As Ton reached the crest of the hill, panting and sweating, he paused to catch his breath. Looking up, he forgot his weariness and stared ahead in awe. The land before him undulated in gentle hills, then descended to an abrupt stop where a flat expanse, glowing with the light of a low-hanging sun, stretched to meet the sky.
The water glittered like expensive cloth or a great rippling sheet of gold. He suddenly understood that the strange tang in the air was salt.
Near the coast were the tiny shapes of many, many houses. A fine thread wound past them: a river. He could make out smoke ascending in the dusky air. Was this the haven Chemalya had told him of?
As the hours passed he kept his mind occupied with thoughts of his wife Gli and their two boys. They would love it here. His boys had never seen the sea. He must learn how to sail and take them out. Perhaps they would become fishermen. Or farmers. It would be hard work, but better than being treated like a slave. Not that Ton had suffered as much as Gli had in her youth. They both hated Gim and his clan. All that talk of honor and pride. He’d never met a warrior who had a decent thought in his head. The sooner Ton got his family away from there the better.
His mood turned gloomier as night descended. He rested beside the road until the moon rose and gave him some light to travel by, then he pressed on. Just when he began to wonder if the road had missed the village he saw lights in the distance. His stomach fluttered with excitement, stirring the hunger that had nagged at him for days.
But as he reached the first house a powerful reluctance to draw attention to himself or disturb the villagers came over him. He slowed and plodded quietly on. The houses were widely spaced at first, but soon they occurred more often until they sat side by side. A man emerged from a door ahead. As he drew closer to Ton he frowned and stared in an unfriendly fashion. But then a smile sprang to his face.
“Newcomer, eh? They’ll be waiting for you. Big drinking house a few doors down on the right.”
Ton mumbled thanks and hurried on. He could not have missed the drinking house. Light and many voices spilled from the windows and door. A tall lanky man sitting on a bench outside smiled as he saw Ton, and stood up.
“I’m Warwel. Who would you be?” he asked.
“Ton.”
“Ah. Welcome to Dram. Come inside. You must be tired. And hungry.”
“Very,” Ton admitted.
The man placed a hand on Ton’s shoulder and steered him through the door. It took a few moments for Ton’s eyes to adjust to the bright lamplight, but he heard the pause in conversation. Looking around, he saw that the room was full of men and women. Some regarded him with welcoming smiles, others with curiosity, and a few with guarded expressions.
“This is Ton,” Warwel announced loudly. “A newcomer from...?” He looked at Ton.
“Chon,” Ton said quietly.
“From Chon,” Warwel boomed. “Ton from Chon. He’s come a long way.”
Murmurs of welcome filled the room. Warwel gestured to a woman. “Kit, would you bring him something to eat?” Ton felt his heart lift at the polite request, and the dignified clothing of the woman. She must be a servant or Warwel wouldn’t ask her to fetch anything, yet he hadn’t treated her like a slave.
Still, it was such a relief to know he hadn’t been deceived.
Warwel guided Ton to a bench before a large table occupied by several other people. They were drinking, but none looked drunk.
“Chem told me about you,” Warwel said.
Ton blinked at him in confusion. “He did? I thought he didn’t know where you were?”
Warwel tapped his forehead. “We talk with our minds. I don’t have to tell him where I am.”
“Oh.” Magic. Ton looked around at the people. They looked a lot like Chem. Or rather, Chem looked like them.
As the truth dawned on him, a huge bowl of soup was placed in front of him and a plate of bread.
“My family...” he began, then sought the words to explain.
“We’ll make every effort to bring them here,” Warwel assured him. “Though I must be honest: it will be more difficult now that the clans are looking for spies.”
Ton nodded. “Is Chem...?”
“Alive? Yes, he appears to have escaped notice for now.”
Then there was a chance. Ton picked up the ladle and brought it to his mouth. The soup was hot and spicy. It smelled of Chem’s shop. The meat was tender and as delicious as he had always suspected it would be. Why else did the warriors hoard it to themselves? He ate steadily until both bread and soup were gone, then he turned to Warwel.
“So how do I convert?”
The man blinked in surprise, then laughed.
“You don’t have to, Ton. But if you want to we’ll teach you about the Five.” He hesitated. “You would so easily turn from the Circle?”
Ton shrugged. “What has Lore ever done for me or my family? He only cares about warriors.”
“And the other gods?”
“Never did me any good either.” Ton yawned. Exhaustion, the warmth in the room and the food were making him sleepy. Gli had always accused him of making hasty decisions when he was tired. He frowned. “I suppose I should wait until Gli gets here, but in the meantime it can’t hurt to learn about your gods.”
Warwel smiled broadly. “Then we’ll teach you. But for now I think what you need the most is a good night’s sleep. Come with me and I’ll arrange a bed for you.”
The freed Siyee was now a speck in the hazy morning sky. In the corner of her eye, Auraya saw Nekaun
