A few days later
.
It was early, and Nyla was mad. Very mad.
Lestra who had just been speaking with her friends, saw a resolute Nyla storm past like a great thunderous cloud, and followed her. Mud covered the younger girl, and she looked completely fatigued. Even her hair was caked with brown sludge. The other girls laughed at Nyla, usually it was her taunting them, and they relished the chance to return the favour.
But Nyla said nothing.
"Sister, what's wrong?" Lestra asked, chasing after her sister.
"Not now."
Lestra knew that her sister had a temper, but this was not normal for Nyla. Something about her determined and focused pace was wrong. She was not just angry, she was furious. In her left hand she clutched a piece of wood, mishapen, and twisted. "Sister wait," Lestra said, struggling to keep up.
The camp was deserted at this early hour, but the signs of morning had began to appear, the sun, still low had bathed the camp in a gentle light, and the freezing fog of the night before had begun to lift. Nyla marched on through the camp, heading straight for her father's tent. As she got closer, she saw Bevan, who was feeding a row of tethered horses. He turned and smiled at the sisters. "Another fight?" he called out.
Nyla whose focus had so far been unwavering, flinched at his comment, and hit him squarely on the jaw with the wood in her left hand. The surprise at her attack, knocked him from his feet. Immeadiately, Lestra ran to his aid, helping him back up and giving him a piece of cloth for his now bloody lip.
A surprised Bevan squealed, "What the
"
But unyielding in her aim, Nyla marched on. "I'm sorry," Lestra called, running to catch up with her sister. She glanced back to see him stumble to his feet.
"Prepare two horses," Nyla shouted back at the confused man. Bevan, who by now knew not to mess with this girl, did what she asked, albeit reluctantly.
Finally, Nyla reached her destination, her father's tent. Two men stood on guard outside, and a small group had formed behind the girl's eager to view the rage that was brewing in Nyla. Something big was happening, thought Lestra. "Out of my way." Nyla screamed to the guards. "Now!"
They stepped forward, to stop her, but a warning from inside the tent made them retreat. It was Ysbrand. Nyla waited for a few minutes.
"Father!" She screamed as loudly as she could. Her father emerged with the seer.
"Why?" Nyla screeched at her father.
Klax looked to Ysbrand, who smugly stood beside him. He raised a hand to his face, he could see his daughter's distress clearly. Yet he had to be firm with her. "I'm sorry."
"She had to die, she was distracting you." Ysbrand added.
Glaring at Ysbrand, Nyla ignored the urge to kill him and turned to her father. It was obvious from the look on his face that he had done something, yet maybe he had done it under advisement, Lestra thought.
"Budra did nothing to you, she was my friend," Nyla said, a tear falling down her cheek, "Why did you do it?"
"Yes, and she was also your teacher," Ysbrand declared. "Teaching you things that would ultimately destroy you."
Her father remained silent, and Nyla turned away from him. "Why won't you answer me?"
There was no reply.
"I spent three hours burying her this morn, it is not I who will be destroyed." The girl turned to the seer, her menacing face full of hatred. She raised a fist, threatening him . "I know what you're planning," Nyla spat, "She told me with her last breath! And I won't let you succeed!"
"My girl, you can't hope to stop me," Ysbrand retorted, a bemused look spreading across his face. He stepped forward raising his hand to her face, gently brushing her cheek.
"I can, and I will." She replied, pushing him backwards.
Klax caught the seer, who merely laughed at her.
And with that, Nyla turned from the man and left her fathers' tent, only stopping to call back to her sister. "Lestra, are you coming?"
Nyla returned to Bevan, who had a tiny rag clasped to his face. Two horses had been prepared as she asked. His own, and Lestra's.
"My horse is wounded," She said, "I need to borrow yours."
"No chance," he replied, "Where are you going?"
She ignored him and mounted his horse, he stopped the horse by taking the reign from her, jumping up behind her. "If you are taking my horse, I'm coming too."
He held tightly to the struggling girl, but his strength was greater than hers. Lestra, who still was confused, mounted her own horse. "But where are we to go?"
"Budra said we must find the Irish." Nyla said, before turning the horse and riding off.
____________________________________________________________
It had seemed liked several weeks before Jayhwak had said "We are here."
In reality it was only a few days, yet the land they had traversed had been some of the most unkind and battle-scarred that Kyrin had seen.
Here they were. Lost, it seemed, in the middle of a forest.
"Now what?" Arithmial asked.