Awakening

by Lara Morgan

  ‘That will not bring him back,’ she looked up, but could not hold his gaze. ‘And what about Shaan,’ she looked at her hands.’ Why are you not out there looking for her now?’

  ‘The serpents will not heed us, we have no way of tracking him. Do you think I would not be doing all I could if there was some way to get her back?’

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe. Unless it served the Faithful to have her out of the way.’ The bitter words left her mouth before she could stop them; but before Rorc could speak, Veila reached over and touched her arm, making her jump.

  ‘He was not just a man, Tuon. The one who killed your friend is more than human. I think you know that. And I do not think he will be easily killed, or even if it would serve us to do so. But right now there is nothing we can do to help Shaan. And I know you don’t believe Rorc would lie to you about that.’

  Veila’s pale, grey gaze focussed steadily on her. ‘But we need you to help us. The Prophet’s Scrolls may hold answers to the many questions we have about the Fallen and what he may do. They may save us. I need you to come with me, Tuon. You knew Torg well, were a friend to him, his mother will listen to you.’

  ‘But you are the Seer of Salmut,’ Tuon said stubbornly. ‘Surely she would count your word more meaningful than mine.’

  ‘That is not how the Isles’ folk work,’ Rorc said. ‘Veila’s standing holds no sway there.’

  ‘But you would,’ Veila added. ‘You have worked for the Faithful, and you will be bringing one of their own back to them. They will value that.’ She sighed and her hand was warm on Tuon’s skin. ‘It will be better for you to leave this place for a time. There is too much pain for you here.’

  Tuon looked up, unsettled by the knowing look the woman gave her. ‘But what if Shaan returns? What if she escapes and is hurt and is looking for me?’

  Rorc sighed. ‘You saw the one who took her. There is little chance she could escape.’

  ‘You don’t know what she’s capable of.’ Tuon snapped her eyes to him. ‘You don’t know her at all!’

  ‘What she is capable of?’ Anger lit Rorc’s eyes. ‘I think it is you who doesn’t know her. She’s more than you imagine.’

  Tuon stared at him. ‘Then why . . .’

  ‘Stop!’ He rose to his feet. ‘I don’t have time to argue with you. Tuon, the Guardian is dead.’

  ‘What?’ she whispered.

  ‘Poisoned,’ he said his face grim. ‘The city is in turmoil. I’m not asking you if you want to go, I’m telling you. This isn’t a choice. There are many problems stalking the city, more than you can know, and I need to get you . . .’ he stopped, checking himself, ‘I need you to go with Veila to the Isles. I don’t want to send her alone and there is no one else I can spare. You have to escort Torg’s body home to his mother. Apart from me, you knew him best and it would be disrespectful to his people if I sent anyone less.’

  Tuon’s insides were stretched taught. ‘Will you answer me one question first?’ she said, and after a slight pause he nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

  ‘Why did the man call Torg the Prophet’s heir and what is the prophet’s ring? He took it from Torg, a gold ring he always wore in his ear. It’s what he killed him for. I want to know what it is.’

  Rorc frowned and he looked at the Seer. ‘I don’t . . .’

  ‘A ring?’ Veila’s brows drew together. ‘I’ve never heard of it. You’re sure he didn’t take it as a talisman of his kill, a token of his power perhaps?’

  ‘No,’ Tuon shook her head. ‘When he saw it he . . .’ she faltered, seeing again the frightening look, the inhuman eye. ‘He wanted that ring.’

  ‘It must be more than a ring,’ Veila said. ‘He must need it for something. We must see those scrolls as soon as we can. Rorc, I must get to the Isles.’

  He nodded. ‘I have secured a ship, but you will have to wait for the dawn currents to leave.’

  ‘Then I must quest the Void before we go. I will try to find Azoth – if I can.’

  ‘Azoth?’ Tuon looked from one to the other. ‘You think it was him, you’re sure?’ A chill touched her spine. Again the Fallen’s name came up. Shaan couldn’t possibly be linked to him. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Rorc’s look softened. ‘Tuon . . .’

  ‘Come with me,’ Veila interrupted. ‘And I will explain what I can when we are on the ship.’ She put a reassuring hand on her arm.’ You must do as Rorc asks and trust that it is done for your good, for he cares for you and would not see you harmed.’

  ‘Veila!’ Rorc protested and Tuon’s heart faltered, a forgotten hope rose. He met her eyes for a second, but then Veila was moving, pulling her to her feet.

  ‘Come, you will accompany me to my rooms and help me prepare for our journey. Rorc . . .’

  ‘I’m going to the docks,’ he said. ‘I’ll send Cyri to you as the sun sets.’

  Veila nodded. ‘Thank you. Come.’ She pulled firmly on Tuon’s arm and she followed, keeping her eyes downcast as Rorc stood back to let her pass. But as she left the room she couldn’t help but glance back and met his green eyes watching her as he followed behind. Quickly she looked away and hurried after the Seer, feeling his gaze on her back.

  Veila led her out of the temple, and as they stepped out into the street, a low rumble of thunder sounded. An uneasy tension lay over the city and people hurried past in groups, their faces grim. Suspicion and fear was almost palpable and every so often a strange keening wail echoed across the rooftops from the direction of the yards. It sent a shiver along her spine and she walked close beside the Seer. Isolation and loneliness ate at her like a worm burrowing into fruit. Her heart wrenched as a clap of thunder sounded close above the city, and she looked up nervously at the sky thick with cloud. She had never been on a ship before. What if the storms came when they were out there on the open sea? And what had been in Rorc’s eyes?

  ‘Tuon,’ Veila was speaking to her and she looked up to see they had reached a small gate. They were in the upper hills of the city.

  ‘Come.’ Veila pushed open the gate and she followed her down a narrow path.

  The Seer’s home was set back from the road amid an overgrown garden. It was set on one level and had thick curved walls, raised up from the earth by a layer of unfaced red stone. Veila opened the door and Tuon was surprised to see no servant come forward.

  ‘Do you have no workers?’ she asked.

  ‘I prefer to live alone.’ Veila stopped just inside the door to strike a light to an oil lamp, illuminating the dimness. Tuon saw a large open room, furnished simply with low couches and cushions. A thick rug covered the centre of the floor and a set of doors stood open along the back wall. A patio of stone extended outside them to a thickly planted garden.

  But even with the open doors the thick cloud dimmed the sunlight and without the lamp the room would have been in shadow.

  ‘These clouds take all the light,’ Veila muttered as she strode forward, turning down a hallway. ‘Wait here,’ she threw back over her shoulder as she left.

  Tuon moved tentatively into the room and perched on the edge of one of the couches. She saw a faint reflection of herself in a mirror on the wall, pale-faced and hunched. When had she become so timid? She straightened her back and looked at the enormous wall hanging to the left of the mirror. It seemed to be nothing but a swirling mass of colour and shadow: blues, purples and reds were intertwined with waves of green. As she stared at it shapes seemed to form, she thought she saw a serpent, wings spread wide, flying over a vast jungle, but when she blinked it disappeared. Uneasy, she turned her eyes away.

  Veila came back carrying a small wooden box, which she placed on a table at the end of the largest couch. Tuon watched as she took out a dish made of shell and filled it with liquid from a dark glass bottle. Immediately, a sharp spicy scent filled the air.

  Looking up at her Veila said, ‘It’s to prepare the room for my questing. Now,’ she held out her hand, ‘come and we will find you some clot
hes for the journey.’

  Wondering how she would fit into the tiny Seer’s clothing, she followed her down the hall and through an archway into a smaller room. She was surprised to see that Veila had a chest of clothing in many sizes. The Seer chose several dresses, underclothes, a pair of thick, long trousers, and a pair of boots she could wear on the ship. Veila folded it all into a leather pack, along with a beautiful lilac-coloured shawl made of a soft raw silk and a waterproof coat. Tuon was overwhelmed by her generosity and managed a stilted thank you in return. As they were finishing she heard a door open and the sound of men’s voices from the main room.

  ‘He’s here.’ Veila placed the pack on the floor and Tuon followed her from the room. Cyri and a black-garbed Seducer were standing by the open doors. Cyri turned toward them as they came in. ‘Veila, Rorc sent me to watch over you as you quest.’

  Veila sighed. ‘Thank you for coming, but you know you can do nothing if . . .’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Cyri interrupted her and took her hands. ‘But I would rather know if he does find you.’ He smiled briefly and then looked over her head at Tuon. His bald head shone dully in the lamplight and pale blue eyes rested on her. ‘Rorc’s woman,’ he said and Tuon’s gut clenched, not exactly sure what he meant.

  ‘Is he sending you with Veila?’

  ‘Yes.’

  His eyes swept her from head to foot and he regarded her for several long moments without speaking. ‘I’ve seen you before,’ he said finally, then turned his attention back to the Seer.

  Relieved, Tuon took a seat on the floor away from the others. Cyri talked quietly to Veila while the Seducer stood unmoving, watching the gardens. Tuon avoided looking at him, playing nervously with the tassels on a cushion. Cyri and the Seer stood talking a moment longer before Veila went over to the long couch and lay down. Cyri sat near her.

  ‘Tuon,’ he called to her. ‘Come, sit with me.’

  Nervously, she did as she was asked, sitting on the floor near the edge of the couch. The sharp, spicy smell was stronger and she saw that Veila now had her eyes closed. Tuon’s skin tingled. She glanced up at the Consul, but his gaze was fixed on Veila, his body tense and leaning slightly forward. Silence descended and Tuon dared not move.

  There wasn’t a sound in the room and she could hear the faint rumble of thunder and the cries of the serpents outside. She watched a fork of lightening flash through the clouds, illuminating the still planes of the Seducer’s face. The dull daylight began to fade into late afternoon. Her stomach was empty and her bladder tight, but she didn’t know if she could speak or not. Veila’s eyes were moving fast under her eyelids, but her body was completely still.

  Suddenly, Cyri spoke. ‘It’s taking too long,’ he said.

  Tuon saw worry in his eyes, but didn’t know what to say. She knew nothing of questing. ‘Can’t you wake her?’ she ventured.

  He let out a long breath and shook his head. ‘It’s not like that. She’s not asleep.’

  His brows drew together and he reached over and picked up one of Veila’s hands. ‘She’s between the waking and sleeping places.’

  ‘Can’t you help her? Were you not once . . .’ she broke off as Veila suddenly took a great gasp and gripped convulsively onto Cyri’s fingers. She arched up off the couch and her head began whipping from side.

  ‘Nevin!’ Cyri called and the Seducer ran to them, gripping hold of Veila’s shoulders. ‘Veila!’ Cyri called her name, but the Seer’s eyes remained closed.

  Tuon watched, horrified. She crawled away until her back met the wall and she could feel the frame of the hanging digging into her spine.

  Finally, the Seer went limp and both men cautiously lifted their hands. For a moment there was nothing and then, finally, a soft whisper came.

  ‘I’m all right,’ Veila’s voice was barely audible. She lay for a moment just breathing, then she called out, ‘Tuon, come here’. Her hand stretched out to her.

  Shakily, Tuon went to her and Veila laid a cold, white hand on her cheek. Her pale, grey eyes looked up at her with sorrow. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t find her. He is too strong for me.’

  Tuon stared at her for a moment, trying to understand, and then suddenly, she was crying. Veila meant Shaan. She had gone into the Void to find Shaan and she hadn’t found her. She was lost, gone. The tears she had been holding came out in a flood. She collapsed to the floor and sobbed, shaking as sorrow rent her body. Veila stroked her head and murmured to her while the two men slipped quietly away.

  She slept on Veila’s long couch. She ate no supper and the seer forced nothing on her, but gave her a cup of a hot savoury liquid that filled her belly but did little for the emptiness that had consumed her. When Tuon finally slept, the Seer covered her with a soft blanket and left her to fall into a dreamless abyss.

  Veila woke her before dawn. She helped her bathe, gave her clean clothes to wear and a slice of warm bread and honey to eat. Two Hunters arrived and escorted them out of the house to a cart covered by an arch of oiled cloth. The men stowed the women’s packs and the pair sat silently on the hard benches as they were taken down the quiet dark streets to the docks.

  As they arrived, fat drops of rain started to fall, splashing onto the dust, pattering on the wood of the jetty. Tuon got out of the cart and stood in the rain, barely noticing as Veila made her put on a weatherproof coat. A light moved toward them and Rorc came down the jetty carrying a lantern. Behind him, tall masts creaked and swayed against the black sky. The moon and stars were hidden behind thick cloud and the smell of freshly wetted earth and salt was in the air.

  Wind blew rain in her face, but she hardly felt it. She watched the Hunters take their packs and disappear past Rorc along the jetty.

  ‘Veila, Tuon.’ He looked at her, the light playing shadows across his face as the lantern swung. ‘This way, the ship’s ready.’ He flicked his gaze to the Seer, a questioning look in his eye, but she only shook her head. Turning, he led them up the long creaking walk of the jetty.

  The ship was a dark mass of masts, ropes, and shadows of people moving quickly on its decks. A rough plank was laid between it and the dock.

  ‘Thank you, Rorc,’ Veila said. ‘We’ll make haste.’

  He nodded and, taking her hand, helped her up and onto the plank where another set of hands, dark as black wood, reached for her.

  ‘Tuon,’ Rorc turned to her, pressing a small package of oiled cloth into her hands. ‘Torg is in the hold. You must make sure you give this to his mother when you see her. Can I trust you to do that?’

  But Tuon couldn’t answer. She stared up at him, the world around her unreal.

  He put a hand under her chin, tilting her face upward so he could see her eyes. ‘Tuon?’

  He was so far away. She wanted to speak, to tell him so many things, but she seemed to have forgotten how.

  ‘What is it?’ His eyes searched hers and she felt the rough brush of his thumb against her cheek. Her chest tightened, but all she seemed able to do was look back at him, the familiar face that was part of her heart.

  It was only later she would regret she had not taken that moment when she had it. That she had not leaned forward and kissed him goodbye, but for now she could only stare up at him, silent and empty.

  ‘Commander.’ A tall dark-skinned woman appeared beside him. ‘We’re ready to sail.’

  Rorc stepped back. ‘Good.’

  The rain struck her face, stealing the lingering warmth his hands had left there. He looked back at her, his face closed, the tenderness that had been hers for a moment, gone. ‘Give the package to his mother and help Veila,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you when you return.’

  Words formed but she could not speak them. Her gaze traced the contours of his face, committing it to memory.

  He took her arm and guided her to the plank; she could feel his grip through the coat, then he was gone and a stranger’s hands led her down on the deck of the ship, the world unsteady and rolling beneath her feet. She staggered and a hard
hand gripped her, stopped her from falling, and pulled her back from the side. Shouts rang out, unseen feet pounded and there was splashing and creaking. The plank was pulled back. They were moving away from the dock and she was drawing away from him. A black roiling gap of water opened between them, ever widening. Tuon stood watching him, the package clutched to her chest, until Veila came and drew her away down into the darkness of the ship.

  34

  Shaan clung tightly to Azoth as Nuathin soared over the land. Her dress had ripped, leaving most of her legs exposed to the wind as they flew into the rising sun. She wrapped the material as tightly around her body as she could and hunched down, using Azoth’s broad back as a windbreak.

  Inside, she was empty and drained of spirit. She kept recalling Tuon lying on the floor of the Red Pepino, the flames spreading, and Torg with a knife in his chest. Sick horror gnawed at her. She had stood by and done nothing while Azoth had taken what he willed, killing those she loved. Perhaps she had even aided him, she couldn’t remember. She wanted to kill him, but she had no knife.

  The serpent’s huge, leather-like wings rose and fell in slow rhythm, beating the air, and she looked down at the lands far below, spreading to the horizon. The weak sunlight grazed the peaks of the hills. A distant rumble of thunder sounded and black clouds moved slowly in toward the coast like a mountain range swallowing the sea. The sky behind was empty.

  Surely there should be riders chasing them? Others will not follow, Nuathin suddenly spoke without warning in her mind. They are afraid. Afraid he will be angry with them for making the pact with the azim. They do not remember the true paths yet.

  But you do, Shaan replied bitterly.

  Yes. The Father showed me. Hating the serpent as well, she tried to close her mind to him, but Nuathin broke through. Arak-si, he hissed. You are one blood singing.

  Shut up! Shaan gritted her teeth, wanting to stab the serpent’s tough hide.

  Azoth smiled and stroked her fingers around his middle. She snatched her hands away, but Nuathin dipped slightly and she was forced to grasp onto him again. Azoth didn’t make a sound, but she knew he was laughing at her. Furious, she lapsed back to staring at the ground and tried to coil in on herself, to shut herself away.