Chapter 55 Safe journey

Isla
THE WORLD FREEZES. I'm consumed by something strong, something strange. It's happiness. It's shock. It's tension. It's tears.
And I start to cry. I cry so hard it comes out in choking gasps. The woman appears at my side instantly and rubs my shoulders, concern mares her face. "What's the matter? Did you know her?"
I nod, my face is dredged by the salty waterfall from my stinging eyes. "Mavli... Is my sister."
The woman gasps, her hand flies to her mouth. "It's you. She mentioned looking for you!"
And I sob harder because Mavli cares. Because Mavli is looking for me. Because I have missed her by two days. "Do you know she went to?"
The woman grabs my hand and leads me to the corner of the pub, I squirm once I see who she is leading me to; the disfigured man sitting on a stool all by himself. But I follow obediently because I can do anything to see Mavli.
"Ghost," she greets him with a small smile, "this woman here wants to see Mavli."
My pulse race. What business does Mavli have with these people? My throat goes dry and I struggle to swallow.
"You may live us now, Rhani."The man's voice is so deep that I curl my toes in sandals to keep me rooted to the ground or I'll run and not look back.
Rhani gives me a tight smile, she squeezes my hand and begrudgingly leaves. I want to follow her or beg her to stay.
"And you are?" He raises his eyes to my face. I look away.
"Her sister." It is barely a whisper.
"I don't see any resemblance," he grunts.
I don't say a word.
I want to scream at him to lead me to my sister. I can't wait any longer, my nails dig into my palms it's all I can keep from wrapping my hands around his thick neck.
"Follow me." He pushes back the stool so it makes an irking scratching sound. He pushes past me and begins to stride to the door. This man is about two heads taller than me and so many kilograms heavier, he can break me and fling me away. I search for Rhani and I find her refilling a customer's mug. She offers me a tight smile and a stiff nod.
Bracing myself, I turn and follow him out of the hut.
The inn is right behind the hut. It's a wooden cabin just a few metres away. Ghost rambles about it. "I own the Inn. It was past down to me by my father. After I helped Mavli out with some supplies she begged me to accommodate her and a friend temporarily, she didn't want me to tell Rhani because she didn't want to say goodbye for the second time."
I keep quiet and let him amble on. We stop in front of a door. He raps his knuckles on it and a voice I don't recognize asks who is at the door.
"The landlord," Ghost barks and I nearly jump.
Snaps and cracks are heard as the door is being opened. I hold my breath as the door creaks open and an unfamiliar face peeps out.
"She's here to see the other girl, Mavli." And before I can say a word, Ghost disappears and a chill runs down my spine.
The girl eyes me suspiciously. She is thin and weary-looking. I wonder who she is to Mavli. "Er... I-I —"
"Who's at the door, Nadhat?"My eyes look over the girl's shoulder to the ever familiar face of my sister. She turns to me, her face turning ashen like she has just seen a ghost.
"Mavli!" I shriek. I push past the girl too roughly and step into the small wooden room, the floorboards creaking as I stomp over them. Our bodies collide and we are in each other's arms sobbing and clinging onto each other tight as if the other person can just disappear if we don't hold on tight enough.
"Isla, I thought I had lost you," she chokes out amidst sobs.
I can't even muster words so I continue to hug her and let the tears fall.
I cry until my voice turns hoarse, my throat becomes parched, my eyes are swollen and my head throbs with a promising headache.
Nadhat perches on the mattress beside us just beaming at the reunion of long lost sisters.
"I have so much to tell you, Mavli." Her eyes are still brimming with tears, she lets out a heavy sigh and rests her head on my shoulder. I run my fingers through her unkempt hair.
"I'm all ears, Isla." Her voice is strangled.
I tell her everything. I tell her about the raid; getting shot and being caged up. I tell her about Cera and she lets the brimming tears fall. I tell her about the market; seeing her back and being bought.
"We were so close, Isla! If I had turned I would have seen you." I wipe her tears away with the back of my hands, "it's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. I'm just happy that you are safe and we have seen each other again."
I continue my tale. I tell her about escaping from the blacksmith; about the sand devil, the tornado and flying in a whirlwind. I tell her about the dungeon, about Namir and about the makeover.
I tell her about my betrothal. About how close I was to Lyza. About how arrogant Rakar was. About how kind Rosa was and about how loyal Kyan was.
I tell her about my escape. Feeling too ashamed to tell her how I feel about Kyan, I leave that out.
When I'm done, she hugs me close and we sit still cradled in each other's arms.
She tells me about Cerric; how he abandoned Cirok and rode off. She tells me about the naked girl and the rotting boy. She tells me about the rich couple and the woman's pointing finger as she chose her.
Her voice becomes more strained as she tells me about the wicked taskmaster slapping her, she starts to stutter as she tells me about being cajoled into his cabin.
"Mavli..." I cup her face in my palms and I see hurt and suffering in them. She refuses to look at me. The silence says it all, I rub her back in an effort to comfort her.
I can't help crying, I can't help feeling angry, rage in fact. I can't help knowing that my little sister has been assaulted in such a demeaning manner.
"But I got him back, Isla." She looks into my eyes and tells me about Cirok; he knew, he saw the taskmaster take her into his cabin and he did nothing and so she stabbed him in the hand and she ran. And he caught up with her and told her of their escape plan. And they rode together, but he was shot and he falls from the horse. And she abandons him just as Cerric did. And he dies.
"I'm so sorry, Mavli. I know you loved him." My heart breaks for her. She nods and continues the story.
She came to this village and Rhani took her in and nursed her. Rhani told her about Ghost after hearing about her plans for revenge. And Ghost gives her the exploding powder and she goes back to the plantation where she was held captive. And she burns him to ashes, she burns his sleeping body in his cabin to ashes and the slaves run free and she came back to this village called Bynin. And she begged Ghost to accommodate her for the night because in the morning, she is supposed to set out looking for me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nadhat." I say to the weary looking woman.
"The pleasure is mine. I'm so happy I'm opportuneto meet Mavli's sister." She beams brightly. Despite the ache in my heart, I can't help smiling back.
"We have to leave now, Isla." Mavli tells me with sorrowful eyes. "I can't stand another minute here."
I nod. I want to get out of here too. So, the three of us; three scarred Kintilese women vacate the small wooden room.
Nadhat walks towards a tree and unties a mare I didn't notice earlier on. It has a grey coat with black spots scattered all over it's body.
"Mavli?"
"Um?" She walks closer and places a hand on my shoulder, "what is it?"
"You have to say goodbye to Rhani," I notice her hand become stiff, "no matter how hard it may seem," I add trying my best to encourage her.
She nibbles on her lower lip then nods slowly.
I'm grateful when Nadhat volunteers to go. I grab on to Mavli's hand and squeeze it when Nadhat disappears inside the pub. "I can't wait to see mother and father."
"I pray they survived the raid," her voice isn't so hopeful.
"They did," I say, "I have hope. And also, Rosa told me no elderlies were captured."
Mavli gives me a slow, vague nod whilst staring into space.
Nadhat returns with Rhani hot on her heels.
"Mavli—" But Mavli doesn't allow Rhani to finish before throwing herself into the petite woman's arms.
They hug for a moment, tightly enveloped in each other's arms. When they finally pry apart, Rhani kisses Mavli on her cheek. "Take good care of yourself."
"I will." Mavli nods with a smile.
"Rhani," I take a step forward, "thank you for everything."
"You are welcome." She nods then stretches out her palm to me, in it sits my earrings.
I shake my head, "please I want you to have it, it's the least that I can do."
Rhani gasps then launches herself into my arms. "thank you so much!"
"Safe journey," a bass voice calls out and I startle.
Mavli nods with a grin, "thank you, Ghost."
"Thank you," I echo.
He just nods then he turns and walks back into the pub. Nadhat gives Rhani an awkward sided embrace, "may God bless you.'
"And bless you too," Rhani replies.
Lady Gin-Gin neighs just a few feet away from us and I walk over to her, mounting her.
Mavli and Nadhat mounts the spotted mare and together, we begin to gallop away.
When I turn to get one last glimpse of the pub, of Bynin, I see the tiny silhouette of Rhani waving us goodbye and a large bulk standing behind her, Ghost.