Page 131 of The Boy Bride

Halza had been very worried that Vanu would kill the servant who had been guiding the horse. When Vanu had instead given the boy some gold that he’d brought along for this type of use, Halza had seemed stunned with relief.

Faru had fallen silent by the time they reached the turn-off to the cave. Glancing back, Vanu saw that his eyes were shut. Maybe he had died. Vanu couldn’t summon any feeling about that one way or the other. But it made a difference in how they needed to handle him to get him into the cave.

“He still alive?” Vanu asked.

“Yes,” said Otoni, looking shocked. “Er, I think so.” She bent and checked for his pulse. “Yes. I really want to get that arrow out of him, though. I don’t know how much longer he can hang on.”

“What d’you need for that?” Vanu asked. “Water, light, bandages—anything else?”

“A knife. That’s about it.”

Vanu jerked his head in the direction of the cave. “Carry him in. Leave the horse.”

Halza and Tirtu hoisted up the litter and manoeuvred it in among the trees. Otoni’s daughter had fallen asleep with her head on Vanu’s shoulder. He hoped that was comfortable for her.

They made it back to the cave mouth, but there was no way to get Faru safely down the ladder into the tunnels. So they huddled in the upper cave, around the glow of the lantern Padunu had left behind. Tirtu went down to the underground stream for water while Halza unwound his own sash and Faru’s sash for bandages, then commandeered Tirtu’s sash and was eyeing Vanu’s when Otoni told him that was probably enough bandages.

Vanu sat with his back against the rock wall of the cave and Otoni’s child in his lap. Outside it had begun to rain, pattering on the leaves of the trees and dripping to the forest floor. He felt distant from himself, as if he had come out of Umtúshta a stranger, and he was watching this tired, emotionless man perform strange actions that had once been the fabric of his everyday life. Killing, giving orders, wiping blood off his sword. Watching people he cared about walk into danger because it was necessary.

“Lill told me that he came to Umtúshta to protect his family,” said Halza, squatting against the cave wall beside Vanu. “Or … no, I’ve got that wrong. He owed someone a favour for taking care of his family. I suppose they must have fallen on hard times … I assume he comes from a noble family, considering … well, everything about him.”

Vanu looked at Halza. At another time he might have wanted to hear more of this story that Lill had told the other lowlander—not that he imagined there was any truth in it, but it seemed to be a different lie than he had heard before.

“Don’t feel like talking,” he growled.

Halza apologized and scooted away slightly, looking cowed.

Otoni got the arrow out of Faru—did a good job of it, as far as Vanu could tell—and bandaged him up. He woke and showed some signs of life, mostly moaning and snarling at Otoni. Vanu himself dozed off for a while.

He wasn’t sure how much later it was when he woke to hear, over the sound of the rain, someone moving through the forest, approaching the cave. He glanced back toward the tunnel entrance, making sure it was not visible from where they sat, and tossed a pebble to wake Halza and Tirtu, who were sleeping slumped awkwardly against one another on the opposite side of the cave. A moment later, Padunu walked into the cave, alone.

“Where’s Lill?” Halza cried, jumping to his feet. “Why isn’t he with you?”

“Oh no,” Tirtu groaned. “You got away on your own, didn’t you? Lill’s out there looking for you!”

Padunu ignored them. He pushed back the hood of his cloak, shedding drops of water, and addressed Vanu.

“Lill said to tell you he apologizes for ‘going beyond the parameters of his mission,’ but he saw an opportunity to set me free, and he took it. He is now on his way to Dukka to look for Khatu.”

Vanu nodded. He’d expected it would go like this. Tirtu and Halza exchanged stunned looks.

“You mean … ” Halza started.

“What did he do?” asked Tirtu.

Padunu snorted. “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. Am I the only one who remembers how he dropped out of that apple tree on your head, Tirtu?”

From their expressions, it did look as if they’d forgotten about that.

“That sweet little fellow who came to get me?” said Otoni. “I like him! Has he got secret skills? How lovely!”

Padunu came further into the cave to peer down at Faru. “He’s alive, I take it? A very tidy bandaging job,” he added approvingly.

“Thank you,” said Otoni. “He took an arrow to the groin—a pretty nasty wound. I got the arrow out intact, though. If you had any calendula … ”

“Yes, yes, of course. Back at the great house.”

“But what did Lill do?” Tirtu pressed. “How did you get away?”