Chapter 25

We should reach Marbug by the afternoon, Karim said, as we embarked on our journey the next morning. He looked tired, and the uneasiness from yesterday still hung heavy in the air. I could see it affecting the others, too, and I didn’t think any of us had slept much last night. Even Lanard seemed nervous, and his proud demeanour faded as he signalled for us to go.

The wind hadn’t let up from the night, and I pulled my cloak closer as I followed the riders. We stayed close, riding silently. Soon, we would know the state of Marburg. I didn’t know what to expect or even what I should do once we arrived, but I hoped Karim and the others had a plan.

I glanced at Aki sitting in front of Uruk, wrapped in his cloak. How old was she…? 14-15…? Definitely not older than me when I left my home. I sighed. She shouldn’t be out here, shouldn’t have come with us. I tried to push the thoughts away, but the apprehension simmering in the air made the thoughts creep up despite it all.

We kept riding, and Manelia tried to entertain us with tales about his land, but his voice would trail off every so often, and he would pause, letting the silence fill the air. I wish I could do something, but what? My mind stayed blank. I wasn’t who they expected me to be. I glanced at Selene riding next to me, wrapped in her cloak. She caught my gaze and tried to smile.

“How are you?”, she asked quietly.

I shrugged. The closeness that the tent had forced upon us last night had given me some comfort, but here, in the open, I felt cold and exposed.

“Are you okay?”

Selene reached out a hand to me. I took it and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah… It just…too much time to think about.”

“I know”, she sighed.

I really wished I could do something for her. She didn’t deserve everything that happened. No one did… I sighed. But there was nothing I could do to help them. I wasn’t their Goddess, I only pretended to be it. I thought back on that fateful night when I had said yes to something I hadn’t fully understood. Why had I done it? To give them a reason to continue their fight? I shouldn’t have done it. No. I shook my head. It wasn’t true. I’d made my choice. They believed in me.

I took a deep breath and said against the wind.

I made my choices

and paid the price.

I don’t regret

walking this path.

Karim looked at me in surprise and then repeated my words, and soon after, the others joined in. The riders glanced at me as they sang, but I didn't care. It was better than the creeping thoughts that the uneasiness brought.

We rode for hours, and the riders didn’t let up their singing. When the prayer was done, they continued, and I listened to the many songs from their land until Marbug appeared on the horizon, and silence once again fell on our company. We rode until Lanard suddenly halted and stood up in his saddle. I followed his gaze towards the city, decorated by red banners hanging from the walls.

“What happened?”

“The King is dead”, Karim said solemnly and bowed his head. “May Goddess protect us”, he whispered.

We rode towards the city in silence. I saw Manelia’s worried eyes darting at me, but he looked away every time I caught him glancing at me. I shivered. What did he expect me to do…? I wished I could speak with Karim, but we soon reached the city gate and entered the silent city. The streets were empty, and only the wind howled between stone houses as we slowly climbed towards the ancient castle that loomed above us.

Every building, every door, was marked with a strap of red cloth that flapped in the wind, and only the silent guards witnessed our arrival as we halted before a huge metal door cast from black iron. It opened before us, giving us access to the fortress, and we entered.

We dismounted as the gates closed behind us and silent servants led away our horses. An elderly woman surrounded by a handful of children approached us. Her long, silver mane almost touched the stone ground as she hobbled towards us, leaning heavily on a staff wrapped in a red cloth. Her tunic and those of the children were simple, and only as she came closer did I notice the aegis resting on her chest. It looked different from mine, but I recognised the strange metal it was made from.

I wondered who she was, but I didn’t dare to break the silence and ask. Lanard walked over to her, halted and bowed his head. He whispered something I couldn’t hear, and she greeted him with “Welcome home”, and one of the children offered him a freshly cut red flower.

He put it in his hair as he passed her and disappeared into the castle. I watched as one by one, the riders approached her, murmuring something to her and receiving a flower. Some stayed longer, telling her something in a quiet voice that I could not hear, while others, like Lanard, passed quickly and disappeared in the castle.

I wondered what it all meant. Was this how they paid their respects to their fallen king? The uneasiness that had followed us throughout the day grew in my chest until, finally, it was my turn. The old woman peered at me as I stepped up to her. She gazed at me for what felt like hours. Was she judging me…? Was she seeing that I wasn’t the one…? The thoughts rushed through my mind under her gaze.

She bowed her head slightly and said,

“Welcome home”, and one of the children gave me a flower that I put on my tunic.

Uruk waited for me in the corridor, and I felt relieved by his presence, and for the first time, the uneasiness subsided. I looked around, surprised how different it looked from Akka. The walls were undecorated and made from massive stone blocks, and only a few lamps illuminated the interior. I had so many questions to ask, but I wasn't sure if it was safe to do so here. I heard soft footsteps coming behind us, and a young girl wearing simple clothes approached us and bowed her head.

“It is an honour to serve you. Please follow me, and I will lead you where you can rest.”

I wondered why they used children as servants in this place. It didn’t feel right… She led us to a large room where Selene and Aki were waiting for us. I looked around, wondering once again how simple it was compared to Akka. The girl put another log on the fire, then bowed and left. I sat down on the hide spread out over the floor and stretched my hands towards the fire to warm them as the wind howled through the gaps in the window.

“Where’s Karim?”, I asked.

“He has a few friends here. He went to meet them”, Selene said quietly.

“It looks so different”, I said, trying to break the silence.

Uruk chuckled.

“Most of the places look different from Akka”

“Why?”

“Their land is rich, and many trade routes pass through their kingdom”, he explained and leaned back, stretching his back.

“Who are those children?” I asked, expecting the worst.

“It’s their custom that each child spends a year as a Follower and serves those around.”, Selene explained.

Now, when she said it, I did remember Karim mentioning it back in Akka. Children from all ranks spending a year with the priests to learn their traditions. I guess it was very different in this world from what I knew.

“What shall we do now?”, I asked and turned to them.

“Let’s wait and see what Karim learned..” said Uruk

“We could also eat something…” Aki suggested.