Page 25 of The Iron Oath
“Kraz,” she murmured.
They all knew of the tale of the fall of the great commander. Magoza had not gone with them on that day. She had been in charge of meeting with the chief of a small clan from the southwest who had come to Udenia for assistance. Her mother and sister had joined her to welcome the clan to their stronghold.
“When we had arrived in Viden, we had been too late. The town was littered with carnage. There had been so many bodies,” he said.
Anger entered his eyes as if this had happened yesterday. There had been word that trolls had attacked a town to the north. Her father and Xagok had ridden there with a band of warriors, but by the time they had arrived the town had been seized. It had been much worse than they had anticipated. The message was sent out late, and the trolls had full control of thetown. Those who had survived were captured and held hostage. A bloody battle had occurred between orcs and trolls.
“Those trolls thought that they would come into Aghon and not pay for what they had done.”
It had been a battle that many had heard of. Once word had reached Udenia, Magoza and Nargol had wanted to ride north to help, but their mother had forbidden it. The mission would be too dangerous, and there needed to be a Cydassi to remain back to oversee Angarth Keep. If war spread throughout the country, then it would be up to the Cydassi sisters and their mother to defend Aghon. Three days had passed with no word from her father or the commander, and that had been torture. Magoza had been ready to activate the entire army to go after them and bring them home. She wouldn’t have hesitated to rain down the seven hells to bring her father home safe.
“There were too many of them. We fought them off long and hard until there only remained Xagok and I,” Tulak continued. He was lost in his memories. His unfocused eyes were open, but he didn’t see her.
She moved slightly toward him, listening to the tale. She hadn’t heard the entire story. He’d refused to speak of what had happened that fateful night.
“We were back to back fighting the trolls. To die in a battle such as that would be an honorable death, but it was not my day to die.”
Magoza remembered the day he’d returned to Udenia. He’d carried Xagok’s body back on his shukan. Tulak was half dead himself when he’d slid off the beast. When word had reached the stronghold that he’d been spotted about a mile off from the gates, she’d called for a small group of warriors to accompany her. He’d ridden the shukan hard for days until he’d made it close to home. Thankfully the watchmen in the tower had seenhim. The moment she had made it to him, he’d practically fallen off the beast. He’d been exhausted, injured, and dehydrated.
“Fate wasn’t done with you,Ranhos,” she murmured.
She moved to stand before him and rested her hand on his arm. He blinked and focused on her. His gaze was filled with pain and sorrow. Not only had he lost people who he had sworn to protect, warriors who’d served him, but that day he’d lost a dear friend. Someone who had become like a brother to him.
“We are so thankful that you were able to return to us.”
He may have returned that day, but he certainly was a changed man. Whatever had happened while in Viden stayed with him.
“A troll caught Xagok in the back with his sword,” Tulak bit out between clenched teeth. He shut his eyes tight as if reliving that moment.
She had never seen him this distraught. The anguish and pain in his voice had her hands balled into fists.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. “I was supposed to have his back. I got distracted as if I were a fresh young warrior, and Xagok paid the price for it.”
“It was seven against two. Not a fair fight. It could have happened to either of you,” she snapped.
It was a miracle that he’d even made it out of there alive. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said fate wasn’t done with him. With those odds, they both should have been dead.
“But I am Tulak Cydassi. The chieftain. It should have been me who died that day,” he roared.
Magoza took a step back in shock. She shook her head slowly.
He paced. He ran a trembling hand through his hair. “It should have been me.”
“And I’m sure if Xagok was here right now, he’d beg to differ,” she replied. The Xagok she knew would have been willing to die for his chieftain. All of them who served her father would.
“A rage came over me. At the sight of my dying commander. My brother. My axe moved as if Nogora herself wielded my arm. I slaughtered them all. I swear to you, I have little to no memory of even doing it,” he said.
He walked back and forth, lost in his memories. He grew silent for a moment. He finally paused and turned. The tortured look in his eyes had her taking another step back.
“Once they were all dead, I fell to my knees at his side. Bleeding out and on his way to the afterlife, do you know what he made me promise?”
“What?” she whispered.
“Find them,” he’d said. “My mate and daughter. They live in the Eltaki Woods. Ensure no harm comes to them.” He combed his fingers through his dark hair again. He blinked and shook his head. “Imagine my surprise to find out that he’d had a family I never knew about. But all of that didn’t matter. I knew I had to bring his body home. I knew if the tables were turned he would have done the same for me so that your mother would be able see me one last time.”
“That’s why you almost killed yourself to bring him home instead of burying him?” she asked. That day all began to make sense to her. She didn’t know why he would have risked himself to bring his warrior home. She had thought it was her father being delirious from the dehydration and the trauma.
“Kraz, but only I didn’t know where to find her and the child. The Eltaki Woods is a vast area. It wasn’t until his funeral that I finally saw her. She had brought the young girl with her. They kept a low profile, but I knew immediately who they were.”
