Engraved - The Hunted Warrior

Chapter 26.1 - The Queen of the Endless Plains

Nurlan buckled his scabbard tightly around his waist and inspected his reflection in a round piece of polished bronze.

"Why do you think Chumerra is calling you and the other senior warriors together?" Shaleh asked

"Defensive strategy, or raiding plans. Why else could it be?"

"I don't trust her," said Shaleh. "I don't like her."

"Neither do I, but I still have to go."

"Can I come?" Shaleh knew the answer but asked anyway. In the Empa Clan her father always allowed her to attend the raiding party gatherings.

"No," he smiled kindly. "You haven't been in our clan long enough, and you aren't one of the leaders of the raiding parties." He crossed over to her and kissed her on the forehead.

It still felt strange to have him so close but she was getting used to it.

"I will return shortly. You could visit my cousin's family if you get bored," he suggested.

After he left Shaleh counted to one hundred before picking up a bucket and stepping quietly out of the tent and into the cloud-covered moonlight. The bucket was part of the deception. If anyone asked she could say she was fetching water. She checked that Nurlan was out of sight. She felt a twinge of guilt that she was hiding from Nurlan what she was about to do, but she had to hear firsthand what was going on in the meeting. She had an ominous sense of dread that Chumerra was plotting something.

Shaleh slipped into the shadows behind the neighboring tent and quietly walked towards the sprawling stone building. She circled around the back of the building and crouched behind a tree. A solitary warrior was on guard. He hummed a familiar love song as he glanced aimlessly around. Peeking around the trunk, Shaleh surveyed the back of the building. There were only two options for gaining entry: the solid looking wooden back door, and a small window off to the side of the building that was slightly above her head height.

That looks too high to enter easily. The door it is, then.

After what seemed an eternity, but was in reality only five or so minutes, the warrior took a final look around the area and walked around the corner of the building. He was out of sight, but for how long? Shaleh grabbed her bucket and quietly padded over to the door. She quietly turned the handle but it refused to budge.

Locked.

Cursing silently to herself she ran over to the window. It was a simple open cavity in the clumsily constructed stone wall. The square opening was about the height and width of her shoulders. Faint yellow flickering light came from inside. She closed her eyes to focus on her hearing. She could hear nothing from inside the window.

She placed the bucket upside down under the window and stood on it. It held her weight. Barely. The extra height made all the difference. With a quiet exertion she pulled her eyes carefully over the lip of the window. The room was long and rectangular. Light from a flickering lantern hanging halfway along on the wall glinted off of a row of large prison cages. She could not see anyone inside. She lowered herself to the bucket to prepare herself. Looking around outside there was still no one visible but she could faintly hear the sound of the humming guard.

He must be returning.

She pulled herself up and was almost in when she realised the flaw - her bucket. Sitting upturned under the window was a clear giveaway. She lowered herself partway down and with the tip of her foot pushed it over. It rolled away.

The humming was getting louder.

She pulled herself up but her shoulders and arms were already tired. Thankfully the stone wall was full of footholds. She scrambled towards the opening.