The Final Strife

“This Tanu, did she always plan on entering the Aktibar?”

“Oh, yes, it’s all she ever talked about.”

Tanu answered the final question correctly and became the first competitor to move on to the next trial. The crowd cheered.

Sylah thought of the letter and the Ghosting who had lost their life for the knowledge.

—

After watching the Aktibar for knowledge, Sylah said she had some errands to run in town. Anoor watched her leave the courtyard from her bedroom window. She hadn’t changed out of her servant garb.

Suspicion inched its way up her back. Was she going to see the family friend—Jond Alnua? Anoor had looked up his name in the competitors’ list in the training grounds. Without realizing it, sheran out of her chambers and down the stairs to the eru stables. She stopped at the kitchens on the way. She couldn’t meet Boey empty-handed.

Her mother had allowed her to buy an eru when she was twelve years old. Anoor had gone to the eru bazaar with Gorn in tow and bought the brightest, bluest one she could find.

Her mother locked her up for ten strikes for that. Blue was a dirty color, undesirable, like the color of her blood. But Anoor got to keep Boey all the same. And she loved her fiercely.

Boey huffed into Anoor’s hand looking for the yam she always brought her.

“All right, all right.” Anoor laughed, reaching into her pocket. The eru chomped it down in two gulps.

“Miss Elsari? Do you want us to saddle Boey?” a stable girl asked.

Anoor nodded; she preferred to use a saddle rather than drive the drawn carriage. She’d only used the carriage once, and that was to test it across the courtyard. Anoor was never allowed to go far, so it was only a weekly occurrence around the gardens, although she loved to ride. Well, this was before training took over her life. Now she was of age, there wasn’t much her mother could do to stop her leaving the Keep.

It didn’t take long for Anoor to be saddled and ready. It was a practiced rhythm between her and the stable girl, who she’d never caught the name of.

“What’s your name?”

“Name, Miss Elsari?”

“Yes, you’re always here helping me, but I don’t know your name.”

The girl gave a small smile. Her hair was newly shaved and her red pinafore freshly pressed, despite the conditions she worked in.

“I’m Atu.”

“Thank you for helping, Atu.”

She ducked her head shyly and opened the stable door to let Anoor out.

Anoor waved at the officers guarding the door, who recognized her and let her out to the Ember Quarter. Soon she was hot on Sylah’s trail.

The eru shrilled a low whistle, her clawed feet carrying them forward at high speed as Anoor urged her onward. She easily overtook the slower erus ferrying Embers to and from the market in carriages.

Anoor spotted Sylah ahead, her shaved head bowed, her shoulders hunched. Sylah took a left off the main road, toward a residential street of Ember houses.

Boey followed, but Anoor slowed her, as she was now the only eru on the street. She hoped Sylah would not turn around. Why hadn’t she thought of wearing a disguise? Inquisitor Abena would have worn a disguise.

Anoor hesitated at the mouth of the street. She watched from a distance as Sylah knocked on the door of a small dwelling halfway down the street. The joba tree was unkempt, its branches encroaching on the neighbors’ pristine courtyard, which must have annoyed them no end. Their own joba tree was protected by a fence.

The door opened to the face of Jond Alnua.

His arms snaked around Sylah’s neck and brought her into a tight embrace as he pulled her inside. His mouth found hers and lingered. Then the door shut.

Anoor recoiled from the scene, her back straightening, her mouth opening. Boey whined underneath her.

“I’m okay.” Anoor patted Boey, the movement reassuring her. “I’m okay.”