by Callie Kanno
After a momentary pause, L’iam nodded in agreement. “I can see that when I look at her as well.”
Sa’jan also nodded, but Ri’sel folded his arms and leaned back with a darkened expression on his face.
L’iam looked around the table and clasped his hands together. “All I need to know for tonight are your thoughts on the matter of our guest.”
He looked first to Sa’jan, who gave a small shrug. “She has given her word to behave for now. If she gets unruly, Ri’sel can throw her into another tree.”
Ri’sel shook his head and said, “I think it is foolish to allow a Shimat to dwell among us. Even if she keeps her word to ‘behave,’ she is still acting as a spy. I say we render her unconscious, take her back to the High City and leave her there.”
Finally it was E’nes’s turn to speak. For a moment he could only look pleadingly at their leader. When his words came, they were spoken quietly. “Please, L’iam. I know it is a risk, but I believe that if we show her trust she will learn to trust us in return.”
A thoughtful silence followed for several minutes while their leader considered what he had heard. When L’iam came to a decision, he announced it to his comrades firmly. “We will follow E’nes’s suggestion for the time being. If there is a change in circumstances, we will adjust accordingly.”
No one argued, even though it was clear that Ri’sel thought they were making a mistake. E’nes was excused from the meeting and went to his room to go to sleep. He laid awake for hours, thinking about his sister and praying that he wasn’t wrong about her.
Chapter Twenty-one: The Challenge
Adesina was awaken the next morning by a soft knock on her door. She was instantly on her feet in a defensive stance, a bit disoriented. As she remembered where she was, she straightened.
The knock repeated. “Adesina?”
It was E’nes’s voice.
She stepped to the door and opened it. Her brother’s face lit up when he saw her, almost as if he had been afraid that she had escaped during the night. He gave her a warm smile. “Would you care for some breakfast? K’eb has been making use of the fresh supplies that Sa’jan brought back from the village.”
She followed him down the hall to the main room, where the smell of fried eggs and toasted bread filled Adesina’s nose. There were also some thin slices of venison sizzling in the large pan, and a big kettle filled with some fragrant herbal tea.
K’eb first filled a plate for Adesina, and then one for E’nes. He was polite and pleasant, but said very little to either of them. The three of them seemed to be the only ones interested in the morning meal.
“Where are the others?” Adesina asked.
E’nes, who had already begun to eat enthusiastically, swallowed before answering. “A’asil ate earlier. L’iam, Ri’sel and Sa’jan are still in the conference room.”
Her tone became incredulous. “Were they there all night?”
E’nes nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe they were.”
“But why? What could possibly keep them there so long?”
Her brother shrugged casually. “I am not privy to their counsel.”
This brought a question to her mind that she had been wondering the previous day. “E’nes, I heard K’eb call you ‘captain’ yesterday.”
He inclined his head. “Yes.”
“Are all of you members of your military?”
“Yes.”
Adesina frowned in confusion. “Then why is L’iam the leader of this group? Surely both Sa’jan and Ri’sel outrank him.”
E’nes gave a wry smile. “It helps that his father is in charge of the L’avan armies.”
He chuckled softly, as if enjoying a private joke. Adesina, on the other hand, didn’t see anything amusing.
“You mean that he is your commander merely because of his father’s authority?”
He laughed again, this time he was joined by K’eb. “Yes, I suppose that is the case.”
The levity of the moment didn’t last very long. E’nes could see that Adesina was disturbed by this information, and endeavored to reassure her. “We all have great faith in L’iam’s ability to lead. We would not follow him if we thought him unworthy.”
Even with his words, it felt very wrong to Adesina. In the Shimat order no one ever received promotions that were not thoroughly earned. Even she, with all her skill, had worked hard for years and years to get where she was at present. She kept her expression neutral, even though she felt a wave of disdain for the L’avan system, which was clearly flawed.
Adesina finished her breakfast and handed her plate back to K’eb. He gave her another pleasant smile, but said nothing.
E’nes looked as if he wanted to say something, but refrained. He watched impassively as she walked back down the hall and into her room.
Once there, she pulled back her hair in a simple braid and began doing her morning exercise routine. She had even less room than when she was in the High City, but she did her best to adjust.
After a short time, Adesina was joined by Ravi. “Where have you been?” she asked him.
He climbed up onto the bed, where he could watch her but keep out of her way. “I spent the night outside. It has been too long since I last slept under the stars.”
She was amused by the tone of his voice. “I did not know that it was so important to you.”
Ravi smiled as well. “Yes. I have lived most of my life out of doors. I missed my dear friends.”
“Your friends? Do you mean the stars?”
He wasn’t bothered by her teasing inflections. “Yes, Ma’eve, I mean the stars. Someday you will understand what I mean.”
The conversation ended after this comment because Adesina needed all of her breath and concentration. A fit of restless energy drove her to push herself harder and longer than usual. She lost all track of time as she practiced every one of her Shimat skills. Outside of the room she could hear the vague voices of people moving about the fort, but she ignored it all and focused solely on her training.
For a long time, her activity only gave her more energy. She continued on and on, until she finally decided it was time to wind down. She wasn’t very tired, even after all she had accomplished, but something told her that much time had passed.
Adesina walked over to the table and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. She picked up the cloth lying next to it, immersed it in the cool water and washed away her sweat. It felt refreshing against her skin and she let out a small sigh. Ravi began humming softly as she sat down on the chair that faced the window.
They heard a soft knock at the door, which stood open. E’nes stood leaning on the doorframe. “Would you like to go for a walk, Adesina? You have not yet been outside the fort.”
The young woman nodded and got back on her feet as E’nes gestured to Ravi. “Would you like to come as well, old friend?”
He also got to his feet. “Thank you, but no. I think I will go hunt.”
With that, he disappeared.
E’nes smiled at the surprised expression on Adesina’s face and wordlessly invited her to follow him.
“How long have you known Ravi?” she asked as they walked down the hall.
A fond expression passed over E’nes’s face. “Since he was born. I was three years old at the time, and I remember the excitement. Our parents were good friends with his parents and I was very close to his older brother, Ruvim.”
“He has a brother?”
E’nes nodded. “As well as a younger sister. Ruvim is out in the world, following his Purpose, but Rissa and their parents are still back in the Rashad homeland. They have not seen Ravi in two years.”
Adesina’s step slowed to a stop. “Why?”
E’nes also stopped, turning to face his sister. “He left to search for you.”
“He searched for me for over a year?”
E’nes studied his sister’s face. “I assumed you knew.”
Adesina was going to ask another question, but E’nes held up a
hand. “Perhaps this is something you should discuss with Ravi.”
Another thought occurred to Adesina. “If you were three years old when Ravi was born, that would mean he is only two years older than me.”
E’nes was perplexed. “So?”
She struggled to explain why this was hard for her to accept. “I assumed he was older.”
Her brother smiled and continued walking. “Rashad reach maturity when they are two years old. So, in a way, he is much older than either of us.”
A’asil, the man Adesina had struck with her dart, was standing at the entrance of the fort as if on guard. He watched them as they walked away from the building. The stiff look in his eyes told Adesina that he was still nursing his wounded pride.
She paid him no mind and turned her attention to the forest. It felt young, even though it was probably several hundred years old. There were birds flitting through the branches and butterflies hovered over flowers. Sunlight streamed down through the boughs of the tilia trees, bringing to life a myriad of colors. The air was warm and vibrant, filled with a dozen different scents. Ravi may have said that it was similar to the forest of Dreams, but it felt completely opposite.
E’nes seemed just as affected as Adesina. He took in a deep breath and let it out with a smile. “It is almost like home.”
He instantly had his sister’s full attention. “Do you mean your home?” she inquired.
The young man nodded. “Yes. The home of the L’avan.”
It was obvious that the L’avan were from somewhere in the north, but no one knew the exact location.
Adesina studied the ground casually. “What is it like?”
A knowing smile crossed his face. “If you wish to retain the option of parting ways with us when we leave, I cannot answer that.”
She was a bit disappointed. “You have already said that it is located in a forest.”
“In a forest, by a forest, near a forest. None of this would help you in the north. There are forests everywhere.”
This may have been an exaggeration, but it wasn’t far from the truth. There were hundreds of massive forests that dotted the northern part of the continent.
Adesina shrugged. “It does not matter.”
E’nes gave her a sidelong glance. “Does it not?” When she didn’t answer he went on. “Do you not care about the home of your ancestors? Of your family?”
Or my enemies, she thought to herself.
Her feelings on the matter were so convoluted that she couldn’t even put them into words when explaining it to herself. There was a part of her that desperately wanted to know more about her past and her family. Another part was afraid to know, given their deep involvement with a group of people that she had been warned were dangerous. Yet another part was tugging at the back of her mind, reminding her of her duty as a Shimat to gather as much information as possible and then report it to her superiors.
Even with all her misgivings about these people, though, it seemed wrong to spy on them when they had given her their trust.
Adesina decided to take the conversation in a different direction. She picked the first subject of interest that came to mind that had nothing to do with herself. “What are L’avan soldiers doing in the central lands?”
E’nes took a minute to consider the information being requested. After some thought, he deemed it safe to discuss. “A number of things. Reconnaissance, trade, protection…”
She rolled her eyes. “Very descriptive.”
Her brother laughed. “For the most part the L’avan are a self-sustaining civilization, but there are a few things that require us to trade with the outside world. Also, trade helps develop trust between nations. That being said, we also value our privacy and are aware that there are many who wish the L’avan harm. Occasionally we send out people to lay false trails for those who seek to find us.”
A brief silence followed. “And the reconnaissance?” she encouraged.
E’nes hesitated slightly. “There have been some disturbing rumors over the past several months. The king asked us to investigate, and we are on our way home to report.”
She recalled that he had mentioned a king the previous night. Very few modern nations were ruled by monarchies. She frowned thoughtfully. “You have a king?”
He nodded once, but was clearly against further discussion. She decided to try a different tactic to get information out of him.
“It takes seven L’avan soldiers to do the things you named?”
“I am sure that the Shimat would go about it differently,” he laughed, “but we have our own way of doing things.”
The sound of clashing metal broke through the harmony of the forest. Several feet ahead of the brother and sister was a small clearing where two crimson clad figures practiced their swordsmanship.
It was K’eb and Sa’jan. They were both in defensive stances when E’nes and Adesina entered the clearing. Sa’jan spotted them and straightened, dropping his guard. Instead of taking advantage of his opponent’s distraction, K’eb turned to look at them as well.
Sa’jan measured the expression on Adesina’s face and grinned. “You detect flaws.”
It was halfway between a question and a statement. When the young woman didn’t respond, Sa’jan took a step back and gestured to his spot. “What would you do differently?”
For a moment Adesina was torn. She wanted to step into the place offered to her, but she didn’t know if it was proper as a Shimat. She should not be offering assistance to the enemy, even if it was simply a matter of casual curiosity. On the other hand, it had been so long since she had had the pleasure of placing herself against a real opponent in a test of skills.
Her steps were slow as she walked over to face K’eb. The L’avan soldier looked at Adesina, slender and unarmed, uncertain what to do. He finally passed E’nes his sword and stood ready for hand-to-hand combat.
A small smile played at the corners of Adesina’s mouth as she began to circle him. K’eb circled with her, trying not to look as apprehensive as he felt.
She continued to circle slowly with a faint sneer on her face. Intimidation was a big part of the game, and Adesina was very good at it. When she felt that he was nervous enough to lose his clarity of thought, she moved on to the next part of her strategy. She pretended to drop her guard in the slightest degree, inviting him to make an attack. K’eb saw it as his only chance to gain an advantage, and he moved forward as quickly as he could.
She was behind him before he could blink. She grabbed him around the shoulders and brought his feet out from under him, slamming him hard on the ground. K’eb’s breath was knocked out of his body, and it took him several moments to recover. By that time, Adesina was pressing her knee against his throat.
“Your problem,” she told him quietly, “is that you assume everyone is as honorable as you.”
The Shimat got to her feet and took a couple of steps away from K’eb. As she looked up, she saw a small crowd had gathered. E’nes and Sa’jan stood together, watching the contest with critical eyes. L’iam, A’asil and Ri’sel stood a little farther off. They appeared to have been walking somewhere else when they stopped to watch the match.
L’iam’s expression was unreadable, which made Adesina rather uncomfortable. After a few moments of thought, he gestured to his companion. “A’asil, how would you like the chance to regain some of the pride this young woman took from you?”
Sa’jan and E’nes turned around in surprise. They had not been aware of the others’ presence.
A’asil was eager for the opportunity. “I would be pleased for such a chance.”
L’iam looked at Adesina. “Would you be willing to humor us? I would like to see how the L’avan measure up to a Shimat.”
She considered for a moment and then nodded. What harm could it do?
E’nes wasn’t of the same mindset, and looked a bit worried. “What kind of challenge did you have in mind, L’iam?”
He shrugged casually. “A’as
il is rather well known for his talent at throwing knives.”
A wide grin flashed across A’asil’s face, and Adesina also felt a wave of satisfaction. She cocked her head to one side, giving her opponent a superior smile. “I accept your challenge, and propose we do it in Shimat style.”
A’asil became wary. “What does that entail?”
She made her voice as offhanded as she could. “It is nothing too complicated. Both competitors stand facing away from the target, then turn and throw their knives without pausing, one right after another.”
He appeared to be at ease with this idea, and Adesina had to suppress a smile. She knew from experience that it was harder than it sounded.
L’iam led them to a spot behind the fort where targets were set up. A’asil was handed five throwing knives and gestured to go first. Adesina measured the appropriate distance from the target and pointed to where her opponent should stand.
He turned his back to the target, taking a moment to breathe and steady himself. He spun and threw all five knives one after another. Adesina watched carefully and thought that he did surprisingly well.
The first knife flew left of the target, the next one hit the outer ring, the following one hit the inner ring, and the last two hit the center.
There was a murmur of approval from the watching L’avan. In spite of that, A’asil was trying not to look disappointed. He walked up and retrieved the knives from the target, turning them in his hand as he walked back to the measured distance. Adesina took them from him and positioned herself with her back to the target.
She closed her eyes, shutting out all distractions and focusing on her goal. It was almost as if she could feel where the target stood and how she would need to throw her knives to strike its center.
In the split second between when she opened her eyes and when she turned, her eyes met L’iam’s. Her eyes were a glowing swirl of purple, gold and dark green. L’iam looked stunned by what he saw.
Adesina whipped around and sent all five knives flying into the heart of the target.
She was met with a stunned silence.
The young Shimat had a hard time not looking smug. She glanced around the group of spectators, but all of her feelings of self-satisfaction were swept away when she saw L’iam and E’nes. They were both staring at her with strange expressions on their faces.