B0161NEC9Y (F) (30 page)

“Ah. You’re awake. Lovely. I’ve missed our chats.” The city’s doctor walked through the door and grabbed a wooden chair from the other side of the room. Fatigue lined his face. He sat down stiffly, looking at a sheet on his clipboard. “So—”

“Are my people okay?” she asked with a rush of panic.

His brown eyes flashed up, hitting hers. With a small sigh, he dropped his board to his lap. “I see your manners haven’t improved. But I am rather glad you are asking about someone other than yourself. What a welcome change. I’m sure you have one or two more friends because of it.”

“Doctor…” Shanti sat up, wincing. Her head throbbed. She touched it gingerly, feeling the bandage.

“It hurts to sit up, doesn’t it? That is because you’re injured. Or did you plan to self-diagnose, like usual?”

“I’m fine, but I won’t ask you again. Are my people okay?”

He glanced at the board in his hand. “I don’t know how many of your people are in the city, but I’ve treated fourteen and released eleven. As for the bullheaded boys trying to force their way in here, they are all fine. Minor cuts and scrapes, a knife wound—Marc looked at most of them.”

At the mention of Marc’s name, an image of dead brown eyes assaulted her memory. Her chest squeezed, the loss weighing on her. And he was only one. How many others?

“And the women?” Shanti asked.

“I really don’t have time to pick through the records. I need to examine you, and then see to the others.”

“No need. I’m fine.” She pulled back the sheets as her door opened. Kallon walked in wearing nothing but a few bandages and a lot of scrapes.

“Ah yes, one of yours, I take it?” The doctor got up with a put-upon expression. “He doesn’t like the bed gowns, either. Go figure.”

“Are you well?” Shanti asked Kallon.

“He seems to think so.” The doctor pursed his lips. “A people of nudists and doctors, hmm?” The doctor focused on Kallon. “And don’t worry, the cold has that effect. I’m sure it won’t stop you from getting dates.”

Kallon’s brow scrunched up in confusion.

“Did Cayan get admitted?” Shanti asked as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. A searing pain exploded up her leg. Reaching out to brace herself on Kallon’s arm, she pulled up the end of the nightgown. A white bandage covered the side of her right thigh.

“A piece of wood lodged in your thigh,” the doctor said, having stopped at the door. “If you women are going to play with explosives, you reap what you sow. And the Captain has been discharged. Not because he is well, mind you, but because he is apparently too important to listen to my advice. I don’t know why I even bother.”

The doctor’s eyebrows settled over his eyes before he walked out.

“
He is put out by his profession?
”
Kallon asked.

“
He is put out by people challenging his authority. Do you have any information?
”

Kallon shook his head, slipping his arm around her waist to help her stand. “
No. The healer wouldn’t tell me anything. I was waiting for you to be ready before we left. Sayas and Mela recently woke up, and Rohnan has been resting. He has a back wound that is bothering him.
”

She glanced down at his body, and then surveyed the room. As expected, she had no clothes other than the silly drape that tangled her feet when in bed. “
You will need to cover up. These people don’t like nudity.
”

“Yes, I got that impression. I’d rather not wear a dress, however.
”

“Me neither, but you don’t see me complaining.
”
Shanti failed to mention her previous stays. It would just confuse matters.

“
Have you heard from the others?
”

Shanti could hear the light plea in Kallon’s voice. She felt a pang in her heart. Portolmous had said people with a similar description to her were spreading the rumors about the Wanderer, but locations had been vague. There was no telling if those rumors came from Kallon’s journey, one of the other groups, or all three groups who had gone into hiding. “
No. I sent the messages at the same time. Your group was the closest. I’m sure they are coming.
”

Kallon’s expression was troubled, but he nodded.

“Come on,
”
Shanti said. There was no point in worrying about it now.
“Let’s get the others and see…where we stand.
”

“You are close to these people,
”
Kallon said as they left the room.

“
Yes. I don’t want anything to harm them. They’ve helped me.
”

“
And the Captain.
”

“
Yes.
”

“
You’ve
Joined
with him…
”

Shanti opened Mela’s room. She sat on the bed, her gown tucked up to her waist. Her eyes lit up when Shanti entered. “
Chosen!
”
She hopped up, and then staggered, grunting in pain. Shanti stepped forward to grab her, stepping on her bad leg and teetering toward the wall. They hit with a thud.

“
I hope the Graygual give us a break. I could use a bath.
”
Mela straightened up, hugging Shanti close.

“What the fuck is going on?” Sanders stopped outside the room. Angry red marks scored the side of his face and ripped the skin down his arm. “Why the hell is everyone naked?”

“Oh, I see you’re releasing yourself, too,” the doctor’s voice drifted in. “Why does that not surprise me?”

“Because you’re smart, doc, that’s why,” Sanders replied.

“Smart enough to be ignored, yes.” The doctor walked by with a shaking head.

“
Put some clothes on,
”
Shanti told the others.

“Shanti, a word?” Sanders said, glancing at Mela and then ripping his eyes skyward. He moved out of the line of sight.

Shanti glanced at Kallon, silently letting him know she was stepping out, and then left the room, closing the door behind her. Sanders stood in the hall, his body stiff, his mind uncomfortable. Shanti couldn’t tell if it was physical or emotional. Whichever it was, Sanders was hiding it behind an impatient mask.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Shanti said, stopping next to him.

Sanders’ jaw clenched. “I told the Captain I wouldn’t berate you for dragging all the women into your folly. I swore I wouldn’t mention that you and I are going to have it out for involving Junice in those plots. And I planned not to let it slip, in a mushy sort of way, that I am eternally grateful to you for saving my wife’s life. That is a debt I will never be able to repay, but I will keep trying for the rest of my life. I’ll guard your back like family.” He cleared his throat. “So I’ll just keep all of that to myself.”

Warmth and affection spread through Shanti, something that would probably make Sanders uncomfortable. She tried to clasp her hands behind her back, but her shoulder ached. Instead, she tightened her lips and said, “Mhm.”

“What I did want to say is…I don’t know what your deal is with Mister Striking in there, but if you play the Captain false, I will rip your limbs off and beat you with them. If I have to sneak up on you to do so, I will. I have no problem sucker-punching a woman if that woman is you, got it?”

Shanti laughed. “You will have your work cut out for you, guarding the back of someone with no limbs…”

“Don’t make me have to accept that challenge.” Sanders glanced down the hall and lowered his voice. When his gaze hit Shanti’s again, it was serious. “Look, the Captain has been through a lot of shit in his life, and it’s about to get worse. He hasn’t really had a break. Now, for whatever reason, he likes you. Don’t ask me why—you’re a huge pain the ass. But he does. So do the man a favor—if you aren’t on his level, break it off. Don’t drag him around by the nose while you shack up with some pretty foreign man, and don’t make him look a fool. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Kallon and I have a tie similar to you and the Captain, we just touch more. All my people touch more, or haven’t you noticed with Rohnan and I? I have no romantic ties.”

Sanders made a sound like “Hmph.” He took a step away. “Well, if you plan to get touchy-feely with a bunch of guys, you should expect the Captain to lose his shit. I’m just throwing that out there.”

Shanti laughed and headed back into the room to grab the other two.

“And put some damn clothes on! You don’t need to go flashing at the whole city!”

As Sanders strode down the hall, obviously trying to hide a limp, Shanti looked down at herself. “I’m covered.” It was then she noticed the draft in the back. “Mostly covered, anyway.”

A
fter she had bathed and dressed, Shanti walked across the city slowly, trying not to favor her right leg. The wound throbbed, her head pounded, and her body felt as weak as a water reed, but she refused to show weakness in a city that was mourning.

Kallon and Rohnan flanked her, quiet and somber. The rest of her people walked behind, knowing where they were headed, and giving their support.

“S’am.” Valencia passed with a scrape down her face and wearing a plain brown dress. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but her face was determined. Both sorrow and pride emanated from her.

“Shoo-lan.” A man with a bandage around his head touched his fist to his chest.

“Shoo-lan.” Another man nodded slightly. Yet another touched his fist to his heart.

As she walked down the lane, people slowed, watching her. Those in her path veered to the side, saying her name and nodding or touching their chest.

“S’am.” Marc jogged across the street, walking away from a woman with her arm in a sling. He glanced at Rohnan, gave a tick of his head in hello, and then flinched when he met Kallon’s eyes.

Kallon dropped back with the others.

“Look, S’am,” Marc said, walking close to her. “There’s something you should know before you go over there.” Marc lowered his voice. “The men aren’t really pleased that the women put themselves in harm’s way. I mean, most are grateful, of course. We all realize that without them, we wouldn’t have been able to take back the city. But we do things a certain way here. Change is hard.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is, you might just…be a bit delicate where the women using weapons are concerned, you know? Let things come around gradually.”

“War doesn’t allow for gradual. You can’t let a person spread their wings when you need them, and expect them to be content to let you clip their wings again when you’re done with them. They were needed, they rose to the challenge, and now you will need to rise to the challenge as well.”

“
Chulan
doesn’t have subtlety, Marc.” Rohnan’s voice was colored with humor.

Sayas and Mela both chuckled.

“Okay, but if you go trying to train people’s mothers and wives right in front of their faces, they’re going to get pissed, S’am,” Marc said, flustered. “You’re going to get pushback. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Marc, some of those women are excellent archers. If they can stand on the wall and keep this city from being taken again, then I will make sure they are trained to do so. Ruisa has proven that women of this city can fight. Let some of the others prove their value as well.”

“Please don’t make me train with my mom, S’am,” Marc whined. “She’d embarrass me.”

Rohnan started to laugh, passing on what Marc had said to those who didn’t speak the language. More chuckles sounded before her.

The smile drifted from Shanti’s face when she saw the large expanse of park up ahead. A few trees were scarred and had been hacked into. The ground was torn up with clumps of mud and mounds of dirt. In the middle, laid out between the trees with their hands on their chests and daisies on their closed eyes, were the fallen.

Shanti took a deep breath, not allowing guilt to invade the moment. The fighters here didn’t deserve that. She knew they wouldn’t accept it.

Crying floated through the air. Many kneeled or stood between their friends and family, mourning with red eyes or tears streaming down their cheeks. A few just stood and stared out at nothing, eyes unfocused and faces utterly slack. Emotion and loss had dragged them under.

Rohnan faltered, grabbing on to Mela to stay upright. Shanti and the rest of her people closed down their shields, trying to muffle the intense grief that slapped them.

Shanti made her way through the dead slowly, looking on peaceful faces, many of which she’d never seen before. She stopped when she came to the first female, a woman in her later years with graying hair and a lined face. Tucked into her hands was a bow so worn and used it was obvious she’d been working with it for many years.

“She loved archery.” Shanti looked up to find a man the same age as the woman. His eyes were red and swollen. Beside him stood a man of Shanti’s age with a bandage wrapped around his upper arm. “She was the best shot in the family.” The older man smiled fondly. “She’d always said she would be the best in the army if they had allowed her to fight.”

The older man put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, looking down on his wife.

Shanti moved on, slowly, giving her respects. When she came to a middle-aged man, the woman standing with two children beside him said, “He felt helpless when they dragged him from the house. He tried to protect us. He was worried of what the Graygual would do.” She sniffed. Her lip started to tremble. “They chained him in the park with the other army men. He got to defend his city in the end, though. He protected us in the end.” She squeezed her children to her.

Shanti continued until she saw the Honor Guard gathered off to the right. They stood with miserable faces and bowed heads. Shanti felt Rohnan’s hand on her shoulder. She’d been dreading this.

She stopped beside Daniels and Tomous. She looked down on Tobias’ blank face.

“He fought hard,” Tomous said in a grave voice. “He was always ready with a joke.”

Shanti nodded slowly, memorizing his features. Tears came to her eyes, threatening to overcome her.

A low hum started behind her. And then around her, as her people spread out around the body. The humming grew louder as Shanti’s emotion rose, before turning into a sorrowful melody. Her people’s voices climbed, singing the song of the dead. The song of the lost. Singing to the Elders to take the fighter’s soul and place him among the stars so that he might guide their feet in battle.