The End of Surrender, page 24
part #4 of The Stalwart Link Series
Andar was about to rush off, but the blacksmith from Jatn stopped him.
“Young sir,” said the man as he bowed his bald head. “I should’ve apologized earlier, but I was too ashamed to bring it up during the trip. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. Perhaps I will prove myself one day soon. Many of us hope to. What I mean to say is that the mercy of your family is not lost on me or others. We will fight hard.”
It took everything Andar had to remember to be polite, as he wanted to rush over to Siki. He knew there was importance to this man’s speech, but Andar couldn’t focus on anything right now as he thought of her. He couldn’t even remember what the man had said, something about wanting to fight.
“Yeah, um, you’re doing the right thing.” Andar put his hand on the man’s shoulder as he tried to step around him.
“I understand if you feel anger, young sir. I know I would.”
Andar saw Siki through the crowd. Gods she’s beautiful. Her lush violet hair framed her face. Her skin, usually cream colored, was reddened around her slender cheeks as she saw Andar. Her lips were red and pouty, urging Andar to kiss them as they walked toward each other through the crowd.
Andar suddenly realized someone was still in front of him. It was the blasted blacksmith.
Oh right.
Andar smiled happily at Siki, but directed it at the blacksmith for a breath. “I’m not angry at all, sir. I’m glad you’re here. No hard feelings, all right?”
The blacksmith grinned back. “Thank you.”
Andar would’ve run to Siki if it wasn’t for all the people in the way. She had on a dark gray robe. It was thick with a hanging hood, reminding him of Leo’s tale as to how she had traveled all this way nearly on her own and against her father’s wishes. Further reminding Andar of this were the two Analyte men following close behind her. Constables from her father sent to retrieve her.
Andar noticed many people looking at him with smiles of pride, but these two Analytes were not pleased. He ignored them as he embraced Siki, picking her up and swinging her around as she squealed with excitement.
She was laughing as he set her down. “You’re alive!” she said.
“You’re here!” he said.
“Didn’t Leo tell you I would be?”
“He wasn’t sure if you would’ve gone back by now…or if something might’ve happened to you during the kasigerr attack.”
“No, no. I’m here and I’m fine. Rygen saved many of us. She faced the kasigerr completely on her own. I watched her stand before the beast and speak to it. She stopped it for a little while, but eventually it tried to, em.” She pushed her fist into the palm of her other hand.
“Squish Rygen?” Andar asked.
“Yes. But she opened an enormous rift above her, then closed it before the kasigerr could pull its foot out.”
“Oh, that’s why we saw the kasigerr had a missing foot.”
“You did? What happened? Tell me everything! Oh, I think many people want to know.”
Andar almost didn’t notice that he held her hands in his until she pulled them away. A crowd had gathered around them. Most of the people appeared somewhat chagrined at having been noticed to be eavesdropping. Andar suddenly felt very aware of his proximity to the princess who was engaged to another man. The two of them stepped away from each other.
“I assume all of you want to know what happened?”
Many nodded, while others answered affirmatively.
“How did you destroy Jaktius Perl?” one asked.
“And what happened after?” asked another.
Andar didn’t recognize any of these men and women. Their attire told him that some were soldiers, while others were the religious folk who followed FLip. He wished he could have some time with just Siki, but even if he did somehow escape this crowd with her, it wasn’t as if he could express how much he missed her through anything but his words.
He gave a brief look into her large blue eyes. He had wondered until now whether this was an infatuation or something more, and now he felt silly for ever wondering. He loved this woman. He felt ill at the thought of separating from her again. More than food, he needed her. And he felt that he might burst aflame if he didn’t express this need to her.
But he could see that she understood, for the same look pained her face. There was a spark of heat in her eyes that smoldered the longer they stared at each other. The urge to kiss her was overpowering.
He felt that the tension between them must have been palpable to the entire crowd, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. He became mesmerized by the thought of how her lips would feel.
But Siki stepped back and put on a false smile. “Go ahead, Andar.”
He forced his mouth into the same false smile as he turned to address the crowd. Suddenly all the memories flooded back. He shared details about the link to mountain and wisdom tree, and how he had to destroy the link of the land. Soon after, the great rift pulled the wisdom tree into the other realm, sucking him up in the process. He described the dark realm as best he could, going into details about the forest and the beasts that attacked him, as well as Toothy, who helped him find food.
A large crowd had gathered by the time he came to his encounter with Deza. Andar described how he escaped into the same falling cavern where KRenn had fled, but he reassured the crowd, after some worried questions, that his shield of Artistry never broke, and he did not have Esitry poisoning. He didn’t go into much detail about his experience in the dark cavern, just that he eventually made a transfer-link that lit his way out. Later, he met his family, and Lane and Erisena, though they had to fight the kasigerr and Deza, destroying both, to finally leave the terrible place. He was tired by the end of the tale, feeling as if he had just relived it.
When he looked at Siki again, he could see admiration in her eyes. He didn’t like the feeling that gave him, however. He had not done any of these things for anyone’s admiration. He’d done them to survive. But many people thanked him before walking away, some even telling him how glad they were to have Andar on their side. His stomach twisted at having to absorb all the compliments. But Siki made him feel better the moment she spoke.
“I’m glad to have you back.”
Did that mean they had each other? They would be together now? Nervous, he didn’t know what to say. That couldn’t have been what she meant. She had to go back home, right?
“Will you walk with me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said.
He led her out of the crowd, but the two constables of her father followed them.
“Is there any way we can speak in private?” he asked her, quietly enough for them not to hear.
“They don’t know common tongue,” she said.
Good.
They had to walk a little way out of the small village to find the privacy Andar was hoping for, excluding Siki’s two escorts, who looked on with disapproval but at least didn’t say anything.
“Are they waiting to take you back to your father?” Andar asked with dread.
“They almost dragged me back already, but I fought them to stay. I don’t believe they will take me against my will. It’s too far of a journey for anyone to be taken without their cooperation, and they will not put me in a cage. I suppose that means I can stay as long as I want.”
Andar could see pain in her expression. She doesn’t want to say the words, but they need to be said.
“I wrote to you because I want you to be happy.”
“I know you do. I almost didn’t read it.” She paused. “I would’ve regretted if I hadn’t.”
“I still want you to be happy,” he said. “And safe. If I could keep you safe here, and you weren’t the daughter of King Dasfis, then you should never leave, but…”
Now he was the one having trouble finishing what needed to be said. His stomach rose up as if he might hurl, but he swallowed to force it down.
“We are going to be marching soon, I suspect. It’s best if you don’t come with us.”
“I know that.” She spoke sadly, her eyes never leaving him. “Do you know how soon?”
“All I know is that we can’t let the barbarians kill the rest of the Orello army, or it will be too late for us to help them. We have to fight with them, or they might fall.”
“Rizan took the barbarians north after they pushed us far east. Your officers believe they mean to strike the army of Prince Gavval Orello.”
“Then my father will order us to leave immediately.”
“I feared that might be the case.” She looked over Andar’s shoulder as disappointment took hold of her expression. “Oh, I think I may be needed.”
Andar turned to see what she saw. He let out his breath. “Let’s go over.”
A commotion was stirring between the human and Analyte soldiers. It didn’t appear as if any ill will was shared between them, but there did seem to be some confusion and even shouting over one another. Much of it was in common tongue, but there was certainly some Analyse sprinkled in.
Andar saw his father speaking to one of the Analyte women, most likely a translator, who then tried to shout over the din, but not many heard her.
“Help me stand on your shoulders,” Siki told Andar with a tug to his arm.
“What? That’s dangerous.”
“It sounds like time is of importance. Please spread your legs.”
“Are you sure you won’t fall?” Andar looked at the nearby homes, but their roofs were clearly not strong enough to support Siki.
“I have good balance, remember?” the princess said.
It was true. They had played various games together during their time in the palace, one in which they tried to push the other over using only their hands and without moving their feet. Siki had been good competition, even though it was friendly.
Andar spread his legs, turning his thighs into footholds. From behind him, Siki held his hands as she put her feet into place one at a time. He helped balance her until she was standing upright on his thighs. She got her right leg up first, putting her foot on his shoulder.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Probably not, but go anyway.”
She stepped her other foot up on his shoulder as he straightened his legs. He was somewhat surprised when she made it without falling, but he still had hold of her hands as she bent over. He didn’t see how she would stand once he let go.
“Slowly let go and hold my legs,” she shouted down.
There had to be an easier way with Artistry, Andar thought as she wobbled. But eventually she was standing without his help.
He started to wonder if she had done this with another man, and who exactly was that man, but he pushed the thought aside. It wasn’t his place to be jealous.
“Darren, tell me what I need to translate!” Siki yelled.
Darren looked over, then up. Then he glanced over at a man Andar hadn’t realized was there.
“Tell her, sire,” Darren said.
Mavrim looked even older than Andar remembered. His hair and beard were longer. Andar might not have recognized him except for the kingly robe adorning his shoulders.
“We need quiet,” the king requested.
“Quiet!” Darren ordered.
Siki yelled something in her language. Soon the roar of the crowd died out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“I have just come back from the north,” Mavrim announced. “I met with my son and the army he commands. The barbarians are pushing them southeast.”
Siki translated as Mavrim spoke, raising her voice to a level Andar had not heard from the princess. No one dared interrupt.
“Rizan must’ve led his barbarians out of Jatn,” Mavrim announced. “And he took with him many citizens from the city against their will. It’s clear that Rizan hopes to close in on the twenty thousand of our troops, led by my son, who have almost finished their journey from Analyte country to our capital. My son was about to face the northern mass of barbarians who have been attacking the capital, but Rizan brought those barbarians aid. Their two armies merged into one and turned on the twenty thousand led by my son. Now he comes this way in retreat, but there is no safe destination for any of us. We have to come to their aid and face the entire force of the barbarians.”
As Siki finished translating, many of the Analytes started speaking, as did the humans. Siki yelled out a question.
“I’m being asked: What about the human army in your capital that was fighting back the northern barbarians?”
“I don’t know how many there are after the many skirmishes with the barbarians. Those who can still fight must be chasing after the large barbarian army in hopes of helping the rest of our troops who are retreating toward us.”
“You can’t confirm this?” Darren asked.
“It is only what my son told me.” Mavrim addressed Siki and the crowd again. “Many of the troops led by Gavval are slow after such a long journey. They are tired and low on supplies. The barbarians will catch up to them. There is no doubt in my mind that Rizan plans to eliminate them before they receive aid from the troops leaving the capital or from us. We have to ride to them, but it must be on horseback. We will not reach them before the battle ensues if we wait for those who travel on foot. In fact, the battle could already have begun.”
“How far do you estimate them to be from here?” Darren asked.
“Two or three days, if we push our horses to their limit.”
“What numbers do you have to report?”
“Gavval still leads twenty thousand. The barbarian armies, now merged as one and after recruiting from our own kind, outnumber them by two to one.”
“Forty thousand?” Andar blurted to no one in particular. It was hard to imagine such a force. And that includes summoners who will bring beasts into the battle.
“We should nearly match their numbers if our army from the capital is able to get there in time.”
Andar thought of his friend Edward among the twenty thousand with Gavval. For the last few months he had been traveling to Analyte territory and then back to the human capital. He and everyone with him must be exhausted. They had little food left and must’ve had to start foraging and hunting to feed themselves a long while ago. There was no time for that while running from the barbarians, who were certainly well-stocked.
Fueled by anger, Andar wanted to blame Gavval for this. He should’ve stopped in Jatn and shortened his trip by a third of the time. He should’ve faced the barbarians there and then restocked in the city, but Jatn was not valuable to him. If it was the city of Halin that the barbarians took, Andar had no doubt that Gavval would’ve stopped there to take it back. Rizan probably knew this when he took Jatn. He had planned for everything since the beginning, and it had all worked out for him except for two things. Andar and his allies were still alive. And Deza and the Kasigerr were dead.
“We must ride now,” Mavrim said as Siki translated. “How many horses do we have left?”
“About two hundred,” Darren answered. “The rest will follow behind on foot. The untrained need guidance, so they will not fight. Many things still need to be decided, sire. We will leave in an hour.”
“Fine.”
Siki finished translating, then told Andar, “Help me down.”
He took hold of her hands again and helped her jump off.
“I know you will be leaving with them,” she said sadly. “Come with me. I will give you back your horse.”
She led him to a crowded stable. The commotion around them might’ve distracted him at another time, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her as he wondered if this would be the last time he would see her.
“Don’t have that look,” she said with a bit of a grin. “I have decided that I will not be going back yet.”
“You can decide that?”
“I just did!”
“All right, well, what are they going to do when you tell them?” Andar gave a pointed look at the two Analyte men right behind her.
“We cannot go back without horses, and every horse is needed right now so that we can rescue that idiot son of Mavrim’s and all the poor troops led by him.”
“My friends from my training are with him.”
“Including Edward?”
Andar nodded.
Siki let out her breath. “I hope all of you on horseback make it in time. I will be walking with the others.”
“It’s going to be dangerous. If all of us fall, the barbarians could come for the rest of you.”
“There is little life for anyone else if all of you fall, and I’m not going to stay here in Lien.”
“But,” Andar said, “there is life for you.”
“For a time, yes. But my father’s troops have been nearly decimated. Most of them are here with you now, and they are ready to give their lives in honor of not only the safety of your people but ours as well. The barbarians will come for us eventually, and they will take our cities easily if they are not stopped here. My escorts will not drag me back against my will, and it is my will to stay here until this is concluded.”
Andar grinned. His smile widened when he saw his brother and Rygen coming to meet them.
“Siki, it’s good to see you again,” Leo said.
“And you, Leo.”
Rygen looked older to Andar. She was quickly blossoming into a beautiful young woman. He had seen her perhaps a week ago, in the Analyte palace, but he knew it had been a much longer time period for her. They shared an embrace.
“Have you come up with a name for your flying creature?” Andar asked.
“He’s decided on one.” She didn’t seem pleased by this.
“Oh, I didn’t realize that the Esitren decide.”
“Some do.”
“Well, what’s his name?”
“Uh.” Rygen lowered her voice. “The Great and Fierce Eagle.”
“That’s not a name.”
“I’ve been trying to explain that to him, but he’s having difficulty understanding. I…made the mistake a while ago of telling him that Rygen means The Great Summoner.”
