Heart of the Maiden: (Lords of the Deep Hells Book 3)

by Paul Yoder

  Reza, Nomad, Arie, Fin, Cavok, Terra, Yozo, all passed food, eager to eat, free with jovial remarks and comradery, well lubricated with an endless supply of the finest wines and spirits, enjoying the Sultan’s company, and that of Bannon and Hathos who had also been invited.

  Though the military men had accepted the invitation, they showed much more restraint with the wine than the others, save for Metus, who never took more than a glass of wine for any occasion.

  “So what now for your company of champions, Reza?” Metus asked, enjoying the company more than the meal itself, not having had time to properly visit with the crew after their arrival early that morning.

  She deliberated on the question, not really sure herself what everyone’s plans were after things were settled.

  “I…cannot say for everyone else, but for myself and Terra, I aim to visit my people in the Jeenyre mountains once more. Her heart is still not fully mended, and after my last attempt…I fear she needs a saren with better hands for healing than I,” she answered, attempting to stay fluent through the glass of strong wine she had already downed.

  “Besides that, I made a promise to pay my respects to a friend there, and visit others that miss my presence. I believe I will spend a season at the monastery and Terra has said she would very much like to study there with the record keepers in our great library. It should be a restful winter there for us—one much needed.”

  “You have not told me of this,” Nomad piped in, slowing down with the drumstick he had been working on.

  “Me neither!” Fin agreed, piling on.

  “Surely you’re not going just the two of you? It’s a long and hazardous road. Remember those Sephentho guards that gave us chase?” Arie added.

  Before Reza could answer, Yozo spoke for the first time that night at the table. “I would lend my sword to your caravan if you would have it. I would like to visit Revna and her shieldmaidens. I owe much to your people.”

  “Sorry,” Metus said as Reza looked all around the table, trying to figure out how to answer everyone.

  “Reza wasn’t hiding it from you all, she just wanted to speak to everyone individually to let you know of our plans,” Terra attempted to defend for her.

  “Has everyone had their say yet?” Reza asked, somewhat put out by everyone’s interjections prying into the matter.

  “I didn’t get to say my piece,” Cavok said, raising his hand in protest, Fin and Terra snickering at the man, a bit uncertain if he was attempting at some well-timed dry humor, or if he actually wanted to speak.

  Reza let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, Cavok. What?” she snipped.

  “If Terra’s going, I’ll be coming too. She’s too reckless to be watched over by you motley crew,” he announced, folding his arms, dead serious about his installment in Reza’s plans.

  “Is Terra’s mother alright with her running off with this rowdy bunch of hooligans?” Bannon chimed in, asking Metus facetiously.

  “Have you indeed talked to Ja-net about all of this?” Metus asked smiling, though in honesty.

  “Yes, my Sultan,” she answered a bit tipsy from the half glass of wine she had had, overworking her manners in the presence of royalty. “I spoke with her on the matter as soon as I made it into town.”

  Metus and Bannon both nodded their approval, murmuring “good, good,” as all attention turned back to Reza who looked very put out over the takeover of her newly announced plans.

  “You have something to say, Reza?” Bannon asked, seeing that the woman was clearly pouting about something.

  “No further interruptions,” she ordered, looking around the table, ending with a glare at Nomad.

  “Nomad, I had planned to ask you later this evening to join us on the road to Jeenyre.” Nomad received a look that seemed to indicate that this was not a subject up for debate.

  “As for the rest of you. If you all have nothing better to do with your time, I suppose Terra and I wouldn’t mind company on the trail—as long as everyone can get along together. If I am allowed to be frank for a moment amidst the mirth. Our group of friends has grown over the last year or so. There are rifts between some of us. Deep rifts. You will be required to work through your differences if you are to travel in my caravan. Even I have worked countless hours besides that prattling praven, Jadu, and somehow managed to not silence him permanently,” she paused, Nomad and Fin suppressing smiles as Reza took a deep breath to attempt to lower her blood pressure after the mention of the little enchanter.

  “What I’m saying is, I expect you to behave yourself in the group if you voluntarily join my company. I’ll not be a babysitter on this trip. The last thing Terra needs with her heart condition is to fret over strife and brooding among us,” Reza ended, looking to Cavok and Yozo specifically.

  The room was quiet for a moment, all reflecting upon Reza’s words. Hathos, in his quiet, measured voice broke the silence.

  “In war, it becomes easy to set aside differences. In times of peace, it becomes much harder to do. When it is hard for me to appreciate particular soldiers I command, I try to remember their past accomplishments and contributions. All in the Hyperium have commendations, or they would not have been accepted into our ranks. I have witnessed firsthand that the same is with your crew. All here have accomplished many great things and have shown great loyalty and valor in selflessly serving those around this table, and the people of the Southern Sands region as a whole. Think not of the worst a person has done, but them at their best, and you may find appreciating them as a companion will become easier.”

  The room was not quiet for long after, Fin asking, “So when do we leave?”

  Reza nodded her head, glad to be back on subject. “A week. We’ve all been on the road for some time, we’ve all earned a good rest; but the sooner we get Terra to the monastery, the better.”

  “Sounds reasonable,” Metus agreed after sipping the last of his wine. “Though I’ll be on the road myself at that time, unfortunately in the opposite direction. A matter I actually needed to discuss with you, Hathos, sometime about. It’ll be a simple deployment, but I was hoping the Hyperium would accompany me to Barre.

  “Darious has had time to get his people settled there and I plan to bring a supplies caravan and a ward of physicians to help them get started as official Plainstate citizens on the proper foot.”

  Hathos readily pledged his support to Metus’ wishes, Bannon offering his updates on the refugees’ time thus far in Barre, as he had just received a report that day from returning service men from the town, allowing all others time to continue with their meals and individual conversations.

  Reza calmed herself, pouring water in her chalice instead of more wine, clearing her head slightly as the night wore on, and she smiled, appreciating how easily all present seemed to fall back into high spirits, even after all they had gone through, all they had lost over the war of the arisen that was still so fresh upon their memories.

  That night gave her hope, that no matter what horrors they had gone through, or might go through later in life, that they’d get through the worst of it, together.

  51

  Farewell to the Endless Dunes of the Southern Sands

  Reza gave Nomad one last kiss before they headed out of their room in the housing district. It was going to be the last time they’d have any degree of privacy once they started on the open road with their friends in the coming months, and she had begun to thoroughly enjoy sharing herself with the man she loved. It was, after all, the first time she had been with anyone, and the newly discovered realm of pleasures and comforts were all too tempting not to take full advantage of.

  “Ready?” Nomad whispered as he tucked her platinum hair back behind her ear to show her face, admiration clear in his features of the beauty before him.

  She tugged tight her doeskin travel gloves and nodded, both carrying packs full of gear they’d need for the road ahead.

  Opening the door, Nomad let Reza out first to see Terra, Cavok at her si
de staring off into the desert dunes that rose just above the city walls far beyond, the autumn air gently blowing a brisk breeze through the housing district as they waited for the two lovebirds to finish up whatever it was they were doing alone in their room.

  “Hi you two,” Terra facetiously greeted, a suspecting grin on her face as she patted Cavok’s strong arm to prod him to acknowledge how adorable the couple was.

  Cavok did answer, but not in the way Terra wanted him to, grunting, “Love…it’ll weaken your knees. Can’t have weak knees on the road.”

  “Maybe…you should work on getting stronger knees then, ’cause mine are fine,” Reza jabbed back with a wicked smirk, getting an approving smile from the large man as they headed off to pick up the other three down by the stables.

  The walk to the stables had been quiet, each enjoying the song of birds often accompanying the morning early light. They had decided to forgo stopping to eat at a café, against Terra’s pleadings, but they did not want to keep the others waiting, and so they had picked up a few breakfast items along the way in the market to share with everyone on the road.

  They settled all costs with the stable’s master, Cavok and Nomad busying themselves in tending to their rides as Reza and Terra watched for the arrival of the other half of their company.

  “Well, well, well. Ain’t this a sight,” Fin boisterously announced, Yozo and Arie at his side as the three walked into the stables where Cavok had been hard at work hitching their carriage up with Nomad gathering the other four horses for those not riding in the carriage.

  “Seems like yesterday we were headed up to Jeenyre to break your sorry ass out of jail, Nomad. We’ll need to watch the roads by Sephentho. We’re all wanted criminals around those parts now,” Fin warned, a bit too loudly for Arie’s liking, smacking him on the back. Yozo shook his head at the inappropriate behavior of the two as the two groups met up.

  “Your carriage, my sir,” Cavok said, bowing to Fin, designating him as first rider to start their journey off.

  Fin gave Arie a hug goodbye, kissing her openly as everyone awkwardly watched the passionately long smooch. Everyone in the group allowed their public display of affection without protest, knowing the couple would not be seeing each other for a good few months as Arie stayed behind to attend to her duties at Sheaf while Fin was on the road.

  “Me lady,” Cavok said to Terra, playfully offering her a royal welcome into the bed-like bench she had grown to like on the road from Brigganden to Sheaf the previous week. If she had to travel, this was her preferred mode of transport.

  Fin tipped his wide-brimmed hat to Arie from the rider’s bench and without further ado, smartly snapped the reins along the horses’ sides, starting the carriage off in a brisk trot down the street to the city gates leading northward.

  Nomad and the others mounted their horses, following Fin’s lead, exiting through gates they had come to know well through the years, departing the city that held great significance to each of them.

  They made it a short ways out from the gates along the road before Fin drew to a halt as he looked back at the city amid the dusk of the evening, lights already burning in windows and the bustle of evening shoppers clear and lively in the business district they had just left, seeming as though life in the region, as it once was during wartimes, had been some distant memory, a past that didn’t even seem real to those busily going about their lives in peace.

  “It’s a strange thing, life,” Fin softly spoke, everyone reverently observing the same melancholy scene of a place they wondered, as with every time they set out on the open road for distant lands, if they’d ever see it again.

  “Strange indeed,” Yozo answered, a depth in his voice that shook them all at the remark, the two of them speaking the thoughts they all were feeling so simply, so eloquently.

  They turned back to the path ahead and were off along the red-orange dunes of the arid lands they had devoted so much effort to protect over the last few years, ready for a season of rest and uneventful travel along paths they knew well to places they expected little trouble from.

  As it is many times in life, fate had other plans in store.

  From THE AUTHOR

  Through the course of this book, I’ve left my job to start writing full-time. It’s been an exciting transition, and I’m looking forward to all the extra time available now to focus on finishing multiple novels a year.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed the Lords of the Deep Hells Trilogy! Writing it has been the start of something that changed my life, and it means a lot to me to know that you were there for the journey.

  I’ve begun work on the next book set in the Lands of Wanderlust novels where you can read more of Reza, Nomad, and the others in their next big adventure, discovering the many wonders of Una!

  Visit me online for launch dates and other news at:

  authorpaulyoder.com

  tiktok.com/@authorpaulyoder

  instagram.com/author_paul_yoder

  twitter.com/ArtistPaulYoder