Page 106 of The Summer Pass

“They need arrows on the walls, whenever they’re ready,” Lill reported, arriving at the table where Gurti was working with Vanu’s girls. “Some of the Zashian troops are within range, and the archers have started shooting.”

Gurti nodded and relayed the message to Susami and Atari. “How is the battle going?”

“It was looking good when I left. The enemy troops are divided—the mercenaries want to fight and the Zashians wanted to retreat as soon as they saw our full strength. Vanu’s attacking on the left flank, Artayarasha’s men from the rear. All taking on the Sukiyans right now, but they’re probably the strongest part of the force. The siege tower’s been undermined and caught fire. That’s why the archers are shooting—some of the Zashian soldiers got close to the walls trying to put it out.”

“It seems to me they shouldn’t waste arrows on that,” said Gurti. “Those men don’t have a hope of scaling the walls, do they?”

“They want something to do, I think,” said Lill. “Vanu put me in charge of morale, and they said they wanted more arrows, so I said I’d get them some.”

“Well, we have arrows.” She gestured toward the pile on the table and resisted the urge to add, “Tell them not to waste them.” Lill certainly knew what he was doing.

But he wasn’t looking at the pile of arrows now. He was staring sharply across the gathering place at something. Or at nothing, which was all Gurti could see when she followed his gaze.

“What is it?” Atari signed. She was a sharp-eyed girl—maybe she’d seen whatever Lill had, or maybe she was reacting to his changed expression.

Gurti repeated the question aloud.

“I don’t know,” said Lill. “I thought I saw something.”

“I did too,” said Atari. “A shadow.” She pointed. “Like someone was there.”

“Well, maybe … ” Gurti started to say something comforting.

“Will you take the arrows up to Garda of Manáshta, by the main gate?” said Lill. He paused. “No. I’ll get someone else to do that. You stay here.”

He ran off across the gathering place and disappeared down a narrow street.

For a few minutes, the women were alone in the gathering place. Gurti began bundling the arrows up for transport to the wall. Atari kept glancing around to where she and Lill thought they had seen someone, and speculating to Susami about what it was. Gurti tried not to pay attention. She had been all nerves since the men left, as it was. Presently Nakhana arrived, reporting that he’d been sent by Lill for the arrows.

Gurti piled the bundles she had made into his arms. A silence had fallen over the fortress. Maybe something had happened on the battlefield that everyone on the walls was watching. Maybe it was one of those moments of quiet that happens for no reason.

Behind her, Gurti heard Atari gasp. Nakhana, busy managing the armload of arrows, didn’t react.

“What are you doing here?” That was Susami, speaking aloud.

Gurti turned then, but without realizing the urgency of the situation—she couldn’t hear it in Susami’s voice, which was flat and uninflected, and by the time she and Nakhana saw what was happening, it was too late.

Darma was there. He had approached quite close to the table and stood facing Susami.

“I got free,” he signed, smiling foully. “It was easy. I guess your da should have killed me when he had the chance.”

“No,” said Susami aloud. “It doesn’t matter.”

Why was she speaking aloud? Gurti wondered. She never did that. She was holding her hands at her sides, concealed in the folds of her skirt.

Darma took a step toward her, signing, “Come here,” at the same time. Gurti shouted uselessly, and even Nakhana made some noise. They were on the other side of the table, too far away to do anything. Atari ran toward them. Gurti glanced around for anyone who might help. There was no one.

Darma was unarmed, Gurti realized. He meant to take Susami hostage, but he had no weapon. Susami could just walk away from him—they could all run out of the gathering place and raise the alarm. So why was she walking towards him instead?

“Stop!” Gurti shouted pointlessly.

Nakhana threw down his armload of arrows, cursing aloud, and dodged around Atari, who was trying to take shelter behind him. Susami took another step toward Darma, and he put up a hand with a smirk and seized hold of one of her braids.

She raised her right hand and plunged the half-finished arrow she was holding into his neck.

He stared at her, dropping her braid as he scrabbled at the arrow shaft, but she was already jerking it back out, finishing the job. His heart’s blood fountained out, and his body slumped to the ground. She stepped quickly back, out of the way, and when she turned, there was hardly any blood on her clothes.

She looked calm, unreadable, the way she always looked, and maybe it was Gurti’s imagining that she resembled her father more than usual in that moment.