their strength.”
“They would never hurt you! Not after what you've done.”
She looked at me as if I were a child.
“Probably not. But the city will be sacked in the morning and the Sworn do not wish to witness. You will wish it were the Farong who were falling upon you. At least Farong have no interest in Human women.”
We had arrived at the Gong. The turret was not tall, just a two story building erected on the summit of the hill that dominated the citadel. We climbed through an outer staircase, and I wondered what kind of eminent noble lived or worked under the sacred Gong. When I got up to the top, I realized the turret was hollow and that it dug deep into the mountain. There was a narrow ridge around the central pit so that someone could stand to pull the cord but that was it. That's why the Gong had such a hollow sound and made the earth rumble so: the sound resonated deep into the hill, and spread under the earth. I looked down into the depths, but I couldn't see the end.
Lea pulled me away from the pit and pointed the borders of the city-state out for me.
“Look at that,” she said, pointing at the sea. “That is where the Sworn will go. Land is men's territory now.” I had never seen the sea before. The expanse of water sent my mind reeling.
Lea sheathed her stiletto and I felt my gut unclench. I had not realized I was so tense.
“You are free to go, Telora,” she said bitterly. “But I suggest you leave the city before nightfall. Aghar has the ear of the King and he is the hero of this war. He will not want you around to disprove his version of the story. Go anywhere you please, but not to sea. The sea belongs to the Sworn Maidens now. It is our territory, and if one of us catches you there, you will be dispatched as a traitor.”
“And you? Are you a traitor?” I brushed her hand with mine. “Come with me, Lea. Let the fighting be over. I'll take care of you.”
She shook her head and squinted against her tears. Her muscles trembled under her armour and I realized she must have gone without the drug for a long time. I felt for her and wondered if the pillage had left the Sworn completely defenceless. Surely, there were secret stashes they could rely on?
“Don't lie to yourself, Telora. You know why you came to me. Battle does strange things to people. I cannot live without the feel of the sword in my hand or the leather straps of armour biting into my shoulders. Does that make sense? Probably not. But I am Sworn and I can be nothing else.”
I nodded. I had offered my love rashly. I don't know what I would have done if she'd expected me to stay by her side.
“Where will I go?” I pleaded.
“Anywhere,” she said. “But I hear the Farong are seeking hired swords among the humans and I'm sure they'd provide the drug for you. You'd be able to take it from its source.”
Lea grabbed the cord and gave it a tug. The vibration threw me to my knees. She loomed over me, smiling until the tremor passed. I realized I'd understood nothing of war. Armies were bought and sold, citadels were sacked by their own soldiers and the Farong paid their enemy to fight by their side. There was no pride in winning a battle where gold was pitted against gold. All that was left was the honour that binds fighters together, the very code I had betrayed.
“You can still choose honour,” she said. She looked happy. I didn't understand.
“Join me, Telora. I'm no longer welcome in the Sworn. Maybe we can be better lovers in death than we were in life, eh?”
She jumped into the pit before I could stop her. She made no sound as she fell and I didn't hear her hit the ground. That was her due for sharing the drug with me. She was judge and witness at her own trial and she executed her own sentence.
I sat under the Gong for a while, considering her offer, but I was not a warrior at heart. Like a true traitor, I lacked the moral code to carry out my punishment.
I retraced my steps down to the city. Already I
“They would never hurt you! Not after what you've done.”
She looked at me as if I were a child.
“Probably not. But the city will be sacked in the morning and the Sworn do not wish to witness. You will wish it were the Farong who were falling upon you. At least Farong have no interest in Human women.”
We had arrived at the Gong. The turret was not tall, just a two story building erected on the summit of the hill that dominated the citadel. We climbed through an outer staircase, and I wondered what kind of eminent noble lived or worked under the sacred Gong. When I got up to the top, I realized the turret was hollow and that it dug deep into the mountain. There was a narrow ridge around the central pit so that someone could stand to pull the cord but that was it. That's why the Gong had such a hollow sound and made the earth rumble so: the sound resonated deep into the hill, and spread under the earth. I looked down into the depths, but I couldn't see the end.
Lea pulled me away from the pit and pointed the borders of the city-state out for me.
“Look at that,” she said, pointing at the sea. “That is where the Sworn will go. Land is men's territory now.” I had never seen the sea before. The expanse of water sent my mind reeling.
Lea sheathed her stiletto and I felt my gut unclench. I had not realized I was so tense.
“You are free to go, Telora,” she said bitterly. “But I suggest you leave the city before nightfall. Aghar has the ear of the King and he is the hero of this war. He will not want you around to disprove his version of the story. Go anywhere you please, but not to sea. The sea belongs to the Sworn Maidens now. It is our territory, and if one of us catches you there, you will be dispatched as a traitor.”
“And you? Are you a traitor?” I brushed her hand with mine. “Come with me, Lea. Let the fighting be over. I'll take care of you.”
She shook her head and squinted against her tears. Her muscles trembled under her armour and I realized she must have gone without the drug for a long time. I felt for her and wondered if the pillage had left the Sworn completely defenceless. Surely, there were secret stashes they could rely on?
“Don't lie to yourself, Telora. You know why you came to me. Battle does strange things to people. I cannot live without the feel of the sword in my hand or the leather straps of armour biting into my shoulders. Does that make sense? Probably not. But I am Sworn and I can be nothing else.”
I nodded. I had offered my love rashly. I don't know what I would have done if she'd expected me to stay by her side.
“Where will I go?” I pleaded.
“Anywhere,” she said. “But I hear the Farong are seeking hired swords among the humans and I'm sure they'd provide the drug for you. You'd be able to take it from its source.”
Lea grabbed the cord and gave it a tug. The vibration threw me to my knees. She loomed over me, smiling until the tremor passed. I realized I'd understood nothing of war. Armies were bought and sold, citadels were sacked by their own soldiers and the Farong paid their enemy to fight by their side. There was no pride in winning a battle where gold was pitted against gold. All that was left was the honour that binds fighters together, the very code I had betrayed.
“You can still choose honour,” she said. She looked happy. I didn't understand.
“Join me, Telora. I'm no longer welcome in the Sworn. Maybe we can be better lovers in death than we were in life, eh?”
She jumped into the pit before I could stop her. She made no sound as she fell and I didn't hear her hit the ground. That was her due for sharing the drug with me. She was judge and witness at her own trial and she executed her own sentence.
I sat under the Gong for a while, considering her offer, but I was not a warrior at heart. Like a true traitor, I lacked the moral code to carry out my punishment.
I retraced my steps down to the city. Already I
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