Speechless in Achten Tan: Book 1 of The Sands of Achten Tan, page 6
My ears feel like they've grown several sizes. I can hear… everything. Every baby crying from here to South Ribs, street vendors hawking their wares, a couple arguing loudly in the next rib over. I can pick out every word, as she lists the many ways he's been a disappointment and how her mother never liked him. I press my hands to my ears to reduce the noise to a dull roar.
I need to focus. This is pointless if I can't pick out the voices I want to hear. I uncover a sliver of one ear and tilt it towards the rib.
I can hear our rib now. Slanting my head slightly, only letting in a bit of sound, I scan inch by inch till Gerwyn's voice comes back, as clear as if she's standing next to me.
" …I'm glad that son of his shows no aptitude for bone magic. Could you imagine two of them?" her companion is saying. "One bone master is running Achten Tan into the ground. Thank the God Tree we'll see the last of his kind when he's gone."
"But not before we use the girl to fuse the shards and restore Bulkaron's staff. Its power is…"
"Do not presume to tell me of its power, crone. I brought this information to you."
"And when I have the staff, you will have your reward in full."
Gerwyn's guest snorts, and feet approach the door. "There are things that staff will bring to light, things better off forgotten, Gerwyn. Dark deeds will come to pass when all is known."
Whoever it is doesn't wait for Gerwyn's reply. He pulls the door open, shutting it behind him. I slump to the ground, covering my face with my hood. Hopefully, he'll ignore me. I couldn't see him or feel him right now, even if I wanted to.
As his footsteps pass by, he mutters, "Curse Saphira and her Invicta slurpers."
When his footsteps retreat, I sit up again. Only then do I realize the depth of trouble I'm in, realizing I've left myself completely vulnerable. I don't know how long it will take the effects of the potion to wear off. My hearing is enhanced, but I can't see or feel. How can I get myself up the steps with no sight or touch? I can't tell which side of the stairwell is safe and which hangs over the drop.
As if summoned by my predicament, footsteps approach. A woman clucks loudly. "Look at that… there's more of them every day. We should run Saphira out of town, peddling that poison."
A man's voice, harsh and cold, answers, "I don't want her lolling here on our doorstep."
"Then roll her off the edge. One less addict to sully our streets," the woman says, as if discussing supper.
I sit up straight in panic. A fall from this height could be fatal. NO, I tap, pushing up to my feet. I don't know which way to go.
"Are you blind, girl? Or is it Invicta?" the woman's harsh voice rasps, close to my ear. I clap my hands to my head again. My body lurches. I think one of them must have pushed me, but I can't feel their hands.
"I have a better idea," the man sniggers. "The caravans are always looking for girls. Wear them out quick, they do."
The woman doesn't answer right away. Maybe she has some sympathy?
"How much do ya think we'll get for her?" She smacks her lips.
"She's nice looking... if you ignore the blindness. Probably kinder on her, too, being blind... Have you seen some of those caravan freaks?"
Okay, that's enough. I didn't want to turn up at Gerwyn’s door like this, but I have no choice.
STOP, I tap. I've been using my tattoos for so long I know where each one is without looking.
"Look. She's tapping a word. Can you read it?"
"Course not. What am I, a scribe?" the man scoffs.
My body rocks and my braids rattle as the man heaves me over his shoulder. What do I do?
STOP, I tap again. Then HELP. His feet pound down the stairs into the street, the sound changing when his feet leave the bone steps carved into the rib and switch to the hard packed dirt and sandy streets. I keep tapping my arm, tapping HELP, my panic rising.
Nobody stopped when Geb passed out in the alleyway, nobody except Lakshmi, and nobody pays any attention to a man carrying a girl over his shoulder in the busy street. The sash with my elixirs is pressed between my body and my abductor’s. Even if I could reach it, I couldn't see which color I was taking, so they’re useless to me.
I keep tapping HELP, though I can't feel my fingers on my skin. Laughing voices come and go, then I hear a loud voice—close by the volume—though the cacophony around me muddles my mind.
"Ho, halt your march, Queek. Where are you going with that fine cargo?"
My kidnapper snickers. "None of your business, chiefling. I don't answer to the likes of you."
"Has Gerwyn tired of her new apprentice so soon? She's been following her around for weeks like a pup on a string."
"Gerwyn?" My new owner sounds apprehensive. "Are you sure?"
"He doesn't believe me…" A laugh. "Ask around. Make sure all Achten Tan knows you made off with the seer's new toy. Or are you one of those brave folks who doesn't believe she's a witch? Good for you, Queek. I always thought you couldn't be as dumb as you looked."
"Gast me. She'll feed my yeorble to a Boggoliz, she will…" my ride mutters and then my body is buffeted as he drops me to the ground and flees, his feet pounding the dust.
I can't even whimper. I don't feel the fall or the impact, but I feel the pain. How convenient.
"He's a right bashdun, isn't he?" the first voice says softly, close by. "What happened to you, girl?"
I tap HELP once more.
"Don't cry. I'll keep you safe," the voice says in a soft, pleasant tenor.
I’m crying in pain, but I can't feel my tears or the fingers wiping them away. The sound shifts again, the noise rolling in a different direction. My clothes rustle as they press against leather. I hear footsteps on bone and a door opening and closing. I expect Gerwyn's voice, but the room we're in is silent. There's the rustle of fabric, drips of liquid.
"Rest, girl," the voice says. Smooth and somehow familiar. "Try to sleep. Whatever they gave you will wear off, eventually. Then I'll take you back to your mistress."
I hear another rustle of fabric, like a blanket. THANK YOU, I tap.
"Sleep," he says, and the door opens and closes. I place my hands over my throbbing ears and fall asleep.
When I open my eyes, I can see again. Jelthune is peeking through the window, halfway up the sky. Its yellow beams cast a dim light on my surroundings. Based on the color and curve of the walls, I deduce I'm in a rib. I'm in a wide bed in a dark room. I can feel the pain of the bruises on my back where the man dropped me. They're offset by the softness of the fur blanket covering me, and the comfortable mattress under my body.
My skin feels raw. At least I can feel, I admonish myself. Bashdun, that was so dangerous. I don't know if I'm safe now. My rescuer sounded kind, but he didn't take me back to Gerwyn, even though he knew where I belonged. He brought me… where? His home?
I drag my feet out of the soft cover and sit up. My eyesight, touch, and hearing all seem back to normal. As proof, I only hear the footsteps when they're right outside the door. I tense, wondering how to defend myself if my host gets any ideas. The door scrapes open, the moonlight silhouetting a dark figure against the night.
"You're up. Good," he says.
Tinder scrapes, and a small flame coalesces into a lit candle. I shield my eyes as they adjust. He carries the candle closer and crouches before me.
"Don't worry, pretty. You're not the first girl to wake up here dazed and confused…" He laughs. I'm sure he thinks he's charming. I bet most girls do, too. His gray eyes catch the candlelight as they scan my face. "What's your name?"
MILA, I tap.
"I'm Kaii Haku."
I KNOW, I tap. He smirks.
"You look better. You're making eye contact again… that's good. Can you speak?"
I tap my tattoo. SPEECH IS FORBIDDEN.
"Right. I heard you can't talk. Though I think your rule should have been waived while being kidnapped. Don't you?" He waits, as if he's expecting me to answer him. But of course, I can't answer, so I don't.
THANK YOU, I tap. Hopefully gratitude will be enough payment. I don't know what he expects, or how girls who wake up in his sheets usually react.
"Not everyone in Achten Tan is rotten to the core," he snorts. "Some of us are only rotten half way."
NO, I tap. We passed dozens of people who didn't help. YOU GOOD.
He looks almost offended. "You don't know the first thing about me." His expression is hard to read, but he sounds indignant. "Don't believe everything you hear… only most of it is true. Come on." He pulls me to my feet. I sway unsteadily and he steps closer, catching my waist. I get a whiff of something spicy and roasted on his breath. He smells delicious. I lean closer, relishing his sturdiness as my head keeps swimming.
"When's the last time you ate?" he murmurs. I shrug. Threading an arm around my waist, he guides me towards the door. "Come on, I'll feed you on the way home."
I'm feeling unsteady, so I don't push him away. His sturdy frame wrapped around me makes me feel safe after my ordeal with Queek. I was unconscious in his bed, but as far as I can tell, he let me sleep in peace. Obviously, he’s no saint, but in this den of unknown demons, he’s practically an angel.
We wind our way down the rib to the street. I look around to get my bearings.
“This is Chief’s Rib,” Kaii states. “You were in my rooms.”
I don’t have much of a reputation yet, but I’m pretty sure being seen emerging from Kaii’s rooms will be the end of it.
Instead of steering me to the right, towards Gerwyn’s home in the Forgotten Rib, he steers me left.
“Trust me.” He smiles and I find I do, for now. We follow a tantalizing trail of scent to the base of the next rib over. There’s a short line of customers waiting to be let in, but Kaii bypasses them all and no one even protests.
“Chief's prerogative,” he mutters. “At least it's good for something. This is North Ribs Ribs, the best ribs in Achten Tan."
I wonder if the proprietor pays people to repeat his slogan. I remember Kamal said it, too.
A large man with a thick head of reddish hair and full beard bustles up to us, wiping his hands on his apron.
"Master Kaii, always a pleasure. What can I get you and your lady friend?"
Oh no. I feel cold, then hot, anticipating the death of my reputation. Kaii keeps his arm planted on the small of my back, not bothering to correct the restauranter. I take a miniscule step sideways out of his reach, but both men notice.
"Mila, meet Old Crawman, the proprietor and head chef of North Ribs Ribs. Crawman, this is Mila. She's Gerwyn's new apprentice. A girl of few words and many pointed looks."
Crawman wipes his hand again and holds it out to me. I take it and he squeezes mine in his giant paw.
"I know what you're thinking," he says. "I don't look that old, so why do they call me Old Crawman?" Ha, I actually thought that. "It's a family name. It's actually spelled ‘Olde’ and if you want to get technical, I'm Olde Crawman, the Fourth. Fourth generation rib slinger." He grins at me, and I grin back. "So, what can I do you for Kaii, considering you were here merely an hour ago? Back for seconds already?"
"For Mila here. She missed lunch and supper and, by the looks of her, possibly breakfast too," Kaii says easily.
"Sit yourselves down and I'll rectify that situation at once. Can't have a sweet thing like yourself going hungry.” He winks at me. I narrow my eyes at him. "Aye, I see what you mean about the pointed looks," he adds with a guffaw in Kaii's direction.
Kaii guides me to a secluded table in the back. We pass through the crowded main dining area on the way and several diners call out greetings. I want to pull up my hood, but Kaii takes my arm and whispers in my ear, close enough for his whiskers to tickle my cheek.
"Queek thought he could steal you away, because he didn't know who you were and who's looking out for you. You may not welcome the attention, but being seen with me will cause enough gossip to make you known in Achten Tan. I'm not a good man, but I'm notoriously well-known, and my father even more so. Better if opportunists like Queek fear dealing with me if they come near you."
I swivel my head to stare at him. The motion brings my face close to his hovering mouth.
"Ah, eager to bolster the rumors already, Mila?"
I step away again, focusing my gaze on our table, tempted to stomp on his foot—by accident, of course. I never asked for this kind of help, but he seems determined to rescue me.
Old Crawman soon bustles up and lays out a feast on the table. Tubers slathered in herbs, a rack of bones covered in a reddish sauce that Crawman warns me are hot enough to burn a being’s face off, several slices of thick algae bread, and a tankard of ale. All this for me? I can't eat this much.
“Dig in,” Kaii grins, leaning his chin on his hands. “Enjoy. It's the very best we have in town.”
I gesture feebly in protest at the excess, but the food smells delicious. I start with a large slice of crusty algae bread. It’s not as good as the fresh bread at home, but the familiar taste has me sighing happily. Next, I sample the tubers, hot and savory. I sniff the meat, wondering about the facial immolation dangers.
WHAT? I tap. We have fish in the caverns but no meat animals.
“It’s a secret. Nobody knows what they come from. If it ever gets out, Crawman may go out of business.” Kaii shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t care, as long as it tastes good."
I contemplate this information for a while and in the end only take a tiny bite. The sauce has my eyes watering. The ale I slide over to Kaii. I don’t want to dull my senses after the day I’ve had.
When I can’t eat another bite, Kaii levels his gray gaze on me. "How did they get you?"
I shrug.
"This is Achten Tan. These aren't the caverns. Never take food or drink from anyone you don't know," Kaii warns, and my face heats. I can't admit I dosed myself into helplessness. I wave at the remains of the meal set out between us, lifting my eyebrow, and he laughs.
"Good. You're learning. Come on, time to go."
As I make my way up the rib to Gerwyn's, my body tenses in apprehension. I've been gone all day, and Kaii insists on accompanying me to the door. Knowing my abductor lives two floors below, I'm not inclined to turn Kaii down. In fact, until I figure out how to defend myself, I'm perfectly happy having someone walk with me everywhere I go. Still, I'm nervous about Gerwyn's reaction. She told me to stay away from Kaii, and I have a feeling she was talking about him with her mysterious guest.
Kaii taps on the door. The groceries have disappeared. I hope they weren't stolen, though if they were, it's easier for me than explaining how they appeared by the door. Gerwyn opens the door before I reach it. She doesn’t look surprised or angry. In fact, she wears very little expression of any kind.
"Gerwyn, I found something of yours. Your neighbor Queek was trying to make some quick coin selling her to the nomads," Kaii says lightly, as though selling girls off to traveling caravans is a daily occurrence in Achten Tan.
"Queek is going to lose a favorite part of his anatomy," Gerwyn mutters. "Are you healthy, girl?" Her eyes scan my bruises and scuffed palms.
"Kaii ran him off," I sign as Kaii watches me with interest, his eyes drinking in every bit of information thirstily. "I'm not feeling well, Gerwyn. I need to lie down." Even though I slept for hours, I'm still weak.
"Thank you, Master Haku, for your service," Gerwyn says formally. "I hope we never need such assistance again." Though she's polite and respectful, something in her eyes says, leave here and never return.
Kaii looks from her to me, his jaw tensing at the tacit dismissal.
"Stay safe, Mila," he says, his voice calm despite his turbulent gaze, and turns on his heel, shutting the door behind him with an audible bang.
Chapter 8
Opu Haku
The next morning, as I'm still recovering from my ordeal, Gerwyn surprises me with an announcement. "Today, you will accompany me to my council duties."
"Council?" On the one hand, I'm relieved not to be left alone or sent out by myself. On the other hand, I'd hoped to track down Kamal and see how Geb was doing.
"Opu Haku has called a council meeting." Her mouth twists at his name as though biting into something sour.
I've heard of Chief Opu Haku, the Bone Master, but I've never met him. Kaii's father is one of the last mages who can employ the ancient magic to fortify and fuse bones.
I follow Gerwyn through the streets to Chief's Rib. It’s the tallest rib in Achten Tan and the most imposing. Its wide base rises in a curved arc to an almost horizontal segment at the apex. I didn't take the time to admire the sight while leaving Kaii's room, but now I crane my neck and shudder.
"Opu Haku's throne room is up there." Gerwyn points to the very top of the rib.
"I'm afraid of heights," I sign.
"Pity." Gerwyn snorts, tugging at a rope attached to the base of the tower. A young woman in her late teens bounds out of a door at the rib base. Her raven-colored braids jangling with sun-bleached bones. Her clothes are covered in bulging pockets, stuffed with the most amazing assortment of objects. I spy string and twigs, colorful feathers, and a large ball of something I really hope isn't hair. Several medallions hang from her neck. On her hips, there's a loaded tool belt. She eyes both of us.
"Cool hair," she says to me. "Gerwyn, you rang?"
"Valla, I require transport up to Opu Haku's throne room."
The girl gulps. "So, you want to use the…" She trails off, gesturing above her.
"I do. Is it safe?"
The girl rubs her hands together nervously. "Of course. That was an isolated incident…"
I stare at Gerwyn apprehensively. WHAT? I tap.
Valla reads my tattoo and smiles excitedly. "Stand back and watch."
She extracts a set of pulleys and hooks from the room she emerged from, then connects them to a rope fixed to the side of the rib. She looks up, then at us.
"Move back a little more…"
We move to a safe distance. There's a whirring. The pulleys turn, gears gaining momentum as a black speck appears at the top of the rib, rapidly growing larger. It's coming fast, getting larger and larger until I can make out a pair of seats fastened to a very long rope. A mesh of twigs surrounds the seats. Valla follows my gaze. "To stop people falling out…" she says proudly, then shrugs. "Learned that one the hard way."
