Echoes (25 page)

Darius didn’t give Dearra time to argue. He took hold of her free hand and started towing her in the direction of the nearest gate. He had no idea where the Breken were, but he saw very few of them, and that concerned him. It most likely meant they were regrouping. Regrouping was bad. In this case it probably meant they were about to launch a coordinated attack, in marked contrast to the wild, frenzied assault that had come first.

The fairies had scattered as well, but Darius believed that if they got into trouble, at least one of them would show up.

He was pretty impressed with Dearra, actually. The Dearra he’d first met on Maj was feisty, headstrong, and reckless. She could still be all of those things, but she had grown up in the two years he had known her. She was more likely to pause and consider now. Not always, but… Darius shook his head at himself. Here they were, running through the streets of the capital, and he was daydreaming.

The sound of hooves came to them through the smoke. Darius pulled a spear from one of the bodies that littered the ground and took aim in the direction of the sound. Dearra lifted Brin, preparing her own strike should Darius miss.

The Breken captain didn’t even have time to react. One moment the way before him was a wall of white smoke, and then, when he broke through, the spear pierced his chest, sending him flying from his saddle.

Darius approached the skittish horse with his hands raised. “Whoa, whoa there, easy, girl.” The animal pranced nervously for a few more steps and then quieted. She had been bred to accept all sorts of noise and chaos, and she was quickly recovering from having the missile flung at her head. Darius stroked her neck and gave her a gentle pat. He sent her calming thoughts, and he tried to see if she would be willing to carry them so soon after having her previous rider so abruptly removed from her back.

“Come on, Dearra,” he said in his most encouraging voice. 

She put on her best look of disgust. She hated horses, but she allowed him to lift her up before nimbly springing onto the horse’s back himself. He settled his arms around her protectively and took hold of the reins.

“Hold on,” he whispered in her ear.

Dearra shivered a little at the whisper and the nearness of his lips. If that was his attempt to distract her from where she was, it worked.

He nudged the horse’s flanks with his heels and they were off. Darius thought he knew the general direction that he needed to go, but everything was confused in the smoky haze.

Though he held the reins, the horse responded to his every thought. He saw a line of Breken up ahead of them, and he considered that they might be in trouble, but like ants returning to their queen, they never deviated from their course, and other than a few scowls and one javelin shot their way, they were mostly ignored.

Darius finally saw a gap in the wall and made for it at a full-out gallop. The rubble lay in a pile, no less than six feet high and at least that wide.

“Wait! You’re not going to try and jump that! Darius! Stop!” Dearra shouted out.

They never slowed. Dearra felt the muscles of the horse tense, then surge powerfully up and over. They landed with a jolt and she was almost jarred from the horse’s back when they landed, but Darius secured her with a tight arm, knocking the wind out of her. The next thing she knew, they were clear of the city. The sounds behind them became no more than ghostly echoes. After a while, all Dearra could hear was the sound of the horse’s hooves as she ran, and the wind created by the speed of their flight.

After a half hour of hard riding, the horse slowed to a steady walk. Its sides were heaving, and a light foam was blowing from her mouth and nose.

“Is the animal all right?” Dearra asked.

“Fine. Just winded. Her previous owner had been working her hard, long before we took over ownership. She was happy to run, tired or not.”

“She was
happy
to run? Talking to you, is she?”

“In a manner of speaking. You know, it isn’t exactly like the conversations that you and I have, or that we have with Brin, for that matter. The level of intelligence isn’t the same, but I get enough. This sweet girl’s owner didn’t treat her very well. The Breken have no trouble beating an animal to train it or get it to do their bidding, but usually the horses fair a little better. Beaten too often, their spirit can be broken, and then they become useless as battle animals. If that happens, they end up pulling carts, or cooked into a nice stew.

“The man who owned this animal was a little different. He took a sort of twisted pleasure in abusing his animals. If they were broken, it was no great loss, as far as he was concerned. He would simply acquire a new mount and begin the process again.”

“That’s sick!”

“No more or less than anything else in Breken society, Dearra. This mare’s been with him for a long time, but she’s strong, and she wouldn’t be broken.”

Dearra took some time to look at the animal they rode, and when she did, she saw scars on her neck and flanks. On her face was a wound that still appeared to be healing, and Dearra thought she saw maggots wriggling near a gash on her nose. The scars left behind after the animal’s inhumane treatment reminded Dearra of the scars on Darius’s back. He, too, had been abused but unbowed. Suddenly, Dearra found herself feeling a little kindlier towards horses. She still really did loathe them, but this horse seemed much less repulsive at least, and she reached her hand forward to stroke the mare’s neck as it walked steadily onward.

“She likes that,” Darius said. “It’s a rare thing for her to be touched without having pain inflicted.”

“What’s her name?”

“Horse, I guess. She has no name. Breken don’t often name their animals, Dearra.

“We can’t leave her nameless. Would she like a name?” Dearra wondered if horses even cared about such things. Maybe it was only humans who bothered with names. There was Kahn, but so far as Dearra knew, the Etrafarians had bestowed that name upon him, and Kahn was indifferent to the whole thing.

Darius was quiet for so long that Dearra finally turned around enough to see his face. “Well?”

“She’s thinking.”

“Oh.”

“She’s confused, and I’m not sure I’m making myself clear. With Kahn, it’s easier. He’s one smart horse, even if he is a pain in my backside. If horses can be sarcastic, then he is the most sarcastic horse I’ve ever communicated with. He adores Carly. The rest of us, he tolerates, in order to please her.”

“Yes, he’s a real joy, isn’t he?” she said, agreeing with Darius’s assessment.

“I have it! We’ll call her Towsan.”

“That’s not a very pretty name.” Dearra scowled.

“She’s not a very pretty horse,” Darius answered candidly.

“Oh, I don’t know. She has beautiful eyes.”

“Dearra! Did you just say something nice about a horse?”

“I just said something truthful—that’s not exactly the same as nice. What does Towsan mean?” she asked, changing the subject before he could get going about what a softy she was.

“It’s a Parsaian word. It’s what we call a horse who is unbroken, or refuses to yield to training.”

“It’s still not very pretty. What about Towsanah. That sounds a lot more girly.”

“But it doesn’t
mean
anything,” Darius chuckled.

“Yes it does. It means, I’m unbroken, but I’m still a lady.”

“You can’t just go around making up your own words,” Darius said.

“Sure I can. I just did. And besides, I’m not making up words, I’m making up a name.”

“But, Dearra—”

Oh, Darius, just give up. Have you learned nothing after two years?

Brin was right. Though arguing with her might provide him some amusement, it was a losing battle.

Darius sighed, “Towsanah it is.”

The mare arched her neck and increased her pace from a walk to a high stepping trot before settling back to a fluid walk again. After a few paces, Towsanah stopped suddenly.

Darius scanned the horizon. “There,” he said, pointing to a hill in the distance.

Dearra could see the mass of humanity congregated there. They were too far away to make out how many there were, but it looked like a lot.

Towsanah gave a squeal and then began to canter.

Dearra’s heart pounded as she prayed that those she held dear would be amongst the survivors.

“Thank Cyrus you’re safe,” Daniel said, rushing forward to help Dearra dismount.

“Carly and Holly?” Dearra asked. Her voice was steady and didn’t give away the fact that she was terrified of the answer.

“Safe…as far as I know. Carly floated herself onto Kahn’s back, whispered something to him, and he was off like all the fiends of Hell were after him, which, in a way, I suppose they were.” Daniel offered a half-hearted smile.

“What about you, boy?” he said, turning to Darius. “You look a little green.”

“I’m well,” he said, sliding from the horse. “It’s the injury to my head. It still plagues me sometimes, and we haven’t slept in quite a while, which doesn’t help. Once I get some food and a little rest I’ll be just fine again.”

Dearra was worried. His color wasn’t good, but then again, there weren’t many options. They could fight, or run, or die. That was it. He was being practical about it, anyway, and food and rest would likely make a big difference. She just prayed that the Breken would take a little while to regroup before pursuing them once more.

“I have to find the king and see what our next steps will be,” Dearra said.

“He’s at the top of the hill.” Daniel pointed in the direction of a hastily erected tent.

“Thanks, Daniel. Will you make sure Darius finds someplace to sit out of the sun and that he gets some dried fish and bread to eat?”

“If I have to feed it to him myself, Dearra.”

She offered them both a grin, and trudged up the soft slope of the hill toward the king. His banners were already being erected around the tent, and she could hear them as they ruffled and popped in the wind.

People were everywhere she looked. Some sat in a dazed sort of stupor, others bustled from person to person, whether it was to check injuries, bandage wounds, offer water and food, or provide an embrace or kind word.

When she turned and looked back down the hill, she saw that Darius had already been led away to a cluster of trees where he was able to rest in the shade. Beyond him, a ragged line of survivors made their way to join with the rest. Most were on foot, but a few were hunched over top a horse’s back while someone led them forward.

“Lady Dearra!” a small voice cried out.

“Merry! Oh, Merry!” Dearra dropped down and engulfed the woman in her arms. She released her just as quickly when Merry yelped out in pain. Besides Daniel, Rordan’s wife was the first of her people she had seen since the battle had begun. “What is it? Where are you hurt?” Dearra ran her hands over the woman, checking for signs of injury. When her fingers probed along Merry’s left side, the source of her pain was made clear. “I think you’ve broken some ribs. Let me look.”

Merry didn’t protest as Dearra removed her leather chest piece, and then tore the fabric of the shirt beneath. Her whole left side was colored in a purple bloom, but what was more concerning was the swelling. Her stomach protruded as though she were several months pregnant, though Dearra knew she was not.

“Merry, where’s Rordan?” Dearra was really worried. If the injury was what she thought, she wanted Rordan to be there.

“He’s waiting for me, Dearra.” Where Dearra’s voice had sounded somewhat frantic, Merry’s was quite calm, even serene.

“Where were you supposed to meet him? I’ll send someone to go get him.”

Merry placed her hand over Dearra’s, to stop her from further exploration of the injury.

“He didn’t make it, Dearra.”

“But…but you said he was waiting for you. You said—”

“And so he is.”

“Merry, I’ve seen wounds like yours before. I admit that it doesn’t look good, but there’s a chance if we—”

“No, Dearra. Even if you could treat me, moving me would kill me, and you can’t stay here. A few hours at most, and the king will have everyone moving who can.”

Dearra waved to a passing healer. “What’s your name?”

“Anna, Lady Dearra.”

“Anna, this is Merry. I need you to stay with her while I go speak to the king. Don’t leave her.”

“There are a lot here who need care. I don’t think—”

“Good! Don’t think, just do as you’re told. Do you understand?” She knew she was being harsh, but she had to get to the king, and she just couldn’t leave Merry to die alone on the hill.

“Dearra, please, this isn’t necessary,” Merry said weakly.

“I’ll decide what’s necessary. You just rest. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” Dearra was on her feet and jogging up the hill before either woman could argue with her further.

As much as she would have liked to go flying into the tent, common sense warned her that kings were more disposed to listen when they were treated with the respect they deserved.

The guards nodded at her, and one of them ducked into the tent before popping almost immediately back out to wave her forward.

There were two large barrels set five feet apart. A flat board that looked as though it might have been a door in another life was set on top, and there were several maps strewn over the surface. Five or six candles illuminated the maps, for though it was day, the light in the tent was greatly diminished.

The king glanced up at her, but then returned to what he had been doing.

“Here, Shanks. I think we need to get here,” the king said, tapping one of the maps. “If we take them in this way, we can control them. They’re following us to the mountains, there’s no way to stop that, but they don’t know the area. This gap that runs through Goat Pass is narrow. It’ll slow us down, but it’ll do the same to them.””

“What about this spot, Majesty?” Shanks asked, leaning over the map to get a better look. He wasn’t as young as he once was, and Dearra could tell by the way he squinted his eyes that he was having a little trouble reading the maps clearly, especially in the dim light.

“That might work, but I’m worried it’ll take us too close to where the supplies are being stored. I’m sure that our people have dispersed the supplies throughout the mountain tunnels by now, but you know they’ll keep most of it there, where the water supply is. If the Breken were to take it, we’d be in trouble, especially if this goes into next winter.”

“If this goes on another winter, Majesty, no amount of supplies is going to save us.”

The king pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers and then rubbed his eyes. “I know. To tell you the truth, Shanks, I would be surprised if this went on into next week. If something doesn’t go our way soon…”

“Majesty,” Dearra said, taking the break in conversation as her cue to speak.

“What is it, Dearra?”

“I came, Sire, to see about the wounded. There are a lot of people hurt. Maybe we could try to set up a temporary house of healing and detail some to care for them while our main forces draw the Breken away.”

“We don’t have the people to spare, Dearra. Everyone who can will have to go with us to the mountains. The ones who are too hurt to go—”

“You can’t mean to abandon them! Your Majesty! Surely we can do something. Hadden could keep a small detail here. As Captain of your forces, you know he would be willing to protect these people with his life. He—”

“Captain Hadden is dead, Dearra. He fell in the first minutes of the attack on the capital. He was trying to give people time to get away. There were too many for him to handle alone. He never had a chance.”

“I’m sorry, Majesty. Hadden was a good man. I know you feel his loss, but we have to—”

The king slashed his hand through the air, silencing her. “They’re all good men! The women, the children, they all matter! I feel
every
loss, but we have to save who can be saved. If I leave even one behind to help those who can’t go forward on his own, all I will do is sentence one more to death, and you know it.”

He was right, of course. The Breken were here to conquer and take slaves. The only people they would keep alive were the ones they could capture uninjured. Those fit to work. Anyone else would be cut down and destroyed.

“Dearra,” the king said in a softer voice, “if there were any chance that we could save them or protect them, don’t you think I would do it? Your feelings are no different than my own, but I have to make the best decisions I can to ensure that as many survive as possible. Even now, the queen has gone to the mountains with the other women, children, and soldiers who have been placed there to offer some protection. Soldiers. Hah! What I should say is farmers with swords. I don’t even know if she lives, and it tears me to the bone, but we must do what we can, each in our own way.”

“She lives, Majesty.” Dearra’s heart felt torn and bleeding as she thought about the hundreds who would be left to die, but she could at least give the king this small piece of comfort.

“What? What did you say?” he asked, gripping her by the upper arms.

“She lives, Majesty. Brin says he can hear her. She is very brave.”

“Thank you for that, Dearra.” The king’s posture relaxed ever so slightly, and he released her.

“Shanks, go out and tell the people I will speak to them in a few minutes. I need another minute with Dearra.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Shanks gave a bow and was gone.

The king sat down heavily and looked her over. She imagined she must look quite dreadful. She was covered in blood and mud. Her hair was still in its braid…sort of. Much of it had come loose and was a tangled snarl, and she smelled like she had been wallowing with the pigs.

Brin?
She asked, hoping the dragon would give her some insight into the king’s thoughts, but the king spoke before Brin did.

“When did you grow up?”

“Majesty?” she asked, unsure how to answer the question.

“I remember when you were no bigger than a mite. You would run like a banshee through the castle, brandishing your little, wooden sword, and daring every boy in the place to duel. Then, one day, I looked up and you were a teenager, all legs and elbows. The sword you carried had changed, but not the fire in your eyes and in your spirit. You were still just as brash and bold. Now, here you are, all grown up. A woman. Your father would be proud.”

“I hope so, Your Majesty. I’ve tried to do right by our people, to think before I act. I’m not always very good at it, but I like to think that I’m better than I was. I think, I mean, I
hope
he’s proud of me.”

“
I’m
proud of you, Dearra,” the king said quietly.

“Thank you, Majesty,” she responded in a voice that was just as quiet.

“That’s enough of that,” King Jaymes grumbled. He turned his back to her and set about rolling the maps scattered before him. “In a minute, I’ll start getting all sentimental about all the years that are behind me instead of concentrating on the ones I hope to have in front of me.” He tied the maps hastily and turned to face her, once more. “The reason I asked you to remain behind is this: with Captain Hadden gone, I need someone to fill the role. I need someone to be in charge of our troops.”

“
You
are in charge, Majesty. Everyone will fight for you to their last breath.”

“Yes, but we need more. When we were living a life of peace and tranquility, I didn’t think I had to worry about officers and troops, and armies. That was a mistake, I see that now. We had very few trained men. Fewer now, and they aren’t used to leading. Our other soldiers aren’t really soldiers at all. They are a collection of farmers, potters, weavers, and the like, all pressed into service. They’re frightened, and with good reason. They need people to command them who can give them hope and direction. I need you and Daniel to take on that job. You were born to be a leader of men and women, as was I. Your leadership was always meant to be on a smaller scale, I grant you, but the people of Maj look to you first and me second.”

“No, Majesty! The people of Maj are loyal subjects. They—”

“Peace, Dearra. I know they’re loyal. I only meant that they rely on you for direction. It’s you they know. It’s you they trust. The people of Mirin Tor look at the Maj and see heroes, protectors, and saviors. Maj is legend here. You seem like a world apart to them. Our attitudes toward men and women have changed through the years, it’s true, but nowhere more so than on Maj. Here, a man can cook and sew and care for children, and women can fight and ride, and serve in the guard, but they still cling to the old ways. On Maj, those lines have blurred until they have almost completely been erased. If you ride at the head of the troops with me, they will take courage from that. Daniel is Weapon’s Master of Maj. His skill is well known, and he is a natural choice to lead. I’m not trying to flatter you into the job, I’m trying to be practical. If one of us falls, there will be another on hand to take over.”

“Of course, Majesty.” She couldn’t deny the wisdom of his words. It was foolish to believe they would all survive, or even that they could be everywhere at once. The people needed leaders. Without them, they wouldn’t have the will to continue.

“I’ve already spoken to Daniel. There’s no need to tell you his response, I suppose.”

Dearra smirked. Daniel was more than up to the task, and it wouldn’t occur to him to deny a royal request. “No, Majesty. I think I can imagine his enthusiasm for the job.”