Silent Kingdom (14 page)

I shuddered when I thought about the forest and what it would be like to venture into the shadows and face the sedwa again.

“It’s not a long journey from Misroth to Evren—if you manage to stay straight and true,” Marke continued, “but the old pathways are becoming overgrown, and trekking through the thick forest with a wagon is no easy task. In some cases I had to make my own trail by beating back undergrowth, and so a journey I’d hoped to accomplish in less than two days began to look like it would take double that time. By the second night, I was sure something was wrong in the forest: the animals were too quiet; the night felt…ominous.”

Marke hesitated, and I brushed at my arms, trying to chase the cold chills away.

“I’d heard the rumors about the sedwa stalking the woods and mountains, and knew why the forest path was rarely used, but since recent rumors have not spread…” He paused to catch his breath, and his eyes drifted briefly toward Rev, but then locked on me.

A queasy feeling formed in the pit of my stomach.
Does he recognize me? What are the chances? The people of Misroth City rarely saw me, and I was a child then. Surely the likelihood of him recognizing me now is almost impossible…though I know I resemble my mother…

He broke into my thoughts. “Well, that last statement wasn’t entirely true. There have been a few tales in Misroth City and surrounding towns. I didn’t believe they held a lot of credence when I first heard them; to be honest, I thought there were other dangers and difficulties that kept travelers from using the path through Evren Forest other than the sedwa…”

Rev was frowning intently at Marke. “What form do these tales take in the capital? Are they similar to ours?”

“The tales speak of attacks from strange monsters. Dark creatures, with scales like dragons, sleek bodies toned with muscles like great cats, teeth like bears, and claws like…well, like no other creature known to man.” Marke shook his head. “Even more unbelievable to me were the myths whispered among some foolhardy citizens in Misroth City: that King Eldon did not simply close our borders to the Alrenian Empire to promote our independence, but that he found a way to cast a barrier around our kingdom that forcefully blocked our borders from intruders. The stories say that he did so to keep monsters like the sedwa out of our lands, and that he and his men hunted down the remainder still living in Misroth until all were extinct, all but the few that went into hiding. These rumors claim the sedwa are some of the creatures from the Wastelands.”

There were those stories about the kingdoms beyond Misroth again. A longing to travel beyond my small world, to see new lands and explore these mysteries, burned in my heart.
Concentrate,
I reprimanded myself. I shifted in my chair and looked back at Marke.

“What was I to make of this nonsense?” Marke said, glancing at both Rev and me. “If these animals existed, why were they the stuff of legend? Why were they not regularly seen, hunted…or at least why weren’t the people living near the forest and Vorvinian Mountains plagued by regular attacks?”

He stared at us for a long moment, as if assessing something. At last, he spoke. “I have a gift for discernment, so I suppose I can trust you.”

Rev shot me a look, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide with skepticism. I could almost see the thought flitting through his mind:
Perhaps this man is delusional
.

“In Misroth City,” Marke continued, “word is going round that there is a conspiracy involving the sedwa…that they only started making systematic attacks on citizens throughout Misroth once they were provoked by hunters. And not provoked by just any hunters, but by specific men appointed by the king to anger the sedwa and spread terror among the people so he could promise us protection and hold greater sway over us. Now, I am not one to question the oppressive state of his regime or his clear desire to tighten hold over us, but…this all seemed…farfetched.”

Rev was running his hand through his hair again. “We have heard news of oppression from the king, but mostly scattered tales told by travelers and the occasional whispers of merchants. Could you tell us more?”

My heart hammered against my chest. There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in my mind: what Marke was saying was not myth. I knew what lengths the king would go to establish his power; I’d tasted them myself. And few in Evren were questioning the sedwas’ existence now. The tension in my head grew. Conditions throughout the rest of Misroth must be worse than I’d ever imagined or feared.

“Of course, I had forgotten how Evren mostly keeps to itself.” Marke sighed, letting his head sink further back into his pillow. “Many are discontent with Zarev’s rule, but few will speak out against it and fewer still have chosen to oppose it outright. But…as I said…I see I can trust you.”

Rev and I exchanged another glance, and I realized my fingers were clenched together in my lap.

Marke drew a deep breath. “The king is ruthless in his efforts to control—citizens’ lives mean nothing if taking them means he can tighten his clutch on us all. Priests are forbidden to teach about the Giver of Life because the king is bent on spreading death; citizens are forbidden to gather together without express permission; guards patrol the streets everywhere and inflict terror and punishment through the torture and execution of any who speak out against the king. The slightest word can be twisted, called treachery, and used against you. There are no trials; there is no justice for us. Even the King’s Council has been disbanded under the premise that the action is only temporary and only a necessary evil during wartime. Yet despite this clear injustice, so many believe in King Regent Zarev’s goodness; they trust his lies and think he is protecting us all. Only a few of us dare to meet in secret within the capital, to share news and plan ways to oppose the false king. And none of this is the worst news…” He closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath once more.

Glancing down, I realized my fingers were curling into fists. I relaxed them and lay my hands in my lap, but I couldn’t stop from fidgeting as Marke went on.

“The war’s expenses are taking its toll on us all. Our taxes are high, and our young men are being sent to Argelon where they can be trained as soldiers or guards. Evren is one of the fortunate towns too distant to feel the effects yet. And Gillen, our rightful heir to the throne, is nearly of age, but I fear he will never rule. Instead, word has it that Gillen himself led a regiment into battle.”

My stomach clenched; my head was spinning again.
No
. The room felt like it was closing in on me and I thought I would fall from the chair. I pressed my hands to my temples and forced myself to focus, to push the panic back. I needed to hear everything Marke had to share.

Steadying my breathing, I sat up and dared to look in Rev’s direction. Thankfully, he was too engrossed in Marke’s news to notice my pain. I turned back to Marke, fearful of what he would share next, but desperate to know more.

“He has been gone at the front for months now with no word. We have little hope…” Marke gasped and ran a weary hand over his brow. “We have little hope he will return any time soon, if ever. Few even remember to call Zarev king regent anymore.”

I swallowed, wishing the chill gripping my heart would melt away, that I could convince myself the worst had not happened to my cousin.

Marke didn’t stop. “So, as I said, things are…not going well in Misroth. You’re fortunate to be cut off from it all, but I doubt it will last long. Zarev’s greedy eyes will roam toward the smaller, more distant towns and he will not be satisfied with leaving them untouched. He will take supplies for his army and force his laws upon you as well. If it is true that he is endangering you by angering the sedwa, then he is simply waiting for you to begin clamoring to him for protection.”

Rev stirred uncomfortably in his chair. “So…the sedwa…”

“As I said, that second night of my travels I started to have my doubts. The forest was ominously quiet and I knew something was wrong; something was hushing nature into an unnatural silence. My horse knew this too, and was restless and agitated all night. I hardly slept, but I neither heard nor saw anything of the sedwa. The arrival of daylight rallied my courage and I shrugged off my nighttime fears. I told myself my imagination was running wild and that perhaps stormy weather was on the way, or some other predator, perhaps a bear, had been roaming the woods.

“However, as soon as twilight descended, the quiet did again too, and my steed was even more unnerved than before. When I tied him to a tree for the night, something spooked him and he began to rear and kick. My efforts to calm him were to no avail.” He looked at me. “That’s when I saw it.

“First I noticed the eyes: brilliant gold shimmering in the moonlight as they watched me. The pupils were such thin slits they were almost lost in the wide glow of its irises. The way they stared at me, unblinking, chilled me and kept me frozen to the ground. I had never seen eyes like that in any creature. My thoughts were going wild and I could not keep my wits about me to determine what to do next: flee on the horse without my wares, or stand and defend?

“I was desperate, hoping to save my supplies, to make money for my family, so I suppose I took the fool’s choice. I dashed back to my wagon where I kept my bow... Yes, I’d been so overconfident in my belief that the sedwa weren’t real that I hadn’t even kept a weapon on my person.” He sighed. “Maybe movement is what attracts them and entices them to strike. All I know is that it took mere moments for it to spring. It was so swift it was merely a mass of darkness, great golden eyes, and fangs and claws diving toward me. It leapt and snapped at my neck, but I managed to jump back. Its fangs grazed my chest instead.” He tapped the sheets gingerly to indicate the hidden wound. “I did have a dagger in my belt and had the foresight to draw that. I buried it deep into one of those eyes.” He shuddered.

“The rest of the fight is a blur in my mind. I slashed when I could, but the sedwa overpowered me. It was impossibly fast and powerful and unnaturally intelligent, studying my every move. At some point, by some miracle, it left me bleeding on the ground. What kind of animal leaves its prey to die, I do not know. It was Selna’s husband Ekrem who found me as he was returning from a hunt. If not for him, his wife, and your healer, I would have died there alone, unable to even attempt to find help, for my horse had long since fled.”

He glanced at me again. I bit my lip, but still he said nothing.

“We are sorry if we troubled or upset you,” Rev responded, his brow furrowed.

Slowly, Marke shook his head. “No, I am glad I could tell you about the sedwa and what is going on beyond your town’s borders.” He closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath. “Call me a traitor now, if you will, but I promise you that no good has come of the war or King Zarev’s reign. You will see all too soon for yourselves.”

“I fear you may be correct,” Rev said, his face whiter than I had ever seen it. “Thank you for your information. We will let you rest now.”

Marke nodded, his head moving against the pillow, and Rev and I stood. Tiptoeing through the doorway, we met Selna in the hall.

“Will he be all right?” Rev whispered.

Selna’s forehead pinched with concern. “I hope so.”

My head ached from all of Marke’s news; my thoughts and fears were consuming me. Heart pounding, I followed Rev through the backdoor and out into the cold night air. The wind rustled around us and snowflakes fluttered into my face and melted in my hair.

Rev reached out to offer me his arm, so I humored him and leaned against his shoulder as we trudged back through a light dusting of snow. The townspeople’s voices carried to us on the wind as we wound our way from the inn, avoiding the crowds still lining the street and hoping for news of the stranger. Icy air fingered its way past my cloak, but I knew it wasn’t the cold that was leaving me breathless and numb. The knowledge of what was happening to the kingdom of Misroth as I hid away sent a chill through my veins. Old memories flitted through my mind but the hurt was distant—they were only well-remembered nightmares that held no power over me in my waking hours. Not for now. Not when I kept my heart hard against them.

There is nothing I can do,
I told myself.
Knowing the truth does not mean I can change what is happening
. I shoved the guilt away and pressed closer to Rev’s warmth, tucking my arm tighter in his.

But Gillen. Gillen
… I sent up a silent plea that the Life-Giver would bring him back safely to Misroth.

~ ~ ~

The sound of crashing waves roared in my ears and the wind tore through my hair, swirling my skirts around me and wrenching my breath away. Tears from the cold air stung my eyes and traced down my cheeks, but I was too numb to feel the cold on my skin. Instead, the icy fingers crept into my lungs, stifling me, forcing my words down inside of me. I could not speak, could not protest, though Marke was condemning me. He stared me down with an accusatory glare as I stood frozen on a precipice overlooking the sea, Misroth’s Royal Guard holding me over the edge. My back was to the sea but I was all too aware of the vast drop between me and the tumultuous water.

“You let them die,” Marke was saying. There were men, women, and children standing behind him, crying and wailing and wearing red armbands of mourning. Blood was running through the streets of Misroth, staining the castle, the shops, the houses, and the ramparts crimson.

No, no
… Horror and guilt shot through my veins and clenched at my heart. My lips were frozen and would not move. The wind howled in my ears, but I could still hear the low laughter of the guards beside me.

“You did nothing even though you knew what your father was doing—what he was capable of! How could you?” Marke was furious.

I couldn’t do anything…no one would have believed me… How could I stop him?

“For that you have been sentenced to death!”

Already the guards were shoving me over the edge. My scream tore from my throat and was stolen by the wind as I tumbled, suspended in the air for a few terrible seconds, and then plunged into darkness. The water was icy cold and suffocating. My hands were tied again. The sea pressed in heavily on all sides, threatening to crush me slowly…