Journey to the Forgotten Island

The Wall in the Desert - IV - Sand and Tears

Silvia was awoken by a scream. At first she thought it was a nightmare. Then she saw Casi struggling in the dark against a soldier who was dragging her along the ground.

'Ah! The camel bit me,' the soldier shouted, as Casi dug her teeth into his hand.

Silvia was still in the corner of the room. The soldiers hadn't noticed her yet. She reached out her hand slowly towards a rusted knife.

'There's the other one, fool,' a soldier shouted. 'She's on the floor. Grab her.'

Before Silvia could snatch the knife, the soldier grabbed her by the feet and dragged her across the sand out into the piercing morning light. The sand was already scorching and Silvia screamed for help as the soldiers dragged both of the young women from their home.

Out in the sand, people were already gathering at a distance to watch. An officer stood outside with a wooden crate on the ground beside him. Silvia and Casi were thrown at his feet.

The officer wasted no time in drawing his sword and handing it to his attendant, who began to sharpen it with a stone.

'When I first questioned you, all those months ago,' the officer said, looking down at Silvia, 'you said that you had never met Lethi. Then, when I returned, having been told by the other peasants on the wall that you had been seen with him, you confessed that he had forced you to store supplies for him so that he could collect them from you and flee. You told me he was a deserter, headed south towards the free lands.'

Silvia looked to Casi, whose eyes were manic, darting around from the officer to the sword, as it was being sharpened, to the crowd that gathered round to watch the impending execution.

'I pardoned you,' the officer spat, 'because you were forced by Lethi to comply. But I sent my men south and they never found him. Last night, however, some local children brought me this.'

The soldier took from the crate a bronze medallion.

'These medallions were given to the bravest Duro soldiers fighting the fertile land rebellions,' the officer said. 'Only three soldiers received them. Two of them are alive and well. The other was Lethi.'

Silvia knew what was coming. But she had to try and plead her case anyway. 'He must have,' she panted, 'he must have thrown it away, Sir. He didn't want to be recognised.'

The officer gave a malicious laugh and shook his head. He reached back into the crate and retrieved a long bone, stained red, with some crimson silk stuck to it. With his other hand, he retrieved a skull. 'The medallion wasn't the only thing we found.'

'I've never –' Sivlia began. But her voice failed her as a cloth was thrown around her mouth and she was dragged backwards by her hair.

The officer took his newly sharpened sword. 'Let's do the sister first so that the liar can watch,' he said, casually.

The men forced Casi's head down onto a large log and the officer stepped over her. Silvia looked around helplessly, tried to shout anything that came to her, but the gag was too firm on her mouth.

As the officer raised his sword, Vita burst through the crowd. 'Not my Casi,' she pleaded. 'Please, I'm their mother. They are good girls. If you must punish someone, punish me. I was the one who led them astray.'

The soldiers grabbed Vita and brought her to her knees before she could get close to the officer. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, her clothes dirty. She must have run from the well as soon as she had heard about the execution.

The officer smirked and approached Vita.

'You wish to die in both of your daughters' places? Do you have two lives?'