Now, the only sound she heard over her own sobs and coughs were those of the Torian soldiers. Laughing and swearing in that accursed accent, that twisted dialect of the common tongue which represented the demons of the West. It could mean only one thing:
They were leaving.
On the tips of her toes, she stepped forward taking care not to make a sound. Between the trees she now could see the entire village burning. Except for the remaining Torian soldiers poking through the ashes, no one stirred.
Ahndien tried in vain to swallow the tension lodged in her throat. Where were Ah-Ma and Ah-Ba and Shao-Bao? And everyone else for that matter? If only she could get past the leaves and branches. But she dared not move. She held her breath as a pair of Torians walked by, not a stone's throw from her.
Just then, a loud shriek rang out above.
Ahndien let out a gasp.
Immediately she covered her mouth and braced herself behind a tree.
"What was that?" one of the soldiers said.
"You fool," the other said and pointed upwards into the sky. He laughed. "It's just a bird. See?"
"You're the fool! It's a vulture. Coming to pick the bones clean."
For fear she might wretch, Ahndien held her mouth tighter.
"By its marking, you idiot," said the first. "A blind man could see that it's an eagle."
The second soldier did not reply. He kept staring up. His lips started to move, but now words came out. Then he began to point. Finally, he said, "Whatever it is, it's coming at us!"
At that, they both ran, cowards that they were, and mounted their horses, just as the bird—the size of a horse—landed on the ground where they had fled. The magnificent creature tilted its head, jerked it side to side, surveying the destruction. It almost looked sad.
The eagle was every bit as terrible as it was beautiful. But Ahndien dared not move. Its razor sharp talons and beak were more frightening than a Torian sword. It let out a piercing cry, which caused the fleeing soldiers to blubber as they fled. Then the eagle itself spread its massive wings and sent a strong gust that bent the tree branches to the point of breaking as it flew off into the sky.
Finally, after it had vanished, Ahndien drew a deep breath. It was time. Tears stinging her eyes and the hilt of Ah-Ba's sword shaking between her fists, she descended the path to the burning village.
"Ah-Ba?" she whimpered, entering the gates. "Ah-Ma?" Neither responded. "Shao-Bao?"
Nothing.
She pushed the draping palms aside. All at once her heart sank. Strewn all over the ground were men, women and their children. All dead. Some of their clothes continued to burn. Others lay in pools of blood. None moved.
Every hut, burned to the ground or in the process. Carts overturned, fruits and vegetables scattered and crushed. The hideous stench of what Ahndien could only imagine was burning flesh made her stomach twist. The word "no" kept repeating silently on her lips.
Then something arrested her steps, her very breath.
Past the south wall, which had been smashed open, the clinking gears and grinding wheels of those monstrous siege engines and trebuchets pulling away caused the hair on the back of her neck to prickle. Ahndien dropped behind a fallen cart and gasped. Her entire body quaked. Every breath stuttered between clenched teeth. Her knuckles went pale, as she strangled the hilt of Ah-Ba's sword.
A large shadow from above passed over. The giant eagle.
The Torian soldiers' voices faded into the forest along with their monstrosities. It could not have taken but a few minutes, but to Ahndien it was an eternity.
Now came the dreadful task of looking for her family through the bodies and debris.
Let them be alive. Please.
When she arrived at the well, where ten paces to the south her house should have been, her knees grew weak. She fell upon them. The sword dropped from her hands and clanked against the rocks.
"Ah-Ma!" she cried out. "Shao-Bao!" In the fallen doorway of her hut, Mother lay still, face down with her arm draped over Shao-Bao. Arrows protruded from their backs and smoke continued to rise from their clothes. "No!"
She tried to get up, to run to them. But it was no good. Instead, she fell on her face and cried out in anguish. Like everyone else around, her family was dead.
She wanted to scream. Release the horror, the dagger of sorrow and regret that impaled her heart. But, for fear of betraying her presence, she held her hands tightly over her mouth as she rocked back and forth, shaking her head.
No amount of sobbing could dislodge the pain in her chest, her knotted innards.
"Ah-Ma!" The words caught. "Ah-Ma. I'm so sorry."
And finally, the sight of poor little Shao-Bao, clutching a toy bird, would have overcome her utterly. But she noticed that Ah-Ba was not present.
"Ah-Ba!" she cried, abandoning any care or reason. Where was he? Again she cried out, "AH-BA!"
If only she could just lie down and die there, with her mother and brother. She would have spent the rest of the day, on her knees, sobbing.
If not for the feral snarls of a wild animal, approaching from behind.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The low-pitched growl vibrated in the ground through Ahndien's sandals. From the depth of the sound, it must have been that of a very large predator. Slow and steady, she reached for the handle of the sword, slipped her hand through its lanyard and grasped it.
All at once, the creature's furious roar flew above her, just as she spun around and swung the long, straight blade of Ah-Ba’s sword. A wash of tawny brown flashed before her and she let out a shout. Before she could even complete the stroke, a deep and dull pain caught her forearm. Ahndien cried out in pain. Her eyes felt as if they'd bulge out of her head when she saw it.
Her arm, now about to be crushed or torn off, lay in the cruel grip of a mountain lion's jaw. Its glassy brown eyes fixed hard upon Ahndien's, not blinking, almost daring her to move.
Then, as if the shock were not complete, something even more freakish happened. With its jaws still clamped, the mountain lion gazed straight at Ahndien, as if it would speak to her. And that is exactly what happened.
// LITTLE GIRLS SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH SWORDS //
"What?" she cried out. The beast's fangs bore down harder, increasing the pain. Though she was aware of this pain, she was too confused to care. "What manner of evil is this?"
// YOU HAD BEST DROP IT...//
The mountain lion snarled, his otherworldly voice both aristocratic and sinister.
//...SOMEONE MIGHT GET HURT //
Two more mountain lions leapt over the burning ruins of Ahndien's neighbor's house and into the courtyard. Her blood went cold.
I must be going mad, she thought. How can this creature speak?
With her arm in the beast's jaw, neither its mouth nor tongue moved. Nevertheless, she would not relinquish Ah-Ba's sword.
The other two mountain lions stalked closer. The one biting down on her arm yanked and shook her arm.
// THE SWORD OR YOUR ARM? DECIDE! //
Ahndien shuddered. It was clear now. The creature did not speak aloud. Somehow, she could hear its thoughts. Whether or not the massive feline knew this, she couldn't be certain.
The beast clamped down harder still. Ahndien let out a sharp gasp.
Just then, a large shadow passed over them. What followed happened so quickly it was near impossible to recall the details.
A shrill cry from above.
With glassy eyes, the beast gazed into the sky, alerted with apprehension.
The two other mountain lions stepped back.
Ahndien's arm was free. Just as a swooping wind and flapping sound rushed down. A wash of brown and white surged past her eyes. She fell back and hit the ground.
When the dust cleared, she turned her gaze upwards. Well into the distance she discerned what appeared to be an eagle, the eagle, soaring high into the air and clutching a kitten in its talons.
Only, it was no kitten.
For on the ground, the mountain lion who had attacked her stared with its mouth agape. In the grasp of the bird's talons was one of the two mountain lions that had come to assist him.
Ahndien squeezed her eyes and blinked twice. How could this be? The eagle was enormous! Then screaming in terror, the mountain lion fell from the massive eagle's clutches and hit the rocky ground with a bone cracking thud.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ahndien bolted to her feet sword at the ready. The eagle returned causing the remaining two mountain lions to flee from the village gates and into the bush. Ahndien feared the colossal bird of prey would come for her next.
But it changed its course.
Instead, the eagle sailed over the tops of the green bamboo and palm trees. Leaves rustled with the passing wind.
And then it vanished into the thick of the woods.
Once again, it flew out with its quarry flailing about in its talons. Ahndien dropped behind the crumbling wall of a demolished house and peered out at the spectacle. As it did before, the great eagle dropped the second mountain lion to its death from a frightful height.
// BE STILL //
She jumped with a start.
Swung around.
Looked to the left. To the right. It was not the voice of the mountain lion. No, this voice rang with aged sagacity.
// FEAR NOT //
Right away, she lowered her arched shoulders. Let out a suspended breath.
Still clutching her father's sword, Ahndien kept her eyes on the woods just outside the gate. The eagle had flown out of view. But somewhere in the thick of the woods, she feared, one mountain lion lurked. The one that attacked her. Whether it had fled or if it lay in wait, she could not tell.
With her hands clutching the sword so tightly it shook, Ahndien waited an eternity. She dared not take her eyes from the fallen tree branches along the path outside the village gate. She remained so still the only sound she heard was the pounding of her heart. This did not subside with the passing of the time. Instead, as the stirring in the brush grew closer, her heart pounded louder, relentless.
Poised and ready to slash at whatever came through, Ahndien bit down on her lip. The crunching sound of pebbles and burnt twigs grew closer. She drew a profound breath; wanted to shut her eyes and swing blind and wild when it arrived.
A rustling in the distant branches caused her to stiffen.
Something was coming.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The rare word or two spoken by Sir Edwyn barely left an impression in Render's mind. As they walked about the citadel, Render's jaw slackened. In awe, he gazed at the tall edifices made of smooth white stone, the spires of cathedrals which clutched at the sky. According to Edwyn, they, along with all other such buildings, had long since been converted from great houses of archaic superstition to the modern services of the government.
"As you can see, this is the center of commerce for—" Edwyn stopped, glanced down at his feet, where a black cat stood, its tail erect. It then circled and rubbed its face against his leg.
A warm, tingling sensation rushed through Render's body, up through his neck and to the top of his head.
"Away, vermin!" Edwyn shoved it away with his foot. Render tried to conceal his disappointment, though Folen and Stewan simply laughed.
They passed by a fountain in the middle of a public square, which, as Edwyn informed them, was called Hawthern Fountain. A small crowd looked on as two young men fought. They were clad in armor, their swords and shields clanging with every strike. Each of their tutors, mounted on horses, held banners with their respective coat of arms emblazoned upon them. On occasion they would call out a short burst of exhortation.
"Behold," Sir Edwyn said. "When you have mastered a certain degree of proficiency in heraldry and combat, your training—all of it—the arts and letters, the martial arts, will culminate in a final exam, like the one these young men are taking."
"My word," said Folen. "Won't they get hurt?"
"There are rules to the combat exam," he said and turned to Render. "You shall learn soon enough."
Leaving the cheering crowd, the clashing weapons, Render and the twins followed their tutor past the fountain. Render kept looking back to see where the cat had run off to.
"As royal pages," said Edwyn, straightening his tunic, "you shall take residence in my lord, The Lord Agon's manor." He pointed to a walled castle to the left of the cathedral, the name of which escaped Render. The castle's outer boundaries stood by the very walls of the citadel. "Each of King Corigan's Lords take their official residency within the capital walls. Castle Mittelvald, there on the Eastern Wall of the citadel, is but one of several. It is there that you shall each receive your training."
When they arrived, a lancer clad in gray armor signaled the gate keeper. A moment later, the massive bars whined as they yawned open with reluctance.
"It's huge!" Folen craned his neck around as they proceeded up the paved promenade. Sweet jasmines, tall verdant trees and babbling fountains filled Render's senses. The grass must have been the greenest, most finely cut he had ever laid eyes upon. But surpassing all the grandeur of the courtyard, beyond the lush and perfectly level shrubs, a grand castle rose up from the ground. From the windows in the corner turrets hung banners with a coat of arms. Red, with the same dragon symbols Render had observed back at breakfast.
"For the duration of your training, you will study alongside with one other young squire," Edwyn said. "He is not your age, Render. But he is one or two years your elder, my twin pupils." Folen and Stewan barely nodded, so affixed were their eyes on the castle's open door.
When they entered, a young boy about thirteen years old came forward. He wore rich clothing, a small sword at his side, and a fine purple cap on his head. With an upturned nose he stood at the threshold with his arms crossed over his narrow chest. "Sir Edwyn, good day."
"And to you." Edwyn inclined his head.
"And what are these?"
"New students."
The young squire looked up at Render and frowned. "Students? These are provincial slaves. Why, I've never seen the likes of these here." He sneered at the twins. "Apart from slaves."
Render's ears grew hot. "I'm no slave!"
"Oh? Surely you don't mean to—"
"Nor am I a servant." Render stepped up such that the obnoxious little rat stood just beneath his nose. Neither of them moved.
"Do you know who I am?" said the squire, his white face now flushing like an apple. "I doubt you even know who you yourself are. But I'll tell you this: It's all about lineage. For you see, I am..." He turned to the tutor. "Sir Edwyn, would you be so kind?"
Edwyn's chest heaved. With lead-weighted words he announced, "Master Branson, son of the Lord Agon. The Lord Agon, who, thrice decorated for valor, is alone honored with the Scarlet Wreath." He turned to Render. "Master Branson is the son of your benefactor."
"How impressive," said Render, devoid of all sincerity.
Finally, with impassive eyes, Branson stepped away and gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Quite. If the good Edwyn insists that you are to study with me..." he rolled his eyes at the don, "then so be it. Hmph. I could use the diversion."
"Branson," said Edwyn, "Shall The Lord Agon soon return from the campaign?"
"Cursed if I should know," the boy said in a tone far older than one would expect for an adolescent. "As if my father would condescend to telling me of his affairs."
"I only thought that—"
"You are here to instruct and prepare me for knighthood, though it ought to be mine by right of birth. It's bad enough that your attention is now divided between me and those...those mongrels."
"'Tis by royal decree, young Master. And by your father's wishes."
"I need not like it." Branson tilted his nose up and began to sniff around near the twins. "Do make certain they are bathed before dinner!"
"You stinking pile of cow dung!" Folen charged forward. Despite the shouts for him to stop,
Folen leapt and toppled Branson. Straddling the young squire's chest, Folen repeatedly struck him.
Finally, Render and Edwyn grabbed his arms. Yanked him up.
Eyes wide with anger. Branson climbed to his feet. He drew his sword and rushed for Folen. But Sir Edwyn took hold of his wrist and restrained him.
"Unhand me! Unhand me now!"
"With all due respect, Master Branson, it was your discourteous disposition and words that entreated such a reaction."
"I demand satisfaction!"
"What would your father think of this? I am certain he would have a thing or two to say to you about your temper and woeful lack of decorum. These are, after all, royal wards and your father's guests."
Pulling his hand free, Branson huffed and sheathed his little sword. "Not a word, Sir Edwyn" he said. "On your honor."
"I am duty bound to report all to my Lord."
It was then that Branson's icy features thawed. More and more he began to look and talk like a boy of his age. "Edwyn, please. You mustn't. If father finds out, why he'll...Well, you know what he'll do."
Edwyn nodded gravely.
"It's not fair! I've worked so hard. And has he ever once said, well done, my son? No! He just drives me harder and harder. Can't you see why I am so ill-tempered?"
"Serves you right!" Folen said, rubbing his knuckles.
"Yes," Stewan said. "It does!"
Branson reached for his sword. Pulled it out partially. His mouth twisted open to speak—no doubt something foul. But Edwyn cleared his throat, which brought the petulant squire back under control. Branson smoothed his shirt and affected a proud look, eyes half open and glared down his nose at the twins. "Let us forget this unfortunate incident, shall we?"
None of them answered. Folen and Stewan looked to Render.
"We shall not speak of this matter again," said Render. "Neither to each other nor to your father."
"Good. That's more like—"
"As long as you agree to one thing," said Render. Edwyn's eyes betrayed the smile hidden behind his hand.
From The Ashes Page 11