The Ring Keeper, page 41
When she pushed the hair back off his forehead, she could see the familiar scars. “It can’t be,” she gasped.
“Before, I thought you recognized me.” He sounded confused. “That night by the cliff, you said my name when I picked you up.”
Underneath the long hair and beard, it was Zarek.
“Zarek? But it can’t be you…” With shaking hands, she pulled out his charm on its chain still around her neck. “He had this, and he told me he had tortured you.” She leaned against the wall, feeling weak as her fear subsided.
Zarek’s features froze. For a moment, he held his head in his hands and took a few deep breaths. Then he reached under his collar and took out an identical charm. “Remember? Two of them were made. My mother gave me hers when my father didn’t return, before I left to look for you. That one belonged to my father.”
“Oh, Zarek! Haldreth kept this on the table next to his throne. Is your father still here? Could he be a prisoner?” She pointed to the door. “There was a man in that room several weeks ago. The last time I was imprisoned here—he was in the room next to mine. But he’s gone now.”
“Do you think it could have been him?”
Ana remembered the man who had spoken to her through the crack in the wall. He had suffered beyond imagining. “Well, he recognized your song about the blacksmith, but he couldn’t tell me who he was. I healed him, and I hope he got away.”
“So he was here… I searched for years and never found him. I thought he was dead,” Zarek said. “Maybe I’ll get another chance to search for him after I get you back home. But we need to get out of here now, before they come looking for Gavin.”
“Whoever it was in the next room told me there was a passageway that led outside.”
Zarek opened the door to that room. They looked inside, but it was empty now. He explored it quickly and gazed up at the shaft in the ceiling. Faint moonlight shone down from an opening. “There is a passageway.”
It seemed like a long climb to Ana.
“This is better than the plan I had,” Zarek said, wedging the torch into a crack in the wall and studying the shaft. “If we can get out this way, no one will see you. Wait here while I check. Sit down and have something to eat.” He handed her the parcel of food he’d picked up from Gavin and removed the bundle to set beside her. He slung a coil of rope over his shoulders and headed for the shaft.
Without intending to, Ana took a few steps after him and put her hand on his arm. “Please don’t leave me here.”
He turned back and covered her hand with his. “It will only be for a few moments. You’ll be safe. If I can find a good path ahead, I’ll lower the rope to pull you up. Can you bring this up with you?” nudging the bundle with his toe.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It was quiet. There was no sign of other danger. She met Zarek’s eyes and nodded.
“It won’t take long.” He began to climb.
Ana sat down and opened the parcel of food. It felt so good to eat. She turned her head, listening hard. Some small sound had disturbed the stillness. Had Gavin woken in the next room? Several times, the flickering light of the torch caused her to think she saw movement from the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, she saw nothing.
“Ana?”
She could hear Zarek’s voice clearly in the silence and walked over to the bottom of the shaft. In the dimness, she couldn’t see him.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Good. Let’s get out of here.”
She picked up the bundle. It gave a metallic clank as she slung it across her back.
A moment later, he tossed the line down, with a large loop at the end. “Put out the torch, so they won’t know we were here. Are you ready?”
Ana was not. But she had to be. She snuffed the torch out against the floor, then tossed it into a dark corner. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed a faint light coming down the shaft. She grasped the rope.
The rock looked sheer above her. How could she go forward? She wasn’t strong enough to climb a rope.
“Slide the rope around your thighs,” Zarek instructed.
Ana obeyed, placing the loop so she could sit in it.
“Are you in?”
“Yes.”
“Just hold on to the rope. I’ll pull you up. Are you ready?”
Ana gripped it tightly and clenched her jaw. “Ready.”
Zarek pulled slowly and steadily. When the rope grew taut, Ana held on even tighter. She clung to it as her feet left the rock and she swung out into space. All her muscles tightened as she held herself steady, and the effort sent a stabbing pain through her wounded ribs.
Ana set her jaw and closed her eyes, holding on.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Year of Warding 42, Hakvere, Ara
Ana
ANA CLUNG TO THE ROPE as Zarek lifted her an arm-length at a time. She never felt herself slipping back. Even so, she kept her eyes firmly closed until she heard his voice nearby.
“Almost there.”
She gripped the rope as he pulled her onto the rocks with him. Relieved beyond words to be off the rope, she clung to him. The pain in her ribs eased a little, and she tried to catch her breath.
“Are you all right? We need to keep moving.” Zarek’s voice echoed in the cavern surrounding them.
“Yes,” she said, trying to slow her breathing. Of course, they had to go on.
Zarek used a short piece of rope to sling the bundle across his back. After coiling the remaining rope, he did the same with it.
Offering his hand, he said, “Stay close. I found a way down into the canyon.”
It took only a few steps to bring them out into the starlight. A cold breeze rushed past them, and Ana shivered. But she could see the sky from here, and she spared a moment to glance up at the heavens and appreciate their beauty. Stumbling on a rock, she realized there was barely enough light to see her feet as she followed Zarek through the rocks. The mouth of another cavern opened in front of them.
“We have to go through the passage,” Zarek said. “It’s damp, and a little tight in one place, but you can do it.”
Hoping he was right, Ana followed him into the dark.
Zarek crouched ahead of her as the uneven rock ceiling grew lower. Soon, they were crawling. The passage became even tighter. “This will be easier if you go feet first.” Zarek lay full length against the floor and slid through.
On the other side, the space must have been wider, because he turned back to help her. She could just see his outstretched arms as a little light came in through the other end of the passage.
Ana clenched her teeth and laid against the rock with her boots pointing into the hole. That position sent pain shooting from her injured side. Using her toes and elbow, she inched her way forward, scraping her skin against the rough rock.
“You’re almost through,” Zarek promised. “Wait there while I anchor the rope.”
A moment later, she felt his hand on her ankle.
“Now slide forward carefully. There’s a ledge about two feet below the opening.” He guided her until she could stand on solid rock.
Ana’s stomach clenched when she saw the sheer canyon wall falling away below them. They stood on a narrow outcropping on the brink of the cliff.
She sucked in a terrified breath and clutched his arm. “H-How are we going to get down?”
“Do you see that ledge?” He pointed.
She couldn’t.
“The rope is long enough to get us there. From there, I see a wider ledge farther down and another beyond that. I think we can climb from that point.”
“Zarek,” she protested. “I can’t climb with one hand.”
“We’ve done this before,” he said. “Have you forgotten?”
Ana’s mind flew back to years ago when she’d fallen and broken her arm. She’d been stuck on a ledge, unable to climb up or down. At the time, she’d been sure she was going to die. But she hadn’t. Zarek had gotten them both down safely.
“I remember,” she said. “I trust you.”
“Good.”
Ana closed her eyes against the sight of the deep canyon.
He swung the blanket-wrapped bundle to the front of his body. “I’m ready.” His voice sounded steady.
Ana took a deep breath. He probably wasn’t even afraid.
“I’m holding onto the rope. You need to climb on to my back. Can you do it?” He turned his back to her.
He wouldn’t be able to let go of the rope and help her without them both falling to their deaths. Her hands shook. She set her jaw. No one was going to fall. Slowly, she grabbed his armored shoulder with her good hand. “Are you ready?” she asked him.
“Ready,” he confirmed. He reached down with his free hand to offer her a foothold.
She stepped into his palm and hoisted herself up, pressing against the hardened leather covering his back, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her good hand gripped her other wrist. She circled his waist with her legs, supporting some of her weight.
“Stay still,” he warned.
He committed their weight to the rope and lowered them down. Ana stared at the rock in front of her, not looking up, and definitely not looking down. Zarek lowered them steadily, using his boots to push them back from the cliff face. After a few moments, they reached the next ledge. Ana wasn’t sure she’d been breathing.
There was barely space for them both to stand. Ana lowered her feet to the rock and released Zarek. She huddled as close as she could to the canyon wall and sank down to rest. Her ribs were throbbing from pressing against him.
Zarek pulled the rope free and repositioned it for the next leg of their climb. They repeated the process twice more until they could scramble between the last boulders to reach the bottom of the canyon.
When they finally came to the edge of the river, Ana sank onto the damp stone, holding her injured side. She heard nothing but the sound of the water crashing over the rocks. They’d survived the climb, and they were outside of Hakvere. It was a miracle. Her cuts, her ribs, and most of all, her hand throbbed, and she felt weak. But they couldn’t stay on this ledge beside the river.
“Can you walk?” Zarek asked above the roar of the water. “We need to get out of here.”
He was right. They couldn’t rest here. They had to get away. Ana couldn’t bear it if she slowed him down too much and they caught him because of her. She got to her feet, still holding her side. It hurt to breathe, but they had to go on.
He pointed upstream. “We have to get out of sight before it gets light.” He slung the bundle across his back. “Ready?”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
Ana followed him as they climbed through the rocks. They kept near the canyon wall, choosing the driest path. Even though faint moonlight touched the tops of the boulders, Ana stumbled often. It was hard to keep up with Zarek. The night felt endless, nothing but cold, slippery stones and water frozen into ice at the edges of the river. They followed it steadily upstream. Thankfully, the water was low, leaving them room to walk between the canyon wall and the water’s edge.
Only a few thin rays of moonlight reached the bottom of the canyon. She saw his outline ahead of her in the dim light. How could he be Zarek? She had been introduced to Captain Tack at the banquet. His black armor and weapons had been memorable. The king knew him well and had trusted him with command of a portion of his army. Had Zarek been in Ara all this time?
The last time she’d seen him, he’d looked very different. How many times had he worn the crisp white-and-gold uniform of the Emperor’s Guard? He’d been a fine young man, someone kind and helpful, who she could always trust to take care of her.
When she’d met Tack, she hadn’t felt any hint of recognition. He’d appeared unwashed, unkempt and unpleasant. His eyes had seemed hard and angry—he’d felt angry. And it had been years since she’d seen him. They were both older, and he had filled out. The thought that he could be Zarek had never even entered her mind. That night on the cliff edge, she hadn’t known. In the aftermath of hitting her head, she imagined it had been him because of the way he held her. It had reminded her of Zarek. She’d wished he was there, but she had not recognized him.
The winter night was long and cold. Ana moved as fast as she could, but her long ordeal had drained her. She felt light-headed, and her side throbbed with pain at every breath. Her injured hand made it difficult to climb, but they couldn’t stop. She tried to hurry. Ana couldn’t slow Zarek down. She couldn’t let her father catch him. Someone would come looking for Gavin, and they would find her gone. Haldreth would send the demons after them.
Ana pushed on, using every bit of energy she could find and more. The night grew darker. How could that be? They’d been traveling for so long, it had to be nearly dawn. It had to. But the stars faded and the canyon blurred, and suddenly the rocks leapt up to meet her.
She had to get up.
“Ana!”
She heard Zarek’s voice, and she tried to answer. She felt him lift her, and that was all she was aware of for a while.
Hours later, Ana woke as he set her down on the rocks. With an effort, she forced her eyelids open. She blinked and focused. The first thing she saw was a knife in his hand. Instantly awake, she lunged away from him in terror. They were in a small space between two boulders sheltered by overhanging stone. She reached the rock face at the back of it and there was nowhere else to go. Zarek had put the knife away, and he was looking at her, holding out his open hands. His expression had no anger in it. His face looked calm.
“Ana, I would never hurt you,” he promised, his steady gray eyes meeting hers.
She nodded, trying to calm her racing heart.
He came slowly closer. “I’m sorry I frightened you. I was going to borrow some cloth from your hem.”
This was Zarek. He wasn’t like her father or Gavin. He wasn’t going to hurt her. She knew it, but after everything that had happened, she’d reacted without thinking at all. She gave a little nod. He took out the knife and cut strips of cloth from the hem of her dress. When he finished, he put the blade away. His hands were gentle and careful as he wrapped her wounded hand.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“It hurts to breathe,” she admitted, pointing to the injured place on her side. “Here.”
“Will you allow me to look at it?”
She hadn’t wanted to see the injury herself and felt reluctant to reveal it. But this was Zarek. He would never do anything to harm her. She began to undo the buttons of the riding dress.
Zarek turned his back, but not before she saw his face color slightly.
Ana pulled her arms out of the sleeves and lifted the bottom of her chemise to reveal her ribs. “All right,” she said.
He turned back to her. Zarek no longer seemed embarrassed. Instead, fury burned hot in his eyes and his hands closed into fists.
Her stomach clenched, and she shrank away from him.
He blinked and stared at her. She could see when he realized his anger had frightened her. He took a deep breath, and his expression softened visibly. “Please forgive me, Ana.” He pointed to her ribs. “Did Gavin do that?”
She nodded.
He reached out and, softly, his fingers brushed her cheek. “Striking you and using his knife on you wasn’t enough?”
Ana didn’t know how to respond to that question. She looked down at her side and saw ugly black bruising across her ribs. It had been better not to see it. Zarek was still watching her.
“Are your ribs broken?” he asked.
She didn’t know. Probably. She gave a small shrug.
Zarek reached out his hand. “May I?”
She nodded.
He explored the area with his fingers.
Ana clenched her teeth when he reached the most painful spots.
“I think two or three ribs are cracked. Ana, why didn’t you tell me last night? Everything we did must have been very painful. It was, wasn’t it?” He stared at her.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Will you allow me to wrap it? It will help with the pain.”
“Yes, thank you.”
He cut a piece from the edge of the blanket and folded it into a soft pad. Using strips of cloth from her hem, he bound it snuggly over the injured ribs.
“It helps,” she said, inhaling. “It doesn’t hurt as much to breathe. Thank you.”
He moved to her shoulder and neck, cleaning and bandaging the cuts. When he finished, she pulled the sleeves of the dress back over her arms and redid the buttons.
“You should rest now,” he said.
She nodded, leaning against the rocks and closing her eyes. It was freezing, and she shivered as the chill of the stone leached the warmth from her body. Zarek sat beside her, and she finally warmed up and fell into a deep sleep.
When Ana woke, the sun hung low in the sky. She found herself wrapped in a blanket, huddled close to Zarek, her body pressed against him. His arm was around her.
Even through the hardened leather of his armor, she could still feel his warmth and was grateful. She remembered their journey four years earlier. He’d kept her warm many times back then. Yet it felt different now. His arm felt so right around her, and the feel of his strong body against hers made her want to be closer still.
She peeked up at his face and found him watching her. “You saved my life last night,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Ana, I…” He took a deep breath. “Can you forgive me?”
She was confused. “What for? You rescued me.”
“That night when you escaped and we caught you on the cliff edge, I wanted to help you, but I did nothing. I’m so sorry. I’ve never been so afraid in my life. I didn’t know if he would kill you, and I couldn’t stop him.”
Ana remembered. “I knew you wanted to help. And I knew you couldn’t.”
“It was one of the worst things I have ever done,” he said. “You were hurt. And I left you behind as if I didn’t care. I’m so sorry.”
