and a promise in his eyes.
I let my breath out slowly. This didn’t bode well.
When the men finished breaking camp, Cahil mounted his horse and we set off through the forest. After several hours, the trees thinned as the trail ascended a hill. At the top of the rise, a vast valley, bisected by a long dirt road, spread out in front of us. Farm fields etched geometric shapes on the left side of the road. An immense plain dominated the landscape on the right side. Across the vibrant valley was another ridge, and I could just make out a white fortress spanning its crest.
“Is that the Citadel?” I asked Marrok.
He nodded. “Another half day’s march.” His gray eyes slid to the right as if searching for something.
I followed his gaze and watched the long grass stalks sway in the breeze. “Daviian Plateau?”
“No. That’s farther southeast,” Marrok said. “This is the edge of the Avibian Plains. The plain is huge. It takes ten days to cross it.”
“My cousin mentioned traveling through a plain on the way to the Citadel, but we’re really just skirting it.”
“Crossing Avibian is a shortcut. Zaltanas will cross, but everyone else avoids contact with the Sandseed Clan who calls the plains home. Taking the forest route is the long way, but it’s safe.”
I wanted to ask more, but Cahil increased the pace as we descended into the basin. He was either eager to reach the Citadel or anxious to put the plains behind him.
We passed laborers working in the farm fields, and a caravan of merchants with their horse-drawn wagons loaded with goods. Nothing but the tall grass moved in the plains.
The Citadel grew massive in appearance as we traveled closer. We stopped only once to water the horse and the men.
When we reached the towering gates, I was awed by the sheer size of the outer bulwark. Green veins streaked the white marble walls. I ran a hand along them, finding it smooth and cool despite the blistering heat. I had thought it was hot in the forest, but that had been nothing compared to being fully exposed to the searing sun.
The two guards at the Citadel’s open gates approached Cahil. After a brief conversation, Cahil led us into a courtyard. I squinted in the bright sunlight. The majestic sight before me took a while to sink in. An entire town resided within the Citadel’s outer walls. All the structures were made of the same white marble with veins of green that comprised the outer wall. I had visualized the Citadel as one large building, like the Commander’s castle in Ixia, but this was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
“Impressed?” Marrok asked.
I closed my mouth and nodded. Our party began to walk through the streets and I realized the place was deserted. “Where is everyone?” I asked Marrok.
“The Citadel’s a ghost town during the hot season. The Council is in recess, the Keep is on holiday and only a skeleton crew tends the crops. Everyone who can flees to the cooler climates, and those who are left retreat inside at mid-afternoon to avoid the sun.”
I didn’t blame them. My scalp felt as if it were on fire. “How much longer?” I asked.
“Another hour,” Marrok said. “See those four towers?” He pointed to the east. “That’s the Magician’s Keep.”
I stared at their height, wondering what dwelled in those lofty chambers.
We trudged on through the empty streets. The road surface alternated between packed dirt and cobblestones. I spotted dogs, cats and a few chickens crouched in bits of shade. When we neared a large square structure with multiple tiers, Marrok said, “That’s Council Hall where the Sitian government has its offices and conducts meetings.”
The building had long steps that stretched the entire length beneath the first floor and led up to a grand entrance. Jade colored columns bracketed the doorway. A group of people huddled in the Hall’s shadow. They approached us as we walked past. A strong odor of urine emanated from them. Filth matted their hair and covered their tattered attire.
One man reached out with a soot blackened hand. “Please, sir, spare a coin?”
Cahil’s men ignored them and kept walking. The group followed along, determined.
“Who are …?” I started to ask, but Marrok didn’t slow. I tried to catch up, but a small boy pulled on my arm. His brown eyes were rimmed with sores and streaks of dirt lined his cheeks.
“Lovely lady, please. I’m hungry,” the boy said. “Spare a copper?”
I glanced around for Marrok. He was half a block away. I couldn’t understand why this boy needed money, but I couldn’t refuse those eyes. I dug into my pack and pulled out the Sitian coins Esau had given me. I dumped all of them into his palm.
Kneeling down to his level, I said, “Share these with your friends. And take a bath. Okay?”
A joyful expression lit his face. “Thank—”
Before he could finish we were engulfed by a strong stench as the others surrounded us. They grabbed my arms, pulled at my clothes and yanked on my backpack. I saw the boy pocket the coins and slid out of the melee between the others’ legs. The putrid smell of so many unwashed bodies made me gag.
“Lovely lady. Lovely lady,” filled my ears until their words were cut off by the clatter of hooves on the cobblestones.
“Get away from her,” Cahil yelled. He brandished his sword in the air. “Go. Or I’ll cut you in half.”
In a heartbeat, the crowd disappeared.
“Are you all right?” Cahil asked.
“Yes.” I smoothed my hair and reshouldered my pack. “What was that about?”
“Beggars. Filthy street rats.” A look of disgust darkened his face. “It was your fault. If you hadn’t given them money, they would have left you alone.”
“Beggars?”
My confusion seemed to amaze Cahil. “Surely you know what beggars are?” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “They don’t work. They live on the streets. They beg for money for food. You had to see them in Ixia,” he said with frustration.
“No. Everyone in Ixia has a job. Basic necessities are provided to all by the Commander’s military.”
“How does he pay for it?”
Before I could answer, Cahil’s shoulders drooped. “With my uncle’s money. He has probably drained the treasury dry.”
I bit back my reply. As far as I was concerned, better to have the money helping people than covering the floor of some treasury.
“Come on.” Cahil took his foot out of the stirrup, reached down, and held out his hand. “We need to catch up to the others.”
“On the horse?” I asked.
“Don’t tell me they don’t have horses in the north.”
“Not
