Free The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch

to be his Protector. I refused each time, because I wasn’t certain of his character. Eventually, he proved himself to me, and the fact that he was willing to do that – to prove himself to someone of such a lower rank than himself – meant I accepted. Taking an Absolute Vow means giving your life to one person. In every way. There is no backing out. There is no changing your mind. Once the promise is made you are his Protector for life. You break this vow, you don’t get exiled. You die. Is Khareh worth that?’
    Raim swallowed. ‘I know this. And he is. In every way.’
    Mhara nodded but turned her head away. Raim felt a swirl in his stomach, knowing Mhara was trying to tell him something, but he didn’t understand. ‘You remind me too much of your mother,’ she said. The remark was just an aside. Raim didn’t even know if he had heard correctly, or if he remembered it right. Only that she had mentionedhis mother. He had thought many times about asking Mhara more about her, but he dismissed it. Whoever his parents were, it didn’t matter. If she had been important, Mhara would have said something. But Mhara never said another word.

8
    Raim wasn’t completely sure where Loni and Dharma were in Kharein, so he jogged quickly back to the main gate, sticking to the alleyways as much as possible, and avoiding big crowds of people. He relaxed as soon as Loni and Dharma were in sight.
    ‘Thought we would find you here!’ Loni said with a grin. ‘Didn’t Mhara tell you to come find us?’
    ‘She did, but . . .’
    ‘Hiding out from the wolves baying for your blood, hmm? Well, let’s get moving then – we need to get you your promise string. Then we can hide you away in the yurt, like the other apprentices.’
    There was a merchant class in Darhan that dealt brisk trade in promise string. While in reality a promise could be knotted out of anything – a loose thread on a tunic or a snip of hair, as the young of Darhan were forced to do – it was considered extremely base and disrespectful to do sofor anything important. More accepted was to buy two lengths of ready-prepared string from a merchant, which were then folded many times and worn around the waist like a belt.
    The stringmongers’ stalls were located on the bank of the Iod, close to the mill. Raim, Loni and Dharma picked their way out of the food stalls and through the rest of the market where merchants were selling coats and boots lined with rabbit-fur for winter, iron pots, tiny greenstone carvings of Sola – the desert goddess – and Naran – the sun goddess – and weapons of all shapes and sizes. Everything was displayed on hastily built stalls that collapsed against the walls at night. Nothing was very secure, or permanent, in Kharein. It was the capital city of nomads – if the need arose, it could be packed up and moved. The few solid structures – the Rentai, the palace, the mill – could be rebuilt somewhere else, if the land required it. The Darhan listened to the land. Respected it. They had moved before.
    They reached the first stringmonger’s stall. Bundles of rope dripped from the ceiling, every colour of the rainbow covering the stall’s surface. Raim could barely make out the face of the merchant, as he too was covered in a brightly covered garment with geometric patterns all over. The merchant spotted him and cried out:
    ‘Honour boy, I have just the string for you!’
    Loni grabbed his arm before he could look. ‘No, no, we will go and see Borum.’
    ‘Yeah, I know,’ said Raim. Tarik had bought his strings from Borum two years prior. ‘His stall was further down the river, right?’
    Borum was out in front of his stall, finishing up a deal with a girl and her grandmother. His mouth spread into a wide grin as he saw them approach and gold winked from every other tooth.
    ‘Loni! Raim! I wondered when I would be seeing you. And delightful Dharma – I pray you have been putting your threads to good use.’
    ‘Of course,