The Treason Blade (Battle for Alsaar Book 1) (24 page)

The Lute
woman shrugged. A slight arrogance surfaced in her posture for the first time.
“Perhaps Ishar mentioned it to me.”

Anger unfurled within Eira as she detected a rising
insolence in Audris’ tone.
“Ishar?”
She asked with
scorn. “Why would she purposely hand you her head by mentioning those words? It
would automatically make her a suspect when I became injured or found dead.”
Eira turned her voice cold. It matched the numb pain taking over her body.
“No,” she stated, a fixed glance set upon the Lute woman she had once called
friend and sister. “I do not accept that answer from you either.”

Audris was
silent. Eira suddenly wished she could know the thoughts running within the
woman’s mind.

“Your lady
waits,” Varyk
stated,
his voice deceptively soft.

Audris opened
her mouth,
then
closed it. After a moment, she
haltingly added, “It would appear you like none of my answers, my lady.”

“What I would
like is the truth,” Eira ground out softly. “Have you betrayed us to our deaths,
you stupid girl? And if you have, to whom?”

Audris eyes
flashed upward at the insult and she quickly snapped back at Eira. “I am not
the one to betray us,” she whipped out. Audris must have realized the mistake
her immediate anger had cost her because she became quiet almost immediately
and looked away.

Varyk rounded
the bed. He grabbed Audris by the front of her garment and drew her to him.
“Did you arrange for the attempt on Eira’s life?” he thundered. “Answer me,” he
roared out angrily, “or so help me I will kill you where you stand.”

“Varyk,” Eira
spoke with weary exhaustion, “Release her.” Every muscle in Varyk was tight
with rage but he did as she asked and shoved the Lute woman away. Eira turned
her attention back to Audris. “Who have I betrayed? I ask this of you, who I
believed was my friend.”

“A friend?”
Audris sneered at the words, “How could I be a
friend to someone who would ally us with the Britai and seek an alliance with
those across the mountains?” For the first time, Eira realized she now saw the
true face of Audris and that look was one of derision and contempt as the Lute
woman said scornfully, “You have betrayed your people. You would have us mingle
with such weakness as the Britai embody and such hollow emptiness as are the
Haaldyn. They are gihuad,” she spoke vehemently. “What kind of people will we
become, tainted by such as these?”

Eira flinched at the rage she saw stretched across
Audris’ face. Gihuad was a Lute word. It meant discarded worthlessness. The
hatred she now saw stretched tightly across Audris’ face made her wonder how
long it had simmered below the surface

But Audris was not finished. Now that her
intentions had been revealed, she reveled in the moment of madness. “We should
have stayed in the Daiwen,” she hissed low. “It has always protected us and
kept us safe. Now you tempt fate by having us remove ourselves from its
protection. You will be judged for that,” she spit out, eyes mere slits of
fury. “The only thing I regret is they did not finish the job.” At those words,
Audris drew a dagger from her side and lunged.

Eira had not time to react, but Varyk did. With one
hand he caught the hand that held the dagger and with his other he grabbed her
by the waist and pulled her away from Eira. Varyk managed to rip the dagger
from her hand and he flung Audris away from both he and Eira. The Lute woman
struck the closest wall and fell to the ground with a thud. She quickly rose
and turned back with a savage expression. Varyk threw the dagger in his hand to
the floor and faced the enraged woman rising to meet him with teeth bared in a
grimace.
“Eira.
Stay.” Varyk ordered as he advanced.

Eira wondered
what Varyk thought she might do. Her injuries prevented her from anything
besides lying quiet and resting. She watched as he blocked a blow and
restrained Audris in a less than gentle manner. Using the belt which hung from
her own waist, Varyk lashed Audris’ wrists tightly; then stood and dragged her
upward.

Varyk turned
a frown in her direction. “It would appear I owe you an apology,” he stated
roughly while holding the struggling Audris.

A part of
Eira wished he did not. She found it difficult to believe such a trusted friend
could betray her without once speaking to her of the worries that plagued her
concerning the peace to be established. Eira had no idea such hatred of the
Britai and the Haaldyn had existed within Audris. What else had she missed? And
more importantly, did more of her people feel this way?

There was a
knock on the door and Lysandr entered. He nodded in Eira’s direction. “My lady,
I just heard that you were awake. I am glad to see it true.” Lysandr glanced
toward Varyk and opened his mouth to speak but stopped, halted by the sight of
Audris bound and held. “My lord?” he began.

Varyk cut his
second in command off. “We have found a spy amongst us. One who has fed on our
fears and is among others attempting to destroy the peace we seek,” Varyk
uttered mercilessly. “I want her taken to the holding room and Ishar released.”

Lysandr
sighed. “That may be a problem.” He granted Varyk a troubled look. “Isla just
found me. She looked in on our prisoner. Ishar is not there. The door was
locked, the key on the wall. Ishar has simply disappeared.”

Eira frowned.
“Not that I fault her, but how could she have escaped?”

“That is what
I would like to know,” Lysandr answered. “She obviously had help, to be
released from her shackle and the room. The problem is I do not see how she
made it out of the fortress without being observed. The gates are closed and
guarded.”

“Perhaps she
is still here,” Varyk stated firmly. “I want her found and she is not to be
harmed. Make sure everyone knows this, include that it was not Ishar who
attacked Eira.”

“Wait,
Lysandr,” Eira ordered quietly. She had watched Audris as Varyk
spoke,
saw the malicious smile that twitched upon the edges
of her lips at Lysandr’s words. Eira watched with narrowed eyes. “Audris, I
take it you will tell me you know nothing of this?” The Lute woman gave no
reply.

Lysandr frowned.
“If she is the one who wanted Ishar arrested, why would she aid in her escape?”

“Because,”
Eira spoke in frustration and nearly completely wearied by the night’s events,
“She did not want Ishar arrested.”

“She wanted
her dead and by our hands,” Varyk finished for her. “You did not do what Audris
wanted. You stopped Kagon and Rayne from killing Ishar.”

Eira nodded.
Her eyes flickered back to Audris and she added thoughtfully, “So you had to
come up with another plan. You could not be certain I would die of my wounds
but you still wanted Ishar dead.” Eira studied Audris. “But what were your
plans?”

Audris gave
no reply.

“What would
be the purpose of setting Ishar free?” Lysandr murmured. “Audris had to have
known she would most likely head for her homeland and safety.”

These words
caused Varyk to pale. “There are miles between here and Haaldyn territory. What
if she did not make it back?” he asked, alarmed.

“If she was killed along the way?”
Lysandr questioned with
the same growing horror upon his face. The implications were clear.

“Of course,”
Eira spoke firmly. “Why did I not see it? Audris did not manage to get Ishar
killed in the holding. Why not
do the next best thing
:
kill her outside the holding and make it look like it was done by our hands.”

Varyk turned
Audris toward him and griped her tight enough her face drained of color. “Is
this true? Tell me,” he growled out.

There was
pain within her expression but Audris took her time and spat in his face. “Kill
me if you will, my lord,” she uttered, “but I will tell you nothing more than
this: you will never find her in time and she rides straight to her death. A
death you cannot hope to stop.” She glanced triumphantly toward Eira. “Before
this week is numbered you will be at war with Ryen of the Haaldyn. There will
be no peace. All will be as it should. The Tourna will rid the land of the weak
Britai and destroy the Haaldyn. We Lute who remain within the Daiwen will
remain safe.” Her look was resolute. “The Daiwen has always protected those who
serve her faithfully.”

Varyk bore a
look of murder in his eyes. His hands nearly shook as he all but threw Audris
to Lysandr. “Bind her in the holding room and prepare the men to ride. Go,” he
ordered. Lysandr nodded with a grim look and dragged the hostile Audris from
the room.

Varyk glanced
at Eira with drained eyes. “I have no idea where to look. Which path might she
have taken?” He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Ishar might want
this peace to work but right now she runs for her life. Who knows what Audris
might have told her to aid this flight?” Varyk nodded in agreement. Eira
continued. “That means she will seek to keep her presence concealed from
watchful eyes as she travels but she will want as much speed as possible.” Eira
tilted her head as she thought about Audris’ words. “Audris mentioned Ishar was
on her way. That means she is outside the holding walls. How could Audris have
concealed her presence from the guards? They would have checked any individual
leaving.”

Varyk’s
glance grew speculative. “Unless she did not leave by the front gate and there
is only one answer for that. The side gate would make to much noise and is too
heavy for two women to move in the dark alone.”

Realization
hit her. “You mean the tunnel.”

“It is the
only way out of the holding without being seen by the guards,” Varyk commented
gravely.

“And I showed
it to Audris years ago as a safety precaution,” Eira stated with a sigh.

Varyk sighed.
“If it is true, it might be the only thing working in our favor. Her tracks
should still be fresh. The men will now know which direction to follow her. We
might yet have a chance if they do not have to split up early to search large
areas.” He moved to the door and glanced back. “I will try to find Ishar before
whoever Audris is aiding harms her. I know you want to come,” Varyk admonished
quietly to her, “But do me one favor and heal. I am certain that it will
delight Ishar all the more.”

Eira watched
in frustration as he slid out and closed the door. For a second she was tempted
to rise from the bed but a test of her strength told her quickly that was
impossible. She settled among the furs and blankets and fumed, frustrated and
concerned.

*

As much as
she yearned to ride in the direction of her father, Ishar kept to the way that
led to the high cliffs along the western side of the island. She saw the
intelligence of Audris’ words. The high cliffs indicated the lower end to the
start of the Twyndur Mountain Range that ranged northward a ways before
proceeding to the east until it met the eastern side of the island. It provided
a natural barrier against invaders. It would now provide Ishar with protection
as she moved along its trails, hidden by the rocky terrain and caves which
dotted the entire range. Plus the prints of the gelding would be even more
difficult to detect, allowing her fast movement and slowing pursuers farther.
But first she had to reach the region of the high cliffs. Hopefully Audris was
right and any men Varyk might send after her would head north immediately.

After a day
of riding with only a stop at midday to gather fresh water and finish the meat
Audris had provided, Ishar had seen the slope before her gradually rise. Now it
was close to night and she rode with weariness as she searched for a place of
concealment in which to hide the gelding and grant both of them a moment’s
respite from the heavy pace. Ishar feared to drive the creature lame if she
kept up the rigid swiftness of her ride. Plus there was the greater chance of
injury for her and the horse if she continued riding through the night. An hour
after dark she located a cluster of trees and bushes. Ishar slipped through and
pulled the animal in after her. The tight grouping of shrubs created a natural
barrier. Ishar took off her belt and laid the leather pouch and flask on the
ground. She used the belt and hobbled the gelding’s back feet so she would not
have to tie it but could allow the animal allow to graze during the night. Its
herd instincts would keep it close. Satisfied, Ishar lowered herself to the
ground and made a ball of her body in the crook where two trees had grown
together. “A few moments,” she mumbled, and nodded off.

*

Traevyn could
see the frustration in all the men. They had ridden all day, working out from
the land the direction that Ishar had taken. It had not been easy. The trail
pointed to the west, which did not make sense until Traevyn realized Ishar
wanted the cover of the mountains in her bid for her northern homeland. It was
a smart move and would have kept them from her path if not for the realization
that she had used the tunnel. He grimaced at the thought of Audris’ treachery
and wondered what the woman had told Ishar to place enough fear within her to run
in the first place. Traevyn shook his head in disgust. Now that they knew
Ishar’s general direction, their pace had quickened. It was still risky now
that dark was upon them and they stopped occasionally to kneel and search the
ground for sign. Traevyn watched as Rayne did just that.