No such beauty existed now. Choking weeds with dagger-like thorns had sprouted everywhere throughout the vineyards and garden spaces. The withered grapes that endured hung limply on the vines, turning slowly in a breeze that rattled dying leaves. Here and there were the desperate signs of farmers¡¯ attempts to uproot the interloping plants, but it seemed all such efforts were abandoned. Broken hoes and other tools lay on the ground discarded. Even the water of the River Nintu seemed brackish in the canals, sluggish flow topped by a stinking yellow foam not unlike the pus from an infected wound. Not a shred of green could be seen, only brown. Even the banks of the river were barren of reeds, dry and pale where they should have been moist and dark.
¡°What a ruin.¡± Menes drew his horse to a stop beside Ilati and Eigou as they crested the last of the low hills overlooking Sa Dul. The devastation stretched outwards from Sa Dul in every direction. ¡°Woe to the villagers who tend this crop.¡±
Eigou glanced over his shoulder at Ilati, who rode Ankhu behind him. The mule flicked his ears nervously. ¡°It seems the rumors were true.¡±
Despite knowing what awaited in Sa Dul, Ilati was grateful they had come instead of circumventing it. Ilati thought of the five arrows waiting in her quiver. She had checked three times to ensure the glue had dried since Shir Del came back with the first scouting reports.
Tahmasp scowled, shading his eyes from the sun with one hand. ¡°It will be impossible to graze here as we had hoped, and that water¡better that we pitch camp with the herds back at the bend in the river and stay far from this accursed farmland.¡± He eyed Eigou. ¡°Rumors?¡±
Eigou offered the clearly displeased Sut Resi seer a disarming smile. ¡°The man we encountered, my countryman, he told me that there was a demon plaguing Sa Dul.¡±
For a moment, Ilati could see an incandescent rage building in Tahmasp, one she was well familiar with after being his pupil as well.
¡°You said nothing of this!¡±
¡°Would you have come this way had I warned?¡± Eigou asked mildly.
¡°Of course not!¡± Tahmasp almost sputtered, clearly not expecting the question.
The sorcerer was the very picture of good cheer. ¡°And that is why I did not. These people need our help.¡±
¡°They need our help?¡± Tahmasp pointed at Ilati. ¡°Is one demon not enough for you, madman?¡±
Shir Del approached from the direction of the setting sun, announced by the clopping of Araxa¡¯s hooves. The stallion was as eager for battle as the sons of the northern kings. ¡°There is something moving in the area. Roshanak said the water further back is safe enough for the animals, but I would not risk drinking it.¡±
Menes rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°It is stalked by a great evil, it seems. We should have taken another path, Eigou, or at least decided as a group. Guile wins you no friends.¡± His horse shifted beneath him, not as brave as Araxa. ¡°Better to camp away. I do not think the beasts will get close to the place anyway.¡±
Ilati caught movement among the vines and pointed to a handful of figures moving towards them like the living dead. The women and men shambled forward, weeping and tearing at their hair. ¡°I would say the people¡¯s sorrow is well known to them.¡± A distinct twinge of pity struck her as the miserable villagers moved through their devastated crops.
Without the grapes, they could not make wine to trade for other things they might need, tools or grain. If the curse afflicted their vegetable gardens too and drove off the animals, the people would starve. Sa Dul was dying.
The villagers stopped a short distance away, respectfully allowing the riders to decide if they were real or not. Three were young men, wasted from hunger with a desperate fear in their eyes, and the last was a woman with careworn lines carved into her forehead as if into lifeless clay. ¡°You have come to a place of great misfortune, travelers. We cannot offer you hospitality,¡± she called, clearly the elder of the group.
A fevered light struck the youngest man¡¯s eyes at the sight of their bows and Menes¡¯s sword. ¡°They are warriors. Please, you must spare us this torment. Chase the evil that lurks here from this place with fire and bronze!¡±
¡°Such things are not so simple,¡± Tahmasp growled. He had never been very sympathetic to those beyond the Sut Resi, and Eigou¡¯s deception had not endeared outsiders to him.
Ilati wiped a hand across her forehead, smoothing away the hair that clung to the sweat on her brow after a day of hard riding. They looked dirty and feral, probably more like bandits than anything else, but there was nothing here to steal. ¡°We hear you, people of Sa Dul,¡± she said as gently as she could manage with Tahmasp glaring at her. She straightened and tried to conjure the bearing of a high priestess, even months from the palace and the ziggurat she had called her home. ¡°Let us speak and see what might be done.¡±
The young men blinked, startled that it was Ilati who had spoken, not Eigou or Menes. She had her bow and a bronze dagger, but the sorcerer partly obscured her on the mule and she looked far less impressive a warrior than Shir Del, Menes, and Tahmasp.
Whatever their feelings on the matter, it was the older woman who spoke. ¡°Any aid you and your fellows can offer would be welcome. I am Hedis. These are my sons, Shammu and Kaspum, and my daughter¡¯s husband, Tirigan.¡±
¡°My name is Ilati,¡± the priestess said, covering her heart with both hands. ¡°Hopefully we can put an end to your troubles.¡±
Tahmasp sighed, clearly now resigned to the part his people would play in this. ¡°I will tell the chieftain,¡± he said, turning his horse. ¡°I leave this matter in your hands.¡±
¡°How dour,¡± Eigou commented, tastefully waiting until Tahmasp was out of earshot. The sorcerer had some sense of self-preservation. He nudged Ankhu forward, but the beast refused to step a foot closer to the withered vines, planting as only a mule could. ¡°Ah, it seems we will be walking.¡±
¡°Our horses are bolder,¡± Shir Del said with confidence. She looked eager for a battle, even against a demonic foe. ¡°Still, better that Roshanak and the others stay back. The horses will want to eat. I will take Ankhu back to the herd, then meet you in the village.¡±
Ilati dismounted with Eigou¡¯s help, landing as tenderly as possible on her wounded leg. The limp was getting better, particularly since she could rest her leg while riding.
Hedis forced a smile, face still stained by her tears. ¡°Be welcome, strangers. Just know there is little comfort here, I warn you. Several armed parties have passed by, all losing souls to the demon. You are welcome to sit beneath the shade of the date palms and hear of our desolation, but do not wander in the dark. That is when the creature comes.¡±
Ilati and her companions followed the group of villagers to a squat mud-brick building near the center of the vineyards. Wan-faced misery watched their approach from the other thresholds in the town, but no one else approached. Ilati made a sign to avert the envious eye, aware that the desperation of starving souls was a danger unto itself. ¡°How long have you suffered so?¡± the priestess asked as they approached the shade. Even the palms had thorns growing around their roots that slowly squeezed life away, ounce by precious ounce.
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¡°A cycle of the moon.¡± Hedis took a seat on the low wall that ran alongside the palms. ¡°It came as suddenly as a summer storm and you see what it has done to the place. We wither just as the fruit upon the vine does.¡±
Eigou put a hand on Ilati¡¯s shoulder as he studied Hedis. ¡°Do you have any idea what might have called forth the demon?¡±
The woman hesitated, so her youngest spoke up. ¡°The envious eye,¡± Shammu said. He squared his jaw, something between anger and the wariness of an asp with its hood raised in his expression. ¡°Sa Dul was prosperous beyond many. They would be pleased to see us fall so they might take our place.¡±
¡°Evil magic?¡± Ilati weighed the suggestion carefully. It made sense that such a thing could break the natural order. ¡°You did not invoke your gods when it wronged you?¡±
¡°We cried out and burned many offerings.¡± Hedis shuddered slightly. ¡°It only seemed to make the beast bolder.¡±
Eigou squeezed Ilati¡¯s shoulder meaningfully. ¡°That is unusual, from what I understand of such things. Gods normally cluster to offerings and hear such prayers. For a demon to defy them¡¡±
¡°Perhaps there is more that we cannot see,¡± Menes said thoughtfully. He glanced towards the horizon. ¡°The sun is low, Eigou. Are we going to confront it tonight?¡±
Ilati took a deep breath. She was terrified of what waited in the darkness, but she had all but given her word to both Eigou and Hedis. ¡°I will try to stop it tonight. The rest of you will have to defend the villagers.¡±
The ferocity of a leopard, so often hidden behind Menes¡¯s gentleness, suddenly reared its head. He was on his feet in a moment, sending Hedis cowering. ¡°Alone? Absolutely not!¡±
The priestess reached down into herself, seeking the stone foundation laid by her mother. Ilati¡¯s bearing straightened just like the dead queen¡¯s would have and she met Menes¡¯s eyes with a fearsome glare. ¡°That was not a request, Menes. The villagers are defenseless. I am not. They will need you more.¡±
The man of Magan¡¯s brow furrowed and he moved his gaze to Eigou with an accusing sharpness. ¡°You are fine with this?¡±
Eigou leaned back slightly and scratched at his beard. ¡°One does not know how bronze has set until the mold is broken, Menes.¡±
¡°It is her broken bones I think of, not your poetry!¡± Menes thundered.
¡°What good are your lessons if she never applies them, o leopard?¡± The sorcerer hardened and leaned forward, planting his palms on his knees. ¡°You said that you would prepare her for battle, here is a battle.¡±
¡°Against a demon?¡±
¡°Easier than the one we will face in the end.¡± Ilati put a hand out, touching Menes¡¯s arm. ¡°I do not need your approval, my friend, only your assistance.¡±
Menes lost none of his fearsome aspect. For a moment, his dark eyes flashed to meet hers. ¡°You will get yourself killed. You are injured and half-trained.¡±
¡°Perhaps, but at least it will be my decision. You trusted me in the desert to return, Menes. Trust me to do the same here.¡± Ilati softened her tone. ¡°I am grateful for your protection, but if we are to go to war together, then there must be trust.¡±
A shadow fell across the group of them: Shir Del on Araxa¡¯s back, bow hanging at her side. She had not bothered to string it, more than capable of doing so even from her horse¡¯s back. It was a feat of dexterity that Ilati had yet to master. ¡°I think it is a fine idea,¡± the warrior woman said approvingly. ¡°Who among us is better equipped? She can ride, she can fire a bow, and she has her magic.¡±
¡°Of course you would,¡± Menes muttered darkly.
Tahmasp pulled his horse to a stop at Araxa¡¯s shoulder. The old shaman still seemed dour, particularly to be present. ¡°She can at least earn her keep. We don¡¯t have much time if the demon comes at nightfall. There are doors to ward, protections to lay.¡± He looked over at the three young men of the village, hungry and sick. ¡°Come with me and the one-eyed troublemaker. We know something of warding away the evil eye.¡±
Ilati turned back to Hedis. ¡°Go tell everyone to go within their homes and bar the doors. We will have a warrior at each house to guard. I will meet the creature at the center.¡±
Shir Del stroked Araxa¡¯s neck. ¡°You will want a mount, Ilati. Demons are swift and your leg is still not healed.¡±
¡°I will stay above it and attack from hiding,¡± Ilati said, motioning to the flat roof of the granary closest to the well.
Kaspum, the elder son, put a hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What would you ask of us to be rid of this demon, sorceress?¡± His voice was a deep, resonant baritone that seemed much stronger than his wasted flesh. There was wariness to him, but also gratitude. ¡°Magic is not a small thing, nor is challenging a beast that has slain everyone who sought to strike it down.¡±
The priestess¡¯s expression stayed gentle. ¡°Am I so miserly, son of Hedis, that I would demand talents of silver or bushels of grain from those who have suffered so? I require nothing.¡±
¡°We must give you something.¡± Kaspum raised his chin with the remnants of his pride. To rely wholly on the charity of another was not in his nature. ¡°A debt unpaid is a stone in one''s heel.¡±
She supposed that in his position, she would have felt the same. ¡°Then when the demon troubles you no longer, you will make an offering of your finest wine as a libation, poured out to my goddess.¡±
The young man nodded. ¡°And what god has sent you, that we may sing their praises?¡±
¡°I will teach you the words when it is finished.¡± Ilati¡¯s life as high priestess of Zu had taught her much of what sacrifices were most pleasing to gods. The Mother of Night Winds did not have an appetite for things of civilization as her old goddess had, but she would no doubt understand the gift of something so deeply prized and intertwined with the wellbeing of Sa Dul. Sacrifices were symbols as much as the actual substance that made them up.
¡°Then it will be so,¡± Kaspum promised.
Shammu crossed his arms. ¡°Has magic not done enough?¡±
His brother glared at him. ¡°It has not taken your voice.¡±
Hedis snapped her teeth together in disapproval. ¡°Kaspum, speak not so! I would not have you will such a curse into being.¡±
¡°Wise.¡± Eigou stood with a groan, then stretched out each of his old knees. ¡°Too long in one place. So, Tahmasp and I will see what we can come up with for protections for each house. Salt and water painted upon the door in a sign of power will do much.¡±
¡°I will pray to Earthmother for their protection as well,¡± the seer grumbled. ¡°Shir Del and Menes will fetch more of our people to wait with the villagers, but upon your shoulders is the demon, Ilati.¡± For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of concern cross his leathery features. ¡°I trust you will not be a fool, nor falter.¡±
Shir Del couldn¡¯t resist the opportunity to prod the shaman. ¡°That is the kindest thing I think you have ever said to her. Soon you will be as much in her camp as Eigou.¡±
Both old men exchanged a wordless look at that pronouncement before heading off to secure the defenses of the village. Ilati had full confidence in their abilities, even if their personalities had a habit of clashing. Shir Del looked toward the setting sun. ¡°They had best hurry. Menes, come, let us fetch others swiftly.¡± She leaned down, putting a hand on Ilati¡¯s shoulder and squeezing tight. ¡°Be careful, little sister. To combat a demon is not to combat a man.¡±
¡°I prepared,¡± Ilati said as she pulled out the bundle of five arrows. Uparmiya had fletched them with a peerless hand, carefully binding and trimming gray goose feathers. They were shorter than normal, designed to be fired with the duma that Sut Resi archers used: a grooved piece of wood worn on the hand holding a bow, so it could generate even more power by firing an arrow too short for the bow. It meant that enemy archers could not fire them back. Not that such was a concern here, but Ilati wanted the shots as strong as possible.
Ilati had coated each shaft in charcoal and dulled the gleam of the obsidian heads to make it harder for the demon to find her by sight. She couldn¡¯t help if it had other senses, but she hoped it would buy herself time. Everywhere on her arms and hands that she could write was stained with the wedged-shaped writing of her people, prayers honoring K¡¯adau and inviting in her power.
¡°I was wondering what you were doing with that paint,¡± Shir Del said. ¡°You knew of this demon?¡±
¡°Eigou warned me,¡± Ilati said. She squeezed Shir Del¡¯s hand on her shoulder. ¡°I will be careful.¡±
The warrior woman nodded, then turned Araxa back towards the Sut Resi camp. ¡°That is enough for me." She looked over at Hedis. "Woman of sorrow, does this demon come from a direction?¡±
¡°East with the moon,¡± the village woman said as she rose to follow her sons into their home. ¡°Gods guide and defend you.¡±
Ilati nodded and wasted no time, heading for the granary¡¯s flat roof. It stood about ten feet tall, but there was a ladder there to climb. She pulled in a deep breath and turned to the east, stringing her bow with the help of a foot once she was ready. Her fingers danced nervously on the string and her leg ached. Hopefully, the Mother of Night Winds would send her a sign.
Her heart sank into her stomach as the waning crescent of the moon slowly crept up the sky into the sky, leaving much of the world below in darkness. Her arrow shots were even less likely to strike their target. Worse yet, the omen: Alanni¡¯s child shone a dull, bloody red.
As the night swallowed the land, Ilati heard it coming: a deep, low growl that rumbled through the abandoned streets, rising and rising in pitch and growing in volume until it became the demented howl of a madman shrieking like the night winds themselves.
18 - The Demon of the Fallen Tree
The great wailing and gnashing of fangs split the otherwise silent night air, but the distorted echoes through the buildings of Sa Dul told Ilati nothing of where her quarry was. With the darkness beneath the crescent moon and the bloody light it shed, the advantage was most certainly with the demon.
Ilati took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her sanctified arrows as she watched the road from the east. She tried to focus as Eigou had taught her, not with her own two eyes, but with the inner perception he insisted was key to seeing into the world of such creatures.
The priestess closed her eyes, adjusting her hold on her bow and arrows. With only five, she had abandoned her quiver in case it slowed her down, preferring to hold her arrows in the hand holding the string. Then she heard it, a clatter on the street below so much closer than she had expected. She flicked the first arrow up and caught it, drawing it back without hesitation. The small symbols of protection etched onto her thumb ring burned hotter and hotter as the creature approached. Her perch on the roof of the granary would not be hidden long.
When she opened her eyes, it took biting her own lip almost hard enough to draw blood to avoid a gasp. Rippling and writhing, the hulking figure of shadow moved through the dimness in an undulating path, growing fresh limbs with every step and absorbing the old. Its many eyes flashed like a lion¡¯s in the moonlight, a maw full of needle-like fangs dripping ichor onto the city streets that burned and corrupted even the stone. Ilati had never encountered a beast so large, greater than even a bull. A thick mane of darkness wrapped around its neck, but its back and tail bore deadly-looking spines.
Not for the first time, Ilati felt her death close at hand.
Be brave, Ilati, she told herself. Be worthy.
She drew the arrow back further, anchoring at her cheek rather than her chin, and held her breath. In this, her aim mattered more than it ever had before. She let the arrow fly with a flick of her thumb and index finger. Light flashed as the arrow soared, like a crackle of lightning.
The arrow struck the demon in the hindquarters rather than the heart she had aimed for. Jaws opened and a wail shrieked forth that left Ilati deafened and stunned for a moment. It was muscle memory that drew her next arrow to her even as the horrible sound drove like a red-hot needle into each ear. Her eyes flooded with tears of pain and the muscles of her wounded leg quivered. Suddenly, her shot was not as clear. She pulled back away from the edge of the granary, hoping against hope it hadn¡¯t seen her.
A snarl told her otherwise. The ladder leading up to the roof disappeared, a horrible cracking telling her exactly what had happened: the demon had seized it and broken it. She had a ten foot drop on all sides to reach the street, and that was no salvation. Ilati let her arm slacken as her heart pounded with fear, hands trembling on the string. Even without a wounded leg, that was more of a jump than she dared make. A drop perhaps, but then she would have the demon upon her.
In a moment, it didn¡¯t matter.
The flash of seven rage-filled eyes at the edge of the roof announced the demon¡¯s arrival as its claws dug into the mudbrick of the granary walls, hauling itself upward with her arrow still embedded in its flank.
There was no time to think. Ilati drew her arm back and let the next arrow fly, holding her ground. This one struck the demon in the shoulder as it hauled itself up onto the granary roof. She could see the purity of the salt spreading in the wound she had created, a place of crackling light on the evil one¡¯s hide.
It was not enough, even as a second wail split the night air. She was more prepared for it now, but ice ran through her veins and her body screamed for her to flee even though she couldn¡¯t move.
Ilati had no time to draw the next arrow. Ebony muscles flexed and the creature leaped straight for her like a great lion.
She hurled herself to the side, colliding with straw baskets and the narrow edge of the rooftop, arrows clenched in her fist. Ilati forced herself up onto her knees, coming truly face to face with the demon as she fumbled to draw her next arrow. Its breath reeked of old blood and rotted flesh, sparking memories of the dead in her mind. Huge claws dug into the hard roof, flexing only feet from where she stood.
¡°Your pitiful sting will not save you. I am not so easily slain, mortal,¡± the demon growled. Instead of leaping at her, it lashed out with a single, twisting limb that seemed to have far too many joints.
Ilati¡¯s third shot went wide as the claws struck not her arm, but her bow, ripping it from her hands. The demon snatched up the weapon before she could even react, snapping it contemptuously and hurling the shattered wood and sinew off the edge of the building.
Now unarmed, Ilati felt a surge of anger pour through her veins, overpowering even the fear left by the demon¡¯s shrieks. ¡°Neither am I, child of my mother,¡± she hissed. When it went to claw at her face, she grabbed a pot from the edge of the roof and swung it as hard as she could. The pot shattered, but it saved her face. She scrambled back across the roof to the far edge in an effort to create distance.
The demon growled deep in its chest. ¡°Your death will be one of many. I will destroy Sa Dul for its crime. I look forward to the taste of your flesh, mortal, as I will taste all who dwell in this place.¡±
Ilati¡¯s brow furrowed, but she knew she had no time to question. The creature already hunched its massive form in preparation for another pounce.
Behind and below her, she heard a sharp whinny. A sudden, burning connection awoke inside the priestess, like the familiar crack of lightning. Again when the demon pounced, Ilati hurled herself to the side. She went too far, sliding off the edge of the flat roof. One of the arrows went flying as she dangled by a jarred shoulder, barely stopping herself from plunging to an injury that could have spelled her end.
The demon whirled and lashed out at her hand, claws extending out further than a lion¡¯s.
Ilati closed her eyes, whispered a prayer of thanks, and let go. She landed hard on a moving horse¡¯s back, a sudden oneness exploding on contact through every fiber of her being. Youtab charged for distance beneath her, the courage of the horse far beyond anything that the demon¡¯s howl of anger could frighten.
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Ilati tightened her thighs as much as she could to stay on, crouching low on the racing horse¡¯s back as Youtab charged to the west, turning a sharp circle near the well to face the direction of the demon. There was no need for whistle cues or the pressure of a knee: where Ilati began and ended was lost in the oneness with the wild horse.
The gratitude she felt for Youtab¡¯s rescue could have moved mountains.
¡°We have to fight it.¡± Ilati put a hand on the horse¡¯s neck. ¡°You can set me down and go.¡±
Youtab pawed at the earth, already in the war dance of the Sut Resi horses. The message was clear: the priestess would not fight alone. Ilati felt the horse¡¯s muscles twitch beneath her, readying for a charge as the demon undulated down the side of the granary. The horse was ready for combat, divine blood fearless in the face of such evil. People watched from doorways and windows on all sides as the demon let out another wail.
This time, connected to Youtab¡¯s strength, Ilati felt only a surge of determination. She leaned forward with the only remaining arrow gripped in her left hand. The mare needed no further instruction: she exploded forward into a charge straight for the creature, moving with the speed and deadly grace of the greatest of Sut Resi horses.
The demon howled and threw itself forward to meet the charge, but Youtab veered before it could react even as Ilati leaned into the demon¡¯s path, holding the arrow forward. The priestess focused every ounce of will on the obsidian head, reaching out in the same split second for the power of her goddess. A flood of power surged down her arm, a sudden wind enveloping her in the half a heartbeat before they met.
She struck it with the crack of lightning, thrown from Youtab¡¯s back by the impact. Ilati tried to turn it into a roll as the demon flung her hard down a street, curling her left hand against her body. That whole arm was bloody from claws and singed from her goddess¡¯s power, not to mention the bruising all across her body from the roll and the glow of lightning after-flash in her vision.
Youtab whirled and charged back in her direction as the demon slumped to the ground. The horse stopped herself just beside Ilati, leaning down her head and seizing the priestess by her clothes with teeth. Ilati was grateful for the help getting to her feet, as her wounded leg was quivering under her weight. She leaned against the horse, using Youtab as a crutch.
¡°Let us be sure it is finished,¡± Ilati said, limping back towards the demon as blood rolled down her arm.
The demon twitched and writhed on the ground. It strove to grab the arrow buried in its heart with its claws, but the power painted onto the short shaft seemed to burn it every time it tried. ¡°What sorcery is this?¡± Its struggles grew weaker and weaker as the purity of salt spread, but clearly it was not dead yet.
¡°Give me your name, demon, and I will spare you for the love of my mother.¡± Ilati¡¯s voice sounded harsher than usual from her ragged breaths, eyes flint hard as she stared at the wreckage of the demon.
It looked up at her, seven eyes reflecting crimson in the light of the moon. It had no face, only a shadowy suggestion of a maw and teeth that gleamed numberless in its jaws. ¡°I am Ezezu, o daughter of tempests.¡±
¡°Be still, Ezezu, and do no harm.¡± The name buzzed with power on her tongue and the demon immediately went still.
¡°I will harm none save your command, and should I strike at you, may our mother rip me to pieces and banish me to Ersetu.¡±
Ilati dared to pass within its reach, still using Youtab for support. The horse stomped hooves menacingly, but the demon did not react with violence. She gripped the shaft of the arrow sticking in its chest. ¡°Why have you come to this place? You spoke of Sa Dul¡¯s evil as if they had wronged you.¡±
Ezezu growled, clearly enraged, but did not lash out. ¡°Destruction, fueled by greed, and a wound to me that they cannot heal.¡±
¡°Speak of this. Tell me what was done.¡±
¡°A tree, o lady of tempests, grew just beyond the bounds of their vineyards of grapes that have brought them such prosperity. Never have they wanted before for food or drink, clothes or tools. Yet they looked upon the great nobles who traveled from Sarru to the great cities of Kullah and envied their wealth, their fine jewels, their sweet scents. To purchase such extravagances, they expanded their vineyards and uprooted this tree. They burned it in their fires with no thought to the offering. My place of resting, my dwelling, my tree.¡±
Ilati pursed her lips. ¡°Did you entreat them before you savaged them, Ezezu?¡±
The demon bowed its head in a nod. ¡°When they brought their axes to my home, I begged them in the guise of an old man to spare the tree. I warned them their cruelty and pride would bring them ruin if they did not make a pleasing offering and a new home to the one who dwelt within. They laughed and chased me from their presence with insults and the beating of sticks.¡±
The priestess wrenched the arrow from the demon¡¯s chest, ending the spread of the purity of salt. ¡°How may they repay this offense without their destruction? They have wronged you, but deserved or not, this will not grant you what you desire.¡±
Ezezu growled. ¡°I desire their suffering.¡±
¡°And what of a home? What of your peace?¡±
The demon reached out with its claws, but Ilati refused to flinch. It dragged a heavy, lion-like paw over her wounded arm and the blood clotted. ¡°What do you offer, o lady of tempests?¡±
¡°If they made you offerings and a home, would you relent?¡± Ilati appreciated the healing, even if her arm still throbbed in agony. ¡°I will impress upon them what we have spoken of.¡±
¡°If they pray to me every year equaling the number for which my tree stood proud beneath the sky, if they pour out libations from every batch of wine and offer me grain in every harvest, I will restore their fields to them and purify their waters. What they offer I shall return seven-fold, good or ill.¡± The seven eyes that gleamed in the light seemed sincere to Ilati. She kept her grip on her arrow, switching it to her better hand.
¡°Most generous, Ezezu. I will tell the people of Sa Dul. How many years did your tree flourish beneath the sun?¡±
¡°Twelve and twelve. They have a day to decide, o child of my mother.¡± Ezezu slumped to the ground. ¡°If they reject my terms, my desire to make peace will be at an end.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± Ilati said. She leaned heavily against Youtab¡¯s side, stroking the horse¡¯s neck with her burned and bloodied hand. She still held the arrow. Perhaps it would have been wiser to kill the demon, but Ilati knew she would regret the action knowing what had transpired. ¡°I release you from my presence, Ezezu. Return to the wilderness. I will meet you here again at the well with their answer tomorrow night.¡±
The demon bowed its head again and melted away into the shadows, ripping out the arrows as it went.
Ilati hoped she had not just made a terrible mistake.
19 - Abandoning the Evil Eye
As her blood cooled, Ilati looked down at the scorched remnants of the arrow she held in her hand. The obsidian head had split in half and the wood splintered from the power that had coursed through it. The throbbing pain in her arm became more and more real as she stared at the last remnant of her weapon, even though the demon had stopped the bleeding. She would likely bear the scars of Ezezu¡¯s claws for the rest of her life, much as she carried the ones K¡¯adau had ripped into her face.
She leaned against Youtab¡¯s side more heavily as the exhaustion set in. A fight with a demon after a long ride to reach Sa Dul drained more energy from her than she expected. The mare responded with a gentle nicker, turning her head to look at the wounded priestess.
The divine-blooded horse¡¯s eyes shone with intelligence. Only a fool would consider any horse simple, Ilati had learned, but her savior was above the rest of her kind, standing only beside Babak and Araxa, her siblings. Ilati leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Youtab¡¯s nose and wrapping her arms around the mare¡¯s neck. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± she whispered.
Youtab needed no words to respond, not with the connection that crackled between them like lightning between clouds in a storm. She understood, and so did Ilati.
¡°Ilati!¡± The next thing she knew, Menes swept her off her feet, the warmth of the sun emanating from his chuckles. ¡°That was a battle to be remembered!¡±
¡°Yet it lives.¡± Shammu, the youngest son of Hedis, had stepped out of his mother¡¯s house, his family following close behind him. The young man¡¯s brow furrowed deeper than a vineyard¡¯s soil. ¡°Why did you not slay it?¡±
Menes set Ilati down, steadying her when he realized she was swaying. ¡°Is it not enough that it is driven from this place, man of Sa Dul?¡± the charioteer said.
Ilati gripped the arrow¡¯s shaft more tightly. ¡°It will return,¡± she said with grim certainty. She could not share in Menes''s elation at her victory, not with an evil deed unaddressed.
Shammu¡¯s words came untempered by reason, even when his older brother seized his shoulder. ¡°Then what was the point of your battle? We are no better now than before you arrived! Perhaps now its anger even grows! Your mercy to such an evil thing was a mistake!¡±
Ilati leveled the remnants of the arrow at him like an executioner would point a sword. ¡°Your plague was of your own making, Shammu, son of Hedis,¡± she said in a low, even tone. ¡°Who drove off the old man with sticks and insults? Who hacked apart the home of the one who has tormented you? You were warned.¡±
Shammu went red in the face. ¡°It was the evil eye!¡±
Ilati¡¯s voice sharpened like a dagger. ¡°Your own!¡±
Now that they were certain the demon was gone, the townspeople and their Sut Resi defenders clustered around to hear the words spoken. Ilati knew she was now watched by many eyes, listened to by many ears. She had a chance to persuade the people of Sa Dul away from their own destruction.
¡°That is a lie,¡± Shammu spat.
Menes stepped forward, seizing Shammu by the front of his shirt. ¡°You will not call her words falsehood in my presence, boy.¡± The gentleness of the charioteer vanished in a snarl of anger, worthy of the leopard whose skin he wore as armor.
¡°He speaks so because he is guilty,¡± Shammu¡¯s brother said, releasing his shoulder and leaving him to Menes. Hardness settled in Kaspum¡¯s face as he looked at his sibling. ¡°I heard what the demon said, Shammu. Your envy doomed us all.¡±
The simmering tension in the air would boil over, Ilati knew. Neighbors looked to neighbors, trying to seek the shame of those who had acted so thoughtlessly, to punish them for their misdeed. ¡°You cannot return to the demon his tree,¡± Ilati said, raising her voice to be heard. ¡°That does not mean you cannot restore your lives and your crops to better than what they once were.¡±
Everyone halted at that pronouncement, turning their attention back to the priestess. ¡°How?¡± Hedis asked, stepping past her sons.
¡°The creature will return to you what is done to it sevenfold, whether scorn and injury¨C¡± Ilati turned her gaze to Shammu as she spoke before fixing her gaze on his brother. ¡°¨Cor reverence and benevolence. You have a choice, people of Sa Dul. You can leave this affront, this wrongdoing, as a black stain upon your town and it will spell the destruction of it, or you can offer contrition to the beast you have made for yourselves. The demon gave me an ultimatum: you may offer it a home and the sweetest of offerings for twelve and twelve years, earning a bounty beyond that which your greed imagined, or it will destroy you.¡±
¡°Words easily spoken by one in league with it,¡± Shammu growled out. ¡°If you had simply slain it, there would be no need for us to enslave ourselves to it.¡±
¡°And left your fields fallow with its lingering curse, your vineyards and gardens choked with thorns, the waters of the life-giving Nintu stinking with foam?¡± Ilati did not know if killing the demon would have ended the effect, but she doubted it. Creatures of the night winds were famous for having vengeance that lasted far beyond even their own deaths. ¡°Which is sweeter to you, Shammu: your pride or your home? Can you not admit your wrongness?¡±
Shammu¡¯s balled fists tightened as he glared at Ilati, words barely kept locked behind his pressed lips.
¡°This is a chance to redeem yourself,¡± the poet said more gently. ¡°Your envy and cruelty brought this evil upon you, but this does not have to be the end. You can work to put things right, for yourself and for all of Sa Dul.¡±
He let his hands fall open, shoulders slumping slightly. ¡°Perhaps you are right.¡± He hesitated. ¡°How do we know the demon will truly relent?¡±
Ilati quashed her sigh of relief while it was still internal. There would be a time for that, but not in public. ¡°I have its vow and its name.¡±
¡°Then you have nothing to fear, young man. Even a demon cannot break its word to one who knows its name,¡± Eigou said. The old man clapped Ilati on her good shoulder, practically beaming with pride. He leaned in close enough to speak in her ear. ¡°Well done. It seems the blood of victory did not die with Ilishu.¡±
¡°I could not do it again,¡± she admittedly freely to the sorcerer, leaning back against Youtab¡¯s side.
¡°I will look at your wounds as soon as they have been set to their tasks,¡± Eigou promised.
The priestess nodded, clearing her throat. ¡°People of Sa Dul,¡± she called, letting her voice carry. ¡°If you wish an end to your sufferings, take the greatest stone of your village and place it upon a raised mound. In the morning, invite the one you have transgressed against to its new home with offerings and build a shrine around the stone. For such a kindness, the creature will reward you sevenfold.¡±
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¡°It will be done.¡± Shammu¡¯s tone was subdued, but there was a faint hope in his eyes after Eigou¡¯s guarantee. ¡°I will argue with you no longer, sorceress. I displeased the gods with my cruelty and wronged my neighbors with my pride.¡±
Kaspum put a hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then come help me move the stone.¡±
With that said, the villagers set about following Ilati¡¯s directions, leaving her with her companions. Eigou immediately pulled out his kit of healing herbs and poultices. ¡°You will have some marks, but I can heal these wounds.¡±
Ilati limped over to a low stone wall and sat, still brushing her hand over Youtab¡¯s side. ¡°Next time, Eigou, you fight the demon,¡± she said, allowing a faint smile to crack through. She hardly knew what to say now that it was over, exhausted and beaten. Even after defeating Ezezu, the demon¡¯s blows had made short work of her endurance. ¡°I would have died without Youtab.¡±
Shir Del was the first of the Sut Resi to approach, perched on Araxa¡¯s back. ¡°It seems you are who she awaited,¡± the warrior woman said. ¡°She chose you.¡±
Tahmasp frowned at the sight, riding in at Shir Del¡¯s side. Ilati doubted he appreciated the fact that Youtab showed any affection for her. ¡°The loyalty of such a horse is not given lightly,¡± he said instead of rebuking her, however. ¡°You know Youtab was sired by the divine.¡±
Ilati held still as Eigou bandaged her wounds. ¡°I do not take it lightly, Tahmasp. She will have my gratitude for all the days of my life.¡±
¡°Good,¡± the Sut Resi seer grunted. ¡°Artakhshathra will not be pleased to lose her from our herds.¡±
¡°She does not have to follow me.¡±
Tahmasp shook his head. ¡°Have you paid no attention to Araxa and Babak? They would follow those they give themselves to unto the ends of the earth and beyond. Youtab is no different. She is yours now, and you are hers, until the gods have decided your fates should be severed.¡±
Ilati looked up at Youtab. ¡°Do you want to follow me?¡± she asked softly, reaching up to the horse with her good hand.
A soft nose pressed into her hand and then huffed. The Sut Resi mare was just as intense in her gaze, but she seemed much more comfortable with Ilati¡¯s presence.
Shir Del grinned. ¡°Let us not forget the stunning victory they won together. Surely that is a tale worth telling to Artakhshathra. Perhaps it will convince him that Ilati is worthy of such a companion.¡±
¡°No need.¡± The voice of the Sut Resi chieftain rumbled out of the darkness. Seated atop the beast of a stallion that was Babak, Artakhshathra emerged from the shadows between two houses. ¡°Did you think I would lend warriors and not see for my own eyes what was to become of them, Shir Del?¡±
The warrior woman inclined her head to her chieftain. ¡°It is good you are here. I think Youtab has chosen rightly.¡±
Artakhshathra observed Shir Del for a long moment before speaking. ¡°Youtab is not the only who intends to follow, I think.¡±
¡°This one has a destiny that leads far from the herds,¡± Eigou said, one hand on Ilati¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You would travel many miles into unfamiliar and unfriendly lands, Shir Del.¡±
Shir Del shrugged. ¡°I have no fear of this journey. Besides, Ilati is a worthy companion and a capable fighter. With such a friend, few dangers are a problem.¡±
¡°You will find many that are. The battles that face us are not few or small.¡± Eigou¡¯s warning was serious. ¡°Besides, you have another person to worry for.¡±
¡°It would be safer if Roshanak stayed with her people,¡± Artakhshathra rumbled.
Something in their warrior woman¡¯s eyes flashed and Shir Del straightened her back to almost rigidity. ¡°She is my daughter, chieftain¡¯s son for a father or no. I brought her into this world with blood and water. I held her body when it was still and wept, rejoiced when a second life breathed into it. In all things, she has been my only treasure and heart. Do you think I will suddenly cease to defend her because I follow Ilati?¡±
The chieftain¡¯s expression stayed stony, eyes dark and serious in the night. ¡°You are ersham, Shir Del. I cannot forbid you from going, but by kinship ties, Roshanak is ours.¡±
Tahmasp sighed and rubbed his forehead. The words he spoke seemed to cause him physical pain. ¡°Let her go.¡±
¡°Have you seen something you have not spoken of, seer?¡±
The cantankerous old man looked up at his chieftain. ¡°No, but I know Roshanak. She would wither like a cut bloom without her mother until sorrow was her end. It is not right to part them. Besides, the second-souled are meant for greatness. Her time away will make her wise to the ways of those who are not Sut Resi.¡±
¡°And if she does not return?¡± Artakhsthatra challenged. His voice held no heat, only focus.
¡°She will return. Sut Resi always heed the call of the silver-grass plains,¡± Tahmasp advised. He raised an eyebrow at his leader. ¡°If you are so worried, sire another son.¡±
Ilati sat quietly, watching all of this play out. She wasn¡¯t certain Shir Del and Roshanak coming was the wisest plan, but she was grateful for the company. Both the warrior woman¡¯s prowess in battle and her daughter¡¯s strange insight would undoubtedly be of great assistance in things to come. She knew it was not her place to speak without invitation on the matter, of course.
Artakhshathra looked back at Shir Del. ¡°Your daughter must return to us,¡± he said firmly. ¡°She is my chosen.¡±
¡°I would not keep her from her people forever,¡± Shir Del said, softening slightly. ¡°Nor do I intend to spend the last of my days in the lands of crawling anthills.¡±
¡°You are a warrior, Shir Del,¡± Tahmasp pointed out. ¡°You do not choose where the last of your days are spent. Only Skyfather and Earthmother know.¡±
The warrior woman shrugged, but gave no argument. ¡°I will speak to Roshanak about it tomorrow morning.¡±
Eigou nodded as he started bandaging Ilati¡¯s wounds, applying salves and poultices where needed. ¡°Tonight has had enough event. In the morning, our priestess here will help them consecrate the stone and offer an invitation. Back to your beds, everyone. Everything that can be done has been done.¡±
The others murmured assent and parted, leaving Eigou and Ilati alone except for Youtab and Menes¡¯s watchful presence. The charioteer prowled back and forth along the street, keeping an eye out for any hint of return from the demon. ¡°Are you certain of this, Eigou?¡± he asked more thoughtfully.
Their one-eyed sorcerer chuckled as he worked. ¡°You will have to be more specific. It seems a great many things are changing at once.¡±
¡°Bringing Roshanak.¡±
¡°That is not my decision,¡± Eigou said, quickly finishing with Ilati¡¯s clawed arm. The bandages were fresh and the herbs applied beneath soothed the pain very well. ¡°That said, I do think it will be quite helpful to have her. If your concern is that she will come to harm, well, she has very capable defenders. I have it on good authority that Magan¡¯s best charioteer and a priestess of the Mother of Demons intend to help ward her from harm.¡±
¡°Most assuredly,¡± Ilati promised.
Menes seemed unsatisfied by Eigou¡¯s answer, however. ¡°We are walking into a war against the great sorcerer-king Nysra. There is no safety in such a thing.¡±
¡°You could have spoken when the Sut Resi discussed it.¡±
¡°You know how easy it is to convince Shir Del of anything once her mind is made up. Besides, it was not my place,¡± the charioteer muttered, running a dark hand over his shaved head. ¡°I am uneasy.¡±
Ilati offered him a smile that she hoped was comforting. ¡°She has us to protect her, as Eigou said. We will be very careful.¡±
Menes nodded and waited until Eigou had finished bandaging Ilati up before stepping over, offering the priestess his hand up from her seated position on the low wall. ¡°Are you certain of this demon¡¯s sincerity?¡± Even with the change of subject, Ilati knew his misgivings about bringing Roshanak were not gone.
¡°When I spoke its name, I tasted its power,¡± Ilati said with more confidence. In this, she was quite certain. ¡°I do not think it can contend with me any longer, not so long as I have that.¡± She leaned against Youtab as they walked back towards camp, smoothing her hand over the horse¡¯s dappled gray coat.
¡°And it will suddenly be benevolent?¡±
Eigou smiled, but there was a hint of hardness to it. ¡°That depends on the people of Sa Dul. I suppose we will see in the morning.¡±
20 - Oaths and Challenges
For a spirit of the night winds, a simple stone atop a mound would probably be home enough, but Ilati wanted to make certain the people of Sa Dul successfully appeased Ezezu. It was always better not to anger such creatures. "I wish we had a mason''s tools," the priestess said as she looked up at the raw piece of stone, uneven and jagged.
"Tell me what you wish carved into it and I will make it so," Eigou said. The one-eyed sorcerer stood at her side as the people of Sa Dul continued to work, wrapping reeds into tight bundles they would use to build a shrine around the stone. It was the same construction as their houses, far less grand than the temple Ilati had once spent her days in. "Here." The sorcerer pressed a piece of chalk into her palm.
The priestess nodded and approached the stone, watched by the almost reverent eyes of the villagers. She still ached from her battle with the demon, particularly her healing leg. The claw marks up and down her arm were already healing thanks to Eigou''s herbs. She heard a few shocked breaths from behind her when she wrote on the stone. Likely no one in the village of Sa Dul knew how, but they''d dealt with merchants who had learned literacy in the kingdom''s centers of learning. To even know how to read was a mark of status.
Here is the home of the god
Of the vineyards, of the fallen tree
Most powerful and most giving
Many are his blessings
Many are our thanks
For twelve and twelve years
His tree stood proud
May this stone house him now
And remind
That all praises and gifts
All beneficences return sevenfold
Ilati took a step back once she had finished marking the stone. "If you could make this last, Eigou, I would most appreciate it."
The sorcerer smiled, scratching at his jaw. "Of course." He gestured with his hands and muttered something under his breath.
On the stone, the chalk markings seemed to burn with a sudden bright white light, etching themselves deep into the stone. A symbol appeared beneath them: the trunk and branches of a leafless tree. The villagers clustered together with a sharp collective inhale of awe, watching. They looked to Eigou and Ilati. "Two sorcerers?" Shammu said with a mix of caution and fascination.
"I am only a priestess," Ilati said as she stepped down from the mound. "Are you ready, Shammu?"
The young man nodded, holding the last jar of Sa Dul''s fine wine to his chest and the best of the grain they had remaining in the pouch in his fist. "Are you certain of this, priestess?" he asked as he approached the mound, eyeing the new impromptu stela nervously. "I do not wish to be struck dead by its anger."
Eigou dusted off his hands. "You are at no greater risk than you were before."
Shammu did not look comforted by that comment, at least until Ilati put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed slightly. She was still weak from the rending of claws, but she offered him a smile all the same. "As long as you are a man of your word, you will be safe under our protection. Trust in us."
He straightened his back slightly and gave her a much firmer nod. "For Sa Dul." Shammu sucked in a deep breath and looked again at Ilati. "What do I say? How do I sway such a being? If you are a priestess, you know what such things find pleasing, surely."
Ilati thought of K''adau and her time in the desert, crawling through the dunes as she died of thirst. For a moment, she could again taste the actinic flash of lightning against her lips. "The truth. Any child of the night winds will know a falsehood for what it is. The contents of your heart are more important than pretty words." She stepped out of Shammu''s way, so he could come to the base of the stela where a small stone bowl sat ready for offerings.
The young man knelt with a bowed head at the base of the standing stone, wine in one hand and wheat in the other. "Spirit of the tree that I felled, hear me," the young man called out, his voice shaking despite all his resolve to be calm. "I am Shammu, son of Nabon. You were bound to the land that I coveted, and I wronged you with stinging words and stinging blows when you warned me of my trespass. I brought your wrath upon us and a great woe to my people."
A wind rose from the north, sudden and biting. At her side, Ilati caught a slight intake of breath from Menes and the shifting of Shir Del''s fingers on her bowstring. Both warriors could feel the change in the air just as she could. It was like the charge in the air she had felt before the great thunderstorm in the desert had swept over her. Even under the sun, Ezezu''s power and presence were palpable as the wind coursed around Shammu.
To his credit, the young man did not falter. "I have robbed you of your home, o spirit of the tree. Together we have made you another, with the help of these strangers. I invite you in to sit within our town as an honored guest, a beloved presence, a watchful guide on following what is proper. For all the days of my life, I will fill your cup and bring you grain, and I will teach all the sons of Sa Dul who I see grow to treat you with the same reverence." As he spoke, he poured the wine into the bowl and sprinkled the grain atop it. "Drink deeply, one whom I have wronged. My service will be my atonement, and for every year your tree has stood, I will guard this stela and venerate you as is proper."
A crack of thunder split the blue sky and Ilati felt the presence step into the stone like a king assuming his throne. For a moment, she saw Ezezu in her mind with crystal clarity, not the devouring monster she had encountered, but a primal spirit of nature, calm and alive with green growth. A sigh of wind pulsed this time not from the north, but outward from the stone itself. As it passed over the people, fresh green grass worked its way up through the paving stones in a ripple outwards.
The choking thorns in the vegetable gardens and vineyards crumbled into nothingness as the wind moved further and further out. Withered grapes suddenly swelled with sweetness and abundance, hanging heavily on reinvigorated vines. The many channels and irrigation flows that once stank with yellowed foam ran clear, the life¨Cgiving waters of the River Nintu restored to their pristine state. The sound of lively, hungry goats echoed from the depths of several sheds, where the animals had lain in their sick-beds.
Shammu collapsed forward, pressing his forehead to the earth in front of the stone. In an unsteady, but fervent chant, they could hear his gratitude as a simple, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
All around, the pall of sorrow lifted like the joy of waking from a terrible nightmare. Green growth and flowers bloomed out from the stone, fed by the power of the one who now called it home. While jubilation and gratitude filled the air, Ilati made her own prayer silently.
May he forever remember his promise.
Hedis seized Ilati from the side, squeezing the priestess in a sudden hug. "Thank you for your part in this," the older woman whispered, tears of relief running down her cheeks. "I thought I would lose my sons."
Eigou crouched down near the base of the mound that the stela sat on, his fingers caressing a few of the small purple irises that had just sprouted in the freshly compacted earth. He made no move to pick them as they blossomed and grew in height. For a moment, Ilati didn''t even hear Hedis''s words. She was watching the sorcerer, the love in his expression, the tenderness of his touch to such a little thing. The flowers seemed to lean into his touch. When he finally turned his eye back to the people of Sa Dul and their celebration, the bringing of more offerings, Ilati had expected to see a reflection of their joy.
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Instead, there was a strange wistfulness to the old man''s expression as he left the flower behind.
"Are you well, Eigou?" Ilati asked.
He blinked out of his daze and then scratched at his beard. "Not half as well as the people of Sa Dul. They seem most pleased with the outcome, may they honor their neighbor for many a year." He looked past Ilati at Hedis, chuckling at the widow''s enthusiastic gratitude.
"For all the days of my life," Hedis promised fervently. "We will take fine care of the god of the vineyards." The woman released Ilati when her sons called her name and scurried off to join the congregation of villagers around the stone.
Shir Del moved her fingers from her bow''s string, relaxing as the growth continued. "A demon one night, a god another. I do not understand your people."
"Well, you only have two gods. That simplifies things greatly," Eigou said cheerfully. "Try a city like Ulmanna, where there are almost as many gods as people."
"I had not realized that you collected such things, staying in one place all the time." The warrior woman considered the idea, trying it on for mental size. "Is that why you build so many huts of earth and never travel? The gods weigh you down?"
Menes chuckled and shook his head. "Perhaps we will be fortunate and the answer to many shadows along the path will be so amicable." The dark-skinned warrior seemed as pleased as the villagers as he watched them pour libations in celebration.
Shir Del raised an eyebrow. "Amicable? Eigou can be forgiven for overlooking the claw marks on Ilati, he is half blind, but you have both of your eyes, Menes."
"On the grand scheme of things. It could have been much worse." Even with Ezezu''s name, Ilati was certain that the beast could have destroyed Sa Dul and devoured every one of its inhabitants. The priestess was profoundly grateful that had not come to pass. Enough Kullan villages had burned at the hands of the Nadaren already, so one being spared misfortune was a great mercy in her eyes. "What ends well is well, yes? Not that this is over, exactly, but the danger is past so long as they hold to their oaths. There is hope in that."
"Indeed," Eigou said. He clapped his hands together. "Let us leave the people of Sa Dul to their celebrating. We have other matters to attend to."
Menes frowned slightly. "Such as?"
"Our farewells." The sorcerer gestured to Shir Del. "I am told that we will be parting ways with the Sut Resi at the edge of the forest, and that is only half a day''s ride from here."
Ilati felt a pang of loss at that. She knew that Shir Del and Roshanak were going to accompany them, but there were many among the Sut Resi tribe they had come to know who she would miss.
As if in answer to that thought, Youtab butted her nose into Ilati''s hand. The wild horse was affectionate in her own way, even if she let no one besides the priestess touch her. Warmth flooded through Ilati''s hand, a gentler version of the burning connection between mare and rider than had flared the night before.
"We will see them again," Shir Del said with confidence. "Artakhshathra will not sit idly by while the snake-tongued king sits on his golden throne."
"Oh?" Eigou said thoughtfully as they walked towards the riders gathered on the edge of town.
"The tribe will move south. Artakhshathra has already called for a meeting of our people on the silver-grass plains and much will be said of the evils Nysra has worked. There are other chieftains linked to our own by blood and dreams," Shir Del explained. She leaned down, plucking a purple iris from a different patch for Roshanak. "When the time comes, they will remind the Nadaren why they should quake at the thunder of hooves."
"How has he sent for them?" Menes asked.
Eigou answered before Shir Del. "A dream-walker can travel faster than birds or riders. It is a great advantage the Sut Resi wield when they wish to be more than just raiders."
It gave a new dimension to the stories Ilati had heard as a girl of the great hordes of Sut Resi that sometimes formed that had nearly shattered the southern kingdoms, even cracking the rule of her own father. Then again, Amar-Sin had never worn the title Conqueror the way her grandfather had. In life, he had been a man who saw war as a necessary, but unpleasant, occupation. It was not a passion, not a way of life, the way it had been for her grandfather and her brothers.
Now she would carry on that mantle without them and bring ruin to the one who devastated their home. It was a bitter thought.
The waiting Sut Resi greeted them with whoops and the strange hawk-like cry they saved to celebrate their victorious warriors. Artakhshathra swung down from his giant stallion''s back, a wrapped bundle in his hands. "You took your time," the chieftain rumbled. "Farhata wished that I give you something, Ilati, though he said that he hopes you will treat this one with more care."
Behind Artakhshathra, the man in question chuckled, leaning forward on his horse to run his hand over his mount''s shoulder. The Sut Resi horses seemed far more pleased without the strange curse lingering over the place, grazing contently even if their riders did try to nudge them away from the grapes. "No more letting demons take your weapon from you, priestess. Arrows are not meant to be used as daggers."
Ilati unwrapped the bundle, revealing the curve of a new bow. It was horn and wood lacquered and layered together, finely crafted in Sut Resi style. Her first bow had been barely more powerful than a child''s and was of similar quality. This had been given far more thought and intention. "When did you make this, Farhata?" she asked, running her hand over the limbs of the bow with awe. It was simple and barely decorated, but every inch of it had been shaped to smoothness that fit the hand perfectly.
Farhata smiled faintly. "I began it the first night you came into our camp. I finished it this morning."
"I think his mother spent less time and far less effort in birthing him," Tahmasp said. The Sut Resi seer''s gruff tone had lost much of its biting edge.
"One does not rush quality, Tahmasp."
"Hmph." The seer looked down at Ilati and her companions. "You''re welcome, by the way. For sheltering you."
"You have our gratitude," Ilati said, bowing her head. She paused for a second, realizing a strangeness to this. "Why did Artakhshathra give me the bow, Farhata? Are your hands tired from the work?"
"There is a significance to it," Artakhshathra said. His sapphire eyes studied Ilati intently. "A bow given by its maker is a gift. A bow given by a chieftain is a challenge."
If Ilati knew anything about the Sut Resi after spending several cycles of the moon on the road with them, it was that the challenge would not be so different from the one Eigou had given her, of facing Ezezu in combat: it meant being willing to face mortal peril. "What is your challenge?"
"You have promised me the tongue of Nysra, he who would be King of Kings," Artakhshathra said as he watched her with the same hawkish intensity. "This is yours with the understanding that you will send as many of his warriors to the afterlife before and after him as your arm can."
Ilati met his gaze without hesitation or insincerity. "I will do this."
"Good," the chieftain said. "Then let us be off to rejoin the rest of the tribe. We will part ways at the bounds of the Great Forest."
A shiver ran through Ilati at the mention of the Kharsaanu Saquutu. Already she imagined she could smell the cedars. It was a place of mystery, beyond the land between the rivers that she called home. To step foot there would mean setting foot further from Shadi than either of her brothers had ever gone. The forest was the first threshold to cross before the Kingdom of Sarru and Ulmanna, the city that was its beating heart.
Beyond lay a world she had only imagined in flights of fancy as a temple priestess, something almost as daunting as the thought of avenging her home''s destruction.
21 - The Edge of the Forest
The Kharsaanu Saquutu was said to be the greatest of all the world¡¯s forests in both breadth and beauty. Standing at its edge, watching it stretch off beyond the horizon in either direction like an endless parade of emerald statues, Ilati could believe the truth of it. Every footfall on the soft, rich earth beneath these branches sent up the perfume of cracking cedar needles and fragrant wildflowers that grew amongst the loam. Birds sang symphonies in the branches, more than she had heard even among the rushes. They filled an otherwise silent air with golden notes that lingered in the sunbeams like chimes echoing through the halls of a temple. The songs and stories of its beauties and mysterious depths could only come to a fingernail¡¯s worth of its truth, as immeasurable as the endless grains of sand in the Desert of Kings.
As much as she wanted to stay merely staring spellbound into the maze of trunks and branches, Ilati knew that this first glimpse would only be improved upon by entering the depths of the wood. Besides, after Eigou¡¯s hint at his possible origins, she was curious what his reaction might be.
The old man was as transparent as a mudbrick, humming to himself as he brushed Ankhu¡¯s coarse hair. The mule who had endured so much, including the pace of much swifter horses, was taking his opportunity to rest and bask in Eigou¡¯s care while Shir Del and Roshanak said their goodbyes to their people. They had made a small camp at the very edge of the wood, stopped at the mouth of a path weaving through the great cedar trunks.
¡°We will not be able to see the stars,¡± Menes commented, testing the edge on his sickle-sword carefully. ¡°You will have to be our guide, Eigou. This is not the Kingsroad.¡±
The sorcerer shrugged, apparently unconcerned that their navigation would not be so easy. ¡°Until we know how far the Nadaren have spread, I thought it wiser to avoid a known thoroughfare. Besides, with the fall of Kullah, if there is an absence of Nadaren on the eastern half of the path, there will undoubtedly be unsavory people ready to fall upon travelers.¡±
¡°We do not look like a caravan,¡± Ilati murmured, tearing her eyes away from the woods. She stepped over to Youtab¡¯s side, running a fond hand along the arch of the horse¡¯s neck. Her equine friend was calm at the moment, clearly content in her company. Eigou was right to take the time to prepare, and part of that meant caring for their four-legged companions. Menes had taught her how to check a horse¡¯s hooves and care for them. Years of working with a chariot¡¯s team had made the dark-skinned man excellent at handling horses. Even Tahmasp grudgingly respected the man¡¯s knowledge.
Ilati clicked her tongue against her teeth, running her hand down Youtab¡¯s front leg and then tapping the back of it. Sut Resi only used whistle cues and tactile signals, feeling no need to jerk their mounts about with reins or prods. Youtab shifted her weight, then lifted her hoof for Ilati to look. The priestess supported the hoof with one hand, taking the stiff-bristled brush that Menes held out to her. She used it to gently clear all the earth away, checking each part of Youtab¡¯s foot in turn. Mercifully, there was no sign of a stone or thorn or other discomfort to trouble her. Ilati still made her rounds diligently, checking each hoof and brushing away dirt and stones wherever needed to ensure her friend was well enough to run all she pleased.
¡°She is so gentle with you,¡± Menes observed with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to remember sometimes that she would bite off my fingers if I tried to touch her.¡±
Eigou grinned as he sensed an opportunity. ¡°I agree. Ilati is being most well mannered.¡±
Ilati snorted at that, looking up at the one-eyed man. ¡°I thank the one who shaped you that you are a better sorcerer than a jester.¡±
Menes just shook his head in exasperation before looking toward the Sut Resi tribe. Whatever ceremony they were doing was hopefully almost at its completion, hidden at the center of the circle of their tents. ¡°He cannot resist being a pest when in a good mood.¡±
Ilati finished her circuit around Youtab, all four hooves cleaned and checked. She knew that Menes was anything but wrong: the mare still fiercely resisted anyone who came too close except Ilati. Her hooves and teeth had maimed and killed before. No doubt they would again. ¡°I pity the stablehands of Ulmanna.¡±
The sorcerer rubbed at his sole remaining eye. Clearly it was something he had considered, because he said, ¡°Hopefully by then she will be used to human company, though I suspect you will have to care for her each day in such a situation. If she cannot handle the press of a city, however, she must remain outside it.¡±
The thought was an ache in Ilati¡¯s heart, but it was better than having Youtab hurt or taken from her. ¡°I would hate for a creature of endless plains to be confined in a box.¡±
¡°The stables where we go are most expansive. She could remain outside. The problem I see is the city streets,¡± Eigou explained.
Menes sighed. ¡°And where are we going, old man?¡±
Their guide shrugged a little. ¡°Even the help of the Sut Resi will not be enough alone to rid ourselves of the King of Nadar. His army is professional and more numerous than even Kullah¡¯s, not to mention his magic and his other servants. We need Tudhaliya¡¯s help.¡±
¡°Tudhaliya?¡± Ilati looked up, surprised. ¡°He still lives? By now, he must be older than my grandfather was when he died!¡±
¡°When I was last in Ulmanna, he still ruled, though you are correct: his age is considerable. He was gods-blessed to sire sons when he did. Dying without an heir would have made Nysra¡¯s job all the easier.¡± Eigou smiled, though there was a hardness to it that Ilati hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°That said, he has seeded the roots of his own undoing.¡±
¡°You think one of his sons means to kill him?¡± Menes said bluntly, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
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Eigou shook his head. ¡°No, no. Nothing so direct.¡±
¡°But there is something there,¡± Ilati said as she studied the old man. ¡°Something dangerous.¡±
The sorcerer scratched at his beard, clearly weighing his words before speaking. ¡°The end of Tudhaliya¡¯s days fast approaches, though he would deny it. His court is divided regarding which of his two sons, Hattusa or Zidanta, should inherit upon his death. One is brave, noble, and kind. Unfortunately, he lacks any acumen or wisdom for rule and trusts too much. The other is shrewd, cruel, and warlike, but clever and well-suited for command.¡±
Menes sighed and ran a hand over his head, clearly not pleased with the problem now looming in their future. ¡°Which is which?¡±
¡°Hattusa is the kind one. Handsome, endowed with all manner of courage and benevolence, but utterly lacking in wisdom and subtlety. Many of the common folk love him for his generosity and grasping men of power adore his foolish trust. Zidanta is cold and cruel, but wise in his choices and brilliant in his stratagems. He has his own supporters and the nobles would bow to his will quickly if he were to come to power, but does not wield the same adoration of the crowd.¡±
¡°What of the princes themselves?¡± Ilati asked softly, thinking of her own brothers. ¡°If Hattusa is as you say, surely he should at least wish an amicable outcome.¡±
¡°Many have hitched their fortunes to one or the other, and for them to come to an accord would cause such men to potentially lose their own grip on advantage. There are plenty of things that have pitted them against each other, and neither have bridged the gap. When Tudhaliya dies, Sarru is poised to fall into a war of brother against brother.¡±
Ilati felt her hopes sink. ¡°If that happens, they will surely succumb. We faced Nadar with a united front and could not endure.¡±
¡°Then we had best be certain that such an occasion does not arise, by hook or by crook.¡± Eigou¡¯s gaze settled on the priestess, the ghost of an eye in his empty socket seeming to focus on her again. It was unsettling to be the recipient of such a look. ¡°Tudhaliya¡¯s court is a den of scorpions second only to Magan, Ilati, but there is no avoiding it.¡±
Ilati wondered if the word choice was intentional, if Eigou knew scorpions had meaning beyond merely danger in her life now. How much did the sorcerer know about what had happened in the desert? She had told him about her dream of one at the well. The old man always seemed to know more than he was saying and she was not inclined to believe nearly as much as she once had in accidents. ¡°If that is where we must go, that is where we will go,¡± the priestess said with firmness.
Eigou softened slightly, as if he was setting the weightiness of such thoughts aside. ¡°We can at least enjoy the forest.¡±
¡°That I look forward to,¡± Menes said with a faint smile. ¡°Our last trip brought us much further south than the great forest, and I have never seen trees such as these. The palace gardens of Araka pale in comparison.¡±
¡°You knew a palace?¡± Ilati asked curiously. Menes had never carried himself with fine manners or anything approaching what she considered royalty. He seemed more like a mercenary most of the time, if gentle around Roshanak.
Menes rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I was a soldier,¡± he said finally. ¡°As Eigou said, a fine charioteer favored by the royal court. I spent more time than I ever should have there, for all the trouble it has brought me.¡±
¡°It looks like they are finishing,¡± Eigou said abruptly, rising to his feet. ¡°I will go tell Shir Del and Roshanak what we intend and return with them.¡± He strode off, Ankhu¡¯s lead still in his hand. The mule followed him like a faithful hound.
The strangeness of the turn stuck like a burr in Ilati¡¯s thoughts. ¡°What just happened?¡±
Menes sighed heavily. ¡°He goes to delay Shir Del and Roshanak, so we may speak a moment. There is something you should know, Ilati, that Eigou is well aware of.¡±
The priestess could tell that whatever it was, to dredge up even words was painful. Her demeanor softened immediately. ¡°You do not have to tell me, Menes. Not if it cuts at you as it seems to.¡±
¡°I thank you, but you should know all the same,¡± Menes said. ¡°I carry a curse, Ilati. Shir Del has seen it, that is why she calls me cat, but she does not know the reason. For the rest of my life, I carry the spirit of a beast, a leopard. Should I ever give my heart, I will become one. The skin I wear is no mere trophy: it is a reminder of what one foolish choice has made me.¡±
¡°Why would giving your heart do such a thing?¡±
Menes paused, hunting for words. ¡°I loved a woman, Ilati,¡± he said slowly. ¡°One who was wed to another man, a powerful one with powerful friends. When a cruel betrayal bared my feelings, his jealousy bid him to use the favor of a dangerous sorcerer to chain me so. I left Araka in a cage, a prowling and mindless thing. Eigou was charitable enough to use his magic to return me to this form, but he could not remove the ensorcellment entirely. So the threat remains.¡± He gave her a faint, bitter smile. ¡°I am more beast than man, even now.¡±
Ilati sat down on the fallen cedar that marked the western edge of their little campsite. It was hard to believe that the gentle warrior could truly be a beast, even after seeing hints of his fury. ¡°You seem like a man.¡±
¡°Many monsters do.¡±
She shook her head. ¡°I have seen monsters, Menes,¡± Ilati said firmly. Her thoughts were not even with the demon of Sa Dul. Instead, all she could hear for a moment was the laughter of the men of Nadar and the screams of burning priestesses. ¡°You are not among their number.¡±
He sighed, this time in relief. ¡°Thank you, Ilati. I did not want you to be frightened of me, even if it might be wiser to.¡±
¡°I can handle a leopard.¡±
Menes rubbed a hand over his head and offered her a wider smile. ¡°How fortunate for you. I do not think I could handle a lioness.¡±
¡°My combat training is nowhere near your own,¡± Ilati said dismissively. ¡°Even if I was shooting, I¡¯d probably hit Eigou by mistake.¡±
¡°Not a mistake you would make twice.¡± Menes bowed his head slightly towards her. ¡°My gratitude for your friendship, Ilati.¡± He looked over, spotting Eigou on the return trip with Roshanak and Shir Del. The warrior seemed as focused as ever, but her daughter¡¯s eyes were red from shed tears. When he smiled, Ilati wondered if he thought of the sisters and nieces he had left behind in Magan. It had never sunk in quite so deeply before, but the curse meant he likely could never return to them for fear of again being transfigured into a beast by the sorcerer dwelling in Araka.
The priestess moved her thoughts to their more pressing problem: Ulmanna and the kingdom around it, both poised to rip in two the moment Tudhaliya died. She wished the man long life under her breath, whatever role he might have had in causing this situation. Hopefully if they could somehow obtain an audience, they could help.
But how?
22 - Words in the Wood
They could not ride through the Kharsaanu Saquutu on the path that Eigou had chosen, not with the many branches that hung low enough to knock a mounted person from their horse¡¯s back. It slowed their progress considerably, but the boughs above were densely packed enough that the undergrowth was relatively manageable. For all their endurance on the backs of their horses, Shir Del and Roshanak clearly felt the long walk far more intensely, bowed legs and long, narrow feet ill-suited to such a trek. Ilati suspected that part of their quiet was discomfort from being hemmed in on all sides by trees as well. For children of the silver-grass steppes, this place no doubt seemed unnatural.
A hush lingered around them, even the clopping of hooves softened by the thick layer of loam and needles underfoot. The perfume of cedar filled their senses, sweet and clean. Breezes rustled in the branches high above as a gentle susurrus of needles and soft birdsong still filtered down alongside the patches of sun sculpted by the branches. The peace of the place soothed some of Ilati¡¯s fears like Eigou¡¯s healing balms.
Ilati struggled to imagine a man like Ilishu striding down a forest path, every inch a king even as a boy, with combating a great beast on his mind. Ilati wondered if he had stopped to observe the beauty of the place he would one day order logged for its wealth. Had he run his fingers over the rough bark and brought fingers away sticky from aromatic sap? Had he smelled the red-brown needles crushed underfoot and the clean scent of sweet waters flowing as little streams through the forest like silver threads in a tapestry? Had he, for an instant, thought of anything except conquest and domination? Was there once a wondering boy there or only the hardened old man she had known?
¡°You are being very quiet, Ilati,¡± Menes observed. The two of them were at the rear, since Shir Del and Eigou had taken the lead and Roshanak was most protected in the middle.
¡°Just letting my thoughts turn.¡± The priestess heard Shir Del snapping at Eigou by tone, even without catching the words. The press of trees and bushes was getting to the warrior woman after several days of travel. ¡°This place is so strange.¡±
¡°After the desert and grasslands of Kullah, I agree. It reminds me of home.¡± Menes spoke with a wistful hint in his voice.
Ilati cocked her head slightly in question. ¡°I thought Magan was rocks and desert.¡±
¡°It is, but I spent my boyhood south of that kingdom. I was not taken into the King¡¯s service until I had seen ten summers in the place of my birth, Kashta.¡± Menes smiled fondly, taken back to some halcyon days. ¡°It is a place thick with broad-leaved trees and rain, mists and red clay. There is not one great river, but many, and lakes, all rimmed with great banks of tangled roots. I used to fish amongst them, sitting in a canoe made of a tree so large a man could not link his arms around it, the center burned out and the wood carved to suit, while my older brothers herded cattle. Flowers like you have never seen bloomed everywhere. I remember my mother collecting them for my sisters and nieces¡¡± He trailed off, a shadow passing over his joy.
¡°Why did you leave?¡± Ilati asked gently.
¡°You must understand, Ilati, that Magan has a great hunger for many things from the south: hardwoods and ivory, incense and gold. They invaded when I was a boy, destroying much and stealing more, including many of its people. Some would work in the construction of their magnificent monuments or serving their people. I was strong even then, strong enough to learn the soldier¡¯s life. My brother Tebeb and I were pressed into service. We did not see our family again, not after Araka.¡±
The priestess felt a sympathetic ache in her chest. She was all too familiar with that feeling. ¡°What became of Tebeb?¡±
¡°A spear to the stomach,¡± Menes said quietly. ¡°He was older. He had to challenge them, prove he was still a man of Kashta, to honor the blood of ancestors demanding revenge. I took the coward¡¯s path and bear the name of Magan to prove it.¡±
Ilati put a hand on Menes¡¯s arm and squeezed gently. ¡°What did your father name you?¡± she asked quietly.
He offered her a small smile, but his gaze did not rise from below hers. ¡°In Kashta, it is the mothers who name, for the child could be any man¡¯s but is most certainly hers. I was closer to her brothers than my father.¡±
¡°So, what did she name you?¡±
¡°Zenabu.¡± Menes spoke the name with a hint of shame still lingering. ¡°It is the name of the rain-spirit that brings new life.¡±
Ilati squeezed his arm again gently before letting go. ¡°You could wear that name again. We are not in Magan and you are free of those bonds.¡±
The charioteer shook his head. ¡°It is a good name for the boy who grew playing on the lake, far from every thought of war, but men outgrow such things.¡±
Her heart ached for her friend. ¡°Perhaps they will meet again, the man of war and the boy playing on the lake.¡±
¡°I wonder what he would think of me,¡± Menes said quietly.
¡°Ho there!¡± an unfamiliar voice called out ahead on the small path. ¡°Is that Master One-Eye I see?¡±
Ilati caught a flash of bronze above their heads, a raised spear¡¯s head gleaming in one of the falling beams of sunlight through the branches. Her stomach knotted. In a move more instinctive than considered, she put a hand on her quiver, but the sound of Eigou¡¯s laughter tempered her caution. As strange as the sorcerer was, she doubted he would be so welcoming to an enemy.
The path widened slightly ahead into a small clearing, which allowed them to move their horses out into a less cramped space. Shir Del pushed Roshanak up into the saddle before turning to face the new arrival. The movement allowed Ilati and Menes to see several guards with wicker shields and bronze-tipped spears greeting Eigou, led by a man whose breastplate gleamed like gold in the sun''s light. He wore no purple, but carried himself with confidence that seemed to bolster the surrounding men. The stranger¡¯s beard came to a sharp point, carefully trimmed and oiled in accordance with Sarru¡¯s style.
¡°Ah, Captain, what an unexpected delight!¡± Eigou embraced the man fondly, squeezing his vambraces. ¡°You are a ways from the palace, my friend.¡±
¡°And you are not far from trouble, I am certain. I hope you are returning to Ulmanna. The great king will be most pleased to see his most honest soothsayer.¡±
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Eigou grinned at that, a familiar mischievous twinkle in his good eye. ¡°Will he now? A change in tune.¡±
¡°Well, you know how he is. Nor do you help by speaking truth to all and then fleeing the consequences of displeasure, not that I blame you.¡± The captain shrugged expressively and then looked over the rest of them, his own smile still in place even when confronted with the wariness of Shir Del and Ilati both. ¡°You have such interesting companions every time I see you, Eigou, but your rudeness persists in not introducing them.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± The sorcerer cleared his throat. ¡°May I introduce the deadly Shir Del and her delightful daughter Roshanak? They hail from the sea of silver grasses, Sut Resi who have graciously aided us on our path. The man of Magan with us is Menes, a charioteer, and the young lady with him is my granddaughter, Hedu.¡±
Ilati understood by his introduction that she was not to use her real name while in Ulmanna, which made sense given how many scribes and tradesmen went to Kullah to learn cuneiform, particularly from royal court to royal court. She was much more likely to be identified, though the scars on her face would do much to conceal her visage.
¡°A pleasure,¡± the soldier said with a courtly bow. ¡°Now allow me to correct my own poor manners. I am Kulziya, son of Prince Duhusili, Captain of the Royal Guard.¡±
Ilati raised an eyebrow despite herself. ¡°King Tudhaliya sends his brother¡¯s son out into the woods with only a small guard?¡±
Kulziya grinned. ¡°Hardly a favorite nephew. My late father was most unpopular with his older brother, and as the son of a slave concubine, I enjoy the privileges of station without the odious responsibilities. It is so much easier to simply follow orders.¡±
¡°Orders that brought you here, I imagine,¡± Eigou said more thoughtfully.
¡°It is so,¡± Kulziya confirmed, leaning his spear against his shoulder. It was clear he found them no threat, or at least trusted Eigou. ¡°The King had a strange dream that he made known to all who might interpret it: a red star rising in the East. A few days ago, a huntsman saw your group at the edge of your forest and told the guard. When he gave his description of the bandits, well, you are hard to miss, Eigou. I assumed the two were connected and came this way myself.¡±
¡°Leaving your post?¡± The sorcerer clucked his tongue. ¡°For shame.¡±
Kulziya shrugged, still clearly amused. ¡°To please the great king by returning with you is surely worth the inconvenience of him having to bellow at another for a while. Shall we camp and speak in the clearing? The sun grows nearer to the horizon with every breath and it is not wise to move through the forest in the dark.¡±
Eigou nodded and started to continue down the path in the direction where Shir Del and Roshanak waited. ¡°I am most eager to hear the situation in Ulmanna.¡±
Ilati glanced over at Menes, who shrugged and relaxed. She let her fingers fall away from her quiver, limping after the group. Days of walking were much harder on her healing leg than riding was. Youtab followed behind her, never far away. The mare needed no lead or reins to follow, just as Araka and Thriti shadowed their respective riders. Even with the strange beauty of the forest all around, Ilati grew homesick for open fields, vast marshes, and though it was perhaps odd, even the endless expanse of the Desert of Kings.She had never set foot beyond Kullah before and the thought that she might never return to it troubled her more than it probably should have.
Kulziya¡¯s eight soldiers tromped along behind them, spreading out and quickly raising tents in the clearing. They kept their distance from Shir Del, Roshanak, and Ilati. The priestess imagined their hesitance came from her style of dress, not very different from a Sut Resi warrior, though she did not expose a breast the way Shir Del did. Ilati was not going to correct them, not until Eigou said it was safe to do so. The forest already was starting to grow dark as evening set in, so they hurried through setting up camp.
The Captain made no move to hide his curiosity about Ilati as he sat down with them at Eigou¡¯s fire. ¡°I did not realize you had a granddaughter, Eigou.¡±
¡°Much of my intent,¡± Eigou said airily. ¡°Why should a girl be exposed to such dangers as the court of Ulmanna, hmm?¡±
Kulziya chuckled, stroking his beard. ¡°Those scars say she is no stranger to danger.¡±
¡°There are many kinds of danger. Some are much more easily navigated. I preferred she enjoy her innocence while she could.¡± Eigou¡¯s lies were smooth as silk and easily stomached as honey, for Kulziya seemed to swallow them without any suspicion. ¡°Now tell me, how does the great king fare?¡±
The soldier shrugged, glancing back at his men. ¡°Do you want his words or mine?¡±
¡°You know the answer to that, my friend,¡± Eigou said.
¡°He does not have much longer under the sun.¡± Kulziya seemed blunter now, almost jarringly so after his jovial bearing earlier. ¡°His illness consumes him and he coughs up the very life-blood that drowns him, though he is too stubborn to die just yet. Hattusa mourns him already and Zidanta counts the days until he is free of his father¡¯s shackles to murder his brother and claim the throne. Meanwhile, Sarhad slavers like a hound at the thought of the war to come.¡±
Their sorcerer¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Sarhad?¡±
¡°Ah, forgive me. An emissary from Nadar arrived in your absence, a commander named Sarhad. We have permitted him a sizable honor guard in the city, but the bulk of his ¡®escort¡¯ waits outside the borders in the form of a force designed to test us. He has attempted to wring tribute from the great king with the threat of a fate alike to Kullah¡¯s as his cudgel, but King Tudhaliya is stubborn as a mule and the King of Serpents has not made an overt move.¡±
¡°Has he courted the favor of the princes?¡± Eigou¡¯s tone sharpened as he spoke, clearly turning the situation over in his mind.
Kulziya smiled humorlessly. ¡°Of course. Hattusa placates him as best he can without committing to anything that might anger his father. He has no desire for Ulmanna to suffer for the sake of his pride. As for Zidanta¡he spends much time in the company of Sarhad, but what they discuss on their hunts is as unknown to you as to me. Whoever wins the struggle of brother against brother will have to answer to Sarhad, a position the serpent enjoys overmuch.¡±
¡°You do not like him,¡± Menes commented as he placed their cookpot over the fire and began adding plants that Eigou had told him to gather along the way.
Kulziya shrugged expressively, spreading his hands wide. ¡°He is a man of excellent manners, but his blood flows with the cold of a serpent¡¯s. As any good Nadaren commander, I suppose. They say his battle standard is the flayed body of one who has insulted him, changing as each begins to rot. How his patience has borne Tudhaliya¡¯s tongue is beyond me.¡±
Eigou glanced towards Ilati for a split second, golden eye flashing in the firelight.
The priestess pursed her lips for a moment before speaking, trying not to think of Shadi. ¡°He knows that he will have the last laugh at your king¡¯s expense.¡±
The Captain studied her scarred visage for a long moment, clearly trying to place something about her. ¡°We will see. Sarru threw off the yoke of one King of Kings. We can do it again.¡±
Ilati closed her eyes, trying not to think of the army that had swarmed Shadi. The reek of blood and smoke filled her nose all the same. She doubted Kulziya would be so confident if he knew that the eastern armies were likely already bearing west, sweeping up from the plains and back across their mountain passes, headed for Ulmanna through their friendly territory like a sea of demons. They were so many that their fires could blot out the stars, and you think you can simply turn them back alone?
Perhaps the gods of Ulmanna would be more merciful than the gods of Shadi, and destroy the city themselves before the Nadaren could unleash their own hell.
23 - A Glimpse of a Viper
The forest again opened to great plains several days before they reached Ulmanna, much to the great joy of the Sut Resi horses and their riders. Even Ilati, who found the sweet smell of cedar so enchanting, couldn¡¯t help the thrill of electric joy at the idea of riding free again. Youtab danced underneath her as the last of the trees gave way to the great expanse of the flatlands that led down to the valley of the Suen River, a distant serpent of silver surrounded by rich green farmland.
¡°Eager to run?¡± Ilati asked fondly, stroking her mare¡¯s neck.
Youtab answered with a huff and a toss of her head, muscles rippling with excitement at the idea of a chance to break loose from all the confinement of the trees.
Shir Del laughed. ¡°Bring us back some breakfast if you are going to go darting off, lioness. It will be excellent target practice.¡±
Ilati shook her head. She knew her accuracy still left a great deal to be desired, even on stationary targets. She had learned a great deal by practicing for hours every day, but she didn¡¯t consider herself anywhere near the mastery that her Sut Resi friends had achieved. ¡°You mean a way I lose us many arrows? You would be better off sending Roshanak.¡±
¡°I said practice, not perfect.¡± Shir Del stretched lazily on Araxa¡¯s back, eyeing the woods behind them as Kulziya and his men followed them out, still engrossed in conversation with Eigou and Menes. The soldiers of Ulmanna seemed much more comfortable around the sorcerer and the charioteer, not quite certain what to do with the three women carrying weapons in their midst. They were even more careful around the Sut Resi horses, particularly after Youtab had nearly kicked one for coming too close. ¡°We will see you when your wild one is ready to return.¡±
There was a certain truth to that nickname for Youtab: the horse was wild in a way not even Thriti or Araxa were. They were fearsome Sut Resi horses to be certain, but they seemed far more used to people and were willing to permit Eigou and Menes close. Youtab barely tolerated even Shir Del¡¯s touch, always warning with her teeth and ears. She was still virtually a feral horse, gentle only with Ilati. Ulmanna would be a hard trial for her.
The priestess whistled sharply in the morning air, holding on as tightly as she could. The Sut Resi barely had a saddle and no reins or bridle, so staying on was something of an art form. Youtab let out a blown breath of delight and surged forward. The strange, burning connection between horse and rider was always at its strongest in moments like these, when Youtab¡¯s breathless joy crashed into her own exhilaration in a wave of elation. Ilati barely heard Eigou call after her and paid his words no mind, conscious only of moving and leaning in time with the horse beneath her.
There was a rhythm to Youtab¡¯s gait that her body matched automatically, and while she would be sore by the end of the day, her core and legs were finally strong enough to keep her seat properly all day long. She knew to stay as loose as possible and keep her weight in her heels. With her bow slung across her lower back and her quiver secured, nothing rattled or jostled her in a way that risked her balance, and Youtab had been kind enough to practice turns and maneuvers with her many times in the forest since their battle with the demon.
Ilati and Youtab raced forward together, neither aware of a place where horse ended and rider began. There was only the rush of wind, the thundering of hooves, the pulse in their veins, and the sudden delightful thrill of being so vibrantly alive. The grassland went whipping by in a blur as Youtab stretched herself to her full potential after days of being cooped up in confined spaces, Ilati¡¯s laughter caught and carried off by the rushing wind.
The horse only slowed when Ilati¡¯s still healing leg ached, gradually decreasing her pace as they neared a fork from the river so that she wouldn¡¯t abruptly dump her rider. Once they were down to a walk, Ilati leaned forward, stroking Youtab¡¯s neck and then whistled a different cue softly. The horse stopped obediently just before the mud, allowing Ilati to slide off and walk beside her.
Contentment was not an emotion Ilati experienced often these days. Once upon a time, it had been most of her existence. To be Zu¡¯s high priestess was all she could have asked of the gods for a life, closely connected to her family and serving a vital role for her people. It wasn¡¯t as though she had hated it or longed for more. Had the Nadaren never come, perhaps she would have never even dreamed of leaving Shadi or that world. Now? She could not return to it even if she wanted to. That was the question, though.
Would she even want to?
Ilati leaned against her horse¡¯s side slightly as Youtab stopped at the water¡¯s edge to drink, trying to think of what she wanted the future to look like. Most of the time, her answer was crystal clear: Nysra¡¯s end. It was these rare, brief glimmers of happiness that made her wonder if that was all she wanted. She ran fingers along the scar that tugged at the corner of her mouth, a grimness quickly returning. She had many promises to keep still: to her beloved dead, to her dark goddess, to the one who had abandoned her, to her allies, to her enemies.
An arrow does not think of what will become of it once it reaches its target, Ilati reminded herself, only the target.
The breeze stirring the surrounding reeds shifted and Youtab snorted a warning, her ears flicking. Ilati unslung her bow in a moment and strung it with a practiced ease. She plucked three arrows from her quiver, letting two hang from her draw hand as she nocked the other on the string. If Shir Del, Eigou, and Menes had taught her anything, it was to trust her instincts. Something wicked stirred in the wind, wreathed in copper stench.
A deep caw split the air above and Ilati glanced up to see a large, dark bird flying away. She didn¡¯t waste an arrow trying to bring it down. She doubted an arrow could fell a bird of ill omen even if one found the creature.
The priestess took several steps backwards into the reeds, dropping into a low crouch. Youtab circled into the shallows herself, taking a quiet stance shielded from view by thick, tall reeds. The priestess¡¯s leg twinged slightly, but supported her weight with no problem. She let her breathing settle lower into her belly to keep her hands steadier and waited patiently.
After a few minutes, a man in Nadaren armor strode out into the clearing, followed by several other men wearing the same cut and fashion of clothes as Kulziya. Her eyes traced over him, a sudden hate exploding outward through her veins like the fire of a nova. He was a long-jawed, almost kingly man in his bearing, with striking green eyes and a ring set with several emeralds woven into his square-cut beard. The last time she had seen those eyes, they had danced with the light of flames.
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She knew this one.
For a moment, the screams of the dead were deafening in her ears. Ilati drew her bow back carefully, pulling it to her cheek. Everything in her wanted to release it, to send an arrow flying into his miserable throat. The quiver of her fingers on the string had nothing to do with weakness of muscles. Her vision narrowed until her eyes focused only on him, as if they were the only two people left in the world. Soon there would be only one.
¡°Commander, there is nothing here,¡± one of the Sarrian guards said. ¡°His Highness will be most disappointed if you abandon his hunt to chase thin air.¡±
The Nadaren man looked down, eyes lingering on the hoofprints in the soft earth. ¡°Prince Zidanta is far more patient than you give him credit for,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°A rider came through here recently. Was a courier expected?¡±
¡°No, Commander Sarhad.¡±
The name stopped her just before she let her arrow fly. Ilati didn¡¯t dare move and slacken her arm for fear of revealing her position, but she knew what Nysra would do to the Kingdom of Sarru if she murdered his emissary. They could not yet afford to draw his ire, not without a single soldier to their names. If she wanted Nysra, this miserable creature would have to endure. Ilati swallowed down the hateful notion and thought back to the wilderness. If a lion could be patient as it waited in ambush, so could she.
Sarhad glanced around, but Ilati was below eye-level and well-concealed among the rushes. She knew riverbanks well as a daughter of the Esharra. ¡°Perhaps they were seeking His Highness. Very well. Let us return, and perhaps we will see.¡±
Ilati waited until they were out of sight to relax her arm, shrugging out the tension in her shoulder and counting the seconds until a full minute had passed before whistling softly to Youtab. The horse emerged from her own hiding place in the shallows, climbing up the gradual bank with a few steps. It wasn¡¯t until she had her fingers in Youtab¡¯s mane that Ilati felt the prickle of tears threaten in her eyes.
She blinked hard and tucked the arrows back into her quiver. You wept your last tears into the River Esharra, she reminded herself, burning away her feelings with the hate that knotted in her stomach like a writhing coal. When the anger of her grief was all she allowed herself, the tears vanished. Harden your heart, daughter of Shadi. There is much work to be done.
If she was not very careful in Ulmanna, the man could easily recognize her. The scars of K¡¯adau¡¯s claws might not be enough to obscure her identity and exposure could mean death if Sarhad had the princes under his thumb. She didn¡¯t know Tudhaliya to trust in his protection. Ilati rested her forehead against Youtab¡¯s for comfort, trying to piece together a plan. She needed to talk to Eigou without Kulziya nearby, just in case. However amiable the old man was with the captain of the guard, they were no longer guaranteed to be among friends.
By the time Ilati returned, her companions and their escort had made good time, rejoining the main road to Ulmanna as it followed the edge of the forest down towards fertile pasture and farmland. Farmsteads and the occasional logging camp dotted the area, though few ventured too deep into the forest even knowing how valuable the cedars were, for fear of evil spirits. Those who passed through it used the main road almost exclusively and made offerings to the different gods who warded the woods and travelers alike.
¡°Are you certain your granddaughter is not Sut Resi, Eigou?¡± Kulziya said with a chuckle as she slid off Youtab¡¯s back, landing neatly beside them. Her injured leg twinged a little, but so far it wasn¡¯t bad.
Ilati knew she probably looked windblown and wild, a far cry from her old life, but she allowed Eigou to speak on her behalf. They hadn¡¯t exactly agreed what her story was, since the sorcerer had been so busy wringing every bit of news out of Kulziya since they¡¯d begun traveling together.
Eigou chuckled. ¡°I think she is more full of surprises than you give her credit for, Captain.¡± He seemed to catch that something was bothering her, because his eye narrowed slightly.
¡°I speak only from what I see. She seems every bit as wild.¡±
The old man clapped one hand on Kulziya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are not wrong. Will you excuse me, my friend? I must warn her about the men of Ulmanna before we reach it.¡±
Ulmanna¡¯s guard captain laughed in good nature, leaning on his spear. ¡°Shall I take offense at that, Eigou?¡±
¡°If it pleases you.¡± Their sorcerer strode down the path, beckoning for Ilati to follow him out of earshot. ¡°If I am not mistaken, my dear Hedu, something bothers you.¡±
Ilati followed on his heels, one hand still against Youtab¡¯s neck as the mare kept pace beside her. ¡°Down by the river, I saw Commander Sarhad on a hunt,¡± she murmured just loudly enough to be heard by her mentor. ¡°I recognized him from the destruction of Shadi.¡±
Eigou scowled, immediately recognizing the danger that posed. ¡°Did he recognize you?¡±
¡°I stayed hidden in the reeds, unseen, but that will not work in Ulmanna.¡± The priestess touched the scar that twisted the corner of her mouth. ¡°I do not know if this will be enough, even with the work of sun and wind.¡±
¡°Your demeanor has changed too.¡± Eigou rubbed at the back of his neck. ¡°He will not see in you a meek and battered priestess, at least not if you are careful. In my experience, the context of people often is more remembered than their faces. I cannot conceal your appearance without prompting questions from Kulziya that we may not wish to stir. In this, your acting skills are our best defense.¡±
¡°And how am I to act?¡±
¡°In this, we will let your goddess be our guide.¡± Eigou stroked his beard. ¡°I have already planted the seeds and told Kulziya many fanciful stories that he is certain to spread. As far as he is concerned, you have always lived in the wild places of the world, far from the cities of men. Your accent is only Kullan because that is where your mother taught you speech.¡±
Ilati felt a pang behind her breastbone as she thought of her mother¡¯s body in her arms, cold and lifeless. ¡°And who was she?¡±
¡°An outcast, spurned for casting the evil eye on her husband when he set his affections on another woman. A daughter of a sorcerer is not likely to take such an insult with magnanimity if you believe the stories. Remember what I said to you of shedding that nature like a serpent leaves its skin? So too the fine manners of Kullah must be behind you for the time being.¡±
¡°I do not want to offend in a royal court.¡±
Eigou waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Remember why we have come here. Impressing King Tudhaliya with table manners is not the goal, and discovery would be far more detrimental than a little rudeness. I will smooth over any ruffled feathers.¡±
She sighed slightly. ¡°And if I misstep?¡±
The sorcerer put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly. ¡°We will devastate that dam only if we reach it, but I have faith in you. Consider it only another test, one where both K¡¯adau and I will be your guides.¡±
¡°She does not speak beyond the wild places,¡± Ilati murmured.
Eigou shook his head slightly. ¡°Her power does. I promise you that Tudhaliya will hear that above all other things.¡±
24 - Sharp as Arrows
On all sides of the frothing joining of the Suen and Adbattii rivers, the great city of Ulmanna sprawled across five hills that formed an approximate ring. Untidy warrens of streets stretched out like tangling spiderwebs from the river sides, presided over by the great ziggurat of Lugal to the south of the joining and the expansive palace complex to the east of it. Most of the wealthy parts of the city were upstream and surrounded by towering walls. Ulmanna had burst beyond its gates, many rougher hovels constructed of mud brick or just bundled reeds outside of the city wall, crammed into each other beside the flurry of activity that was the docks. Tens of thousands of people lived in Ulmanna and the surrounding river lands, every inch of ground given to human use. What was not the city was farms or orchards, watered by a canal system that rivaled Shadi¡¯s, though it was only two-thirds the size of Ilati¡¯s home.
¡°Ah, home! What do you think?¡± Kulziya said, letting his bronze-tipped spear lean against his shoulder. He chuckled at the wide-eyed stares from Shir Del and especially Roshanak. ¡°Civilization at its finest!¡±
Roshanak blinked owlishly, squirming slightly on her horse¡¯s back to get a better view. At her small height, there was only so much she could do. ¡°The people, there are so many¡¡±
¡°Like a busy anthill.¡± Shir Del turned to look at her daughter, tugging Roshanak¡¯s braid gently. ¡°Stay close to us and on Thriti¡¯s back.¡±
Ilati took in a deep breath at the sight of Ulmanna, the first proper city she¡¯d seen since Shadi¡¯s destruction. It brought memories arcing up from the depths of her mind like wounding arrows. She turned her face away, looking back towards the road to the forest, but even that offered little comfort with the sheer volume of travelers flocking to Ulmanna. Youtab shifted beneath her as if the mare could sense her disquiet. She buried her fingers in her horse¡¯s mane, trying to project a calm she didn¡¯t feel in the slightest.
Kulziya glanced over at her and offered a slight smile. ¡°Have no fear, wild one. To arrive at the beginning of the Festival of the River God is most auspicious.¡±
Menes frowned slightly. ¡°A strange thing to say with a dying king and two princes poised for civil war.¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t say it was most auspicious for them,¡± Eigou said cheerfully, nudging Ankhu forward. The trusty mule trudged along with the sorcerer on his back.
Shir Del snorted, features touched by a wry amusement. ¡°Spoken like a true jackal, Eigou.¡±
He laughed and turned slightly to look back at them. ¡°Come, let us make our way to the gates. There is no sense in dawdling. This jackal would like to eat his meal at a table.¡±
A gust of wind rose from the east, sweeping across the grass behind them with such a force it left even the river reeds bent like supplicants at the foot of a ziggurat. The others kept moving, but Ilati froze at a familiar smell: lightning on the wind, the dryness of the deserts, the hint of myrrh and bittersweet herbs. Youtab flicked her ears and let out a soft whinny as the others moved forward, pawing at the earth. Restlessness played in the mare¡¯s muscles, flexing and rippling under her rider.
Darkness swallowed Ilati¡¯s vision. She turned her eyes towards the sun, but saw only the bright ring of a corona: a total eclipse. The wretched copper taste of blood burst across her tongue as if she had just swallowed a draught of it. She couldn¡¯t even call out, not with the sudden sense of scorpion legs climbing her back, nestling against her neck. Wails and groans filled the air, the weeping dirges of women and men alike.
They should quake at the very thought of their future. It will devour them like the desert sands swallow bones. You know that well.
Ilati felt a shudder run through her whole body at the dreadful weight in her goddess¡¯s words. Before her, she saw a shadowy Ulmanna unraveling as if by the hand of an unsatisfied weaver. The rivers themselves coursed with fire instead of water, as if flowing straight from the pits of Ersetu, the land of the dead. K¡¯adau¡¯s laughter boomed across the countryside like the very rolling of thunder. In the east, a star brighter than all the others moved towards the zenith of the sky, burning red as blood.
There is more to your future than crushing a serpent, my poet. Your road ends where earth and heaven meet.
¡°Ilati!¡± Roshanak called, tinges of worry in her tone.
The image vanished in a blink, her eyes struggling to adjust to the warmth and light of the summer sun after the darkness. The others were moving already down the path towards Ulmanna, but Roshanak had stopped and turned on her horse¡¯s back to face her. Ilati swept her hand across her brow, a cold sweat mingling with the dust on her face.
Shir Del stopped at her daughter¡¯s cry and turned, brow creasing with concern. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±
Ilati knew she needed to talk to her companions about what she had seen, but not with Kulziya and his men in earshot. The priestess whistled softly, urging her horse into forward motion. The others were still in motion towards Ulmanna, guided forward by Eigou¡¯s eagerness. ¡°I saw something,¡± she said in a low voice to the pair of Sut Resi. ¡°Something that has not yet come to pass.¡±
¡°An omen?¡± Shir Del¡¯s brow furrowed deeper.
Ilati nodded, reaching out to catch Shir Del¡¯s leg to stop her from urging her horse towards the others. Roshanak pressed close on her other side to hear, clearly worried. ¡°I saw a great misfortune,¡± she admitted quietly. ¡°I do not think Ulmanna will escape Shadi¡¯s fate. Even the sun itself went dark.¡±
¡°Nysra has great magic and dark gods. Perhaps he could make a thing such as this happen,¡± Shir Del said, flicking her fingers against her bowstring thoughtfully.
Roshanak gripped her small bow tightly, pressing her lips together into a firm line. Lapis lazuli eyes fixed on Ilati, her face suddenly smooth and expressionless, gaze penetrating and ancient. ¡°It was not him.¡±
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Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Roshanak was second-souled, dead and living at once. In that moment, however, Ilati saw it with frightening clarity. Beneath the sunny disposition of the young girl was an unfathomable depth, a spirit lodged between worlds. The priestess swallowed hard.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Shir Del asked, apparently unfazed by the strangeness of it. Then again, she was Roshanak¡¯s mother and a dream-walker herself. She was probably accustomed to such things.
The girl faltered for a moment, that intensity suddenly fading from her visage. She blinked a few times and then rubbed at her eyes with one hand. ¡°We should warn them.¡±
¡°Would they listen?¡± Ilati said, stomach knotted with nerves still. ¡°We are strangers and said to be wild folk at that.¡±
Shir Del shrugged at that, looking back towards the others. ¡°To Eigou, perhaps. If what Captain Kulziya says is true, he is a seer of great renown in Ulmanna. If their chieftain truly wishes his counsel on this dream of a star rising in the east, surely he would listen.¡±
Ilati touched the scar that twisted the corner of her mouth. Her father had never held much fondness for his brother-king in Ulmanna, still chafing in some ways from the revolt that had broken the Kullan power in the west. Amar-Sin had kept most of his thoughts on such matters away from his only daughter, reserving them for the education of his sons, and she had never really been curious enough to ask. Since her first menstrual blood, temple duties had dominated her attention, and before that, the task of learning to read and write at her mother¡¯s behest.
If even a fraction of what little had made it to her from scribes and acolytes was true, however, she doubted Tudhaliya would hear anything he did not wish to. The uncertainty worried at her mind like a hound with a bone as she followed Shir Del and Roshanak to the others, their horses closing the open ground quickly. Eigou¡¯s mule plodded along at his own speed, keeping pace with the guardsmen they traveled with. The great forest was no place for chariots, so Kulziya and his men had traveled on their own two feet.
¡°...hopefully your countrymen will be wise enough not to crowd my granddaughter¡¯s horse,¡± Eigou said as they approached the gate, thronging with people. Drumming and flutes were audible from beyond the gate, the whole city humming with the festival¡¯s excitement.
¡°Does she ride a horse or a lion, Eigou?¡± Kulziya said with a laugh, glancing backwards towards Youtab. The mare flicked her ears and snorted as she slowed, turning her head to gaze at the man with a baleful eye.
The one-eyed sorcerer shook his head at that. ¡°In my experience, lions are far more demure.¡±
¡°Even a wild horse can be broken.¡±
Ilati thumbed an arrow¡¯s fletching, tightening her grip on her bow as she glared down at Kulziya. Her temper was more fearsome with thoughts of Nadar and Shadi¡¯s destruction clinging to her, as well as the unsettling vision. ¡°You will sprout feathers enough to fly if you try,¡± she said fiercely. While she was nervous around armed strangers, there was absolutely no way she was letting him lay a finger on Youtab. The mare could protect herself, something evident both against the men of Nadar and a demon, but Ilati was not about to abandon her companion¡¯s defense.
¡°Are your arrows as sharp as your tongue?¡± Kulziya said with amusement, something challenging in the undercurrents of his speech.
The priestess knew she was being baited for the amusement of the man and his troop. She felt her temper cool into something hard and sharp under their eyes. Weakness here was not an option, not if it would travel to Commander Sarhad¡¯s ears and reveal her. When she spoke, it was with an imperiousness befitting a queen. ¡°If you wish a dog that performs tricks for the laughter of a crowd, gaze into the waters.¡±
Kulziya laughed. ¡°For what? A fish?¡±
Shir Del grinned with a certain relish, clearly catching Ilati¡¯s meaning. ¡°Captain, I think she means your reflection.¡±
The guard captain narrowed his eyes at that. ¡°You insult the nephew of your host, the great king? You are foolish.¡±
The Sut Resi woman wasn¡¯t above twisting the knife. ¡°Yet not so foolish as to need words explained.¡±
Eigou¡¯s good eye gazed up towards heaven for a moment as if he was searching for some divine stroke of patience. ¡°I think it would be rather unwise for everyone involved to start a feud. That is enough. Captain, if you would kindly cease provoking her, I am certain my granddaughter will extend to you the same courtesy.¡± He gave Shir Del a stern look that the Sut Resi woman seemed absolutely impervious to. ¡°And you, Shir Del, should know better than to needle.¡±
¡°When have I ever started something I could not finish, Eigou?¡± the warrior woman shot back even as Ilati relaxed slightly out of her tense posture.
¡°Eigou has the right of it,¡± Ilati said, though she knew she had been part of that quarrel when perhaps letting it go would have been better. ¡°We are not here to make enemies with King Tudhaliya or his people. You will have your fight with another in the future.¡± She knew better than to directly reference Sarhad or the Nadaren. That enmity would stay buried until it was too late for Nysra¡¯s hounds, if she had any luck at all.
¡°The manners of the wild folk are as unkempt as they are,¡± Kulziya said with a shake of his head.
Menes, who had been watching quietly with his hand lingering near his bronze sickle-sword, studied the guard captain. ¡°I find, noble one, that they repay all things in kind.¡±
¡°Perhaps that is so,¡± Kulziya acknowledged more carefully, turning to face the warrior. If he noted Menes¡¯s hand position, he said nothing of it. ¡°I am surprised that a man of Magan is so comfortable around immodest women.¡±
The charioteer shrugged. ¡°I consider myself a warrior first, and I respect those who acquit themselves well in battle.¡±
¡°Tell me of this battle, then,¡± Kulziya said to Menes as he resumed their progress through the gate. ¡°I am most eager to hear of it.¡±
Eigou let the others lead the way, moving his faithful mule to one side of Ilati¡¯s horse. Shir Del took up the opposite side, intending to keep people from jostling Youtab¡¯s flanks. They all knew that of the Sut Resi horses, Ilati¡¯s mare was the most likely to lash out. ¡°I expected you would have a harder time shedding such manners,¡± the old man said.
Ilati loosened up a little, relaxing more completely despite the press of the crowds and the din of the celebration ahead. She moved her fingers away from the quiver at her belt. ¡°You were the one who told me I must leave them as a serpent sheds its skin.¡±
¡°I suppose I am not used to people listening so intently,¡± Eigou said with a shrug, offering her a wry smile. ¡°Let us hope it will be enough, especially once we reach the palace.¡±
25 - The City of the River God
Caught by soft breezes wafting down from the north, hundreds of red petals showered down from the top of the grand Eastern Gate. The crowd pressed through the great bronze doors, flanked and guarded by statues of Lugal¡¯s servitors, fierce winged bulls with stone bodies and golden horns. Together, they embodied the twin gods Eta and Mursu, evil destroyers vanquished by Lugal in the days before days and then forced to bear his yoke. With their ferocious expressions and wild eyes, they towered over the throngs of people moving between them.
Shir Del looked up at the statues fearlessly, ignoring the reverential gesture made by Kulziya as they passed beneath the gaze of the bulls. ¡°Strange that no thief has made off with their horns.¡±
Kulziya laughed, but there was an edge of subtle apprehension to it. ¡°It is not wise to anger the Twins, or one will have worse than a legion of howling demons behind them.¡±
Ilati arched an eyebrow. ¡°Is Lugal not their master?¡±
¡°He is a god of justice and law. He does not extend his protection to thieves and blasphemers.¡±
¡°Why keep your gods in stones?¡± Roshanak craned her neck, fascinated with everything she could lay eyes on. ¡°It would be very cramped.¡±
Eigou chuckled and reached over, affectionately flicking at Roshanak¡¯s braid. ¡°Even the gods in Ulmanna are civilized. We make our homes in brick. Why should they not do the same?¡±
Ilati swept petals from her hair with one hand, rubbing at Youtab¡¯s shoulder with the other. The mare danced beneath her as they moved, restless energy magnified by the noise and strangeness of this new place. The priestess was at the center of the group so that the other horses and Eigou¡¯s faithful mule could guard the crowd from Youtab¡¯s wrathful hooves. Already they were drawing many stares, even in the chaos of a festival. Sut Resi barbarians came with their own reputation, and these ones rode beside men of King Tudhaliya¡¯s personal guard unchained.
After moons on the grasslands and the forest road¡ªthe smell of water and growing plants, horse and wind, the black earth of Kullah and the fallen needles of cedar¡ªthe chaotic mix of scents tied to a city struck Ilati like a fist. There was the smell of the crowd¡¯s sweat, the smoke of fires from roasting pits, bread baking and beer fermenting, river water diverted into canals teeming thick with reed boats, and a thousand other scents she could only identify as city. Ilati scraped together a handful of flower petals and held them to her nose, crushing them in her hand to release a sweeter scent.
How strange, that something she once would have never thought a moment of could come across so offensively. After a few moments, she let the crushed petals fall from her hand. Her nose would learn again to ignore it.
The noise was no less overwhelming: hymns to Lugal sung by the crowds thronging the broad, main streets of mud brick, punctuated by the clanging of bronze gongs, the hammering pulse of drums and cries of dancers lost in a flurry of ecstatic movements, the endless chatter of the crowd. Compared to deafening thunder on the open ground, it was not painful, but it was relentless. Ilati wanted to scream, but knew it would be devoured by the din of the crowd.
They were close to a parade snaking along the length of the Suen River as it approached the joining, towards the towering ziggurat to the northeast. The Temple of Lugal perched high on the central hill south of the rivers¡¯ joining, across a great bridge of cedar wood sealed against the water by black bitumen and tiles that shimmered in the sun like the green and blue of fish scales seen through water. Accents of mother of pearl decorated the bridge between tiled patterns and the bitumen, glowing gold.
While all the others were drawn into the splendid, joyous energy of the celebration that arced like lightning from cloud to cloud, Ilati felt a coldness uncoil in her stomach the closer they moved to the city¡¯s center.
Eyes were watching, and not simply those of gawking passersby.
Ilati¡¯s thumb stroked the string of her bow to calm herself, thumb-ring already in place in case she needed to draw forth a vengeful arrow or two. She had not unstrung the weapon, wholly intending to meet the viper with fangs of her own if Nadaren men accosted them in the streets. Shir Del and Roshanak had both followed her example even though they knew how to string theirs on horseback, something Ilati still struggled with.
The priestess tried to identify the source of the coldness, looking ahead, then to the left and to the right. She even twisted to see behind, but nothing seemed amiss. The festival obscured everything except itself, beaming people thronging on every side.
Ilati took a deep breath, low into her belly, and forced her mind to focus not on the chaos outside, but the coldness within. Fear. Ilati¡¯s fingers hooked an arrow. What am I afraid of here?
The closer they drew to the bridge, the feeling intensified. Ilati turned her gaze not on the work of art that was the great span across the waters, but the river flowing placidly beneath. She drew on her focus as Eigou had taught her, opening her eyes and then, with a deep breath, letting her mind discard the reality around her to peer beyond. Without closing her eyes, they seemed to open again. The forms of the people around her seemed to freeze and stutter, moving so slowly they were barely more than statues.
Roshanak glowed like a beacon to her left, a luminous purple-blue third eye made of light open on her forehead. Six spectral arms of the same color sprouted from her back, each ending in a delicate and purposeful hand. The girl abruptly turned to look at Ilati, the only other who seemed able to move normally. Or at least, the spirit within the second-souled girl could.
Ilati couldn¡¯t be distracted by her long, not when she could feel a far greater presence uncoiling in the waters of the river.
The voice came from all sides, deep and rumbling, like the churning of river waters in a storm. There was no physical form rising from the river, but Ilati felt the god¡¯s presence all the same. The indescribable sensations that rushed all around her like fearsome currents allowed her a window into Lugal¡¯s mood: the river god was disturbed, verging upon displeased. Why have you come to my city, creature of the night winds?
Even with Eigou''s lessons, Ilati wasn¡¯t certain how to respond without speaking aloud, but forced her thoughts into order and hoped the god would hear them. I am only a messenger, a priestess, of the Mother of Night Winds. A demon I am not.
Yet you bring ruin in your wake. I see you.
Ilati kept her calm. Nysra and his dark gods are the ones you should rage against, mighty one. They intend to destroy your city as they destroyed Shadi.
They are welcome to try. I will devastate them, as I have destroyed all who seek the subjugation of my city.
The priestess knew she was on dangerous ground, but forged ahead anyway. As you destroyed the great Ilishu, who made your chosen king kiss the earth before his feet?
You speak with insolence, priestess of the night winds! You would be wise to curb your tongue!
Ilati let go of her arrow, drawing on her memory of K¡¯adau¡¯s power to ward off the frightful shivers of dreadful awe Lugal¡¯s anger inspired. I do not think you to be weak, mighty lord of Ulmanna and all it commands, but I have seen Nysra¡¯s power first hand. He fell upon great Kullah like a lion upon a hound, and laid waste to its peoples like the sickle cuts grass. You will find in me a better friend than enemy, o wise lawgiver. Ulmanna is about to plunge into war, brother against brother. A kingship divided will fall like a sacred cedar to Nysra¡¯s powerful ax.
Yes, I have heard the prayers of the princes, each seeking my favor. Lugal¡¯s seething rage receded slowly, like floodwaters, replaced by something more thoughtful. You speak with a mind for strategy and a tongue for diplomacy, more than I expect from one of your nature.
She took a deep breath. I wish an alliance against Nadar. They and their sorcerer king cannot be overcome without your people¡¯s aid, great one. That is why I dare enter your city: as supplicant and warning. I have seen the sun blotted out and Ulmanna undone like a weaver destroys their work.
How do I know you are not their treacherous servant? The question struck like a barbed tail lashing forth from the waters.
Would the Mother of Demons ever consent to bend a knee to another?
Lugal paused, absorbing that. No. That is why she roams the wilderness. She cannot be tamed, not even by the gods of men. It is anathema, and her power is known from the days before days. But why does she care what becomes of a city of men?
I cannot say if she does, Master of the Two Waters, but I do. I would not see your people suffer as mine have suffered.
Vengeance is in the nature of the Howler in the Desert. Still, there is a strangeness to it. Lugal seemed to calm further, presence as placid as the river¡¯s flow beside them. The would-be kings must prove themselves to me or resolve their quarrelsome weakness. Their rift has been deepened by the cancer among them. Perhaps you are the knife to cut it out. This would prove your intentions are as you say to my satisfaction.
With great pleasure, o mighty one, Ilati said. The face of Sarhad appeared in her thoughts, sending a current of rage down her spine.
The cold receded with Lugal¡¯s fading presence and the world around Ilati stuttered back to life. She realized that everyone was staring at her, probably because she and Youtab had stopped at the riverside near the bridge, frustrating the crowd behind who wished to move to their god¡¯s temple. Well, Roshanak was probably staring for another reason.
¡°What is so fascinating about the waters?¡± Kulziya called, turning around. He was in the lead now, best suited to guide them through the city streets.
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Ilati blinked like a sleepwalker suddenly roused. ¡°I thought I saw something moving.¡±
¡°There are many fish.¡± Something in Eigou¡¯s tone told her he suspected something more had just happened, but he was less certain than the second-souled with them likely was.
She nodded slightly, whistling to Youtab. The mare had fallen still, though her ears kept flicking wildly as she tried to sort through the chaotic din of the festival. At her direction, the mare perked up and started to move again.
Roshanak leaned over, almost enough to fall off Thriti¡¯s back. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked as the others refocused on the path ahead.
So no other would hear, Ilati kept her voice quiet. ¡°The patron god of this city.¡± The effect was not as powerful or profound as her audience in the desert, but she still trembled slightly from the aftermath of Lugal¡¯s presence and the voice rushing like floodwaters around her. In a past life, she would have made an offering to any god upon entering their city, let alone hearing them, but now she thought only of K¡¯adau¡¯s approval. Still, it was a harrowing experience that dominated her thoughts even as they drew closer and closer to the palace.
Tiered towers and high, crenelated walls marked the exterior of the palace, a fortress with few equals. Fired mud-brick with a white glaze formed much of the exterior, patterned with fired tiles of blue-green in elaborate geometric patterns that looked like the currents of the river. Golden fish gleamed on the walls, each one radiant in the sunlight. The gate was framed by two long, serpentine dragons carved of white marble with dark veins on either side: their fearsome heads near the height of a man¡¯s with neck descending and then rising behind, their front legs against the ground, and their bodies rising into an arch of twisting tails.
Menes looked over at Kulziya. ¡°Which gods are these?¡±
Eigou chuckled as he clambered down from his mule¡¯s back. ¡°These are the spirits of the two rivers that Lugal rules. You will find their likenesses in many places throughout Ulmanna and all of the kingdom it rules: the Suen and the Adbatti. It was here that Lugal split their courses with his fearsome ax, widening the fertile lands so a great kingdom could arise, and spread their rich soil with the help of the Twins¡¯ yoke.¡±
¡°Yet they are fearsome beasts.¡± Menes eyed the dragons¡¯ fangs and claws with a skeptical expression.
¡°They seem docile now, but even Ulmanna must fear the floods that come from the gods if they are angered. The rivers can be quite savage beasts,¡± the sorcerer explained. ¡°They are as the Esharra and Nintu of Kullah can be, devastating when the waters rise. That is why the greatest parts of Ulmanna perch upon the hills, even with the many channels and flood controls its people have hewn into the earth.¡±
Kulziya nodded in confirmation. ¡°Truthfully, though, even as dragons they are tamer than the rivers of Kullah. I do not know how those cities have survived, so terrible is the River Esharra. The kings of Kullah were mad to build their greatest city along its banks.¡±
¡°They believed their gods would shelter them from all evil.¡± The words fell from Ilati¡¯s lips as bitter and poisonous as wild almonds. ¡°They were not mad. They were deceived by unworthy flies clustered around their prayers.¡±
¡°You speak with such anger, wild woman. Even here, I would not dare blaspheme against a god,¡± Kulziya said, a bit taken aback despite Eigou¡¯s fiction that Ilati detested the civilized lands of men.
¡°Perhaps if they had spines, they would strike me down.¡± Ilati slid off her horse as the others did, landing beside the head of King Tudhaliya¡¯s personal guard. He took a step back, less to make needed room and more to distance himself from her glare. ¡°I do not fear the gods of Kullah, nor any anger that springs from their craven hearts. They could not slay me if they wished it.¡±
Kulziya¡¯s eyebrows rose and he glanced at the blue sky and then Eigou nervously. ¡°Does she speak so of all gods? Shall I keep my distance before she offends Lugal?¡±
Eigou¡¯s lips twitched with amusement even as he sighed in exasperation. ¡°She has her reasons, Kulziya, but I hope she does not intend to sharpen her tongue against our divine host.¡±
¡°I have no quarrel with the Lawgiver,¡± Ilati said, adjusting her quiver at her side. ¡°So long as I am not given cause, I will keep a more civil tongue.¡±
For a moment, the wind touched Ilati¡¯s hair like the caress of a proud mother. It was a brief, fleeting sense of approval and amusement, and a surprising reminder that even here, K¡¯adau had not abandoned her. Ilati¡¯s shoulders relaxed slightly, some of the angry tension fading. Youtab butted a nose against her arm as well, affectionately tugging at Ilati¡¯s sleeve with teeth. It was enough to pull Ilati from her hateful thoughts. She scratched behind her horse¡¯s ears before stroking her neck lovingly.
¡°The stables are this way,¡± Kulziya said as they passed through the gate. ¡°Will your horses submit to non Sut Resi hands?¡±
¡°They will honor those who honor them. Woe to he who brings out the bridle or the whip,¡± Shir Del said, narrowing her eyes slightly at the guard captain as she pulled off her saddle bags while Roshanak and Ilati did the same. She amended, ¡°I would not send your stable boys anywhere near Youtab. Let her eat under the open sky and give her as much space as one can, even from the other beasts.¡±
Ilati looked up from Youtab¡¯s dark eye, leaning her head against her horse¡¯s. ¡°I cannot guarantee safety for any who approach. She is her own.¡±
¡°That may be seen as a challenge for some stablehands,¡± Kulziya admitted.
¡°Remind them that the harm they do to our horses will fall upon their heads tenfold,¡± Shir Del said fiercely. ¡°Araxa, Thriti, and Youtab are heart-bonds, not servants, and I will think considerably less of whipping a man than I would plucking a burr from their hide.¡±
The priestess shrugged a little when the approaching stablehands all blanched. ¡°I was merely going to fill them with arrows.¡± It was a bluff on her part, but well worth it if they treated Youtab with respect. Besides, there was a level where she meant it. She kissed Youtab¡¯s nose and rubbed the horse affectionately between her ears. ¡°Go with them to the stables, wild one, but do not go within. Stay in the pasture where earth and sky meet.¡±
One of the stablehands approached nervously, his attention darting back and forth between Youtab and Ilati. ¡°How are we to guide them without lead, noble warrior of the wilds?¡± he asked, bowing low to the priestess.
¡°Respectfully,¡± Ilati said coolly.
¡°I will see them to the stables,¡± a voice said from behind, rich and cultured. He spoke with a formal accent, one of the delineations between the commoners of Ulmanna and the wealthy palace-born. ¡°I would not have our guests, whether two-legged or four-legged, treated with anything but the greatest hospitality.¡±
The group turned to see a man in bronze armor much like Kulziya, but burnished and adorned with complicated images of winged bulls plated in gold. He stood tall and handsome, dark beard sculpted into a triangular point with jeweled bands and trimming, his tunic a rich purple shade. Ilati did not recognize him, but knew to whom they spoke by his dress and regal bearing: a prince of Sarru. He smiled at them, a warmth suffusing the expression.
Eigou stepped forward, clasping the prince¡¯s hand fondly. ¡°Prince Hattusa, it is always a pleasure to see you.¡±
The prince pulled Eigou into a hug, clapping the old man on the back with a broad grin. ¡°If only I could say the same, you rascal. Spitting out the truth to powerful men and then fleeing the consequences¡it is a wonder you yet live.¡±
As Hattusa released him, Eigou shrugged and grinned. ¡°I have my wily ways. Now, I think introductions are in order. This is Menes, Magan¡¯s finest charioteer. The elder Sut Resi you see is Shir Del and the girl is her daughter, Roshanak. Our other wild woman is my granddaughter, Hedu.¡± He indicated each in their turn for the Prince¡¯s sake.
¡°Welcome, all of you,¡± Hattusa said, spreading his arms wide as he gave a respectful nod. ¡°King Tudhaliya and Ulmanna receive you as honored guests.¡± His eyes darted over the group, pitying as they took in Ilati¡¯s scars.
Ilati looked down at the ground, feeling a sting in her heart. She disliked the pity. It reminded her too much of the priestess of Zu who had died in those desert sands. When she looked up again, her expression hardened and her lips pressed into a grim line.
If Hattusa noticed, he gave no sign, turning instead to Eigou and stepping closer. ¡°My father hopes you have come with answers about the red star rising in the east.¡±
Eigou raised an eyebrow, mouth twitching into a wry smile. ¡°He should be careful what he wishes for. Nonetheless, I think I can satisfy some of his curiosity.¡±
¡°There is another matter better spoken of in private.¡± Hattusa turned his smile back on the group. ¡°Not that it needs to trouble your companions. They have come quite the long way, by the looks of them. Baths and fresh clothes before a fine meal, I think. My father will welcome you with a feast, but you will have time to rest again. It is tradition to eat after the setting of the sun on the first day of Lugal¡¯s festival. You have come at an auspicious time.¡±
¡°What is wrong with how we dress?¡± Shir Del asked with a frown.
Hattusa looked flummoxed for a moment, uncertain how to explain that the court of the mighty king would probably not appreciate hide armor and a bared breast from the woman. It was expected for a Sut Resi among her own people, but the shock and discomfort it would create were not insignificant.
Ilati looked over at her friend. ¡°We smell of horse and these are clothes of war.¡±
Shir Del¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You say that as if it is a problem. How else will they know I am a warrior of the Sut Resi? Next you will tell me I must leave my bow or cut my hair.¡±
¡°We should at least be clean,¡± Menes said, glancing to Hattusa. ¡°Perhaps there is a middle ground?¡±
¡°If you have hides that are not so¡¡± Hattusa searched for a diplomatic term. ¡°...worn, perhaps those will suit. But at dinner with the great king, you will not be permitted to carry your bows, lest you be thought assassins.¡±
Ilati put a hand on Shir Del¡¯s shoulder and squeezed hard before the woman could let loose the sharp rebuttal clearly building on her tongue. ¡°Generous prince, could we be permitted them if they were unstrung or peacebonded?¡± She made sure her request was tendered with the appropriate level of deference. ¡°Your mighty king is most hospitable, no? It is a venerable tradition that Sut Resi will always have their bow with them, but we have no intention of harming anyone with them.¡±
Hattusa cleared his throat, contemplating the suggestion. ¡°If they are peacebound,¡± he said finally. ¡°I know how swiftly a Sut Resi can string their bow.¡±
¡°Is that satisfactory?¡± Ilati looked to Shir Del. It was phrased as a question, but the undertone was emphatic and firm.
An argument bloomed across Shir Del¡¯s face and her eyes narrowed at Ilati, but after a moment she sighed. ¡°If that is what we must do.¡± Under her breath she added, ¡°Not that I am contented with it.¡±
Ilati squeezed Shir Del¡¯s shoulder again, this time comfortingly. In the Sut Resi tongue, she said, ¡°I promise you that if we have need of them, that binding will pose no obstruction.¡±
¡°I am holding you to that, little sister,¡± Shir Del said. She wrinkled her nose slightly. ¡°Let us bathe, then.¡± She whistled a command to her horse, then nudged his rump towards the stable area. ¡°Araxa, lead the others. We will see you again soon.¡±
To the surprise of the stablehands and Hattusa alike, Araxa immediately began to move towards the stables with Thriti following. The two horses were never far apart, each taking comfort in the presence of the other. Youtab followed after a moment of hesitation and a glance back at Ilati. The stablehands made no attempt to touch the horses, but guided them by walking alongside.
¡°Your beasts are clever,¡± Hattusa said, marveling. He bowed his head again to the group. ¡°The servants will guide you and I will see your horses are well cared for. Eigou, I will find you inside the palace before dinner to discuss the other matter.¡±
¡°I pity the first to try to lay a hand on your wild one,¡± Shir Del said, watching them go. ¡°I doubt they will leave the experience with bones all intact.¡±
Ilati shrugged slightly, more worried about Youtab than anything else even though she knew the horse could take good care of herself. ¡°If she can handle battle with a demon, what are mere men? Let us see what the palace holds.¡±
26 - An Unexpected Price
The reactions of King Tudhaliya¡¯s servants to the strangers in their midst told Ilati everything she could have asked for. They gazed wide-eyed at the barbarians entering the palace for only a moment before dropping their gazes and scurrying about to complete their tasks. Many men seeking audience with their king peeled away from the throngs of people when Eigou appeared, more interested in the sorcerer¡¯s counsel than the strangers he surrounded himself with. Kulziya stayed near the one-eyed man¡¯s side, directing servants to escort the wild women to the baths. Menes remained with Eigou. The idea of sharing a bath with any of them was perhaps more immodest to a man of Magan than even he could stand.
No one seemed thrilled with the arrangement, least of all Shir Del, who grumbled fiercely as she followed Ilati with one hand firmly on Roshanak¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Skittish beasts,¡± the warrior woman muttered when one of the handmaidens flinched away from her glare.
Ilati smiled despite herself. ¡°As far as they know, Shir Del, your people are cannibalistic barbarians who eat their victims raw and slay whoever offends them. Of course they are wary of you.¡±
Shir Del looked annoyed. ¡°And when have you ever known me to consume the flesh of men?¡±
¡°Stories are often exaggerated, and it is not as though the Sut Resi have ever sought to correct those who tell them. There are advantages to being feared on the field of battle, no?¡± Ilati inhaled sharply as they passed through the cedar doors into the baths, the distinctive smell of frankincense and sandalwood filling her nose. Rose petals floated on the surface of the baths, set into the stone floor. The pools staggered down like naturally formed springs, each one fed by the one above it. At the top was a small channel of water that filled the slow cascade, no doubt diverted from either a spring within the hill or an aquifer. At the bottom of the arrangement, water followed channels out through open doors into verdant gardens, where they served as irrigation for fruit trees and many other plants.
Compared to the great hanging gardens of Shadi, these were little more than planters surrounded by channels, but Ilati still saw the beauty in them. It demonstrated Lugal¡¯s favor, if nothing else, as the ability to cultivate such growing life in such an urban setting relied upon water gods.
Shir Del wrinkled her nose at the scents of perfume. ¡°Extravagant and indulgent,¡± she muttered. ¡°Must we even smell like them?¡±
The poet smiled with a trace of amusement. ¡°It is the King¡¯s hospitality. Refusing would invite disadvantage. Besides, if Tudhaliya is anything like his reputation, he is hoping you will balk and make a beast of yourself.¡±
The warrior woman sighed and looked over at her daughter, who seemed absolutely fascinated by the flow of water through the garden-enclosed pools. There would be no keeping Roshanak from the water in another minute or two. ¡°I do not like this, priestess.¡±
¡°I know.¡± It was hard to keep her amusement out of her voice, but Ilati managed. She stripped down at the edge of the water, taking the time to examine herself for a moment.
Her battle scars still showed bold and red even with the wounds closed, raised and twisted strands of stretched skin. For the first time since the destruction of Shadi, Ilati allowed herself to see her body. Hard living and training relentlessly had changed it from what she remembered, in ways far beyond the disfiguring marks left by demonic claws. She could see the outline of toughened muscle instead of soft curves as she traced the swell of her calves and thighs with her eyes, feel the ripple of it as she moved her shoulders. Her abdomen had flattened, the softness there mostly gone. Her hands bore rows of calluses, nails worn or broken short and uneven, and her dark hair had taken on a slightly lighter, reddish quality from exposure to the sun. Even her skin had changed, bronzed by sun without the shade of palace walls and gardens to spare it.
She was no longer a pampered, sheltered woman of privilege, kept inside Zu¡¯s own house or the palace like a child¡¯s cloth doll. To actually see the change, though, was a strange and almost indescribable feeling. For a moment, she could feel every mile between her and Shadi here, across the knotted map of her skin. Ilati discarded her clothes to the side and turned her attention back to her companions at the sound of a particularly raucous splash. ¡°Roshanak, you are supposed to undress first, and enter with a step, not a leap.¡±
The girl turned in the pool, beaming with an excitement only matched in intensity by the looks of shock on the handmaidens¡¯ faces. ¡°But it¡¯s almost deep enough to dive!¡±
Shir Del laughed in the way Ilati had come to associate with the Sut Resi: from deep in the belly rather than the tittering of court women. The Sut Resi warrior seemed to mightily enjoy the reaction to her daughter¡¯s antics. ¡°That will save me the trouble of trying to explain how to wash your clothes, I suppose.¡± The warrior woman unstrung her bow first and wrapped the sinew string away in a leather pouch treated with grease to keep water out, then placed both her weapons and her clothes away from the water¡¯s edge, with Ilati¡¯s. Roshanak had left her bow well away from the pool, but still had her little knapped flint dagger on her.
One of the younger handmaidens edged slightly closer to inspect their animal-skin clothes once the warrior herself stepped into the baths to pursue Roshanak. Ilati turned to face her and spoke in the tongue of their hosts. ¡°You cannot wash that as you wash fabric or you will ruin it. Leave it to us to tend.¡±
The servants all blinked in surprise. ¡°You speak with a civilized tongue,¡± the bold handmaiden marveled. ¡°We thought you Sut Resi.¡±
Ilati supposed it was a fair assumption. She was wearing Sut Resi clothes, carrying a Sut Resi bow, and had not spoken anything but the wild peoples¡¯ tongue so far in this company. Her conversations with Shir Del and Roshanak had stayed strictly in their speech since they parted ways with the others and she¡¯d spoken little else inside the palace. ¡°I find it is useful to speak many languages.¡± Ilati could practically see the questions burning on the lips of the others, but they were careful to avoid eye contact and maintain their meekness.
The youngest, though, forged ahead. ¡°You do not mark your face and body with those strange paints either, the ones that stain until they do not wash.¡±
Ilati glanced over at Shir Del and Roshanak. It was true and an oversight on her part: the Sut Resi were famous for marking their bodies and faces with tattoos, and the absence of them on her was telling. She had also chosen to wear her hair loose rather than in the braid common to the Sut Resi. ¡°No, I do not.¡±
¡°Where are you from, stranger? What place birthed a woman warrior besides the silver-grass steppe?¡±
The priestess¡¯s expression hardened. While the questions could be innocent, it was also possible that Commander Sarhad had people inside the court who sought information. ¡°The Desert of Kings.¡±
¡°Surely not,¡± the handmaiden said, recoiling from Ilati¡¯s clothes like she expected them to contain a scorpion. ¡°We have heard tell of this place, where demons stalk the barren sands.¡± She made a sign with her hands, something Ilati assumed was to avert the evil eye. ¡°There is no water, no life, nothing may grow. All that is alive perishes to the gnawing of the evil ones in that accursed place.¡±
¡°This is so,¡± Ilati said, turning and stepping into the cool, refreshing waters of the bath. If Sarhad wanted rumors, he would most certainly have one now.
¡°Have you not seen those scars?¡± one of the older handmaidens hissed to the youngest, just low enough in volume to be barely within Ilati¡¯s hearing. ¡°They did not come from a lion!¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡± the bold one replied petulantly.
¡°Number those on her shoulder and you will see the lines from seven claws upon one paw. She is marked by demons!¡±
Ilati gave no sign that she had heard either the comments or the gasp of horror from the young one now rapidly scrambling away from her belongings. Instead, she scrubbed over herself, trying to work away the dirt and sweat, massaging around the hard tissue of the scars. It felt so good to soak that she lost herself in the sensation, dunking her head below the water. By the time she resurfaced, the handmaidens had withdrawn to what they presumed was a safe distance and Shir Del had finally managed to finish stripping Roshanak in the bath.
¡°They seem more frightened of you now,¡± the warrior woman commented with something approaching a secret glee as she looked over at Ilati, scrubbing away at Roshanak despite the girl¡¯s squawks of protest. Ilati knew that Shir Del, despite her pride, had learned to speak the languages of the settled peoples of Kullah and Sarru both. The exchange was entirely within her comprehension. ¡°Eigou will be pleased.¡±
¡°News will travel quickly,¡± Ilati said. ¡°The great stone house of a king is not so different from a Sut Resi camp when it comes to rumors. Well, except that it is easier to learn the truth among your people. One need only ask. It is not so simple in places like this.¡±
¡°Those who build their houses from stone rather than the skins they have hunted are always careful to keep two faces and three hearts,¡± Shir Del said with scorn.
Ilati thought of all the intrigues she had seen both in the palace and the temple in Shadi. ¡°Perhaps that is true of some. Perhaps most. Not all. Even soft clay can be hardened in a fire until it is like stone, yes?¡±
The warrior woman gave her a hard look, not angry, but shrewd. ¡°I suppose you are proof enough of that, priestess,¡± Shir Del said more thoughtfully. ¡°Yet sometimes I wonder how well even I know your measure.¡±
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¡°I¡¯m no Eigou.¡±
The Sut Resi warrior shrugged. ¡°All things have their nature. Eigou is like the deepest parts of the Great Forest: full of many hidden spaces, secret things, and ancient powers. So it is fitting, what you said to them: I see the burning sands in you, the fiery sun, the unrelenting howl of the night winds.¡±
Ilati shook her head slightly. ¡°You know me, Shir Del.¡±
¡°As you are now, but beyond? The sands shift. It is in their nature.¡± Shir Del¡¯s hooded eyes of lapis lazuli were almost as piercing as Roshanak¡¯s gaze had been when the spirit looked at her. ¡°Even when we met, you were not what you appeared, and you change more and more in my dreams now with every passing moon.¡±
That alarmed Ilati. ¡°What am I becoming?¡±
Shir Del shrugged. ¡°It is subtle. I could not say, but perhaps Roshanak could. Second-souled children see more clearly than even we who can stride among dreams.¡± She looked down at her daughter expectantly.
Roshanak squinted up at Ilati, expression fiercely concentrating for a moment. It was an expression that very much matched her mother¡¯s most thoughtful scowl.
¡°Well?¡± Shir Del prompted after a long moment, flicking her daughter¡¯s braid.
The second-souled girl blinked and her expression returned to normal. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t see anything different.¡±
Ilati shook her head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, Roshanak,¡± she said quietly before touching the center of the girl¡¯s forehead, where she¡¯d seen the glowing eye of the spirit within Roshanak using her own sight beyond sight. ¡°Look at me with this one.¡±
The girl hesitated, fingers rubbing along the concentric rings of the tattoo on the back of her neck. ¡°Are you sure?¡±
Now even more apprehensive, the priestess still nodded. ¡°I would know what I am becoming if it is changing my spirit too.¡±
Roshanak nodded. This time she closed her eyes. Instead of the strained concentration, her face smoothed into the composure of a corpse and even her breathing slowed almost to a stop.
Ilati felt an itch at the back of her neck, a sense of being observed not just by Roshanak, but by many eyes all around. It was a feeling she¡¯d experienced before, but it took her a moment to place it: Shadi, when through lifeless, glassy eyes the dead had watched her stagger through city streets alone.
Shir Del twisted her thumb ring into position automatically, even without her bow, responding to a threat she could feel, but not see. ¡°Roshanak, that is enough.¡± An urgent caution ran through Shir Del¡¯s speech like the River Esharra¡¯s fast-moving current.
Roshanak¡¯s eyes opened, devoid of the spark of life. They did not move their gaze, fixed instead on Ilati. Her words came as a whisper through teeth, like the wind through a hollow skull. It was distinctly not Roshanak¡¯s girlish voice, but instead a chorus of thousands speaking at once, though not as the thunderous roar it had been the last time Ilati heard it. The words were not spoken in Sut Resi, nor in Sarrian, nor even in the tongue of Kullah. They came without need of the ears, instead a frigid cold setting into the bones.
¡°Hail Ilati of Kullah, Queen of Thorns, Lady of the Floodwaters.
Hail the Devastator, the Destroyer, who breaks chains and kingdoms alike in her teeth.
Hail the Exile who shatters the cages of her people.
Hail the Mother of Havoc who stirs the dead from Ersetu and sets mountains aflame.¡±
Ilati surged forward in the water, catching Roshanak as she collapsed once the words were spoken, looking to Shir Del. ¡°What was that?¡±
For the first time since they¡¯d met, Shir Del¡¯s eyes widened with distress. ¡°I do not know. Help me get her out of the pool.¡±
Together they hoisted Roshanak out, ignoring the confusion of the onlooking handmaidens. ¡°I have heard those words before, in the Desert of Kings, just before the Mother of Demons appeared to me,¡± Ilati admitted, voice low.
¡°Demons?¡± Shir Del said as she fussed over her daughter, pulling over a large square of cloth to dry off Roshanak and then wrap her. ¡°This has not happened before. She is cold as death.¡±
Ilati wished she had an answer for Shir Del. ¡°I should not have pushed her.¡±
Shir Del leaned down, studying her daughter¡¯s face with one hand over Roshanak¡¯s heart. ¡°She is breathing, but not awake.¡± She hesitated for a second, still watching the utter lack of movement on the girl¡¯s face. Not even her eyelashes were fluttering. ¡°She does not dream. Tahmasp would know what to do, but he is not here.¡± Shir Del hissed in frustration. ¡°Fetch Eigou, sister of battle. He is a skilled healer and knows much of things beyond mortal ken. I will try to wake her in your absence.¡±
Ilati nodded, rising from her kneeling position at the edge of the pool to dress swiftly in the clothes laid out for them: it was cloth that Shir Del would likely refuse, a simple white dress bordered in blue that gathered at one shoulder with a pin, leaving the arms and most of the shoulder bare. Ilati¡¯s scars from Ezezu were still on full display.
A matronly handmaiden broke from the whispering group at the sight of the girl in distress, an older woman with coiled gray hair and a soft, heart-shaped face. They had been well out of earshot of the whisper. ¡°What happened? Shall we fetch the one who knows oils?¡±
Ilati shook her head. ¡°Take me to Eigou,¡± she said firmly. ¡°He is here in the palace and we need him at once.¡±
The older woman nodded and immediately started walking swiftly, though she had her own questions for Ilati still. ¡°The soothsayer? Her affliction is magical?¡±
¡°He is a healer of great skill as well.¡± Ilati appreciated the fact that the older woman was moving with speed and purpose. Together they departed the baths for the main palace halls, drawing many eyes as they went. Ilati knew she probably looked a frightful sight between her wet, tangled hair and the fearsome scars across her face and arms. ¡°Hurry. When even her mother has not seen her this way, it is serious.¡±
With a nod, the servant sped her pace until it was almost a lope through the halls, Ilati right beside her. They found Eigou in a smaller dining hall across from Prince Hattusa, Menes and Kulziya still at his side. Those who had sought the sorcerer¡¯s counsel were otherwise gone, no doubt dismissed by their crown prince.
¡°...so he is worse than even I thought¨C¡± Eigou cut himself off as they arrived, looking over at Ilati. His brow furrowed. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±
¡°Roshanak took unwell,¡± Ilati said, aware they had an audience. She was not ignorant of Hattusa¡¯s stare at her scarred shoulder and arm. ¡°We need you at the baths.¡±
Menes sprang up at once, nearly knocking his chair over backwards. Eigou was only barely slower, probably only because of age¡¯s hindrance. Both had a significant soft spot for the girl. ¡°What happened?¡± the warrior of Magan asked, all thought of impropriety yielding to worry.
¡°She fainted.¡± Ilati wasn¡¯t certain if it would be safe to speak the truth in the company of strangers, particularly with Sarhad in the palace.
Together the small group made their way to the baths, followed by Kulziya and a concerned Prince Hattusa. It was the crown prince who could not leave the matter lie at Ilati¡¯s simple explanation. ¡°What is the nature of the malady? Has it happened before?¡±
¡°Not like this, not as far as I know,¡± Ilati said. She cursed herself for putting Roshanak at risk even as she looked to the one-eyed sorcerer and spoke the truth of what had happened in the Sut Resi tongue. ¡°It was my fault, Eigou. She was trying to discern things about me and something overcame her.¡±
¡°Gazing with her second-souled eyes?¡± The old man picked up his pace, practically running through the palace. ¡°Likely overexertion, but it could be more.¡±
When they arrived, Shir Del had Roshanak cradled in her arms, forehead pressed to the girl¡¯s. ¡°Come back to me, sweet one,¡± the Sut Resi woman crooned to her daughter as she rocked the girl back and forth. She didn¡¯t look up at the sound of their footfalls, her panic barely contained by a facade of calm. ¡°Do not listen to the shades that call to you.¡±
Roshanak¡¯s eyes fluttered like a fevered dreamer¡¯s, the only part of her body in motion except for the shallow rise and fall of her chest.
¡°What has happened, Shir Del? Is it dream magic?¡± Eigou asked, kneeling beside the frantic Sut Resi mother.
The warrior woman looked up at him. ¡°She dreams of the restless dead calling her to join them. They are hungry, twisted things.¡±
¡°She would be more sensitive, given what she is,¡± Eigou said, scowling. ¡°But dead beyond Ersetu? How could such a thing¨C¡±
¡°The unburied of Shadi,¡± Ilati said quietly. ¡°I see them in my dreams.¡±
Eigou¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°That is a great many spirits to confront. They will not heed me, but they might heed you, priestess. I can bridge the gap, but you must contend with them before they take Roshanak away.¡± Without waiting for an answer, he fished around in the satchel of herbs he carried, pulling out a pouch of myrrh and another of cedar bark.
¡°I will not let them take your daughter, Shir Del,¡± Ilati promised as Eigou conjured a flame in his hand and touched it to the cedar bark. ¡°This is my fault, but I will make it right.¡±
Shir Del nodded and reached out a hand, squeezing Ilati¡¯s fingers in a crushing grip. ¡°Good hunting, sister,¡± she said fiercely. ¡°Bring my daughter back.¡±
Ilati watched as Eigou added the myrrh to his small fire beside the pool, fragrant smoke rising from the dancing flames. ¡°What do I do?¡±
¡°Breathe deep and open your eyes as she did, Ilati. I will sustain it for as long as I can, but we have little time.¡±
The priestess lowered herself to her knees beside Shir Del, breathing deeply of the smoke as she placed her hand on Roshanak¡¯s forehead. She let her awareness of the world fall away, opening her inner eye again as she had when speaking with Lugal.
Whatever Ilati had expected, she was not ready for what she saw.
27 - The Agonies of the Past
The cooling white ashes of burning reed roofs drifted down in waves from an ominous sky, as black as pitch with a great star burning infernal red for its only illumination. Ilati stood under the moonless night, her surroundings lit by the flames that had roasted alive any who hid in their homes, turning mudbrick into ovens of death. All around her, the dead contorted on city streets in a scene worthy of nightmares, groaning from the pain of their wounds. Some fumbled in the dark, sticky mud of their own blood for their severed heads. Others screamed as shadows of the men who had killed them continued their torture, tearing flesh from bone with hot knives. The evils Ilati survived played themselves here in endless repetition, the spirits trapped in this existence by their unburied bones.
To be dead without the proper rites, without descending into Ersetu, was worse a fate than even plunging into the river of fire.
Ilati¡¯s stomach knotted as bile rose in her throat, watching every cruelty she had seen in the temple replayed beyond it. No one who dwelt in Shadi was safe from the fire, the knives, the cruelties of the Nadaren soldiers. Nysra had tasked them to destroy the city so thoroughly that no other Kullan city would dare resist or raise an army against him. Knowing that, Ilati could not blame anyone who had simply opened their gates in fear of reprisals.
Yet no amount of death was enough for Nysra or his gods, no amount of submission sufficient to escape some version of Shadi¡¯s fate. In the face of the reality, Ilati felt her tears building in her eyes unshed.
But grief could not, would not, pin her in place like a doll: Ilati refused to allow it. She had to find Roshanak in this place and retrieve her, or the second-soul in the girl would move on and Shir Del would lose her daughter.
Ilati hurried forward through the streets of Shadi, feet catching in the mud as she moved towards the voices she could hear calling, beckoning. Join us. You know you do not belong in the world of the living. Join us. She picked up her pace as she reached the temple steps, racing up them with an ease beyond purely physical. As much as she dreaded returning to the scene of her own personal horrors, she knew in the pit of her stomach Roshanak would be at the heart of the city by now.
She pushed the door to the antechamber open and gagged on the smell of burnt flesh, that of those who had once burned offerings in Zu¡¯s name. The priestess saw them in the fire, twisting forms of shade and blackening flesh, trapped in their own moment of death. Skeletal hands reached out in supplication as she passed, begging, pleading. Sister, save us! Ilati, save us!
In life, she had heard their screams from the next room. Seeing what had become of them truly was even more agonizing. Ilati ripped her eyes away and kept her head down as she ran, even when she felt them tug at the hem of the dress she wore. You cannot save them. You can only save Roshanak, she reminded herself, pushing open door after door as she sprinted to the sanctum, taking stairs two at a time. The statues of Zu seemed larger than she remembered here, looming, the goddess¡¯s serene smile transmuted into a twisted parody of rapturous joy, as if every death here was a sacrifice to her as well.
Scorching smoke hung thick in this highest of sanctums, even as Ilati passed the temple guards in their bronze, drowning in their own blood from cut throats. The perpetrators were not truly here, but their evil acts had so scarred the spirit world that Ilati could feel their presence still. Her bare feet splashed in puddles of half-congealed gore as she stepped into the scene of her own worst nightmares, the holy house¡¯s sacred innermost room.
Roshanak¡¯s spirit stood ahead, much brighter than Ilati had seen by the river without flesh in the way, taller and older than the girl it inhabited. It shone a brilliant violet with shimmering hues of blue, eight perfectly formed arms curled close as it suffered the visions of this place. Roshanak looked back and forth uncertainly, three glowing eyes seeking something in the suffocating darkness filled with groans and screams. Ilati recognized her own voice here in the smaller chorus, tortured into something worthy of a beast.
¡°Roshanak, come back to me!¡± Ilati called as she slid to a stop just short of the girl. ¡°Believe nothing here! It is not your time!¡±
The girl¡¯s spirit turned. ¡°Ilati?¡±
Before Ilati could feel any relief at all, she saw a hand settle on Roshanak¡¯s shoulder, slick with blood. This shade, of all the dead in Shadi, was far more solid and real than the others. Ilati¡¯s heart lodged in her throat as she looked past Roshanak to the face of her own mother, composed in a pale death-mask of an expression. Queen Eresh was every bit as regal in death as she was in life, every bit as stern.
Do not take my daughter away from me, Eresh said, voice hard and stinging.
Ilati hit the ground on her knees as she tripped over an arm, eyes wide and desperate as she looked to the hate-filled shade. ¡°She is not your daughter, Ama, I am!¡± The poet pulled in a deep breath. ¡°Roshanak, come here. Run to me. We have to leave this place.¡±
You? You think you can run from your fate and call yourself my daughter? Coward!
Grief and a terrible rage smashed upward into Ilati¡¯s frantic worry, shattering her heart all over again. ¡°I ran?¡± Ilati shouted bitterly. ¡°I ran? You couldn¡¯t bear the thought of the tortures I endured. You drove your own blade into your heart and you call me the coward? I bore the unbearable alone!¡±
The shade¡¯s grip seemed to tighten on Roshanak. You should crawl from this place on your belly for that insult.
¡°Like you let Eigou when he spoke the truth of what would become of our family?¡± Ilati demanded. ¡°If you want a daughter to comfort you in death, Ama, come claim her. But do not debase yourself into a thief out of selfish desires!¡±
The shade released Roshanak in an instant and the girl disappeared, leaving Ilati alone with her mother. You fled. You fled the city. You fled your name. You are nothing any longer and I will accept no part of you!
Ilati pushed herself up onto her feet. ¡°Are you so poisoned by your own loss that you cannot see mine, Ama?¡± she said as the grief transmuted to an inescapable hurt. ¡°I lost you. I lost Abba. I lost the twins. Everything I was, everything I held and loved, was taken from me by them. Yes, I left Shadi. Yes, I ran. And yes, I will have our revenge on the one who was responsible for this, even if it destroys me!¡±
The shade seemed to waver. For a moment, the shadows receded and the death mask expression softened. Ilati saw tears in her mother¡¯s glassy, dead eyes. I am alone here, Ilati. I cannot reach my husband, my sons, or you. All I do is suffer the torment of listening to your screams, of knowing nothing of what has become of any of those I loved. I have no comfort, no solace, no peace. It will go on for eternity.
Ilati moved forward, wrapping her arms around the shade. All she could smell was blood and the faintest trace hints of her mother¡¯s perfume buried beneath the smoke. ¡°It will not. I promise you it will not.¡± She ran her fingers over her mother¡¯s hair and felt a shudder of tears pass through the shade. ¡°I will bury Shadi and all its dead beneath the sands. I will send you to your husband and sons, and one day, once Nysra suffers as you have suffered, we will see each other again, in Ersetu.¡±
Eresh wept into her daughter¡¯s shoulder, shadowy arms winding around Ilati. Forgive me my rage, Ilati. Forgive me for abandoning you. I cannot lose you again. You must stay.
Ilati rocked her mother back and forth, even as her own heart ripped itself in two all over again. ¡°I forgive you, Ama,¡± she whispered. ¡°All I ever wanted was your love and pride.¡±
Forgive me, Ilati. Forgive me. Without you, I am becoming a monster.
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¡°Shh. You will see Abba soon. I promise,¡± Ilati soothed, stroking her mother¡¯s hair. ¡°I forgive you. I forgive you. I know you are not a monster. I love you, Ama.¡±
The vision all around them started to shift, and the figure in Ilati¡¯s arm evaporated like smoke. The priestess hit the ground on her knees, back in the baths in Ulmanna. Everyone was staring at her with wide eyes, including an awakened Roshanak. The only smell was rose petals, fresh water, and incense, most potent the myrrh that Eigou had produced. Ilati felt a hand settle on her shoulder, weathered and heavy. She knew it was Eigou, knew that her pain showed on her face, knew she had an audience.
¡°Hedu, what happened?¡± Menes asked, barely catching himself in time to use the fake name they agreed on.
Ilati rocked forward, slamming her fists down on the stone hard enough to bruise the heels of her hands. An animal cry of grief and anger tore out of her throat, sending the servants of King Tudhaliya scattering. She sobbed, tears burning in her eyes but refusing to fall.
Shir Del still had her arms wrapped around Roshanak, keeping her daughter from sprinting over to offer Ilati comfort. ¡°You are newly returned, my treasure,¡± the warrior woman said to the girl, recognizing the pain for what it was. ¡°You are too weak to move and she may yet strike those who get too close. Such agonies are blind.¡±
The priestess didn¡¯t hear it. She heard nothing but the frantic agony in her mother¡¯s voice. Forgive me, Ilati¡
Gods, how she wished she could unspeak the words she had said in anger to get Roshanak away.
Eigou put his hand again on her shoulder, kneeling beside Ilati to speak close to her ear. ¡°There is nothing you could have done, Ilati. There were too many to bury and the Nadaren would have killed you in the attempt. You did the right thing.¡±
¡°I abandoned them!¡± Ilati screamed. ¡°I left them to rot and look at what they have become! What daughter is so cruel that she can do such a thing to her own mother?¡±
¡°Ilati, you must stop. If Sarhad hears of this, he will know too much.¡± Her mentor¡¯s voice was gentle and barely more than a whisper, but still warning. ¡°The baths are too public.¡±
¡°I will kill him! I will strip the flesh from his bones with red-hot bronze and scatter the pieces so none may ever bury him! May he suffer the eternity he sought to inflict upon all my people!¡± Ilati pressed her hands against the floor and closed her eyes, envisioning Shadi in the distance. She managed to collect herself enough to lower her voice, something dark and hateful in her voice. ¡°Mother of Tempests, hear my prayer. Mother of the Night Winds, know what is in my heart.¡±
¡°Ilati, stop,¡± Eigou said urgently, a note in his voice that Ilati had never heard before: fear. ¡°You cannot invoke any power across so great a distance. The effort will kill you.¡±
¡°Howler in the Desert, I beseech you, end their suffering and I will inflict it a thousand-fold on Nysra and his dark gods.¡± She was not going to stop, whether it killed her or not. The smoke of myrrh and cedar in the room started to swirl around her, moving without a natural wind stirring it. ¡°I will go to their armies and I will devastate them in sacrifice to you. Mother of Demons, claim the city of Zu beneath your sands.¡±
¡°Ilati!¡±
A brilliant flash lit the room like a bolt of lightning and the deafening boom of thunder echoed through the stone room. The smell of a close strike filled the air, overpowering every hint of perfume and pleasant luxury. Energy crackled across Ilati¡¯s skin unseen as she felt something inside her flower open. For a moment, she felt the legs of the scorpion brush against her neck.
The vision struck all of them like the wind of a sandstorm, bowling everyone away from Ilati. In their minds, the devouring walls of sand and flashes of thunder surged across a great plain towards the ruins of Kullah¡¯s greatest city. Just as the devastation of a flood could sweep away even a great ziggurat, so the sands scoured the stones, consuming them like a ravenous maw. In moments, the greatest city of men was only sand and storm, the River Esharra itself reshaped.
Ilati dropped to the stone gasping, her heart still torn into shreds. The clawmarks on her face stung in her senses like they were fresh and her right hand shuddered and twitched uncontrollably, fresh red welts burned into her flesh in the fractal patterns left by a lightning strike. When she managed to turn over her hand, she saw her own words seared into the flesh of her forearm.
I will kill him. I will strip the flesh from his bones with red-hot bronze and scatter the pieces so none may ever bury him. I will inflict it a thousand-fold on Nysra and his dark gods. I will go to their armies and I will devastate them in sacrifice to you.
K¡¯adau had done as she had begged, but there was always a price with the Mother of Demons. It was not one the goddess would let Ilati forget.
When Ilati managed to recollect her senses and look around again, she saw her friends and the crown prince of Sarru as pale as ghosts. Even Shir Del, war-hardened, looked shaken.
¡°They are buried now,¡± Eigou muttered, staring at his pupil with his sole remaining eye wide and worried. ¡°Are you well, foolish girl?¡±
Ilati covered the burns on her arm with one hand and struggled up to her feet with what little strength she had left. Even with the Mother of Demons doing the task, she had taken most of her own vitality just to force the connection between them open here in a city of men. No doubt the god of Ulmanna would have an opinion on that display of power. ¡°I am not now,¡± she said bitterly, ¡°but I will be.¡±
Menes and Eigou approached, moving to support her. The charioteer took most of her weight, since Eigou¡¯s muscle had largely faded in his age. ¡°King Tudhaliya provided us with rooms,¡± Menes said quietly. ¡°Perhaps it would be best if you rested and let Eigou tend those burns.¡±
Eigou looked down at Ilati¡¯s arm. ¡°I can cover them and keep away infection, but they will pain you until you have completed your oath.¡±
¡°Did Hattusa see them?¡± Ilati was certain the entire palace had probably heard that boom and the prince had been standing close enough to catch a glimpse of her arm.
¡°He does not have the scholar¡¯s knack to know their meaning. Prince Zidanta, however, is a man of letters. Given he knows Sarhad well, better that he not see them,¡± Eigou muttered. ¡°I thought we were retrieving Roshanak, Ilati, not creating a scene.¡±
¡°If you had seen what I saw, you would not have been able to withstand it idly either.¡±
Menes cleared his throat slightly. ¡°And what of Shadi?¡±
¡°Buried, with all its beloved dead,¡± Ilati said quietly. ¡°At least Ama and Abba will be at peace now.¡±
Eigou¡¯s arm, wrapped around her midsection, squeezed gently. ¡°You saw them?¡± the sorcerer said more gently. ¡°They were suffering greatly, then.¡±
Ilati felt the burn of tears returning to her eyes as they walked. ¡°I do not wish to speak of it,¡± she said harshly. ¡°I have done what I have done.¡±
The two men exchanged a worried look over the top of her bowed head, but nodded their agreement. ¡°Let us get you to your rest,¡± Menes said comfortingly. ¡°Shir Del and Roshanak will join us when they are ready.¡±
Eigou grunted in agreement before expounding on his own thoughts. ¡°The great King will hear of this from the servants and his son. I doubt we will be able to conceal your power from him, though we can still hide its source as best we are able. Perhaps it will help, perhaps it will be dangerous knowledge, but he will have questions that even I cannot answer.¡±
¡°And if I do not answer to his satisfaction?¡± Ilati asked quietly.
The old man nodded to the servant who opened the door to the visitor¡¯s quarters for them. ¡°He is shrewd and cunning, but if you are clever, perhaps we can keep him from learning too much without angering him. My advice, presuming you are willing to take advice from me still, is to rest. I will intercede and obscure if I can wherever and whenever needed.¡±
Ilati sighed. ¡°I had no intention of ignoring your advice in this matter, Eigou.¡±
Eigou and Menes helped Ilati over to a bed and eased her into a sitting position. The old man unslung his small satchel to start pulling out healing herbs and bandages. ¡°You remind me so much of him sometimes,¡± the old man said. ¡°As proud, wrathful, and impetuous.¡± He smiled ruefully. ¡°A pity the greatest of the kings of men never saw his granddaughter become the greatest star of his house.¡±
¡°Hardly,¡± Ilati said. ¡°Ilishu conquered all four corners of the world. I cannot compare.¡±
¡°Yet I think you will eclipse him before these deeds are done,¡± Eigou said, tapping gently on the words seared into her flesh.
Ilati didn¡¯t flinch at the pain. If there was one thing she was becoming mightily accustomed to, it was physical discomfort. ¡°I doubt that very much. My words are stronger than my sword arm.¡±
The ghost of Eigou¡¯s missing eye seemed to focus on her even more intently than his living one. ¡°In this, o lioness, I think my vision is clearer than your own.¡± He looked down abruptly, getting to work on her arm. ¡°Rest now. Those words of yours have a great deal to do before we are finished in Ulmanna. Sharpen them well.¡±
28 - The Prince of the Closed Fist
Grief stayed with Ilati like a ball of thorns in her chest, every movement sending a new lancing thought of pain through her being. Eigou¡¯s bandage over the burned writing on her arm did nothing to salve her heart. She¡¯d even tried leaving the bed for the sunlit gardens attached to the visitor¡¯s quarters in the hopes that golden light would ease the shadows, but they followed her wherever she went, growing as the shade of the setting sun spread. Her eyes burned every time she thought of her mother¡¯s tortured spirit, unshed tears building without falling.
What daughter is so cruel that she could do such a thing to her mother?
Ilati sat curled on one of the benches under a citron tree, its straggling branches and evergreen leaves offering shade even as its almost-ripe green-to-yellow fruits weighed it down. She remembered a tree like it in Shadi¡¯s famed hanging gardens and the way servants would take leaf and fruit alike to put among her family¡¯s clothes to keep away moths. As a little girl, she loved the scent and would bury her nose in her mother¡¯s dresses just for the smell. The fruit was bitter, but a powerful antidote for poison, as it would make someone retch miserably and bring up any toxin swallowed.
The priestess rose unsteadily and plucked a single leaf from the tree, crushing it in her hand to release the smell: sharp and citrus, fragrant and clean. So many joys of that old life were gone forever and even this haunted her with the reminder. Yet, how could she let go as the lone survivor?
Soon all that Shadi was would disappear in the minds of the world until it was nothing but a fable. The idea hurt Ilati more than she could possibly put into words. But what could she do? Weeping was beyond her. She cleared her throat slightly, the smell of the citron leaves stirring something in her. For the first time since Shadi¡¯s destruction, Ilati felt words rising in her heart. If she could not weep, she could sing her grief. The notes came spilling out like liquid gold, hanging suspended in the air like a spirit of sorrow itself. She needed no instrument, pure and as perfect in her pitch as she had ever been.
¡°You fade like amaranth severed from its stem,
more beautiful than any jeweled gem,
yet your daughter recalls as if yesterday
the gleam of gold across your doorway.
You fade, you fade, you fade.
Yet I remember, I remember, I remember.
You fade like scent of frankincense burned out,
like copper dreams of chained men lost in doubt,
yet your daughter recalls as if she just departed
emerald green of sweet barley freshly started.
You fade, you fade, you fade.
Yet I remember, I remember, I remember.
You fade like petals cast into sacred river
at merciless whims of current running silver,
yet your daughter recalls your beloved faces
and endlessness of your garden graces.
You fade, you fade, you fade.
Yet I remember, I remember, I remember¡¡±
She sang of the broad avenues and countless joys she knew so well, the temple festivities, the vibrant life of her home: the potter¡¯s wheels, the forge hammers, the women singing to their children and lovers as they washed their laundry, the cries of merchants hawking wares, the delicate chimes and gongs of the priestesses as they honored their patron. This time, she did not linger in her bitterness towards Zu: she neglected the goddess altogether, because this was for her sisters, not the one who had abandoned them.
Ilati caught a soft sound from a side entrance to the garden and turned, her breath seizing in her chest as she ended the last note abruptly. She was no longer alone in the garden and it was not one of her companions intruding.
A man in gleaming bronze armor stood in the archway, his tunic a rich purple that left no doubt as to his status. His dark beard was carefully cut and oiled into a point, a simple band of gold holding it in its place. The tracks of tears left the kohl beneath his eyes smudged. Ilati¡¯s eyes darted to the bronze sickle-sword through his belt, then looked up at his scarred face as he dabbed at his cheeks with a square of cloth, trying to clean himself up. She wasn¡¯t certain how long he had been standing there in her all consuming grief. All of the evil intent and piercing coldness she had expected from this one was nowhere to be seen. He said nothing, clearly struggling.
¡°Prince Zidanta,¡± she said quietly, bowing her head in the most polite greeting she could offer while seated. ¡°I hope I did not offend.¡±
He cleared his throat and shook his head. ¡°Such beauty, even sorrowful as it was, is never an offense. My heart grieves your loss.¡±
Ilati hesitated. The man she saw standing before her, clearly profoundly moved, resembled nothing of the stories she had heard Eigou tell of him. Was this an act or was the old sorcerer mistaken? ¡°Thank you for your sympathy."
He pulled in a deep, shuddering breath and then wiped away the last evidence of his tears. ¡°Would that I could undo your suffering. Shadi was a beautiful city beyond compare, and undeserving of its fate.¡±
The priestess hesitated, knowing she was in danger. She had been careful not to name the city in her song, but clearly he knew it well enough to recognize it from description. ¡°You knew it?¡±
¡°When I was a boy, my father sent me to the court of King Amar-Sin, to learn the art of writing and much of war. I have fond memories of playing amongst the rushes with his sons,¡± Zidanta said with a warmth that seemed only genuine, approaching slowly. ¡°They treated me with a kindness I have not known even here, but nothing lasts forever. Too I remember their daughter, a soul of rare beauty seen only ever from a distance.¡±
¡°The Nadaren destroyed every beautiful thing in Shadi. Even her.¡±
Zidanta knelt down in front of the priestess, looking up at her with dark, hawkish eyes. It was a position no high born prince she had known would take with a wild stranger. ¡°I disagree, o lotus of Shadi. I would know your voice anywhere, as perfect as last I heard it amongst the rushes.¡±
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Ilati felt her eyes well with unshed tears again. ¡°You mock me if you think to call me beautiful.¡±
He shook his head. ¡°I would never mock you, daughter of Amar-Sin,¡± he said, offering her a small smile. There was a tightness to it, not insincerity, but as if the expression was not one he made often. ¡°Never.¡±
¡°You speak so kindly, yet are a man famous for his malice. I do not know what to believe.¡±
A bitterness twisted at Zidanta¡¯s lips, his smile vanishing. ¡°I am tasked with all my father does not wish to sully his firstborn with. Hattusa is of the King¡¯s open hand, while I am of his closed fist. He would have his heir be beloved, but a kingdom cannot stand on a foundation of benevolence alone, especially not when it is surrounded by its foes. Yes, bitter war has been my life for many years, and yes, in it I excel.¡± His hawkish eyes sought her gaze. ¡°Perhaps the boy who played amongst the rushes is no more. Yet when you sang, you stirred him from his oblivion.¡±
Ilati had so many more questions than answers now. ¡°You know Sarhad,¡± she said, this time gauging very carefully for a reaction. ¡°You must know what he has done, then.¡±
¡°I know that he was part of the destruction of Shadi,¡± Zidanta said quietly, not looking away from her eyes. He stayed open, inviting her wordlessly to judge him. ¡°He boasts of it whenever talk turns to war.¡±
The priestess felt her own bitterness well. ¡°He was the worst of my tormentors. I suffered at his hands for days.¡±
Zidanta let out a hiss of breath, eyes widening slightly. ¡°You were in that city, o lotus? We were told that none who were there survived. I had thought¡¡± He took a deep breath, hand moving to his sword and gripping tightly. ¡°He has been very careful here, insinuating himself as the emissary of Nysra. Even I cannot simply strike the head off that snake, whatever my desire.¡±
¡°Help me stop him before he sinks his fangs into Ulmanna¡¯s heart. You will not survive his venom any more than we did.¡±
The prince smiled again, this time humorlessly. ¡°I have sought to do so since he arrived. It is clear to me now that his motives are to agitate things and divide the Kingdom of Sarru against itself. Unfortunately, my father does not seem to understand our unenviable position, and worse, Hattusa swallows the serpent¡¯s false sweetness at every meeting. Hence why I seek to keep Sarhad out of the city at every opportunity.¡±
¡°That is why you hunt with him?¡±
Zidanta nodded, then pulled in a deep breath as he looked up at her. ¡°It seems both our fortunes have changed much since last I saw you, flower of the Esharra.¡±
¡°More than you can know.¡± Ilati sighed, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. ¡°You are gentler than I expected.¡±
He smiled faintly, sadly. ¡°A luxury I can afford only for a few. Perhaps the one my father would deny me most.¡±
¡°Most generous of you to extend it to me.¡± She hesitated for a moment when she realized the second-born prince of Sarru was still kneeling in front of her. ¡°Please sit. This is not proper. If someone sees, it will cause remark.¡±
Zidanta bowed his head. ¡°I care nothing of their remark, but as you wish.¡± He rose to his feet and then settled himself on the bench next to her, unbelting his sword and placing it at his feet. Ilati¡¯s anxiety eased a little more at the gesture. ¡°When Hattusa mentioned visitors, he mentioned a granddaughter of Eigou, not Ilishu.¡±
¡°My name is Hedu while I am here,¡± the priestess said quietly. ¡°Better that Sarhad does not recognize me.¡±
The prince¡¯s hawkish eyes flicked their gaze across her scarred face, then down to her bare shoulder and the marks of the seven claws. ¡°Are these his doing?¡± Zidanta¡¯s question was sharp and serious, but Ilati had a feeling his displeasure was not with her. ¡°I would know how many blows into his skull my blade should strike when his moment comes.¡±
Ilati shook her head. ¡°The scars he left cannot be seen. These are¡reminders.¡±
¡°May I?¡± Zidanta said, gesturing to Ilati¡¯s shoulder.
Ilati extended her arm, displaying the vivid, dark scars from the demon¡¯s claws. Zidanta¡¯s fingertips touched lightly on the knotted, imperfect flesh, almost as if he was afraid of hurting her even with a healed wound. ¡°There was a demon in Sa Dul, and this its mark."
¡°You slew a demon.¡± Awe infused Zidanta¡¯s voice without a hint of questioning disbelief. ¡°You have become quite the fine warrior, then.¡±
¡°Shir Del is a finer teacher.¡± Ilati held still as he traced the lines of the seven claws down her arm. She couldn¡¯t really feel his touch against the scar tissue, other than as a gentle pressure.
Zidanta chuckled at that. ¡°The Sut Resi warrior woman? I have had the pleasure of meeting her at the stables, tending to your horses. She keeps a tongue like a blade. Kulziya was rather bristling about it.¡± He moved his hand away from her arm. ¡°If you are willing, o lotus of Shadi, I invite you to a hunt.¡±
¡°Will Sarhad be there?¡±
The prince shook his head. ¡°I think your companions will keep an ample eye on Sarhad. After the feast, on the morrow, I would hear the story of your deeds beyond Ulmanna¡¯s walls and see what game we come across.¡±
Ilati smiled faintly. ¡°Do women hunt in Ulmanna¡¯s courts?¡±
¡°It is not customary, but you are the wild Hedu of the Desert of Kings, granddaughter of a sorcerer. I have a feeling you will be able to keep up.¡±
¡°And that is all that I am, if anyone asks,¡± the priestess said firmly, keeping eye contact with Zidanta. ¡°The viper will have spies.¡±
Zidanta held her gaze, no sign of deception in his dark eyes. ¡°I would not expose you to the viper or the power he represents. You are under my protection and my secrecy while you are in Ulmanna, lotus. I remember well the great debt I owe to the kindnesses of the family that took me in when my own sent me to be a stranger in a strange land.¡± A door opened to the left again and Zidanta¡¯s entire expression hardened. He kicked his blade up to his hand and rose to his feet, belting on his sword again. Ilati felt a sharp pang of sorrow, seeing all that openness and gentleness dying abruptly, like a flame snuffed out. ¡°What do you desire, Hattusa?¡±
Hattusa seemed startled to see his brother in these quarters, a hint of guardedness flashing across his face. ¡°I see you have met Eigou¡¯s granddaughter now,¡± the Crown Prince said cautiously. ¡°Shall I take it you are on Father¡¯s business?¡±
Even Zidanta¡¯s voice was harsher as he answered his brother. ¡°I serve always at the pleasure of the great King.¡± There was no familial warmth to the mention of his own father and the use of a formal title seemed very intentional.
¡°The feast is prepared,¡± Hattusa said. ¡°Father expects you and all of our guests in attendance.¡±
¡°You could have sent a servant.¡± Zidanta spoke brusquely even as he strode straight past his brother towards the door. It was not until he was past Hattusa that he looked back, a regretful expression on his face. Ilati felt the apology in it, even unspoken.
Hattusa bristled. ¡°I wished to see that our guest was well. Surely such courtesies do not escape even one as cold as you.¡±
The younger prince exited the garden space without deigning to respond, one hand on his sword¡¯s hilt as he stepped through the door. Ilati understood all too well: Zidanta too was playing a role, one assigned to him at birth, and it was crushing the man he was at heart.
¡°I am sorry if he offended you,¡± Hattusa said as he approached her. ¡°You are seated beside him at the feast, but if you wish, I can make arrangements¨C¡±
Ilati shook her head. ¡°He gave no insult. I have no objection to sitting beside him.¡±
¡°You are a generous woman,¡± Hattusa said with a hint of relief, offering her a smile. ¡°His bitterness is a thing legendary in its proportion, at least here in Ulmanna. It is normally only those of a similar disposition who can stomach him.¡±
¡°I can be patient,¡± Ilati said mildly, a hint of anger towards Hattusa bubbling underneath her calm demeanor. Your brother needs you. Can you not see how he is hurting? ¡°The King expects us now?¡±
Hattusa nodded. ¡°The feast is laid out and will commence with the setting of the sun, but my father has questions and your grandfather is being very obtuse in answering them. No doubt he will have questions for you as well, given¡well¡the baths.¡±
The priestess thought again of Shadi, devoured by the sands, and her forearm burned beneath its bandages. She rose to her feet and tried to rally her courage. ¡°Lead on. Are the others already there?¡±
¡°Yes. You will be the last to arrive. Eigou wanted us to let you rest.¡± Hattusa gestured for her to follow him and strode out into the halls of the palace with Ilati at his heels. ¡°Be careful, Hedu. Ulmanna¡¯s court is not as¡peaceable¡as it once was.¡±
29 - The Flash of Fangs
After moons beneath the open sky, grass her seat and raw fire her warmth, Ilati could not have felt more out of place in the resplendent hall of Tudhaliya, King of Sarru. White plaster painted with intricate murals covered the bricks of the walls and thick rugs woven in far Elenu, the north-east corner of the world, covered the floor in patterns of emerald accented with thread spun of real gold. The tables gleamed red-brown in the light of twenty bronze braziers, lovingly oiled and polished cedar taken from the sacred forest so thickly cut that they were worth their weight in gold and capable of bearing the vast feast laid out across them. The drinking bowls used even by his guests were fashioned of beaten silver with the images of winged bulls around their rims.
For this event, the King had spared no expense: whole oxen were roasted alongside geese and chickens, dates and figs joined melons by the cluster on the table, loaves of smooth leavened bread stacked in baskets beside each place, sweet wine flowing like the waters of the joining rivers. Laughter and merriment seemed the soul of the evening and the plucked strings of a lyre added a pleasant melody to accompany the general joy of celebration.
Ilati stopped at the doors where a servant waited, head bowed, with a basin of water for her hands. She felt her stomach knot as she obediently washed, taking the soft cloth from him to dry her hands instead of permitting him to dry them. It was a breach of etiquette, but minor and clearly one he expected after contending with Shir Del and Roshanak. Sarhad would be at this feast, so she had her role to play.
Another servant, a quick young man with skin as dark as Menes¡¯s, guided her towards the table and her seat at Zidanta¡¯s right hand. It was a coveted place of honor, even if he was the younger prince, and no doubt she would have envious eyes upon her for occupying it.
A rasping, authoritative voice cut through the sounds of jubilation. ¡°That is far enough! I would have a look at this granddaughter of Eigou.¡± The voice quavered at its end, devolving into a nasty, gurgling cough.
Ilati stopped before the center of the U-shaped tables, standing straight as a cedar before the King of Ulmanna, fully aware that she was on display for all to see. Beneath the bandages on her arm, her promise to K¡¯adau burned on her flesh. He was here too, waiting and watching like any serpent. Still, she turned her focus solely on Tudhaliya.
Seated in a throne of cedar and gold draped in purple cloth, the great king of Sarru looked like death warmed over, pallid cheeks and burning, sunken eyes telling the truth of his nature even as he wiped bloody sputum away from his lips with a dark cloth meant to hide the bright crimson clinging to his mouth. He was tall, almost as tall as Artakhshathra, but rail-thin beneath his rich robes. His many rings flashed like embers in the firelight as he drummed his fingers against the arms of his chair, taking her measure with a gaze equal parts proud and fascinated. The kohl he wore around his eyes only served to make them seem more hollow and shadowed. Tudhaliya was ancient, old enough to be a grandfather¡¯s father, his hair and beard like ivory: white and grey together, yellowed slightly by age or illness.
Once Tudhaliya had been a warrior-king almost worthy to call himself Ilishu¡¯s rival, the kind of man who could dominate an army with his physical presence. Now he was a withered wreckage of a man, clinging to life with tooth and nail, hiding behind the facade of old glories.
¡°You are bold, child of the desert, to look upon me so brazenly with head unbowed. If you were not the granddaughter of a friend, I would have you humbled,¡± Tudhaliya said, lip curling as he met her gaze head on, burning with the intensity of a mountain¡¯s fiery heart.
Ilati did not correct herself or apologize as once she would have, unflinching in his presence. Whether or not he could put her to death hardly mattered at this point: she had to prove on some level that she was worthy of the legacy of Ilishu and K¡¯adau both. ¡°I have heard it said the great King of Sarru is a man who scorns humility and those who keep its company.¡±
Tudhaliya¡¯s lips curled away from his teeth in a rictus grin as he leaned forward. ¡°You are not cast in Eigou¡¯s mold, Hedu of the Desert of Kings. Though I suppose the scars upon your face and arms could have told me that much. He is much the hound and yet you, you prowl and roar like a lioness.¡±
The priestess forced herself to stay confident and grounded in her power, even as parts of her yearned to curl up and disappear. She focused on the burning in her arm, the phantom touch of scorpion legs on the side of her neck. ¡°You have most assuredly not heard my roar, o great king.¡±
Wizened hands relaxed slightly on the throne and Tudhaliya laughed until it became another fit of consumptive hacking. ¡°Such a proud creature!¡± he crowed when he had regathered himself, voice raw from the force of his coughing. ¡°You would think her roar might shake even exalted Ulmanna on its foundations with how she speaks!¡±
¡°Perhaps it would, great king.¡± Sarhad¡¯s voice was all too familiar, as smooth as oil and sleek as a jackal. Ilati caught every nuance of it, the amusement and contempt mixed in equal measure beneath a thin veneer of civility. ¡°Nothing good comes of a land where only the night winds howl.¡±
¡°My granddaughter may be proud, but she is no demon.¡± Eigou spread his hands in a supplicating gesture to Tudhaliya, bowing his own head deeply. ¡°I apologize for her wildness. I entreat the great king only to allow her a seat in his most venerated of halls and to dispense with any consideration of her rudeness. She is not accustomed to the manners of such a grand court.¡±
¡°I will indulge you on this account, Eigou, but you might see fit to remedy her insolence quickly. My patience has its limits.¡± Tudhaliya leaned back again in his chair and turned his attention to the contents of his drinking bowl, dismissing Ilati with a simple removal of his gaze.
The servant ushered the priestess to her seat at Zidanta¡¯s side on a cushioned bench, clearly nervous to even be near her after that comment. It reminded Ilati of the way shepherds treaded carefully near the tall trees favored by thunderbolts. Zidanta turned in his seat to regard her, a quiet wonder in his expression. ¡°Quite the dangerous first impression you have made, Hedu. My father will not soon forget it, nor will Sarhad.¡± He smiled faintly. ¡°May I pour your wine?¡±
¡°Is that not the job of a servant?¡± Ilati murmured, softening ever so slightly. ¡°People will talk.¡±
Zidanta shrugged. ¡°Is that not the purpose of idle court tongues: to wag?¡± He picked up a silver pitcher full of wine set on the table by a currently absent servant. ¡°I do not care what is said. I know only that it would please me to be a proper host.¡±
Ilati inclined her head, a brief smile flitting across her face. ¡°Judging by your brother¡¯s expression, such consideration is not customary.¡±
Across the way, Hattusa watched their interaction with a furrowed brow and something approaching confusion in his eyes.
¡°You are one of a kind, o lotus.¡± The second-born prince of Ulmanna poured wine into her bowl and then offered various dishes of food until her plate was full with all the attentiveness of the finest servants, his scarred face difficult to read here in the chaos of the feast hall. He was still very much guarded, but his actions spoke volumes to Ilati. Tudhaliya didn¡¯t seem to notice his younger son¡¯s unusual behavior, but Zidanta¡¯s brother and many other people certainly had. Ilati made a sign to ward off the envious eye under the table when she realized several court ladies were glaring in her direction.
¡°Have a care, mighty prince,¡± the priestess warned quietly. ¡°You have made me several more vipers to concern myself with.¡±
Zidanta arched an eyebrow without bothering to look in the direction of the women in question. ¡°Eagles do not snap at flies. Why should the incomparable concern itself with the ordinary?¡±
Ilati felt a hint of heat creep up into her cheeks. No man had really glanced her way with such open admiration since K¡¯adau scarred her face. Once upon a time she had been the desire of many, but that was to be expected for Zu¡¯s high priestess. This was new. ¡°Is this because of the girl you saw between the rushes or the woman who just slighted your father?¡±
That comment caught the prince off guard enough to spark a bark of a laugh in him. ¡°Perhaps it is envy of my own,¡± he said after a moment, barely managing to conceal his own surprise at the sound that had slipped out. ¡°Would that I could defy him and his expectations so brazenly.¡±
Ilati softened slightly. ¡°There is still time, mighty prince.¡±
His glance turned rueful. ¡°I am the man that he has made me. Without Zidanta the Cruel, who would slit his enemies¡¯ throats in the night or lead his armies into battle? Hattusa? He does not have the spine for what must be done to preserve a kingdom.¡±
¡°Your father will not be king forever.¡±
Grimness twisted Zidanta¡¯s lips, as if he had tasted something bitter. ¡°And when he is gone, necessity will make me even more that man,¡± he muttered darkly. ¡°Ulmanna¡¯s celebrations may be sweet, but it dances across the edge of a razor, poised to fall to either side. I will not allow Sarru to collapse, whatever the cost.¡±
Ilati knew she had touched a nerve. She touched the inside of Zidanta¡¯s elbow with her fingertips from behind his arm, the gesture hidden by their proximity and the angle. He would feel it, but it wasn¡¯t obvious to onlookers. ¡°Forgive me. I should not have soured your mood. Tonight is a night for wine and honey.¡±
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He gave her a brief smile, coming back into their shared moment from the evils of the thoughts of looming war. ¡°It is not a wrongness of your making, o lotus. You are forgiven.¡±
The priestess relaxed slightly and removed her hand. ¡°So tell me about this hunt you have planned.¡±
¡°And ruin the surprise of it? That is half the joy.¡±
Ilati flicked his arm with one finger, like she would a misbehaving child, smiling when he laughed again despite himself. For a moment, a single precious moment, she almost felt like her old self.
¡°Your torture is ineffective, o wild one,¡± Zidanta retorted. ¡°I have been stung more fiercely by wild nettles.¡±
¡°Tell me at least something.¡±
¡°I was planning on hunting from chariot, though you are welcome to hunt from horseback. I hear your beast is a fearsome one, no doubt even more dangerous than what we pursue.¡±
¡°Youtab is a feral beauty,¡± Ilati acknowledged, a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°So the prey is dangerous?¡±
¡°It would hardly be a proper hunt otherwise. I was also hoping to make the acquaintance of your horse on polite terms. Hattusa said she has already almost cost a stablehand his eye and nearly crushed another man¡¯s foot with her hoof. I adore horses, but I would rather not offend her by approaching without both your and her consent.¡±
¡°You are wiser than your stablehands, apparently.¡±
¡°Most assume the bloodthirstiness of Sut Resi horses to be an exaggeration, a comparison to their owners. Yet she is every bit the savage fury the stories tell of. I have had enough close encounters with the Sut Resi to know they do not beat the silver-grass steppe¡¯s wilderness from their beasts. Harsh people breed harsh companions.¡±
Ilati supposed it made sense that Zidanta had crossed paths with Sut Resi before. They were the main threat to the twin jewels of Sarru and Sebet, a much more pressing and present danger in the minds of most than the Nadaren to the north-east. ¡°You fought them?¡±
Zidanta nodded. ¡°It is a commonplace enough occurrence, though not something I can say I have ever enjoyed. I think I would rather fight a summer storm. At least those, when they strike swiftly and leave suddenly, tend to stay gone for at least a few days. We had a campaign where my men and I barely slept for three months trying to repel their roving bands from the border. Even when there was only a sliver of moon, they would harass us with arrows until I very nearly had a mutiny on my hands.¡±
¡°A mutiny against a prince of your reputation seems unwise.¡±
¡°I had to win their affections back by taking the head of the Sut Resi chieftain. I do not brutalize my own men.¡±
Ilati smiled faintly. ¡°Shir Del has a similar story about how her husband-to-be proved his intention to wed her, you know.¡±
Zidanta looked over in Shir Del¡¯s direction, where the warrior woman was sitting between her daughter and Menes, deep in conversation with the charioteer of Magan. Knowing the pair of them, Menes was trying to keep her distracted so she wouldn¡¯t stab anyone or pick a fight. ¡°She seems like the kind of woman you would woo with a severed head,¡± he admitted.
Ilati tipped her wine back, savoring the richness of the taste. As much as she had adjusted to life with the Sut Resi, she preferred fermented grapes to the fermented mare¡¯s milk common among the nomadic people. Her gaze flickered across the table opposite of her, stomach hardening into a ball when she realized she was almost directly across from him.
In the flickering light of braziers, Commander Sarhad had much the same look as he had in the temple, dark eyes gleaming with the firelight. His curling beard was cut into a sharp square in Nadaren style, carefully preened into neatness like the feathers of a bird of ill omen. Instead of his bronze armor, he wore a crimson tunic and an outer robe of charcoal grey, pulled back from his forearms. The ring emblazoned with the serpent of Nysra still sat on his hand and her cheek ached at the memory of the blow that had cut her there. His features were harsh and northern with a hooked nose broken several times over, the only sign of his warrior nature present here.
As Ilati studied him, she realized he was doing the same to her, as was his companion for the evening. The knot in her stomach started to twist when she shifted her focus to the woman at Sarhad¡¯s right hand.
The woman wore a dress of linen with square indigo patterns, wrapped around her body and pinned with several jeweled pins, designed to be more modest and conservative in style than the decadent south of Kullah or Sarru. Hair dark as midnight was pulled back in a series of complicated braids pinned up, not long and loose like Ilati¡¯s. She and Sarhad both had foregone the kohl more common in the south, but she had shaded her eyes and painted her lips a bright ruby in the same style as a Kullan priestess. The burning in Ilati¡¯s stomach intensified only when she saw the symbol worn as a pendant around the woman¡¯s neck, a three-fingered hand with a thumb at either side of its palm and a lotus at its palm¡¯s center.
Zu.
¡°What god¡¯s sign do you wear, o woman of Nadar?¡± Ilati asked even though she knew she was better served in silence, her voice cutting through the noise of the feast like a knife. Few paid attention, but both Sarhad and his companion were already watching her. They could not claim to ignore it.
¡°This?¡± The woman smiled, lifting the symbol. ¡°This is the emblem of Ziana, goddess of love and war.¡±
¡°Some would think it foolish to wear the symbol of one who betrayed the last to carry her favor.¡± Ilati felt Zidanta¡¯s hand subtly on her arm, just as she had touched his, but the bitterness did not ease. ¡°Particularly sitting beside the one who sacked her temple.¡±
¡°You know much for a feral daughter of the desert, yet so little,¡± Sarhad said with a savage grin. ¡°Are you Kullan, to be so spiteful towards the one who chose the rightful, winning side? Would you blame a woman for leaving her decaying husband for a conquering hero?¡±
¡°I am spiteful towards all the gods too craven to defend what is theirs, and all the people of civilization fool enough to follow them,¡± Ilati spat.
¡°I see now the Desert of Kings in you,¡± the woman said. ¡°You are as bitter as the wild almond, as the demons who make their home there.¡±
Ilati had no interest in denying her bitterness. It felt utterly warranted. ¡°I have known demons more measured than Nadar.¡±
¡°Is that why you bear their scars?¡± The woman¡¯s tone was sweet like honey when she spoke, even as her eyes viciously appraised what manner of danger Ilati posed.
Zidanta seemed to sense that it would only escalate if he did not attempt to do something more diplomatic than his usual custom. ¡°You are here as a guest of the king, Yaeeta,¡± he said sternly. ¡°As are you, Hedu. This is a sacred day for feasting and rejoicing. Let us leave quarreling for tomorrow.¡±
Yaeeta dipped her head, offering Zidanta a demure smile. ¡°Forgive me, mighty prince. I should have spoken with more grace and sensitivity. It is not her fault, after all. Feral children of the night winds cannot be expected to keep civil tongues in their head, much to their misfortune. It was wrong of me to slight her, bearing such things in mind.¡±
Ilati leaned back in her seat and forced herself to relax, even as she thought of what the priestess would look like with a bloodied face. Her hands had twitched into fists under the table. When she realized Zidanta was looking at her expectantly, she sighed. ¡°I will seal my lips on the matter,¡± she promised reluctantly, lip still curled with contempt. Her hardness would serve her well in not being recognized by Sarhad, at least.
She glanced to her right and saw Eigou watching the interaction closely from the head of the table, even as King Tudhaliya whispered in his ear. He seemed¡ready, no doubt preparing to intervene if things came to blows. Fortunately the great king himself had not noticed, too absorbed in his own world.
Zidanta¡¯s fingers against her arm tapped gently, a comforting squeeze, but then he moved his hand away without giving sign to anyone that it had been there. ¡°Good. I would prefer not to have a diplomatic incident so swiftly,¡± he said. ¡°At least let me get through my only pouring of wine first.¡±
¡°You do not have another?¡± Ilati glanced over at Hattusa, who was already on his second. ¡°Is it not a night for celebration?¡±
¡°I do not have the luxury of excess, even on sacred days. I must always be a man of moderation in vices.¡± Zidanta studied her for a moment, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. ¡°In most, at least. There is an intoxicant I would like to indulge in, should you permit it.¡±
Ilati arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°And what would that be, mighty prince?¡±
¡°It would please me greatly if you would sing again,¡± Zidanta said. ¡°It is like draughts of the milk of the poppy, both in its curative powers for pain and the desiring for more that each dose springs.¡±
¡°Here? Now?¡±
¡°I think it would be most pleasing to all, even to my father. You may always refuse, o lotus, if it is too much to ask.¡±
Ilati picked up her drinking bowl. ¡°I have no songs left in my heart. Only broken things. This is a night of merriment and I would not poison it more than I already have.¡±
Zidanta seemed crestfallen for a moment, but he bowed his head ever so slightly. ¡°As you wish, o lotus.¡±
Sarhad¡¯s eyes flashed in the firelight as he turned his attention from Ilati to King Tudhaliya. ¡°Great King of Sarru, I would like to propose a toast,¡± he said, lifting his own drinking bowl.
Tudhaliya looked over, forgetting Eigou for a moment. There was a challenge in the old man¡¯s gaze and Ilati realized that he had some inkling of how this was going to go. When he smiled, it was a rictus grin of death as sallow skin stretched across his skull and collected itself in deep wrinkles, little different from a corpse. ¡°I will indulge you, Ambassador.¡±
Sarhad grinned fearsomely as he looked around at all the guests gathered at the celebration, at all the eyes focused on him. Hattusa and Zidanta had both tensed, but Ilati wasn¡¯t certain if either knew what to expect. ¡°I toast to the day when peace will come to Ulmanna and indeed all of Sarru. For too long have the four corners of the world been wracked with chaos and strife. May the great ordering to come please the gods and pacify the people. To peace!¡±
¡°That was surprisingly benign,¡± someone nearby muttered with relief as they finished their toast. Ilati didn¡¯t catch which of Zidanta¡¯s favored military men had spoken.
¡°As threats go, yes,¡± Zidanta muttered mostly under his breath, just loud enough for Ilati to catch it as Sarhad drank and then bowed for the applause.
Ilati was in agreement, though she said nothing. Men like Nysra and Sarhad made orchards into deserts with fire and called it peace.
30 - Dreams of the Red Star
As more and more ate their fill at the King¡¯s table and the wine flowed like water, Ilati found herself fading into the background of Lugal¡¯s sacred feast-day, listening more than speaking. Zidanta stayed to one bowl of wine and so did she, but few others were so conservative in their consumption. The constant chattering air was one of relaxation, as if for a moment the men of Ulmanna could forget the looming threat of civil war poised above their capital city like the hanging spear of the Lawgiver himself. A sudden clanging brought Ilati¡¯s focus back to the head of the table, not an alarm, but the rings that the great King wore bashed against the resonant rim of his drinking bowl. Easing himself up like a corpse rising from its funeral seat, the dying Tudhaliya swayed slightly as he stood. Ilati doubted he was actually so deep into his cups that he had lost faculty: no, those burning eyes were as keen as ever, hungry for something. It was either the frailty of his condition or, more likely from the stories she had heard of the jackal-clever king, an affectation.
¡°In the name of the great god of this city, I hope you all have had your fill of my hospitality.¡± His voice rasped and struggled against his infirmity, but was clearly audible in the sudden silence. ¡°Gathered before me are the sons and daughters not only of Sarru, but of all four corners of the world! Some of you are merchants, some warriors, some emissaries, and some, perhaps, are even wise!¡± He grinned, but Ilati was not certain if he jested or bared his teeth. ¡°This day is a sacred day to our people, my countrymen and esteemed guests, and it is said that oracles cast on the day of the River God¡¯s rebirth gaze deeper into the truth of the matter than on any other.¡±
Ilati shifted her gaze for a moment to Eigou. Her mentor sat stone-faced, no longer the animated and affable guest he had been, but instead a man contemplating as one condemned to the gallows might.
¡°So let it be said in the presence of all: for twelve moons, I have dreamed of a great red star rising in the East, so great it blots all others save the moon and the sun from their places in the sky. It rises from the shores of a flooding river to the very zenith of the sky, coming to rest at the point of a mountain like a god taking their place at the heights of a ziggurat. I promise to any soul who can interpret this dream for me to my satisfaction a just and fitting reward: a sword of gods-blessed bronze, a shield embossed in silver, a chest of fine jewels and unguents, and a place high in my esteem.¡±
Tudhaliya sat again once he had tossed the problem to the center of the room, a faint smile curling the very corners of his lips. Immediately the clamor began. It was, after all, a most generous offer. Most seemed a little tempted, even those who would normally never delve into prophecy. Then again, most had also had rather a lot of wine.
¡°There are only a few he actually cares to hear,¡± Zidanta murmured for Ilati¡¯s benefit. ¡°He will let the mob¡¯s words devour each other until Muwatalli, Yaeeta, and Eigou are ready to speak. You have not met the first of them, but he is the eldest and wisest priest of Lugal. If I were a gambling man, I would wager none of the three will speak a word until the King has commanded it. For dramatic convention, if nothing else.¡±
Ilati watched the rival soothsayers from various places squabble with each other, before letting her eyes settle on each of those Zidanta had named in turn. Muwatalli looked almost as aged as Tudhaliya himself, but in far better health. The priest had a scribe¡¯s stoop and pallor, with a paunch to his belly suggesting his days of missing meals were many years behind him. His hair was white and wispy, a few gauzy strands collected and arranged in a grand effort to conceal the balding to his head. His beard more than made up for what his locks lacked, cascading down his chest in plaits kept collected by gold bands instead of the angled cuts worn by Sarrian royalty. While he probably had little use for the sword or shield, the promise of Tudhaliya¡¯s esteem would only further elevate his temple and jewels never went amiss.
Yaeeta still sat beside Commander Sarhad, her dark eyes hawkish as she watched her competitors squabble. She perched on the very edge of her seat, but had not spoken. Even without a cue from Sarhad, she was waiting for her chance. Her lips, still red as ruby, were curved into a spell-binding smile as she watched the others stammer or talk over each other, each one dismissed by a wave of Tudhaliya¡¯s hand in turn.
And then there was Eigou, still as death in his chair. Ilati narrowed her eyes slightly when she realized his lips were moving soundlessly. It took time to work out what they were shaping, but once she understood, a wrenching dread struck her in the stomach. No. No. Choose another. No. No. I do not wish it. No. No. Please.
He communed with something, and it was something Eigou feared. Not once had she ever seen him shrink from something, yet even his posture suggested he would have liked to simply disappear from existence. He sat with shoulders curled, as if a little boy trying to take up even less space. His good eye closed as he whispered, but the ghost of his absent eye seemed to shift its focus wildly about the room, hunting for an exit.
Tudhaliya¡¯s patience was not eternal. He waited until his guests started to quiet enough that he would be heard, holding up a hand. ¡°So many have bravely come forward to offer up their interpretation, yet the Lawgiver¡¯s own high priest sits in silence when his king has need of his counsel. Tell me, Muwatalli, what does this dream mean?¡±
Muwatalli stroked his long, plaited beard and then rose from his seat. He stepped around to the opening between tables, the crowd scattering out of his way and returning to their seats, both disappointed and eager to hear the high priest of Lugal. ¡°It need not even be said that twelve is a sacred number,¡± he began ponderously, bowing deeply to his king. ¡°I believe this red star is the rise of a son of the rushing river: the Suen, eastern of our city¡¯s shores. The star rises to the very heights of the heavens because that will be the heights of his power, but shining with the purity of his blood.¡±
Tudhaliya grinned. ¡°An answer that pleases me, but one I expect from you, Muwatalli. Your eyes ever focus on Sarru. Perhaps a foreigner would have a different perspective.¡± He turned his head to Yaeeta, who still waited like a hungry falcon. ¡°Priestess of Ziana, she who rules the hearts and loins of men, what do you think of this dream?¡±
Yaeeta rose obligingly and moved to stand beside Muwatalli, who glowered at her presence. She bowed deeply to Tudhaliya. ¡°The star of Kullah is diminished, my king, and has been for moons now. At long last, Ulmanna¡¯s rival is broken like the spokes on a shattered wheel. The great star that rises is a hope I see for a peaceful kingdom, for was it not twelve months ago that I came to your city bearing the words of the King of Nadar, he who would be your brother king? Together, bound by the red blood of a marriage, Sarru would be made so great even the gods who sit at the heights of the heavens would take notice. Surely Lugal and Ziana both would etch the names of its king into the heights, like the peak of a mountain.¡±
¡°You are both fools,¡± Eigou spat bitterly, succumbing to the will of whatever bid him to speak. Everyone stopped, looking in his direction. The sorcerer¡¯s golden eye flashed in the light of the braziers, their flickering light casting a shadow across his face. For a moment, Ilati thought she could see his phantom eye glowing dully in his empty socket.
Tudhaliya chuckled at the affronted look on Yaeeta and Muwatalli¡¯s faces. ¡°You must forgive Eigou. When the spirit moves him, he is a mannerless beast.¡±
The Nadaren priestess smoothed her ruffled feathers faster. ¡°If we are so foolish with two eyes, one wonders what wisdom the one-eyed man has.¡±
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Eigou¡¯s face hardened, scornful even as his lips twisted like he had tasted something rotten. ¡°I have no use for the wisdom of men, harlot of Ziana. The words that I speak are not my own, but cast from my lips like thorns by the One With a Thousand Faces.¡±
Yaeeta paled as if she¡¯d been slapped and Muwatalli made a sign of aversion to ward off the evil in Eigou¡¯s menacing glare. ¡°That one does not speak without a sacrifice,¡± the Nadaren priestess balked.
¡°Speak, Eigou, tell me of the depths of this dream,¡± Tudhaliya said.
¡°I will not, most accursed King of an accursed people.¡± Eigou sat back in his chair, ramrod straight.
Zidanta¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°He has never refused before,¡± the prince said in a low voice, glancing over at Ilati. ¡°Why would he now?¡±
¡°He must have a most dreadful prophecy,¡± Ilati said quietly. ¡°I wonder if he fears what your father will do to him. To us.¡±
Tudhaliya¡¯s face flushed with rage, no longer a pallid consumptive¡¯s complexion. ¡°I have commanded it and it will be so!¡± he bellowed like a bull, flinging his drinking bowl in Eigou¡¯s direction. The dish struck the sorcerer¡¯s face, colliding so forcefully that Eigou should have flinched. ¡°You will speak!¡±
The sorcerer still sat in his gallows calm, wiping splashes of the dregs of wine from his face with his sleeve. When he had finished, he looked at Tudhaliya with a hollow gaze. ¡°Your Nadaren guest is not wrong, King of Sarru. The One With a Thousand Faces only speaks after a sacrifice. Just as you have dreamed for twelve moons until this revelation, in twelve moons the One With a Thousand Faces will claim what is theirs.¡±
A chill settled into the room. Ilati felt it acutely: the One With a Thousand Faces was not requesting a sacrifice, but instead would claim what pleased them as their due. That was a dangerous proposition and everyone with even half a brain, not muddied by their wine, knew it. Even Tudhaliya sobered at that, regaining some of his composure. ¡°Speak,¡± the great king said anyway, forging ahead.
¡°You have dreamed for twelve moons, one for each day the lioness spent in the desert,¡± Eigou said hoarsely. A wind swept through the room, snuffing all but one of the braziers. ¡°Yes, you saw the destructive flooding of a river, but only a fool would seek to claim its waters or name them. Do you not recall what you saw in your dream, the limbs and severed heads swept along as it destroyed city after city? Woe to you who would seek to claim a conquering son from those waters, for they are the churning souls of the dead!¡±
Tudhaliya leaned back in his seat, gripping the arms of his throne. Ilati thought she saw a dreadful recognition flash across his face.
¡°And the star that rises in the east¡¡± Eigou laughed suddenly, but the sound was strained and alien, almost madness in its frenetic edge. His voice changed, rising in pitch even as it gained resonance, echoing through the stone hall until there was no escape from the sound. ¡°It ascends drenched in crimson blood, rending asunder every land its light will touch, wearing its glory like a crown. You seek to claim it as your own, but on the day that it will reach its place, where earth and heaven meet, it will belong to no one and no nation. It will shatter the chains of the subjugated. It will stir the dead from Ersetu. It will set mountains aflame with its fire until all that opposes it is scorched earth. Every man, woman, and child in this room will feel the echoes of its burning ascension onto forbidden steps, each rising higher than the last. And at the end, the order that men cling to like babes clutch at their mother¡¯s breast will be shattered and scattered.¡±
Ilati realized Zidanta¡¯s hand was at the inside of her arm again, fingers pressing gently against her flesh out of sight of the others. It was reassurance for her, but also a reflection of his own uncertainty and discomfort. The second son of Tudhaliya did not look frightened, but a grimness settled into his aspect.
She couldn¡¯t help but think of her own vision: the sun blotted from the sky by darkness and Ulmanna undone as if by the hands of an unsatisfied weaver.
¡°This is a great insult!¡± Muwatalli spat, glaring at Eigou with a mixture of fright and anger. ¡°You pollute Lugal¡¯s feast day with these mutterings of doom. This sorcerer¡¯s venomous lies are an affront to the Lawgiver.¡±
There were ugly mutters of agreement starting from the crowd, all of them eager to dismiss the dire future as a deception. Ilati knew that if this continued, Eigou could end up in chains or worse. She stood up suddenly, drawing everyone¡¯s attention as she spoke with open contempt. ¡°If the words he spoke were a lying affront to Lugal, he would have been struck dead where he sits,¡± Ilati said sharply. ¡°Let us not forget that the Lawgiver prizes truth, especially on this, his holiest of days. To obscure the truth by burying the one who speaks it with aspersions is contemptible, especially from a priest.¡±
Muwatalli rounded on her. ¡°And what would you know of such things, o accursed outcast born of misery? We have heard much of you, granddaughter of the snake who has spit his falsehood, daughter of the woman wielding the evil eye.¡±
¡°Clearly she is his accomplice,¡± Yaeeta said smoothly, words like oil drizzled onto hot coals.
Ilati¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I say again: Eigou has spoken only truth. I swear on the name of the god of this city and the coming sign of the heavenly ones that his prophecy is true.¡±
¡°And what sign is this?¡± Tudhaliya barked.
The poet felt phantom scorpion legs nestled against her neck. She couldn¡¯t articulate how she knew, but she felt the proximity of her dreadful vision from the city¡¯s outskirts. It would happen not at Nysra¡¯s bidding as she had thought, but at another¡¯s, and soon at that. ¡°Tomorrow, when the sun is at its highest peak, you will see it blotted out by darkness.¡±
¡°The movements of the heavens do not suggest such a thing,¡± Muwatalli balked. ¡°It is not the appointed time for an eclipse.¡±
Ilati didn¡¯t soften. ¡°Yet you will see one, priest of Lugal, and know your sorrows will be many, for you have let serpents among you and insulted the One of a Thousand Faces.¡±
Tudhaliya let out a hiss of breath. ¡°Very well. If this eclipse comes to pass, we will know Eigou¡¯s words to be truth. But if it does not, I will have him stoned for speaking falsehoods on a sacred day. Kulziya, detain him.¡±
Ilati expected Eigou to struggle or lash out with power, but instead he rose to his feet and let the two bronze-armored guards accompanying Kulziya take him, meek as a lamb. His gaze traveled to Ilati as they bound his wrists and he gave her a small, barely perceptible nod.
Shir Del leaped out of her seat, seizing a bronze knife from the table. ¡°You will unhand him,¡± the warrior woman snarled. ¡°You have heard oaths and yet would threaten execution of him for what he has said? Such cowardice!¡±
Kulziya glared. ¡°Watch your words, barbarian, or you will join him in bonds. You speak to the great king.¡±
Menes grabbed Shir Del, wrenching her knife arm back before she could hurl it at Kulziya in her fury. ¡°Do not leave your daughter motherless because you cannot control your tongue, Shir Del,¡± he warned. ¡°King Tudhaliya has spoken, as has Hedu. Trust your sister of battle.¡±
Roshanak clutched at her mother¡¯s hip, then wrapped arms around her midsection. ¡°Eigou will be safe, Mama.¡±
Shir Del blew out a sharp breath like a furious bull, but turned her eyes to Ilati. ¡°You are certain, my sister?¡± she asked in Sut Resi.
¡°As certain as the death that follows every man,¡± Ilati responded in the same tongue. ¡°The One with a Thousand Faces does not lie, nor suffer their prophets be made into liars.¡±
Shir Del dropped the knife, letting it clatter to the floor. ¡°I hope you are right, my sister,¡± Shir Del said, temper cooling even as her glare remained fearsome. ¡°They have more guards than I have arrows.¡±
Ilati knew there was nothing more she could do now. She turned slightly only to see Yaeeta and Sarhad watching her. The priestess of the treacherous one looked profoundly disturbed, while Sarhad had leaned back thoughtfully, his eyes narrow. If his toast had been a veiled threat, Eigou¡¯s prophecy lingered far more open a challenge to Nysra¡¯s plans.
31 - Arrows at Sunrise
Ilati ran her fingers over Youtab¡¯s soft nose in greeting, taking some solace in her horse¡¯s company. She¡¯d left several small melons standing on various fence posts with the intent of practicing her archery in the early dawn hours. Most of Ulmanna was asleep, especially after the great excess of the feast of Lugal. ¡°I am afraid of what will happen if I was wrong,¡± she admitted to her hooved companion, the only one she felt safe in giving this confidence to. Menes, Shir Del, and Roshanak were all too worried about Eigou to vent her own anxiety to.
Youtab huffed and stomped her hooves restlessly. Ilati understood: her companion wanted to run. Currently they were in pastureland, which was fairly expansive for being in the middle of the city, but the greenery around the stables was nothing compared to the endlessness of the silver grass steppe. Ilati stepped up onto the fence and then swung neatly onto her horse¡¯s back. Once she was perched there, she strung her bow by hooking it around her foot and drawing it back into the proper shape as she adjusted the string into place. She couldn¡¯t do it with her mount in motion the way Roshanak or Shir Del could, but she¡¯d learned the basics of the trick.
The rhythm of Youtab¡¯s hooves against the earth was as comforting as the beat of her mother¡¯s heart against her ear had been in childhood. Ilati had no trouble staying on her horse¡¯s back now, legs and core trained well by months of practice. She drew a fistful of arrows from her quiver and flicked the first up to her bowstring, drawing and releasing in the span of a single heartbeat. She knew with supernatural clarity Youtab¡¯s racing step, swift as the wind, and could time her arrows between the impacts of hooves.
The first slammed into the melon, piercing it all the way through. The second struck with even more power as Youtab went from canter to gallop, racing along parallel to the targets. When they reached the end, Youtab simply turned, racing the circuit of the fence. Ilati felt the wild horse¡¯s bright joy like a shining star, dimmed only by the encirclement. Youtab longed for the silver-grass steppe, the wild places of the world. Though she had once been only a child of the city, Ilati felt it too.
Ilati took shots until she was out of arrows, focusing on her aim. She drew back the bowstring and loosed her final arrow, watching with satisfaction as it struck another arrow at the center of the melon, breaking its shaft. Youtab slowed to a stop in a Sut Resi war dance, menacing hooves on full display for a few moments before she settled down.
¡°Most impressive.¡±
Ilati looked over to see Sarhad in his full armor, her blood running cold as he inspected her handiwork with the melons.
He looked up at her, smiling genially. ¡°I had heard Sut Resi practiced their archery on severed heads, but I suppose melons might suit you better.¡±
¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Ilati said sharply. Beneath her, Youtab snorted and churned the earth with her hooves.
¡°You are not Sut Resi.¡± He rested his hands on the wood of the fence rail. ¡°The stories spread even now of the desert witch birthed of a sorcerer¡¯s accursed daughter, with a scorpion¡¯s tongue for a sting. Yet I find it curious.¡±
Ilati¡¯s arm burned where her promise to K¡¯adau was branded on her flesh beneath bandages. ¡°I care nothing for your curiosity, snake. Crawl back to your hole on your belly, as is proper.¡±
¡°You seemed so very familiar with Prince Zidanta. Who knew it would take a feral woman to capture his heart? I think you are not as unconquerable as he believes.¡±
Ilati was out of arrows, but not disarmed. ¡°The desert has consumed the bones of many a conqueror. Its daughter will bury you before tolerating you. If you wish a conquest to challenge you, try your priestess or her craven goddess.¡±
Sarhad laughed, the sound cruel and cold. ¡°I have enjoyed Yaeeta many times. You, though¡I wonder how difficult it would be to find your rooms, if Zidanta has not already managed it.¡±
The priestess felt a distinct chill at that threat. She didn¡¯t know if she could fight off Sarhad alone and the idea of him finding her in the middle of the night was terrifying. Yet, had she not come so far in spite of her fears, her terrors, even those at his hands? ¡°I will not be made to bow like a reed to you, serpent of Nadar,¡± Ilati said, touching the bronze dagger she wore¡ªit was the one she had taken from a Nadaren soldier so long ago. ¡°I submit to nothing except the night winds and the sands.¡±
Before Sarhad could speak his threats again, Zidanta rounded the corner of the stables, a bundle slung over one shoulder. Ilati stayed tense, knowing better than to show relief at his presence. Such a reliance on Zidanta would make her seem weak to a predator like Sarhad.
¡°Emissary, you are dismissed,¡± Zidanta said curtly, reading the situation for what it was. ¡°I have private words from the great king for the granddaughter of Eigou.¡±
¡°Of course, o mighty prince,¡± Sarhad said with a wicked smile, retreating.
Once he was gone, Zidanta turned to Ilati. ¡°Are you alright, lotus? You have the furious aspect of the demons who drain the blood from men.¡±
¡°He would have been better served keeping his forked tongue behind his fangs,¡± Ilati said hotly, her anger burning through every attempt to stay calm. ¡°Someday I will cut it from his mouth.¡±
The second-born prince hesitated a moment before speaking, waiting until Ilati relaxed. ¡°He is a dangerous foe, and to cut his tongue would earn his master¡¯s ire.¡±
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The caution stilled much of Ilati¡¯s anger, a reminder that she would have to walk as carefully as one treading across coals. Thwarting Nysra and honoring her vow was more important than just taking Sarhad¡¯s head as a trophy. ¡°You are right,¡± Ilati admitted. ¡°I just¡did not appreciate his threats.¡±
Zidanta¡¯s brows drew together as they furrowed like the clouds of a gathering storm. ¡°What threats?¡±
¡°That he would find my rooms in the palace and have his way,¡± Ilati said, rubbing Youtab¡¯s shoulder for comfort. The horse shifted beneath her and nickered softly, attuned to the anxiety of her rider.
Zidanta¡¯s mouth formed a grim line. ¡°He will do no such thing. You are an honored guest, and I will see him made a eunuch before assaulting you.¡±
Ilati sighed and unstrung her bow. ¡°His master protects him.¡±
Zidanta didn¡¯t answer, disposition still stormy. He took a few moments to center himself again. ¡°I have something for you, o warrior lotus. I know you are not likely to wish to hunt today, but I still wanted you to have them.¡±
He unslung the bundle and then undid the cloth wrapping, flicking it open to reveal a quiver packed full of grey goose-fletched arrows. When he pulled them forth, she saw the gleam of a bronze arrowhead, sharp and strong. The shafts themselves were thick as her ring finger and fire-hardened. They were suited perfectly for a war bow.
Ilati¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°A fine gift.¡±
¡°I asked Shir Del of the length for you, so they were proper in size. You should find them sturdier than the flint or bone tipped arrows used by the Sut Resi,¡± Zidanta said.
Ilati studied him, a hint of a smile touching the corners of her mouth. ¡°I will use them,¡± she promised, admiring the quiver as well. Instead of the simple wrap of hide that made up her current one, it was boiled leather carved with the patterns of thunderbolts in the sky¡ªbut still made in the style of Sut Resi quivers, only covering the first third of the arrows. She felt an immense appreciation for Zidanta in that moment. The prince of the closed fist understood her better than most.
He returned the arrows to the quiver, packed tight and full, and then handed it over to her with a bowed head. ¡°May they always fly true for you, lotus.¡±
Ilati undid her other quiver, bound at her left hip facing her back, and replaced it with Zidanta¡¯s gift. The arrows were packed well, not in danger of slipping, and would be easy to draw and fire. ¡°You should meet Youtab properly. At the gate?¡±
¡°If you are confident she will not mind,¡± Zidanta said.
¡°I honor her sense of your intentions, for she is as clever and wise as she is wild,¡± Ilati said. Youtab had been still and calm as her rider and Zidanta spoke, a far cry from the war dance that had heralded Sarhad. She braided a lock of Youtab¡¯s mane as the horse walked back towards the gate, then gently unraveled it. The love she felt for Youtab didn¡¯t heal every grief, but at least she was no longer alone. ¡°Proud and wild, beauty of the silver-grass steppe. Even I am your friend, not your mistress.¡± She leaned down, rubbing the mare¡¯s neck.
The promise she¡¯d made still burned on her arm. It was impossible to turn her thoughts from it for long. By the time she reached the gate on Youtab¡¯s back, the pull of scar tissue across her face as she frowned began an ache. She swung her leg over and dismounted, landing feet on the ground in front of Zidanta with an ease she¡¯d lacked months ago. ¡°Youtab, beauty and fury of the wild steppe, this is Zidanta, son of Tudhaliya, prince of Sarru,¡± Ilati said, stopping beside Youtab¡¯s head.
Zidanta bowed to the horse. ¡°A great honor,¡± he said with a smile.
Youtab¡¯s nostrils flared in a huff and she took a step back before rearing up. Zidanta took a half-step back reflexively, but his hand did not fall to his sword. Instead, he held up his hands appeasingly and bowed his head. The mare stomped and stirred at the earth, her hooves as dangerous as ever. There were shouts from stablehands who came running, but Zidanta turned his attention to them. ¡°Leave the wild one be,¡± he commanded, voice cracking like a whip.
At once the men stopped and Youtab finished her testing of his mettle. Ilati stroked the mare¡¯s neck. ¡°See?¡± the priestess murmured to her horse. ¡°He is not one coming with a bridle and whip.¡±
Zidanta grinned. ¡°She is fiercer than any horse I have known, even more than those drawing my chariot in war.¡±
¡°They have known the hands and wills of men all their days. Even for me to ride her is a privilege, not a demand that must be honored. She knows only the gods of the Sut Resi as masters, Earthmother and Skyfather, for they have provided for her since she was born.¡±
¡°It is fitting, I think,¡± Zidanta said thoughtfully. ¡°It is known that like attracts like. Perhaps then it is not so strange to see a granddaughter of a man like your grandfather standing beside the unconquerable.¡±
¡°I am not my grandfather,¡± Ilati said, thinking of the fearsome king she had known. ¡°Tell me, what did you think of the interpretation of your father¡¯s dream?¡±
Zidanta sighed with a bitterness as sharp as a wild almond¡¯s. ¡°I do not know which I would prefer, for such a vision of malevolence and destruction to be true or Eigou¡¯s head to roll.¡±
¡°He did nothing to deserve that fate, yet already the palace is poisoned against him, worst of all your father. I am not ignorant of how he smiled and bestowed graces, then turned and bit like a snake when displeased by the words of the One With a Thousand Faces.¡±
¡°That is my father¡¯s way,¡± Zidanta said, hardening slightly. ¡°Trust me when I say he is a man more cruel than even myself when the mood takes him.¡± The weight of unforgiven sins hung off the younger prince¡¯s words. ¡°He targets Eigou out of fear that his house will see the same fate as the House of Ilishu.¡±
¡°He risks the wrath of Heaven,¡± Ilati pointed out.
Zidanta bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. ¡°Fear makes men like my father scornful and proud. King Tudhaliya is clever, yes, but his hubris eclipses his wits. I strive not to follow in his footsteps.¡±
The priestess softened, leaning against Youtab. ¡°Both you and Hattusa seem better men than that.¡±
Zidanta looked away, as if he¡¯d been stung. ¡°I do not like being spoken of in equivalence to him,¡± he said harshly. ¡°Not when all eyes in Ulmanna can look upon him with love and reserve their resentments for me.¡±
It took Ilati a moment to realize Zidanta was referring to Hattusa. ¡°Is there no love between you any longer, brother to brother?¡±
¡°If he is my brother, he has forgotten it. The sons of Amar-Sin, in a land that was not my own, were kinder than him.¡±
Ilati knew this was a pain she couldn¡¯t understand. Her brothers hadn¡¯t left her by choice¡ªNadar had carved them from her heart. Zidanta had to see Hattusa, growing ever more distant by the day, constantly. No wonder he spent long days hunting when he had to return to Ulmanna between wars. ¡°I do not think he means to wound you,¡± Ilati said softly. ¡°Your father has pitted you one against the other. Surely Zidanta the general can see this, no?¡±
¡°I can,¡± Zidanta said quietly as he turned away. ¡°He cannot. Forgive me, lotus.¡± With no further explanation, the second-born prince of Sarru strode away.
With a painful clarity, Ilati could see the path forward. If Hattusa was half the man his people thought, he would correct the course if made aware. But first, she needed to see Eigou¡ªand the One With a Thousand Faces needed to protect their servant.
32 - The Price of the Eclipse
Ilati¡¯s lips pressed into a grim line as she stopped at the edge of the pit in the floor of the prison. Covered by a sort of lattice-work of bronze pieces and sheer-sided, the holding cell was more than twice the height of a man in depth, designed to be climbed with a ladder lowered down by the guards. It was difficult to keep her nerves steady, surrounded by armored men only a language different from the hounds that had destroyed her home, but she was angry enough to keep her bearings. ¡°Grandfather, are you well?¡±
She heard a faint chuckle from the depths of the pit. ¡°The King¡¯s hospitality is not as friendly as I have become accustomed to, but perhaps that is my aching old bones talking.¡±
In the flickering light of braziers, it was difficult to see down into the depths to know if Eigou was unharmed. She could dimly make out his bedroll and the sorcerer himself, seated upon it. When he looked up at her, his single eye gleamed. Here the fear oppressed the very air, not at all like the late morning air of a city freshly drunk off its own celebrations that ruled outside. The men of Ulmanna knew they had caged something dangerous, hands never wavering from their spears as they neared the pit, watching Eigou with wary eyes. The caution certainly seemed to extend to Ilati as well, but that was no surprise. Many tongues had been busy spreading rumors about her and the scar from seven talons on her shoulder did nothing to silence them.
Demon-touched, they whispered. She imagined the blood draining from their faces until they were as white as the cold atop the sacred peaks if they ever learned the truth of it.
¡°Have they hurt you?¡±
Down in the pit, Eigou chuckled again. ¡°They would not be so foolish as to tire their arms when an execution awaits already. They will need their strength to stone me.¡±
Ilati shook her head. It was like Eigou to be untroubled by such a demonstration, but it angered her. ¡°That will not happen.¡±
The eye flashed down in the darkness like a jackal¡¯s meeting torchlight. ¡°Are you certain of that, granddaughter?¡±
Her brow furrowed. ¡°I know what I have seen will come to pass.¡±
¡°The priests of Lugal say there is to be no eclipse, and he is god over this city.¡± She caught something in the dimness of his expression, the brief gleam of teeth in a humorless grin. ¡°I hope you will forgive me, Hedis. I have questioned the One With a Thousand Faces many times down in this hole, and the god does not answer, so I have taken this to mean it is an unlucky day.¡±
Ilati rubbed at her ring, slowly spinning it around her thumb in thought. ¡°An unlucky day, perhaps, but there are many others for whom it may be ill fortune. Are you so certain you are to be the recipient of that one¡¯s ire?¡±
¡°Either it is I who will suffer, Hedis, or King Tudhaliya¡¯s pride. And really, what is the difference between those outcomes? Do you think he is a man who will suffer to be made a fool in public?¡±
¡°If he was offered a graceful exit from the situation his wrath has placed him in, he would take it,¡± Ilati said with confidence.
¡°O daughter of the desert, how little you know of kings! They are more like bulls than lions. One must beware of stinging them, for they fly into rages that may crush any around.¡±
Ilati¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°Not all who rule men are the Conqueror.¡±
Eigou sighed, weighing her words against his own experience. ¡°There is some truth to that,¡± he allowed. ¡°Yet I do not think it would be wise for you to rely upon that difference like a cripple needs a crutch. A woman in your position should believe only half of what she sees of men and even less of what she hears.¡±
Her brow furrowed. ¡°Do you know something I do not?¡±
¡°I know that you cannot afford to be any man¡¯s prize.¡±
Ilati frowned. ¡°So I understand.¡±
This time, the flash she saw in the darkness of the pit was not Eigou¡¯s living eye, but his ghost of one. ¡°Do you? See as I see.¡±
Ilati¡¯s vision shifted like the sands of the Desert of Kings, giving her for the first time an eagle¡¯s view of the land between two rivers. Like serpents of gold, the rivers trailed down from their mountains towards fertile marshes and almost endless canals, teeming with life and emerald growth. From the villages to the great cities along the shores of the Esharra and the Nintu, Eigou¡¯s voice echoed like a lyre¡¯s notes plucked in the quiet sanctum of the temple.
Do you not see, Ilati? To be conquered means Kullah is conquered. Sacrifice even an iota of your power, and the kings of men will seek to strip you of the rest. Zidanta is kinder than Nysra, but all princes desire dominion in their hearts.
Ilati shifted her focus in the vision, turning her eyes towards the great mountain range to the north that separated Kullah from Nadar: the Ehursagkalamnu. The peaks rose so high they bridged into heaven, summits wreathed in clouds. Somewhere among them was Ankida, the joining of earth and sky where the gods dwelt.
Where Zu made her home, a thing Ilati would never again possess.
Two paths lie open before you, granddaughter of Ilishu.
Ilati¡¯s vision shifted again. First she saw an older, hardened version of herself in armor gleaming like the sun, a bright bronze-tipped spear in her hand. A crown adorned her brow, bearing the symbol of the land between two rivers, but the people who stood behind her were still shattered and shaken, many broken and bowed by the forced labor of their time in Nysra¡¯s hand. She was a martial ruler, perhaps even without equal, but of a diminished people who still feared the bite of the viper in the north. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
This is Ilati the Conqueror, shaped by a warrior¡¯s hand and intent. She learned all there was to know of tactics, to play the games of war and conquest, and brought an alliance that shattered Nysra¡¯s power but did not entirely crush the serpent. She restored the luster of Kullah and brought many of her people out of servitude towards a brighter future she would not live to see. Her name is lauded by men as a restoration.
¡°And the other path?¡±
Ilati turned her head and was almost blinded by the glare of a massive red star rising in the east. After a moment, her eyes adjusted and she saw herself rising up steps, scarred and battleworn, but wearing a robe of fire swirling around her body. A blade of bronze in one hand upraised, she made her ascent bloodied but unbowed. A scorpion perched on her shoulder, holding to the seven-taloned scar on her flesh. Under her heel was a dark serpent, its head crushed flat.
This is Ilati, Daughter of the Night Winds. She sacrificed more than she could have ever imagined to attain mastery of magic, shattering the chains of her people in her teeth, striking her enemies with mountains¡¯ fire, raising the dead from Ersetu. She left behind the molds of expectation and surmounted all obstacles, all heights, for revenge, but paid the price: exile forever from the world of men.
¡°Why do you show me this?¡± Ilati demanded as her vision of the tower and its pit in the floor returned. Eigou was still looking up at her. ¡°It does nothing to save you from what awaits.¡±
¡°In case I die, granddaughter, now you see the way the One of a Thousand Faces spins your future.¡±
The guards seemed even more uneasy at the mention of the god. Ilati was confident Eigou had only shown her the visions, not everyone. ¡°And which path do you suggest I follow?¡±
Eigou shrugged down in the pit, the motion wreathed in shadows. ¡°You have a choice, granddaughter. That is a rare gift, handed down by your goddess herself.¡±
¡°And a challenge.¡± If it had come from K¡¯adau, it was not simply an option: it was a test. She would see how far I am willing to go for what I desire. ¡°I will think on it.¡±
The door to the courtyard opened and more guards stepped in, led by Kulziya. ¡°The King summons the prisoner. It is almost midday,¡± he said, far grimmer than the last time Ilati had seen him. Then again, Kulziya seemed fond of Eigou and probably had no wish to stone him.
Four men lifted the bronze lattice work over the hole and then they lowered down a ladder for Eigou to climb. At the top they seized him and bound him with ropes until his hands were completely immobilized behind him. Another blindfolded the old man.
¡°Why do you treat him so?¡± Ilati demanded, her anger only rising. ¡°Is the mighty king so cruel to all his guests?¡±
¡°I am responsible for the safety of the King and his people. Sorcerers are dangerous. He will cast no evil eye or spells.¡± Kulziya looked Ilati up and down. ¡°Be grateful you do not suffer the same treatment, witch of the wilds.¡±
Ilati bristled. ¡°I am accompanying him.¡±
¡°Good. Your presence was requested as well.¡± Kulziya gestured to his men, who marched Eigou out to the central courtyard of the palace.
Ilati followed on their heels, anger eclipsing her fears. A crowd gathered in the grand open space, many of them guests from the night before¡ªbut more yet came, apparently as the rumors had spread. She saw Sarhad and Yaeeta near the front, watching with a blood-hungry fascination. They tied Eigou to a pillar, a pile of large and jagged stones nearby.
The priestess felt a prickle at the back of her neck as she moved through the crowd and stopped. She turned, eyes meeting a beggar¡¯s. Gnarled hands clutched a clay bowl, unfired and baked instead by the heat of the summer sun. A few copper bits gleamed in it, as well as a few small pieces of bread. She found she couldn¡¯t look away from his eyes, dark like a blackbird¡¯s.
¡°I know you, priestess,¡± the beggar rasped, his twisted body and crooked leg bronzed by the sun. He smiled, showing broken teeth. ¡°Ilati, daughter of Amar-Sin, of the line of Ilishu.¡±
Ilati looked around instinctively, but no one was close enough to hear over the chattering of the crowd. ¡°How do you know me?¡±
His canted smile of shattered teeth widened. ¡°I know everyone. I also know you wish the sorcerer to live.¡±
¡°I do,¡± Ilati said, wary. She was not certain who or what she was actually speaking to, but a weight had settled into her stomach.
His dark eyes seemed to grow even darker and he shook his bowl. ¡°What would you sacrifice to save him?¡±
Ilati¡¯s blood ran cold. It was not a normal fear, but the same current of awe and dread Lugal¡¯s presence inspired. In this humble package burned the power of a god or great demon. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°A stranger in a strange land, just as you are.¡± That smile seemed impossibly wide. ¡°One who can help. So I ask again: what are you willing to sacrifice to move the heavens themselves?¡±
Ilati took a deep breath. ¡°It would have to be something valuable, more precious than jewels or gold.¡±
The beggar¡¯s eyes were all-consuming now, a darkness of the night sky between stars. ¡°You are correct. Only fates may bend the heavens.¡±
Ilati knew that if Eigou died, everything they had worked for would be lost. She needed him to get justice for her people, living and dead. If the price of that was exile, well, how different was that from her life now?. ¡°You know the futures laid out before me, don¡¯t you? I sacrifice my choice. Take the warrior queen, and I will follow the path of the red star.¡±
The beggar reached out, brushing his gnarled fingers across her palm. Ilati felt a shiver run down her spine, followed by a ripping sensation in her hand. She jerked back, only to see her blood splash into his bowl. It soaked into the hungry clay.
His smile cracked open into speech. ¡°So be it.¡±
Ilati turned to look at Eigou, tied to the pillar as the first stone was lifted. It was midday, after all, the sun rising to its highest point. She felt another shudder run through her being when the crowd gasped and shouted, many of them pointing up towards the sky.
Blackness edged slowly across the radiant disk of sun, the beginning of an eclipse. The guards lifting stones dropped them, and Tudhaliya himself rose out of his seat on his palanquin, a visible mixture of rage and dread on his face.
¡°Weep and wail, people of Ulmanna!¡± Eigou shouted from his position tied to the pillar. ¡°Here is your omen! I spoke only truth!¡±
The eclipse moved closer and closer to its totality, turning a sunny day into darkness. Ilati turned back to the beggar, but he had disappeared. The only sign he had ever existed was the wound on her hand, a jagged rip in the shape of a star across her palm. She had nothing to bind it with, so she hurried to Eigou.
Tudhaliya¡¯s eyes fixed on her with a feverish intensity as she went to Eigou¡¯s side. ¡°You are the one who spoke of this harbinger. Speak of what it means,¡± he said harshly.
¡°You harbor darkness in your midst, o mighty king!¡± Ilati pitched her voice to carry across the stone, as a high priestess addressing a crowd might. ¡°You would stone the one who can drive it out on its belly! The gods are displeased, and so long as you let it linger, the tighter the darkness winds itself in the hearts of your sons! Yours is the tree that bears a fruit to poison its own roots!¡±
Tudhaliya¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And what is your remedy, witch of the wilds?¡±
¡°Appease your gods with sacrifices for seven days and seven nights!¡± That would buy her enough time to speak to Hattusa, to try to make peace between him and Zidanta. ¡°Beseech Lugal for his protection from this evil, for the Lawgiver drives out the unjust! Ask him to anoint his next chosen king!¡± There would be all kinds of maneuvers in the court to ensure which prince was chosen by both camps, but hopefully seven days was not enough for them to twist Hattusa or Zidanta in a direction she could not sway them from.
It was a gamble, but Tudhaliya seemed satisfied by the answer. ¡°Very well,¡± the great king said stiffly. ¡°This will be done. Release the prisoner.¡±
Ilati untied Eigou from the pillar. The knots on his hands and wrists would take more time.
¡°I hope you have a plan,¡± Eigou muttered. ¡°This is a great risk.¡±
¡°We will think of something.¡±
Once his hands were unbound, Eigou seized her bloodied hand and turned it over to see the wound. His lips pressed into a grim line and then he looked up at her. ¡°Which did you give?¡±
Ilati hesitated a moment, unsure if she wanted to tell him the truth. Finally, she said quietly, ¡°I am the daughter of the night winds, Eigou.¡±