in the background. Even so, the very quiet atmosphere inside the carriage made the disturbing sounds easy to detect. They reminded him of his very distressing journey through the pass and how closely he had come to being swallowed up by the shadows. Now, they were all around him and coupled with the ominous sounds of the swamp, Tama was terrified.
Still, he was grateful to be able to be with Aydin, who clung to him as if by letting go, Tama just might disappear again. Tama soothed and comforted him the best he could, even presenting him with his much-loved fake rabbit. Although Aydin squealed with delight when he saw it and hugged the thing to his chest, he still would not let go of Tama. So, he simply held his boy. It gave him something else to center on, protecting his precious child.
After Tama was captured, Princess Annen had let them rest for a couple hours, then pushed them on. The princess, Aydin, and Tama had the luxury of riding in the carriage. The princess said it was simply ease of guarding. Her soldiers had enough to do to get them through the bogs. She didn’t want to add the burden of watching over them, too, making sure they didn’t wander off. She had eyed the rabbit Aydin held, but when she deemed it harmless, she ignored it.
“What do you plan to do in Dark Marsh? Why did you take Aydin?” Tama didn’t expect an answer. They had been riding in pretty much total silence until the whispers began.
Princess Annen regarded Tama for a moment, glanced at Aydin, who still clung to Tama, then looked away out the window, seemingly continuing to be enthralled with the scenery.
“Please tell me.”
Without looking back at them, she huffed. “Why? What would my telling you anything accomplish?”
“I’m a healer. Or, at least, close to one. Maybe I can help you with whatever it is you think you can get from the witches who reside there.”
“Witches?” She looked at him now. “There’s more than one?”
“Of course. The town is full of them.”
She huffed again. “Well, there is only one witch that I am concerned with.”
“Why?”
This time, she laughed. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
The princess took a deep breath. “My mother is being held captive by a witch named Black. I need to free her.”
“How does taking my child make that happen?”
“I told you, you wouldn’t understand! All I care about right now is the fact I don’t have to give that filthy witch my firstborn!”
“Your firstborn? What are you talking about?”
“Never mind. This has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me! Aydin is my child, and you kidnapped him, intending on doing something sinister with him.”
“I have nothing sinister planned for that child other than to hand him over in payment for my mother’s freedom. That’s it. What happens after she is once again free is none of my business.”
“Do you even know what these witches do to children?”
“No! Do you?”
Tama hugged Aydin closer. “Not entirely. But… it isn’t good.”
“She can feed the brat to the swamp rats for all I care. As long as my mother goes free, then I am free.”
“You?”
Princess Annen leaned forward in her seat and glared at Tama. “Yes, me! I was forced into this betrothal with the King of Blade Rain. Forced! And all because he has some ancient blood in his veins that this insane witch needs. I was supposed to marry him, produce an heir, and give it to this…this Black witch. Only then would she release my mother. But seeing that this child has King Diagus’s blood already, if I give him to her, I don’t have to continue with this farce any longer. I will be free to marry whom I wish, not who my father dictates.” She leaned back with a huff, adjusted her dress, and once again looked intently out the window.
“Aydin is just a baby. He’s barely begun life. How can you even think about doing this?”
But she had ignored him. Tama had looked out the window too, but seeing nothing but swamp, he closed his eyes. How was he going to get them out of this mess? It was all he could think about, yet no answers came.
Except, he had to admit, the mention of King Diagus had sent shivers racing up his back, tripping his mind back to those heady kisses. How he wished the man were there now. Unlike Tama, he would make quick work of these kidnappers.
But that wasn’t true either. He was still a sick, and most likely weak, man. Besides, there was no way he would even know there needed to be a rescue, much less come to it. Tama was going to have to figure it out on his own.
But what should he do?
Suddenly, the carriage rolled to a stop. Tama snapped his eyes open just in time to see the princess lean forward and slam the carriage door open. “Why are we stopping?” she shouted.
Almost instantly a man appeared at the open door. He had pulled his cap off and held it in his hands, obviously in reverence to the princess. “Your highness, the road narrows up ahead and will no longer support the carriage. We must leave it here and proceed on horseback.”
“On horseback? Me?”
“I am sorry, your highness, it is the only way.”
She screamed, balling her fists and pounding them on the seat. “I hate riding a horse! It’s bad enough that these ridiculous roads have been so rough. Now you expect me to ride a horse? It’s undignified for a woman of my status!”
The man only held his hat, twisting it in his hands, and looked down to the floor of the carriage. Unfortunately, the scream also woke Aydin, who had been sleeping fitfully in Tama’s arms, and he began to cry.
The princess jerked her head toward Tama. “You shut that brat up, or I will throw him and his fur/ball into the swamp!”
Tama’s first reaction was panic, but he quickly realized she was lying. She had made it perfectly clear she needed Aydin for the evil transaction she had planned. Even so, he hugged the boy closer to his chest, and he quieted.
“Papa?” he whispered.
“Yes, my sweet, Papa is here.”
“Papa, home? Bad wady.”
“Shhh, precious. Yes, we will go home. Soon. But be quiet for now, my love.” Tama gently rocked him, shushing him as he rocked.
He stared across the coach at the princess who cocked her head as she s
eemed to study him. Finally, letting out a sigh, she turned to the man still standing at the door. “Fine. But don’t unhitch the horses just yet.”
“Your highness?”
“We will disembark and get out of the way. Then you will pull the carriage until it is blocking all ability for anyone coming behind us to move forward on the road.”
“You… you think we are being followed?”
“Daft man! No! Of course, we are not being followed. No one even knows where we are. The only thing King Diagus will know is that I left and took my men with me. That honestly might make him quite happy. But this will give us insurance no one else will be along anytime soon.”
With that, she motioned for Tama to get out of the carriage.
It felt good to stand again. Even though the benches in the carriage were upholstered with plush fluffy fabric, it was still uncomfortable. The princess led them up the road, and it indeed narrowed to barely wide enough for one horse to navigate much less a wide carriage. She regarded the road-turned-trail, huffed, and shook her head.
“This is getting ridiculous,” she murmured. She stopped and turned, holding up a hand to stop Tama. He adjusted Aydin in his arms while they watched the princess’s men lead the horses, still attached to the carriage, forward until one wheel crumbled the very edge of the path. They looked up at the princess, who nodded her head, and they began to unhitch the horses.
Tama glanced up the lonely road. It curved sharply to the left. He wondered if Dark Marsh was just around that corner. It was a golden opportunity to attempt an escape. He was outside the carriage, untethered, had hold of Aydin, and most of the guard was busy with the princess’s orders. She could never stop him. But, alas. Escape from here was still impossible. Even if he could make it all the way to the bend in the road, which, on foot and holding a heavy child in his arms, he would not be able to do quickly, they would simply run them down. If not by their own feet, certainly on horseback. He almost laughed. It was so absurd to think such a thing because beyond the bend in the road was not a refuge in the first place, and very clearly, he would be running the wrong way.
As if the princess could hear his thoughts, she smiled at him.
“Don’t wander into the water, Tama,” she cooed. “Dangerous creatures reside there and would strip you of your flesh in a matter of seconds.” To accentuate her comment, a fish jumped out of the water, as if to get a look at the possible dinner that stood only yards away. It wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small, either. And the teeth looked sharp. The princess laughed. “See what I mean?”
There was not only one or two of those vicious things, either. The water was alive with them. Another jumped into the air, and Tama swore it chomped its teeth as it did.
Oh yes, it was obvious. The princess believed if she blocked the road, any rescue attempt coming from behind them would fail. If that someone knew about the water and what lurked beneath the surface, they could go no farther. But if they didn’t know about these ravenous fish, they would enter the water to go around the carriage and be eaten alive.
There no longer was an escape from this.
Tama was assisted to sit up on a horse, the reins taken by the same man who helped him. Tama didn’t fight the man and actually thanked him for his kindness. He would be obedient. He had to be. He would just have to hope that a better opportunity would present itself, and when it did, he would have to be ready.
“It’s Tama’s bow and arrows.” Diagus would recognize them anywhere. His angel had saved him with them.
Stomund had dismounted to check out the situation when they came upon the abandoned horse. “I agree. But where is Tama?”
Diagus looked down the hill in the ever-brightening morning light. “Looks like this is where they made camp. Damn it, why didn’t we get here faster?” He guided his horse to trot down the hill. Dismounting, he quickly checked the remains of the fire and found it still warm. “Yes. This must be where they camped,” he shouted up to where Stomund stood. “The fire is only a couple hours or so dead.” He swung into the saddle as he scanned the immediate area. Seeing nothing, he headed back up to the path.
“Is there any other indication where Tama is?”
Diagus knew what Stomund meant. It was the reason he had looked around. No bodies. No blood. No scuffle. It had been a calm camp. “No. My guess is that Tama probably tried to enter the camp to take the child and was discovered. They must have taken him with them.” He watched as Stomund tied the reins of the abandoned horse to his own horse, then mount up. “Perhaps Tama knew we would be coming and didn’t tell them of the horse. That way he was leaving us a clue.”
Stomund pulled his horse around, and the regiment of six men headed down the trail. “Perhaps. But I must say if I were any one of the men who are with the princess, I would have thought to look for a horse in order not to leave that clue.”
“Agreed. You would have been thorough. Thankfully, at least in this case, Princess Annen’s troops are careless. I feel better knowing my angel is still alive.”
“But a prisoner?”
“Yes. There is no other possibility that I will consider.”
“We are a couple hours behind them?”
“It would seem.”
“A fair amount of time. We will have to pick up our pace in order to catch them before they reach Dark Marsh.”
Diagus sighed. “Yes. However, they do not know they are being trailed so should not be in a hurry.”
“Who would be in a hurry to get to Dark Marsh anyway? What possible business would she have there?”
“I assure you I have no idea. But with a firstborn in her possession, the business can’t be good.” Not just “a” firstborn, but my firstborn. My very own son! He knew at the beginning of all of this, it wasn’t only Tama he needed to rescue. He had been determined to save Tama’s nephew as well. Now there was even more reason for him to do so.
“And what of Tama if he is in her possession?”
“I fear for both him and the child.” To accentuate that statement, Diagus’s heart leaped. He vowed once he had Tama back in his arms he would never let go again. He would surround him and his baby with guards and walls and no one would ever get to either of them again.
They kicked their horses into as fast a gait as the road would allow.
The day passed quickly as they navigated the path toward Dark Marsh. Diagus was concerned that the small entourage they chased seemed to either know they were being followed, which was unlikely, or they were indeed in a hurry because try as they might, they could not catch up. When the way became swampier, more unpredictable, even Diagus had to slow his progress.
As afternoon waned, the air became dank and foul, barely a breeze rustling the trees. Diagus hadn’t really been aware of when the trees changed, but he noticed now. Most now were odd-shaped things, bumpy, gnarled, and sick looking. In fact, a great majority appeared to be dead, perhaps drowned, seeing that their roots were buried deep beneath water. But as they neared Dark Marsh, it was clear some lived in this harsh environment. Diagus had no idea why he felt sorry for the things, but he thought they looked to be screaming in pain.
The other oddity was the sides of the roads were basically water. The road had become a bridge, a causeway. Occasionally there was a splash as some creature of the swamp moved about its world. Even though it was still full daylight, Diagus only glimpsed ripples in the water and never the creature itself. That meant one thing for sure. Whatever the creatures were, they were fast. And from the sounds of some of the splashes and size of the ripples—large.
Diagus wondered if Tama had seen and experienced the same things, not only today, but back when he was supposed to have gone with his mother to this dark place. Stomund had filled him in on the things they had discussed on their journey. He only wished it had been him who his angel had confided in.
It was so strange, this feeling he had for Tama. They hardly even knew each other, yet his need for the man was overwhelming. As big, if not bigge
r, than the crushing desire he used to have for Joron. And that was before he knew the child Tama considered his was actually the crown prince of Blade Rain. What the connection was between Tama and his soon-to-be ex-betrothed was a mystery as well. Oh, yes, soon-to-be ex. It might start a war, he would have to make sure his sister and her family were out of harm’s way, but he would not accept a wife who had old men beat up and kidnapped babies. He just had to hope Lexand was capable of reason.
He was still deep in his musings when they spotted the carriage devoid of horses. It was standing right in the middle of the road, taking up the entire expanse. Diagus had not noticed the road had narrowed. That was not good. He had become distracted yet again.
The lead man gave a shout and, after receiving a nod from Diagus, dismounted to inspect it.
Stomund held Diagus’s horse back with his own, the path barely wide enough now for the both of them. “Stop, Sire. Let Chrisanti check it out before we proceed.”
“It looks abandoned.”
“I concur. However, we must take this precaution.”
“It’s hers. It belongs to the princess. The emblem on the door gives it away.”
“But why abandon it?”
Diagus huffed. “I think it obvious. The road has become too narrow for such a luxurious wagon. No doubt they unhitched the horses and now ride them, most likely intending to pick it up again after they conduct their sordid business. This had to have taken some time to complete, allowing for the distance between us to shorten.”
Diagus watched as Chrisanti first peered into the carriage’s back window and then climbed up on top, leaning over the side to look in those windows. Finally, leaping down, he jogged to where Diagus still sat atop his horse.
“What did you find?” Diagus inquired.
“It is abandoned, Your Majesty. Whoever this belongs to is no longer here. They must have proceeded on horseback.”
“It belongs to the Princess of Thunder Wolf. Are we able to get around the thing without stepping into the water?” For some reason, just the thought of having to navigate through the swamp, even the few feet it would be to skirt the carriage, made him shiver.