Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.
As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.
Chapter 130
The temple, once bursting at the seams with visitors, is now half-empty and completely silent. It's not until I leave the dais that the audience stands up and applauds loudly. Tearful faces, both men and women, fill the space.
Sion walks to the doors of the temple to receive condolences and expressions of support. Unexpectedly, many completely unknown people approach me, thanking me for the wonderful speech. Hands are shaken, and hope is expressed. Hope that the injustice done to Krya will be vindicated.
With the loss of their divine leader, the fear of being on the wrong side of the board seems to disappear momentarily. However, the council will soon correct this, likely with a heavy hand.
Still, this is the time to sow, and that's what we have done. After the temple empties out, and Dadrie, Kreytu, Cabilah, and Numico have already bid farewell to Sion, it's my turn. The girl falls into my arms, crying.
With shoulders shaking she expressed her joy about the wonderful service alternates with the sadness caused by the loss of her mother. There's no mention of her father. I hug her until she calms down, at least enough to say goodbye.
It's a beautifully orchestrated farewell, where emotions run high and tears are shed. The emotions have probably already been stirred to such an extent by the funeral that they can be further released in the performed farewell. Then we drive away towards the city gates, unsure if we will ever return.
We meet Hijat at the agreed fork in the road, we are late as Dadrie wanted to stake out the territory just in case we or she had been followed. None of that seems to be the case and Hijat leads us to a rock formation far from the accessible paths. She dismounts and walks around it, brushing the leaves from a large, flat boulder covered with moss and grass, with her foot. “Here, this is it.”
Dadrie and Kreytu lift the stone from its place, revealing a staircase descending into darkness. Through the twilight, we see only a few steps carved into the rock. Numico precedes the older lady; only upon reaching the tunnel does he use a flint to set some dry grass on fire. Soon the torch burns, casting a faint glow that moves away from us until it's a dark hole again.
It must have taken many years to dig this tunnel, as it's far from the city walls, and the palace is in the middle of the city—a long walk, I think. We wrap ourselves in skins and sit close together to share warmth. It's unwise to make a fire so close to the city, as it would attract unwanted attention.
By now, we've calculated that we will have half a night before Sion's disappearance will be noticed. Sion will send a message that she wants to sleep in and will let the servants know when breakfast can be served. If we're lucky, this will give us at least half a day.
We expect her absence to be discovered before noon, therefore Hijat will return just before lunch which would be normal because a servant would avoid missing out on a free meal.
If asked, she will suggest that Sion might be taking a walk outside the city walls, seeking peace and solitude amidst nature. Then it will only be around dinner that the truth will emerge. If the council still has to gather and come to a position, darkness will have fallen before any action is taken. There's little point in searching extensively during the night, so some scouts will be sent out. But an actual search cannot begin until dawn.
If we don't sleep and ride straight back home, it will be possible to reach Kreytu's lands by the time the first real search commences. And we would arrive around the time one would expect us to arrive if we would have spent the night somewhere. That way the workers would be able to confirm our story.
I feel the cold minutes crawl by as we speak in whispers, wondering what the future will hold for us. Now that we are going home part of me longs to return to my village. A smile masters my lips when I think how will they react to this city princess at Numico's side?
Cabilah and Kreytu sit cozily and talk about their future together. Dadrie sits in silence, deep in thought.
Whatever will happen in the near future, one thing is certain: it's not over yet. Krya's death will not have been in vain. I'm not sure how yet, but I will fulfill her wishes. Or die trying.
A light emanates from the gaping hole in the ground, so we hide to be safe. Completely unnecessary, as Numico, with the torch in one hand and Sion's hand in the other, appears smiling from the opening in the earth. Before he even leaves the tunnel, he hands the torch to Hijat. She will wait in the tunnel, that would allow her a small fire. Dadrie created a construction allowing her to put the stone back in its place. pretending it has never moved.
We quickly saddle the horses and head towards the main road. Dadrie will follow us at some distance so that observant passers-by will only see five travelers.
Officially we have nothing to hide, and to cover sufficient distance quickly we decided to take the main roads for the time being. No soldiers are working on this day of national mourning From the morning onwards, we will do better to avoid it we are a group of five, but close-up Sion will never be mistaken for Dadrie.
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