The Sword

by Bryan M. Litfin

  The High Priestess walked to a dais at the head of the room. The waiting priestesses quieted when they saw their queen. She raised her hand in greeting. “The gods be over all!”

  “Hail to the gods!” the priestesses cried in unison.

  “I salute you, sisters, on this feast day to the lord Astrebril. I have ordained a special task for you, and only you can carry it out. It is unlike anything ever tried in Chiveis!” The High Priestess could see she had aroused the girls’ interest. “Today I wish to bind the hearts of the people to their kingdom and their god. What better way to do it than through your holy services?” A cheer rose from the crowded hall.

  The High Priestess smiled at her devotees. She knew what she was about to announce wouldn’t go over well unless she expressed it properly, so she chose her words with care. “My sisters, I understand that for you some days are busier than others. What I have in mind will make today your busiest day ever. And for that I will personally triple your compensation!”

  The priestesses had begun to groan, but the mention of extra money caught their attention. The High Priestess sensed their equivocation and seized the moment. “Messengers are now being dispatched throughout the realm. They are announcing that for today, and throughout this night, the normal fee for your services has been suspended. No money will be required for a visit to a temple prostitute. Instead the only payment required is an oath of loyalty and the sacrifice of a drop of blood. Censers will burn at the door of every temple in Chiveis. Any man who binds himself to the worship of Astrebril with a blood oath will be permitted to bind himself with you as well!”

  The priestesses murmured and whispered as they tried to get their minds around the proposal. At first they were uncertain about it, but when a few of the senior courtesans began to smile and nod their heads, the High Priestess knew she had them. Her plan had worked to perfection, from start to finish.

  In the distance, thunder rumbled. Yes. Very good. The rain of the highest god was about to fall on Chiveis.

  Teo stood at the edge of the glacier, resting one foot on the ice and bracing the other against solid ground. Ana was beside him. They were breathing hard from the uphill hike over the rocky terrain. Far below, Teo could still see Obirhorn Lake, a tiny blue gem on a piece of green velvet.

  “Teo! Look!”

  He followed Ana’s finger as she pointed down the valley. Riders were coming up the trail—the Royal Guard in battle array. Teo shook his head. “You’d think we were revolutionaries trying to overthrow the kingdom.”

  “In a way we are.”

  “Hmm. Yeah, I guess so.” He watched the troops advance. “Lewth told me that the reward for our capture is a thousand steel franks.”

  “A thousand franks! The High Priestess must really hate us!”

  “Or fear us.”

  Ana glanced at Teo. “So what’s next? Where are we going?”

  “To a hut of the Ancients. Deu led me to it while I was hunting an ibex, though I didn’t recognize his hand at the time.”

  “Will the soldiers follow us?”

  “No, they won’t deploy up here. There’s no need. They can just wait until we’re forced back down.”

  “What about my parents? Will they be okay?”

  “As long as they curse the name of Deu, they won’t be harmed.”

  Ana was quiet for a long time. “I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. It makes me sad that Father and Mother would give in.”

  Teo put his arm around Ana’s shoulder and pulled her to his side. “Your parents love Deu. Sometimes we’re just not strong enough to do the things we wish we could.”

  “I know. I’ve prayed I’ll be strong enough when the time comes.”

  “I’m surprised your father let you come up here with me.”

  “He knows how stubborn I am. He knew I wouldn’t recant, so he saw it as my best chance at survival.”

  Teo frowned as he eyed the frozen wastes above. “We can survive on the glacier. It’s what comes after that I’m worried about.”

  “Don’t be anxious, Teo.” Ana tilted her head and looked up at him. “Deu will show us a way through all this. His spirit can descend on Chiveis, and everything can change in an instant.”

  Teo met Ana’s eyes without answering. There was something he had come to understand about their future, though he wasn’t prepared to share it with Ana yet. He placed both feet on the ice, then turned around and offered her a hand. She took it and joined him on the glacier. “I don’t like the look of those clouds,” he said. “Let’s move out.”

  Ana shifted her rucksack on her shoulders. “I’m right behind you.”

  They set out at a quick pace, climbing into a white world of ice and snow. At their first rest stop, Teo handed Ana a flask of water, then pulled a length of rope from his pack. The sky was dark with clouds, and the thunderclaps boomed with a nearness Teo found disconcerting.

  “What’s the rope for?” Ana asked between gulps.

  He arched an eyebrow at her. “You don’t want to know. Here, let me put it around your waist.”

  He tied Ana to himself, then asked her to lead the way. She maintained a steady gait while Teo brought up the rear. They had hiked for another hour through the desolate landscape when the first raindrops began to fall.

  “It’s getting colder, too,” Ana observed.

  “Cold air is moving in with the storm. Let’s put on our cloaks.”

  The outer garments helped shed the water, but even so, it wasn’t long before Teo felt chilled. Sweat soaked him from the inside, and the windswept rain managed to find its way past his cloak.

  “You okay up there?” he asked.

  “It’s cold, but I’m making it. How much farther?”

  “Not far.”

  A powerful gust blasted across the glacier, knocking Ana off her feet. Teo hurried to help her up. When he took hold of her hand, he was shocked. It was like a piece of ice. He rubbed her hands while she shivered against him. “Tuck them in your armpits while you walk,” he instructed. She nodded.

  They continued trudging as the storm’s ferocity increased. Though Ana was only a short distance ahead of him, Teo found it hard to see her in the driving rain. It was late afternoon now, and it was quickly growing dark. Pellets began to strike his shoulders as the rain changed to sleet. He stared ahead, trying to get his bearings. With a sinking feeling, he realized it had become nearly impossible to find his way forward.

  BOOM! The thunder’s crash was deafening. Lightning flashed like the noonday sun.

  “That was pretty close!” Teo called as the echoes died away. Ana didn’t respond.

  They plodded on. Through the sleet, Teo scanned the glacier for the small mountain that was his destination. A dark shadow loomed ahead. Maybe that’s it—

  Ana shrieked, and the rope went taut, dragging Teo to the ground. He slid across the glacier’s icy surface. Dig in! He thrust his heels into the snow until his boots caught and he managed to arrest his slide.

  “Help me! Teo! Help!” Ana’s voice was distant, as if submerged.

  “I’ve got you!” He tried to haul in the rope. It was too slick to get a good grip, and the weight on the other end was heavy.

  “Can you drop your pack?”

  “Get me out of here! Hurry!” Ana’s cries were panicked.

  “Drop your pack!”

  As soon as the tension on the line lessened, Teo put all his strength into a massive yank. His thighs strained against the footholds, and his shoulders burned with the exertion of reeling in the rope. Ana’s two arms appeared from beneath the glacier’s surface, clawing for purchase in the ice. Just then, Teo’s footholds broke loose, and he slid forward again. Ana plunged back into the crevasse with a scream.

  A small boulder protruded from the glacier. Teo managed to catch it with his arm. The rope around his waist was tugging him hard, but he clung to the rock. It held firm. Wrenching himself around, he managed to get a leg behind it. Ana’s cries were desperate and pitifu
l, but he ignored them and focused on the task of positioning himself against the boulder. Water ran in rivulets down his face, and sleet pellets stung his cheeks. He managed to wedge one foot against the rock, then the other. With a thrust of his legs, he threw himself backward, drawing the rope out of the crevasse. He wrapped the line around his wrists and pulled hard, ignoring the bite into his flesh. Like a man gone insane, he frantically hauled it hand over hand while pressing against the rock with his legs extended. At last Ana emerged from the crevasse. She collapsed onto the glacier, lying facedown, her cloak askew. Teo ran to her.

  “Ana! I’m here!”

  She didn’t move, so he knelt beside her and rolled her over, covering her body as much as possible with his. Her drenched hair was plastered against her face, and her expression was numb. She raised a shaky hand. “T-Teo . . . h-h-help . . .”

  Teo wrapped Ana’s cloak tightly around her, then pulled the drawstrings on her hood until her face was completely hidden. He scooped her shivering body into his arms and staggered in the direction of the mountain that rose from the middle of the glacier. If he dropped into a crevasse now, it would be the end. Yet he knew if he waited out in the open, it would be the end regardless. He would have to take his chances.

  Teo reached the base of the mountain and ascended its flank. A stone building materialized out of the gloom. He circled around it, laying Ana on a bench built into the wall. She moaned softly. The recessed windows had been sealed long ago with a crude stone-and-mortar job, but over time some of the larger stones had come loose. Teo cleared an opening, then crawled inside. After he had lifted Ana in as well, he wedged the stones back into place.

  The room was dark, so Teo lit a candle and looked around. Two skeletons lay curled in the corner around a makeshift firepit, the colorful tatters of their clothing indicating they were Ancients. Pieces of broken furniture sat in a pile next to them.

  Ana was shivering violently, but she was more alert now that she was out of the wind and rain. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she huddled inside her cloak. Teo knelt beside her, brushing water off her cheeks with his thumb. Her face was very pale, and her lips were blue. She smiled feebly. “N-n-nice hike. Wha-what’s for d-dinner?”

  Teo grinned back at her. “Hot soup. I’ll get a fire going. You have to get dry right away. Are you able to change into some dry clothes?”

  She nodded, then changed her mind and shook her head. “M-my p-pack.”

  “Oh yeah. It fell down a pretty deep hole, huh?” He considered the dilemma. “Okay, I have extra shirts in my pack. You can change into one of those, then warm up in my bedroll while I make some broth.”

  She poked a trembling finger out of her cloak. Her blue lips curled up mischievously. “N-no p-p-peeking!”

  Teo burst into laughter at Ana’s audacity. Is there anyone else like her in the world? He brought her the shirt from his pack, then laid out his bedroll on the floor next to her. Returning to the firepit with some cooking implements, he built a pyramid of sticks and lit the kindling. The cedar pieces took the flame readily. “Thanks for leaving it for me,” he said to one of the Ancients. The skull stared back at him without answering.

  When the broth was almost ready, Teo turned around again. Ana was reclining in the bedroll, wearing his oversized shirt and using the rucksack as a pillow. Her gown and chemise dripped from the ceiling. Teo was glad to see she was no longer shivering. He removed his wet jerkin and changed into a dry shirt. Holding the pot of broth in one hand, he motioned for her to scoot over inside the bedroll.

  “Really?” Ana asked.

  He waved reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal. You could use the extra warmth. Besides, there’s no other choice. Our other bedroll is at the bottom of a crevasse.” Before she could protest, he handed her the pot and slid inside the woolen blankets next to her. They each had a spoon, and by the time the pot was empty, Teo knew Ana was going to be okay. At least for today.

  With his stomach full and his body warm again, Teo started feeling drowsy, and he sensed that Ana felt the same. He yawned as he drew his thick bearskin cloak over the bedroll for extra warmth. For a long time, he lay still in silence, listening to the wind howl outside. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, Ana spoke into the darkness.

  “Teo?”

  “Uh-huh?”

  “Thanks for spreading your wing over me.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’ll tell you sometime.” Ana rolled toward him, and soon she was asleep at his side.

  Candles burned in Rosetta’s chalet. The pouring rain darkened the evening sky, and she had drawn all the curtains. The members of the house community sat in a circle, just as they had many times before—except now Teo and Ana were gone, and Maurice wasn’t standing in front to lead them to Deu. The times were indeed evil.

  Shaphan braced himself for what lay ahead. The mood in the room was as gloomy as he had ever seen. He prayed a quick prayer for divine wisdom, knowing the words he needed to say wouldn’t be easy for his friends to hear.

  “Brothers and sisters,” he began, “this is the last time we can meet like this. It’s too dangerous now. Our journey together has come to an end.”

  No one responded. Stratetix slumped in his chair with his elbows on his knees and his forehead in his hands. Helena stared at the floor, her fingers intertwined in her lap. Everyone was mourning the death of a dream.

  “Lewth, what’s next for you?” Shaphan asked.

  “Back to tutoring the new king, I guess. I denied Deu, so for now I’m safe.” Lewth winced at those words, and his chin dropped to his chest.

  “Deu will forgive you, brother.” Shaphan gave Lewth’s shoulder a squeeze, then glanced around the room. Since no one wanted to speak, Shaphan filled the silence. “As for me, I’ll be moving to Vingin to help with the rebuilding. There will be lots of metalwork to do. And I can also keep an eye on Lina and Rosetta.”

  The community continued in bleak silence for a time, until Stratetix finally raised his head and sat up straight. He took a deep breath. “My friends, I too denied Deu today, as did my wife. We are deeply ashamed of it, but we felt we had no other choice. However, our daughter—” Stratetix’s voice cracked with emotion. He squinted against the tears, covering his mouth with a fist.

  Helena picked up where Stratetix left off. “Anastasia and Teofil refused to deny Deu. They fled to an unknown hut on the high glaciers. We await their eventual return, with some strategy for evading the edict’s consequences.”

  “Captain Teofil is very resourceful,” Lina offered. “He always finds a way.”

  Rosetta nodded. “There must be something he can do to change the king’s mind.”

  Shaphan rose from his seat and lifted his hands to the ceiling. “Let us pray for that now.”

  The people of Chiveis were celebrating Astrebril’s victory, but the young King Piair II was in no mood for revelry. From his high window in the royal palace, he could see the rain-soaked men thronging the courtyards of the Capital Temple in the Citadel. With the fee suspended for the priestesses’ services, he knew the same thing would be happening in all the towns and villages of the land. The men of the realm were offering their blood to Astrebril, cleaving to his cult prostitutes in exchange for a finger prick and an oath. Chiveis rejoiced to do so. Yet for Piair, it wasn’t time for joy but for grief.

  He walked to his father’s casket, then to his sister’s. People often referred to death as sleep, but Piair knew this was no sleep—at least not a sleep from which they would awaken. He pounded on the edge of Habiloho’s casket. Hot, bitter tears stung his eyes. “Why? Why did she have to die?” Piair cried the words aloud, though he already knew the answer: Chiveis had incurred the wrath of Astrebril.

  The doctors said someone had removed Habiloho’s iron collar before her body was discovered. Captain Teofil must have done it while he was alone with her beneath the coliseum. Did he believe the gesture would cause his god, Deu, to save her? If so
, he was wrong. Habiloho’s cold, dead body was yet another confirmation of Deu’s impotence. Piair clenched his fists and vented his frustration to the ceiling with an inarticulate groan. In the depth of his heart he vowed, The name of Deu will never be spoken in Chiveis as long as I am king!

  Piair heard footsteps approaching from down the hall and assumed it was the High Priestess. She had requested a private audience in his chambers to discuss an urgent matter.

  When she swept into the room, the young king immediately noticed her different attire. The High Priestess wasn’t arrayed in her formal regalia. Instead of her usual white-painted skin and black lips, she had more color on her face, and her robe was similar to that of the temple courtesans. Only the collar around her neck indicated her status as a priestess of the Beautiful One.

  She stared into Piair’s eyes for a long time, silent and intense. Finally she held up a needle and a small censer filled with burning coals. “I’ve come to receive your offering to Astrebril,” she said.

  Piair’s heart began to race.

  The sleet had changed to snow overnight, blanketing the glacier in a glittering mantle of diamonds. The sky was so blue, it wasn’t blue anymore, but a deep indigo that could only be seen at the highest elevations. Morning sunlight reflected off the snow and shone its warmth on Teo as he stood outside the mountain hut. In the distance, the sky was pierced by jagged peaks—the mighty banks of the ice river that flowed at its timeless pace.

  Wrapped in her cloak and wearing the boots she had borrowed from her mother, Ana joined Teo outside. She laid her gown and chemise in the sun to finish drying. Then, reaching into the hole in the hut’s walled-up window, she brought a steaming mug to Teo.

  “Juniper tea?” She offered him the cup.

  “Sounds good. Thanks.”

  “Mind if we share? I only found one mug in your pack.”