CHAPTER 82: BARBARIANS [2]

"Is it really that hard for you to recognize a voice?" the voice said again from the next cell.

Aeron’s heart raced. "It... it really is you," he said. "Nyella... I’ve found you at last. I’m sorry, so sorry, for everything. For what happened, for disappearing on you, for my words. You didn’t deserve any of it, least from me."

There was silence. She didn’t reply. Aeron waited, listening to see if she would say anything, but she didn’t.

After a while, he tried again. "Varek... he didn’t make it. He died on the way. But I carried his body home to his family."

Still, Nyella didn’t answer.

"You’re quiet," Aeron said softly. "Please... say something."

At last, her voice came, cold and angry. "And what exactly am I meant to say to you, Aeron? I begged you. I pleaded with you to listen, to give me a chance to explain. But no, you wouldn’t hear me. You threw names at me, you accused me of horrible things... You even called me your enemy."

Aeron bowed his head against the wall, ashamed.

Nyella’s voice broke as she went on, though she tried to steady it. "Maybe if you had listened, you would have stayed. Maybe you would have been with us in the war. Our soldiers, our people, died screaming out there. We barely fought before we were cut down. The enemy needed no effort to kill us. But fire would have stopped them. And you weren’t there. So tell me, Aeron... what do you want me to say now? My enemy."

Everywhere was quiet again. Aeron closed his eyes, as his heart was heavy.

"Are you angry because of what I said," Aeron asked quietly, "or because we lost the war? I understand... I truly do. And I regret it all. Every word, every action. I wish I could take them back. I wish I had been there. My anger, my pain, my frustration... I let them rule me, and I took them out on you. For that, Nyella Elyndor, I am deeply, sincerely sorry. I only hope... one day... You can forgive me."

There was a silence again. Then Nyella whispered: "I won’t."

"That was a joke, wasn’t it?" Aeron asked her.

Nyella didn’t answer that and just shifted the topic suddenly. "How are Ronan and Yvarra? How are they coping with their father’s death?"

Aeron leaned his head back against the wall. "It wasn’t easy for them," he said softly. "But they’re strong. They’re already learning to live with it. And... before he passed, their father gave them a letter. That letter is what’s carrying them through."

"Good," Nyella said softly. "So I ask once more, Aeron, what are you doing here? Why would you risk coming to this place?"

Aeron sighed. "At first, I was only heading to learn how the war had gone. On my way, I saw Ser Devic. He gave me the news I needed... and then told me to find you. He said I must bring you back safely."

"Ser Devic?" Nyella asked immediately. "Where was he heading?"

"He said he was going south," Aeron replied. "To gather more allies who can join the fight."

Nyella did not waste a second. "Did he tell you when the next battle will be?"

"Not clearly," Aeron said. "Only that it will be in a few nights."

Nyella’s voice hardened. "A few nights? Then I cannot stay here. I must get out as soon as possible."

She didn’t give him time to speak before asking again, "And what of the palace? Did he tell you if they’ve seen any movement from Vanyr’s men?"

"No," Aeron admitted. "Nothing in detail. Only that all attention is now turned to the war in the west."

Nyella was silent for a moment, thinking. Then Aeron spoke again, in a gentle tone this time. "But enough about the questions Nyella... what about you? What happened? How did you end up here? Who are these people, truly?"

Nyella gave a heavy breath. "They are nomads," she said. "They have no lands of their own, no homes, no treasures to guard. They wander from place to place, living on what they can find. And when they run out of what they need... they raid villages, kill or capture the people, and take whatever they want."

"I knew it," Aeron muttered. "They really are barbarians."

Nyella ignored his remark and continued. "We lost greatly to The Bone Hydra in the war. It destroyed both our lines and so many of our troops. Even our weapons were no match for it."

She continued. "By morning, it was gone. And right then, these nomads appeared. They swept across the battlefield, attacked us, the few who hadn’t yet escaped with the others. We were already tired, broken, and unprepared. That is how they captured us."

"Us?" Aeron asked sharply.

"Yes," Nyella said. "Not only me. I am not alone in this dungeon. The cells beside us... they hold hundreds of Ivarion soldiers, all captured the same way."

Aeron held the walls tightly. "If there are that many soldiers here, our people, trained fighters, then we can turn this around. We can fight our way out together and leave this place."

Nyella gave a small bitter laugh. "We have thought of that already, Aeron. Yes, we have spoken of escape. But listen to me: we do not plan to fight them directly. We cannot. Too many of our men have already been lost. If we rush out and fight head-on, more will die. We have lost more than we can bear. We cannot afford to lose even one more soldier."

Aeron said in a steady voice. "Then we will not lose them. Not this time. I swear it. We will leave this place, all of us, and we will leave unscathed. I promise you that."

Nyella was silent for a while, then she said. "Promises? They’re easy to make and much harder to keep."

"This one I will keep," Aeron said.

"..."