The Obsidian Pillar

Chapter Twenty-six

'One day you will come to me willingly, and then I will be your servant. I will bow before you eagerly.' He spoke to me, his voice filtering through my sleep.

'So that I can be your weapon?' I answered groggily, fighting against my dreams to reach him. 'Like others want to? To use me in the war?' As Cynbel would. As they were doing with the half-breeds.

'You will come to me willingly. You will want to fight, as you did when I first drew you to me. I will wait for you, Valla.'

'You'll be waiting a long time.'

Then, he left me, no doubt angered by my refusal to comply with his secret plans. I could tell when the pressure left my skull, and I was allowed to drift back to sleep.

When I woke the following morning, I found Ronov asleep in the furs between us. He was dirty and his eyes, though tightly closed, were heavy with exhaustion, even as he snored. I was eager to know where he had been since we had arrived in Rinturst, but I restrained myself from rousing him and left the soldiers to rest, exiting the tent for the lake, to wash before our journey.

I passed by the stone Cura on my way, and pushed thoughts of Aina from my mind, willing myself to go by without checking on her. I lamented the loss of Rebecca and Magda but adding the names of more people that I cared for to that list was not a pleasing prospect. I didn't want to lose anyone else. Though I knew that Aina was safer with her people, I could not deny that I felt a strong bond to the infant.

I bathed quickly in the lake, even managing to wash my long, tangled hair, which was in desperate need of a good combing. I let it dry down my back in the light of the rising sun as I returned to the village. While I walked, I debated whether I was capable of raising Aina, as Thear had encouraged me to do. I could barely protect myself, I knew nothing about the world and I knew that I could not drag an innocent life into my own turbulent one. It would be selfish of me to do so.

'Valla!' The voice pulled me from my disheartening thoughts.

'Thear?'

'You can't travel dressed like that anymore!' She laughed, calling me to her from the doorway of the Cura. Her hands were on her hips and her eyebrow was raised playfully.

'It's all that I have.' I smiled, pulling at the ragged skirt of my stained dress. The material was still frayed where I had torn my sleeves away on the hike up to Bellan's cave.

'Come inside.'

'Are you sure? I thought...'

'Will you make me repeat myself?' she replied sharply.

The Cura was busy with its morning ritual of washing and dressing the children. I tried to avoid scouting for Aina.

Thear led me to the far end of the room where, behind a sheet of leather hide, stood a small antechamber. 'This is where we take a rest when we dare not leave the Cura. You can take these.' She passed me a pair of brown leather trousers and a long cream cotton smock.