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Jan. 18th, 2009 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagas_isaTitle: The Trial of Natalia Blade
Word Count: 2814
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Sadiri catch up with Natalia.
Actually, Natalia thought the choice to face up to her judgment would be the difficult part. Sekhen guided Natalia from the forest, of her own free will, and she actually felt pretty good, despite what she knew came next for her. A Shadow did not tell her, the prophetic lights that surrounded her did not have to swarm her with visions. Just common sense, and a half a dozen Sadiri. Three Primes, Three Seconds, to examine the disappearance of one Mier Forest and pronounce Natalia's responsibility for him.
Then she saw who served as the head judge, and all good feelings left her.
Only once before had Natalia seen the esteemed leader of the Sadiri Prime, and that at her initiation ceremony. Zara then, had walked in front of the twenty new Prime, a queen among them, striking in her darkness, her long-limbed grace, her obvious power of the will, and channeled the ambitions of the arrogant ignorants into something suited to her purpose.
The same power froze Natalia to late spring ground now. Sekhen just stopped, and waited. The leader of the Chimare tribe offered her no more ways out. He gave no words of encouragement. He just stood there and waited for her to walk forward.
Mier deserved this, she reminded herself. Her legs might have shook when she did so, but Natalia stepped forward again. Her heart might have pounded against her chest, as she approached Zara, but Natalia knelt, for this day a faithful Sadiri once again.
"I submit myself unto your judgment."
Six surrounded her. Three Primes, all high-ranking, and their Seconds, who while quieter than their partners, still stood above her, unreachable authorities, and even scarier, much more perceptive than their Primes. Mier had been that way. All Seconds were, and their gazes scared Natalia, because in her cowering body, they saw things Natalia herself could not hope to grasp.
Coughs and murmurs surrounded her, making her aware of how public this all was. Only six Sadiri witnessed it, but the thousands of Chimare tribespeople ringed around her. The outcasts held their trials through combats, and in the few months Natalia lived among them, she'd watched her share, the bloody battles of accused versed accuser. The winner lived.
They watched this now, thinking it Gacha way, not the way of Sadiri, a group from halfway around the world, here to judge her for the most serious of crimes, failure to protect her partner. They couldn't understand, didn't speak the language. Sekhen could of course, he could understand what they said, but why would he explain to the others what happened?
"Two is a Sadiri number." Zara said, her Second, pale Yirith at her side, enforcing her words. "We tie two together, a Prime and a Second, two to trust, two to depend upon each other in confronting the new and dangerous. Two represents our acceptance of human and Shadow bonds, that we believe in forgiveness and trust. When a partnership ends with the disappearance of one, we must investigate. We must understand."
Natalia nodded, despite her fear of the probable consequences. Even knowing what likely awaited her, she agreed to this, to understand why Mier left her.
"Natalia Blade, Prime and Field Agent of Sadiri, Group 458, kneels before us, alone and without Mier Forest, her Second. Mier Forest remains missing, as of the 29th of the Tower, the due date of their last correspondence. We convene today to resolve his disappearance and to resolve Natalia Blade's involvement."
Involvement, Zara spoke as though Natalia consciously chose for this to happen to Mier. She wanted to lash out at her leader, put her newly strengthened body to the test. As though it'd do any good. All of them were will workers, surely. No one ranked so high in any society without possessing a bit of that power.
"Natalia Blade,stand now, and prepare to speak the story of you and Mier Forest."
Natalia stood, and Zara's second came forward, a face Natalia had seen for the first time. Yirith Pale, was, as her name suggested, pale to death. Her skin, almost gray, her hair blond enough to be white, her eyes...oddly enough blond as well, faintly yellow in the irises. Only her ears stood out, black and crinkled, as though freshly burned.
"Where do I start?"
"Describe you and Mier's history to the start of your assignment in Saiden."
"We entered as Initiates in the same quarter, seven years ago, summer. Our first day, we were assigned as partners. We graduated two years after, as Field Agents." Natalia paused. "The first assignment we had, we went to Aurelin, Chentin, Mier's hometown."
"What passed there?"
"Mier knew the location of a vent in Aurelin. He said his brothers once dared him to jump off a cliff and into the Misuen, and he found something resembling the vents we learned about. We spent time surveying the land and ocean surrounding the suspected vent and took readings."
"Did either of you attempt to pass into the vent?"
"Yes." Natalia would not deny what happened next.
"Please explain."
"We borrowed a boat from Mier's father, and rowed out into the Misuen, he and I. We went within ten meters of the suspected vent before we anchored the boat. To get an exact location, I stayed with one PD--positioning device--on the boat, while Mier took the other and dove. We found and recorded the approximate location of the Aurelin vent, which independent field agents later confirmed."
"Do you recall any difficulties with the measurements?"
Natalia focused on her tone, to keep emotion of out of it. "Mier claimed to have experienced illusions while in the presence of the vent. While under the influence of these visions, he was incapable of motion or interaction. Thus, we could not get any measurement until he exited the vicinity of the vent."
"Did you ever approach the vent, yourself?"
Lying to a high-ranking Second would be futile. "No. I remained in the boat."
"After you returned from Aurelin, where did you go?"
She strained to remember. "You could recall better than I, I imagine. We traveled around Chentin territory, to see if we could find similar vents. Then we returned to Cassarra, my former home-territory, to study the vent there."
"Did Mier have similar illusions?"
"He mentioned some sensitivity, but he also said they weren't nearly so bad as the time in Aurelin."
"How did you get your assignment in Saiden?"
"We applied, as many other field agents did. Our history with Aurelin and the rest of Chentin country proved we had a knack at finding vents. Mier and I chose together," she paused at that word, "to apply. Both of us wished to travel, and expressed this on our application. We were chosen, and agreements were set."
"Which were?"
"Sadir would set us up with a residency at Utame Tower and pay for reasonable expenses, provided we spent the time in active progress to finding the vent. Twice a year, we would send a detailed report of our activities and our discoveries."
"Did you discover a vent?"
"Yes."
"Did Mier have any odd reactions?"
Natalia choked. "He never mentioned any...but after the first time we visited, he grew distant."
"Distant how?"
"Forgive this opinion, but Mier and I were partners in the essence of the Sadiri. For each other, as partners, trusting and confiding in each other while we navigated a foreign land. That ended on his part after the first visit. Mier explained a desire to never go back to the vent, but would not confide his reason why."
"He didn't mention any strange experiences?"
"No he did not."
"What happened on your first visit to the Saiden Vent?"
"At the time we visited, the vent existed high up on a bluff in the forest. Mier and I climbed up. He slid into the vent first, secured himself in place and assisted me. Somehow, my grip slipped and I fell. I lost consciousness, and did not wake up until we were back in Utame."
Yirith examined her, and Natalia felt the blood drain from her face. She had lied, she realized too late. She used her words to protect Mier; he let go when his eyes closed. He had let her fall, even if by accident. Would the Second say so aloud?
"I see." Yirith kept her eyes on Natalia, and very suddenly, she felt reminded of her last visit to the preserve, swarmed by lights who showed her too many visions. "Tell of your second visit."
"That happened two festivals later. I convinced Mier to return again. We needed to return the notes we used to determine the location to the proper source, and we needed one more chance to collect the data. Nothing happened. We climbed the cliff without incident. Neither of us experienced illusions, no one fell--a successful and uneventful mission."
"Did Mier change after this?"
How she wanted to lie. Up until now, she pretended Mier's disappearance as coming suddenly, without warning, but the signs had been there. Her stupidity came in ignoring them. "He grew distant, uncaring about the Sadiri mission. The partnership seemed to mean less. He confided in me less. He did things, it seemed, because I made him, not because he had the desire for it."
"What happened the night he disappeared?"
"Our reports were due, and Mier agreed to work on his, after he took a walk. I stayed awake, waiting for his return, and fell asleep after midnight. When I woke the next morning, his work was there, on the table and done, but Mier had left. I reported his disappearance with Utame Tower as well as with Sadir. You received the records."
"What lengths have you gone through to find Mier, since you reported him missing?"
"I returned to the vent a third time, this time under the unofficial sanction of Kozan Kakkatou. Two other people went missing at the same time, and another non-Saidenese resident and I were charged with investigating their disappearance. I found no sign of Mier. I chose to remain a resident at Utame Tower for another two festivals, until I volunteered to become Utame's representative in the Chimare tribe. I hope to use my time in this tribe to search for Mier away from Utame." Could she have done more? Should she have done more? Should she have given up and returned to Sadir, a servant or an exile for the rest of her life?
"Thank you, Natalia Blade." Yirith gave no expression, neither did any of the other Sadiri's here to try her. "You have testified honestly through your eyes, and told a difficult story. None among us here question the devotion you and Mier Forest once had for the each other. Nor do we believe that your actions toward your partner were malicious in any way. We see the truth, and know this to be so."
Hope flared in Natalia. She could get understanding without consequence even, if they knew her devotion.
"However--"
Hope died then.
"However, we notice in your testimony, behaviors inconsistent with a good Prime. First, a Prime leads, but they must keep a Second's needs in mind. Mier Forest's sensitivity to energy from vents is a good thing, a useful tool, but you failed to take proper precautions for both of your safety. Primes also listen to Seconds. Mier Forest should have told you his reasons for not wanting to approach the vents, but you still chose to approach firmly against his advice. For these reasons, we hold you partially responsible for the disappearance of Mier Forest."
Natalia fell. They hadn't found anything at least, they called it a disappearance.
Zara stepped forward. "We do not plan on your death. As Yirith Pale said, you hold no malicious intent towards your partner. But you cannot escape without marking your folly. As one who would not follow the sight of her Second, we sentence Natalia Blade to blindness."
No one reacted. Natalia stood up and looked around. Crowds of Chimare looked bewildered. Did they even know the crime? The verdict? Sekhen looked pissed. The chief clenched fists white, ready to hit someone, anyone.
"I will not allow this!" Sekhen pushed forward, separating Natalia from the Sadiri. "I will not allow this!"
Zara stepped forward, as powerful as Sekhen in her own right. "When Natalia Blade went to trial, she agreed to accept the likely punishment."
Sekhen stared at her. She memorized his features: dark eyes, dark hair with a reddish tint, thick brows, a long, thin nose. He had a small scar under his right eye. She'd never noticed before.
"Is that true?" He asked. "You knew this would happen."
Natalia nodded. "I wanted to find him." It sounded weak, even to her
"Stupid! You think I will allow a kireh to be so harmed? You think I will allow this deliberate plot to break the alliance? These Gacha are not welcome on my land anymore, they are to leave now."
Natalia's courage, which had faltered during the trial rose now in insolence. "You're wrong. Kozan didn't send them. They're not even from the same continent. I'm not even from the same continent. My fate shouldn't matter to you, because I'm not from Utame. I'm not a proper kireh. If I get blinded, if I die, it doesn't affect your alliance with Kozan."
"You are stupid." Sekhen repeated. "You want your punishment. You think it will bring your partner back. You won't. You'll only be blind and useless. Infection will--" he stopped. "No, I will not curse you. I do not care." Sekhen stepped aside. "Take your Gacha and do what your law requires." He shoved Natalia to her knees in front of them.
The other Primes and Seconds, those who served only as witnesses, grabbed Natalia by her arms and led her to the tent they set up for this. Zara would carry out the punishment. In civilized cultures, the one who did the judgment performed the sentence.
"We mean no malice," Zara assured her, as they sat her in a chair. "We mean little pain for you." She gave Natalia a kiss, a mother's kiss on an errant daughter's cheek. Yirith tied her wrists and arms down, so she would not jerk. The Second's hand felt clammy against her skin, a touch she'd felt before. Like the bureaucrat's.
"Sha--" Natalia said before Yirith pinched her into silence.
As Zara prepared the tools, Yirith bent down and whispered into Natalia's ear. "You wish to know what happened to Mier Forest?"
Natalia nodded.
She heard, rather then saw the flap of the tent lift and drop again, and the footsteps of someone walking to stand behind Natalia.
Yirith breathed cold in her ears. "Keep heart. You will know him again."
"You know where he is?"
"I do."
"Do the others?" Natalia's pulse quickened. Lights flashed at the edge of her vision, the bright fireflies of the preserve. Their gifts of memory and future flashed and popped.
"No they do not. Quiet now. We must punish you."
Zara walked forward. "Do you object, Chief, if we make this painless for her?" She addressed the person who entered the tent.
"I don't care. This is your punishment."
Zara chanted, waving her hands over Natalia's eyes, and making everything go black. This wouldn't be the punishment, the spell would wear off soon.
Never before had Natalia thought about feeling her eyes, or what it would be like for her eyes to just go numb as they did under Zara's spell. Natalia tensed. She imagined Zara going picking up the spear made and heated for this purpose, walking forward, drawing back, pushing forward.
Moisture ran down her cheeks, warm like tears. She felt only that. Cloth, damp and cool tied around her eyes, and her wrists fell free.
Hands, Sekhen's--she recognized the strength and texture of them--helped her up. Natalia couldn't stand on her own, didn't even want to try.
"The spell will last until sunset. Then you will need to let her rest. We can leave healers to care for her, to hasten her recovery. If you wish."
Natalia floated, still anchored by Sekhen's strong arms. His reply, sharp and bitter echoed in her ears. The words escaped her. Visions, dozens of them, surrounded her, all showing Mier, the possibilities, and one of them, one of them would be right. A dozen papers swirling in the wind that she never noticed before, one of them showed Mier's fate. One of them would lead her to him.
She wanted to leap from her captor and start the chase, but the tether held. Her limbs felt weak. "She's going down," Yirtih's voice echoed in her ears. Mier was so close.
And then she lost the sound as well.
Word Count: 2814
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Sadiri catch up with Natalia.
Actually, Natalia thought the choice to face up to her judgment would be the difficult part. Sekhen guided Natalia from the forest, of her own free will, and she actually felt pretty good, despite what she knew came next for her. A Shadow did not tell her, the prophetic lights that surrounded her did not have to swarm her with visions. Just common sense, and a half a dozen Sadiri. Three Primes, Three Seconds, to examine the disappearance of one Mier Forest and pronounce Natalia's responsibility for him.
Then she saw who served as the head judge, and all good feelings left her.
Only once before had Natalia seen the esteemed leader of the Sadiri Prime, and that at her initiation ceremony. Zara then, had walked in front of the twenty new Prime, a queen among them, striking in her darkness, her long-limbed grace, her obvious power of the will, and channeled the ambitions of the arrogant ignorants into something suited to her purpose.
The same power froze Natalia to late spring ground now. Sekhen just stopped, and waited. The leader of the Chimare tribe offered her no more ways out. He gave no words of encouragement. He just stood there and waited for her to walk forward.
Mier deserved this, she reminded herself. Her legs might have shook when she did so, but Natalia stepped forward again. Her heart might have pounded against her chest, as she approached Zara, but Natalia knelt, for this day a faithful Sadiri once again.
"I submit myself unto your judgment."
Six surrounded her. Three Primes, all high-ranking, and their Seconds, who while quieter than their partners, still stood above her, unreachable authorities, and even scarier, much more perceptive than their Primes. Mier had been that way. All Seconds were, and their gazes scared Natalia, because in her cowering body, they saw things Natalia herself could not hope to grasp.
Coughs and murmurs surrounded her, making her aware of how public this all was. Only six Sadiri witnessed it, but the thousands of Chimare tribespeople ringed around her. The outcasts held their trials through combats, and in the few months Natalia lived among them, she'd watched her share, the bloody battles of accused versed accuser. The winner lived.
They watched this now, thinking it Gacha way, not the way of Sadiri, a group from halfway around the world, here to judge her for the most serious of crimes, failure to protect her partner. They couldn't understand, didn't speak the language. Sekhen could of course, he could understand what they said, but why would he explain to the others what happened?
"Two is a Sadiri number." Zara said, her Second, pale Yirith at her side, enforcing her words. "We tie two together, a Prime and a Second, two to trust, two to depend upon each other in confronting the new and dangerous. Two represents our acceptance of human and Shadow bonds, that we believe in forgiveness and trust. When a partnership ends with the disappearance of one, we must investigate. We must understand."
Natalia nodded, despite her fear of the probable consequences. Even knowing what likely awaited her, she agreed to this, to understand why Mier left her.
"Natalia Blade, Prime and Field Agent of Sadiri, Group 458, kneels before us, alone and without Mier Forest, her Second. Mier Forest remains missing, as of the 29th of the Tower, the due date of their last correspondence. We convene today to resolve his disappearance and to resolve Natalia Blade's involvement."
Involvement, Zara spoke as though Natalia consciously chose for this to happen to Mier. She wanted to lash out at her leader, put her newly strengthened body to the test. As though it'd do any good. All of them were will workers, surely. No one ranked so high in any society without possessing a bit of that power.
"Natalia Blade,stand now, and prepare to speak the story of you and Mier Forest."
Natalia stood, and Zara's second came forward, a face Natalia had seen for the first time. Yirith Pale, was, as her name suggested, pale to death. Her skin, almost gray, her hair blond enough to be white, her eyes...oddly enough blond as well, faintly yellow in the irises. Only her ears stood out, black and crinkled, as though freshly burned.
"Where do I start?"
"Describe you and Mier's history to the start of your assignment in Saiden."
"We entered as Initiates in the same quarter, seven years ago, summer. Our first day, we were assigned as partners. We graduated two years after, as Field Agents." Natalia paused. "The first assignment we had, we went to Aurelin, Chentin, Mier's hometown."
"What passed there?"
"Mier knew the location of a vent in Aurelin. He said his brothers once dared him to jump off a cliff and into the Misuen, and he found something resembling the vents we learned about. We spent time surveying the land and ocean surrounding the suspected vent and took readings."
"Did either of you attempt to pass into the vent?"
"Yes." Natalia would not deny what happened next.
"Please explain."
"We borrowed a boat from Mier's father, and rowed out into the Misuen, he and I. We went within ten meters of the suspected vent before we anchored the boat. To get an exact location, I stayed with one PD--positioning device--on the boat, while Mier took the other and dove. We found and recorded the approximate location of the Aurelin vent, which independent field agents later confirmed."
"Do you recall any difficulties with the measurements?"
Natalia focused on her tone, to keep emotion of out of it. "Mier claimed to have experienced illusions while in the presence of the vent. While under the influence of these visions, he was incapable of motion or interaction. Thus, we could not get any measurement until he exited the vicinity of the vent."
"Did you ever approach the vent, yourself?"
Lying to a high-ranking Second would be futile. "No. I remained in the boat."
"After you returned from Aurelin, where did you go?"
She strained to remember. "You could recall better than I, I imagine. We traveled around Chentin territory, to see if we could find similar vents. Then we returned to Cassarra, my former home-territory, to study the vent there."
"Did Mier have similar illusions?"
"He mentioned some sensitivity, but he also said they weren't nearly so bad as the time in Aurelin."
"How did you get your assignment in Saiden?"
"We applied, as many other field agents did. Our history with Aurelin and the rest of Chentin country proved we had a knack at finding vents. Mier and I chose together," she paused at that word, "to apply. Both of us wished to travel, and expressed this on our application. We were chosen, and agreements were set."
"Which were?"
"Sadir would set us up with a residency at Utame Tower and pay for reasonable expenses, provided we spent the time in active progress to finding the vent. Twice a year, we would send a detailed report of our activities and our discoveries."
"Did you discover a vent?"
"Yes."
"Did Mier have any odd reactions?"
Natalia choked. "He never mentioned any...but after the first time we visited, he grew distant."
"Distant how?"
"Forgive this opinion, but Mier and I were partners in the essence of the Sadiri. For each other, as partners, trusting and confiding in each other while we navigated a foreign land. That ended on his part after the first visit. Mier explained a desire to never go back to the vent, but would not confide his reason why."
"He didn't mention any strange experiences?"
"No he did not."
"What happened on your first visit to the Saiden Vent?"
"At the time we visited, the vent existed high up on a bluff in the forest. Mier and I climbed up. He slid into the vent first, secured himself in place and assisted me. Somehow, my grip slipped and I fell. I lost consciousness, and did not wake up until we were back in Utame."
Yirith examined her, and Natalia felt the blood drain from her face. She had lied, she realized too late. She used her words to protect Mier; he let go when his eyes closed. He had let her fall, even if by accident. Would the Second say so aloud?
"I see." Yirith kept her eyes on Natalia, and very suddenly, she felt reminded of her last visit to the preserve, swarmed by lights who showed her too many visions. "Tell of your second visit."
"That happened two festivals later. I convinced Mier to return again. We needed to return the notes we used to determine the location to the proper source, and we needed one more chance to collect the data. Nothing happened. We climbed the cliff without incident. Neither of us experienced illusions, no one fell--a successful and uneventful mission."
"Did Mier change after this?"
How she wanted to lie. Up until now, she pretended Mier's disappearance as coming suddenly, without warning, but the signs had been there. Her stupidity came in ignoring them. "He grew distant, uncaring about the Sadiri mission. The partnership seemed to mean less. He confided in me less. He did things, it seemed, because I made him, not because he had the desire for it."
"What happened the night he disappeared?"
"Our reports were due, and Mier agreed to work on his, after he took a walk. I stayed awake, waiting for his return, and fell asleep after midnight. When I woke the next morning, his work was there, on the table and done, but Mier had left. I reported his disappearance with Utame Tower as well as with Sadir. You received the records."
"What lengths have you gone through to find Mier, since you reported him missing?"
"I returned to the vent a third time, this time under the unofficial sanction of Kozan Kakkatou. Two other people went missing at the same time, and another non-Saidenese resident and I were charged with investigating their disappearance. I found no sign of Mier. I chose to remain a resident at Utame Tower for another two festivals, until I volunteered to become Utame's representative in the Chimare tribe. I hope to use my time in this tribe to search for Mier away from Utame." Could she have done more? Should she have done more? Should she have given up and returned to Sadir, a servant or an exile for the rest of her life?
"Thank you, Natalia Blade." Yirith gave no expression, neither did any of the other Sadiri's here to try her. "You have testified honestly through your eyes, and told a difficult story. None among us here question the devotion you and Mier Forest once had for the each other. Nor do we believe that your actions toward your partner were malicious in any way. We see the truth, and know this to be so."
Hope flared in Natalia. She could get understanding without consequence even, if they knew her devotion.
"However--"
Hope died then.
"However, we notice in your testimony, behaviors inconsistent with a good Prime. First, a Prime leads, but they must keep a Second's needs in mind. Mier Forest's sensitivity to energy from vents is a good thing, a useful tool, but you failed to take proper precautions for both of your safety. Primes also listen to Seconds. Mier Forest should have told you his reasons for not wanting to approach the vents, but you still chose to approach firmly against his advice. For these reasons, we hold you partially responsible for the disappearance of Mier Forest."
Natalia fell. They hadn't found anything at least, they called it a disappearance.
Zara stepped forward. "We do not plan on your death. As Yirith Pale said, you hold no malicious intent towards your partner. But you cannot escape without marking your folly. As one who would not follow the sight of her Second, we sentence Natalia Blade to blindness."
No one reacted. Natalia stood up and looked around. Crowds of Chimare looked bewildered. Did they even know the crime? The verdict? Sekhen looked pissed. The chief clenched fists white, ready to hit someone, anyone.
"I will not allow this!" Sekhen pushed forward, separating Natalia from the Sadiri. "I will not allow this!"
Zara stepped forward, as powerful as Sekhen in her own right. "When Natalia Blade went to trial, she agreed to accept the likely punishment."
Sekhen stared at her. She memorized his features: dark eyes, dark hair with a reddish tint, thick brows, a long, thin nose. He had a small scar under his right eye. She'd never noticed before.
"Is that true?" He asked. "You knew this would happen."
Natalia nodded. "I wanted to find him." It sounded weak, even to her
"Stupid! You think I will allow a kireh to be so harmed? You think I will allow this deliberate plot to break the alliance? These Gacha are not welcome on my land anymore, they are to leave now."
Natalia's courage, which had faltered during the trial rose now in insolence. "You're wrong. Kozan didn't send them. They're not even from the same continent. I'm not even from the same continent. My fate shouldn't matter to you, because I'm not from Utame. I'm not a proper kireh. If I get blinded, if I die, it doesn't affect your alliance with Kozan."
"You are stupid." Sekhen repeated. "You want your punishment. You think it will bring your partner back. You won't. You'll only be blind and useless. Infection will--" he stopped. "No, I will not curse you. I do not care." Sekhen stepped aside. "Take your Gacha and do what your law requires." He shoved Natalia to her knees in front of them.
The other Primes and Seconds, those who served only as witnesses, grabbed Natalia by her arms and led her to the tent they set up for this. Zara would carry out the punishment. In civilized cultures, the one who did the judgment performed the sentence.
"We mean no malice," Zara assured her, as they sat her in a chair. "We mean little pain for you." She gave Natalia a kiss, a mother's kiss on an errant daughter's cheek. Yirith tied her wrists and arms down, so she would not jerk. The Second's hand felt clammy against her skin, a touch she'd felt before. Like the bureaucrat's.
"Sha--" Natalia said before Yirith pinched her into silence.
As Zara prepared the tools, Yirith bent down and whispered into Natalia's ear. "You wish to know what happened to Mier Forest?"
Natalia nodded.
She heard, rather then saw the flap of the tent lift and drop again, and the footsteps of someone walking to stand behind Natalia.
Yirith breathed cold in her ears. "Keep heart. You will know him again."
"You know where he is?"
"I do."
"Do the others?" Natalia's pulse quickened. Lights flashed at the edge of her vision, the bright fireflies of the preserve. Their gifts of memory and future flashed and popped.
"No they do not. Quiet now. We must punish you."
Zara walked forward. "Do you object, Chief, if we make this painless for her?" She addressed the person who entered the tent.
"I don't care. This is your punishment."
Zara chanted, waving her hands over Natalia's eyes, and making everything go black. This wouldn't be the punishment, the spell would wear off soon.
Never before had Natalia thought about feeling her eyes, or what it would be like for her eyes to just go numb as they did under Zara's spell. Natalia tensed. She imagined Zara going picking up the spear made and heated for this purpose, walking forward, drawing back, pushing forward.
Moisture ran down her cheeks, warm like tears. She felt only that. Cloth, damp and cool tied around her eyes, and her wrists fell free.
Hands, Sekhen's--she recognized the strength and texture of them--helped her up. Natalia couldn't stand on her own, didn't even want to try.
"The spell will last until sunset. Then you will need to let her rest. We can leave healers to care for her, to hasten her recovery. If you wish."
Natalia floated, still anchored by Sekhen's strong arms. His reply, sharp and bitter echoed in her ears. The words escaped her. Visions, dozens of them, surrounded her, all showing Mier, the possibilities, and one of them, one of them would be right. A dozen papers swirling in the wind that she never noticed before, one of them showed Mier's fate. One of them would lead her to him.
She wanted to leap from her captor and start the chase, but the tether held. Her limbs felt weak. "She's going down," Yirtih's voice echoed in her ears. Mier was so close.
And then she lost the sound as well.
