“I am fine,” said Kaita, shaking her head. “I will rest once I find us a way out of this mess.”
“Eat some food, at least,” said Tagata. “You cannot tell me you are not hungry.” She smiled as Kaita’s stomach rumbled aloud.
“Mayhap a bite would be good,” said Kaita reluctantly.
Tagata chuckled and ushered her over to one of the noisome campfires the Shades had built. There were only two, for they had had to make them out of dried dung, and there was precious little of that to be found. Kaita sat, her body nearly screaming in relief after its exertions, and they began to tuck into a little meal together with their fellows in the darkness.
Back on the surface, Mag and I had reconvened with Dryleaf and Yue in the wake of the fighting. Kun ordered our camp moved from the Greenfrost into the hills. The move took somewhat longer than it should have since we were all weary with the day’s battle. But Kun felt it necessary to consolidate our presence in the hills, at least until we determined where the Shades had disappeared to. Now, close to midday, we ate a meal by our campfire, the same as Kaita below the earth, though of course, we did not know that.
I could see the deep dissatisfaction in Mag’s expression. Her mind lingered on the Shades. It was a beautiful day around us, sunlight filtering through the grey clouds to shine from the snowy hills. But her mood was ugly, and she spoke little, only giving brief answers when we tried to broach conversation.
“Where did they all go?” she muttered after a time, placing her bowl on the ground. It was not even half-eaten. Oku’s ears perked up.
“They cannot be far, Mag,” I said gently. “There is nowhere around here to hide for long. We will find them.”
“And in the meantime, there is plenty to do,” said Yue. “We have wounded to see to, and troops who need our guidance.” But she sounded disgruntled, and she poked savagely at the logs of our fire with a long stick.
“All of that is well and good if it helps us find Kaita and end her,” said Mag. “Yet now it is only a delay. She has evaded us before, and it seems she has done it again. But this time she brought a whole army into the shadows with her.”
Dryleaf’s hand rested on Oku’s head, scratching him behind the ears. Oku sat patiently, enjoying it, but his gaze was riveted on Mag’s abandoned food bowl. “You fear losing her forever,” said the old man. “But I do not think that is how your hunt will end. One day you will have the confrontation you desire, even if it is not here in these hills.”
Mag’s fist clenched. “No,” she said. “It will be here. It must be.”
“Mag, come now,” I said. “Why is it so important that—”
“Because I am tired, Albern,” said Mag. Her voice cracked, and hearing it froze me. “I am tired of having her dangled in front of my face, luring me along like a carrot does a mule. I am tired of wandering endlessly across the nine lands. I want this to be over. Now. I am tired of—”
She turned away, looking towards the center of camp.
“Mag …” I said slowly. “I did not—”
“I do not know what comes next,” she said, almost whispering. “I have no plan for it. But I want one. I have been trying to think of it, trying to picture it. I cannot. It is as though my road ends with Kaita, vanishing at her feet. It makes my life feel so small, and I am tired of that, too. I want an after.”
She stood.
“And I am going to have one.”
“Mag?” I said sharply. Yue and I scrambled to our feet as she stalked off. I helped Dryleaf up and brought him along. “Where are you going?”
“To speak to the captain,” she replied.
“Mag, wait,” said Yue. “Why?”
“I am going to find her.”
“What, alone?” I said. “Mag, you are not going anywhere without us. Or me, at least.” I gave Yue a furtive glance.
“Us,” she said, frowning at me. “She has the right of it. It would be better than sitting here on our rears.”
“That is the spirit,” said Mag, still walking at a breakneck pace.
“Mag,” said Dryleaf. His voice was almost too quiet to hear. But Mag’s gait hitched for a moment, as though she had nearly paused but forced herself on. “My dear girl. Do not risk too much with rash action.”
“I risk nothing,” said Mag. “Every time I have faced her, I have defeated her without taking a scratch.”
“Of course she cannot harm you,” said Dryleaf, who was breathing heavily now with the pace of our walk. “But what about everyone else?”
At last, Mag stopped. She wheeled on him. “And why do you think I am doing this?” she snapped. “What do you think this whole journey has been for? I started chasing Kaita because of what she did to my home, to my … to my Sten. In Lan Shui, she killed many. In Kahuanga, she started a war that killed even more. Even now, though we win each battle, dozens fall every time. It seems clear that I can protect no one by moving slow, by ensuring each step is safe. So I am done with it. I am ready for the end, and I am sick of people telling me to wait!”
“Mag,” I said reproachfully. The look on her face was so fierce, I had an urge to put myself between her and Dryleaf.
“It is all right, my boy,” said Dryleaf. He patted my arm. “Strong words are of no concern to me. But I beg of you, Mag: if you want to know what comes after Kaita, then turn aside from her. I have suggested it before, though I knew you might not be ready to hear it. You need to hear it now. You have allies, friends. You have the good Captain Zhou and this little family that has taken you into the fold. It will not replace what you lost in Northwood—but you are wise enough to know that nothing will ever replace that. Build something new instead. It will be no less dear simply because it is different.”
“Mayhap I will,” said Mag. “But after. Northwood is not over. Not until she lies dead at my feet.”
“And will that help Sten?” said Dryleaf quietly.
“It has never been about Sten,” said Mag. “I know that. I am not a fool. It was always for me.”
And she turned and set off towards the captain’s tent again.
Yue followed her, and I started to do the same with Dryleaf. But he patted my hand and shook his head. “Leave me, boy. I will be of no help, and I may only anger her until she says something foolish to Kun. I will find my way back to our fire with Oku’s help.”
“All right,” I said. “We will return as soon as we may.”
I ran after Mag and caught her as she reached Kun. He was in conference with Tou and the other lieutenants, including his nephew, Zhen. The group of them all looked up at us in confusion.
“Sergeants,” said Tou, looking confused. It was a breach of protocol to approach him while he was in conference with the captain.
“Lieutenant Shi,” said Mag. Then she turned from him to Kun. “Captain Zhou. I request permission to investigate the Shades’ disappearance, along with Sergeants Telfer and Baolan.”
“Sergeant,” said Tou, speaking sharply now. “That is something to discuss with me first, and with the captain only if I approve.”
“Apologies, ser,” she said, nodding to him. “But time is of the essence. Hours have passed since we saw them. Wherever they are now, we can be certain they are moving farther away. If we do not find the trail, we may lose them.”
Kun had looked at her all the while with a surprised smile on his face. Now he cocked his head. “We are well aware of the situation, Sergeant,” he said. “Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary. Lieutenant Zhou will lead the search for the Shades’ trail.”
“You should use Albern’s talents as well, ser,” said Mag.
“Sergeant!” said Tou. “Return to your unit and—”
“That is all right, Lieutenant,” said Kun, raising a hand. As Tou subsided, Kun looked upon Mag again. “You have some personal stake in this, Sergeant. And you know how I value honesty. Tell me why this means so much to you.”
“A weremage marches with the Shades,” said Mag at once. “She killed my husband.”
“She and her fellows invaded Northwood,” Mag went on. “She murdered him in front of my eyes. I have been hunting her ever since. Truth be told, Captain, I joined you in hopes that you would come into conflict with her, and now you have. She is almost within my grasp, yet I can feel her slipping away.”
Kun never took his eyes from her. His lips twitched, and I could see heavy thoughts behind his eyes. Then, at last, he spoke.
“Killing the weremage will accomplish little in the war for Underrealm,” he said. “She is an asset of the enemy, yes, and a powerful one. But only one. Meanwhile, you, Sergeant Telfer, and Sergeant Baolan are three highly trained and invaluable officers in our war effort. Risking the three of you to locate the enemy is unacceptable. If you have any skilled trackers in your squadron, I might consider sending them, if you propose it to your lieutenant first.”
“Captain—” said Mag.
“No, Sergeant,” barked Tou, stepping in front of the captain. “You have pushed things quite far enough already. Your captain has given you a command. He has even deigned to explain his reasoning behind it, which you are not owed. Turn and march back to your unit now, or you will face discipline.”
I had never seen the lieutenant so angry. Mag looked as if she wanted to argue more, but she subsided. Kun’s expression was firm, but I saw pity in his eyes. If I am being honest, I agreed with his decision. An army is nothing if it lacks unity, and soldiers cannot be running off to settle personal vendettas.
Gently I put a hand on Mag’s arm. “Come.”
She turned without looking at me and stalked back to the tents. I waited a moment more, bowing my head to Tou.
“Apologies, Lieutenant. She … It happened very quickly.”
His nostrils flared, but he did give me a brief, sharp nod. I took that as the best sign I was going to get, and together with Yue, I followed Mag back to our tents at the heads of our squadrons.
“How did it go?” said Dryleaf.
“Not well,” I answered him. “The captain was not amenable to Mag’s decision.”
“And is that the end of it?” said Dryleaf.
“Not on your life,” said Mag firmly.
Yue frowned. “What do you mean? The captain gave his order.”
“I am going out anyway,” said Mag.
“You cannot be serious,” said Yue. “After he told you no?”
Mag looked at me. “Albern? What do you say?”
I hesitated. “I … I am not sure, Mag. We asked the captain. Why do that, if you meant to disobey?”
“Because I thought he would say yes, of course,” said Mag. “And he should have, because I am right. Your skills are wasted sitting here in camp. He says we three are too ‘valuable’ to lose. Well, what good is value if he does not use it?”
“Yet if he sends us out alone, and we do not return,” countered Yue, “then we are worth nothing in the next fight. I understand your frustration, Mag. But I understand the captain as well, and you must do the same. He is our superior officer. We are soldiers.”
“I left the mercenary life for a reason,” said Mag. She turned from Yue to me. “I want to go after her, Albern, and I need you to come with me.”
Slowly I shook my head. Rarely have I felt more torn. “Mag. Kun said …”
“And since when do we care what others tell us?” said Mag. She nodded at Yue. “Yue tried to tell us what to do in Lan Shui. We disobeyed, and we saved the town.”
“This is not Lan Shui,” said Yue.
Mag shrugged. “Yue, you are an honorable woman and a dark-damned good fighter. But if you had had your way, Lan Shui would now be empty of everything but vampires and corpses. I do not mean that as an insult. You did what you thought was right. But we had knowledge you did not. That is exactly what we face now. We know better than the captain, not through any fault of his own, other than mayhap not enough trust in us.”
“He does not trust you enough, and so you mean to betray his trust even further?” said Yue. “How do you think that will help anything?”
Mag, however, kept her gaze on me. “If you worry about us shirking our duty, we do not have to. We are mercenaries. Let us resign.”
“We agreed to see this campaign through,” I said. “Kun would brand us as deserters and outlaws. He would have no choice—imagine if everyone in this force thought they could simply turn tail for home after a bad day. If we wish to leave when we return to Taitou or reach another city for resupply, that is one thing. But we cannot abandon our contract out here in the wilderness when another battle could be just around the corner.”
I do not mind admitting that Mag was frightening me. I knew she was angry—I could feel the fury emanating from her—but she did not yell, nor did she even scowl. It was as though she restrained her rage just beneath the surface. It gave me the uncomfortable feeling of facing her battle-trance, but from the sharp end of her spear.
“Very well,” said Mag. “If we cannot break contract, I am afraid we must disobey orders. I mean to seek the Shades’ trail the moment the sun is down, which should be early.”
“We cannot, Mag,” said Yue. “Albern, tell her we cannot.”
I struggled for words, searching for some way to make Mag see the foolishness of her actions. Still, she held me in her gaze, and the look in her eyes was so intense that I felt incapable of gainsaying her.
Yue stepped between us, breaking my eye contact. “Albern, you are a great fool, but not this great of a fool,” she said softly. “Do the smart thing. Stay here with me tonight. Let us go and invite Nikau to stay with us—he has been trying hard enough to get inside our tent. Forget this madness.”
“If that is more important to you than finding Sten’s killer,” said Mag, “then I suppose I cannot stop you.”
Floundering, I turned to Dryleaf, who still sat motionless by the fire. “Dryleaf?” I said weakly.
But he only shook his head. “I am sorry, my boy. I have said all that could be useful. You know I think this is madness. If that does not sway you or Mag, nothing else I could say would do so.”
Mag stepped around Yue and put a hand on my shoulder, gripping it firmly. “Albern. In Northwood, we promised each other. Together until the end, until Sten was avenged. In Lan Shui, we said it again. Are you still with me?’
“Are you with me?” I said. “Why must your way be the only one?”
“Because my way leads to Kaita,” said Mag. “You would have us sit here and wait, and that is nothing either of us promised the other.”
I have lost battles in which many of my friends died. I have borne the bitter sting of watching my commander surrender to the enemy in the middle of a corpse-littered battlefield. But rarely have I ever felt so defeated as I did in that moment.
“All right, Mag,” I said quietly. “I made my pledge. If you are going, and if I cannot say anything to sway you, then yes. I am by your side. Until the end of the road.”
A beautiful smile splashed over her face as if it had been thrown there. She released a sigh, and I realized how afraid she had been that I would refuse her. But that was never a possibility, really. She turned to Yue.
“Well?” she said. “We are going. Will you turn us in to the captain? Or will you come with us? I want your sword by my side, Yue.”
Yue barely seemed to hear her. She was only looking at me. “Albern?” she said. “You agree with her?”
“I do not,” I said. “But I promised, Yue. I cannot abandon her now.”
“Hm,” snorted Yue. “I thought that promise went two ways.” She turned back to Mag. “Very well. If I am outvoted, I suppose I will come, too. I am no faithless friend. But we had best be quick about it, and quiet.”
“We will,” said Mag. “Then our course is set. Tonight, the moment the sun has gone down. The moons are full, and their light should be good for wandering.�
�
“All right,” I said. “But we should leave Oku. If we want to be as quiet as possible, it would be best to have just the three of us.”
“A good idea.” Mag knelt and took Oku behind the ears, scratching him fondly. It was an uncommon display of affection from her, as though she was in high spirits. But I could not shake some persistent feeling that it was an ill omen.
“Kip, boy,” she said. “Stay here with Dryleaf until we come back.”
His wide, watery eyes looked into hers, and he cocked his head. When she stood, he went to the bard and lay down by his feet. But he kept his head raised, and he did not stop looking at her. A low whine issued from his throat, and it grew louder when we started to walk away.
As we went to ready ourselves for the night, I glanced back once. Dryleaf’s blind eyes had closed, and his head bent low, pushing his long beard into his chest.
That evening, Kun sat inside his tent at one of his small desks. A letter was in his hand—a report to the Mystic chancellor of northeastern Dorsea, relating the army’s activities in the region so far. But his hand had long ago stilled at the quill, and his eyes stared at nothing. He wore his usual smile, but it was absentminded. He was thinking of Mag and me, of course, and Mag’s earnest plea to go and find the weremage.
So she lost her husband, he thought. That made sense to him. It brought many other strange things about her, and me, into a new clarity.
He thought of his sister. Dear, sweet Min. He had cared about her more than anything else in the world. He still saw her beautiful dark eyes whenever he looked at his nephew Zhen.
What would he have done, had she died from a blade instead of the wasting sickness that took her? Would he have lived his life the same way? Would he still wear the red cloak now?
He turned to the door of his tent and called out, “Bring me Lieutenant Shi.”
The decision made, his quill sped across the letter again. By the time Tou arrived to speak with him, Kun had finished. He sealed the letter and handed it to the same messenger who stepped into the tent to present Tou.
“Lieutenant Shi,” said Kun brightly. “Please, sit.”
The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) Page 78