The walls of the House of Bouden had withstood the trials of years. Wind. Rain. Fire. Riot. All had left their marks upon the blocks of granite that guarded the house. None had toppled the walls.
Yet, the house was in a more precarious position than it had been in many generations. Owing to the vagaries of childbirth, illness, vendetta, and warfare, the House of Bouden found itself led by a man in his sixth decade with only a single living child to continue the bloodline. That child, Rayshabu, had been taken and her life held at the mercy of monthly payments of ransom these last three years.
In those three years, the lesser houses of Bahteel turned deaf ears to the pleas of House Bouden. Fewer young men sought his counsel. More came with offers of expeditions that might turn Bouden’s gold into some hope for the future. Never committing themselves to Bouden’s aid, but neither declaring themselves against him, either.
Circling. Like buzzards keeping watch on a toothless lion stumbling toward its final rest.
At the center of those old stone walls sat Bouden himself, his dark hair shot through with grey, his face lined with every misfortune fate had visited upon his house. Yet one more night he had dined alone in the midst of his garden finery. No company but a single servant, stooped back holding a simple jug of wine. As always, an empty bench where his wife and children ought to be.
From the darkness came a sound, so soft Bouden was unsure if he had merely dreamt it. He turned his head and the sound came again.
A voice.
“Father?”
Bouden stood. “Come into the light. My old eyes cannot see so far.”
The figure stepped from the garden’s shadows and threw back the hood it wore. Bouden’s eyes went wide. “Daughter?”
Rayshabu approached her father. “I beg forgiveness that I could not escape before. He used sorcery to—”
Bouden wrapped his long arms around his daughter, clinging to her like rock in the raging sea.
— — —
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Wayfarings of Sabit: Allies is copyright (c) 2019 by Michael S. Miller. All rights reserved. New chapters post every Thursday (and the occasional Monday). You can support this and other stories on Patreon: https://patreon.com/michaelsmiller Find more sword and sorcery fiction at http://ipressgames.com/fiction/.