The Awakened: Book One (5 page)

“No…” the man mumbled and then flinched as if dodging something.

Suddenly, a memory sprang into Adair’s mind.  He had dealt with this man before on the matter of neglecting to pay a shipping tax.  Usually, any crime against the Empire, no matter how small, was punishable by death under Orudan law.  Adair had shown mercy on the man and let him live.  After that, the man tried to repay Adair’s kindness by sending word of any criminal happenings around the city, as he became aware of them.  Adair had to admit that this man had proven to be a useful informant on several occasions, but he hadn’t heard anything from him in almost a year.

As the man’s name came back to his memory, Adair said it aloud.  “Bahari.”

“Do you know him, my lord?” the old woman asked.

“Yes,” Adair answered, wondering why Bahari would be moaning his name.  “You said he was found on the western shore?”

“Yes, my lord.  That’s what the soldier told me.  I’ve…” she started, but then trailed off.

Adair turned to her.  “What is it, woman?  If you know something, tell me at once!”

“I’ve seen this type of thing before,” she answered, her body language more timid than before.  “A man gets in a drunken fight and finds himself washed up on the beach.  I thought this was another such occurrence,” she said, her voice lowering to a whisper.  “But when I cleaned the wound on his leg I pulled this out.”

Reaching into the pocket of her apron, she produced what appeared to be the dangerous half of an arrow.  She handed it to Adair and he took it carefully.

The craftsmanship was better than what the Orud military used, but he couldn’t place it.

“How was it positioned in his leg?”

“May I…?” the woman asked, motioning for the arrow.

“Please,” Adair said, handing it back to her.

“It entered from the back,” she said, holding it up to Bahari’s leg.  “But it wouldn’t come out so I had to take it out from the front.  It wasn’t easy, but he didn’t even seem to notice.”

Adair looked back at Bahari and shook his head. 
What did you get yourself into this time?
  “I am leaving for a while, but I will be back,” he said to the woman.  “While I am gone, keep his door locked and let no one else see him.”

“Yes, my lord,” she said with a nod.

Adair strode out of the room with the guards following closely.  When he reached the front door, he called over his shoulder to the old woman who was struggling to keep up.  “If he wakes up, try to find out what happened.”

* * * *

The sun had just peeked over the mountains to the east and the Bay of
Bastul
glittered with the first rays of the morning sunlight.  Maeryn stood on the balcony of her bedroom with her hands on the stone railing.  Her night clothes and long blonde tresses swayed in the light breeze as she took a deep breath of the salty air and exhaled.  Adair wasn’t in bed when she woke and the sheets were cold.  He had obviously left sometime during the night and it was bothering her.  It wasn’t as if this was the first time.  Actually, it was a regular occurrence for someone of Adair’s position.  But Maeryn was finding it harder and harder to deal with his absences. 
When you’re the governor of
Bastul
, everyone needs something from you.
  She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned, walking back into the bedroom.

The house was already alive with activity.  The slaves had been awake for a couple hours and were scurrying around the house, busy with their duties.  Maeryn pulled a fresh white tunic from her closet and slipped it over her head.  The purple thread sewn into the hem dragged on the floor until she gathered the tunic at her waist and fastened it with a matching purple silk belt.  She walked barefoot to her mirror set against the wall and sat down in the chair which faced it.  Voices drifted to her from different parts of the house as she combed her hair, but she hardly heard them.  She was unable to stop thinking about Adair and her thoughts turned from irritation at his increasing responsibilities to worry about his safety.

After combing out a night’s worth of tangles, she wove her hair into a simple braid that hung down to the middle of her back, tying the ends of the thick locks with a narrow ribbon.  On the table next to her comb were two elaborately decorated glass bottles of rose oil, a rare treat in her culture.  Adair had purchased each of them on separate occasions from a merchant friend of his that passed through
Bastul
only a few times a year.  She pulled the glass stopper from the older of the two bottles and applied a drop to each wrist and one on either side of her neck.

Now ready for the day, Maeryn left her bedroom and descended the stairs leading toward the center of the house, remembering Kael’s excitement about a new project that he and Saba were going to start in the morning.  As she reached the first floor, the garden courtyard came into view between white stone columns which supported the overhanging roof.  She headed through the center two columns and down a circular set of stairs that led to the gravel floor.  The bright morning sun reflected off the top of the house to her left, leaving the rest of the open area in morning shadows.  By noon, the sun would be shining straight down into the garden and the many trees and flowers would bask in the warmth.

Just as she suspected, Kael and Saba were at the other end of the garden.  As she approached, Saba stood from a kneeling position at the base of a small tree.

“Good morning, Maeryn,” he said in a soft voice.

“Mother,” exclaimed Kael, running toward her and throwing his arms around her waist.

Maeryn reached down and stroked Kael’s shoulder-length blonde hair.  His blue eyes were bright, especially when he was excited about something.  Most boys his age would be embarrassed to hug their mothers.  But not Kael; he was different—special.  “Good morning, you two.  And what are you working on now?” she asked.

Kael answered excitedly before Saba had a chance.  “Saba is going to show me how to graft a branch onto this tree.  They are different species, but he says they will grow together if we are very careful.”

Maeryn smiled at his excitement, then looked to Saba.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

“My pleasure,” he whispered back.

Saba
was an old man, old and wise.  He was tall, with silver hair that fell past his broad shoulders and a beard that was just as long.  Between the beard and his thick eyebrows, most of his features were covered, except his straight, sharp nose and bright blue eyes.

Adair first met him seven years ago when he needed some information.  Adair didn’t tell her much, except that he was impressed with the man’s wealth of knowledge.  It seemed that they had just discussed what to do about Kael’s education only weeks before and couldn’t come to a decision.  They both agreed that the usual Orud upbringing did not interest them.  Most of the education revolved around the history of the Empire and the lineage of Emperors from the first to the most recent.  Beyond that, the education was simply a preparation for becoming a soldier.

And then Saba came into their lives.  He was knowledgeable about many different cultures, history, religions, economics, nature, and weather.  Actually, Maeryn couldn’t think of a single thing that Saba didn’t know about.  Not once had he ever responded to a question with “I don’t know” as his answer.  Yet, he wasn’t arrogant in any way.  In fact, he was one of the most humble people that either of them had ever met.   That, combined with his patient and kind personality made him the perfect tutor for their son.  Adair wasted no time approaching him on the matter, taking great care to emphasize the fact that the pay for tutoring the governor’s son would be quite handsome.  They made sure there was no way he would refuse.  And he didn’t.

That was seven years ago, when Kael was only three years old, and Saba had since become part of their family.  Maeryn watched as he knelt down and talked to Kael.  He was so patient and gentle, and Kael’s eyes lit up with excitement every time Saba was near.  The agreement had always been that he would tutor Kael in a variety of subjects for several hours each morning.  The hours would get longer as Kael got older, but at the beginning, the tutoring was to end by midday so Kael would also have the time to play like every child should.  The tutoring eventually evolved into something much less formal.  The two became friends and did everything together.  Whether play or work, every situation became a teaching experience and Kael thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

“Have you seen Adair this morning?”

Saba
looked up and shook his head.  “He was gone before I woke.”

Maeryn smiled nervously.

“Have fun, you two,” she replied, turning to leave.

As she reached the steps to the house she turned around to watch them from a distance.  They were both kneeling by the tree, as Saba pointed at the peeling bark and explained some incredibly detailed information that would have bored her.  But Kael was enthralled.  As she watched, her thoughts returned to her husband and she wondered how long it would be until she would see him again.

Chapter 4

The carriage bounced and creaked in response to the stone road underneath, as Adair watched the scenery pass by the window.  To the east, rolling meadows stretched from the road to the mountains, the land rising sharply as it drew close to the foothills.  Occasionally, a tall row of trees would divide the land, designating a property boundary.  To the west, the cobblestone road gave way to patches of grass, clinging stubbornly to the shoulder, which ended abruptly at a steep cliff.  The ocean, which was hundreds of feet below only minutes ago, was getting closer now as the carriage descended into a valley.  After a few minutes, the road ended at a sandy beach and the carriage came to a halt.  Adair quickly opened the door and stepped out, happy to be rid of his method of transportation.  He preferred to ride a horse, but because of his position, was expected to do otherwise for safety reasons.

A hundred yards away, at the opposite side of the beach was a wooden guard tower clinging to the side of the cliff like a vine in one of the surrounding vineyards.  It reached from the beach floor, all the way to a lookout perched fifty feet above the top of the cliff.  Two of the four soldiers that had been accompanying Adair rode up and began to dismount, intending to follow him inside.

“I’ll return shortly,” he said to them.

They each glanced at the other and then back to Adair, conceding with a nod.  Adair turned away and walked toward the guard tower, leaving the men to keep charge of the carriage.

It took him several minutes to reach the lower entry.  Two guards on either side of the door tipped their spears in salute.  They were otherwise motionless, staring straight ahead without making eye contact.  Adair never ceased to be impressed at the discipline of his soldiers, especially those who were stationed at posts far away from the scrutiny of the Governor.  It was a small sign, but it confirmed his success at ruling the city.  He smiled as he walked past the soldiers and through the stone archway.  This room was one of many rooms making up the lower level, serving only as an entrance to the enormous staircase carved into the rock.  Around the other side of the building, facing the ocean, were other rooms of supplies and stables for the mounted patrolmen who rode up and down the coast at scheduled intervals, but this one was completely empty.  Adair waited for a few seconds, looking around at the construction of the room.  He had been here many times, but had never paid much attention to the place beyond its practical uses.  He glanced up to the ceiling and observed thick wooden beams that extended twenty feet over his head from their anchor point in the rock cliff, to where they were supported by slightly larger vertical beams buried in the sand.  The room itself was nearly forty feet wide, but only half as deep.

To his left, a door opened and another soldier walked through.  As soon as he noticed Adair, his casual demeanor disappeared.  “Colonel, it is a pleasure to have your company.”  The man bowed his head in respect.  “How may I be of assistance?”

“I am here to see your Lieutenant.”

The soldier motioned to the stairs.  “He is up above in the observatory; I will go fetch him for you.”