In Thy Name

Part II: Follow the Sword | Chapter 15 - Into darkness

Once the causeway of the High Road became visible, a pale ribbon wending through the dark forest, they landed and the two Gladiari changed form and dressed. They would try to enter the Gladiari quarter of Dalaïda as inconspicuously as possible, and leave again as soon as they had seen the Sibyl. Selengged's face was stony, but Kuya could sense the churning within her. If anyone noticed that she didn't have her soulsword...

"I'm sure no one will look twice," he said, willing down his own unease.

"The Sibyl will know."

He gazed into her eyes, where fear glinted among the obsidian, a faint glimmer few others would have noticed. We don't have to go, he would have said if he'd thought she would listen. We could just go home.

Her gaze and her mind firmed, and he knew what she was thinking. We do have to go. I can't go home unless I do this.

He nodded. He had followed her into battle so many times; what was one more? Even if it truly felt like this could be the final one.

Selengged turned to consider the mage, who stood with his back turned, shoulders slumped, and Kuya had an idea.

"The mage can go buy us supplies," he said, as nonchalantly as possible, drawing some coins out of the pouch at his belt.

He half expected an indignant outburst at this reminder that the mage was barred from the Gladiari part of the city, but the mage took the coins without a word, his gaze downcast. Too lost in grief to be angry, Kuya thought.

Selengged tugged at his sleeve. "How do you know he won't run off with the money?"

"I don't. But how do you teach someone to trust again?"

Selengged raised her eyebrows. "Well, how?"

"By trusting him."

Selengged shrugged. "Well, it's your money, brother."

They hid the saddlepacks and then set off on foot through the forest. It was the first time Sareb had been completely surrounded by greenery that stretched for leagues in all directions. The tall trees covered in spindly dark needles hid most of the sky, and wherever he turned were more tree trunks, stretching on and on as far as the eye could see. Undergrowth filled most of the space between the trees, and save for some boulders and craggy spots, the ground was covered in a slippery layer of dried tree needles. The thought that someone or something could easily creep up on them drew him slightly out of his grief, and he followed the two Gladiari warily, looking around and feeling as though the whole forest were watching them.

***

"Well, that was cute of you of this morning, trying to comfort the little mage."

Selengged and Kuya were making their way through the woods about a horselength ahead of the mage, who was wrapped in his own thoughts anyway, and Selengged spoke in Aoki.

Kuya's face warmed, surprisingly. There was nothing wrong with trying to comfort someone in distress, was there? "Cute?" he said with a little forced chuckle. "I was just trying to be friendly."

"Seems a little more than just friendly to me," Selengged said with a mischievous grin.

"It's not like that," Kuya insisted, his cheeks growing hot now. "I just...feel for him, because he's suffering so much."

"Yes, you feel very...strongly...for him." Selengged made an obscene gesture.

Kuya laughed in spite of his embarrassment. "No, it's not like that!" The thought brought up memories, though, and an old ache flared. "I can't think of things like that," he said quietly.