Resurrected Soldiers: The Tyrus Chronicle - Book Three (22 page)

CHAPTER 22

After a quickly eaten meal of wild potatoes and sickly walnuts that tasted like dried twigs, Ava leaned back against a dead oak. Her short hair caught in the rough bark, which made her wince briefly until she readjusted her position. She closed her eyes and relaxed, hoping to grab a few minutes of sleep while everyone finished their food.

She walked around half-asleep most days it seemed. Besides each day’s physical exertions, the continued practice and use of sorcery drained her.

She was almost under, when footsteps approached.

Ao’s teats.

“You know we’re going west?” asked Myra.

Ava opened an eye, raising her eyebrow high to indicate her annoyance. “I am aware of that.”

“And that our overall path has taken a more westerly approach as of late. Though we did backtrack east for almost two days earlier in the week.”

“Yes.”

“And that the Southern Kingdoms are, well, south.”

“Huh? The Southern Kingdoms are actually located in the south. Gods, all this time I’ve been leading everyone with my thumb up my rear, hoping and praying I would stumble upon a sign that said, ‘head this way to the safety of the Southern Kingdoms’ when really all I needed to do was pay attention to the blasted name.”

They stared at each other for a moment.

“That was really uncalled for, Aunt Ava,” Myra finally said.

“Probably, but I feel better.”

They waited a moment longer in silence. Ava knew that Myra wanted her to explain their current course, but she wouldn’t volunteer anything. She’d make her ask.

Myra had finally begun to crawl out of her hole of self-pity and doubt. She had begun asking general questions, but offering no comment. Then it was small noises that Ava took for agreement, disagreement, or confusion.

Today was the first day that she seemed ready to question a decision for its effectiveness. Therefore, Ava would make her work for the answer, make her realize she wanted to be involved.

“That’s it. No explanation?” Myra asked.

Ava smiled inwardly. “I don’t recall you asking for an explanation. And I also don’t know if I see the point in giving you one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, are you just going to ask a bunch of questions with no follow up like you mostly have, or like today, point out the obvious with no alternative solution?”

Myra scowled. “I know what you’re doing. You want me to contribute.”

“You’ve got a sharp mind, and I could use your opinion.”

Myra bit her lip. “All right. Tell me.”

Ava held back a smile as she sat up and unrolled the map from her shirt. It was the one they had picked up in Uman. With the land having changed so much after each eruption, Tyrus and Dekar had begun to make notes on it, even changing the locations of certain roads that had once existed but were no longer there. They had left the map behind to help the group journey south. Ava started making her own notes. There were some changes to the terrain and landscape, but most of that she didn’t bother with. She figured the moment she made a mark about a few trees, another eruption would come along and change everything all over again.

Besides, it’s not like I’m coming back this way again. Once I’m out of Turine, I’m done.

She instead spent time marking what she felt was more useful.

“What are all these little symbols?” asked Myra.

“The various armies we’ve come across. These are their last known locations, basically where they were when we scouted them, along with their projected path at the time we passed. I’ve got estimates in size on the back. The triangles represent the Malduks. The sideways ovals are Geneshans.”

Myra studied the map. She flipped it over after a few moments, tallying the numbers.

“Over five thousand,” she whispered. “I hadn’t realized it was that many.” She turned it over once more, studied it again while tracing the map with her finger. “Do you think they’re heading toward Hol?”

“That was my guess.”

“The artifact?”

“What else?”

“Why? Surely the Geneshans know what’s caused all this damage. And they know better than most what it can do.”

Ava shrugged. “Maybe in some strange way they’re going to embrace the end of the world and fulfill a part of the prophecy we don’t know about. The Geneshans are crazy when it comes to their religion.”

“That wouldn’t explain the Malduks following them.”

“Well, the Malduks are gullible, and for some reason or another, believe most of what the Geneshans tell them.”

Myra rubbed her chin. “The only people heading north are soldiers. If this was some embracing of the end of the world, why wouldn’t all Geneshans, women and children included, follow?”

“Could be that the Geneshans killed them. They do like their sacrifices. It doesn’t happen often, but they killed their own too.”

“I think they’re heading off to war.”

“The war’s over,” said Ava.

“That war is, but Pa said Balak mentioned another was starting, remember?”

Ava knew it was true. She hadn’t wanted to think about it though.

Myra’s voice shook. “The troops coming up behind Pa alone are twice what Balak fielded at the outpost. No telling how many they’re going to meet when all is said and done.”

Yeah. Things don’t look good.

“So what do you think about the path I’ve been taking?” asked Ava, changing the subject.

Myra gave her a look. “You’re not going to even address what I just said?”

“What do you want me to say? There’s nothing we can do about it.”

“I know. Still, I wish . . .” She paused, lips pressing together in frustration. “Don’t tell Zadok about this.”

“Why?”

“Because he won’t handle it well.”

“I don’t think you’re giving your brother enough credit. He’s one of the more stable people I know.”

“You don’t know him like I do.”

“Meaning?”

“He’s still very much a boy. When no one else is around and he’s curled up in his bedroll beside me at night, I can hear him crying in his sleep. Just like Ma used to do at the Soiled Dove. She was a positive person, but she felt pain, confusion, and doubt like everyone else. She just did a better job of hiding it than most. Just like Zadok.”

I should have known that. But how could I?

“I had no idea. Thanks for telling me.”

Myra studied the map more. “We need to go north.”

“Uh, didn’t you just make a comment to me about the Southern Kingdoms being located in the south?”

“I hadn’t seen this. I know you were trying to go around where you thought the armies would be, but I think all we’re going to do is keep trekking back and forth across the same area.”

“And your plan is to go north? The opposite of where we need to go?”

“Only for a little while. To here,” she said pointing. “The map says there’s a small river here with a bend just inside of the Turine borders. We could make some rafts, hop on, and then let the currents take us south to the kingdoms.”

“The river would take us farther west than we want to go.”

“I know, but it also will take us south. What other choice do we have? We’ll at least be heading more in the right direction, and riding the currents will give everyone a chance to rest and give easy access to water.”

“But an army heading north might follow that river too because of the water supply. We’re trying to stay hidden, not sit in the middle of an open space where we can be plucked off by arrows and spears.”

“We’re also trying to get to the Southern Kingdoms before the next eruption.”

I’m also trying to keep you and your brother alive.

But she’s right. We’re getting nowhere with what we’ve been doing. The farther away from Hol we go, the better chance we’ll survive the next eruption.

Ava worked her tongue in her mouth. “If we tie the rafts together and keep them close, I might be able to confuse what people see of us.” She sighed. “All right. We’ll change course.”

CHAPTER 23

Ava looked over her map with Myra and Zadok at her side. In the background, Nason and several others sharpened axes and hatchets. Camp was set for the night and what little light of day still hanging around faded fast. They had made good progress toward the river, but she wanted to ensure they got there by tomorrow evening, so temporarily suspended training.

They had been collecting dead vines that managed to hold onto their strength the last two days while on the road, and everyone worked on braiding them together while walking to minimize their time camping at the river itself when they reached it. They’d use the vines to bind logs for the rafts.

She followed Myra’s gesture. “This is about where we should meet the river.”

Ava nodded. “As soon as we get there, we set pickets. Anyone who can swing an ax or hatchet needs to get to work felling trees not already down. Anyone not doing those two jobs will need to start trimming logs and binding them together. We’ll work all night by firelight if needed.”

“People will be tired after the pace you’ve kept, Aunt Ava.”

“People will be dead if we stay there longer than we need to. They can sleep on the rafts.”

Zadok frowned at Ava’s hard response, but then brightened with a smile. “I guess I better remind everyone not to roll over in their sleep.”

Ava grinned, thinking about someone rolling into the river. However, she couldn’t take much pleasure in the joke. Her last conversation with Myra came to mind and she wondered how much of Zadok’s response was real.

Zadok frowned at her, and Ava realized she’d been staring.

“Let’s see what needs doing before first watch begins,” she said, standing, cursing her stiff legs.

Gods, barely into my thirties and I feel like I’m Sivan’s age.
She felt a pang of regret from the thought. She had liked the old man a lot.

Hurried footsteps and murmured whispers came from behind. Ava knew right away something was wrong.

Of course it is.

She spun as Eder returned from scouting. He didn’t look panicked like when coming upon a large army, but he definitely wore a look of concern. Others must have seen the same as Ava. Rather than get a jump on breaking camp, a couple followed after him, wanting to get the news he brought firsthand.

Naturally, that only angered her. She didn’t like dealing with more than a couple people when listening to scouting reports. Though most of the people seemed pretty content with following her lead, she could tell that some grew disenfranchised with her.

Because we still aren’t there.

Her face must have conveyed her thoughts for Nason called out for people to keep working.

They said something to the former tanner, perhaps a question. Nason shook his head, and pointed back to their gear.

He had not wanted to lead their group, but he did not shy away from doing all the little things that made Ava’s responsibilities easier.

I could kiss him for that.

“What happened?” she asked.

Eder cleared his throat. “Another Malduk party, though much smaller than what we’ve seen so far.”

“How small?”

“I guess there might have been another couple out scouting, but only nine were visible.”

“That’s really small.”

“A squad out on a separate mission?” suggested Myra. “Advance group doing some detailed scouting.”

“I don’t think so. I doubt they’d be a lead scouting group with two prisoners. Not like these anyway.”

For the last few days, Eder and Massa had come back from scouting with reports of the Malduks and Geneshans transporting Turine prisoners. She had tried to keep that under wraps, not wanting to cause more fear where she felt there was already plenty.

Nason had suggested that it didn’t make sense for the Geneshans to drag prisoners all over the countryside with them since they would only be a drain on resources. Ava had kept quiet then, not explaining what she thought the prisoners were likely for.

Ava frowned. “What makes these prisoners so different?”

“Their skin.” Eder glanced to Myra and Zadok. “They’re darker than them. Black.”

“They’re from the Southern Kingdoms?” asked Zadok.

Eder shrugged. “Y’all know more about that stuff than I do. But that would be my guess.”

“How many?” asked Myra.

“Just two. A woman and a man. Might be husband and wife.”

Ava could see another question forming on Myra’s lips, but Ava cut it off. “What about the squad of Malduks? Anything else unique about them other than their numbers?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Are they a threat?”

“Didn’t look that way. They seem to be trying to go unnoticed much like how we are. Maybe even more so.”

“Good. Grab some water, then get ready to go back out there in a bit.”

He nodded and left.

“Well, that’s good news,” said Ava to Myra and Zadok. “Go get some food yourselves. We’ll need to get to sleep soon.”

Myra asked. “You’re just going to leave them out there?”

“Leave who?”

“Don’t play dumb. The prisoners.”

“We left other prisoners.”

“This is different.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s only two people, and they aren’t being guarded by an entire army. Just a squad.”

“Oh, just a squad? Is that all? You do realize that your father led a squad of eight to twelve men for almost a decade. During that time we were responsible for directly killing hundreds of people. Indirectly, who knows the number.”

“We don’t know that they’re an elite unit,” said Myra.

“We don’t know that they’re not either so don’t act like we can just stroll into their camp and take them out.”

“I never said any of that.”

“You were thinking it.”

“No. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t plan something. We have the element of surprise. And more importantly, we have you.”

“I’m not at full strength, Myra.”

“You don’t need to be. You’ve been practicing attack spells, right?”

“Very small ones and I’ve had to be careful when doing so. Attack spells are a different animal than the other types I’ve been using. A high-level mage or enemy sorcerer can possibly trace an attack spell back to the person who created it. We don’t want that kind of attention if there are any nearby.”

“Well, then we don’t use those spells. You’ve still been working all sorts of concealment and confusion spells. Even if you do nothing more than that it will make a big difference in us being able to rescue them.”

“It’s still a big risk.”

“It’s one we should take.”

“Why are you so bent on putting us in jeopardy for two complete strangers?”

“Because. They are from the Southern Kingdoms. They might be able to tell us how best to get there from our current spot. They might know alternate routes or changes in the land we aren’t yet aware of. They’ll know what’s happening in the south and how badly the artifact affected their kingdom. It would make our journey easier.”

Ava had to concede that point. More points started running through her mind.

We really don’t know anything about the Southern Kingdoms either. Tyrus was the only one who had even been there and that was over a decade and a half ago. And those memories were influenced by the fact he met Lasha there. What if we spend all this time traveling south and the kingdoms turn us away?

Those people could help us navigate the Southern Kingdoms and get us better acclimated to a new land.

Plus, we could kill a few Malduks along the way. Nothing wrong with that.

But the risk . . .

“What if we lose someone? Or multiple people? How do I justify that to the others? We lose friends, but save two strangers? Or what if these two don’t want to help us after we save them? Or they give us false information?”

“All good points,” said Myra.

Ava snorted. “And you don’t agree with any of them.”

“I didn’t say that. They’re just not enough to talk me out of wanting to save those people.”

“We don’t know the layout of their camp,” grumbled Ava. She was trying to put up a fight, but could feel herself conceding. She too saw the benefits of having the people with them.

“That’s because you didn’t ask Eder.” Myra pointed. “He’s right over there.”

“We’ll need to convince others to help. It would be better to have volunteers over ordering people to do this,” said Ava.

Ao-be-damned, I guess that means we’re doing this.

“I’ll help,” said a woman’s voice.

Ava turned as Damaris walked up.

“Sorry,” Damaris continued. “I overheard some of your conversation. I want to help.”

“See. We already have a volunteer,” said Myra, half-joking.

Ava gave Damaris a look. “Do you realize how dangerous this is going to be?”

“I told you before. I’m tired of being pushed aside when it comes to things of importance. Just because I’m a woman, doesn’t mean I can’t contribute. You of all people know that.”

She did, and Ava had to concede that Damaris had fully embraced the extra training Ava had given her with the spear and dagger.

Still . . .

“But I’m a mage.”

Damaris gestured to Myra. “She isn’t.”

“She’s offering strategic advice. She’s not asking to fight a squad of Malduks.”

“Actually—” began Myra.

“No. Out of the question. Don’t even think about it,” snapped Ava.

Myra’s brow furrowed in anger, but thankfully she didn’t add anything more.

“I want to go,” said Damaris.

Ava was surprised by the hard tone the woman’s voice had taken.

“You should let her,” said Myra.

Ava sighed. “Let’s go talk to Eder then.”

Filled with dread, Ava hoped she wasn’t making the wrong decision.