Souls of Aredyrah 1 - The Fire and the Light (19 page)

The boy kept the weapon pointed at Alicine as
he circled, surveying her up and down. His gaze lingered on the
dress, and for a moment a look of puzzlement crossed his features.
But he quickly regained his look of contempt and moved back around
to face her.

“So, a Jecta thief dares to disrespect a
foreman,” he said. He flipped her long braid across her shoulder
with the tip of the knife.

Dayn felt unbridled fury explode within him;
the weapon became invisible to his eyes. He lunged at the boy, but
in an instant found himself pinned to the ground with the blade tip
pressed against his throat.

“I said I would have my enemy at the end of
my sword,” the boy screamed, “and now I have!”

Dayn felt blood trickle down his collar as he
stared into the crazed eyes that were now inches from his. The
boy’s neck was bulging with fury, but his contorted face was almost
unreadable. Was it recognition, hostility, or satisfaction? Dayn
couldn’t be sure, but the intent was clear enough; the boy meant to
kill him.

“Please,” Dayn rasped, “we meant no
harm.”

“You lie, Whyn!”

Dayn felt the boy’s hot breath on his face.
“No, please, I can’t win. You are the victor!” He choked as the
knife pushed deeper.

“Let go of him!” Alicine screamed. She rushed
over and grabbed the boy’s arm, pulling the blade from Dayn’s
throat. “It’s my fault! I took the flowers, not him! We’ll do
whatever you say. Just let him go.”

The boy’s eyes fluttered and their glazed
look seemed to melt away as he turned them to Alicine. He
swallowed, then blushed as if caught doing something he shouldn’t
have. The boy leaned back and eased the blade further from Dayn’s
throat. “Perhaps—perhaps you did not know,” he said.

“We didn’t. I swear it,” Alicine said.

Dayn held his breath and kept his eyes on the
weapon still clutched in the unpredictable hand.

The boy placed his hand on Dayn’s chest to
push himself up, but at that moment his expression turned to one of
curiosity. “What is this?” he asked. He reached into the pocket of
the coat and pulled out the tiny blue bottle, the one Dayn had
found in the cave. He held it up, rotating and inspecting it, then
leapt to his feet, his fury fully returned.

“So you are thieves after all!” he said.

“No, we’re not!” Alicine cried.

“Then where did you get this? No Jecta comes
by a vessel with the lion emblem on it, not honestly that is. This
is stolen and it is you who stole it.”

Dayn struggled to his feet and wiped the
blood trickling down his neck. He yanked Alicine over to him. “I
took it,” he said. “She didn’t even know I had it.”

“Where did you get it?” the boy demanded.

“In the cave, but I didn’t know it belonged
to anyone.”

“You lie, Jecta. No one goes to the cave. No
one. It is forbidden for anyone to even step foot in the mountains.
The gods would never allow it, especially someone like you. What
Tearian home did you steal this from, thief? Tell me!”

The boy was shouting now, his face as red as
his hair. He clenched the bottle in his fist as he waved it
about.

Dayn stood trembling, at a complete loss for
words. His eyes darted between the bottle in the boy’s one hand and
the weapon still grasped in the other.

“And just what is considered stealing where
you are from, Jecta?” the boy ranted on. “Is not taking something
that does not belong to you stealing? Or do you simply make up your
own rules as you go along? No, I think you knew you stole the
bottle when you took it, just as I think she knew she was stealing
when she took the Frusensias!” He shoved the bottle back into
Dayn’s pocket, then ordered him to take off the coat.

Dayn complied, and the boy’s eyes were
instantly drawn to the brooch pinned at Dayn’s breast. The brooch
glistened for a moment, the brightness of its gold such contrast to
the dull cloth it was pinned to. The boy’s face contorted. With a
quick hand he snatched it from Dayn’s tunic, leaving a jagged tear
in its place.

Dayn grabbed for the beloved ornament, but a
lift of the weapon forced his hand back down.

“And this?” the boy said. He thrust the
brooch out, keeping it beyond Dayn’s reach.

“My father gave it to me!” Dayn said. The
defiance in his voice sounded strange even to his own ears, but he
had no intention of letting the boy think he had stolen it.

The boy did not dispute him, nor did he
accuse him further. He took Dayn’s coat from him, thrust the brooch
into the pocket along with the bottle, and tossed the coat
containing the incriminating evidence over the horse’s back.

“You will both come with me,” he ordered.
Then he turned and grabbed Alicine by the braid of her hair.

She gasped with indignation as the boy pulled
her toward him and backed toward the horse, his long knife pointed
at Dayn. He sheathed the weapon briefly as he leapt onto the
animal’s back, Alicine’s braid still in hand. She twisted in an
attempt to get free, but a cruel yank stopped her efforts.

“Where are you taking us?” Dayn asked.

The boy smirked. “Where do you think I am
taking you?”

“I—I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Watch your words, Jecta, or you will find
yourself at the end of my sword again. Now, get yourself in front
of the horse where I can keep an eye on you.”

Dayn started to cross in front of the horse,
but then paused. “May we get our shoes, first?” he asked.

“Your what?”

“Shoes—boots—to cover our feet.”

The boy frowned at Dayn’s feet. “And what is
the purpose of such things? To do further damage to your toes?”

Dayn looked down at his crusty blisters and
realized he would probably be better off without them.

“Very well, fetch your boots,” the boy said.
“But do not be tempted to run off. I have a good grasp on this
braid here and might forget to let loose should I need to go
galloping after you.”

Dayn nodded, then turned to scan the area for
the shoes they had tossed into the grass earlier. To his relief, he
spied them quickly and gathered them up. He handed Alicine her
slippers, then sat down and pulled on his boots, lacing them
hastily. Alicine, unable to bend her head down far, was left to
push her feet into hers as best she could. The boy watched her with
obvious amusement.

Finished, Dayn hobbled around to the front of
the horse. “Which way?” he asked.

The boy scowled and motioned to the south,
away from the mountains. “That way, to Tearia.” From the sound of
his voice, he didn’t want to go there any more than they did. “What
are you two called?”

“I’m Dayn and she’s Alicine. What are you
called?”

“What? You do not know?” The boy laughed, but
whether it was due to genuine amusement or whether he was toying
with their ignorance, Dayn was not sure.

“I am Reiv,” the boy said. “Now walk.”

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Chapter 12: March to the Gates

T
he walk to Tearia
was painfully slow, and Reiv was becoming increasingly irritated at
his own grandiose plan. The terrain was not rough, the hills from
this point were fairly easy to traverse, but to be slowed down by a
girl whose braid was in his grasp, and a boy hobbling in strange
foot coverings, was downright annoying. But even more annoying was
the fact that Reiv found the Jecta boy strangely familiar, and it
made him feel even more uneasy about his decision to return to
Tearia.

That morning, when Reiv had stormed through
the gates, the thought of starving in the wilderness seemed
preferable to staying another moment in Tearia. But the further he
rode from the city, the more he realized it was going to have to be
preferable, as that was probably what he was going to end up doing
anyway. He knew little about such things as surviving alone in the
mountains of the region. Even there he didn’t belong.

But then he discovered two strangers in a
field and realized the gods had given him an opportunity to return
to the city with pride intact. The strangers were clearly Jecta
thieves, and he, as foreman, had a responsibility to deal with
them. Weighing what he had left behind with what he faced ahead,
Reiv realized he had a choice: he could either take them back to
Labhras with the hope of receiving some recognition for his
loyalty, or he could continue on, letting fate fall where it may.
From the increasing growls in his empty stomach, fate was looking
none too pleasant. And so he had chosen to take them back.

Now here he was, lumbering down the road to
Tearia with two prisoners in tow. He kept a close watch on the boy,
but frequently found his eyes straying to the girl. His gaze
trailed down the long braid clenched in his hand and to the head of
the girl struggling to keep a cool distance. It was obvious she
felt contempt for him, but he sometimes caught her sneaking
glimpses in his direction when she thought he wasn’t looking. As
she marched ahead of him, Reiv found himself staring at her hair.
It was shiny black and looked to be soft, though he could not know
for certain. The gloves prevented him from feeling its texture, but
even without them he would not have been able to feel it. He
imagined how long her hair must be unbound, left to cascade down
her back. An ache filled his belly as a lusty image formed in his
mind. He shook his head, flinging the foolishness from his
brain.

Reiv’s curiosity shifted back and forth
between the prisoners. There was nothing about them that was alike.
What was their relationship? he wondered. Brother and sister? No,
probably husband and wife. It occurred to him to just ask, but then
he thought better of it. He did not want to appear too interested
in them, especially the girl. It would not be proper for a foreman
to behave in such a manner.

Gitta nudged Dayn in the back, edging him
forward a step or two. He flicked her a look of impatience. She
persisted and no matter how many times he tried to sidestep her or
scold her, she always managed to find him with her nose. Finally he
gave up and slowed his pace to walk alongside her. He looped his
arm under her neck and stroked her jaw as he assured her he was
going as fast as he could and would appreciate a bit of patience on
her part. She seemed satisfied with that and bothered him no more.
But then her attentions turned to Alicine, who was walking a few
paces back.

The first great lick caught Alicine full in
the face, and she spat and wiped angrily. Reiv laughed, but Dayn
went practically rigid.

“I think you’d better get your horse away,”
Dayn said over his shoulder to Reiv.

“Would you rather me tie the girl behind it?
Or is that why she needed her—what do you call them—shoes?” Reiv
laughed again.

Alicine’s face turned red.

“I’m not jesting,” Dayn said. “You’d best
move the horse away. Alicine has a bit of a temper.”

“I have yet to fear a girl, especially one so
small as this. And I certainly have no fear of a Jecta,” Reiv
said.

Alicine’s nostrils flared. “You’ve said that
word to us over and over and I’m tired of it. What is Jecta? It’s
not our name, so why do you call us that?”

Reiv tugged her braid. “Are you not from
Pobu?”

“What is that? A city?” Alicine asked.

“You know full well it is,” Reiv replied.

“I know no such thing.”

Reiv jerked her braid to rein in her lack of
respect, but a third tug left him flat on the ground, staring up at
the furious girl who had suddenly turned, grabbed his arm, and
toppled him from his perch.

Reiv leapt up, hot-faced and furious. He dug
his toes into the dirt and clenched his fists at his side. He could
have struck her down, he had the right to, but he reached to regain
his hold on the braid instead.

Alicine jerked her head and flung the braid
from his reach. “I’m tired of you latching your dirty hands onto my
hair!” She glared at his gloves, then at his face, the face that
was struggling to regain some semblance of authority.

“You will do as I say, girl!” Reiv
ordered.

“I don’t even know you,” Alicine snapped. “So
why should I? You’re no one to me, just some ridiculous boy who has
nothing better to do than pick on innocent people.”

“Ridiculous boy? I am foreman over these
fields, and as such I am obligated to turn you over to the
authorities for trespassing and thievery. As for your so-called
innocence, the authorities will decide that issue. I think the
evidence will speak for itself.”

“Evidence? Ha!” Alicine said. “When the
authorities, whoever they are, hear our story you’ll come out
looking like the fool you are.”

“I have had enough of your insolence,” Reiv
said, exasperation creeping into his voice. He grabbed hold of the
braid once more and pulled her toward the horse. “Now, settle
yourself down and—”

“And what?” Alicine said. “You have a horse
and a knife and could run us down in an instant. I don’t think it’s
necessary for you to leash me like an animal.”

Reiv looked down at the braid clutched in his
hand. Perhaps it wasn’t necessary to hold onto it the entire way
back. It was slowing them down, and he had grown weary of it. He
took a controlling breath and considered the possibility of a more
diplomatic approach. After all, he had not forgotten all of his
princely training. A bit of diplomacy might go a long way, though
it was something he never thought he would use with a Jecta.

“Very well,” he said, letting the braid drop.
“You may walk unfettered. But not next to him.” He motioned to Dayn
who was now standing just steps away.

“Fine,” Alicine said, tossing her braid over
her back. She turned and walked a few paces ahead, then stopped,
her arms crossed and her back to the boys.

“Well,” she barked over her shoulder, “are we
going or not?”