He heard voices.
Meaningless sounds. Still, he was aware of a dull resonance surrounding him. He knew that voices were calling his name, talking to him.
Yuna, wailing, calling incessantly. Tohma, trying to tell him something. Kiya. Sae…
The voices came, one after another, appearing and disappearing as he wandered between sleeping and waking. How long he’d been lying like that, he couldn’t tell, but he woke with a start at the touch of a chill night breeze and the scent of dew.
A gray darkness filled the tent. And silence. He felt no human presence. Perhaps someone had just left, letting in the night air that roused him.
Where am I? Why was he in this tent?
He couldn’t remember. All memory of how he’d come here seemed to have been wiped from his mind. His forehead tightened, and he broke into a nasty sweat.
What could have happened?
His head throbbed, and his ears rang. With each heartbeat, pain stabbed his shoulder.
An image of Ohfan’s face, an arrow piercing his skull, flashed into his mind, and the fuse connecting his memories sparked to life. A deafening blast, the acrid smell of gunpowder, and, with it, shards of brick mingled with blood, flesh, and bone exploding into the air—it all came rushing back. Relief spread through him, and he breathed a long, deep sigh.
Ah, that’s right. The blast from the bomb had knocked him flat. The brick hurdle. That simple, makeshift wall had determined his fate. And that of Ohfan.
Particles of memory flooded his brain. He’d been knocked out for only a few minutes. Many hands had lifted and carried him. Sae had walked beside him. He remembered asking if Tohma and Olaha were all right and being reassured that Tohma was taking care of Olaha.
He seemed to recall Hohsalle’s face, too. Had the man tended to his wounds? A sickening dizziness had overtaken him, and someone had slipped medicine down his throat. After that, he remembered nothing.
Where is this? He didn’t remember seeing a tent like this before. Whose was it?
Suddenly, he heard footsteps on grass. Sae. He knew her by her scent before she even raised the tent flap. She entered with a basin. Glancing at him, she stopped in surprise.
“You’re awake.” Her voice was always quiet. How thankful he was for that now.
“Everyone okay?” he croaked.
She knelt beside him and removed the cloth from his forehead. “Everyone’s fine. Tohma and the others. Olaha, too.” She laid a fresh cloth on his head, and the coolness was a welcome relief. Van sighed.
“How do you feel?” she asked. “How’s the pain?”
Was it the dim light? Her face looked pale and drawn. “Not bad,” he answered. “I’m all right.”
She sighed. “That’s a relief.”
“How long was I out for?”
“Not that long. It’s almost dawn.”
“Dawn?” Van echoed, shocked. “You mean I’ve been sleeping since noon yesterday?”
“Yes. You did come to a few times. Maybe the drug Hohsalle gave you helped. He said you’d hit your head and shouldn’t move.”
How odd to think that he’d slept so long. His head hurt the worst, but his left shoulder, chest, ribs, and thigh ached, too. He must have twisted his body against the blast because all the damage seemed to be concentrated on the left. Pain raced through him when he moved, but at least he could move. It hurt just to breathe. Perhaps he’d cracked his ribs, but fortunately, his shoulder and thigh didn’t appear to be broken.
“Sir Hohsalle was worried about the wound on your forehead and told me to tell him immediately if you vomited. You didn’t, though.”
“Mmm, my head’s pounding a bit, but I don’t feel dizzy anymore.”
“How about your memory? Do you recall what happened?” Sae spoke softly, concern evident in her eyes.
“Pretty much. There’re a few gaps, though.”
Sae looked relieved. “That’s all right, then. I was worried because you repeatedly asked the same questions when we were carrying you from the field.”
“I did? What questions?”
“You wanted to know if Tohma and Olaha were all right.”
“Ah, yes. I sort of remember that.”
Sae smiled. “Anyway, it’s a relief to know you’re okay.”
He was. Because Ohfan had fallen on the other side. The wall had absorbed some of the explosion, and Ohfan’s and his horse’s bodies must have further cushioned the blast.
A vision of Ohfan’s gruesome end took shape in his mind again, and he shoved it down. “Where are we?”
“The medical tent. Sir Tohlim and the others saw to that. They explained that you were from Oki, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Tohlim?”
“Yes. He came while Sir Hohsalle treated you. He asked me to convey his gratitude.”
Van frowned and blinked slowly. “Gratitude?”
“If Zolian soldiers had confronted Ohfan and died or been wounded, the incident would have escalated into a major issue. But because it was you, Sir Tohlim could smooth things over.”
“Really?”
“He explained that there was a fierce rivalry among some of the northern peoples and that a few individuals had been mad with envy when they weren’t chosen to compete in the pyuika event.”
Van looked at Sae. “I’m surprised they accepted such a tale.”
She nodded soberly. “Apparently, Sir Tohlim approached Lord Yotalu privately and asked him to back up the story.”
Van’s brows shot up. “Yotalu? You mean Governor Ohan’s son?”
“Yes.” Sae exhaled. “My father works for him sometimes. For many years, Lord Yotalu has used the Molfah to obtain information about places beyond Zolian reach. The king knows this, and Lord Yotalu is aware that the king knows. It’s an intricate little web.”
Van frowned. “So the governor’s son already knew about the Kinma dogs?”
“Yes. My father has been feeding him information gradually while observing his reaction.” Sae pushed the basin of water to one side. “According to my brothers, Lord Yotalu believes Zol’s profit is also Aquafa’s. If any trouble arose right now, his father’s ability to rule this territory would be called into question. That’s probably why he chose to back up Sir Tohlim’s explanation and help us resolve the incident.”
Van had rarely heard the name Yotalu when he fought the Zolians. Whereas his older brother, Utalu, was known for his brutal measures, Yotalu had left little impression. Which meant he was probably the kind of statesman suited for peace. For a country like Aquafa, whose diverse peoples not only looked different but spoke different languages, it was important to have someone like that around.
“Has Yotalu told his father, Governor Ohan?”
Sae shook her head. “I doubt it. The governor was devastated with grief when his eldest son died and has been searching for the culprit ever since. If he knew, he would have sought extreme retribution by now.”
Van’s eyebrows drew together. “But if he finds out that Yotalu withheld that information, it’ll put Yotalu in a very dangerous position.”
“I know. Yet still, he chose to remain silent.”
Van thought that a man willing to put the safety of this land ahead of his own interests must surely be extraordinary. “We can’t lose him, then,” he said.
“You’re absolutely right. My brothers were concerned about that, but Sir Tohlim believes his position is secure. While his older brother was still alive, ministers who supported Lord Yotalu were criticized for being spineless, and the council rarely considered their opinions, but now they’re growing in power. Most importantly, Governor Ohan depends on him. At least, that’s what Sir Tohlim claims.”
Van let out a long, slow breath. This was how the hole that bomb had blown open would be stitched back together.