The deathless ones, p.31
The Deathless Ones, page 31
Marian nodded. “The stables are near the gates.”
Semil turned to his men. “Areela, Prest, the two of you go to the stables and make the horses ready. We’ll be there soon.”
He looked at the two unconscious forms on the ground and strangely felt no sense of triumph.
Confusion and Despair
The loud knock on his door startled Aadron awake. With the trained instincts of the soldier and ruler who had faced his share of assassination attempts, he was out of his bed, his sword in his hand as he moved to the door on silent feet.
He flung the door open in a sudden movement, his sword at the neck of whoever was standing outside. Layla had reacted instinctively when the door opened, moving fluidly out of the way, her knife coming to rest on Aadron’s chest.
“My Lady,” he said, dropping the sword. “You startled me.”
“There’s something I need to show you,” she said.
He followed her to the window.
“This window was open and the pane was rattling in its frame which woke me,” she said.
“You must be a very light sleeper,” he remarked.
She gave an impatient huff. “Look at this,” pointing to a smear on the windowsill.
“That’s blood,” he said.
She nodded. “Don’t you see? Someone entered through here. They removed the pane and opened the latch, and once inside they replaced the pane, but they were probably in a hurry, so they couldn’t replace it properly. They left the window open so that if needed they could make a quick getaway.”
“That’s a lot of assumptions to make based on an open window with a loose pane and a smear of blood. That blood might have been there for ages. That pane might have been loose for ages.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But we both passed this window on our way to our rooms, and I am certain it was closed then.”
Aadron frowned, trying to remember. It was Danyal who had showed them to their rooms and he remembered making some remark about how stuffy the corridor was and why didn’t they open any windows?
“There was an explosion that caused part of the house to collapse,” Danyal had said. “The rubble hasn’t been cleared yet. If the windows were left open, the dust would be everywhere.”
“The window was closed,” Aadron said. “Still, it is a leap.”
“I was part of a group of thieves,” Layla said drily. “This is how they used to do things.”
“Oh,” Aadron said. “All right then, I guess I’ll have to defer to your greater expertise there.” He paused. “You said the window was open. Was there any dust? Did you cough or choke?”
She shook her head. “No, why?”
“Don’t you remember Danyal saying that the windows were kept closed to prevent the dust from being blown inside? If there was no dust, that means the intruder had probably just entered. He or she must have hidden when they heard you.”
“Hidden where?”
“In any of the rooms. Who else has rooms here? Do you know?”
She shook her head. “How would I know?”
“True, Danyal would know. Anyway, let’s try a few rooms.”
He tried the handles of three rooms and two refused to budge while the third turned easily and they both stepped into the room. Danyal lay on the floor, unconscious, a pool of blood near his head.
Layla knelt by him, and felt his neck. “He’s still alive!”
Aadron helped get him on to the bed while Layla rummaged in the cupboards to find something to clean and bind the wound on his head.
“Look, I have to alert Syamin and my Great Uncle. Will you be all right by yourself?”
“I have my dagger,” she said in response as she finished binding Danyal’s head and stepped away. “I hope he’s going to be fine.”
Aadron was noticing something. “This isn’t Danyal’s room,” he said. “This is my grand uncle’s room.”
“Are you certain?” Layla asked, concern in her voice.
Aadron nodded. “Look at the room, Layla. Look at all the scrolls and parchments and books! Look at the medicines, and the symbols of Nadais on the walls. This is Aster’s room I tell you!”
“Then where is he? Why would whoever broke in take Aster? And how did they take him without either of us noticing? I’m sure I was just down the corridor at your door.”
“The corridor is curved,” he reminded her. “The whole building is circular, remember? The curve would have hidden them from view.”
“But why would anyone want to take Aster?” she asked again. “For what purpose?”
“I wish I knew,” he muttered. “Look, I’ve got to find Syamin and apprise him of what happened. He’ll probably flip his lid, but perhaps he’ll know why someone would want to take Aster.”
“He’s attached to Aster, I take it?”
“Aster may be my grand uncle, but Syamin is closer to him than I ever was.” Aadron gave her a brief smile before leaving. He didn’t know which room Syamin was in. He tried knocking at the two doors he had tried earlier, but they were both unoccupied. He went towards the other side knocking at doors. A few were unoccupied and he managed to wake Myra and Fin before he found Syamin with Myra and Fin trailing behind him like twin tails.
“What happened?” Syamin asked, letting them into his room.
“Someone has taken Aster. His assistant Danyal was found unconscious in his room.”
“What?” burst from both Syamin and Myra.
“What were you doing in Aster’s room at this hour?” Fin asked.
Aadron sighed as he launched into the explanation of how Layla had woken him and of everything that happened.
“How’s Danyal?” Syamin asked.
“Unconscious and bleeding,” Aadron said. “We’ll probably have to wait a bit if we want anything out of him. He didn’t look too good.”
“The healer,” Syamin said. “Sadjah. She might be able to help.”
“Which room is she in?” Fin asked. “I’ll go and get her.”
“In the wing opposite this,” Syamin said. “Near to Aster’s room.”
Aadron frowned. “Two rooms were locked in that wing. I assumed that they were unoccupied.”
Syamin had a puzzled expression on his face. “Aster said he wanted them near him. I didn’t ask him why.”
“He once told me they need to be protected from Semil,” Myra said. “But he wouldn’t tell me anything more.”
“Protected?” Aadron asked. “What’s so special about them?”
Myra shrugged. “He said they had the mark of Nadais or something, that it was rare?”
Syamin looked thoughtful. “When he healed her, there was this light, as if her skin glowed. I asked him about it, but he said he would tell me later.”
Aadron frowned again. None of this was making any sense to him. “So what are you saying, that Semil somehow managed to slip past our guards both at the temple and here, and came here and kidnapped Aster and those two?”
“Speaking of guards,” Fin said. “Where are they? Begging your pardon, but Lord Aadron here was making enough racket knocking at doors. Why didn’t the guards come and check what was wrong?”
“Let’s go and check,” Syamin said. “Then let’s go and see if Danyal has regained consciousness.”
“What about Madh and Sadjah?” Myra asked. “Shouldn’t we check on them?”
“We’ll probably have to break down those doors,” Aadron said. “Unless those rooms are unoccupied and they are somewhere else.”
“One way to find out,” Syamin said. “Let’s wake everyone up.”
They woke Mylwin and Bydor and all the other rooms in that wing were empty. None of the empty rooms were locked and Aadron was beginning to think that perhaps Syamin was right and the two locked rooms did belong to the absent twins. He could not recall them much except that they both sat in one corner trying to be as unobtrusive as possible and succeeding quite well too.
They found the guards at the entrance, slumped in sleep. Syamin shook them, and Bydor bent and examined them.
“I think they have been drugged, my Lord.”
“Probably,” Syamin muttered. “Should we go and check on Danyal or go and see if Semil has broken out somehow?”
“Danyal is not going anywhere,” Myra said. “And Layla is with him. We should go and see if Semil is still there.”
“Perhaps we should get dressed if we are to do that,” Mylwin said.
Fin said at the same time. “Do you hear that?”
They all fell silent and they could hear it.
“Horses,” Aadron said.
“If it’s Semil, we are not going to be able to catch him soon.” Mylwin said
“So we let him go?” Myra demanded.
“No!” Syamin said. “He has Aster and probably Madh and Sadjah too, but the point is we don’t know if it’s him. Let’s make sure of that. Why don’t Aadron, Fin, and I go and check the temple while you, Bydor and Mylwin go and see if Danyal has regained his senses. Perhaps he could tell us something.” he paused. “Where’s Radik and Pelmeya?”
Aadron frowned. He had completely forgotten that the two magicians were in the mansion too.
“Radik said something about wanting to be close to the shrine, I think.”
“Pelmeya too,” Myra said. “All right. Bydor, go and wake Radik and Pelmeya and bring them to Aster’s chambers. Fin, go and check the front gate and the stables. Syamin, you and Aadron go and check the temple. Mylwin, go to the barracks and wake the men there. I’ll go and see if Danyal is awake.”
Aadron was amused to notice that Myra was issuing orders that somewhat countermanded Syamin’s and she didn’t even seem to notice. Syamin winked at him as he said.
“Come, Aadron. We have our orders.”
Myra flushed, but Syamin was out of the door and Aadron had no choice but to follow him.
“Are we planning to go and check on Semil in our nightwear?” He asked, feeling the effects of the shadow now that he was out of Aster’s mansion again. He had been able somehow to keep his sanity and his secret from Syamin during the fighting, but the night in Aster’s mansion was the first he was sleeping peacefully since he had entered the shadow of Nadais..
Syamin shrugged, hurrying. “Somehow I get the feeling that there won’t be anyone to notice it.” he paused. “If he has hurt Aster... Aadron, I don’t know what I’ll do...”
Aadron kept pace with him. “I don’t think even Semil will dare harm a disciple of Nadais while in his temple.” he had to keep his thoughts away from the magic somehow. That was how he had survived until now, by refusing to think about it.
Syamin snorted. “I’ve a scar on my stomach that says otherwise.”
“He was sixteen then. He probably knows better now.”
Radik and Pelmeya had both rushed inside in relief as soon as they had come to the house of Nadais. Aadron however did not have the luxury of doing that. He wasn’t certain why he wanted it kept a secret from Syamin, but he did.
Syamin made no response and they walked in silence. It struck Aadron how strange that silence was. Guards should be out in the streets patrolling. They should have heard footsteps, armour and weapons clanging, or perhaps he was not able to hear because of the sound of his own heart that was like a crescendo in his ears. But he could hear the sound of Syamin’s footfalls, even in his soft shoes, and the sound of his breathing.
“Do you think everything is too quiet?” he asked, and his voice seemed to echo in the silent streets.
“I noticed,” Syamin said.
They stopped as they reached the soldiers guarding the temple. They were all slumped in various positions, fast asleep. The temple doors stood open. Aadron bent down to shake one of the men, but there was no response.
“Drugged I think,” he said. “Just like the ones in the mansion.”
There was the sound of running footsteps, and after a few moments Mylwin appeared.
“All the men in the barracks,” he panted. “Drugged I think.”
Syamin looked at the open doors of the temple. “Nothing we can do here. Let’s go back and get dressed.”
They made their way back to the mansion just as Fin too reached. He looked pale and anxious.
“The gates are open,” he said. “All the horses are gone.”
“What do you mean all the horses?” Syamin asked. “Semil wouldn’t have needed that many?”
“I don’t know, but they’re all gone.”
“He’s discouraging pursuit,” Aadron said, feeling much better now that he was in the mansion. “He must have taken the other horses outside the gates and set them free. With luck we might be able to catch a few, but all the while he’s getting away.”
“We can’t go after him without horses,” Mylwin said. “We can’t outrun them, and judging by the state our soldiers are in, it’s only a few of us, and we’ll have to face Semil and his men by ourselves. It’s suicide.”
“He has Aster,” Syamin said. “I don’t care if it’s suicide, I don’t care if it’s impossible. I have to go after him!”
“You’re not thinking straight!” Mylwin said, just as Aadron exclaimed, “Are you crazy?” and Fin said. “You can’t, Lord Syamin!”
They all stared at one another. Syamin smiled a bit ruefully. “Perhaps you’re right, but we need to find a way to save Aster and those twins.”
Trapped
Sadjah woke to the feeling of dryness in her mouth and a sore body. It was dark, but she could make out that she was in a wagon of some kind and that her hands and feet were tied. She tried to move her head and found that it was possible. So, she had not been hit over the head. Madh was next to her. She couldn’t see his face clearly in the gloom, but she thought that his eyes were closed. Aster was also there. Apart from the bonds on his wrists and ankles, there was a gag in his mouth. He was sitting closer to the back, and the light from the gap between the cloth flaps that covered the wagon fell on to his face. He appeared to be sound asleep.
Sadjah attempted to sit up and managed a more or less upright position with her head higher than her shoulders, and her shoulder leaning on the side of the wagon.
“Are you all right?” The voice startled her and had she not been bound, she would have jumped.
“Kal,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Keeping an eye on you both,” he said. “Since you were both foolhardy enough to get captured by the one man we warned you about, is it so surprising that I would keep an eye on you?”
“For what purpose?” Her voice was harsh. “I don’t think you can get us out of here, can you?”
“You know I can’t,” Kal said regretfully. “We can’t interfere.”
“If only your brother hadn’t done so,” she said. “All this is his fault. Don’t blame our ‘foolhardiness’. Blame him.”
“I’m not blaming anyone,” Kal said. “Jiv made a mistake, and I guess it’s time we all paid for it.”
“You aren’t the only ones who’ll pay,” she said ungraciously. “Where are we?”
“On the road to Lykos. Semil wants to reach somewhere outside the shadow of Nadais quickly. He wants to perform that spell.”
“I thought his magician was driven crazy by the shadow.”
“The madness didn’t have time to take hold,” Kal said. “And the shrine of Nadais healed him.”
“Didn’t know it could do that.”
“Magicians in the shadow can be healed by two things. The shrine of Nadais and the Disciple of Nadais. Since Aster is here, Semil’s magician isn’t going to be affected by the shadow.”
“I see. Is that why Madh is unaffected?”
“He will never be affected,” Kal said. “He is the child of Nadais.”
“And he was nabbed in the House of Nadais. One would think Nadais would have more care for his children.”
Kal smiled. “He doesn’t interfere either. He has equipped you both to help yourselves. Besides, Marian is his chosen disciple too.”
“So, her presence can help with the shadow too?”
Kal nodded and in the gloom, she almost missed it.
“So, you can’t help us,” she said. “Not even if I choose that we be taken to that valley of yours?”
“Not even then,” Kal said. “I’m sorry.”
“Is Semil planning to reach Lykos without stops?” she asked.
“I’m not in Semil’s confidence.”
She rolled her eyes. “Can’t you eavesdrop or something?”
Kal crouched by her side and touched her arm. Suddenly she was seeing Semil, riding at the head of a column of horses. There was a single covered wagon which held her and Madh and Aster, she assumed.
“My Lord,” Marian said. “The men won’t be able to hold on much longer. The third moon has set. We have to stop and rest. It will do us no good if they can’t defend us when Syamin and his forces catch up with us.”
“I want to get out of this damn shadow before Syamin catches up with us!”
“He has no horses, nothing. How do you expect him to catch up with us when we’ve been riding hard for most of the night?”
“I don’t know,” Semil muttered. “But I know enough not to underestimate Syamin.”
“We shouldn’t overestimate him either. Besides, we have larger numbers now. It will take a couple of days for his army to be back to normal after that sleeping draught. I don’t think he’ll wait until then to pursue us, not if Aster means as much to him as we think.”
“All the more reason to put space between us and him.”
“We have the advantage now, and Syamin cannot work miracles,” she said. “The men are dying on their feet. Don’t push them too hard if you don’t want a revolt in your hands.”
Sadjah thought Marian had gone too far, but before she could see if Semil was going to punish Marian, she was back in the wagon.
“She has changed,” she said thoughtfully. “Marian. Niya said she was blindly loyal to Semil, but she is questioning him now.”
“She’s loyal, even more blindly than before,” Kal said mildly. “But she knows her limitations. Not even she can protect him if his soldiers turned against him en-masse.”
