Shieldwolf Dawning (22 page)

Eshgranna Awake

Samarra huddled into a ball on her bed. She had been staring at the wall for days. Counting the imperfections in each stone served as a distraction from the sorrow that left wet traces on her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy, nails chewed down to the quick, and dreadlocks a tangled mess. Samarra had neither left her bed nor eaten a crumb of food since the day she'd been told of her brother's transfer to Seton Desert. The loneliness of not having Cassian around clung to her like an unrelenting illness. Her life with the Sairfangs had been hard and sometimes painful, but not anything compared to this kind of pain. Nothing mattered to Samarra anymore. Her world had turned dull and grey. There was no hope, no sunshine, nothing to look forward to. The Shieldwolves had taken everything from her — they had taken away her brother.

The shuffling of footsteps as swains filed in and out of the sleeping quarters was constant. One by one they attempted to talk her out of her stupor, but nothing they said or did worked. Samarra spoke to nobody, not even Cassian when he had come to say goodbye first thing that morning. Samarra had stubbornly stayed in bed with her blanket over her head, pretending to ignore his explanation of why he was leaving.

"I'm growing up and it's time for me to look after myself," he had said. "Seton Desert will be an adventure." When he'd hugged her, Samarra's whole body tensed with anger and sadness. Even though deep inside she wanted to tell him she loved him, something stopped her from hugging him back or telling him how hurt she felt. How could he want to leave her? Did he not love her anymore?

Samarra had built a wall of protection between herself and her brother. By shutting him out, she wanted him to feel her pain. The last thing he'd said to her was, "I love you. I'll see you soon." He'd placed something under her pillow, hugged her again, and left the room. That had been six hours ago. Cassian was long gone from Shieldwolf Proper.

"You should get up." It was Tavani Croak. "You'll be happy to hear that you won't be disciplined for your outburst. Grandfather understands how you feel, but he won't tolerate your behaviour much longer. Get up, Samarra Dawning. You're giving your species a bad name."

"Why don't you leave me alone?" Samarra had no argument left in her.

"You're being selfish. You can't have things your way all the time."

"This is none of your business." Samarra huddled into a tighter ball. "I told you to leave me alone."

"You have to get up." The room was quiet except for Tavani's persistent croaking.

"Why?" Samarra's voice was muffled. "There's no good reason for me to get up. What's the point?"

Tavani tapped her tail as if in frustration. There was a slow silence. "Whenever my father goes on patrol, I pray for the Reflection to protect him. I do this every morning and every night. Sometimes, my mother refuses to leave her room for days because she's so scared for him and in pain. I remember her crying in the middle of the night when she thought I was asleep." Her words faltered. "There were times when my thinking would turn into nightmares and my mind would go to a dark place. That usually happened when I'd start thinking about what my mother and I would do if my father never came back. My mother has no trade skills to support us — it was never expected of her. How would we live?" Another long pause. "Samarra, the Fates will work to bring you and your brother together if it's meant to be."

"I don't believe in any of that stuff," Samarra grumbled. "I've heard it all before and it's not true."

"Get up," Tavani insisted.

"What's it to you?" Samarra put her hands over her ears to block out Tavani's words.

"Hsss…" Tavani took a deep breath as though what she was about to say would bring her no joy. "Basic training is not the same without you."

Samarra was surprised. Tavani would never say anything like that without an ulterior motive. Her ears perked up. "Why do you care about me all of a sudden?" Samarra waited for an answer, but nothing more was offered. She could no longer hear Tavani's croaking tones. "Are you there?" No answer. "Tavani?" Samarra sat up and looked around the room. There was no sign of Tavani. Samarra pinched her arm; maybe she had been dreaming. One more time she searched the room for Tavani, but all to no avail. She sighed. "Of course it was a dream." She sat down on the edge of her bed, put her head in her hands, and wondered what to do next.

The wide-open windows let a crisp breeze circulate the room. The sun burned brightly and the swains were on the training field, working on their fire skills. Samarra watched them for a while and wondered if she should get up. If she did something fun, could she forget about her grief for even a minute?

She moved to stand up when she remembered that Cassian had left her something. She reached under her pillow, felt around, and pulled out a small, rectangular ruby. It was a message chip. The gem was smooth and shiny, the size and length of her pinky finger. She turned it around in her hand until she found a tiny button to one side. When she pushed the button, the ruby lit up. Cassian burst to holographic life in front of her. He was dressed in full Shieldwolf armour. Samarra flinched in surprise. Without thinking, she tidied her dreadlocks.

"Sammy," Cassian said. She could hear him as clearly as if he was in the room.

"By the time you watch this data stream, I'll be on my way to Seton Desert. I have an hour before I leave, so I thought I'd record a message for you seeing that you won't speak to me in person." He straightened his chestpiece. He looked handsome and grown up. Samarra felt proud of him.

She held her breath and waited for her brother to continue.

"Early this morning, the Ikajarri defeated the rock spirits guarding the northwest passage into Mirabuka Landing. They want to free Eshgranna from her cell, but you probably know that by now." His eyes were troubled, yet fierce and brave. "The Elders have explained everything to me. Eshgranna can't be allowed to wake up." Cassian cleared his throat. "Sammy, I have to do this for myself."

"No." Samarra reached out for him. Her hand went through the image as if Cassian were a ghost.

"I'll be training in Seton Desert. When I'm done, I'll be transferred to Mirabuka Landing."

"But I need you." A tear trickled down Samarra's cheek. It exploded into tiny droplets when it hit the gem in her hand.

Cassian went on. "We've spent our lives together and you've always looked out for me. It's time for
me
to look after
you
—
to keep you safe. This is what they expect me to do. I'm trying to make the best of things. Please understand why I have to go."

The hologram faded until Cassian's image was gone. Although Samarra couldn't see him, she could still hear him. "I'll see you in a few lunar cycles. I love you, Sammy." The gem went dim and ran out of power.

Samarra shook the message chip to bring back her brother, but image and sound were gone for good. More tears threatened to come. Samarra crawled back under the blankets, curled into a ball, and held the gem tenderly. When morning ticked by to afternoon, she pocketed the object. She tidied her sleeping quarters and dressed to join the rest of the world.

Samarra was halfway through the courtyard when clanging bells sounded an alarm. Surprised, she stumbled over her feet and was knocked out of the way when a Shieldwolf patrol rushed past. The bells beat even louder to warn that something was wrong. Panic clung to the air.

"Hurry, hurry, alert the Elders!" The guards shouted louder and louder.

Samarra watched in shock and confusion. She ducked behind a thick bush the moment she saw Merganser race to the centre of the courtyard. Croak ran out moments later. Irik appeared in the air above the Anchor of Imeron and glided to a stop beside the two Elders. Samarra was close enough to hear their conversation unfolding. And what she heard made her sick to the stomach.

"I thought that sending him to Seton Desert would keep him safe from her," said Merganser. "How could she have known of our plans?"

Samarra cocked her head to listen as well as she could.

"Her spies must have been keeping watch," Irik replied. "They must have been waiting for this moment. We were foolish to believe we could move the boy in secrecy. And we were foolish to believe we could constrain Eshgranna to Mirabuka Landing. The Ikajarri have grown in number. She has many loyal supporters, largely ex-Shieldwolves. We should have eliminated her years ago."

"Do not say that again," Merganser said angrily. "She was led astray by magic we were not meant to understand."

Irik said no more on the subject.

"We must secure Shieldwolf Proper," Croak advised. "Keep the others out of harm's way. The bunker is well protected. The swains will be safe underground." His expression was grave.

"Aletheia's Vision is unfolding before our eyes," Irik noted. "We cannot let the Son die."

A loud commotion distracted them. The Shieldwolf trainers were herding the swains into the bunker. Samarra stayed in her hiding spot. Veteran Shieldwolves appeared in the courtyard and made a beeline for the Elders. They were visibly worried. Shieldwolf Longmane arrived soon after.

"Do we have news on where she has taken him?" Merganser asked him.

Shieldwolf Longmane shook his head. "All we know is that she was last seen heading to the Caverns of Azalor."

Samarra wanted to cry, but a loud creaking made her look up and cast aside all thoughts of tears for the time being. A layer of diamond shielding emerged from the top of the wall and curved into a dome. After the courtyard was cleared of all swains, the Elders and veterans formed a circle around the Anchor of Imeron. The others stood behind and watched.

Croak knocked his staff on the ground and they all began a chant. Everyone turned their palms to the sky. Light rushed from their hands in quick bursts and met at a point in the centre of the dome. The pitch eventually became monotonous for long enough to turn the bursts of light into a steady stream of protective energy. By the close of the chant, the dome shield glowed like a pregnant moon. Merganser clapped her hands. Four warning beacons burst to life to indicate an emergency.

Samarra made a beeline for Merganser the moment the woman was alone and grabbed her sleeve. "What happened?"

"You should be down below with the others." Merganser's expression was serious. "You will be safer there."

"Please tell me. What's going on?"

Merganser took Samarra's hand and led her to the trapdoor. "The Ikajarri have taken control of the Northwest Towers. They have pushed through to Mirabuka Landing, and they have released Eshgranna from her cell."

Samarra's heart raced. She knew the answer to her question even before she asked it. "What about Cass?"

Merganser stared at the ground.

"I know she's taken him." Samarra's eyes brimmed with tears. "I had a bad feeling about all of this. I knew that you were making a mistake when you sent him away. Now look at what's happened." Guilt came over her all at once. "I shouldn't have brought him here. He was right. This is my fault. Everything that's happening is all
my
fault."

Merganser put a comforting hand on Samarra's back. "Yes, he has been captured."

"What about the Shieldwolves protecting him?"

Merganser shook her head bleakly. A pause. "We will find him. Have hope." She pointed to the trapdoor. "You must join the others. I have matters to attend to. Be safe."

The moment Merganser was a good distance away, Samarra followed her. The bells stopped ringing and the commotion of a battlegroup preparing to head out took centre stage. Merganser joined Irik and Croak by the fountain.

Irik bent down and punctured the surface of the water with his claws. He whispered something under his breath and focused on the water. Merganser and Croak looked on. He placed a claw to the tip of his thin pointed beak as if in deep thought.

"He is with her," Irik informed his companions. "But she is weak."

"Is he alive?" Merganser looked hopeful.

Samarra's heart skipped a beat.

"He is alive," Irik replied, "but Eshgranna will stop at nothing to prevent the Vision from unfolding."

Irik's response did nothing to reassure Samarra. She was more determined than ever to find her brother.

"Where are they?" Croak asked.

"That I do not know. I must go to my quarters where I can use the Sight in quiet. Only then might I answer your questions with any accuracy."

"Hurry, then," Croak prompted. "We do not have much time."

Irik darted to his quarters. Merganser and Croak gave blessings to the Shieldwolves heading out to battle. Samarra watched them until they disbanded and scattered in different directions. She was desperate to follow them, but she knew that if they found her they would send her to the bunker. Samarra was anxious — she couldn't bear to sit around and do nothing while Cassian was in danger.

She had been watching the courtyard for a while when a dirty, round face popped up beside her. Samarra fell back in surprise. It was Ryeno. "What are you doing here?" He wiped his runny nose on his sleeve.

"Shh!!! They'll hear us. I don't want to get caught."

"Seriously, what are you doing here?" Ryeno shifted his weight, but he was crouching so low that he lost his balance and fell forward. Samarra had flashbacks of the first time she'd seen him and pushed out of his way.

"Will you be quiet?" she muttered between clenched teeth. She checked the courtyard to make sure the Shieldwolves had not heard him. "Aren't you supposed to be down there in the bunker?"

"I don't know." He yawned and dusted the grass off his fatigues. "I fell asleep under those bushes. I just woke up." His wild hair was full of leaves and the odd twig. "What's going on?"