The Little Bear by Kihin Ranno

Part One: Underneath the Smoke

Isuza was by far one of the greatest mystics the western world had to offer. That she was also its sole ruler was considered to be a blessing and a curse, depending on who was interviewed. If history were kind enough to remember her, she would not have been thought of as one of the region’s best. But then again, she was far from being the worst.

She was as fair a ruler as she could afford to be considering how unstable her particular region was. She was neither quick to judge nor slow to act, particularly when she was able to divine disaster when she peered into the smoke. However, her actions were not always the best ones, but she had kept her small province intact. There would always be ancient feuds that would go beyond the power of any ruler to control, but she put forth her best effort to only quench the land’s thirst for blood, not over-satisfy it. It was all she could truly do.

Isuza was also a mother, and no one doubted which job took precedence in her life (which some said could account for the continuing unrest). She had given birth to five children, though the last had died in childbirth. The four left behind never wanted for affection or for anything else.

But Isuza’s pride and joy was by far her son, Machk. She knew it was ill-advised to play favorites, but there were some things that simply could not be avoided. Machk was not her eldest son; in fact, one might even say that he was not whole. He had been seconds before his sister. Machk had been greedy in her womb and eaten all of the food, leaving his twin sister – his other half – to starve to death. Some would have resented him for this, but Isuza did not. Nor did she ever tell Machk or anyone else of his dead sister. Only she and the midwife who delivered them know, and the midwife was three years in the grave. Isuza thought this was as it should be.

No one even suspected that Machk was not an entirely whole person. He seemed to be almost too full of life, causing Isuza to think that perhaps he had been even greedier when he was inside her and ate his sister’s soul as well. She did not think on that often.

Machk was undoubtedly a child of the fire. Isuza could sense the flames burning deep within him, flaring up at the slightest provocation. To be sure, he was more often than not a happy child, but she pitied any member of her province who incurred his wrath. She would have tried to control his temper, but she saw no need. Machk had an older brother who would one day rule in her stead, and she already knew that he would outlive her by several decades.

Those who knew her well enough to see her favor of Machk often wondered at it. True, he was strong and would one day make an excellent warrior. Yes, he was loyal and protective. He was even kind when he was not angry. But all others saw was her eldest son who would follow in her footsteps, her daughter whose beauty was nothing short of exquisite, and her youngest, another boy whose intelligence made her suspect that he would be capable of learning her art one day. They did not understand her favor of Machk, who they thought could offer nothing but his brawn.

They knew her well enough, but they did not know what she saw. And while Machk’s future was still very cloudy, she knew he was destined for greatness.

Even now, Isuza was attempting to figure out the secret to Machk’s fate. The occupants of the citadel, modest though it was, were long in bed, and she finally felt safe to venture outside. Pulling her cloak tight to her body and carrying a torch, Isuza left her stronghold behind to journey into the woods surrounding her home. If others were to find out about this ritual, she would be scolded for endangering her life by wandering out alone. Her guardians assumed that she practiced her art in the day under their watchful eye. They did not realize that those moments were actually spent resting, recovering from the previous late night.

The trek to her spot in the forest was hardly a long one. Five minutes and she was there. The fire pit still carried the scent of the day’s false divining, and Isuza inhaled it to calm herself. When she was younger, she would have taken perhaps an hour to ensure that she was in the right mindset. Now, she did not need to take that much time.

Isuza gingerly removed her cloak, suppressing the urge to shiver as her bare body was exposed to the night air. She laid it down on the ground, not bothering to fold it. Then she knelt before the timber in the center and began.

“I call upon the western wood to steady me,” Isuza whispered reverently. Then she held her torch out over the kindling until it caught fire. “I call upon the heavenly fire to light my way.” That said, Isuza dipped the torch into a bowl of water off to her right, dousing the flame. Still wet, she shook it over the fire, the water droplets sending steam and hissing into the air. “I call upon cool water to soothe my fears.” Finished with the torch, she set it down and held her dark hair in both hands. She leaned forward as far as she could without injury and blew onto the flames. “And I call upon the winds of destiny to carry my spirit.”

Isuza’s eyes closed deliberately. “Show me the future I seek.”

Several moments passed, but the waiting period was brief. It varied, but Isuza could always sense when the smoke was willing to show her its secret truths. It was impatient tonight. It worried her, calming water or no.

Smoke divining was an inexact art, and one that took years for most mystics to command. But Isuza came from a long line of people with blood rumored to be connected to the spirits many now worshipped. It was said that only one living member of her family could have any sort of power at a time. Isuza did not doubt this. She had seen the face of her future husband in the smoke that wafted away from her mother’s burning body. She had been able see truth in dreams, a notoriously deceitful method. Isuza’s mother had never been wrong.

Neither was Isuza.

It was all a matter of following the silhouettes. She recognized Machk’s instantly along with her own and those of her other children. The smoke curled out around them, spreading out over the small grove. The five of them remained that way for a brief amount of time, when suddenly, Machk was pulled away.

Isuza’s back straightened as she saw that Machk was now in another group of five. He was third in a row of four other boys, standing behind a fifth. Already, she had a feeling as to what this image meant, and she could not stop her chest from swelling with pride. She may have been a minor ruler, but she was still a privileged member of Endymion III’s court. He had a son of the same name as his father and the same age as her son. She also knew of the Elysian legend of the Four, and how the heir’s guardians were not chosen but found, traditionally over the course of the child’s eighth year. That birthday had taken place some three month’s prior, and two of his guard – Zoisite and Jadeite – had already been located. Every shaman, priestess, and swindler was looking for the other two, Nephrite and the leader, Kunzite. If she was not mistaken, and she did not think she was, Machk was one of those men.

It was all she could do not to sing out with joy into the forest. Isuza had never considered that one of the legendary Four Kings could come from her family. They were unimportant, even looked down upon by many of the other monarchs who answered to Endymion III. To think that her own flesh and blood was destined to assume one of the most prestigious positions Elysian had to offer. She could not remember having ever been so proud of her little Machk.

Isuza was surprised but hardly taken aback to see that the vision was not yet over. The smoke was being generous with it revealed that night it seemed. It was rarely that forthcoming. She did not dwell on it long, however, and focused on the task at hand. Isuza saw them grow and become men. She could sense a camaraderie between them even now. It made her happy to know that her Machk, who was not popular among his siblings or peers for his temper, would be accepted into this elite group.

Suddenly, the proud shadow in front of the line vanished. That did take her aback. The change was sudden, so much so that she had thought it was a trick of the fire at first. But it was not. The disappearance was a deliberate one, and it sent her vision into chaos.

Isuza watched in horror as the four other silhouettes, abandoned by the fifth – presumably Endymion IV – seemed to be thrown to wolves she could not see. They were twisted into impossible positions, and though her visions were never auditory, she could hear the voice of her son screaming in her mind and clawing at her insides. She was sickened, but she could not look away. She watched as they were pulled and turned and spun until finally they were literally torn apart.

“Machk!” Isuza cried out hoarsely, forgetting the necessary silence for her craft and for secrecy. The smoke immediately dispersed, but Isuza did not care; she had seen too much.

She fell back, trembling even though the fire’s heat had soaked her with sweat. Isuza pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them with as much strength as she could manage. She continually reminded herself to breathe.

She could not believe that she had witnessed her son’s death.

Isuza shuddered and shut her eyes tightly, refusing to cry. Surely she was too outraged to cry. For so many years, her gift had only shown her enough to show that her Machk was going to be someone important. This had made her love him better than the rest in spite of her better judgment. Her gift forced her to favor him, and now because some another man’s son had turned a certain age, she must be shown that her son’s vital destiny was to die.

“Unforgivable,” Isuza whispered, still suppressing the impulse to weep. She opened her eyes, glaring at the fire that still raged beside her. “You are unforgivable!”

In a fit of blasphemy, Isuza took up the blessed water and cast it in the fire, throwing in her own saliva in hatred. Then she threw the bowl into a tree, listening to it shatter and hoping to find satisfaction in that destruction. When that failed, she kicked at the firewood, ignoring how the wood burned her skin. She buried her hands in her hair, panting, and tried not to scream.

“This can’t be happening,” Isuza hissed desperately. “This can’t… I cannot lose my Machk!”

She gasped for a moment more and then stopped, perfectly calm. When looked at from that perspective, her situation was a very simple one indeed.

Isuza reached down and wrapped her cloak around her body, taking care to pull her hood up over her face in case she had been heard. She wasted no more time in leaving the scene, moving quickly through the forest. If running all out were not sure to create too much noise she would have done it.

Mercifully, the spirits saw fit to give her luck that night. She returned to her home undetected, ascending the stairs to her second floor bedchamber without incident. Once there, Isuza made sure that her preparations were uncomplicated. She dressed in several layers to guard herself against the cold and to be sure she was able to change as needed. Not for the first time, she was grateful that her region was not a terribly wealthy one, which meant that all of her frocks were little more than simple dresses, unadorned with the trappings ladies of higher stations had to endure. She also made sure that they all had long sleeves. It was customary for her country’s leaders to have tattoos and other markings branded onto their arms. Some might mistake it for normal tribal custom for any priestess, but others would instantly recognize her as Isuza. She could not afford that.

She pulled a bag out from underneath her bed and slipped back downstairs. She traveled all the way down to the cellar and picked an assortment of non-perishable foods that she would be able to carry. She had a great deal more upper body strength than most women in her position, but she still would not call herself powerfully built.

Finished with that, Isuza once again ascended the stairs to the top floor. She passed her own room and those of her older children until she reached that of Machk. She looked around to make sure that still had not been found out and then slipped inside.

“Machk?” she whispered into the darkness, groping her way through the darkness. Normally, she would have had no trouble navigating the dim light, but Machk had a tendency to keep his room in such disarray that it was a hazard even when the sun was out.

He groaned quietly but did not waken. Isuza frowned and continued inching her way forward, banging her knee on the trunk at the foot of his bed. She winced and swallowed a shout. She inhaled and called out again. “Machk? I need you to wake up now.”

She heard him shake his head against the pillows. “Uh-uh.”

Finally, Isuza reached his bed. She sat down on the edge, taking care to arrange her four skirts so that they were not too tight against her stomach. She leaned over and grasped her son’s upper arms, shaking them gently. “Machk, it is very important that you get up. I mean it.”

Machk shook off her light grip roughly and turned away from her. “No!” he whined.

Normally, Isuza had legendary patience with her son. But everything in Isuza’s life had changed in the last hour. They could not afford to waste this kind of time.

She leaned over again, grabbing his arm’s with a great deal more strength than he was used to. He would have cried out, but he was too surprised by how forcefully he was made to sit up. His forehead nearly collided with her nose. “Listen to me, Machk,” Isuza hissed desperately, searching for his brown eyes in the dark. “I’m not playing games. We have to leave. Now.”

She could tell that Machk was giving her that look children always gave adults when they were certain they had lost their minds. “But it’s still nighttime.”

“We have to be on the road before first light,” Isuza explained. “Now get up.”

Had Machk been more awake, Isuza did not doubt that he would have fought with her. But having been roused from sleep, he was less inclined to disobey her. He let out a heavy sigh and began pushing off his blankets. The movement was a relief.

Isuza kissed his forehead. “Thank you, my son.” She moved away from him to give him room, adding, “Dress in layers. It’s a cold night and we’ll be traveling North, where it’s colder.”

There was some more grumbling on his part at this news. Winter was probably the only thing Machk truly hated. “Are Iye, Nara, and Yahto coming with us?” Machk asked drowsily, rubbing at his eyes.

“No, it’s just going to be us,” Isuza said regretfully. It was true that Iye would have been a useful hunter and Nara would have been able to care for Machk and Yahto to an extent, but it was too dangerous. They were going to be moving slowly enough considering Machk’s youth. She could not afford to take more than necessary, nor was she willing to endanger her other children.

Machk was also unhappy with this news. “But who am I supposed to play with if Nara doesn’t come?”

“I can play with you,” Isuza placated, although she knew there would be little time for playing on their journey.

“Not the same,” Machk muttered, obviously pouting.

Isuza hung her head a bit, wishing that there was another option. But she had no idea how much time she had until someone else with her talents was able to discover the truth about Machk. It could be months, yes, but it could also be days. In fact, his identity might already be known without her knowledge. They had to disappear immediately to ensure that her son survived.

“You get dressed,” Isuza whispered as she exited the room. “I’ll be back in awhile.”

Isuza closed the door to her son’s room behind her. Now out of her son’s eyes, she slumped against the door, unable to stand erect. With each passing moment, the panic was waning and the doubts were beginning to settle in. Could she really do this? Could she abandon three of her children for the sake of one? She and Machk would have to hide for the rest of their lives. Could she really ask that of him?

Perhaps not, but she also could not stand by and let her son be taken to Elysian. Isuza knew that sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, but her son was not going to be that sacrifice. She would do whatever it took to keep him safe, even at the expense of everything else she loved.

That in mind, Isuza pushed herself away from the door and went to bid her three other children good-bye.

The silent good-byes to Yahto and Nara were short ones. She knew that she could count on Nara to mind Yahto, who would no doubt be devastated to find that his mother had gone. Most people did not see Nara as more than a beauty, though she was only four years older than Machk. But Isuza knew that she was strong enough to take care of Yahto as well as herself.

However, she did not think anyone was strong enough to take of her oldest, Iye. He was now fifteen, almost a man, and abandoning him was probably the hardest. She knew that she was going to be missing so much with him although he had lived the longest. She would not see the official ceremony that would make him a man in the eyes of the community. She would not see his wedding to a quiet, gentle princess from a neighboring kingdom that had been arranged since their births. She would not see him assume her position as ruler when she was ready (or when she was forced) to step down. She would not see her grandchildren by him, who would one day rule in his stead.

Isuza blinked back tears and leaned over him, kissing Iye’s cheek as she had done with her other two children. She smoothed his dark hair away from his face and breathed, “Good-bye, my Iye.”

She began to pull away when strong fingers encircled her wrist. She gasped in panic and whirled, expecting to find one of her guards or advisors standing on the opposite side of her son’s bed. She did not expect to see Iye himself, his eyes open as if he had not been asleep.

“Iye,” she whispered, her eyes closing in defeat. “Why are you awake?”

“I heard you in Machk’s room,” Iye explained, his voice rumbling gravely in his chest. He swallowed on a tight throat. “You’re leaving us, mother?”

She flinched, knowing he had called her that purposefully. She shook her head. “Iye, don’t do this to me.”

“Why are you leaving?” Iye asked, obediently trying not to sound upset with her. She could tell that he was struggling to behave like an adult in her eyes. It made her heart ache. “Have we done something--"

“No,” Isuza interrupted, turning to face him and clutching his hand. “How could you think that?”

Iye darkened, looking down. “I am not blind, mother. I see that you favor Machk.”

Isuza wished that he had punched her in the stomach instead. She closed her eyes and felt her shoulders sag. “Am I so obvious?”

“Nara doesn’t see it,” Iye assured her. “And Yahto is too preoccupied with other things to figure it out. I do not know how much longer that will last.”

Isuza exhaled, finding small comfort in that. Still, she had never intended any of her children to realize that she loved them unequally. Better they find that out on their own when they have babes of their own. “None of you have done anything to displease me. Please believe that, Iye.”

He considered this and then nodded. “I do not think you would lie to me.”

“I wouldn’t,” she assured him. “And I would not leave you unless I had to.”

Iye looked back up at her with his father’s eyes. He was the only one of her children to inherit them. There was a lot of his father in him. “Then why?”

Isuza got down on her knees, pleading with him to understand before she started speaking. “Listen to me, Iye. Your brother, Machk, is in danger.”

This got Iye’s attention. He straightened proudly and said, “Tell me who wishes to harm him, and that man will not see another dawn.”

Isuza shook her head. “This is nothing that you can fight, Iye. Your brother is meant to become one of the four guardians to Endymion’s son.”

Iye’s eyes widened. “You saw this in the smoke?”

“I saw his doom in the smoke,” Isuza confirmed. “If I allow him to be taken, I will lose him forever. I will not let that happen.”

She watched Iye process this information, his eyes darting back and forth. They only stopped when he was ready to speak again. “And this is the only way he can be saved?”

“If there was any other way, I would do it,” Isuza said fiercely. “It does not please me to abandon you.”

Iye continued to think about this, obviously trying to come up with an alternative. But he knew as well as she that Endymion would find no alternative to Machk for his son’s protectors. Their only option was to conceal him and pray that they were never found out.

As he realized this, Iye let go of her hand. “I will not tell them about Machk or that I saw you go. If I can do anything to help you protect him, I will do it.”

Isuza got to her feet and threw her arms around her oldest son, something she had not done since he was young. She was surprised how small he still felt to her, even though he was almost as big as his father had been before he died. She was not surprised that he did not return her embrace. “Thank you, Iye. You are a good son.”

“But not good enough.”

Isuza stiffened at this rebuke. She had not seen her son’s resentment before, but now it was undeniable. Now his success in hunting and in all other things he applied himself to made perfect sense to her. She had thought he was just talented, but now she saw that he had been trying to outdo an eight-year-old. It pained her to know that she was the cause for his trials.

Perhaps she could have tried to give him some comfort, but Isuza knew it was useless. There was nothing she could offer him now. She pulled away from his stiff frame and left him then for good.

She was surprised to find Machk waiting for her in the hallway, her bag slung over his back awkwardly. He covered a yawn with his hand and said, “Are we ready?”

Isuza forced a smile for his sake and nodded. “Yes. We’re ready.”

-----

As she had predicted, the weather continued to get colder as the pair of them traveled northward. Many would say that her decision to go in that direction was a mistake, but that was precisely why Isuza had chosen it. No one expect them to venture into weather more temperamental than they were used to. When the search parties were sent out, they would go south. Perhaps Iye would even tell them to go in that direction, for he had no doubt reasoned that his mother would not go to warm climates wearing four dresses. They would find nothing, and Isuza and Machk would be safe.

They did not stay anywhere for very long, though they often took advantage of the hospitality of those who did not dwell in large communities. She wanted to stay as far away from populated areas as possible. Sometimes, she was lucky enough to find a family with children Machk’s age, but Isuza was grateful for all they were given.

Machk proved to be more formidable than even Isuza could have predicted. The first three days or so were difficult and filled with pouting, but eventually, that tapered off altogether. It was clear that Machk was still blissfully unaware of the danger he was in, never questioning why they avoided towns and main roads. He didn’t even seem to notice that she never offered their names to those kind enough to take them in, and he chose not to tell anyone either. She suspected that he had begun to think of it as some grand adventure, and he knew as well as any child that those on grand adventures did not whine about it.

Unfortunately, any child also knew that all such adventures were full of hardship. Isuza had not anticipated such a thing happening. She had perhaps grown too prideful. They had been traveling for over a month without the slightest hint of trouble. She should have known that it could not last.

She and Machk had been keeping off the roads entirely. She looked around at their surroundings and felt her heart’s beat shift. Isuza could tell that she had probably wandered into a king’s forest by unnaturally quiet atmosphere. It was likely forbidden for them to be there. If they were caught, they would likely be thrown into prison. This would mean she would be stripped of her garments. Her markings would be discovered and then she would be found out.

“Hurry, Machk,” Isuza instructed, doing her best to keep her voice light so as not to make him suspicious. Thankfully, she didn’t have to try very hard.

Machk was not lagging behind her at all, but his short legs simply hindered his speed. She was tempted to tell him to run beside her, but that would do nothing but exhaust him to the point where he had to be carried. She had to do that every night while he slept, only allowing herself to stop for a few hours when they could not find a place to take them in. Her back ached from the effort, and it would not do to exacerbate it.

“I’m going as fast as I can, Mama,” he assured her, a bright smile crossing his features. “I bet I’m going faster than I was yesterday, right?”

Isuza could not help but smile despite her strain. “And the day before that,” she affirmed.

Machk puffed his chest out with pride and seemed to walk even faster now that she had complimented him. It was a strategy she employed often but an effective one.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going today?” Machk asked in a tone that suggested he thought he was being very sneaky. He asked her the same question daily, and he always received the same answer.

“I’ll let you know when we arrive,” she informed him, tapping him on the nose smartly.

Machk sighed tragically, bending over so that his torso was all but parallel to the ground. “I bet that’s like when you say ‘maybe’ but you really mean ‘no.’”

Isuza frowned. “Machk, what have I told you about watching where you’re going? You’re liable to run into a tree that wa--"

Before Isuza could finish her warning, she was punished for not following her own advice. She had not been watchful and realized only too late that she had stepped on a pile of branches and leaves that concealed a trap. She shrieked as the ground gave way beneath her. She heard Machk calling out to her, even feeling his little hands try to catch her fingers as she fell. But he did no good as she plummeted over fifteen feet into the pit. She hit the ground hard, her head smacking against a particularly hefty tree branch.

As Isuza lay there, furious and disoriented, she could hear Machk calling out to her.

“Mama!” he shouted desperately. “Mama!”

She opened her mouth to answer, but she only managed to utter a croak.

Machk remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Once decided, he shouted down to her. “I’m going to go get help!”

Isuza tried once again to say something. He shouldn’t involve other people. They would be punished. They would be discovered. And then he would be taken away from her to a life destined to end in tragedy. But she could not say or do anything to dissuade him, and soon enough, the darkness took her.

-----

So certain of their doom, Isuza was shocked when she woke up some time later in a soft, warm bed. The first thing she was aware of was the pain and how extensively her body was wrapped in bandages, including her arms. She also knew that she was being watched, and they were not friendly eyes.

“So you’re awake,” a familiar voice said. “It’s been three days. I was beginning to think you’d be occupying the guest chamber for good.”

Isuza’s heart sank as she realized whose Kingdom she had found herself in. “Etania.”

She turned her head to confirm her conviction, but she did not need to. Isuza may not have seen her older sister for many years, but hers was a voice that was not easily forgotten. She had been attacked by a wolf in her youth. He had bitten her throat, nearly rendering her a mute. But Etania was not the kind who gave up that easily. She held onto her voice with nothing more than the sheer force of her will, but it was forever damaged. She could not raise it above a deep, rasping whisper.

Traumatic as that had been, it had been Etania’s only real hardship. She had no scars above her neck, so all of her dresses had been made to conceal them. Etania had been blessed with their mother’s beauty, and so when the parents of the wealthy Prince Adriel had gone looking for his bride, they had selected Etania on sight. She was unnaturally pale for their region given her hatred of the outdoors following the attack, a fact that made her uncommon already. But she also had sharp cheekbones, hair like copper, and eyes that were brown at the pupil and stretched out into blue, then aqua, and finally green around the edges. When they heard her voice, they were not displeased, and even less so when she bore nothing but strong, healthy boys.

Even now, Isuza felt large, dark, and ungainly in her sister’s presence. But mostly she felt afraid.

“I did not think we were this far north,” Isuza said coolly.

Etania arched an eyebrow. “Neither did I. Imagine my surprise when your son leads me back to one of my husband’s traps, and I find he has not caught a stag but my own sister.”

Isuza swallowed. Her throat burned from thirst, but she would not ask her sister for anymore help. “Is Machk all right?”

“Oh, he’s perfectly wonderful,” Etania drawled, her voice seeming to suggest that he was anything but. “He was nearly trampled by my escort when he ran out in the middle of the road and quite hysterical at the time, but he’s recovered admirably. He’s broken a fair amount of my crystal and given my children all manner of injuries.”

Isuza had never met her sister’s children, but if they were anything like Etania, she could not help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. “My apologies. He is a bit… high strung.”

“And that temper!” Etania said, her voice almost disappearing when she tried to speak loudly. Her hand flew to her concealed neck, probably trying to soothe the pain she had just caused herself. “Absolutely unbelievable.”

Isuza closed her eyes and sighed, finding that her sister was exhausting. “Etania, you and I both now that we have better things to talk about than this.”

Etania regarded her for a moment and then nodded shortly. “So we do.” She leaned forward, hovering over Isuza’s recumbent body and hissed, “Isuza, what were you thinking? Did you think you would not be found?”

“I thought of nothing but my son,” Isuza hissed.

Etania glared. “How selfish you are. Your Machk is Nephrite. That is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on any nobleman, particularly one from such an inconsequential region as your own. I would give anything for one of my own sons to have such a destiny. How can you deny him this?”

“I deny nothing but his death!” Isuza cried out.

Etania did not seem impressed. “I have thought your smoke had shown you something you did not like. Isuza, you should know better. Of course it is possible that he will die for the prince’s sake. But that doesn’t give you the right to deprive him of a protector.”

Isuza remembered the figure that had stood in front of the four boys and how he had vanished before her son’s demise. She shook her head. “You don’t understand, Etania--"

“I understand that you are a traitor to King Endymion, and that is all I need to know,” Etania snapped, getting to her feet. “I will have you know that I have been without my husband for a month. He went south to search for you. To think if he had just stayed, he would have captured you in one of his bear traps.”

Isuza felt the compulsion to weep again, and she once again fought it with all her remaining strength. She tried to sit up, but her arms would not hold her. “What have you done, Etania?”

Etania turned as her hand closed around the door’s handle. “My duty of course. My scouts have informed me that one of the search parties is passing through this area, no doubt thinking that you might be desperate enough to come to me for shelter. I have sent word to them that Machk is here. I expect them by morning.”

Etania lingered for a moment, perhaps expecting Isuza to ask what was to be done with her. When she remained silent, Etania opened the door and left her sister to herself. She did not know that Isuza had not spoken for fear of incurring her Etania’s wrath. She did not say it until she was sure she was alone, and only then to keep herself from imploding.

“Would that I had let that wolf kill you, sister.”

-----

Once again, Isuza waited until she was sure that the occupants of her sister’s castle were all asleep to go to her son. She had been lucky enough to have a kind maid come to give her food and drink some hours after Etania had left her. Isuza had managed to figure out where her son’s room was from her. Isuza had of course been ordered to stay away from her son, but the maid had taken pity on her when Isuza explained that she might not see him again.

The walk from her chambers to Machk’s was a long one. Etania no doubt had little faith in her staff at keeping her secrets. She was no fool. But she had mistakenly assumed that Isuza would not be able to walk from her room on the second level to tower in the East Wing, where her son slept. It was not an easy trek, but she managed it somehow, even though she had to crawl up the stairs to make it.

Isuza practically fell into her son’s room, waking him instantly. He recognized her crumbled body on the ground instantly. He leapt from his bed and ran to her, calling, “Mama! You’re awake! They told me you--"

“Hush!” Isuza hissed, pulling herself to her knees with her son’s aid. She shut the door behind them, praying that no one had heard him.

Her fear was evident enough that even Machk could not ignore it. He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, “Mama, what’s wrong? Did Aunt Etania do something to you?”

“No, but she has done something to you,” Isuza told him gravely. Before, she had not wanted to alarm him, but now her hand had been forced again. “Listen to me, Machk. You are in terrible danger.”

Machk’s eyes went wide, and his dark skin lightened considerably. “What… What do you mean?”

“There are men searching for you. I kept you hidden for as long as I could, but when your Aunt Etania found us, she told them where we were,” Isuza explained as simply as possible.

Machk continued to look anxious. “Did I do something wrong? I told Aunt Etania that I didn’t mean to push Pitan down the stairs, but--"

“It’s nothing you did,” Isuza assured him, taking his head in her hands and losing her fingers in the waves of his hair. “It was decided before you were born. These men want to take you away to Elysian. Do you know where that is?”

Machk nodded hesitantly. “Do they want to hurt me?”

Isuza bit her lip, thinking that perhaps she should tell him that they did want to harm him, but she stopped herself. If everything went wrong and her plan failed, she did not want to frighten her son to death should he be captured. “No, they don’t. But if they do take you away, I’m afraid something will happen to you. That’s why we’ve been traveling. We haven’t been going anywhere, Machk. We’ve just been leaving.”

Machk took a moment to process this, and she couldn’t help but feel immensely proud of him. She could tell there were other things he wanted to ask her, but he could sense her urgency now. He stood up as straight as he could, trying to be brave. “Are we going to leave again?”

“No, but you are,” Isuza said, wanting to tell him anything else.

He panicked instantly. “But I can’t go without you! Aunt Etania--"

“I’ll be all right,” Isuza insisted, telling him this lie for the same reason she told him the truth just seconds before. “But I’m too weak to go with you. I’ll never be able to keep up. You have to go alone.”

Machk shook his head. “I can’t--"

“Yes, you can,” Isuza maintained fiercely. “You have to go far away from here until you feel safe. Then you find a family or an orphanage that will take you in. You tell no one who you are. Don’t even tell them your real name.”

Machk stared at her, his lower lip starting to tremble. “And then what?”

Isuza threw her arms around him, embracing him for what she knew was going to be the last time. “And then you live, my darling. Then you live.”

She wanted to hold him forever or an hour more, but she knew that Machk had to be far away from Etania’s castle long before the morning came. She struggled to get to her feet with Machk’s help and opened his door. She glanced around to be certain they were alone, and then pulled Machk into the hallway to send him on his way. She was about to bid him one last farewell when she heard a hissing sound coming up the stairs.

Her sister’s voice.

“We found them in the woods. His mother is badly injured.”

Another voice, much deeper and even more derisive than Etania’s. “Even so, we do not pity traitors.”

Isuza whirled and hissed. “Run, Machk.”

Machk looked at her in fright, and her heart broke when she saw the tears in his eyes. “But--"

“Run I said!” she ordered, giving him a push.

He remained for one second before doing as she asked. He turned away from her and ran as fast as he could, rushing to get to the set of stairs at the other end of the corridor. She doubted they had thought to barricade them in.

The soldiers who were accompanying Etania heard his footsteps against the stone. They came rushing up the stairs to see what was happening. They saw her before they saw Machk running away, and she did not doubt that they knew what was happening.

Isuza was surprised to see one of the soldiers clothed in the recognizable uniform of the Four. She guessed that he was the one who had spoken to Etania earlier. He sent two of the others after the boy, choosing to stride up to her himself. “Are you the boy’s mother?”

Isuza did not answer, keeping her eyes on her boy. It looked as though he might manage to outrun the two sentries. He had gotten quite a head start.

“Answer me,” he demanded, his voice forceful enough to make her head snap towards him although that hadn’t been her intention. “Are you his mother?”

She lifted her chin in defiance. “I am Isuza.”

She was not surprised when his hand came up faster than she could register. He struck her across the face so hard that her nose started to bleed. She went right to the ground, taking an ornamental vase with her.

Machk stopped at the sound of the slap. He turned and instantly began running towards her, forgetting everything he had been told. “Mama!”

Isuza shook her head. “Machk, no!”

He ignored her and continued to try to reach her, no doubt thinking that it was better to save her then himself. Machk didn’t even see the other sentries until one of them picked him up. Machk kicked as hard as he could and even bit his head, but the soldier had been trained well. He did not release Machk.

“Mama!” he wailed, tears coursing down his face. He looked up at the member of the Four, not recognizing him as one of the highest generals in Endymion III’s army, but as someone who had hurt his mother. His small face was overcome with rage and hatred even Isuza had not seen in his face before. “You hurt my mother! I’m going to get you! You can’t--"

He closed his eyes, waving his hand at the two sentries. “Take him away. Lady Etania, might I suggest that you find him suitable quarters that have a lock and key?”

Normally, Etania would take orders from no man, but this one seemed to be an exception. She nodded, almost bowing. “Of course, Lord Kunzite.”

The soldiers bowed to Kunzite as best they could while trying to restrain Machk. Isuza watched as her son was carried away, still screaming her name even while they tried to quiet him. He was past sobbing now, literally wailing. He never stopped trying to get to her. She knew that he would never succeed.

And only then, knowing that everything she had endured had been for naught, did Isuza allow herself to cry.

Back to Summary Page