The Winds of Strife (The War of the Veil Book 1)

by John Donlan

  Luscard lifted the sword and then went to stand in the glow of a candle near the bed. The light gleamed on the shining metal, making it seem almost as though it was on fire. The day his father had given him the sword had been one of the best of his life. Thinking of it now, a tear trickled slowly from the corner of his eye. He wiped it away angrily and hefted the blade. His father had given it to him for an important reason. He had wanted Luscard to carry on the Crow legacy, to protect and defend the people of Southmarsh and the rest of the kingdom. It was his duty, and it had always been his honour. That was why he had trained so hard, why he had been so determined to master the sword. He wanted to make his father proud, and earn honour for his family. But how could he do that if he was forced to bow and scrape to the enemies of the kingdom?

  He swung the sword to the side and the air passing the metal whined loudly. It was a strong blade; sturdy, resilient, deadly. He had earned the right to carry it, and very soon, he believed, he would put it to good use defending the kingdom. He only had to do one thing: make his father understand what needed to be done.

  He gripped the hilt of the sword and went to the window. He stared out over the rooftops of the palace, and beyond, over the houses and shops and guilds of the city. He would go and find his father soon. He would explain everything. And together, they would bring the kingdom back to where it belonged.

  Twenty-Nine

  The gathering had been a good idea. Revellers of note from Vanesca had begun arriving a few hours earlier, dressed in all the finery they had been able to muster. Noble men and women from the wealthiest and most important families of the city, all eager to curry favour with Shuvani, their Jagir. Each of them had taken care to admire the exquisite silk gown Shuvani wore, despite its lack of modesty. None of them had mentioned how the dress clung to her body the same way it would if worn by a whore in the dark quarter of the city. None of them made an effort to point out how it was low cut to show off the curves of her breasts and display as much dusky cleavage as possible. Instead, they remarked on the way it seemed to shimmer when she moved, and how it was stitched and assembled with intricate care.

  Shuvani felt like laughing at all of them. She despised them. Inside, they were shocked and disgusted with her apparent immodesty, and yet outside, they gushed with compliments. But the hidden revulsion was itself just a mask, albeit one they wore to hide the truth from only themselves. They wished they could wear the same revealing outfit that Shuvani did. They wished they had her courage, her confidence, her self-assured knowledge that she was better than everyone else. They were weak, and that was why she despised them.

  They were hypocrites, in truth. Though they looked at her revealing attire with apparent disgust, they were all here for the evening’s entertainment, which would start very soon. Shuvani had spared no expense in importing many of the most desirable men and women from the slave brothels in the city. They would entertain her guests, while Shuvani slipped away to take care of the night’s true business. She would not be missed. The nobles would be too busy engaging in the same sinful pleasures they hated her for. The only difference between her and them, was that she did not try to hide what she was. She revelled in it, while they slunk through the shadows like shamed dogs.

  Muvesh had been watching her like a hawk for the past two days. The death of the spy slave had shaken Shuvani’s sister to the core, but she had hidden her fears well. Shuvani could admire that, even if she had grown to hate the prying eyes observing her every move. Muvesh was eager for something worthwhile, a snippet of ruinous information that she could take to the empress, something that would elevate her and her husband in the court, of course. Shuvani wanted to shake the woman, to tell her that nothing she found or did would bring her the acknowledgement and attention she sought. The empress was manipulating her, using her for her own gains, and when she was done, she would toss Muvesh aside like a stale loaf of bread.

  She wanted to do that, but she didn’t. Muvesh would not hear her. She believed the empress’ honeyed words and sibilant tongue. No doubt she had been promised wonderful things – wealth and power and status, perhaps - and those assurances had blinded her. Then again, she had always been gullible and naive, which was why she had never stood a chance against Shuvani.

  But Shuvani had been growing increasingly agitated by the constant observation. Her plans were drawing to an climax, and she needed the freedom to pull all the knots tight. Thus, she had arranged this gathering, as a distraction.

  She swept her gaze over the assembled crowd and smiled to herself. She could sense the eager anticipation in those gathered in the large room. All of them were excited about the sinful delights to come. She clapped her hands once, and the gathering quieted as a curtain over a door at the far side of the room was swept aside.

  A parade of oiled, glistening slaves swept into the room. Men and women who were almost naked, save for the glittering ornaments they wore on throats and wrists and ankles. The women wore revealing satin that was translucent, showing the sensual delights below. The men wore bunched wraps around their waists, bundles of cloth that could be removed with nothing but a tug of the wrist. Perfumed scents filled the air, accompanied by the gasps of the enthusiastic crowd.

  Shuvani smiled again and raised her goblet. “I thank you all for coming, honoured guests. Tonight, my home is your home, and the pointless fears of the outside world should be forgotten. Tonight, you will all indulge in the pleasures long denied you by matters of duty and status.”

  The crowd was listening, but mostly they were focused on the line of slaves that were now stretched across the far side of the room. The noble men and women of Vanesca all attended the brothels in the dark quarter, but they were furtive, secretive visits, tinged with the fears of being discovered. Here, they had no such worries. Shuvani was known for her discretion.

  “Please, enjoy yourselves!”

  The crowd moved forward, almost as one, and each of the nobles claimed a prize for themselves. Soon, the house would be filled with the gasping, writhing sounds of these high-born wretches satisfying their base desires. Normally, Shuvani would be tempted to join them. Tonight, however, she had other matters to attend to.

  She waited until she was sure she would not be missed, then swept quickly from the room. She had seen no sign of her sister. Muvesh was likely ensconced in her chambers by now, attempting to resist the temptations of the gathering; or else ready to join the fray. Her husband was far away, after all, and she had been denied his company for too long. Muvesh was a woman of base instinct, if she was anything. Shuvani smiled to herself. She would be happy for her sister to enjoy the pleasures on offer, so long as it kept her away from Shuvani’s business.

  The night was cool, and a slight breeze was blowing in from the river as Shuvani made her way down from the house and past the training grounds. Her soldiers would all be in their beds by now, resting after a long day of rigorous sparring and drills. Their training had been increased of late, preparing them for the war that would soon begin. She wanted them in peak condition, and she had seen to it that her captains and generals worked the men hard.

  There was a low, sandstone wall at the far end of her holdings that completely encircled her estates. A gate led out from that and over a rocky stretch of land beyond. A trail, well hidden behind large, smooth boulders, allowed her access to a valley beyond. She had walked this path many times before, and she knew each step by heart. There was no need for a light. The silver glow of the moon was enough of a guide for her. Even if there had been, she would not have risked it, not tonight.

  Still, she stepped carefully. There was no need to rush. The guests at the house would be kept busy for many hours to come, and they would not notice her absence.

  She could hear the gentle swell of the river nearby. A line of rocks hid the flowing waters from view, but the sounds carried to her easily enough. For a moment, she thought of Armensha, sweeping along on her boat many days earlier, and she felt a sudden pang for the woman
’s touch. She told herself it was nothing more than her body’s needs manifesting in her thoughts, but deep inside, she knew the truth. Armensha was more than just a lover, and Shuvani missed her presence and companionship.

  She pushed the thoughts away. Sentimentality was dangerous for a woman like her, especially now, when her goal was so close.

  She continued on, around a large and towering rock formation, and down into the deepest part of the valley. Up ahead, standing outside the entrance to a large cave, was one of her most loyal servants. The man had been doing her bidding for years, and he had been rewarded handsomely for it. Shuvani trusted him, as far as she was capable of trusting anyone, but she had still been wary about sending him on this particular errand. Seeing that he was alone only reinforced her fears that she had made a mistake. At least until she saw the second figure, standing just out of view behind a large boulder.

  She breathed more easily as she drew close and came to a stop.

  “Were there any complications?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

  The man shook his head. “None, save for your friend’s stubborn reluctance to attend.”

  Shuvani turned to the second figure. It was hunched slightly, and dressed in thick robes and hood. Shuvani smiled again as the hood was pulled back to reveal the withered, ancient face of Thursa, the priestess.

  “And yet, still you came.”

  “Yes, I came, because our Goddess willed it. But this is dangerous, Shuvani. Even now, forces are at work that you can barely comprehend! This meeting is foolish.”

  “Foolish it may be, but it is required. Come with me, I have something to show you.”

  Shuvani didn’t wait for a response as she turned to the cave and led the way inside. There was a torch burning just inside the entrance. Shuvani took it and held it aloft. The cave was huge and seemed to lead deep into the rocky mound. Thursa fell silent as she hobbled along behind, seemingly uninterested in the cave. Shuvani could feel the eyes of the old priestess burning into the back of her head. She was curious as to whether the Goddess had seen fit to reveal to the priestess just what was waiting for her at the end of this dark journey. She doubted it. Thursa would not have come if she knew.

  Let her wonder why she is here, Shuvani thought, smiling to herself. She will see for herself soon enough.

  The floor of the cave was mostly flat, smooth, and covered in a layer of sand blown in from outside. At least at first. The sand vanished deeper in, away from the mouth. The upper part of the cave, high above, was uneven and pitted, and craggy spears of stone jutted downwards, some of them almost reaching the floor. Shuvani wove a familiar path through them, going deeper, into the darkest recesses of the cave.

  “Shuvani...” Thursa was stumbling over the ground, trying to catch up. The man who had brought her here followed them both in silence. “Wait!”

  Shuvani came to a stop at last. She sighed as she turned to the old woman.

  “Why am I here? You know the will of the Goddess. You know what you must do!”

  Shuvani chuckled. “Do I? Perhaps. I know what you have told me is the will of the Goddess, but how do I know that is the truth?” Shuvani lifted the torch high and pointed towards the rear of the cave. There was another opening there, leading out into the night once more. It was where they were going.

  “Everything I have told you has come to pass,” Thursa said, angrily. “All of it. Even the slaughter of the delegates in Losarn, as you will discover soon enough if you heeded my advice.”

  “Oh, I have no doubt of that,” Shuvani said placidly as she began to walk once more, picking her way towards the dark circle near the rear of the cave. “And at first, when all your prophetic words came to pass, I believed you. All of it. But I came to realise quickly that nobody ever does anything without gain for themselves. I had a choice: to follow your directions blindly, or to make plans of my own, to ensure that I achieved my goals. No matter how tempting it was to believe every word out of your mouth, I knew that it would be foolish to continue on faith alone. The Gods are fickle, after all. Tulvesh might have twisted her goals on a whim, or changed them entirely. I could not take that chance.”

  Thursa was panting, and gasping a little in pain. The old woman was clearly not used to such strenuous exercise. She lived her life within the temple in Vanesca. This was a difficult journey for her. But it was almost over.

  “What did you do, Shuvani?”

  “You mean you do not know?” Shuvani laughed, and the sound echoed through the cave. “Did your Goddess not tell you that I was working on my own? That is strange, is it not?”

  They had almost reached the opening in the cave now. It was big enough for all three of them to pass through. Beyond, the stars could be seen, winking in the dark sky.

  “The Goddess does not tell me everything,” Thursa said, guardedly.

  Shuvani could almost hear the woman’s thoughts ticking over. She was desperately seeking some kind of answer. It was a pleasure to watch. After being kept in the darkness herself for so long, she was enjoying being the one with answers for a change. And it told her that she had done the right thing. Even the priestess did not know all of the will of her Goddess, which meant that she was groping blindly, just as Shuvani often was.

  “Maybe that is so, and maybe your Goddess did not know what I was planning. Perhaps she is not as all knowing as you claim she is.”

  Shuvani stepped through the opening and into the fresh air. She was standing on a small, natural platform above a sloping depression in the ground that was ringed on all sides by high, almost sheer walls of stone. She had discovered this place as a child, when she had wandered away from home, exploring and learning of her surroundings. She had been sure, even back then, that she was the only one to know about this place. It was her first secret, and she had kept it ever since.

  “The Goddess sees everything, and if it was her wish that your plans were foiled, she would have done so!” Thursa caught up to Shuvani and came to a stop, peering out over the sloping stone bowl curiously.

  In the centre of the depression was a large column of stone. It was thick, bulky, and shielded the back half of the area from view. As Thursa stared at it, a noise erupted into the night. It was a screech, as of some creature calling out. But it was louder than it should have been; far louder.

  “What did you do?” Thursa said again, her voice low and nervous now.

  “What I had to do to ensure I succeed. You told me, long ago, that all I needed to do was to build an army, that it would ensure my eventual place on the throne. I believe that is true, but I was not satisfied with eventually. I did not want to be an old, withered empress. I deserve the power now! And this will make sure I get it.”

  She led the way down a sloping path into the depression and towards the column of rock. Thursa followed more slowly. Her face was creased in fear, which only amused Shuvani all the more. If the old woman was scared now, she would be terrified very soon.

  The trail led around the outside of the rocks. Shuvani came to a stop on the other side and smiled as she craned her head upwards to look at the beast that was chained there.

  The great bird had the look of an eagle, but it was far, far bigger than any common bird of prey. The wingspan along could have stretched the length of the empress’ palace. The razor sharp beak was big enough to snatch cows up and devour them whole. The claws that scraped at the ground were as large as wagons, and the tips could have skewered an elephant. The eyes that stared down at Shuvani with familiarity were bigger than she was. Its feathers were a tan brown, like the sands of the desert. The tail was the size of a grain cart, and it brushed the stones on the ground as the great beast shifted its bulk to look down on the small creatures below.

  Thursa hobbled around the rock and then came to a shuddering stop. Her mouth opened and her eyes grew wide in shock and horror. “May the Gods have mercy on us all!” she breathed. “A roc!”

  “Yes,” Shuvani said placidly. “A great roc! My great roc. When I was a
girl and I found this place, I also discovered a nest. It had been abandoned, but there was one egg remaining. Even then, it was almost as big as I was. I did not know what it was then; how could I? The rocs had been almost wiped out, or so we were told, hunted to near extinction. All except the one that had laid its egg here. It was magnificent, and I vowed then that I would guard it, keep it safe. I did not believe that it would ever hatch, but it did. It was alone, afraid, and it looked to me to watch over it. I raised it, fed it on small creatures, then bigger ones, until it began to grow.”

  “This… this is insane, Shuvani!” Thursa was trembling, shaking her head. “The rocs were all destroyed because they are dangerous. More than dangerous. Whole villages were decimated by the creatures, the people devoured. They cannot be tamed. The first of the Tho’reen learned that the hard way.”

  “Oh, they can be tamed,” Shuvani said. “Let me show you.”

  She stepped forward, ignoring the shocked gasp from the priestess. The roc watched her with its huge, saucer-like eyes as she moved close. Shuvani came to a stop a few paces away from the great beast. The head towered above her, blocking out all light from moon and stars. She raised her hand, and the beast ducked down until its eyes were level with Shuvani. Her hand pressed against the side of its head, stroking along the great feathers.