“He would have hunted for us, Zyi, and she knew it. We are his children. He never bothered to look for her, but she knew he w ould hunt for us. I can’t blame her for leaving after what I’ve seen today.” Neph paused and tried to force more cheer into his voice as he continued. “Maybe we will find her out there in our travels. She could be living in Sanctuary, or maybe Arovan. I’ve heard Arovan has mountains too, and she always loved the mountains.” He didn’t really believe the words as he spoke them, but maybe they would give Zyi more hope to cling to.
Their mother had left years ago, and there had been no word since. At the time it had been a betrayal in his eyes. She had abandoned them, and Neph had never wanted to see her again. Today, however, had opened his eyes to a lot he hadn’t known about his father. He had always known RenDelvayon to be cold, but he had never before seen him as cruel. He could only imagine what his mother must have endured beyond the sight of others. Despite the words he had spoken to Zyi, after today he wondered if Ren truly had let their mother go. As coldly as he had left his two children to die, Neph could well imagine Ren sending hunters after his runaway wife. It wouldn’t have been to bring her home though, and he knew it. Zyi didn’t need to think about any of that now, however, and neither did he. There were more important things for him to focus on now.
“Love you, Neph,” Zyi mumbled, her words barely coherent. Her head hadn’t moved at all from where it rested against his chest and her eyes were no longer open.
“Love you too, Zyi. Now save your strength and quit talking. There will be plenty of time to talk once you are stronger,” Neph mumbled as he stared hard at the crooked path leading out of the grove. Gently he shifted Zyi’s small body in his arms and willed his feet to move forward.
It was a three hour ride from the city to this grove. He could only imagine how long it would be walking wounded. He did his best to keep from stumbling as they left the sheltering circle of pines that surrounded the grove, but it was impossible once he was beyond the trees. The path was steep and slick with snow and loose rocks. Each slip of his foot sent agony through his body and it was all he could do to keep from making any noise. Zyi was resting as far as he could tell and as weak as she was, she needed all the peace he could give her. He wasn’t sure what they had done to her beyond the dragging, but he knew she needed a healer as soon as he could reach one. Zyi was so weak that every moment he delayed might be her last. With that thought firmly in his mind Neph forced himself to continue long past the point where his body gave up. Wounds didn’t matter. Pain didn’t matter. Zyi mattered.
*
Night was falling as Neph rounded the last corner in the path. The lights of Delvay shone brightly through the trees below him. His mind was so fogged with exhaustion that he almost giggled in relief at the sight. Carefully, he leaned back against a massive oak and it was all he could do to keep from sliding to the ground. It was the first break he had allowed himself and it was only willpower that had kept him moving this far.
His strength had failed him hours ago. Gently, he shifted Zyi and her head lolled against his chest to hang limply over his arm. “Zyi,” he whispered as he moved his arm to cradle her head back against him. “Zyi,” he repeated as panic rose in his chest. Her face was lax without even the flicker of an eyelash. Fumbling, he pulled the cloak back away from her and allowed himself to slide to the ground as he pressed his fingers against her neck desperately searching for a pulse. Her body was still warm to the touch, but there was no sign of life from her. “Zyi, please,” Neph pleaded. “Zyi, we are there. Please just open your eyes, make a sound, damn it, Zyi, please.” His words poured out of him in frantic gasps as he struggled to find any signs of life in his sister.
“She is dead, Neph,” Kadan’s voice was a whisper in the night, but still it froze Neph in place.
Tears were pouring down his face and he had been whining like a child. If Kadan chose to act he would have full right to kill him for his weakness. He hadn’t even heard his brother approach, and yet when he looked up there he was looming against the twilight sky in his dark plate armor.
“Leave her body and follow me,” Kadan ordered. The expression on his face was like stone. If he felt any grief at Zyi’s passing it wasn’t showing.
“I’m not leaving her,” Neph hissed through clenched teeth. He had managed to stop the tears, but there was nothing he could do about the tightness in his throat. They had been so close. If only he had been able to walk a bit faster. Zyi would be alive if he hadn’t been so weak.
“He will feed her body to the cats, Neph. Do you want to watch that? You know what the penalty for cowardice is,” Kadan said in a level voice.
“She wasn’t a coward, Kadan!” Neph bellowed as he staggered to his feet. “Do you know how much courage it took to defy father?” he demanded as he cradled Zyi’s limp body closer to his chest. “Do you know what kind of strength of will it took for her to beg me to leave her behind? She was willing to die alone, Kadan, and not once did she plead for help. You will not call her a coward again.”
Kadan watched him silently, his dark eyes flickering once to Zyi’s body then back to Neph’s face, his expression still neutral. He shrugged as if the point wasn’t one worth arguing over. “Say what you will about it, Neph, but Father is the one that will determine what is done with her remains, and he sees her as a coward,” The cold practical logic of Kadan’s voice burned through Neph’s mind.
“Why are you here?” Neph demanded. His temper was burning so hotly now he didn’t even consider his wounds anymore. Carefully, he sat Zyi’s body down behind him and turned to face his brother once more. Kadan was older and better trained, but Kadan was predictable in his fighting. If his brother answered poorly, Neph would guarantee he bore the scars for his words for the rest of his life.
“I was waiting for you,” Kadan explained calmly. “Father said you would die. I knew better. Technically, you have accomplished the task he set for you. You have made it back down the mountain, and I can assist you to the healer now.”