What has happened to Azalyae? Will the Hulta go and get her back in this chapter? What are they going to do! Don't know...? Well here's an advice…keep reading, my dear readers. It is known to be very good for your brain and…curiosity. Hee hee.
And again I do not own these books. I wish I had…urgh…
I was so stunned that I felt as if the whole world had tumbled onto me. Kirad wailed in my arms. Argul looked dead frozen. Why would anyone want to take my child away from me? And…why just Azalyae and not Kirad also?
"Argul?" asked Blurn in a concerned voice. "What should we do?"
For a moment I thought that he wasn't going to answer. Then, "Keep all women and children inside the wagons," was what he said. "The outriders should keep close. I want fifty riders up in the front and back for each. All should be armed and ready. Anyone sees or hear anything unusual shall come and tell me." He turned to me. "Claidi," he addressed me, "we need Yinyay and your servants."
I nodded my head. "Yes Argul." All of my servants appeared from thin air and stood in front of me. "You are to listen to my husband's orders." They bowed and turned to Argul and gave another bow.
Argul was silent for a moment. "I want a couple of you to get my fellow Hultas who are heading to Panther's Halt. I will have Ro go with you. Bring them all back." Argul turned to Ro. "I want you not to tell them. The only word that you are allowed to give them is that it is my order. Understand?" Ro nodded and grabbed onto one of the doll's arm. Then Argul turned to the other rest of the dolls. "That's all I need from you. You may listen to your mistress."
The dolls turned away from him to me. "Whatever it takes," I said in a firm voice, trying to keep my voice still before I started crying, "I want you to search high and low searching for me daughter. Do you understand that?"
They opened their eyes at me. Yes madam, I heard them say to me. They bowed and flew up into the sky with the Hulta watching in amazement…and then they disappeared. Argul led Kirad and me into our wagon. And there I burst out crying. I've never cried in front of Argul before. This time I cried and cried. He took Kirad and me in his arms and tried to soothe us. It almost worked but I was just too worried over Azalyae.
Who would ever do such a thing to a mother? Poor Azalyae, she must be scared to death. I'm sorry about the wiggly words; I've been crying and still am. I almost covered this page with tears.
Kirad is asleep next to me. Thu is watching over us while Argul is observing the damages that the raiders had done. He's examining those who had been killed by the Hulta warriors. He also had Yinyay out, invisible and flying over us, protecting and detecting anything unusual. He went in and told me that he had sent a flying letter to everyone, including Ustareth.
"Claidi?" I looked. It was Moon Silk, wrapped in a blanket. "Claidi…" she repeated.
"What is it?" I asked. Ever since she left the City, she had always worn a happy face, but now…she looked as if she was at the City again. "Are you all right, Moon Silk? You shouldn't be wandering around here. What if something –"
"Claidi, I'm sorry about what happened to Azalyae," she whispered. "It was my fault for not watching her. Teil said that she needed to do something and she left your children in my hands. I thought of your children as angels and did not expect that anything would happen, so I left the wagon and went off to check on Crystal and her child. And then that was when they started coming in."
I shook my head at her. "It isn't your fault, Moon Silk," I said quietly, although I felt a lump in my throat. "Things happen randomly when you least expect it to. I don't blame you. I don't blame anyone. I had always known that something horrible would befall on my children after they are born. I was told that something would happen to them. No one has to take the blame for it except for the culprit, and he or she will pay."
My mind rest upon Twilight Star, the Princess of the Raven Tower, and mother of the real Claidissa Star. It could be her. She had wanted the Wolf Queen, the Power. But it is I who became it. But…what has Azalyae have to do with this thing if it's all ready over?
I looked at the solemn Moon Silk. "Moon Silk," I said and her head rose up at me. "Do you remember anything about the raiding, besides the part when they started attacking? Do you remember how their badges had looked?"
But she shook her head. "To tell you the truth Claidi," she answered, "everything had happened so fast that it had seemed to be like a dream. You see blurry faces; you see the wind blowing, you see things that only happen in dreams."
To that, I did not ask anymore questions. Her words are true. She is an honest person. Very sweet and polite in all kinds of ways that you cannot find a reason to hate or distrust her. After that, she walked off to her wagon which she shared with Mehmed. I did not sleep. Too afraid and anxious to have my slumber. I stayed up until dawn. Kirad woke up and thought that everything was a dream until he saw me weeping and Azalyae gone. That was when he believed it and comforted me.
"Do not cry, mama," he said in his high pitched, now shaky, voice. "We will find Azal. I promise that we will, mama." I took him in my arms and rocked him. "If it's Azalyae who you want right now, I can trade with her. I will find her and take her spot and you can be happy."
"Oh God, no!" I gasped in surprise. What made him think of that? One child missing is all ready painful. But to have both? Has my son lost his mind? "Kirad, what makes you think of that?"
"Mama wants to be happy, right?"
"Mama is happy enough to still have one child with her. But mama will be sadder if all her children are taken away."
He looked at me with Argul's eyes. I could see Argul in him. But his skin tone is lighter than Argul's and mine; not tan yet. And so hasn't Azalyae. They're still children and they will develop their real skin tone when they're old enough.
He swallowed. "I…I…I thought that you favored Azalyae more because she is a girl. I'm sorry mama; I didn't want you to be sad. It's very sad to see you sad."
He embraced me and I thought that my heart would burst with love. I wiped away his tears and told him that everything would be all right once we find Azalyae. I told him that we weren't allowed to leave the wagons except when it's meal time. He understood it. Then he went on of how he had stabbed the man. Every detail he told me seemed real. It was actually. He did a good way of tell it. It was like I was reading something he had written. But this boy does not need to write down the descriptions, he can tell it like it is.
Argul came into the wagon and told me the plan. We're not staying in Panther's Halt. We're changing course. We're heading South…to the City.
Ooooooooooooh. I have more coming soon. Just hold onto your seats and be patient. How's it going so far? Good? Bad? So so? Have an answer? Well…there's that little blue button down there (in case you want to tell me) where you can summit your answers to me. That way I can know. Thanks!
Thank you, Kiriu. I see my mistake now...tee hee.
