From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [164]
Sir Caleb was there already. “One more day, Your Highness, and you will have the comfort of a bed again.”
“I have the comfort of a bed each night, Sir Caleb.”
“Well, a roof overhead, then. And not a canvas one.”
“I expected more here. I thought your wife—”
“She is at Noiz with Bodwin and his family. This is only Edom’s Gate. Bodwin is Inko’s son and the warden of Edom’s Gate, though he resides at Noiz. The men at the gate are his men.”
“And they were expecting us.”
“Aye. Inko’s son can bloodvoice and informed them of our arrival.”
“How many men work this gate? It seems so small.”
“About a hundred. They bunk in the cave dwellings. As you can see, the gate is formidable. There’s no way to breach it without having someone on the inside. That’s why it was built. To be a sanctuary for the king.”
“Noiz, you mean?”
“Noiz is the sanctuary. Edom’s Gate is the door. A door that is always kept locked. Tomorrow, you and the generals will march on up to Noiz and plan our next move. The rest of the army will camp here with the Mârad until we give further orders.”
That day and night passed slowly, as did the next day. The gorge road snaked along the Darkness through the hazy glow of a thick fog lit from the soldiers’ torches. The narrow road forced the army to travel two horses abreast. Achan stayed beside Shung.
A stale wind blasted Achan, nearly knocking him from Dove’s back. He hunkered down, thankful for the fur cape Shung had made from the cham Achan had killed. He squinted up at the rock walls and found he could no longer see them through the smoky glow the torchlight gave to the fog. Was the fog hiding the cliffs or had the gorge widened? He faced forward and found the land ahead a gleam of fog as well. He patted Dove and kept his eyes on the tail of Manu’s horse before him, hoping Manu was doing the same.
The trail grew steep and narrow, forcing Shung to move behind Achan. Dove’s hooves clattered over rocky terrain, joining the sound of the hooves from the other horses and creating a rain-like clatter. The sound suddenly increased, sounding louder and hollow, like they had moved underground. Then the sound returned to normal. A tunnel, perhaps?
The army passed through three more such tunnels, wound around steep corners, zigzagging up an incline. The fog came and went, as if they were walking among actual clouds at night—and if they were truly climbing a mountain, perhaps they were.
The trail widened again and the ground became soft.
Shung rode up beside Achan. “Shung sees nothing.”
Cortland’s voice came from behind them. “Keep your eyes on the horse in front of you.”
Achan glanced over his shoulder. “Have you been here before, Cortland?”
“Aye, with my father. Many noblemen make the trek to Noiz to visit the tombs of the kings.”
Achan frowned. “Are there many?”
“Aye. Most of the kings are buried here.”
A shiver crawled over Achan’s arms. Most of the kings. Most of his ancestors. Buried here. Perhaps he would be buried here someday as well.
The thought did not bother him as much as it should. But he had seen the gate to Shamayim. That was where he would someday reside, even if his body remained in this dreary land of fog. He wondered how many of his ancestors dwelled inside Shamayim’s pearly gates.
“Lead the way, then, Cortland.” Achan led Dove aside enough to let Cortland pass. “Dove is so tall I cannot see the ground through this fog.”
“They are clouds, Your Highness.” Cortland’s voice moved with his torch as he rode his horse before them. “It is a shame that Darkness has shrouded the view, for Noiz is a breathtaking site. We stand in a small valley with mountains on all sides but the west, where the Gadowl Wall begins. There are two waterfalls to the north. Their waters run together in the center of this valley and form a small lake before branching out into various streams that take different courses down the mountains. The fortress hangs on the mountain cliffs above the village of Noiz.”
“Like Mitspah?”
“Somewhat, though the waterfalls are not near the fortress. On most days, the villagers