“What do you know of Sigurr’s Sword?” demanded Chaldrin with a frown. “It is well known that he and the Shadow are near brothers, yet—what would a slave wench know of these things?”
“Chaldrin forgets that Jalav is no slave,” said I, rising straight again at the tone of the male. “It was Jalav who freed Mehrayn and the others from capture in a city to the north, Jalav who returned with them here to bring Sigurr’s word to the Shadow Aysayn. For this reason was Jalav taken captive, and for this reason will Jalav have the life of Ladayna, from whom all this evil has arisen! Are you fool enough to doubt me, male?”
All four of the males looked upon me in silence, none moving, till he who had been tending Chaldrin recalled what he was about. He turned again with dampened cloth to the wound, and Chaldrin straightened in pain at the touch, drawing his breath in sharply. The sound brought Treglin from his stare, and he turned to the white-clad male who stood beside him.
“Have the new fighter brought here,” said Treglin, grim determination having taken him. “I will know the truth of this matter before I consider what may be done for it.”
The other male nodded and hurried from the chamber, passing me with an uneasy glance. I stood with swordpoint resting upon the stone of the floor, yet the male undoubtedly knew how quickly that swordpoint might be raised.
“Chaldrin, you should not have taken sword in hand again,” said the one who tended Chaldrin’s wound, spreading a salve upon the bloody gash. “Of all those who dwell in this domain, I find you the most difficult to tend. You must rest a full hand of feyd at minimum, else will the wound be overlong in healing.”
“I will see that he takes his rest,” said Treglin, crouching down to assist with the cloth the other male would use to bind the wound. Chaldrin halted his breathing till the last of the salve was upon him, then looked toward me as the cloth was raised.
“It would be no more than fair if she who wounded me also tended me,” said he with a faint grin as his wound was covered. “I would then remain upon my furs a good deal longer.”
“A neck chain would also see to the matter,” said I, discounting the chuckling of the other two. How odd were these Sigurri, always and forever accepting strangers and enemies to tend them. Truth to tell, I knew not how they had managed to survive.
“Here,” said Treglin, rising from his crouch before Chaldrin and turning to throw a square of white cloth to me. “It is plain you care naught for whether your body is covered, yet do we run perilously close to your reenslavement as you are. As there are weighty matters to be considered by us, use the cloth so that we may consider them with full attention.”
Chaldrin and the male tending him chuckled, yet Treglin clearly meant the words he spoke. Resting my sword against the wall, I opened the square of cloth and wrapped it about me, then reclaimed my sword before crouching again.
A number of reckid passed in silence, during which time Chaldrin lay back upon the fur he had been tended on. The wound I had given him was not gravely serious, yet had he lost a goodly amount of blood, which ever took one’s strength. I thought perhaps he slept, yet when Aysayn was brought within the chamber, he again moved himself to sitting. Sigurr’s Shadow remained bare of all covering, and when he was brought past me, I was able to see the traces remaining of the lashing he had taken.
“There is a matter I will have the truth from you on,” said Treglin when Aysayn stood before Chaldrin and himself. “For what reason would Sigurr’s Shadow concern himself with you? For what reason would he wish your life?”
“Sigurr’s Shadow is very fond of the fighter who stands before you,” replied Aysayn, folding his arms as he looked upon the other. “Though I was lashed when last I spoke of it, allow me to repeat myself: I am Sigurr’s Shadow.”
“I am able to see sense in the thing no other way,” said Chaldrin, gazing up at Aysayn. “He fought with high skill of the Sands, far beyond all nestlings and most victors. The sole point I cannot reconcile is the failure of him who replaced you behind the Golden Mask to challenge you before the entire city. How may a man who yearns for the highest place think to face Sigurr as his Shadow, when he has not earned that place?”
“The prime mover behind this treachery is not male,” said Aysayn, his voice hardening. “No man would fail to realize the demands of the position I have found it necessary to defend my place four times with the sword blessed by Sigurr. The wench schemed long and well to have me as I am now, yet would she regret it if she were suddenly faced with challenge a fifth time. He who now stands behind the Mask would fall, and she with him.”
“We are commanded to have you upon the Shining Sands in two feyd time,” said Treglin, eyeing Aysayn sourly. “For what reason would we be given such a command?”
“It is clear Ladayna means to have my life before the return of Mehrayn,” shrugged Aysayn. “She undoubtedly has other plans to keep the Sword from discovering the truth, yet will she find difficulty in such a doing. Mehrayn is not so great a fool as I.”
“You have none of you touched the topic of main concern,” said I, rising from my crouch as they all turned to look upon me. “We are all aware of their intentions; what are we to do to halt those intentions?”
“That, wench, is a problem not easily solved,” said Chaldrin, grimacing as he moved about upon the fur. “Perhaps Sigurr will appear at the last moment, and confront the wrongdoers with accusation.”
“Such is foolishness!” I snapped, gesturing away the nonsense of the male. “There are no more than four hands of Ladayna’s warriors stationed at the door which gives egress from these Caverns; your white-clad males number greater than that. For what reason do we not fall upon those warriors and then seek Ladayna in her lair above? Have your males no skill in doing battle? Are they able to do no more than watch others?”
The males gazed upon me in unexpected silence, their faces showing naught of expression, and then a faint smile touched the lips of Chaldrin.
“It is clear you know naught of our circumstances here, girl,” said he. “Each of us here has considerable skill in battle, for each of us here was a victor when he fought upon the Shining Sands. Should a man live two kalod as a victor, and be as weary of battle as we, he is then given white cloth to cover himself with, and the position of training those who are sent to us as nestlings. Should we do as you suggest and return to the city above, our lives are immediately forfeit. To attempt to run to another place would be idle, for where would we go? This has become our home, as well as our place of exile. You would have me ask my men to turn their backs on it for certain death? I think not. ”
“Perhaps you have not considered the Shadow’s pardon,” said Aysayn, turning again to look down upon Chaldrin. “Should you assist me in regaining my freedom, yours would be regained as well. Yours, and that of your men who fought at my side.”
“And what if you were to fall?” asked Treglin, the while Chaldrin’s broad face grew disturbed. “If you were lost and your cause as well, what of us? Would our lives not then be forfeit for certain?”
“Should it be that Sigurr’s face has turned from me, such a thing may well occur,” said Aysayn, his voice heavy with a sigh. “I cannot demand your assistance, for I no longer stand behind the Mask. You must each of you do as you think best, and I will trust in Sigurr to set my feet upon the path to victory.”
“Ah, Mida! Why must males be such great fools?” I demanded of the air above me, unable to keep silent any longer. “What glory is there in merely living? What dignity in merely accepting punishment and exile? These are brothers, these males, all of a city as we are of the sister clans; how may brothers deny one another so easily, as sisters of the Midanna would never do? This is surely the reason they will fall before us, for they will enter battle as strangers to one another, uncaring of glory and bereft of dignity. So much for the followers of Sigurr.”