Birds of the Gilded Cage Ch. 01

"Greetings General Khamtam," said Dorgan in a formal tone. "We have returned from our scouting mission."

General Khamtam regarded Dorgan momentarily before setting his eyes on Suyin. His gaze was piercing, and Suyin felt as though he could see right through her.

"Indeed you have, and I see that you are not alone." The General's voice carried an imposing dominance that seemed to control the very air within the tent.

"Yes, General," replied Dorgan. "She is our captive. She is from Imimbala but can speak the Xi Eng dialect; we believe she will be able to aid us with information about the city."

"Excellent, Commander," nodded General Khamtam. He turned to his servants to address them. "Take the captive to the interrogation tent, guard her closely. I will be there after my men have briefed me on their mission."

Dorgan handed the rope to the servants. Suyin couldn't meet his gaze, but knew he was looking at her. She was about to be led out of the tent, when suddenly a new voice piped up. It was the young woman.

"Father, wait! Allow me to go with the captive. I will interrogate her," she said excitedly. Suyin glanced to the General to his daughter. She couldn't have been many years older than Suyin herself.

"Tunak, be silent," barked the General. "You are a Royal attendant, not an interrogator."

"I am not an attendant yet," Tunak grinned. "Please, Father. A girl will always open up to another girl."

General Khamtam waved his hand dismissively. "Fine. Do what you will, but if she hurts you, I will have her killed and used as dog meat."

Suyin stared numbly at the ground as the servants, now led by Tunak, guided her out of the tent. She barely noticed her surroundings as they walked, until Tunak walked them into a smaller tent without furniture.

The future attendant turned and smiled at the servants.

"Okay, you guys can leave now," she said. The servants looked at each other, then back at her.

"Miss, we've been ordered to watch the capti -"

She silenced them with a single look, turning at once from the expression of a beautiful noble lady, to something fearsome and dark.

"You know very well who my father is," Tunak bristled. "You all may wait outside, or I will see to it that you lose your heads."

The servants quickly bowed and filed out of the tent. Tunak sighed deeply and turned to Suyin, returning back to her cheerful self.

"Don't you hate such meddlesome men?" the noble lady mused, sitting down on the carpet and motioning for Suyin to join her. Suyin hesitantly settled down, unsure if she was safe from harm around Tunak, or in worse danger than before. The Lady's temperament seemed to change faster than a riptide.

"We women have very little to call our own, but if we play our cards right, we may be able to have everything that we desire," Tunak continued. She reached for Suyin, making the other girl flinch. The lady chuckled at this, and gently removed the rope from around the other girl's neck.

"Where am I?" asked Suyin quietly.

"Address me as Lady, or Lady Tunak," the other girl snapped. Suyin bowed her head apologetically.

"Where am I ... Lady Tunak?" she said. Tunak seemed to relax again.

"What's your name?" the Lady asked instead.

"My name is Suyin, my Lady," Suyin responded nervously.

"Well, my Suyin," Tunak rose, spreading her arms as though gesturing to all the land that was visible outside of the tent. "You are fortunate enough to be well into the beautiful and holy Yasughat Empire. By the end of tomorrow, we will have added another city to the map."

Suyin knew she meant Imimbala. Her heart ached for all the innocent people that would inevitably be slain by the General's army, even her cousins.

"You know Suyin, I actually have some ancestry from Xi Eng myself," Tunak continued, sitting back down next to the other girl. "And as it happens, I've been needing a confidante. How about the two of us help each other out?" The lady leaned closer to Suyin, laying her hand gently on her shoulder. "I'll help you out now, and you will help me out later."

All Suyin could do was nod, before exhaustion took its hold once again, and she fell, unconscious, onto Lady Tunak's lap.