‘Did you say full kit, ma’am?’ said Cain.
‘Has the water got in your ears? Yes. Full kit. Dismissed.’
She flicked her cigarette butt into the waters of the harbour, then turned and walked away.
The squad frowned.
‘You heard her,’ said Lennox. ‘Get the boat ready or, uh, whatever it is you need to do.’
Leisha laughed. ‘Our poor, ignorant squad leader.’
‘It’s not a boat,’ said Loryn, ‘it’s a cutter.’
‘And it has a name,’ said Carrie.
Libby raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh aye?’
‘Aye,’ said Cain. ‘The Seablade.’
‘Cause it cuts through the water like a knife,’ said Loryn.
‘Alright, fine,’ said Lennox. ‘I get it. You’re all experts on sailing now you’ve been doing it for two thirds, aye?’
‘More of an expert than you and Libby,’ smirked Leisha.
‘That wouldn’t be hard. It has sails and oars and is made of wood; that’s about the sum total of my knowledge. Tell you what, you lot do your thing here, and Libby and I will head back and get dinner on.’
‘Now you’re talking, boss,’ said Carrie.
Lennox and Libby turned and left the harbour front, walking past the long, low buildings towards the narrow tenements that backed onto the harbour wall. The Fifth had an apartment of their own, and were living in relative luxury compared to their old quarters, while Sable had ensured that they received extra rations. A guard posted at the front door let them pass and they climbed the stairs to the second floor and unlocked their apartment door.
‘Do you trust her?’ said Lennox as they entered the kitchen.
‘Who, Sable?’
‘Aye.’
‘She has a job to do,’ said Libby, ‘but I get on well with her, when we’re watching you train anyway. She’s like a different person then. She speaks to me like I’m her friend.’
‘Be careful; there’s something about her. I have a feeling she’s using us to get what she wants, and I don’t think she cares what happens to us afterwards.’
Libby shrugged. ‘Same as every other officer, then.’
He opened a cupboard and removed a crate of food. ‘The main reason I didn’t tell anyone about my powers is because I was worried that they’d separate me from the rest of the squad. It still worries me. I’m not going to let that happen.’
‘Honey,’ she said, putting her arms round his neck, ‘I know you won’t. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.’
He smiled, and kissed her.
As the second night bell peeled out over the town, the Fifth stood at attention along the harbour front, dressed in the lightly armoured kit that Sable had requisitioned for them. Thick waterproof leathers had replaced the heavy steel and mail they usually wore for combat, and their shields were smaller and easier to carry. Only their maces and crossbows remained unchanged from their previous gear. Sable paced up and down in front of them, smoking, her eyes on the dark waters of the harbour, her hair tied in braids.
‘Tonight’s going to be a little different, squad,’ she said. ‘It’s time for all that training to be put into practice.’
The soldiers gazed at her, waiting.
‘We’re going beyond the harbour walls,’ she said, and Lennox felt his heart leap.
She pulled a map from her jacket and unfolded it. ‘Gather round.’
The soldiers moved forward and stood round the Holdings agent, the Kellach towering over her as she stood in their midst. She pointed at the map.
‘We’re here, obviously,’ she said, ‘and we’re going up here, about two hours sailing to the north. To get there, we’ll have to evade the imperial blockade, which will require silence and the strictest discipline. Loryn, you’ll have the helm. Lennox and Libby, stay close to Loryn, unless in the unlikely event of us needing to row; I don’t want you getting in the way of the others.’ The squad chuckled. ‘Leisha, Cain, Denny and Carrie, your usual positions. Once we’re clear of the harbour walls I want complete silence. No talking. Loryn, you’re going to aim for the fourth star. Maintain that course until I tell you otherwise.’ She glanced at their faces. ‘Good luck, and may the Creator guide us.’
The squad turned, and jumped over onto the cutter, which was tied up next to them. Sable stayed behind to cast their ropes off, then she leapt over the gap and onto the narrow deck. Lennox went to the stern, where Loryn was already gripping the tiller in her right hand as she crouched by it, her eyes gazing up at the skies. Libby sat next to him, and they watched the rest of the squad get the cutter underway. They moved without any gestures or communication, each knowing the part they had to play, and Lennox felt proud as he watched them. Their shields and weapons had been stowed alongside the six oars that the cutter carried, so that the deck was clear for the squad to work on. Sable crouched by the mast, and pulled a long grey cloak over her.
‘This is better than rowing,’ whispered Libby to him as the cutter began to glide through the waters of the harbour, the seven stars shining down on them from the dark, cloudless sky. Loryn guided the cutter past the galleys, and Lennox saw the narrow entrance of the harbour ahead, protected on either side by tall, stone towers, and a thick chain strung across the opening. Beyond lay the Inner Sea, vast and silent, where no ship from Stretton Sands had sailed since the town’s capture.
Lennox stared at the approaching chain. Its middle section was underwater, but it didn’t go deep. At the last second, Loryn raised the rudder, and the keel of the cutter skipped over the gap, clearing the chain. Sable turned and nodded to Loryn as the soldier swung the rudder back into the water, and before Lennox could blink, the cutter was turning north, racing over the gentle swell. He almost laughed at the joy of it; the wind picked up, but it was warm, and the sails flapped and bulged as their speed increased. Sable glanced around, placing a finger to her lips, and pointing over to their left. Lennox scanned the darkness. He knew the imperial navy had patrol ships out there, but he couldn’t see them. In the blackness of the night, they could be a hundred feet away and he wouldn’t notice.
The air turned colder as they sped north, the wind gusting. To their right were occasional pinpricks of light coming from the shoreline, but whether they were one mile or ten away, Lennox couldn’t tell. Loryn and Sable would stare upwards for long moments at a time, and the young Kellach soldier kept the prow pointed at the fourth of the seven stars as they drifted slowly across the sky.
After two hours, a larger cluster of lights emerged from the distance, ahead and to the right of their position. Sable went to the rear of the cutter, passing Lennox and Libby. She tapped Loryn on the shoulder and pointed a little to the right of the lights, and the soldier nodded. The cutter turned, and slowed as the boom swung across the deck, Leisha securing it into its new position. The lights on the shoreline moved to their left as the cutter continued to slow. Sable pointed again, then gestured for the sails to be taken down.
Their craft glided in towards the shore, visible where the waters foamed and surged against the rocks. Sable signalled for the anchor when the rocks were a dozen yards away.
‘Loryn, Denny,’ she whispered. ‘Stay with the Seablade. Get ready to go as soon as we’re back. The rest of you, get your weapons and follow me.’
The squad grabbed their maces and crossbows, and slung their shields over their shoulders. Sable stood on the prow, then jumped off, the water rising to her chest. She held her sheathed sword aloft and waded towards the rocks. The rest of the squad dropped in after her, careful not to make a splash. The cold water came up to Lennox’s waist, and within seconds he was clambering up the wet rocks. They climbed over the rocky terrain until they reached the edge of a grassy plain, and scrambled up. Sable waited until the five soldiers were surrounding her as they crouched on the grass.
‘There’s a small imperial supply store about a mile up the road, where we saw the lights,’ she whispered. ‘Right now, we’re well behind imperial lines,
so we’ll need to be quick. We’re going to hit the depot, maybe capture an officer if we’re lucky, and generally cause some mayhem.’ She took out her map and turned it over. ‘I’ve already scouted the layout of the place.’ She lit a small lantern and opened the shutter to allow a tiny beam of light to illuminate the map. ‘Take a good look; memorise it. We’ll be coming from the east. If you get separated, listen out for my whistle. When I blow it, it’s time to get the fuck out. Any that get lost or carried away, I’m leaving you behind.’
She shuttered the lamp and folded the map away.
‘Let’s go.’
They raced over the dark ground. Sable edged nearer to Lennox as they ran.
‘Stay close to me,’ she said. ‘Don’t use your powers until I give the order.’
Lennox nodded. They reached a spur where cliffs protruded into the sea, and scrambled over it. Beyond, the lights of the supply base were visible. There was no wall surrounding the cluster of buildings, the largest of which was a long boathouse situated on the shore, with ramps that led down into the water. A few lanterns were illuminating the area between the boathouse and the other buildings, and, standing in the light were two imperial soldiers, their cigarette smoke winding up into the night sky.
The squad divided into two columns. Sable led one, with Lennox and Libby, while Cain led the other, with Carrie and Leisha following. Sable gestured to Cain, and he veered off to the right, while the Holdings agent raced into the centre of the small base. Her sword flashed in the lamplight as she unsheathed it, the two imperial guards barely having time to turn before she had cut them both down, her blade finding the gaps in their armour. Lights were emerging from one of the other buildings, and Sable raced towards it, as Cain approached the same building from behind. Sable nodded to Lennox, and he swung his mace at the front door, smashing it off its hinges. They ran inside, into a room where a few imperial officers and clerks were sitting round a table, smoking and drinking wine. They gazed up at the intruders, their mouths opening in horror.
Lennox battered his mace into the nearest officer’s skull, splitting it open and spraying the rest of the imperials with blood and pieces of smashed bone. Libby shot a clerk in the eye as she started to get to her feet, as Sable moved like a blur, carving her way through the room, killing three in the time it had taken Lennox and Libby to dispatch their one each. Within seconds, only one imperial officer was left alive in the room.
‘He’s only a major,’ Sable said, her sword resting on the man’s throat, ‘but he’ll do. Gag him and bind his hands.’
Libby took rope from her belt and secured the captive, as Sable rifled the pockets of the dead for cigarettes. Leisha burst into the room, her mace bloodied.
‘Rest of the rooms are clear,’ she said. ‘Cain and Carrie have gone to search the other buildings.’
Sable nodded. ‘Good. Take a few trophies, and anything portable of value. We’ll destroy the rest.’
She lit a cigarette and they went back outside, Libby escorting the gagged and bound officer. Cain and Carrie were waiting for them on the road.
‘No one else here, ma’am,’ Cain said. ‘Other building are just stores.’
‘Nice work, squad,’ Sable said. ‘I hope you’ve still got some legs in you, because were going to have to run back to the cutter. What Lennox is about to do will signal our presence for miles around.’
Cain, Leisha and Carrie exchanged a glance.
‘Lennox, ma’am?’ said Cain.
‘Does your hearing need checked, soldier?’ said Sable. ‘Yes, Lennox. While you’ve all been training on the Seablade, your squad leader, assisted by his second, has been working on something else.’
Lennox squirmed, unable to meet the enquiring eyes of Cain and the others.
‘Stop looking so fucking embarrassed,’ Sable said to him. She stepped forwards and slapped him across the face. ‘You are what you are, and nothing can change that. You have to own it, Lennox, starting now.’
‘What’s she talking about?’ said Cain.
Lennox raised his eyes, his cheek stinging. ‘Carrie, get me a lantern.’
The soldier frowned, then walked to the side of the road, where she reached up and unhooked a large street lantern. She walked back to Lennox and held it out for him.
He took it in both hands, and hurled it at the side of the building where they had slaughtered the officers and clerks. The glass shattered on impact, and the oil flew out, the flames spreading. Lennox knew they would only last a few moments on the stony ground, so stepped forwards and raised his hand, pushing the stares of the squad from his mind. Nothing but the flames mattered; he and they were linked in a way he would never be with another person. The flames responded to the movements of his fingers, and he gathered them into a tight ball, and sent it up onto the roof of the boathouse opposite, its timber frame catching light in a great flash of fire. He pushed his hand to the right, and the flames raced across the length of the entire roof. The squad staggered back from the burst of heat. As Lennox felt his knees begin to wobble, Sable gripped his hand and placed a lit smokestick into his fingers.
‘Smoke that, now,’ she said, then turned to the rest of the squad. ‘Lennox is a Mage of Pyre, sent by the Creator in our time of need to lead us to victory.’
Lennox took a long draw of the keenweed, and his strength and energy rushed back. He stared at the burning boathouse, exalting in the heat and flames. He flicked his wrist, and a ball of fire leapt across the road and struck the building where the slain imperials lay.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Cain. He turned to Libby. ‘Did you know?’
Libby nodded. ‘I found out two thirds ago.’
Lennox glanced from face to face. Carrie and Leisha were both wearing expressions of surprise, and maybe a little awe, while Cain was staring in disbelief. Libby smiled at him, pride in her eyes.
‘For now, this news stays in the squad,’ said Sable. ‘You can tell Loryn and Denny, but no one else. Understood?’ The squad nodded. ‘Right, I’ve got a bottle of whisky stashed away and we can share it when we get back to Stretton Sands, but first, let’s get our arses back to the Seablade; this place will be crawling with imperials soon.’
She raced off, followed by Leisha and Carrie, who were helping Libby escort the prisoner. Cain remained behind for a moment, shaking his head at Lennox.
‘I thought I knew you,’ he said. ‘I thought our friendship would last forever, even after you betrayed me by going with Libby.’
Lennox took a last draw of the keenweed, then crushed it beneath his boot. ‘Things change.’
‘Aye,’ said Cain, ‘that they do.’
Chapter 19
Few Leave
Rainsby, Imperial Plateau – 15th Day, First Third Summer 525
The hospital by the harbour front in Rainsby had a smell that no amount of scrubbing could wholly remove. Hundreds had perished within the walls of the ex-warehouse, victims of every conceivable act of violence, their open wounds inviting infection and a quick, though tormented death. The building’s crumbling and stained brickwork seemed to have absorbed the suffering, reflecting it back in the stench of rot and bodily waste. For Thorn, the moment each morning when she stepped inside was the one she hated the most. After an hour, the smell became tolerable, but for those first sixty minutes, she had to battle her way through the feelings of nausea that threatened to send her running for the door.
Not that she ever complained about it. Complaining was something one did if one felt slighted or insulted; but in the hospital, Thorn was well aware of how fortunate she was. When she saw soldiers arrive with limbs mangled or missing, or with half their face sliced off; or when she listened to their screams, it was her pride that kept her going; kept her working for hour after hour without a single impatient word or uncalled for glance; pride, and the promise she had made to herself that she wouldn’t give up.
It had been Clove, to everyone’s surprise, who had been the first hedgewitch to break down. Aft
er about a third in the hospital, Thorn’s eldest sister had first become sullen and unresponsive for a few days, before collapsing in tears one morning as they had worked on the survivors of a fire in a tenement block, set alight by an incendiary missile slung over from the Rahain lines. The older hedgewitches had helped Clove out of the hospital, and when she didn’t return for several days not even Thorn had made a critical remark. It could have been her, Thorn knew.
They had worked right through Summer’s Day without a break; Thorn’s eighteenth birthday passing almost without mention. Her mother and Acorn had given her some flowers, and then they had got back on with the job.
Three or four times a day, Thorn and Bracken would slip outside for a cigarette, both having found themselves relying on the Holdings smokesticks more as the days passed. They would sit by the edge of the harbour, their backs to the hospital wall, and watch the ships and sailing vessels in the enormous port. Thorn’s two guards, who accompanied her everywhere, would hang around and let them smoke in peace. One of them, a Holdings man, would fit in at least two cigarettes to their one.
‘This weather,’ said Bracken, sweating under the unrelenting sun.
Thorn nodded, her eyes half-closed. Huge gulls were squawking and squabbling overhead, circling over the fishing boats tied up at a nearby pier. A group of Rakanese dockers walked past, a couple glancing at the hedgewitch, their wide eyes drawn by the blood spattered down her long apron. A few exchanged whispers.
‘Thought you’d be out here,’ said a voice.
Thorn turned and saw Acorn approach from a side door of the hospital carrying a flagon, her own two guards following her out. Her hair was tied back and tucked into her shirt, and her forehead was glistening with sweat. She wiped her hands on a rag and passed the flagon to Thorn as she sat down next to her.
Thorn lifted the flagon to her lips and took a long drink of chilled water, mixed with a little white wine.
The Magelands Epic: Storm Mage (Book 6) Page 27