Alida sat cross-legged in front of it, waiting for the process to finish. “A sleeping potion, if you’re curious. It took me two years to perfect the formula, and more than one instance of gassing myself unconscious before my equipment had the proper sealing. It caused me to miss my morning vigil at the inn once, and I wept every day for a month thinking I’d missed my opportunity.”
“But you still continued to go?”
She nodded, solemn. “I thought perhaps renewed resolve would grant me a second chance.”
Leaning against the wall, I nodded. “Fortunately for both of us, life has granted us those chances, regardless of whether or not we deserved them. It’s not a philosophy that’s ever carried much weight with me, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to rethink what I’d considered certain truths. Where I come from, second chances rarely come along, if ever. I’ve learned much since I left home, but only enough to know how little I understand about the world.”
She ruminated on my words, lapsing back into silence as she watched the potion collect in the vial.
Curious about something, I lowered myself to sit beside her. “May I ask you a question?”
“You may.”
“The water you gave to the merchant, what makes it so special?”
Alida tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling. “There’s a story, an old one, I heard once or twice as a child. Most don’t know it, fewer believe it. Despite how my life was— is— I’ve always believed impossible things could be. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have survived this long, I imagine.” She waved off the tangent. “It’s said the desert is home to a magical bird, one who never dies, always reborn from its own ashes. It roams the burning skies, seeking to help others. It comes across many, but is bound by ancient spirits to assist only one in a single sun cycle. Between dawn and dusk, it scours the land for he who is most in need, most desperate and hopeful. Every day, it must pass up the rest, leaving them to their fates. After it’s helped that single soul, the bird sings for those who were lost, its tears collecting in a pool hidden in the heart of the desert. Those tears, filled with sorrow and longing to aid others, are said to have healing powers stronger than anything else in the world. A single drop can cure a fever. A bandage soaked in that water can mend the deepest wound. One swallow can break curses.”
She bent and tapped at the vial, judging the level of the contents. “I would not have believed that story had I not nearly died in the endless wastes. The red feather man brought me back to full health with nothing but drink. When I tasted water again when I was back in Istara, I knew what I’d been given and that I might never see its like again. I know its feel now, as will you. There are others in the city who believe the story, and others who are desperate to. The merchant I visited took a single drop and healed a cut on his finger. I have no doubt that it will make him a very rich man.”
“But not you.”
She shrugged. “I once sought money as a means of escape. Now, it’s only a means of survival. What I seek cannot be bought, so my hope remains with the red feather man. If he cannot help me, money certainly won’t.”
“Did you never try to find him, perhaps ask for some to sell? I’d think it would make your life much easier if you didn’t have to steal to have a simple meal.”
With a tired sigh, she shook her head. “I did try to return to him after a year of waiting at the inn. An hour north, as you said, but the man wasn’t there. You cannot find him if you want him, only if you need him.” She leaned forward again, dousing the flame beneath the boiling pot, and removing the vial from the pipe, quickly sealing both with cork stoppers. “It’s time to go. Are you ready, asuli?”
I stood and helped her to her feet. “As ready as anyone can be for this sort of thing. What’s next?”
As she pocketed the vial, she grinned a little. “We find a tree to climb.”
* * * * *
Alida peeked around the edge of the rooftop, scanning the open area surrounding the palace walls. “We’ll wait until the next watch passes by. Once they’re gone, we’ll have ten minutes to get to the tree, use the vial, grab the carpet, and get out of there. After I toss the potion, we’ll need to wait a minute for the gas to disperse. If either of us is caught in it, we’re done for.” She turned and adjusted the fabric covering my mouth, her eyebrows puckered, anxious. “This will provide a little protection, but not if the gas is still thick in the air.”
“You’re sure that’s the right garden?” I glanced across to the wall, eyeing the gnarled, blooming tree creeping up the outside of the stone. Two guards paced on the other side, watching over what I could only assume was the carpet we were after.
“It’s the only one leading to those gardens. I’ve had a peek over the top once or twice. It’s as the red feather man says.”
A pair of guards emerged from the far left side of the wall, their hands never leaving their swords as they walked the perimeter. My muscles tensing, I prepared to descend the rope ladder and took a deep breath.
“Asita,” I whispered, “I must tell you this now.”
“Hush, they’ll hear us.” She shot me a warning look.
Lowering my voice even more, I leaned in towards her ear. “If I fall behind, if I’m caught, get yourself to safety. I’ve lost so much already, I’d not want to cause another to lose their dreams as well.”
Her eyes searched my face, but she said nothing, instead setting a finger across the cloth covering her mouth. I nodded at her, satisfied that she’d get herself out if we got into trouble, and we crouched down to wait for the patrol to pass. A minute later, Alida peeked over the edge of the wall, but held up a hand to stop me from dropping the ladder over the side.
From inside her robe, she removed the purple vial and a y-shaped stick, a strip of animal sinew draped between the forks. She placed the vial inside the sinew and pulled back on it, stretching it taut, similar to a bow. In one swift movement, she hopped up on the roof wall, took aim, and sent the potion flying across the open land, hitting the far inside wall with a sharp tinkle of breaking glass. Transfixed, I watched a pale violet cloud rise from the garden, but was ripped out of my daze by Alida’s yank on my robe. Suddenly remembering my job, I flung the rolled ladder over the edge of the building, and she was climbing before it was fully draping the wall. I hurried after her as best I could, but she was nearly to the tree when I touched the ground. Sprinting, I reached the wall, but Alida dropped to the other side before I could catch the first branch. As I finally reached the top, I took in the handiwork of Alida’s potion. While she rolled up a thin, tasseled tapestry, two men lay sprawled on the ground, completely still. The speed at which she moved stunned me, because after only another minute, she was below me, handing the rolled bundle up to my outstretched hand. My fingers closed over the woven fabric, and for a brief moment, I thought perhaps everything was going to go perfectly, without any sign repercussions.
That was the moment the first guard stirred.
I froze, the carpet pulled up and dangling over the top of the wall. The man groaned and pushed himself up to his elbows. Panicked, I flung our prize to the ground, scrambling to pull Alida up beside me.
“Thieves!” he yelled, kicking the other downed guard. He, too, stirred, still groggy, but recovering quickly. “Stop them!”
Heaving with all my might, I pulled her up and we descended, nearly falling in our hurry. I snatched up the carpet and slung it over my shoulder, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to make it out of the city with so obvious a burden. Further down the wall, a door burst open, disgorging no fewer than a dozen guards all barreling straight for us.
Alida grabbed the sleeve of my robe and jerked me forward into a run, headed back to the ladder. She climbed like a spider, taking the carpet from me once she’d reached the top. With guards on our heels, she whipped out a knife and slashed at the rope ladder, sending it and the unfortunate men on it tumbling to the ground below. Even burdened as she was, Alida sprinted across the rooftops as a s
quirrel did trees, and I was always a building or two behind her. Men shouted from below as we passed, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in our flight.
At the end of our lofty sprint, most of the shouts had died down, and we were beyond the wall dividing the city. We dropped to the streets below, dodging in and out of alleys, still hearing calls of alarm following us as we went. In a trash-filled passageway, Alida climbed over the tower of junk barricading the space, and I followed with only a few minor slips behind her. My heart pounded in my chest, and my lungs screamed for a break, but there was no stopping her. Behind the rubble, she kicked aside a broken pallet, revealing a grate like the one in the temple’s courtyard. As her hands were full, I did the honors and lifted it open. She dropped inside without a word, and I followed her lead.
We walked below the city, through refuse and stench, for miles, not daring to speak lest those above hear our progress and think to turn us in. My stomach roiled when I realized what I’d done as much as it did from the smell of the sewers.
I was a thief. Perhaps my reasons were noble, but I had taken something held by the city’s ruler. I would forever be a criminal in Istara, possibly in all of Corumon.
I sighed. Better to be a criminal with good cause, than knowingly leave Erata to her fate.
The tunnel emptied out into a filthy stream of runoff, somewhere inside the slums on the edges of town. For the moment, it looked like we’d made it out.
Still on edge, Alida handed me the rolled carpet and beckoned me to follow. Her posture shifted as we walked, turning from guarded into casual, and I mimicked her behavior as best I could, reasoning if it looked like we belonged there, none would look at us twice. Eventually, we entered a tiny shack that looked ready to collapse, finally sitting down to catch our breath.
She pulled the fabric away from her face and rubbed at her eyes. “And now we wait for darkness.”
I sat up, shaking my head. “Darkness? I can’t. I’m supposed to return by sundown, and it’s an hour’s walk from here.”
Alida pinched her eyes shut, taking sharp breaths through her nose. “They’ll be out looking for us, asuli, sweeping the roads for anyone trying to leave. They’ll overturn carts, tear apart bags, anything to find what we took. You think them beyond slitting a few throats to get it back? I’ve seen men sliced from navel to nose over a loaf of bread. This is far, far worse.”
I stared at my hands, helpless. “What choice do I have? He said sunset, and no later.”
Her lips fluttered in resignation. “Perhaps if we had a camel, you might get away fast enough, but on foot—”
Outside, a board fell over, hitting the ground with a clunk. Our heads whipped towards the small window in time to see a small head duck out of sight. Alida was on her feet in seconds, out the door and rounding the side before I could stand. Seconds later, she returned, a flailing, dirty child swatting at the hand that held his ear to lead him inside. She released him as he stumbled to the floor.
“Brahama,” she hissed at him, “quandé desti tu d’jité?”
“Eh sama!” The shirtless boy pointed at me. “Sa jité o talla mugis!”
Alida looked up at me, confused. “You know this boy, asuli?”
Looking closer, there was a familiarity to the young man. When I realized why, I stood up straighter. “Oh! Well, sort of. I came across some children this morning and gave them my bread. I think he was one of them.”
“Sono quazité amat,” the boy grumbled, looking at Alida. “Do questa so vi ya asuli?”
She flicked his ear in reprimand. “He wants to know how someone so kind could be brother to me. Keshi ta, Brahama. Sono asuli se ta asita va veyo.”
I chuckled at them. “Seems you two are acquainted. Why was he following us?”
“Not us. You.”
“Me?”
She nudged the boy with a foot. “Madé to.”
Ambling to his feet, the boy extended a hand towards me, something inside his closed fingers. When he opened them, two small copper coins caked with dirt rested on his palm in offering.
I stared at the money. “What’s that for?”
She shrugged. “He says payment for what you gave him.”
I frowned as I took in his emaciated cheeks, his ribs showing through his bronze skin. Rather than take it, I rifled around in my pack, removing the last of the dried meat left from lunch. I laid the strips across the coins and closed his fingers.
“Tell him I would rather see him do good for others than take what little he has as payment.”
The boy blinked his large brown eyes at me, then looked to Alida. He asked her something, which she answered with a nod, but he argued with her.
“It isn’t our way here,” she said with a frustrated sigh. “He insists on repaying you for the food.”
“I’ve no need for his money. Unless I can get out of the city in time, I’ll be as good as dead, and coins are only of use to the living.”
She started to relate my words, but stopped suddenly. Her eyes lit up with something as she looked at me. “Are you squeamish, asuli?”
“What?”
“I have an idea that could solve both your problem and Brahama’s, but you may not like it.”
Chapter 17
“You’re not serious.” I stared at her, convinced the woman was half mad.
“Listen, asuli, if there was any other way to get you out, I would tell you.” She flung her arms wide. “All there is outside the city is open desert. They would spot you instantly on your own, and they’re searching anyone and anything leaving this place. There are two things the guards will not touch, manure carts, and this.”
I shuddered as I looked at the cart piled with half a dozen freshly prepared corpses. “I’m to hide under the dead? I don’t know if—”
Alida crossed her arms and glared at me. “You tell me you’d do anything to free this person you love. This is anything, and your only option. Choose now. Give up and turn yourself over to the Sultana, or bear a small discomfort and see your wish fulfilled. I cannot do this for you.”
“A small discomfort?” I gaped at her.
“Compared to a short life knowing you’ve failed, it is. I know which I’d choose, but it is not my choice to make.”
I considered the cart again. “Then you aren’t coming with me?”
“That is not my path, I think. If the red feather man wished me to see him, he would have told you so.” Her shoulders drooped a little. “I suppose I must wait a bit more. As that one says, no sooner, no later than it must be.”
My skin crawled at the thought of the arranged transportation, but what else could I do? My time was running out.
“Then I suppose this is where we part ways, asita.” I extended my hand to her, a thanks for all she’d done to help me. “Keep your hopes up. I’m certain you’ll find your happiness.”
“If you do decide to visit Istara again, may I make a suggestion?” she asked as she shook with me.
“Certainly.”
Her mouth turned up in a wry grin. “Postpone your trip until the Sultana is in the ground.”
With a chuckle that was quickly doused, I followed her to the cart of bodies. Fighting back the bile rising in my throat, I helped her shift the corpses, all of which had been doused with some musky oil by whoever had prepared them. The smell wasn’t terrible, but I was glad not to be traveling that way during the hottest part of the day. I was no stranger to hunting and cleaning animal carcasses for food, but dead humans were another matter entirely.
I laid the rug on the bottom of the cart, folded in quarters so it wouldn’t be visible from the outside, and laid atop it, bracing for the load I knew was coming. Alida and Brahama covered me with an old blanket, then replaced the corpses one by one, carefully stacking them so not to alert the suspicions of Brahama’s father. If the man had no knowledge of what occurred, he wouldn’t arouse the suspicion of any inspectors, and I’d likely be away long before any guards could reach the red feather man’s home if he
reported it later.
With the weight of six bodies lying across me, breathing was no easy task, but I managed it.
“I leave you now, asuli,” Alida’s voice sounded muffled from my position. “Tell that one I’ve done as he asked, and that I will keep my hope.”
I wanted to answer her, but doubted what little volume I could muster would carry to her. It was just as well I didn’t, as a brief minute later, the cart shifted and began moving.
Brahama assured Alida his father was headed north with the load, following the path I’d taken to get there initially. A burial ground lay a minute or two off the road, so I would likely see it when the cart stopped. The entire trip, I kept focus on my time with Erata. Closing my eyes, I pictured the eternal garden, resting beneath our tree and reading stories. I could almost feel the breeze as she whispered to me, laughing as I asked an ignorant question, yet she always gave me the answers I sought. There were so many things I wished to tell her, ask her, I felt near to bursting with my need to speak with her again.
It was not her beauty I admired so much as her mind. I’d only had the briefest glimpse of her face. It was her words, her voice, her very essence that had burrowed into my heart.
The cart jerked to a stop, and I heard muffled voices outside. Men were talking, though I didn’t understand their words. I held my breath, praying to the spirits that Alida hadn’t steered me wrong. If I was caught when I was so close to escape…
The weight above me shifted a little. I willed my heart to be quiet, but the pounding in my ears refused to quiet.
As suddenly as we’d stopped, we moved again, the cart bumping over the cracked path once more. I released a slow exhale, relieved and grateful that much had gone right. I turned my mind back to my memories of Erata, desperately trying not to think about the weight above me. Each jerk of the cart stirred what rested above, however, and it was becoming more difficult with each passing second to ignore. It weighed on my thoughts heavier than it did upon my back, every part of me crawling with the need to get out of there. If the deceased had been ill, would they spread their plague to me? If they’d been fatally wounded, would their cold blood seep into my clothes? Pressed as I was, I couldn’t even shudder over my fears.
Ride the Wind: A Flipped Fairy Tale (Flipped Fairy Tales Book 3) Page 16