From Across the Clouded Range

  #

  “You were right,” Teth said in hushed tones over her shoulder as they walked. “There is no system at all for controlling our movements. The warriors don’t even notice us as long as they think we’re doing work. While I was fetching water, I walked all over the camp and the village without anyone sparing me a glance.”

  Dasen had spoken that thought out loud as Ral was giving them a very cursory tour of the camp, but he had had no intentions of actually testing the theory. Ral’s warnings about what happened to those who drew the Darthurs’ notice had been enough for him. He should have known that Teth would not possess any such sense of caution

  “That may allow us to move around the camp, but how are we going to get out of the camp?” he whispered back – she was going to get him killed. “I think the invaders might get curious if they see a couple of people walking across an empty field with buckets.”

  Teth looked back and grinned as if she expected the question. “It’s going to be a dark night. The moon is almost new, and it won’t be up for a long time.”

  Dasen looked up. The last rays of the sun were just falling below the horizon, and the moon was nowhere to be seen, but that did not reassure him. His expression betrayed his skepticism.

  Teth was not deterred. “I figure we can use these buckets to get to the very farthest end of the camp. . . .” Teth fell silent as one of the warriors came into view. She dropped her eyes to the ground and quickened her pace as they passed each other in opposite directions between the tents. Despite almost touching them, the huge man did not spare them a glance. Dasen suspected that if there had been any less room, he would have stepped on them without ever looking down to see what was under his foot.

  A few seconds after the warrior passed, they turned a corner between the tents and saw the small well that serviced their part of the camp. To one side of the area was a huge bed of coals with pots, pans, and collapsible stoves scattered across it. Several boys surrounded those coals, dragging the cooking implements from the fire, cleaning them out, and meticulously washing them. Any remaining scraps of food were piled on a tarp where Ral sat with Wil and several of the older captives. They ate greedily from the scraps as the younger boys looked on longingly.

  Teth cursed. “They’re done serving the food. If there were invaders around, we could sneak in and get you some buckets without anyone raising an eye. Now we’ll have to deal with Ral.” She took a deep breath. “Follow my lead, and try to do a better job of lying.” She lowered her shoulders and strode toward the well as if nothing unusual was happening.

  Ral saw them approach, rose to his feet, and pointed a skeletal finger at Teth. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone all evening. How hard is it to deliver water?” When he noticed Dasen trailing behind, his admonishment turned to fury. “Did I tell you to stop chopping wood? Do you two think this is some kind of game?” His voice was cast low so as not to draw attention, but his anger was clear, and the other boys began moving away from him. “Well, it’s not! This is serious! And I won’t let you spoiled brats get the rest of us killed.” Ral dropped his voice to sound ominous. “We have our own brand of punishment for the likes of you.”

  Faced with that barrage, Dasen expected Teth to wrestle Ral to the ground, break his fingers, and assume control of the captives, but she lowered her head, looking more chastened than he thought possible. “I’m really sorry it took me so long,” she whispered meekly. “I was on my way back here when one of the Darthur made me follow him all over the camp with his saddle. When he let me go, I didn’t know where I was. I wandered around until I found Dasen, and he offered to lead me back here.”

  Ral looked at them both suspiciously, shifting his gaze from one to the other as if weighing them. His judgment was passed as if he were being merciful to a fault. “Okay. Because you’re new, I’ll let it go, but pay closer attention to where you are. And don’t ever leave your work without my permission.” He paused and thought. “I was saving a portion of this for you, but I think a night of hunger would do you two some good. Now, both of you, can spend the rest of the night filling the water barrels around the camp. And I better see you back here often. Got it.” With a motion of his hand, he dismissed them and returned to his scraps.

  Teth ran to the well with Dasen on her heels. They drew the water, filled four buckets to the brim, lifted poles onto their shoulders, and headed back into the tents. As soon as they were out of sight, Teth turned south toward the town.

  “As I was saying,” Teth continued when they were clear of the well, “if we can get to the edge of the camp, it’s a clear run from there to the city. There don’t appear to be any patrols, and I doubt anyone will miss us.” She smiled over her shoulder, obviously pleased with herself. She gestured toward the western sky with her buckets. “I think those might help as well.”

  In the sky to the north and west, a mountain of dark clouds bubbled across the horizon. They were darker than the already dark night. Lightning flashed between them punctuated by the distant roll of thunder that was evident now that Dasen knew to listen for it. The storm was clearly heading toward them, and Dasen had to agree that it would make it very difficult for anyone to see them once they were out of the camp. He also agreed that this was probably the best chance they would have to escape the invaders, and given his limited experience with Ral and the invaders, he had no desire to stay, but there was another consideration. Ral had said that his father would be back tonight. He could not miss the opportunity to see him, had to let him know that he was alright and find out what had happened to Rynn. He could not leave now.

  He was drawing the breath to tell Teth when another warrior passed. The words hung frozen on his lips, dying to escape, but the warriors grew more numerous as they wove through the tents, so he followed Teth in begrudging silence until they made it out of the tents and into the town. They were able to move quickly between the buildings, but the streets were crowded, so they kept their heads down and remained silent. To Dasen’s relief, none of the invaders paid them the slightest attention, and Teth led the way through the maze as if she had lived in the town her entire life.

  By the time they made it to the huge inn at the town’s center, Dasen could wait no longer. As they passed the alley that separated the inn from the next shop, he pulled her aside. He made a quick inspection to ensure that no one had noticed the diversion then lowered his buckets and turned to Teth. “I think your plan is a good one, Teth, but I can’t do it. Not right now.” Teth looked at him as if he was crazy, but he held up his hand and continued, “You heard what Ral said about my father. He’ll be here tonight, tomorrow at the latest. I have to see him. I have to know that he’s alright and let him know that we’re alright.”

  “But this could be our only chance, and you know he'd want you to escape,” Teth begged.

  “I know, but I just can’t do it. I have to see him.” Dasen stopped and looked long into her eyes. He could not read her expression. “I understand if you want to go. If you get to the city, make your way to the other side of the river. My father has an estate there. Anyone can tell you where it is. Once you’re there, tell the servants who you are. Ask for my father’s secretary, Paul. He’ll know you, I’m sure. After that . . . .”

  Teth cut him off with a hand over his mouth. She was visibly torn. She chewed her lip and started to speak several times but never managed more than a syllable. Finally, she looked at him in that strange way he had learned to anticipate. She put her hand on his chest.

  A gruff voice yelled down the alleyway, sending them leaping apart and ending Dasen’s struggles to interpret the strange gesture. Shaken, they both stared at a large man who was standing in the side doorway of the inn. He was looking at them and gesturing them forward. In the darkness, they could not see his expression, but Ral’s dreadful warnings ran through Dasen’s mind. He considered running, but the warrior bellowed again.
He motioned them to pick up their buckets then disappeared back through the door.

  With a glance at each other, they complied. Inside the doorway, the man was waiting. He gave them each a hard cuffing to the back of the head then led them to the inn’s common room. The large room was crowded with Darthur – and a few normal sized men as well – packed around a large table heatedly arguing some derisive issue. Dasen could make no sense of it and only had a moment to consider. Their employer-of-the-moment pointed to an empty barrel and then to their buckets of water. The implication was clear. Teth then Dasen poured their buckets into the barrel. When they were done, the man led them back through the kitchens to a small courtyard with a stone well at its center. He pointed to the well and said a few incomprehensible words, but the task was obvious, so Dasen used the crank to bring up the water, and Teth shuttled it into the inn.

  Countless buckets later, Dasen thought his arms were going to fall off from the exertion of bringing up the water, but Teth kept coming back for more. When she finally motioned him to stop, the first drops of rain were starting to fall. The flashes of lighting were as numerous as fireflies and the roar of thunder was constant. They retreated to the empty kitchen and devoured several pieces of flat bread that Teth had been given. They did not speak for fear of the warrior who lingered just outside the room.

  As they were swallowing the last bites and preparing to exit through the same side door, their employer returned. He gestured harshly for them to put down their buckets and follow. They complied without a thought, and he led them back into the main room to the farthest end of a long table to a man in a black robe. The man looked up at their approach, and enough light penetrated his cowl for Dasen to see a broad smile spread across his bearded face.

  “Thank you, Turgot,” the man said to the warrior. “These will be fine.” Though the voice was casual, friendly even, it chilled Dasen to the bone. He understood the words, but they had not been spoken in any language he knew. It was not a sensation he had experienced since his run to the rope bridge, and he had nearly attributed it to a delusion of his overstressed mind. But there it was again, and this time there was no denying it. Obviously, the warrior understood as well because he turned and walked abruptly away.

  The old man watched the warrior go then turned to them. “You, please come here.” Dasen looked up, saw the finger pointed at Teth, and felt guilt-ridden relief rush over him.

  Teth did as asked without trepidation. Head bowed, she covered the few steps separating her from the old man. Dasen remained back, wanting to run but not willing to abandon Teth. He tried to blend in with the wall as he slowly edged toward the open door a few paces away. Teth stood, rapid shaking breathes betraying her apparent calm, as the man finished stamping his seal onto an intricately folded piece of paper. He handed the paper to Teth and whispered, but Dasen heard his words clearly over the loud alien conversations that pervaded the room. “Take this message to the large house on the northern edge of town. When you have delivered it, wait for a reply and bring it back to me. Do you understand?” Teth nodded nervously. “If any of the night guards stop you, show them the seal, and they will let you pass. Be quick and you will be rewarded.”

  Teth nodded again, took the message, and turned. The old man grabbed her wrist before she could go and pulled her back to face him. He examined her for a long time, looking into her downcast eyes and studying her features. Dasen’s heart pounded, but he was too paralyzed to do anything other than silently pray for the Order to protect them. “Have you been tested, boy?” the man finally asked, saying the last word in a way that exposed the lie of it.

  Teth looked confused by the question but recovered quickly. “Yes, sir, in Rycroft where I’m from.”

  The old man shook his head. His long fingers remained clamped around Teth’s thin wrist. Then there was a flash in his eyes. He pushed Teth away and focused on Dasen. The gaze hit him like a hammer. He gulped hard to keep himself from choking. The old man’s eyes lit, and his scraggly beard was cut by a broad smile. “Come here,” he demanded sweetly.

  Dasen gulped again. His mind yelled at him to run, but he knew that he would not make it two steps, so he compelled his feet forward until he was within the reach of the old man.

  The man clasped his chin with a bony hand and looked deep into his eyes. It seemed the longest time that Dasen was trapped by his black, black eyes. The old man’s smile grew and grew. “Now, you,” he chuckled, “I know that you have not been tested. How is that?”

  Dasen took a shaky breath. “I was just brought here today, and there was no mention of testing.”

  “Sloppy, sloppy.” The old man nearly giggled. “We will have to rectify that oversight.” He looked around the room and began to rise from his seat. His hand clamped on Dasen’s shoulder, holding him firmly in place with the skeletal claw.

  As if on cue, a young man at the middle of the table yelled, “Belab, vol tröcht palörgh turah te-am’ eiruh? Vacht sol da’ stoche wächse?”

  The old man glowered across the table annoyed. “The te-am’ eiruh are ready. We stand as always at your command.”

  The response did not seem to satisfy the young leader – a memory hit Dasen of that man sitting on a horse overseeing the slaughter in Randor’s Pass, and his hackles rose even as the old man held him in place – and he sharply addressed the old man again. The old man looked anxiously at Dasen then back at the man at the other end of the table. He growled low in his throat, and Dasen could almost feel his teeth grinding. “My apologies,” he finally said to the man. His voice held none of the anger from a moment before, was measured and servile. “One moment, and I will provide a full accounting of our forces and give you my thoughts on how we can be of best use.” With a small bow, he gestured toward the man and reached for another piece of paper.

  He scribbled a few runes on the paper, folded it, and handed it to Dasen. “It is your lucky day, boy,” he whispered sweetly. There was a yell from the other side of the table, but the old man just held out his hand. “Go with your friend and deliver this message to the same place. The people there will give you both a hot meal and a soft bed for the night. Now run along, and be quick about it.” The old man looked at Dasen one more time, the longing clear in his dark eyes, and waved them away.

  Dasen did not need any further prompting. He ran out the door with Teth on his heels. Outside, the rain was falling in sheets, and they both ducked back under the eaves to avoid the torrents. Teth tucked her note into her pants and pulled her shirt down over it.

  Dasen began to copy her but was interrupted by Teth hitting him hard in the upper arm. “You idiot!” she yelled over the roar of thunder and pounding of rain. “When are you going to learn that you don’t always have to tell the truth?” She began to mock him. “No, I just got here today and haven’t been tested yet. Argh! Do you realize we are trying to keep from drawing attention to ourselves?”

  “It’s not like I had a choice. He already knew the answer to the question. There is no way I could have lied. You’re lucky you weren’t caught. You didn’t even know what you were lying about.” Teth glared at him, but Dasen brushed it off. “We should get out of here before he decides to come after us. You heard how he talked and the way he looked at me. I think he has something to do with the creatures, and I don’t think we’re going to get a warm meal and soft bed at that house, do you?”

  “No. So what do we do?”

  “We get out of here. And we do it now.”

  “So you’re coming with me? We’re leaving?” Teth nearly tackled him as she grabbed his arms.

  “There’s no choice now. Come on, we can talk about this later. Who knows when he will come after us or have some more of his friends do it for him.” With that, Dasen ran into the deserted streets. Teth followed close behind.

  Outside of the shelter of the building, any part of Dasen that had been dr
y became not just wet but completely drenched. The rain fell in sheets of big drops, the streets ran with water, the wind blew from all directions, swirling so that Dasen wondered if a tornado were looming in the darkness. Through that morass, they ran up the empty street leading north until the inn was entirely lost in the fury of the storm. When he was certain that no one could still be watching, Dasen turned down a side street heading west.

  “This is the wrong direction,” Teth sputtered through the rain. “We need to go east. We’re not actually delivering these messages, remember.”

  Dasen led them around a corner and pulled to a stop. He waited for a flash of lightning and checked the street behind them. It was empty. With that assurance, he pulled the note from his pants and tore it to shreds. Teth tried to do the same, but he caught her hands. “Put that away. The old man said it would get us past the guards. The way he said it, it sounds like the invaders guard the camp at night. That’s probably why none of the boys escape.” Dasen looked back around the corner, wiping streams of water from his face, but there was still nothing. “Alright, you lead. Let’s go straight east, get to the common lands as fast as we can. Once we’re there no one will be able to find us in this.”

  Teth smiled, looking most like a drowned cat. “As long as we don’t get struck by lightning,” she laughed then sprinted down the rain-soaked streets toward the rows of tents in the distance.