The babe was born healthy, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Edýia. Golden locks, steely eyes, and the same cursed mark she carried. The mark of the vessel.
If Pelham's grim expression at the sight of the mark was any indication. It didn't bode well. Two vessels for the goddess. Although one was merely an infant. Curios, the goddess itself might've had a hand in the baby being conceived.
The Umayad border, loomed ahead of them as they trotted on the damp ground. From afar a few sentinels patrolled back and forth between the watchtowers.
Iris nodded at him, as she spurred the horse smiling, no less. She was right, better stain their grounds with blood than ours. Ours was already soaked.
The galloping of the horses betrayed their presence. They weren't hiding, anyway. So, that little fact made no difference whatsoever.
Blades were pulled, and arrows began to whizz in the air as they skimmed past his head.
Iris threw one of the daggers, that planted into one of the guard's necks. Knocking an arrow into his bow, he shot three arrows hitting the three guards bundled together.
" Disperse," One of them shouted when the three crumbled to the ground.
Nonetheless, Iris advanced despite the arrows coming at her, as she leaned back, and sideways to avoid getting skewered
It was a surprise visit. He hoped that Rudy would appreciate it. Although he doubted, that he would receive them with open arms.
The borders were breached quite easily, showing that over the ages their reputation of being ruthless and fierce, had turned them into nothing more than lazy, and sluggish.
Dismounting her horse, Iris jumped next to the guard that she had taken out with her dagger.
" I wanted it back," She smirked as she wiped the blade on her skin-tight trousers.
" I didn't say anything," He couldn't help but smile at the fact that she and the daggers were inseparable. And so was the little circlet he'd gifted her, from the heart.
" We should keep moving," He turned his horse, as up ahead the swamps stretched as far the eye could see.
Umayad was wet, in all the sense of the word.
" From here will be slow, and treacherous," He felt the need to point that out.
Umli people, amongst many other things, were tree people. Excellent climbers, no need for tools for them to prop themselves on.
Just like Oros, outsiders weren't welcomed. If anyone made the mistake of setting foot on their lands they would end up in chains, as slaves. No one has ever set foot beyond their border and returned.
The same tactic was employed by the Orians. A very effective one.
Although beautiful, Umayad wasn't as nearly as perilous or interesting as Oros. Nearly covered in water, the most dangerous beast lay within its depths. A place he will never set foot in. He'd spent most of his life-fighting unsightly creatures. He'd had his fill to last him not one lifetime, but ten.
Iris would say that he was being squeamish, squirmish but it didn't matter.
Since they left Ironstone she'd been awfully quiet. But then again she wasn't one to speak much. The sisters had her mind and her ears at all hours of the day. She revealed that at night they settled down, and preoccupied themselves with other things, which they didn't bother to reveal. At night she was his, and only his. And he'd made sure she would never forget it.
A smile crept on his lips at the memory evoked by that thought. Her curves sprawled under him, screaming his name while he made sweet love to her.
It didn't matter what she said, what she did held more weight than her words. She felt something for him and he hoped one day she would come to realise that what she felt was love.
More trees, more swamp land as far the eye could see. And underneath it all, eyes watching their every move.
The swamps might seem deserted to the untrained eye, but they were there creeping in the trees, rustling the leaves as they moved, out of sight.
Iris gleaned over her shoulder and subtly nodded. She noticed them, too.
Her hand went to her thigh, and slowly pulled out one of the daggers, and placed it in her lap. Prepared. She was learning faster than he'd ever hoped. Or merely putting into practice something that she already knew.
The first city of Umayad towered on the horizon. Not the seat of Umayad. The seat of Umayad lay deeply buried in the heart of the land.
If his memory served him right, the city was called Lumer. Living up to its name, indeed the city shined brightly against the dusky light of the evening.
By now they would know they have made it so close to the city and the gates would be open wide, waiting for them.
Iris tugged on the reins of the horse halting at a fair distance from the brownish red imposing walls that loomed over the city.
" We should wait until morning," She whispered throwing him a sideways glance.
" Either way, once we enter there is no telling what will happen," He shrugged, as he jumped off the horse and pretended to tie his shoelace. Watching from the corner of his eye, all that moved in the shadows. And they weren't a handful. Judging by the heavy rustle in the trees he'd counted thirty.
" We have thirty pairs of eyes on us, " He said as he pushed himself up and mounted the horse once more.
" We take our chances out here, or in there. Either way, it doesn't matter. We are not sleeping tonight. Not peacefully anyway," He smirked, chuckling to himself. She didn't find his little joke amusing as she frowned at him.
" No. I'll think of a better one," He shrugged as he nudged the horse to move.
" Sometimes," Iris let a heavy sigh, " I don't who is the worst. You or the sisters," She smirked over her shoulder, as she nudged the horse to pick up the pace.
" At least I make you feel good at night. They don't," At least that one made her laugh. Whether it was at him or not, he never found out.