‘Do you need any help?’ she asked.
Vann and Karesh shared a look. Then Vann said, ‘Yeah, ok.’
‘Alright. Karesh was telling you you’re very brave. I heard my name mentioned as well, but I didn’t hear what was said. Karesh, how about you repeat what you said for me?’ she said, translating to Plain’s speech once she’d finished speaking to Vann.
Vann and Karesh both paled.
Riley looked from one to the other. ‘Why, what’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’ Vann smiled disarmingly, ‘how about-‘
‘Karesh, do you want to repeat what you said?’
Karesh and Vann shared another long look. Riley’s brows began lowering.
‘How about you start with some names? You can tell me what some of these…trees are called?’ Vann suddenly suggested. The eyebrow lowering stopped.
‘Alright.’ Riley agreed. ‘Karesh, I want you to help the others learn Astarian as well.’ she said to Karesh in Plain’s speech.
‘Yes, Mas- Riley.’ he stumbled, in Plain’s speech.
Riley let the slip pass. She spent the rest of the afternoon with Karesh and Vann.
When the sky began darkening dread filled her.
Riley had never been afraid of the dark before. But now… now it was sinister and frightening. The darkness had gained a new depth for her. The darkness was not the darkness of night, but of the place she had been trapped. A place she could not escape on her own. It was the darkness that Strong Swimmer’s mind had disappeared into. It was the darkness that had crept up on her when her hold on his body had slipped.
Even the fires did not help. But to feel Vann’s hold on her hand, to be able to curl up close to him and know someone was there, merely by touch, that was all that helped. It made her remember she had her own body back, that she was here.
She did not fight Vann when he made her sleep. Sleep was only marginally worse than being awake.
But when she woke up from a nightmare that was more a memory, having him near eased the fear.
Anyone would have sufficed, but he was the one who had guessed. He was the one who had offered.
Though trust was a bittersweet thing to her now, she was glad it was him.
Chapter 20
Several days later, Adila finally showed up. Ehlkrid attacks had become more frequent, and they had moved on to try and find a more secure location. With her injury and her broken swords, the fighting was much tougher for Riley than usual. She could injure the ehlkrid with the swords, but not kill them. For that, she had to use her bare hands. Her fighting style had to drastically change, and she suffered more injuries. At least they were mainly minor.
When Riley spotted Adila walking through the trees towards them her anger flared up.
Riley, her swords in hand, stalked over to the Sunsinger. ‘Adila!’ she yelled.
Riley threw the weapons down at her feet. ‘You could have gotten me killed!’
Adila replied in surprise, ‘what’s wrong?’
‘These damn weapons are useless! I can’t kill with them!’
‘Of course not. Fearlid made them, they have a soul.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?! My arm nearly got ripped off by an ehlkrid because of this!’
‘I didn’t think of it. I’m sorry.’
‘And I guess you can’t fix it.’ Riley replied grimly.
Adila shook her head. ‘If we give you weapons that can kill we would bear some of the responsibility for the lives you took.’
‘And if I lose my life because of it? What of the people I am protecting?’
Adila frowned, and sighed. ‘I am sorry. I cannot give you something that can kill.’
Riley sighed, her anger not entirely gone. ‘The weapons Aerlid gave me. They didn’t do this.’
‘Aerlid made them himself. He lacks the skill to make weapons with souls… or perhaps the desire. Perhaps I can have a look at your shoulder? I am not a healer, but maybe I can help.’
Riley did not object, but she scowled off at nothing while Adila inspected her wounds.
‘Hmm.’ she murmured when she was done. ‘I might be able to take some of the pain away. These smaller injuries I think I can fix.’
‘Fix them if you think you can. But don’t make it hurt less. I might make it even worse if I don’t feel it.’
‘Very well.’
It took Adila what seemed a long time to fix Riley’s smaller injuries. As she finished, Riley suddenly felt very tired. She was not unduly worried however, she was familiar with this as a side effect of the valkar’s method of healing.
‘Maybe I can help you another way. If you stayed in one place I could give you a shield.’
Riley shook her head.
Adila had expected that and continued on, ‘I’ll give you something of mine. The ehlkrid will think a valkar is with you, or near you. I don’t know if it will keep them entirely away, but it should help.’
‘Fine.’
Adila took something from one of her pouches. It was a small, sharp knife. It was no longer than a hand, blade and handle together.
‘Here.’ Adila said. ‘Carry it with you.’
Riley glanced at it and then handed it to Vann. ‘Thank you.’
‘I hope it helps. Is there anything else?’
Riley shook her head.
Adila turned to leave, then she said, ‘I did contact the Ehlkrid King for you. That was a while ago, but he may still respond. His sense of time… I suppose it is like mine.’ she smiled briefly.
Riley quickly called her back. ‘Adila, are there any gemengs left?’
‘I haven’t looked. But in my experience there is always someone, scattered remnants perhaps, but still some. Do you want me to find them for you?’
Riley shook her head. ‘No. If they’ve managed to survive this long they don’t need my help.’ There was a touch of bitterness in her voice.
Adila nodded her understanding. Then she was gone.
‘What are your plans?’ Vann asked after Adila had disappeared.
‘My plans?’ She realized she had not really thought of it until Adila had mentioned the Ehlkrid King. Perhaps there was still something she could do, if she could meet him. ‘My plans are to end the fighting. Karesh wants more from me but…’ she shook her head.
Vann hesitated a moment then he said, ‘and Astar and Coastside? What about them?’
Riley stared at him a moment. ‘What about them?’ she finally asked.
‘I mean they killed everyone you knew and nearly killed you.’
Riley frowned. ‘What do you expect me to do, Vann? Even if I wanted to, there’s nothing I can do.’
Vann looked at her for a long moment. ‘So you don’t want revenge?’
Riley’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Revenge? No. Everyone’s dead. What’s the point of revenge?’ Riley shook her head at him and walked off.
Chapter 21
With Adila’s knife, the ehlkrid did not bother them. In fact, they did not even come close.
Watches were still set, but the tension faded away. Riley’s shoulder slowly healed.
Riley spent the days helping Vann and the gemengs learn each other’s language.
When she wasn’t doing that she was climbing trees (though her injury made that a bit more difficult than usual) and hunting and that normalcy, more than anything, helped.
Riley wanted to teach Vann how to survive in the forest should they become separated. So Riley spent an awful lot of time teaching him to climb trees and use the SIGPEW properly (he thought he already was!) and how to hide.
Every night, she slept with his arms around her. And she began to dread the nights less.
Karesh went through the motions of living happily ever after in the forest, but there was a sense about him, as if he was waiting for something.
The other gemengs did not feel it quite the same way as Karesh. They were safe and well fed and there was no sign this was going to change any time soon. They’d lost everything, but s
urviving had changed into something closer to living.
Vann though, Vann was happy.
Chapter 22
‘I saw some ehlkrid.’ Riley said as she jumped down from the tree.
Everyone looked up. She had spoken in Plains speech. Vann’s understanding had much improved, though he was told by Karesh he had an accent. Apparently, he made the heavy, guttural, growly language of the Plains too ‘soft’ and ‘mushy’. The other gemengs never complained about his accent, but judging from the way Kalgen frowned at him when he talked, they liked it no more than Karesh.
‘It’s day time.’ Vann replied, in Plains speech.
Riley nodded grimly. ‘They’ve been here nearly a year now. They must be getting used to the daylight. We’ll have to be more careful, Adila’s knife may not keep them away forever.’
They talked for some time about that. Watches would have to be set during daylight. Wandering off alone was no longer safe- except perhaps for Riley.
When they’d finished discussing how to respond to the change in the behaviour of the ehlkrid, Riley stood and gestured for Vann to follow her.
‘You’re not allowed to look.’ Vann reprimanded her.
‘I didn’t look. I heard you.’
‘Well, block your ears too then.’
‘You should move more quietly.’ she shot back. ‘Now go on, go and hide. But it has to be within this area.’ her expression became serious.
He nodded his understanding. Things had suddenly become a lot more dangerous. Then she turned her back and Vann stealthily slipped off to go hide somewhere in the trees.
Down below were the gemengs and Karesh. They sat in a circle around the campsite. Vann could recognize them all now; Shiressa the Strong was a big hulking creature, and apparently female. Muress the Mighty, Lakenda the Swift and Janisk Sharpfoot were also female, and actually looked it. Sort of. Muress, who had a greenish cast to her skin, reminded Vann of the fish people. Lakenda had very long, sharp claws while Janisk had talons for feet. Bulag the Quick was one of the smaller gemengs, though not as small as Karesh, who was even shorter than Vann. Telag Slippery Scale was a tall, lithe creature with scales down his back and a tail. Gurak the Horned had short tusks coming out of his face and Fenguk the Spiky had spikes down his arms. Kalgen the Fierce was a tall, hairy creature with retractable claws.
Vann’s gaze moved on. Riley. She was very close, as always. His record was 56 seconds.
He watched her come closer. There was a depressing confidence to her movements that told Vann she already had his trail. Too close now for him to move; he couldn’t outrun her.
She looked up, her gaze suddenly drawn to the sky. Vann looked too. He couldn’t see anything through the leaves. Her expression changed, and suddenly she drew her sword.
‘Vann!’ she called. ‘Get back down to the gemengs!’
Vann obeyed instantly. He climbed down the tree and jumped to the ground. The gemengs were standing. Vann readied his SIGPEW.
The thing got closer, he could see it now.
Riley was up above, balancing on a tree branch as easily as if she was on the ground.
The thing pulled up and stopped in front of Riley. Its flapping wings ruffled the leaves and her hair.
Vann stared at it. It didn’t look like an ehlkrid.
He saw Riley lower her sword.
It looked more like a man, a man with black, bat like wings.
Riley lowered her sword as the man approached and landed lightly on the very tip of the branch upon which she stood.
He was tall and reminded her of Andalla. But his colouring was dark where Andalla’s was golden. His features, though perfect, had a sly, devilish cast to them. And he wore a bit less than Andalla; he was bare chested, his only clothes a pair of ragged, though clean looking, black pants.
‘Hello.’ Riley greeted him. ‘Are you the King of the Ehlkrid?’ she guessed.
His smile widened.
‘I am indeed. Hello, Your Majesty, is more common, but I’m not such a stickler for details.’
Riley said nothing. If this man was anything like Andalla, she would have to be careful.
‘I admit to being very curious about you. Who, I wondered, could have the Judgement Master of the valkar play messenger for her?’
‘Adila isn’t the Judgement Master.’ Riley corrected automatically. ‘Rose is.’
His smile faded ever so slightly. ‘I don’t care.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Riley said quickly, ‘your… Your Majesty.’
‘I’m not Andalla.’ he frowned at her a moment. But then his smile returned. ‘But that brings me to this.’
‘Hm?’
Suddenly, he grabbed her by the waist. He moved too fast for her to react. She was hoisted over his shoulder. Shocked, Riley fought back. She kicked his chest and tried to get out of his grasp.
But he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he launched himself back into the air.
From below, Riley heard yelling. One arm was pinned to his neck, but the other still held her sword. The chance for peaceful talking had passed.
Riley slashed at him with her sword. It might not kill, but she would make it hurt!
The King laughed.
Riley slashed at him as he flew and laughed and the ground got further away.
Suddenly a new set of wings obscured her vision.
Karesh!
The King’s laugh stopped. Riley felt a chill. She renewed her struggle, but she felt as helpless in his grasp as if she were a child.
She couldn’t see what was happening. Then she heard a cry. Then… then she saw a dark shape hurtling towards the ground.
The King suddenly halted his ascent.
He grabbed her leg and pulled. Suddenly she was hanging upside down, his hand around her ankle.
He smiled at her. ‘Now, you won’t be needing that anymore.’ and his eyes went to her sword.
Her eyes met his.
His smile widened. ‘Let go.’
‘It might hit someone.’ she managed.
‘It might.’ he waited, smiling.
Riley didn’t let go. It was all she had. It didn’t work, but it was all she had!
His smile faded. He threw her up in the air. The world spun. He grabbed her again. Now she was the right way up, prevented from falling to the ground only by his hand around her wrist. She felt like a rag doll.
He grabbed her sword from her tightly clenched fist. And then he dropped it.
His smile was back again.
‘Why are you doing this?’ Riley gasped.
His smile widened, his eyes twinkling. ‘Andalla has always wanted a valkar for a wife. For some reason they always objected. Now I have one, and not just any valkar either. I have their princess.’ He smiled at her again.
‘Now do you want to be a happy princess, or a sad princess?’
‘I-I’m not. I’m only half valkar.’
He shrugged. ‘Your mother is still their Queen. You know, you’re starting to make me lose patience.’ His smile disappeared. ‘Happy princess, or sad princess?’ he repeated.
Riley was silent.
He waited.
His smile returned, but different than before. There was a malicious edge to it now. ‘Sad princess it is then.’ And he threw her back over his shoulder and resumed flying.
Far below, the forest got smaller and smaller, until it disappeared from her view.
Down below, Karesh shakily got to his feet as Vann screamed for Adila.
Chapter 23
The air began changing. First it was cold and fresh, then somehow it was dusty and empty. The blue sky became darker. At first Riley thought it was just night, then it took on the colour of dried blood. No stars were visible, and the moon was gone.
The King began descending. She saw black spires of rock rising into the darkness. She heard the sound of water before she saw a vast ocean below. There was little light to see with, the water seemed dark and stormy.
Finally, the King landed at the op
ening of a small cave in a spire of rock that rose from the ocean. To her left, as she faced the cave more rocks led down towards the ocean. As the rocks dipped into the water they began rising again, leading to a small island.
The King dropped her unceremoniously on the ground.
Riley got up slowly.
‘Welcome,’ the King announced, ‘to your new home.’ and he smiled that devilish smile.
Riley stared at him a moment. Then she went back to looking at the ocean. ‘How did we get here?’ she asked in a low voice.
‘By flying, didn’t you see?’ and he laughed again. ‘I wouldn’t suggest wandering around, my subjects are not as friendly as I am.’ he smiled.
Riley turned around again at the sound of his voice. She didn’t say anything, she struggled to keep her expression neutral.
His smile faded somewhat. Then he gestured to the cave. ‘Your palace, princess.’
Riley walked into the cave, glancing at him out of the corner of an eye. He followed.
The cave was not very deep. There was nothing to say about it, it was merely an empty cave.
‘Not what you’re used to?’ he asked archly.
‘How long are you planning on keeping me here?’ she asked.
His smile faded. ‘As long as I please. After that, well, you can find your own cave.’ and he smiled again.
Riley said nothing. There was nothing to say.
Suddenly his smile disappeared entirely. ‘You know, most women like being kidnapped by me.’
Riley could not hide her shock.
‘But you have that look about you,’ he went on, ‘like you’re going to try and claw my eyes out while I’m sleeping.’ he advanced on her menacingly. ‘I don’t think you quite understand yet just how powerless you are.’
Riley resisted the urge to take a step back. ‘You’ve already proven your strength, Your Majesty.’ she managed, trying to sound submissive.
His smile came back, but it had that malicious edge to it again. ‘Of course I have, but then you look like a very mulish woman. And I do so like my eyes.’
Riley looked at the ground, trying to keep her anger from her voice. ‘Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t hurt you.’
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