Desert Siren

Eight

Two days. Two miserable days of constant thirst, gnawing hunger, and either searing heat or bone-chilling cold. Jayza had grown up in the desert and thought she possessed a wealth of knowledge. But this march was showing her just how little she actually knew. And that lack of knowledge both depressed and frightened her. How was she ever going to survive if she managed to escape? Bloody Hell, she couldn't even give Tavan suggestions on how to find water or game. Severely humbled, she withdrew, keeping her opinions to herself.

The sleds, much to Tavan's surprise and Jayza's satisfaction, worked well. Progress was still slow, and they had to stop periodically to clear larger tree limbs or the now rotting carcasses of large animals. But overall, they were making faster progress than they would have if they had kept the wheels on. Tavan had wanted to destroy them, using the spokes for either firewood or whatever else might be needed. Jayza had argued with him, explaining why it wasn't a good idea.

"The Kimsan is not infinite," she had explained. "Just like every other storm, there are edges to it. At some point, we will come out of its path and move back onto harder ground. You'll need them then. Even more so when we reach the Kangula Mountains."

In the end, he had realized she was right, and they were now piled in with the rest of the loot. Jayza had asked why they didn't just bury the everything and come back for it later. It would have made their progress a lot easier. And faster.

"The Emperor expects me to bring it. If I show up empty-handed and tell him I need to go back to get it, I'll never make it out of the Palace. He would accuse me of either trying to steal it or lying about its existence. If I want to remain the Golden Eagle, I have no choice but to cart everything with me, no matter how inconvenient."

"But you barely survived a Kimsan. And you've kept him updated on your situation. It seems absurd to make you haul all this stuff, causing further delays and putting your men more at risk than they already are. I thought he trusted you."

"The Emperor trusts no one." Tavan's voice was hard, and his face was set in stiff lines. Jayza again almost commented on his obvious hatred for the Emperor but kept her mouth shut. He hadn't taken kindly to the comment the first time and it would probably be worse now, especially with all his men around. "He suspects everyone, including me, of having designs on his throne. It's made him paranoid and combined with his cruel nature, is going to eventually cause major problems for him. The last thing I need is him accusing me of being a traitor. I have no desire to be sent back to Thagim. Because this time, he won't let me out."

Jayza had gone quiet after that. Traitors were always sent to Thagim. She was unsure why she was being delivered to the Emperor's prison first and was afraid to ask. The question gnawed at her, but she had no real way to answer it, so she pushed the thought aside for now.

They had stopped a few hours before Second Meal. The lack of water made traveling in the heat of the day not only uncomfortable but extremely dangerous. Tavan still allowed each man a half cup of water, but the scouts had found none last night and Jayza could see the worry in his face growing. In addition, hunting was still poor, and the group was eating what amounted to almost starvation rations. She could see the resentment and anger growing in the men and she took Tavan aside under the pretense of having to attend to her needs.

"You need to relax discipline," she said softly. She knew he would be angry but what could happen if he didn't heed her recommendations made the prospect of facing his wrath less worrisome.

"You presume to tell the Golden Eagle how to manage his men?" Tavan glared at her, his voice menacing and his eyes icy. Jayza steeled herself, willing to accept whatever he might say or do to try and convince him. "Who are you to give me orders? Only the Emperor has that authority."