Scheherazade and the King Ch. 09

"'Brother, you have committed the ultimate treason,' Ghazanfar cried. 'And you shall pay the ultimate price! The jinn you enslaved shall now be your master for all eternity, and your soldiers turned to clay.' And as he gave the command, the jinn cackled and made it so. He turned the soldiers into unfired pottery and bound his slave to an oil lamp so that he could easily be kept in one place.

"Shannur leapt from his horse and cut the rope from which Aanisah's body still hung. He kissed her lifeless lips and, all at once, the colour came rushing to her face. From that day on, there was peace in the kingdom and Shannur and Aanisah lived in happiness until the end of their days."

Yanamari sat up and turned to smile at the soldier: "You sell yourself short, Cas. You are a magnificent storyteller."

Cas ran a hand through his hair and looked away: "You're kind to me."

"I'm telling the truth!" She said, resting a hand on his arm. "It's rare that I hear a new story."

Cas laced his fingers between hers and brought her hand to his lips.

"You're welcome, my lady."

He brushed his thumb over her knuckles and then pressed her palm to his face.

"I have to go or I will be missed for the night watch," he whispered.

She nodded and stood up so that he could get to his feet. He placed his hands against her face and pulled her in for a final kiss.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nodded and watched as he ascended the steps and disappeared through the trapdoor. But, when the wooden door fell shut behind him, she found that she was not in complete darkness. Her tattoos pulsed with blue light and she stared down at her glowing arms.

Cas. She thought his name, remembered the feel of his body against hers, and the ink glowed brighter.

++++++++

Shahzaman struggled at the helm of the ship. With each wave that broke against the bow, it felt as though the sea was purposefully trying to wrest the wheel from his grip.

"Fuck," he grunted, straining against the ocean's latest assault.

"These damned Irlazkens!" Shariyar's voice came from behind him. "They're going to get us all killed. What are they playing at?"

"I don't know! Damn it, Shariyar, anytime you want to lend a hand —"

Shariyar leapt to join his brother at the helm but, even between them, it was a fight to keep the ship on course.

"We can't follow them, Shariyar!" Shahzaman finally cried. "We have to change course!"

"What?" Shariyar roared.

Shahzaman stepped back from the helm and, without his support, the wheel went flying from Shariyar's grasp. He stumbled backwards and wiped the salt and rain from his face.

"We can't just leave her to drown!"

"Well we won't be much fucking use to her if we drown too!"

Shariyar threw his hands in the air and a flash of lightning pronged the sky.

"So what do you suggest we do? Huh?"

Shahzaman pushed past his brother and stopped the spinning wheel in place: "We head north. Skirt the storm. Make port at Marinelaren Gailurra."

Shariyar wanted to reach out and strike his brother across his face. His fingers clenched instinctively.

"This is not an Irlazken ship and I am not an Irlazken sailor!" Shahzaman cried over the growing howl of the wind. "We have to head north if we are to live to fight another day."

A moment or two passed before Shariyar's hands begrudgingly joined his on the ship's wheel and he helped his brother alter course.

++++++++

Cas braced himself from falling as he made his way down the hatch. The closer the ship edged to Irlazken, the rougher the weather was becoming. The ship pitched violently beneath his feet and his heels slid from under him. He groaned as he came crashing down onto the deck and the ship leaned hard on her side again, sending him sliding across the wet decking. He grabbed onto the trapdoor latch and pulled the wooden hatch open. He scrambled down the stairway just as the trapdoor slammed shut above him in a curtain of water.

He sputtered and brushed the water from his eyes with the arm of his sleeve before calling out into the darkness.

"Yanamari!"

"Cas?" Her voice answered back. "What's going on?"

"I have good news and bad news," he roared over the noise of the storm.

"What's the bad news?" She called back, clutching the bars of the cell to keep herself steady.

"The bad news is, I think this storm might be the end of this ship."

"What's the good news?"

"Ekaitz batek ez nau konkistatuko."

The girl fairly crowed with laughter and, for the briefest moment, Cas could have sworn he saw the ink on her arms glowing in the darkness.

"So we're going to drown, that's what you're saying?"

"Probably, if we don't get out of here now!"

"Lead the way!"

He pushed the trapdoor open and a gush of water promptly knocked him backwards, sending him sliding down the stairs. Yanamari stumbled as the wave of water threatened to sweep her own feet from under her.

"Come on!" He yelled, holding out his hand to her.

She grabbed his hand and let him pull her towards the staircase. She scrambled up the steps and through the hatch, the soldier fast on her heels.

"This way!" Cas pressed forward, leading her through the narrow confines of the lower decks.

Everywhere, the ship was in chaos. The sailors paid no attention to either Cas or Yanamari as they raced through the ship. Rain and sea poured down every hatch and through the cracks in the decking. The planking was like ice beneath their feet, sending them sliding each time the ship rolled. The Raja was fighting against the storm with all her might — her very timbers seemed to cry out from the strain.

And then, just as the pair were about to reach the top deck, the ship suddenly seemed to stabilise.

"This ship is going to founder," Yanamari cried, clutching at Cas' hand.

Cas looked back at her, hoping that he would be able to assuage her fears but her bright eyes were alert, focused.

"No, see it's calming down!" He yelled back.

"It's not! She's taking on water!" Now it was her turn to pull him up the stairs.

They burst onto the top deck and into the middle of the storm. The rain pelted so hard it stung their skin and the wind made it near almost impossible to hear anything.

"We have to get off this ship now!" Yanamari cried.

Cas glanced around frantically and then pointed at a pile of empty barrels lashed to the deck. He pulled a knife from his boot and slashed at the sodden ropes holding the barrels in place. He pulled the rope free and began to loop one end around Yanamari's waist.

"Yanamari, if we don't make it, I just want you to know that —"

But the cruel storm snatched the words from his mouth as a rogue wave came coursing over the deck.

"Cas!" Yanamari screamed, watching helplessly as the foaming sea swept him across the decking and over the side, barrels tumbling after him. She threw her own survival to the wind and followed him, diving headfirst into the raging sea just as the Raja finally gave up and rolled onto her side.

++++++++

When the waves finally pushed her body ashore, Yanamari's limbs were trembling from fatigue and her eyes were swollen from the constant sting of salt. She coughed up mouthfuls of seawater as she dragged herself further up the beach, the waves helping her one moment and hindering her the next. Finally her fingers hit rock and she clawed her way from the sea's clutches.

She sprawled across the rock and grimaced up at the sky. The sun was shrouded in purple and black, as if the firmament itself had been bruised by the storm. She pushed herself up slowly and stared out at the endless grey. She could hardly tell where sea ended and sky began.

"Cas!" She tried to call out for the soldier but nothing more than a croak escaped her sore throat.

Yanamari struggled to her feet, the wind forcing her to fight for her balance. She scanned the shore as best her watering eyes would allow, and her heart sank when she saw the shadowy forms of several bodies scattered along the waterline.

The first corpse she encountered was a grotesque sight: His countenance was bloated and blue, and flies landed on his glassy eyes.

She did not have the strength to bury him, nor any of the other bodies she encountered. She counted a dozen corpses in total, but not one of them belonged to Cas. She wanted to take some comfort in that knowledge but she knew that these men represented only what the ocean had not swallowed.

The sea air seemed to pierce right through to her bones and Yanamari reluctantly pulled the jacket from the stiffening limbs of the last body she found on the beach.

"I'm afraid I need it more than you do," she whispered, closing the sailor's gaping eyes with the tips of her fingers.

She was about to turn her back on the sea when the sun finally broke through the clouds and smiled on the waves. Yanamari stared out at the glistening sea, unsure if it was comforting her or taunting her.

"Cas!" She called out again. "Cas!"

She screamed with all her might and still her cries seemed only to carry a few feet in each direction. The crashing surf swallowed them whole.

She turned her back on the merciless ocean and the sun dimmed behind clouds as she staggered up the beach. She could make out a rough-hewn staircase that had been carved from the rock. A rouge wave swept over the sand and breached on the cliff, sending the bodies rolling. Bracing her weak limbs against the effort, she waded through the water and began to ascend the rocky stairs.

It took almost all of Yanamari's waning strength to make it halfway up the cliff. She paused to catch her breath when she reached a natural landing where the path levelled out briefly before continuing on its steep ascent.

It was just then that, above the constant, dull roar of the reef, a sudden noise caught her ear. On instinct, she ducked down into the brush that bordered the path.

She peered cautiously over the thicket to see a single Irlazken soldier walking along the shoreline. He knelt down by the first body he came to and called out again over his shoulder. Within seconds, a troop of mounted soldiers rounded the cliff, their horses kicking up a flurry of surf and sand. The last pair of horses were hitched to a wagon that was already half-full of salt-soaked corpses. Another pair of soldiers jumped down from the wagon and began loading the newly discovered dead into the cart.

Ekaitz moves quickly.

She could see the scout and the officer were having a conversation but the wind and surf drowned them out.

Then she noticed one of the officers pointing at the steps she had followed. The foot soldier saluted and then jogged up the beach towards the path. Yanamari gasped and stumbled backwards, pushing herself on her palms and heels in a hasty struggle to get off the path and out of sight.

She pressed herself against the side of the cliff, praying that the small ledge she was perched on did not give way beneath her weight. She held her breath and clenched her eyes tightly shut as the sound of the soldier's boots drew near, as if her not seeing him could somehow prevent him seeing her.

Mercifully, she heard his footsteps continue on until they, too, disappeared from earshot. She allowed herself to take a few hasty breaths before the soldier's voice came from what sounded like directly above her.

"Nothing here, Sir!"

The officer the scout had been speaking with spurred his horse and approached the base of the cliff.

"What's that?"

"No sign of anyone!" He called down.

"You certain?"

"Aye sir. There is nothing but flat pasture for miles."

"Even if by some miracle someone managed to survive the wreck, they cannot have gone far. Back down with you! Go search the caves to westward to be sure. If you find anyone alive, make sure they stay that way. The king wants the traitor found at any cost. I will lead the rest of the men back to the castle now. The king will want to inspect the dead."

"Aye sir!"

She steeled herself once again as the soldier's footsteps came into earshot once again. She heard the crunch of his boots against the rock as he made his way back down the cliffside.

Yanamari waited for what felt like an eternity, not daring to move until she was certain the soldiers had moved on. Slowly, the sun's light faded behind another curtain of dark clouds. When she finally crawled out from the brush and peered over the rocks onto the beach, the shore was shrouded in a thick blanket of fog that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon.

She shuddered at the gloom and then renewed her climb to the top of the craggy ridge. Driven by adrenaline alone, her limbs felt like lead. When she finally pulled herself up the last steps, she collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. It took several minutes before her frantic heart finally calmed and she could gather the energy to pull herself to her feet.

Mist obscured the landscape and, for a few moments, she could see nothing other than the few feet of mossy rock that lay before her. Suddenly, however, the sun's light strengthened once again and she felt a breath of salty wind at her back. A rush of wind sent the mists tumbling away and she suddenly found herself looking over a sweeping meadow dotted with mossy rocks and patches of pastel where wild flowers grew.

As Yanamari looked at the landscape, she could not help but feel something akin to familiarity stir in her heart.

Wishful thinking.

Faint paths seemed to radiate in ten different directions from where she stood. She sighed deeply and set her eyes on the horizon, hoping to find any discrepancy on the skyline that would indicate a settlement of some kind. A shadow seemed to loom low to the west and, though she could not tell whether it was an outcropping or a building, she decided to take her chances and head towards it.

The sun rose higher and higher in the sky, bathing the windblown savannah in light. Only a few dwarfed trees dotted the landscape, their limbs doubled over by the relentless sea air.

She stopped beneath one of the stooped trees to rest for a while, using the trunk to ease herself to the ground. She leaned against the rough, peeling bark and tipped her head back.

In the space of a few moments, the grey sky had turned a brilliant blue, as if the tempest from the night before had never occurred.

But it had. And now Cas was gone forever.

She let out a choked sob and pulled her knees into her chest, cradling her head against her knees as she wept. Her heart felt like a gaping wound. Never before had she felt such pain. Not the sting of the whip nor the cracking of bones came close to the intense pain that radiated from her chest. Only sheer exhaustion saved her, overcoming her senses all at once with a wave of tiredness to which she quickly surrendered... only to be awakened no more than half an hour later by something wet grazing against her cheek.

She shook her head and opened her eyes, only to find herself looking into the large, dark eyes of a horse. Who promptly licked her again. She sputtered and pushed against the horse's soft muzzle to keep its tongue at bay.

"Kaixo," Yanamari murmured, her throat hoarse. "What are you doing here, little zaldi?"

The language flowed unbidden, but fluently, from her mouth.

And, to be sure, the horse was little. It was a short, sturdy creature with a potbelly and a dark, mottled coat. Its forehead was marked by a white blaze that streaked all the way down its muzzle.

The mare nickered and nuzzled into her neck, warming her skin with each exhale.

A strand of rough rope hung from the horse's neck from where it had once been tied.

"Where did you escape from?" She asked.

The pony gave a snort and then began rooting around in the grass beside Yanamari's feet, filling its mouth with the fruits that had fallen from the branches overhead.

The girl pushed herself upright slightly and stared at the tiny red fruits.

"Gurbitz!" She suddenly exclaimed, the word leaping from her lips with a gasp. She reached out and grabbed a single fruit from the ground, tested the ripeness between her fingers, and then popped the whole thing in her mouth.

Yanamari's jaw ached as the woody flavour of the berry filled her mouth. The mild sweetness of the fruit was almost overpowering to her starved tastebuds.

She was so overcome with hunger that she hardly had a moment to register the fact that she had recognised the tree and its fruit. She could not remember ever eating it before, but something inside her had recognised it instantly.

"Oh little zaldi, thank you!" She murmured, filling her hands with more of the fallen fruits.

She sat and ate for a few moments more but, when the pony raised its head and began to walk purposefully away, she rose to her feet as quickly as she could to follow it.

Yanamari filled the pockets of the sailor's jacket with fruit and then pressed on in the horse's tracks. Eventually she found they were following a meandering footpath that led straight to a low rock wall that bordered a modest, thatched cottage.

The gate to the property was broken and the pony stepped over the splintered wood into the garden. She could see the rest of the pony's rope hanging from a tree inside the yard.

So this was where the pony had escaped from... but where was its owner?

She stepped through the gateway warily. The garden was overgrown, and fruits and vegetables lay rotting on the ground.

Suddenly, the door of the cottage creaked open. Yanamari froze, waiting for the owner of the house to step outside. But no one stirred.

She suddenly felt a knot in the back of her throat and, against every warning ringing in her head, pushed the door open gently.

"Hello?" She called.

No answer came.

She stepped inside and something crackled beneath her foot. She jumped back lightly and found herself staring down at a small wreath with a flower in the middle of a ring of leaves. She tried to pick the wreath up, but the petals fell away in her hand.

Protection. The symbolism was familiar to her and the name of the flower came to her unbidden: ekilore.

She set the remains of the sunflower wreath down and continued inside slowly, her eyes narrowing as they adjusted to the dark interior. The only light streamed in through a broken door on the far side of the house. The place looked as if it had been ransacked: Furniture lay strewn across the room and shattered pottery littered the floor.

No flower could offer protection against whatever force swept through here.

Yanamari picked her way through the wreckage gingerly as she made her way to the other doorway. She pushed against the half of the door that remained on its hinges and then gasped, pressing a shaking hand to her mouth.

The pony's owners lay outside. Or, at least, what was left of them did. In the centre of a dark circle of burnt earth lay a pile of charred bones. The only pieces of the skeletons that were missing were the skulls... and the only reason they were missing was because someone had gone to great pains to line the severed heads up, in order of size, on spikes. Most of the flesh had been picked from the bones but she could still see places where the withered skin and hair clung on.

Yanamari turned her back on the gruesome scene and stumbled into the house, grabbing onto a table to steady herself.

Someone had murdered the whole family — the father, mother and child — and left them as a macabre warning to anyone who happened upon them. She choked down the bile building in her throat and glanced around the room. She knew she had to leave but she also knew she was in desperate need of warmer clothes and food.

She picked through what remained of the family's belongings quickly, trying not to ponder how many happy memories had been erased with each fell swoop of the murderer's sword. She found the mother's clothes fit her decently enough and she donned a thick, woollen skirt, muslin blouse and sturdy boots. She emptied the pockets of the Persian soldier's coat she still wore and swept the berries into a small earthenware pot. She loaded it into a linen bag alongside whatever foodstuff was unspoiled from the pantry and garden, and slung it over her shoulder.