The Witch Woman's Prophecy

24 | Under the Council Hall |

My heart thumped so hard that it shook my chest and a sour taste rose up into my mouth. Somebody had just imprisoned me in this small room! I rushed to the heavy wooden door, but it didn't have a handle a handle on the inside. I began to pound on it with my fist so hard that my hand hurt.

'Let me out! The door closed behind me!' I yelled over and over, but there was no answer from the corridor. I tried hard to calm my breathing and to think what might have happened. Had somebody deliberately shut me in here or had the door simply swung shut? I hadn't felt any air movement that would close the door, but I hadn't heard any footsteps either.

How was I going to get out? What if nobody looked in here for me? The panic surged up inside me. It might be days until I was found. I would be dead by then. My heart thundered inside me, making me clutch at my chest. I pounded the door and shouted once more, but still there was no reply.

Not knowing what else to do, I slid down to the ground and put my head on my knees and wrapped my arms around them. The light of my little lamp flickered and then died as it ran out of oil. A startled cry escaped my lips as the darkness closed in around me.

A sense of doom flooded through me – I would never be found. I screwed up my eyes and tried not to panic. I hugged my knees tighter and began to rock back and forth. This was not the way I'd pictured the day ending. I put my ear against the door and listened for any sounds on the other side, but there was only the pulsing sound of blood racing through my veins.

Thoughts whirled through my mind. How long would it be before anybody missed me and thought to come looking for me? Perhaps Soni and her family would think I had gone back to the desert and I might never be missed. The darkness pressed in even tighter around me and I pictured someone opening the door in the distant future to find my desiccated corpse lying there. Panicked, I banged on the door again, but there was still no answer from outside.

The arrow that had been shot at me outside Polemmy was fired by somebody who had fallen from the top of the wall and died. But what if there was a second assassin? Somebody who was more patient and prepared to wait until a more suitable moment to kill me so that it looked like an accident.

Was Prindah part of a plot?

I kept my eyes closed; the darkness frightened me less that way. I could pretend that when I opened them there would be light and I was just imagining being shut in. To calm myself I tried breathing as slowly as I could without getting out of breath and then began to recite to myself some of the old stories about the gods that Halash and Doya had told me when I was young.

A sudden grating noise beside my head made me jump –it was the sound of the door opening. A thin blade of lamplight jabbed into my eyes and made them water. I stood unsteadily, shielding my eyes and made a great effort to look composed.

'Ah, there you are,' said an unfamiliar voice. A unfamiliar man with a close cropped grey beard and hair looked down at me. He held out his hand to me and helped me from the floor and out of the room. 'I'm Cadu. Let's get you back into the main hall, Thamet.'

Everyone in Polemmy must know my name, I thought, but I thanked him and he led me up the steps to the hall. He took care to hold his lamp behind me so that it didn't dazzle my stinging eyes.

Prindah was waiting in the main hall. 'Oh, my boy!' he wailed as he rushed up to me wringing his hands. 'I thought that you had left the corridor and come back up here.' He paused to draw in a deep breath. 'I am so sorry,' he said in a more composed voice.

I was furious! He must have pushed the door closed behind me and left me down there to die! How dare he do that! The gruesome images of my own corpse that I'd had in the dark assailed me and I wanted to hit him, but I clenched my fists instead until the nails dug into the palms.

'You closed the door and left me there! Why?' I demanded.

'I didn't... I thought you'd gone... I didn't know you were down there!' said Prindah, smiling at me with a trembling mouth.

'Were you trying to kill me?'

'No! No! I didn't know you were there, my boy,' he said, reaching out a hand to touch my shoulder, but I drew away from it.

'I'm sorry that you had that terrible experience,' said Cadu. 'It must have been an awful shock. I noticed that you went down with Prindah but then he came up without you, so I took it upon myself to search for you.'

I turned my attention fully to him. 'I am in your debt,' I said and gave what I hoped was a polite hand on heart bow.

'Nonsense! The storerooms are checked every day. You would have been found before much longer,' said Cadu.

'Well, you still saved me from a terrible experience. I am very grateful.' I addressed my remark to him, my back turned to Prindah.

'Now, Thamet,' said Cadu. 'I think that we should take you back to the people who are looking after you.'

Joria and Rushu were waiting by the wall for me, they did not meet my eyes.

'We did not know that you were lost,' said Joria. 'Prindah only came out a short time ago and we were about to go down to search for you. We did not think that anything could happen to you if you were accompanied by a councillor.' He bowed to me and I realised that I had never been in danger after all. I had forgotten they were waiting for me.

Cadu smiled at me and gave my arm a squeeze. 'Ah, and here is the lovely Naamiya. Come to take you home, I expect.'

I turned to see Naamiya hurrying towards us.

'Thamet! Are you all right? I came as soon as I heard,' she said, her face flushed a little from her haste. She was wearing her guard's uniform of fitted brown leather jacket and blue trousers and she was carrying a spear. Her head was bare and her curly hair was tied back from her face.

'I'm fine, just a bit surprised,' I told her, not wanting her to think that I was so easily shaken.

She looked me over as if to check that I was uninjured and gave me a smile. 'You two, report to the Head Guard and tell them you have left Thamet unaccompanied. He will not be pleased with you. I will guard him for the rest of the day.' Naamiya shot Joria and Rushu an angry look.

They saluted her and walked out of the Council Hall. I wondered what would happen to them.

'I have a question to ask before you leave,' said Cadu, 'Thamet, I wonder if you would care to join me at my house for the evening meal soon?'

I looked at Naamiya, who nodded at me.

'I would be delighted to,' I said to Cadu, bowing to him again.

I turned away from the small crowd that had gathered around us without looking back at Prindah, and I did not thank him for his tour of the Council Hall.

***

Any idea who trapped Thamet in the storeroom?

Do you think Thamet complains too much? Or is it justified?

Any feedback good or bad is truly appreciated, I am trying to make this the best story I can. Please let me know if you find anything confusing or if you think I've left anything out.

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Anni X