Page 8 of Shadow Queen
Caspianstretchedhistravel-wornmuscles as he rode. He had just returned to Kharav from his journey to Mercia, and had been back only a couple of hours before he found himself thrust into a journey to find Queen Norah. It was a situation he’d never imagined—tracking his queen in partnership with the Destroyer through the Shadowlands—yet he couldn’t say he was entirely surprised. Nothing surprised him when it came to Norah. He just wondered what she was up to.
The captain of the Crest joined them, Captain Artem. He wasn’t the kind of man Caspian could relate to, or the kind of man he could imagine leading the Crest to protect Norah at all costs. He was the kind of man Caspian knew to watch.
And then there was the Shadow commander, the Destroyer. This was the man Caspian needed to be the most wary of, be the most cautious of. Regardless of whether the stories of the Destroyer were all true, he was certainly the most dangerous—he moved with an unnatural power and had eyes that saw right through a man, into his soul. He fed off fear, and he knew how to make people afraid. And he seemed in a particularly foul mood.
But regardless of the company, Caspian was appreciative to be part of the search. He’d rather be doing something than simply waiting for the queen’s return, although he wasn’t keen on the thought of bringing Norah back to the Shadow King if her intent had been to leave. He told himself he’d find her and take her wherever she wished to go.
“She rode north,” Artem said as they passed through the gates and out of the capital city of Ashan. “We can head toward the Canyonlands and hope to pick up her tracks there.”
“You can’t track a horse from the Wild,” the commander said. His voice held an edge of annoyance. “But we’ll start there, with the Uru.”
Caspian didn’t know what he meant bya horse from the Wild, but he was more focused on the icy air between the captain and the commander. This was going to be interesting.
They spurred their horses northwest, riding in silence. Caspian found himself curious about the western pass and the Horsemen tribe that watched over it. Previously, he’d only traveled the eastern pass, taking the route through Bahoul.
Kharav fascinated him. For a kingdom viewed as being so evil in the eyes of men, it seemed to hold the gods’ favor. It was protected by the earth itself, with its mazed canyons on the north side and sharp cliffs on the south and eastern sea sides. With the addition of their Urun friends, who stretched from the north canyons and partway down the western borders, the Shadowlands were positioned favorably. It was a kingdom not easily breached.
Aleon had once tried to take the Shadowlands. King Mathias, King Phillip’s grandfather, had moved against them when he overtook the eastern kingdoms to form the great empire of Aleon. It was an infamous battle, but in the end, the Shadowlands stood strong. Caspian had never imagined himself within its borders. Now that he was, he had to give it due respect.
Despite the unpleasant company, they moved fast, and time passed quickly. The Destroyer pushed on mercilessly, not allowing them to slow. The sun set as they rode, and they continued on. As darkness fell, the moon sat full in the sky, and they easily found their way in its light.
Finally, the ridges of the canyons loomed dark against the moonlit sky, and they slowed their mounts. The night lay quiet, save for the chitters of wildlife in the distance.
“Is there a village?” Caspian asked. “Where are these Uru?”
The commander didn’t answer, but Artem gave a dark chuckle. Caspian couldn’t help the tension growing in his shoulders, and he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.
They reached the base of the canyons, and all lay still around them. As they rode into the shadows of the narrow slot canyon, the pit in his stomach grew heavier. The commander pulled up his mount and slid down.
“Why are we stopping?” Caspian asked as he swung down from his own horse.
“We’re here,” Artem said.
Caspian was just about to ask more when a movement behind him made him spin and draw his sword. Shadows shifted around them—a man, Caspian realized. Then more. Many more.
The commander spoke in the Shadow tongue, and the man answered. Their exchange was brief, but there was no mistaking his respect for the commander. The mysterious man barked orders into the night around them, and he gave a low whistle with a chitter into the dark of the canyons. Caspian realized it hadn’t been animals he’d heard.
They followed the Uru farther into the canyons, deep into the narrow slots of earth. Caspian knew the dangers of these mazes, where a man could easily lose himself. But the commander knew his way, and Caspian followed. The narrow canyon opened back up to the sky, and he was thankful to again have a little more sight.
They rounded a corner, and a village appeared. Houses of rock, stacked and layered, sprawled wide. He paused and momentarily stared in amazement at its sheer size. He was no stranger to Horsemen tribes—they spanned the vast lands beyond Mercia’s outer reaches—but he’d never seen one this large.
They continued. The hour was late, and few fires remained, although a large central fire still blazed bright. As they drew closer to the light, Caspian could better see the man they’d been following. The Horseman was covered in twisted strips of leather and fabric, with ghostly coloring spread over his face and the bare-skin areas of his chest and back.
As they reached the central fire, a woman emerged from the darkness. She had long dark hair, interwoven with braids and feathers, and beautifully wild. Black paint striped her brow and cheeks. Her eyes burned fiercely. There was a strength about her. Caspian had never seen anything like her, and it was as if he’d been struck.
“Soren,” she greeted as she approached. Interesting that she would address the Destroyer by his name. Caspian realized he hadn’t even known his name. She gave a wry smile. “I wish I had known you were coming. I would have come to meet you properly.”
“Tahla,” the commander said with a nod.
Tahla. Her name was Tahla.
“Aleon places additional forces along the borders,” Soren told her.
Caspian glanced at him. King Phillip was moving forces south along the border? He hadn’t known that information. It unsettled him further, with Norah out alone.
The Horsewoman nodded pensively. “Salar sent word, but we’ve seen nothing. Regardless, we’ve called our men in the hills back to the canyons. We’ll spread them east for more eyes.”
“Good,” he replied.
