Page 140 of Earthbound

‘Diviners, disperse, I wish never to set eyes on you again,’ Reena said with a wave of her hand, almost as if she were swatting a fly.

‘Lettle, are you sure?’ Namana said. Lettle looked down the line of faces–her friends, her family. Then her gaze rested on the body of Imna. Mortah was crying silently next to him.

‘Yes, go with Bosome, let our god’s light shine on you, all of you,’ Lettle said softly. ‘I will see you after the waning moon has turned. Tell the others.’ Namana’s flicker of confusion was brief.

Please Namana, understand what I am saying. Lettle pleaded with her eyes. The moon was full, and as a diviner there was no way she didn’t know that.

Lettle looked to Reena and raised her eyebrow slightly, trying to convey her meaning.

Had she been too subtle?

Then Namana nodded. ‘I will tell the others that the moon has turned.’

The soldiers let the diviners take Imna’s body, though it took more threats before Mortah would let herself be prised away from him. Now she stood beside Lettle, distant and broken.

The colonel called forward a squad of soldiers. ‘Escort them to Chieftain Malak’s tent. I think he’d be happy to know we have captured Yeeran’s sister.’

‘Chieftain Malak?’ Dread was a cold knife slicing into her stomach as the soldiers grabbed them by their shoulders and jostled them forwards.

Soldiers watched as they were escorted through the camp. Distrust lit their eyes, but Lettle didn’t think it was directed at them alone. Reena’s regiment seemed to have garnered plenty of animosity.

It wasn’t raining, but it might as well have been, since the air was so thick with humidity it left a sheen of water on her skin. It was warm, too, exacerbating the smell of sulphur that bubbled up from the swamps.

They stopped outside a large tent guarded by two soldiers. ‘He only wants to see you,’ said one of them, pointing at Lettle.

Alder reached for her, tightening his hand around hers while Mortah grabbed the other. ‘We go together,’ the Nomad said.

‘Either she goes, or no one goes. And I’ve been told to take you to the cage should you refuse.’

Lettle didn’t know what the cage was, but it didn’t sound good.

‘We’re not leaving her,’ Alder said. She could feel his hand shaking in hers and she gripped it harder.

‘It’s OK. I’m too valuable, he won’t hurt me,’ Lettle said to Alder with a confidence that was only skin-deep. She gently removed her hand from his.

Then, without a backwards glance, she stepped into Chieftain Malak’s tent, head held high.

—

‘Welcome,’ Malak said in a theatrical voice. He held open the tent flaps for her as she ducked in away from the rain.

Lettle had been in many war tents during her life, but Malak’s was unlike any she’d ever seen. The room smelled faintly of incense, and she was surprised to see a vase of lilies on his desk. He’d furnished the floor with knitted rugs from spun wool, each dyed a different bright colour. A painting even hung from the tarp. It was rudimentary, clearly drawn by a child.

‘Observing my son’s handiwork, I see,’ Malak said.

Lettle was proud that she managed to suppress her startle as he came up behind her. She was surprised that he had not bothered to restrain her, and it wounded her pride a little that he thought her so little a threat.

But her words could still cut. ‘Did you bring your son with you when you decided to lay siege and wage war? All the best lessons are learned from experience, after all.’

‘No,’ was all Malak said. He gestured to the softly furnished chairs opposite his desk.

She sat down. It had been a while since Lettle had experienced the luxury of cushions.

‘What happened to Motogo?’

‘Dead, killed by the fae queen.’

Lettle swallowed her shock. Not because Furi had killed Motogo–that didn’t surprise her–but that she wasn’t standing on a battlefield. If Motogo was dead by fae hands, then negotiations had not gone well.