Suffer the Heir, page 40
The army raised their voices again, their cheers of acclaim echoing off the slopes of the hillside. Denny kept his features steady, despite the pounding of his heart.
It was done. He was king. All he had to do now was defeat the mightiest empire the world had ever seen.
CHAPTER 28
ONE STRAY BOLT
Tabhakan Mountains, Geathan – 21st Day of Ara 109
Tyl Onna stared into the distance. She was lying between her brother and Raewyn on the summit of the barren ridge, and they had a perfect view down the ragged mountain slopes. Several miles ahead of them, the air was shimmering in the heat of the desert. Tyl Onna kept her gaze on the wide, paved road as it descended through the valley. A cloud of dust was being kicked up by something but, whatever it was, it was too far away for her to see it clearly.
‘This is bad,’ muttered Tel Than.
‘But someone’s using the road,’ said Tyl Onna.
He eyed her. ‘That tiny cloud of dust is not being caused by the Sanctian field army. If it was them, the cloud would stretch back along the road for miles.’
‘Then what does it mean?’
‘There are only two options,’ he said. ‘Either the field army has been delayed, or they have entered the mountains by another route.’
‘They should be here by now,’ said Raewyn.
‘We have to consider the possibility that your presence has scared them off,’ said Tel Than. ‘If any surviving scouts have reached them, they might have adjusted their plans. For all we know, the field army might already be behind us, marching towards Lake Jaladah.’
‘I thought this was the only road suitable for cannon.’
‘That’s what I thought, too,’ he said, ‘but there may be other tracks they could take. Imagine you were their commander – would you want to come this way if you knew that a rogue Maker was rumoured to be waiting by the main road?’
Tyl Onna narrowed her eyes at the approaching cloud of dust. ‘I think it’s just one wagon,’ she said. ‘Do you see it?’
The others peered over the top of the ridge.
‘Army?’ said Tel Than.
‘I can’t tell from here,’ said Tyl Onna.
‘Then we’ll wait for them to get closer. Raewyn, they might have information we need, so don’t kill them as soon as they come into your range.’
They settled down to wait. The sun was rising into the sky ahead of them, over the endless wastelands of the desert, and it began to get hotter. They passed a water skin around, but their supplies were running low. Even if they wanted to, they didn’t have enough to get them back to the coast; the only way to get more food and water would be to return to the streams and fertile valleys by Lake Jaladah.
‘Do you think that wagon is packed with supplies?’ she said.
‘Are you thinking of robbing them, sister?’ said Tel Than.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Is that wrong of me?’
‘Not if the occupants of the wagon are Sanctians. Follow me.’
They crept backwards until they were off the summit of the ridge, then Tel Than led them down a steep track. They moved out of sight of the road, and scrambled over the rocky terrain, until they reached the bottom of the slope. Tel Than edged along the path, then he peered round the side of a sheer cliff.
‘Can you see them?’ said Tyl Onna.
He nodded. ‘Four horses and two soldiers are up on the front of the wagon. The rear is covered, so there might be more inside.’ He glanced at Raewyn. ‘Can you kill one of the drivers?’
Raewyn moved forward, and glanced past the face of the cliff.
‘No,’ she said.
‘Why not?’
‘The horses leading the wagon are between me and the soldiers,’ she said.
‘We could wait until the wagon has passed us,’ said Tel Than.
‘But then I would kill whoever happens to be in the back of the wagon,’ said Raewyn.
‘There might be no one in the back.’
‘Do you want to take that chance?’ she said.
‘Are you getting squeamish? If anyone is in the back, they will also be soldiers.’
‘You don’t know that for certain. What if innocent civilians are in the back of the wagon?’
‘You have killed civilians before.’
‘Yes, and I regret it. I will only kill soldiers, no one else.’
Tyl Onna unstrapped the sword from her waist and passed it to her brother.
‘Why don’t I just speak to them?’ she said. ‘I can find out what we need to know without anyone dying.’
Raewyn frowned. ‘I will be watching,’ she said. ‘Try to put some of them between me and you.’
Tyl Onna nodded, then she walked out from behind the edge of the cliff face. The wagon was less than a hundred yards away, and the four horses were pulling it up the slope towards the mountain valley. Tyl Onna raised a hand to shield her eyes from the rising sun, then she waved at the two soldiers up on the driver’s bench.
The soldiers eyed her, then they brought the wagon to a slow and gradual stop on the dusty road.
‘Are you lost, little lady?’ said one. ‘What are you doing out here in this wilderness?’
‘You can’t go this way,’ said Tyl Onna. ‘You should turn back.’
The soldiers eyed each other.
‘And why would that be?’
‘Have you not heard?’ she said. ‘There is a dangerous Maker guarding this road. She has been killing every Sanctian who tries to enter these mountains. You might have to go another way.’
‘A Maker?’ said a soldier. ‘Listen girl; we have our orders, and we are already a few days late.’
‘Are you meeting up with the field army?’ she said. ‘They haven’t passed this way. I assumed they must know about the Maker.’
‘How would you know anything about the field army?’ said the soldier. ‘Who are you?’
The canvas at the front of the wagon opened, and another soldier peered out. Tyl Onna glanced inside, and saw more soldiers sitting amid stacked crates and barrels.
‘What’s going on?’ said the new soldier. ‘Why have we stopped?’
‘This girl says there’s a Maker blocking the road, sergeant,’ said the soldier on the driver’s bench.
‘A what?’ said the sergeant. ‘Bullshit.’
‘Five days ago,’ said Tyl Onna, ‘I spoke to a few scouts from the advance force. They told me about the field army, and they told me that the Maker had slaughtered hundreds of their colleagues. If you keep following this road, she will kill you, too.’
The sergeant eyed her. ‘And you just happened to be here to warn us, eh? Do you take us for fools?’
‘I am trying to get away from the mountains,’ she said. ‘You can believe me or not; I don’t care. Are you going to punish me for trying to help?’
The sergeant gazed up the road towards the mountains.
‘She told us that the field army haven’t been this way, sergeant,’ said a soldier. ‘Should we choose a different route?’
‘We are already two days behind the others,’ muttered the sergeant. ‘We can’t afford to lose any more time.’
‘But what if she’s telling the truth, sergeant? What if those scouts she mentioned warned the commanders of the field army about the Maker, and they diverted off the main road?’
‘She’s a fucking Geathian,’ said the sergeant. ‘They lie as easily as breathing.’
‘But, sergeant,’ hissed the soldier, ‘we heard about that Maker escaping from Colonia Victus – she massacred hundreds. What if it’s the same one?’
‘Or what if it’s Abigone?’ said another. ‘Isn’t she supposed to be in Geathan?’
‘The sergeant frowned, then he turned back to Tyl Onna. ‘Look at her, lads. She has no pack, no water, no food – and she expects us to believe that she’s an innocent traveller? How does she imagine she is going to get across the desert? She’s lying about something. Maybe we should take her with us.’
‘There’s no chance I’m getting up onto that wagon,’ she said, taking a step back, ‘not if you are heading into the mountains. I’ve done my job – I’ve warned you. If you carry on, it’ll be your own fault if the Maker tears you to pieces.’
‘Grab her, lads!’ cried the sergeant.
Tyl Onna turned and bolted back the way she had come. She heard the sound of boots landing on the ground next to the wagon, but didn’t look back. She raced towards the cliffside, her head down. Tel Than pulled her to the side as soon as she had cleared the edge of the rocks. His sword was drawn, and he stayed close to the wall of rock as the first soldier appeared. Tel Than rammed the sword into the man’s stomach, then a second soldier turned the corner, a crossbow in his arms. His eyes widened, then he loosed.
Tel Than grunted, then fell. Tyl Onna grabbed her own sword as the soldier began to reload. She swung it at him, and the soldier raised his crossbow to deflect her blow.
‘You shot my brother, you bastard!’ Tyl Onna cried, then the edge of her blade found its way through the soldier’s defences, and the steel ripped across his throat. He staggered back as blood poured from the wound, then he tripped over a rock and tumbled to the ground. Tyl Onna ran to her brother’s side. She heard a shriek of terror ring out from the direction of the road, then a ripping sound, followed by utter silence.
Tyl Onna took her brother’s hand. ‘What should I do?’ she said. ‘Should I pull out the bolt?’
Tel Than opened his mouth, but no words came out. Tyl Onna’s gaze went down to his chest, and she saw the end of the steel bolt embedded into her brother’s flesh. The front of his clothes were sticky with fresh blood, so she took a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it down onto the wound.
Raewyn appeared by her side. ‘How bad is it?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Tyl Onna. ‘Pretty fucking bad.’
‘I killed the others,’ Raewyn said.
‘I know. I heard.’
Tel Than shuddered in agony. ‘Find the field army,’ he gasped. ‘Find it, and let Raewyn do what she was born to do.’
‘Don’t say that,’ said Tyl Onna. ‘You are going to be fine. We could take the wagon and the horses and race back into the mountains. We could…’
‘I killed the horses,’ said Raewyn. ‘It was the only way to be sure that every soldier would die.’
‘Then search the damn wagon,’ snapped Tyl Onna. ‘Look for bandages and dressings. We need to stop the bleeding.’
Raewyn hurried away. Tyl Onna’s gaze went back to the bolt protruding from Tel Than’s chest. Her left hand went to it, and Tel Than flinched in anticipation.
‘Sorry, brother,’ she said, then she placed both hands round the end of the bolt and pulled. It moved up an inch, and Tel Than’s head slumped to the side, his eyes almost closing. Tyl Onna pulled again, her hands red with her brother’s blood, and the bolt came free. She dropped it onto the dusty ground, and pressed down onto the wound, which was bleeding freely. Raewyn raced back to her side. She had no bandages, but had brought a blanket, which she cut into strips with a knife. Tyl Onna took the first strip. She held it against the wound, and it soon became saturated with blood.
‘It won’t stop,’ Tyl Onna called out. ‘He’s going to die.’
Raewyn handed her a fresh strip. Tyl Onna threw the other one to the side, and pressed the clean one to Tel Than’s chest.
‘Can you fix him?’ she said.
‘How?’ said Raewyn.
‘Can you not use your Maker powers to do something to help him?’
‘All I can do is kill,’ said Raewyn. ‘I cannot heal.’
Tyl Onna broke down in tears as she held her bloody hands to the wound. The colour had drained from her brother’s face, and his eyes were staring vacantly into the distance. Raewyn felt for a pulse, her fingers touching Tel Than’s neck. She glanced at Tyl Onna and shook her head.
‘What is that supposed to mean?’
‘There is no pulse,’ said Raewyn. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Shut up,’ cried Tyl Onna. ‘I’m not giving up. Don’t you understand? My brother is the only family I have. Look – the blood flow is slowing down.’
‘His heart has stopped,’ said Raewyn.
Tyl Onna lifted her gaze from the wound and stared at her brother’s face. She leaned over and put her ear to his mouth to listen for the sound of his breath. There was nothing. She placed a hand onto his chest, but there was no heartbeat.
‘No,’ she said.
Raewyn put her hand onto Tyl Onna’s shoulder, then she walked away, disappearing from view. Tyl Onna sat down on the ground. Her tears had stopped, and she felt empty as she stared at the body of her brother. It was her fault. If she had stayed behind the cliff, then Raewyn would have killed every soldier on the wagon; but no, she had chosen to speak to them, and her actions had led to Tel Than’s death.
Raewyn returned, carrying a shovel. She tied her hair back, then she began to dig.
‘We will not leave him out here for the crows to feed upon,’ she said, as the shovel lifted earth from the ground.
Tyl Onna said nothing. She watched Raewyn dig for a moment, then she hugged herself, feeling cold despite the sun beating down on them. What was she going to do without her brother? She had no answer. She noticed the bodies of the two Sanctian soldiers who had chased her from the wagon. Both were dead, their blood staining the dry ground beneath them. She had killed one of them herself, using the sword Stanza had made for her. She had taken the life of the man who had shot her brother, but all Tyl Onna could think about was the stupid waste of it all.
‘If you wish,’ said Raewyn, as she continued to shovel earth, ‘I will escort you back to the coast. There is enough water and food in the wagon for the journey. I can take you to your friends in Danastka.’
Tyl Onna stared at her.
‘Do you know where they live?’ said Raewyn.
‘Who?’
‘Your friends?’
‘I don’t have friends in Danastka,’ she said. ‘They were my brother’s friends.’
‘Will you be safe there?’
Tyl Onna said nothing, Raewyn’s questions making no sense to her.
Raewyn worked under the hot sun, her dress becoming coated in the brown and golden dust of the dry earth. Sweat lines were streaking the grime on her face, and Tyl Onna wondered if she had shed any tears for Tel Than. Was Raewyn capable of crying?
Raewyn dropped the shovel to the ground and sat. She raised a water skin to her lips, drank, then offered it to Tyl Onna.
‘Is it deep enough?’ she said.
Tyl Onna frowned. ‘What?’
‘The grave,’ said Raewyn. ‘Is it deep enough?’
Tyl Onna gazed into the hole dug by Raewyn.
‘Are you able to help me?’ Raewyn went on. ‘We should get him covered before… before he starts to attract the wild beasts that live out here.’
‘You didn’t even like him,’ said Tyl Onna.
Raewyn said nothing.
‘Don’t try to deny it,’ said Tyl Onna.
‘I wasn’t going to.’
Raewyn stood, then she walked round to Tel Than’s legs. ‘Will you help me lower him in?’
‘You don’t care, do you?’ said Tyl Onna. ‘You are so far gone that you have lost any feelings of pity or love.’
‘If you don’t help me, I will have to roll him into the grave.’
Tyl Onna cursed under her breath, then she got to her feet. She swayed, feeling light-headed, then she took hold of Tel Than’s shoulders. Raewyn lifted his legs and they picked him up. They eased over to the shallow pit, and lowered him in. Raewyn took hold of the shovel.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I am sorry, Tyl Onna, for your loss.’
Tyl Onna bowed her head as Raewyn began shovelling earth back into the grave. The first load hit Tel Than’s legs, then more went in as the body was slowly covered.
Tyl Onna glanced up at the blue sky. Birds were circling overhead, but none were approaching the bodies close to the two women. Raewyn kept working as the sun reached its noon peak. Her dress was drenched in sweat, and yet she carried on, not stopping until the ground above the grave was level. She panted, leaned on the shovel, and drank more from the water skin.
‘I have no one left,’ said Tyl Onna. ‘My entire family has gone.’
‘I know what that feels like,’ said Raewyn.
Tyl Onna cried out in rage and lunged at the Maker. She was taller and stronger than Raewyn, and pushed her off her feet, and they fell to the hard ground. Tyl Onna put her hands round Raewyn’s throat, her anger out of control.
‘This is all your fault,’ Tyl Onna shouted. ‘It should be me, not my brother. You should have let me die in Colonia Victus.’
‘Then kill me,’ said Raewyn. ‘Release me from this nightmare.’
Tyl Onna tightened her grip on Raewyn’s throat.
‘Do it,’ gasped Raewyn. ‘Do it before I slaughter thousands more.’
Tyl Onna closed her eyes, then she pulled her hands away and stumbled backwards, leaving Raewyn lying on the ground. Tyl Onna knelt by the grave, put her head in her hands, and wept. She heard Raewyn slowly sit up, but couldn’t meet her glance. Had the Maker preferred death? Had she wanted Tyl Onna to strangle the life from her? Why hadn’t she retaliated? She could have ripped Tyl Onna to pieces with a few muttered words, and yet she had not done so.
She wiped her eyes. ‘We are not going back to the coast,’ she said.
‘Then where do you wish to go?’ said Raewyn.
‘We are going to find the field army,’ she said, ‘and you are going to kill them all.’
The two women got to their feet. Tyl Onna looked at her hands. They were still coated in the dry blood of her brother, as was the front of her clothes. Raewyn was in a similar condition, her dress torn and filthy. Tyl Onna gazed at the grave, then they turned and walked past the edge of the cliff. Over by the wagon, birds were feasting upon the remains of the horses and soldiers, and the ground was covered in blood. The gore and flesh were starting to smell, and Tyl Onna gagged. They walked to the wagon, careful not to step in anything, and a few of the birds flew off, tendrils of flesh hanging from their beaks and talons. Raewyn opened the canvas at the rear of the wagon. More gore and remains were inside, coating the stacks of barrels and crates. Raewyn began to unload them, as Tyl Onna stood to the side. She felt as though she were dreaming, as though nothing that had happened was real, and she found that she had a grudging respect for Raewyn. How did the Maker keep going, no matter how bad things got?
