Eramane (11 page)

“I will need enough Riders to help transport the clansmen back,” Samiah says.

“Take as many as you need,” Lord Danius offers.

“Thank you, Lord Danius,” Samiah says, and he turns for the door.

“Samiah.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Not one of those degenerates goes free,” Lord Danius orders.

“My word,” Samiah promises.

Samiah, the Ghosts, and twenty Riders make their way out of Eludwid and into the vast lands beyond the mountains. Terrin, Nahmas, and Aurick flank Samiah on each side. Since the riders have slowed their pace to let the horses rest, Terrin decides to move up next to Samiah and give his thoughts on their plan for invasion.

“Samiah,” Terrin says in a low voice.

“What?”

“Have you considered the condition Eramane might be in if she has been a captive of the Torbiun clan?” Terrin asks.

“Of course I have, Terrin. It is all I can think of. And what’s more disturbing is that I wish her to be alive when I know what being alive would mean for her. It makes my stomach turn. But praying that those disgusting Torbiuns have Eramane is the only hope I have.”

“And if we do not find her at their camp?” Terrin asks.

“Then I will search for her until she is found or I take my last breath—whichever comes first,” Samiah says, his heart heavy.

“Yes, High Commander,” Terrin says and retreats to join his brothers.

Night has spread its dark blanket over the distant lands beyond Eludwid. Samiah halts his Riders just outside of the small Torbiuns camp, and after a tiresome journey where the days and nights melded together, Samiah and his Riders are in desperate need of rest. Nestled between the rock formations of nearby mountains, Samiah and his men discuss their plan of attack. Samiah and the Ghosts will go into the camp while the others surround it on foot, making sure none of their enemies escape. They will work their way through each dwelling, demanding the whereabouts of Eramane.

Samiah is unmatched with his sword and has perfected his skill with throwing knives. The Ghosts are a deadly team possessing great talent, and they are Samiah’s most trusted companions. Nahmas specializes in throwing daggers, Terrin is a master of the bow, and Aurick uses powders and poisons in place of steel. The brothers are almost untouchable by any other man, and tonight they will assist Samiah in an attempt to rescue his sister.

The darkness cloaks Samiah and his Riders as they stalk the Torbiun camp. The clan numbers are less than two dozen, and if it were not for the matter of transporting the Torbiuns back, Samiah would have taken only the Ghosts in with him. Samiah stops to speak once more to the brothers before leading them into the camp. “No one escapes, understood?” The Ghosts nod in agreement and follow Samiah into the Torbiun camp. The brothers spread out a small distance from one another, leaving Samiah to invade up through the middle of the camp.

The smell of smoldering wood and old supper hangs heavy in the Torbiun campsite. Smoke lingers just above the ground and makes it difficult to see the sparsely scattered clansmen who are sleeping on the ground outside of shelters, but even the smoke shield does not protect the men from the Riders. Unfortunately, after questioning three men, the latter gain no knowledge of where Eramane might be.

Samiah reaches a draped area. Linens are tied up between trees; it is larger than the other shelters.
This must be where Ulic sleeps,
Samiah thinks to himself. Ulic is the leader of the Torbiun clan. Soon the Ghosts arrive to meet Samiah. He points to the dwelling, indicating to his men that Ulic is inside. Before entering the shelter, Samiah asks the brothers if they have gathered any information from the other Torbiuns.

“No, Samiah, it was a futile attempt; the men claimed to know nothing,” Nahmas responds. Samiah puts his finger to his mouth, indicating for the Ghosts to be silent as they enter Ulic’s shelter.

Ulic lies in what seems like a peaceful slumber. A woman next to him, unclothed and exposed, shivers in the night air. Food scraps litter parts of the ground that are not covered with armor and the half-naked woman’s clothing. Ulic’s snores fill Samiah’s ears, and he cringes at the thought of Eramane being Ulic’s prize the night before. The camp does not contain any remnants of his sister or any clues to her whereabouts, but Samiah prays that Ulic will have the answer.

The woman rolls over to reach a nearby wool blanket. She momentarily opens her eyes and sees Samiah standing above her. She screams and grabs a nearby sword. The aimless woman clumsily lunges toward Samiah but is effortlessly disarmed and pushed to the ground. Ulic wakes from the disturbance, but Samiah is on top of him before he can rise from his bedding.

“Remember me?” Samiah puts his foot on Ulic’s chest and forces him flat.

“I do,” Ulic replies unafraid. Samiah clutches Ulic’s head and forcefully demands him to stand. Ulic stands and shouts to alert his men of the danger. “Intruders!” he shouts.

“Your men are in no position to help you,” Samiah declares, confident of his skilled Riders. Ulic is surprised by this news.

“What do you want, Samiah?” Ulic asks, nervousness in his voice.

“I believe you have my sister. The young woman you abducted from the meadow in Eludwid,” replies Samiah.

“The young woman whose friend you murdered,” Nahmas added. Ulic looks at Nahmas, until now unaware that the caster was in the shelter.

“You tell me where Eramane is right now,” Samiah demands.

“Or what?” Ulic asks, understanding that the Riders are there to capture his clan, not kill them. “Somebody wants me alive; would it be Emach? What? Your noble lord tying up loose ends?” he mocks. Sweat saturates Ulic’s round, scruffy face. “I have not seen your sister. Oh, and I bet she’s pretty, just like her brother.”

Samiah clenches his jaw and yanks Ulic away from the tree and into Nahmas’s hands. “We are done here,” Samiah says as he walks out of the dirty, smelly shelter.

Samiah and the Ghosts reunite with the other Riders. “We learned nothing of where my sister is. I do not know if Ulic is hiding the truth, but if he is, we will have to force it out of him when we get back to Eludwid.” Samiah hangs his head and lowers his voice. “Where is my sister?” His tired eyes blink, heavy and slow. The thought of never finding Eramane centers in Samiah’s thoughts. For the first time he recognizes the fact that she may be dead. This thought lashes at him, and he begins to find it difficult to hold himself together. “I need to be alone,” Samiah insists as he jumps on his horse and walks his steed into the night. Nahmas follows a short distance behind. The mountain range is a dangerous place, especially when a man does not have his wits about him. Large predators occupy the range, and alone Samiah would be an easy target for a pack of wolves or mountain cats.

Samiah has not been on his ride for very long when he stops his steed. He is near a small village. The sounds of a celebration can be heard spilling from its happy hold. “The Torbiuns were camped near this village. They must have been planning to invade,” Samiah says aloud. “We saved these people from being attacked.” His heart fills with happiness as he absorbs the sounds of the celebration, knowing that the villagers are safe from those foul Torbiun clansmen. Samiah smiles as he tilts his head to face the stars. “At least I may have saved these people.” As he speaks, the guilt from Eramane’s disappearance stirs inside him and masks his feelings of joy. Samiah commands his horse to proceed, but instead of obeying him, the stallion begins scratching at the ground with its front hoof. Samiah looks down and sees the reason for his steed’s disobedience.

CHAPTER NINE

The Glass Tomb

I WAKE FROM THE SOUND
of thunder. For a short time, I look up into the seemingly endless nothing above me. Adikiah ordered his servants to provide me with a proper bed so that my stay is more comfortable. I am thinking about the past few days I have been here with Adikiah. He has been at my side every moment, and I have become fond of his company. He has told me stories of far-off lands, some of which I have never heard of. He told me of a place where the air is so cold it forms an ice bridge that is so long you cannot see to the other end, and that when the warm weather comes, the bridge melts; if you have crossed to the other side, you will be trapped there until it freezes back. Of these far-off lands, my favorite is the underwater cavern. Adikiah said that there is a place underneath the ocean that opens up to air. I listened in disbelief as he described the span of the cavern, large enough to build a town in. He says that he is the only one to know of this cavern, because he can hold his breath longer than any man, and you must be able to hold it for a good length of time before reaching the cavern. “It is just beyond those rocks,” he said, pointing to a small cluster of protruding boulders, not far from the mountain palace.

Not all of Adikiah’s stories are of frozen bridges and underwater towns. Last evening, he told me of his life, how he had no family, no one to share time with. His words were somber, barely uttered when he spoke of the torment in his solitude. “Why do you live this way?” I asked.

“There was no other way, until you, Eramane.” Until me? His answer filled me with dread, the burden of an assumed commitment. And this is where my thoughts land as I look up into the dark.

The daylight spills through the large window across from me as I dress. After offending Adikiah by refusing the burgundy gown, I decided to wear the items he placed in the washing chamber for me. Yet these garments are not extravagant like the gown; they are simpler, like my yellow dress. I choose a pale green dress with long sleeves; it is cold in the mountain palace. As soon as I exit my chamber, I see Adikiah. He waits for me each day and walks me to the dining chamber. I am not very hungry this morning. Sadness has set in my belly, replacing the feeling of hunger. I miss my parents, Samiah and Mira, my home. What is more unsettling is that I have come to feel that I belong here, that fate brought me here for a specific purpose. Yet becoming Adikiah’s wife seems a detail outside of fate’s plans. I have tried to imagine myself as his companion, but my heart still pines for Lebis, and as long as it does, there is not room enough for anyone else.