Warrior's Heart (Book 1 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 15

"One moment, Lieutenant." The Healer who had remained silent all this while, touched her arm.

"Yes?"

The woman stepped closer then with a sudden movement she reached up and cupped Leyla's face in her palms.

"What are you-" A sharp heat seeped into her skin, burning down to the bone before turning freezing cold. As suddenly as she had approached, the Healer stepped back. Drops of sweat had appeared on the triangular tattoo between her brows.

"A gift," the woman smiled. Then she lifted her palms to cover her face, "Temha, Lieutenant."

Leyla touched her face, feeling for her scar but finding only smooth skin. What had the Healer done?

"Lieutenant?" The guards voice came through the open door.

She had to be mistaken, the scar was unfixable, the Healers had told her so. Blinking away the last of the strange coldness in her face, Leyla left the room and followed the waiting guard down the corridors.

Despite the earliness of the hour, there was no one about. No on in the hallways, no one walking along the balconies or training in the quad. There were still two bells to ring before sunset, where was everyone? Even the corridor guards were nowhere to be seen. Her mind went over the possible security threats this could create, not that there was any use in thinking about it. She was not in charge of inner keep security anymore. Someone else would be assigned to her tasks, probably already had been, knowing the efficiency of the Warrior army.

As they approached the south gate, two guards saluted and opened the doors wide. Leyla's step faltered at the sight before her.

A large closed carriage with four white thoroughbreds waited just ahead with two armed Land of Light riders at the back. They wore thin golden helmets that caught the light from the lit torches on the keep walls. But it wasn't the strange sight of these unfamiliar soldiers that held her arrested. It was the sight of the Warrior soldiers behind the carriage that stood half a dozen lines deep. Their right hands over their crescents, they waited motionless as she descended the steps.

What were they all doing here?

The door of the carriage opened and the messenger she had seen earlier in the Hall came out, motioning for her to enter. Leyla moved slowly, meeting dozens of Warriors gazes as they began to chant: "The land will burn red! The new moon will rise! The World will be in a Warrior's palm."

It was a procession; a sign of ultimate respect. Warrior heroes were sent off to war this way. Warrior fallen were sent to the burial grounds this way. Tonight, they were sending her off - to war, to her death? No one knew.

Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. She closed them quickly, unwilling to let a drop fall. She was being saluted, accepted...it was what she had always wanted, but she would not get to live in her homeland with that recognition. She would probably never see this land again. Touching her hand over her crescent she raised her hand to her forehead, then the sky. It was the salute of a soldier going to war. The salute of a soldier who had accepted death. The Warriors picked up the chant again, beating swords on shields as Leyla entered the carriage.

"I am sorry Lieutenant, about the way things were handled." The Light messenger spoke as he took the seat across from her. The carriage was lined with leather and furs; the most luxurious vehicle she had seen by far. He put on a thin pair of white gloves, then leaned forward, lighting a strange type of candle that produced no fire. "Unfortunately, time is of utmost concern, so we could not be delicate about this exchange." He knocked three times on the wood behind him and the carriage began to move.

"Being treated delicately is not something I am familiar with," Leyla said, listening to the chants fade away as they made their way down towards the Warrior village. Wanting to keep her emotions at bay, she focused on the Light messenger. "If you want to be kind, however, why don't you start by telling me who you are, where you are taking me and what this time sensitive concern is, exactly."

The man laughed, the strange carriage light making bits of his hair appear read. "I apologise again, Lieutenant. I failed to introduce myself. My name is Aegeus, but you can call me Geus."

"Gues." Leyla tried the strange name, then narrowed her eyes. "Where are we going, and why?"

The messenger's thin brows curved in apology. "I'm afraid I have not been given permission to answer any other questions."

"This journey will take three days, if not longer!" Leyla frowned. "If the reason for all of this is time sensitive, wouldn't it make more sense to tell me about it now so I can prepare?"

"What makes sense, is not for me to decide," Gues said.

Leyla leaned back gently, no longer surprised at her painless mobility. "So you are a puppet?"

The Light lander smiled, "Trying to goad me into revealing information is a waste of your time, Lieutenant."

"I have lots of time to waste," she shrugged unconcerned. Looking at the strange candle, she asked: "Can you tell me about that?"

Geus followed her gaze then picked up the small square object. "It is a light box."

Leila leaned forward, peering inside it. "I'm sure you can not tell me what fuel this is that requires no fire," she said conversationally. "You guys must need lots of it to keep hundreds of rooms lit on dark winter days..."

"If we only had that much red oil..." Geus covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes flaring. "You look young, so I underestimated you, Warrior."

Leyla watched the man with calm eyes. She had discovered the name of the oil, uncovered that there was a limited supply of it and approximated the size of their keep. "Don't fret. You are not the first to do so. Answer me one more question and the rest of the voyage will pass peacefully."

"What is your question?"

Leyla rested her hands on her legs, careful not to let her nerves show. "Are they going to kill me?"

Geus looked surprised, then he reached into his coat's inner pocket and took out a small brown ball, "Have a look at this." He tossed the ball in her direction. Leyla caught the thing easily. After turning it over, she eyed him quizzically. "What does this mean?"

"I am sorry, Lieutenant. When you wake, you'll have all your answers, I promise."

When you wake? She looked at the object in her hand, seeing the fine powder it was covered with for the first time. Her eyes flew to Geus's gloves. She dropped the ball quickly, but it was too late. In the next moment, darkness took over.