The Exodus Sagas: Book IV - Of Moons and Myth (13 page)

“Danger from what? What happened to---“ Shinayne looked around, not smelling the wine nor food anymore, realizing something was not right. She looked up to the one eyed man. “Saberrak what is that?”

“I do not---“

“I am
kithian
, descendants of the
great
cyclops, you need not fea
r me. It is not you that I hunt, and what you saw here was not real.
” Ihros Seeing-Owl opened
his eye, he heard it to the north
of ruined Estivar
, his prey was on the run again
.

Zen peered out from behind Gwenneth and James. The spirits were gone, the smells disappeared as if they never were.
He whispered.
“
Then who is it you be hunting then
, the spirits I seen in here
?”

“No, the one that brought them here. The one that let them out
, the creature
they are bound to
.” Ihros walked past the five that his birds had told him of and crouched outside the doors.

“And what would that be
…
?” James was following the kithian, looking for something, surveying the sky and ruins and finding nothing.

“The banshee.”

“A ghost?” James asked.

“No, a remnant of the dead that has conquered and consumed other spirits and ghosts in its ambitious
and eternal unlife
. The banshee form from hundreds or thousands of dead and cursed. The ones they consume sometimes appear in places to mark their passage, like just now.
Ghosts of the
enslaved
ghosts, wanting to be seen.
Then,
they escape
.”

“Escape from where?”

“Their place of death, the place my blackbirds told me you are heading
to
.
The realm b
eyond the storm
.”

“Which way would that be then? Is there a road?” Zen looked west then up to the kithian.

He stood and pointed down a valley and toward the dark clouds. “No road, but they come from the
re, the cursed lands of the lost cities
. You will not be able to pass
the storm
, and if you do, you will be most unwelcome by what lays claim to that place.
Seek your treasures elsewhere if you wish to live.
”

“That be
my place
yer’ speakin’ of there, my one eyed hunter. Whoever be there will have to be steppin’ aside.” The last Thalanaxe pulled out the box and the deed, showing it to Ihros
Seeing-Owl
.

“
If you think what holds that place will honor a piece of parchment, then I will be seeing your spirits very soon.
I must go, the banshee moves. For some reason, it does not like your presence.” Ihros ran north, following his senses of the dead, hunting for the things not allowed to leave the curselands.

“Ye can tell it the feeling be mutual
then!” Zen put his things away and
watched the cyclops run
nearly
out of sight.Z
en turned to the west and walked toward the storm with his four companions. “Already seein’ three eyed trees
, ghosts that cook,
one eyed giants, and we ain’t even there yet.”

Ihros sensed the banshee, saw the trail of collected spirits ahead in the trees, he stopped. Something about the minotaur was strange, a feeling, a glow in his kithian sight. He turned around to the five he assumed to be nothing more than fame seekers in search of riches and death. The cyclops walked up to the gray minotaur, face to face, drawing his four allies close and making them uneasy.

“What is your name, horned one.”

“Saberrak Agrannar the gray, what of it?” He snorted up to the towering muscled hunter in front of him.

“Not even I dare pass beyond the storm, but if you are insistent upon going, I am familiar with how the place moves.” Ihros felt it, another spirit, something not of the minotaur, inside him.
It was gone, elsewhere, but left something behind, he could see it.

“I am listening.” Saberrak kept one hand on his axe handle, gripping it slowly, not knowing to trust th
is cyclops
or no.

“Storms seek the sun and brothers lost, who shall never
be again. Carice soothes
and floods
the pain
away
,
until dawn does shine once more.
Beware the cursed tha
t rise in fiery
light, protecting the judgment of Gimmor.”

“That was rather cryptic, can ye write it down then?” Zen looked up to the stare between Saberrak and Ihros Seeing-Owl.

“I have it priest, no worries. What it means though---“

“It moves again, I must go. Be careful.” Ihros sensed the banshee heading north, fast now, and he knew it could not be allowed to reach a dwelling or city. He turned and ran, knowing his priorities for the Whitemoon.

“And you.” Saberrak huffed, releasing his white knuckle grip on his greataxe.

“
Very well then, guess we head that way.” Zen started toward th
e west, in the clouded morning
, his quiet friends behind him, all more puzzled than before.

“I do not like this place.” Saberrak huffed.
“Let’s go.”

Southern Shanador Tradeway

“
Trickery is a necessary facet
of success, undeniable as those who want your power or your blood, will surely come in great numbers one day
,
when you le
a
st expect it
.”---words of Avricas Sassari
, whispered into the dying ear the the eldest opposing elven councilor of Shalokahn, as he withdrew his blade.
Circa 240 A.D.

Kaya leaned over in the tent and gently rubbed her hand across the swollen belly of Rosana. She felt the baby move, yet the former queen of Harlaheim remained asleep. She had been sneaking out in early morning for five days in a row, escaping the tents of thousands of refugees from the east, the close watch of human and dwarven soldiers, and even the all too curious ears of Shanadorian merchants that had come to trade food and water to the caravan led by Cristoff Bradswellen the Third. Many people had been talking of her, too many.

Though no one knew her past, the name
Lady Kaya
had been circling among everyone. Most knew now over the last three weeks that Rosana was with child, that Shanador in the harvest month was indeed warm, and
that the woman father Garret
found had survived. Kaya had mingled, assisted in walking by either knights of Harlaheim or dwarven soldiers formerly of Marlennak
, and noticed
the people from Saint Erinsburg watching her and the growing closeness between the former queen and their lord. Rumors and whispers caught her ears often. Late night campfire talks of everything from their destination to who was in love with whom danced under the stars every evening. That was when she noticed them.

She limped out of the tent, dragging her right foot
and holding her left shoulder in
her morning robes of white
.
Her garments were
wrapped tight
, but
still caught a bit of morning breeze
. Kaya had been under Garrets care for well over a month, her bruises had healed, so had the cuts, and she felt whole and recovered. Past the dwarven guards with red beards and black plate she hobbled, receiving nods and little more in the first hours of daylight.
The woman once known as
Jade of the West
, once the Lady of Southwind
Keep
in Chazzrynn, now walked over the grassy hills of western Shanador, alone. Two more hills, past a grove of rich pines, around the base of a rocky overhang, she walked slow and calm in mind of every step she took.
A small pond lay ahead, nearly dried, now a mile or more away from the outskirts of the caravan.
Her limping increased even more.

Time moved slow for Kaya, the moments seemed eternal as she watched the hazy western sunrise
. She heard footsteps, a rush of grass, a twig snap, she had expected as much. She breathed deep, limping in small
circles, watching the shadows and
yet keeping her back close to the cliff face she was under. Three, then five, seven in all came from either side of her.

“May I ask why you would disturb a lady seeking solace in prayer?” Kaya looked shocked, her hand trembled a bit, her eyes went wide with innocence.

“Got a hefty price on yer head lady, that is the rumor anyway.” One of the masked men in all black pointed his small crossbow toward her chest. Three more did the same at an angled distance while three larger men with daggers and shortblades moved right to her front.

“I have no idea what you would be referring to.
Price
? For
what
?
I paid the merchant caravan
well in advance
for my jewelry.”

“This is not about jewelry,
Jade of the West
.” The man with the scar through his eyebrow and the warts on his eyelid spoke up, pointing his serrated shortblade at the woman they had tracked, trailed, and now had alone.

“I purchased
jade
, but it was from Caberra,
to the east
. The price was fair. I cannot believe you would pull blades on an injured lady over the price of such things.
Truly?
” her long auburn hair flicked back in defiance, her slate blue eyes looked angry and offended, her limping steps backed up toward the rock wall.

“You are lady Kaya T’Vellon, a former agent for the White Spider, and the only price we are concerned about is the one that goes with your corpse.”

“I am lady Kaya Bradswellen, second cousin by marriage to lord Cristoff, you are mistaken. Now leave me be and find someone else to harass.” Kaya waited, seeing the confused looks on a few of the men, she read their eyes, saw them darting back and forth.
“And why the masks?”

“Just check her Aidrey, check for the brand.”

“Kill her, I don’t trust it. Check the brand after.”

“I say we have our way with her, kill her, let the wolves have a bit if we were wrong. If we was right, hells, we’ll be rich anyway.”

“She matches the description, it’s her, I know it.”

“She is limping all over the place, riding with nobility, sure it’s her? Don’t seem right Aidrey.”

They stopped their debates with the raised hand of the scarred one known as Aidrey. He sheathed his shortblade and walked forward, dagger in hand.

“You want to
see
? You want proof
boys
? Here, I will show ye’ then.” He backed the limping woman back against the wall, she had nowhere to go, he knew she could not run anyway. They had been watching her for
over a week
now. Aidrey grabbed her bedclothes, as she fell to a knee, whimpering.

“Ain’t no agent, one of the Emerald Eight would never cower and cry like that. We got the wrong woman then, maybe she is dead, like they said in Devonmir.” One of the men with the crossbows lowered his aim.

“Please,
please don’t hurt me. I am nobility
, I can pay, please stop!” Kaya pleaded.

“Damn it!
Shut up
!” Aidrey slapped her across the face, sending the crack of flesh echoing off the rock, her head turning to the side with a muffled scream.

“No one is gonna hear us out this far anyway, no matter how loud she screams. I say we---“

“Please,
please
, if you are going to rape me, just…just..let me know how many of you there will be…I need, I need..to prepare myself…
please
.” She sobbed, on her knees, noticing the aim of the other men was low and the others had relaxed their blades as well.

“There is only seven of us. Don’t worry bitch, we will make it quick.”
One man chuckled, hearing possible pleasures.

“I ain’t raping no one until we see if it’s her!” Aidrey pulled her to up to her feet.

“Look at her, she don’t know anything about what we are even talkin about here, tis obvious.”

“Then hurry up! We know it ain’t her, just lo
ok and then I get
her second
,
after Aidrey.”

“Then me!”

Aidrey smiled, smelling the fresh l
ilac in her hair and on her flesh
. He looked into those blue eyes, at her fair skin
, then yanked the robe down over her s
houlders. She resisted, meekly, but he tugged again. His eyes went wide with curiosity as he saw black leather armor and chain links beneath her robe.