confirmed it.
Over the next two days, I dress my wounds and rebuild my strength, as Ghoa instructed. I try several times to sneak out to check on Serik, but acolytes guard the dormitory day and night. They shout insults through my door and force me to mumble additional penances every time it opens even a fraction.
By dawn of the third day, I feel like the snow leopards in the Sky Palace menagerie: pacing and growling and scratching at the bars. As anxious as I am to be out on my own, I’m desperate for the freedom, for the possibilities it may bring.
I peel off my blankets and alight from bed. The bruises blossoming across my shoulders and hips still scream in protest, but I am used to pain. It will be my reminder, the anchor to which I will tether my control. I blow out a breath and pace my steps until I’m able to walk to my cookstove without a limp.
A tiny smile steals across my lips. Maybe Ghoa’s right. Maybe my strength can be regained—to a degree. If I’m not afraid to push myself. If I allow myself to truly try.
I brew a pot of ginger root tea, and am halfway through my second cup when Ghoa glides through the door. Instead of armor, she wears an impressive sunset-orange dress embroidered with silver globeflowers and finished with amethyst clasps at the neck. Her hair is a shiny wave of copper tumbling down her back, and the intoxicating scent of lily water trails her like a cloud.
“Good morning,” she says brightly, raising her forearm and curling her fingers into a fist—the traditional Kalima salute.
The gesture is so unexpected, and full of so much meaning, my insides fill with heat that has nothing to do with the tea.
Ghoa slings a bag off her shoulder and rifles through it, humming as she extracts several quills, a fine bronze compass, and a scroll that she unfurls on my bedroll. It’s a detailed map of Sagaan, depicting every temple, road, and stream. It’s so intricate, I’d wager there isn’t a tree that hasn’t been accounted for.
“I have marked in red the locations where Temujin has been spotted, and the green dots represent places we’ve raided, searching for the entrance to the Shoniin’s hideout.”
I suck in a breath and tea sloshes over the side of my cup, nearly splashing Ghoa’s dress. I try to apologize, but I can’t seem to find my voice. The entire map is a spattering of color. The dots spin in a dizzying whirl, and I slump down hard on my blankets.
“I know it looks slightly discouraging,” Ghoa begins.
“What more do you expect me to do?” I wave my hand at the map. “You’ve already torn the city apart.”
“I expect you to stay calm and use the tracking skills you learned in the Kalima, combined with the advantages you’ve gained since your imprisonment.”
“Advantages?” I scoff. “What advantages?”
“You’re far more timid than you used to be … which is a good thing!” she assures me when my face crumples. “It makes you approachable. And the way you move is almost ghostlike—always crouched behind corners and melting into shadows. The people of Sagaan won’t notice you, but Temujin will. It’s like I told you—he looks for the outcasts and fringe-dwellers. That’s why he attempted to rescue you in the first place.”
“So what do I do, exactly?”
“You find him, get close to him, and earn his trust—let him think you’re a grateful, adoring follower after his rescue attempt. Then once you learn the location of his hideout, I’ll move in with the Kalima and attack.”
She makes it sound so simple. So foolproof.
It would be, for Enebish the Warrior.
“Don’t look so unnerved!” Ghoa says. “You can do this. And I’ve arranged a surprise, to bolster your confidence.” She knocks on the window, and a few minutes later Varren enters the room with Orbai on his arm. My eagle snaps at his nose and shuffles back and forth until she sees me. Then she lets out a happy screech. “I thought you’d like to take a friend on your journey.”
Happy tears blur my eyes as I look from Ghoa to my eagle. “Really?”
“Really,” she confirms.
It’s a small gesture, but it says so much. Ghoa knows me. She wants me to succeed and realizes I am braver and more capable when I’m not alone.
“Use her to send messages of your progress. I expect a nightly report.”
I nod. “Orbai is an excellent messenger.”
“Of course she is. You