Sentinelspire - Mark Sehestedt [62]
"Yes, lady." Lewan hunched inside the robe and pulled the hood down as far as it would go. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the hem of Talieth's skirt as she opened the doors and proceeded outside.
The fury of last night's storm had passed, but the air outside was still thick. Something heavier than a mist but lighter than a drizzle drifted in the air and made a faint sizzling sound as it hit the stone. Talieth led Lewan down wide stone steps and onto a gravel pathway. She turned left and proceeded down the path at a brisk walk.
Lewan risked a glance up. The storm had wreaked havoc on the fortress. Leaves, blossoms, and branches lay everywhere.
Talieth and Lewan had to leave the path twice and walk through the grass in order to make their way around fallen trees. Servants were busy everywhere, cleaning up the mess and hauling it away. With the sun hidden behind the sodden sky, Lewan had no idea what time of day it was, but his stomach told him that he had probably slept through the morning. The platter of food Ulaan had brought with her last night still sat on his bedside table, untouched.
They passed a set of elegantly crafted buildings with brass pillars set before huge double doors, then walked through another garden, and Lewan saw that they were passing beneath one of the tall columns on which stood a statue. The statue was bigger than a cave bear. It had been carved in the form of a rearing stallion, its mane flowing back over the spread wings of an eagle. Holding his hood so it would not fall back, Lewan made sure no one was around, then looked up. Smaller statues-all of winged horses-lined the path or sat upon pedestals throughout the garden.
They passed a fountain whose outlet was choked with detritus from the storm. A massive oak grew beside the pool, its boughs spread over the fountain so that the lowest leaves were tickled by water spouting from the mouth of another winged horse. A half-dozen men were standing under the boughs of the oak near the water. Lewan saw that Sauk was among them.
Talieth led Lewan down a narrow side path toward the group of men. Coming under the eaves of the oak, they passed out of the drizzle. Still, remembering Talieth's warning, Lewan kept his hood up and his head down. Sauk knew of his presence in the Fortress, but Lewan wasn't sure about the others. He didn't recognize any of them from the Shalhoond.
As they drew near, Lewan risked a glance up and was sorry he did. Sauk and the other men were standing around what Lewan first thought was a pile of muddy, torn rags. But then he saw that it was not mud at all. It was blood, and the rags were what remained of clothes upon bodies. How many, Lewan could not be sure, for the pieces were jumbled together. His gorge rose. He'd seen slaughter before, but animals-deer, bison, elk, cattle, sheep. Only twice before had he seen people slaughtered with such savagery.
"What happened here?" said Talieth. Lewan heard the rage and shock in her voice.
Sauk spared Lewan a glance, then fixed his gaze on Talieth. "We think it is Vasilik, Draalim, and perhaps Peluris. The others… well, we're still looking for the rest. There aren't enough pieces for whole bodies. We think some might be in the water."
"Why were they outdoors last night? I gave orders!" The men around Sauk looked away, blanching under the lady's fury.
"They were keeping a vigil," said Sauk. "A vigil?"
"The Old Man told them that the faithful must be ready, ordered them to prepare and contemplate." Sauk shrugged. "Looks like they weren't prepared after all."
Talieth stood a moment, looking at the carnage. "Get this cleaned up," she said, "and have men search the pool. I don't want pieces floating up once the weather warms." She turned to Lewan. "Come."
Raising her skirts over the blood-soaked leaves, she went round the men and led Lewan back along the path. As Lewan walked, he kept his head low, and thus could not help but