Chapter 4

The figure murmured something Aislin couldn’t hear, and then fell silent, their head lolled to the side, unconscious. Trembling, Aislin kneeled down next to them. Was this a sign from the gods? Did they want her to save this person?

Eru peered out from behind her, holding her knife, and Aislin lifted their cloak. She staggered back. The armour was from the Zarvān Kingdom, their sworn enemy. She peered around. They wouldn’t be travelling alone, yet the forest lay still, and she carefully crawled back up to the unconscious soldier and examined them. This close up, she could see it was a fine armour, with delicate ornament. This was not a common soldier.

“Kill it”, Eru signed to her.

Aislin looked at the unconscious figure. They were… someone’s friend. Someone’s family. Someone would miss them if they were gone. She let her hands fall to the side and sighed.

“I can’t…”, she signed back.

She leaned over, unfastened the helmet and carefully pulled it off. It was a woman, her eyes closed and breathing calmly. Eru pulled at her sleeve and pointed at the soldier's leg. There was an arrow sticking out. So she wouldn’t be a threat to them, but…

“Help me take her inside”, Aislin signed.

Eru glared at her, but took the woman’s leg, and together they dragged her inside. Aislin put another log on the fire, and they placed her in front of the fireplace. In the light, she could see that her cloak was stained with blood. Eru left her side, walked over to her bag where she kept herbs and came back with a bundle in her small hand. She pointed at the arrow.

“Take out”, she signed and held up the herbs.

Aislin glanced at the unconscious soldier and then carefully took hold of the arrow, looking at Eru. The girl nodded, and Aislin pulled it out, and Eru pressed the herbs against the wound. Blood seeped out, and the girl leaned over and put her weight against it. After a while, the bleeding stopped, and Eru ripped off a piece of cloth and tied her leg.

“Will heal”, she signed.

Aislin slumped back. They would need to leave. Whoever this solider was travelling with would look for her.

“We need to pack”, she signed at Eru.

The girl nodded, and Aislin got up and walked outside. The horse was still grazing some distance away, and she walked up to it. Even in the darkness she could see it was no ordinary animal but bred to be the finest the Kingdom had to offer. She led it back to the hut and tied it outside. She would deal with it tomorrow.

A bag was still lying on the ground where the woman had lain, and Aislin walked over and picked it up. A saddlebag, sewn in soft leather. She carried it inside and sat down by the fire. There wasn’t much in it, but the woman’s belongings were finer than anything she’d seen in her own household. A small comb with delicate carvings, and a pouch decorated with precious stones. She opened it. Two gold coins lie in it. Aislin had only once seen a gold coin, but never held one in her own hand. The woman must be of a higher rank than she thought.

“Ready”, Eru signed as she came to sit next to her.

Aislin nodded and put the coins in her pocket. Tomorrow they would leave.

They sat on the bed the rest of the night, watching the woman sleep. As the first light came, Aislin got up and walked outside. The horse wouldn’t be meat for the winter now when they would travel, but serve as a beast of burden. It still stood where she’d tied it yesterday, and she walked up to it. In the daylight, it was even finer than she remembered, finer than any horse she’d seen. She unfastened the saddle and made a halter out of rope. It wouldn’t do to walk around with a bridle heralding it as an animal from the Zarvān Kingdom. Just as she was ready, she heard Eru scream, and she rushed inside.

The girl stood in the small room, knife in her hand, glaring at the woman. She was awake and stared at Eru with fearful eyes. Aislin stared at the scene for a moment before walking up to the girl, putting a hand on the knife.

“It’s okay.”

She gently pulled down her hand before carefully stepping up to the woman. She was weak, but conscious, and looked at Aislin anxiously.

“Are you okay?”, Aislin asked in the language of the traders.

It was the most common language used between tribes, and the woman nodded. Aislin turned to Eru.

“Bring her some food.”

Eru glared at the woman, but did as she was told. Moments later, she returned with a piece of bread on a plate, put it on the floor and gingerly pushed it towards the woman. The woman leaned over, but before reaching it, fell back with a sigh. She was still too weak. Aislin walked up to her, tore off a small piece of the bread and kneeled down next to her. Carefully, she brought it to her mouth and after a moment’s hesitation, the woman took it.

“What’s your name?”, Aislin asked.

“You… can call me Sami.”

She managed to feed her a bit more before the woman leaned back on the floor and closed her eyes. Aislin stood up and said,

“We’ll leave you water and some food.”

Sami opened her eyes and watched her quietly, and after a moment, nodded.

“Please.. Leave your knife as well.”

Aislin stared at her. No, she couldn’t let the woman die. The gods had wanted her to save her. She watched her for a moment.

“You’ll come with us.”

She would slow them down, but she couldn’t leave her. The horse would carry her. Eru glanced at her, sensing something had changed.

“Can’t come. Dangerous”, the girl signed.

“I can’t leave her”, Aislin signed back.

Eru glared at her.

“She’ll die”, Aislin continued.

Eru pouted her mouth quietly, then nodded.