Eight months. Eight months had passed without Raya experiencing a minute. Ailo and Benn told them when they returned from that first supply run. Raya had lost a twentieth of her life, nearly. Even now, on their third day in Elpan, Raya could scarcely comprehend what that meant. Her parents were a year older each—they must have missed her, worried about her.
The second day had been full of rest and work too. They had added some rudimentary furnishings to Axar’s safe house. Just enough to get by until they moved on again.
Today, the third day, they had dispatched Ailo on a mission of reconnaissance. He was to frequent the taverns and public yards of Elpan and return with news about those mysterious eight months. Benn and Raya chatted quietly after lunch time. Axar kept to himself, often meditating or writing notes in a little book he kept in his pocket. And Ailo returned a couple hours later.
“The Revolution of Ith failed,” Ailo said, matter-of-factly, as he turned to face them in the scantily furnished dinner room. “The rebels disbanded, and it’s all over.”
Axar whistled through his teeth. “Damn,” he said, and leaned back in his chair, clasping his fingers behind his head.
“How is it over?” Raya asked. “People were willing to die instead of living under their rule.”
Ailo continued to explain. “It seems there was a final, major riot last year. Another Mage King was killed during it, and the remainder decided that enough was enough. Apparently, they killed fifty slaves a day, and took fifty more. They told the citizens that they would continue until the leaders of the Revolution were turned in. No one was turned in, at least not that anyone here in Elpan heard about, but the spirit of rebellion was quickly subdued.”
Raya sighed and put her head in one hand, leaning over on the table. Fifty a day? “That’s awful.”
“Any other news?” Dondar asked. He was leaning in a chair with a mug of ale in one hand; he’d been resting a lot the last few days and said his shoulder still hurt. Axar said he hadn’t healed the bruises, but could—and of course, Dondar had sternly refused any magic meddling. Raya’s cheek had scarred, but her ankle was fully recovered now.
Ailo shrugged. “Lots of talk about the Grey Brethren. There’s missionaries leaving Saanazar daily, and they’re constantly embroiled in the affairs of other governments too.”
“What else is new?” Axar scoffed.
For a moment, they all looked at each other in discouragement. They had worked for half a year trying to help the revolution succeed, and now it had been crushed. “We can’t stay here forever,” Raya said at last.
Axar looked at her as though he wasn’t certain. “Everyone thinks we’re dead, likely. I could just start again in Elpan. That’s why I bought this place and locked the doors from the inside. A life to fall back on.”
Raya shook her head. “If everyone thinks we’re dead, couldn’t we safely return to Ith? Find out what happened to us, and how the common people are faring now?”
“We might be recognized nonetheless,” Axar said. He indicated Raya and himself. “We would need to be cautious. Wear hoods, stay somewhere we wouldn’t have gone before.”
“I think we should try, at least.”
Axar was quiet for a long time. He stared at where Dondar had set his mug, until Dondar moved it to take another sip. Then the magician looked back at Raya. “I think Ith is a lost cause, but I would like to determine how we were found out, and who decided to try killing us.”
“That too,” Raya added, and Benn smirked.