So saying the prince kicked his horse on cantering off to catch up with Orrin and Ursus who were riding point for us. I growled to myself annoyed and frustrated by the altercation that had cost us what could have been a valuable sword regardless of what Markos might believe.
Nightfall found us several cords from Zendra and just over halfway to Delos, a small fortified town set atop a hill just beyond a large tract of forest land. Tonight we would camp in the open for there was no shelter to be found.
The men worked with quiet efficiency setting the horse picket and building the hearths. Jae’nt and Markos set to their usual trading of insults each belittling the masculine attributes of the other as they continued their dispute over who would win the heart of the woman they had both set sights on. After a brief bout of bickering they settled at opposite sides of the watch hearth, each working on the skin of the king snake they had killed earlier.
“I find myself pitying the woman they are vying for.” I told Dthor-Aid’n as he settled beside me handing me a plate of baked roots and stew. “And I am concerned for Maegor,” I added, “he seems so quiet and not at all himself of late. It is almost as if he is avoiding me.”
The captain shot me a sideways look. “It will all be sorted soon enough, lad.” He answered.
“At least their projects seem to be keeping them from each other’s throats,” I observed gesturing at the princes as they concentrated on their labours.
“Aye, lad,” the captain agreed, “but the interesting part will come when they complete their work.”
Of all of the men I mixed with Dthor-Aid’n was the only one who still called me “boy” or “lad” and in some strange way, though he was only seven cycles my senior, it seemed perfectly acceptable for him to do so. True enough he only ever addressed me so familiarly when we were unobserved, but it had a curiously comfortable feeling about it—an easy reassurance almost as if he was an older brother.
When we had finished eating Dthor-Aid’n excused himself to go and order the watches. Faedron and I would take second watch, it transpired, an occurrence I was grateful for since it meant that we would get to sleep for most of the night. The captain settled again beside me, throwing his cloak over my own.
“It threatens to freeze tonight, lad,” he told me. “Make sure that you and Faedron stay close to each other and close to the fire.”
“Yes, nurse.” I teased.
“I am merely following the command of my king to keep you safe, little wizard.” Dthor-Aid’n rejoined with a smile.
Dthor-Aid’n was correct. The night grew unspeakably cold as it progressed. Beside me Faedron stirred and opened his eyes. “We need to double our cloaks, Meriq.” He said quietly.
“I agree,” I answered “Stoke the fire, I will see to the cloaks.”
With our cloaks arranged one within the other we huddled together and pulled the garments around us so that we were folded in four layers of the thick wool and as the warmth of our bodies began to soothe us I began to drift off.
My sleep was fitful and unsatisfying and while Faedron who was clearly more accustomed to the rigors of sleeping out snored the night away I spent it drifting in and out of my rest as cold gnawed at me periodically.
Dawn was scarcely in the sky when I was brought fully awake by the sound of Maegor’s voice raised in anger.
He was sitting by the fire with Dthor-Aid’n and venting his spleen quite forcefully. Dthor-Aid’n said something I did not manage to hear causing Maegor to growl in response and jab the hearth with his sword. Sparks spiralled heavenward and vanished into the cold morning air.
“Well you tell me, Dthor, what am I supposed to think? Assigned to his guard, billeted in his apartments. Let us speak honestly. It has always been said and now as we journey they openly share bed space. Just look at them!” Maegor twisted round, turning Dthor-Aid’n with him and jabbed an accusing finger at Faedron and me. The sergeant went quite white as his eyes met mine.
I slid slowly from under the cloaks, stalking over to where the couple were seated.
“What under heaven’s gaze has possessed you, Maegor?” I demanded. “You think there is anything more between Faedron and me than we admit?”
“Ez’n, Meriq, please! Credit me with at least some intelligence!” Maegor growled.
“Well, I would be pleased to do so if you demonstrated any!” I told him irked. “I love Faedron as I would a brother. Nothing more.”
“Oh, indeed?” Maegor almost sneered at me.
I threw up my hands in exasperation. “Has this journey been so demanding that it has driven everyone mad?” I asked of no-one in particular. I stared at Dthor-Aid’n. “Well, has it?”
“Do not put me in the centre of this, my lord.”
“Well, what else am I to think? My Provost has killed a Morlan swordsman because he insulted his watch-mate and then tried to knife him, and now the Horse Master and Sergeant-at-Arms of the White Guard is teetering on the edge of insubordination and treason because he thinks I am bedding down with the corporal of my house guard and apparently resents it.”
“Whatever is going on?” Faedron asked sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Maegor thinks we are lovers.” I blurted before I had considered my words.
“What? Well of all the foolish . . . The barrack-room gossip has addled your brain you ox!”
“Oh really?” Maegor snorted.
“Yes. Really!” Faedron snarled back. “There is only one man I have eyes for but he is far too pig-headed, ignorant and rumour-addled to see it.”
“And who might that be, then, Corporal?” Maegor demanded climbing to his feet and poking the younger man in the chest.
Faedron rolled his eyes heavenwards and turned to where Dthor-Aid’n and I were standing having moved away from the debacle. “You see! You see!” Faedron groaned. He let out a frustrated growl and slapped Maegor in face with the back of his hand. “The man can’t even see love when it slaps him in the mouth!”
Maegor gaped as if Faedron had struck him around the head with a stave. “What? You mean me?”
“No! I mean the King of Cassandria, you stupid war-horse! Of course you! Who else just got slapped in the mouth?”
“But . . . but why have you never said anything?” Maegor asked, completely bewildered. “Why have you never given me a sign?”
“If I gave you any more signs you would have an entire zodiac, you goat. I have been waiting for you to notice.”
“But I have been waiting for you to come to me!” Maegor answered.
I turned to Dthor-Aid’n. “I think we should strike camp now and think about food later.”
“I am with you on that, lad.”
We left the couple arguing by the fire much to the amusement of both the Morlans and the Zetan contingent and set to gathering up our goods and stacking them by the picket. The arguing voices ceased abruptly as the fighters suddenly grabbed each other and embraced. Dthor-Aid’n breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
“At least the barracks will be a more relaxing place to spend the evening,” he muttered passing me my saddle.
“Something I suppose all the men will be grateful for, though the nights may become much noisier for a while.” I replied.
†
CHAPTER 18
TAKEN
THE FROSTY plain stretched out before us like a white carpet. We started slow and steady, gradually working the horses harder as they warmed and kept at a steady canter until the sun had taken most of the frost from the grass. Then, as we approached a stand of trees some three cords from the Zendran forest. We slowed to a trot and then walked the horses towards the copse.
We would need more wood for the night, and this seemed a good place to gather it. It was entirely possible that Orrin would be able to trap us something decent to eat.
“Other than tree rat?” the Morlan asked me with a smile.
“Preferably not tree rat.” I told the man.
“With your permission
, Ez’n I would take some time to seek out some reagents for my medicines,” Karyn said as we tethered the horses.
“By all means, my lady. You do not need my permission for that.”
“You are my commander, lord wizard,” the woman answered, “it is only fitting.”
As she headed towards the trees I caught a glimpse of Markos watching me. He gave me a short nod and made the Morlan sign of victory as he stooped to tighten his laces. I returned the nod. Perhaps the prince was right.
“Thaze, set a fire would you, I think we should brew some of Aarin’s special tea.”
“Yes, Ez’n, at once. I have to say that I rather like the Kendirith’s beverage.”
“Look to! To arms! To arms!”
Malek came running from the wood closely pursued by several black soldiers. Kylos knocked an arrow and let fly. The arrow struck the nearest soldier and bounced off his breastplate.
“Dive!” I shouted to Malek and as the youth rolled aside I let fly with a fireball that struck the black soldier full in the face. The man screamed and fell. “It seems their flesh still burns,” I said to Kylos as he let fly again. This time his arrow struck its target passing through the eye slit of the man’s helmet and burying itself in his skull.
The black clad soldiers slowed to a walk their initial confidence giving way to caution when they realised they were to meet more resistance than first they had reckoned on. They moved slowly, like stalking cats and drew their glowing crystal swords. Then with a chilling shriek they charged towards us. My mind flexed sending a blast of stones dust and splinters of wood into them. The men fell writhing but no sooner had they fallen than another twenty men appeared from the woodland, followed almost immediately by fifteen more and we were outnumbered before we knew it.
Out of arrows Kylos reached for the golden darts on his belt. The first struck the leading man in the chest. His breastplate exploded into dust with a resounding crack and a second dart took another in the throat.
“Circle! Protect the Ez’n!” Dthor-Aid’n shouted and the men gathered around me like the spokes of a wheel.
We were surrounded in less time than it takes to tell, the black soldiers advancing with their yellow swords glowing with deadly fire in the bright sunlight. A tall soldier clad from head to foot in black armour stepped through the marauders, his dark eyes scanning his fallen comrades. Slowly he lifted off his battle helm. His hair fell free in long, shining blue-black waves and he smiled. “Now you will all die, slowly and painfully.”
“Stand down!” My voice sounded hoarse and harsh in the cold crisp air.
Dthor-Aid’n turned and gaped at me in amazement. “Have you taken leave of your senses, Lord Ez’n?”
“You heard my order. Stand down.” I repeated, stepping past Dthor-Aid’n and evading his grasp as he reached to pull me back. I moved out of the circle and stood facing the black commander. “And in case you were wondering, soldier, I was not talking to my men. I was talking to yours. Put up your arms and I will consider letting you live.”
The black soldiers began to laugh. I loosed a wall of flame that blazed across the space between me and the black commander like a tidal wave. The man raised his hand splitting and quenching the curtain of flame in one move.
“Is that the best you can manage, boy?” He sneered.
“Not in the least, commander. I was simply testing your mettle. My offer still stands.”
The commander turned away from me. “Kill them all.” He ordered, “Make it last and,” he turned and pointed to me, “save the pretty little boy-witch till last,” he said nastily, “mayhap I shall fill him before I end him.”
The black squad had barely taken a step when I summoned the most fearful aspect of my skill and let it loose. The commander’s belly burst like an overripe fruit spilling his guts and spraying them over his startled men. The rocks that dotted the area exploded like siege bombs ripping into whatever flesh was not covered. Black helmets fell to the ground as skulls burst under my gaze. Men dropped even as they ran for the cover of the trees, and even those that reached the copse did not survive to enter it as the trees ahead of them burst into flame and exploded impaling them on burning lances.
When the blood spray settled and the air was clear I turned to my troop. “Gather up the weapons. We will have need of them.”
No-one moved. I walked over to where the commander lay holding the ragged remnants of his entrails. He reached feebly for the curved crystal blade. I stepped on his wrist and peeled his fingers from the grip. “You should have accepted my terms, commander.” I turned the blade over in my hand admiring the exquisite craftsmanship. “I know what these blades do, you know,” I told the man as he spat at me. “This is for attacking my friends,” I said, and sliced his sword arm off at the shoulder. Fire spat from the severed limb and black sludge oozed from the stump. “And this,” I said as his screams subsided, “is for the people of Kos.” I rammed the blade upwards under his enchanted breastplate burying it to the hilt. The man burst into bright golden fire and dissolved into a pool of black slime. I pulled the blade from the ooze lifting the man’s scabbard, the only thing to have survived the fire, from the black puddle that had once been a man.
The soldier’s dying scream seemed to ring in the air as I slid the deadly crystal blade into its scabbard. I turned to the men who were simply gaping at me. “Gather up the weapons, and whatever armour is undamaged.” I said again and walked slowly back to the fire Thaze had kindled and vomited into it.
Thaze stumbled to where I was sitting and poured me a tankard of Aarin’s tea. I took it scarcely noticing.
“There are two still living here,” Faedron shouted.
I rose and walked quickly to where the men were crouched huddled together like frightened rabbits. Ursus raised his sword to strike.
“Leave them be, Ursus. They are no threat now.” I said.
“It is not our way to give quarter,” the Morlan answered.
“And it is not my way to slaughter the helpless. Look at them!”
“They will be mad,” Dthor-Aid’n stated, “if they live through the night.”
“Then let them act as a warning to whatever others of their kind may be stalking our land,” I answered.
“It would be a mercy, Ez’n,” Dthor-Aid’n said quietly, “They will be mad,” he said again, this time a little more earnestly.
“Small wonder we are not all so given what we witnessed this day,” Maegor said stonily.
I turned to the sergeant and smiled coldly. “Then I suggest you forget what you have seen and speak not of it beyond this circle, Maegor.”
“I think there is little fear that we will forget and even less that we will mention what we have seen in this encounter, Ez’n.” the sergeant told me, “at least not in any great detail.
I turned to Dthor-Aid’n. “And in answer to you, Dthor,” I said coldly, “I am not disposed towards mercy this day. Leave them to their fate.”
The men gathered up the equipment as I had ordered and packed it on to one of the mules. Then we gathered at the fire and settled to eat as Orrin appeared carrying four plains fowl, a brace of hares and a pair of crystal swords. He paused to survey the carnage, toeing one of the corpses with almost obscene curiosity. When he reached our bivouac he tossed the swords on to the cache the others had collected before crouching by the fire where he began skinning the hares, tossing the poultry to Thaze and Malek.
He paused briefly in his work glancing over his shoulder once again at the fallen. “I always seem to miss the interesting things,” he said giving me a vaguely vexed look, “just lucky I suppose.”
“You appear to have had quite an interesting enough time yourself, Orrin,” Markos remarked squatting beside us to pour himself a brew.
“A couple of scouts, that’s all I saw.” The kayet answered, “although Karyn has a couple of things that may be of interest.” He added glancing casually towards the trees.
The woman appeared as if Orrin had summoned
her driving a couple of black clad youths before her at the point of her sword.
The boys were scarcely my age I noticed and this, Karyn told me was the only reason they were still alive. She considered that we could probably torture them for information. I scanned the woman’s face for the hint of jest but found none. Markos gave me a curious, sideways look before explaining that Morlan healers were not only skilled in matters medical, their incomparable knowledge of the body made them excellent torturers. He eyed the youths like a hungry wolf making the boys squirm.
“Why, I do not doubt she could keep them in excruciatingly delicious agony for several days. I find myself growing hard at the mere anticipation of it.” He gave the youths a look so savagely lewd that I felt my gut shrivel. Markos turned away from the cadets, directing our attention to where Karyn was selecting barbed thorns from a length of forest briar. I shuddered remembering how as a child I had caught myself on the poisoned thorns and my arm had burned like the Kendirith Plains for days before Anubis managed to counter the toxin.
Karyn glanced up from her work and gave me a disturbingly calm smile and she began laying the thorns out along one of the flatter hearthstones.
“The heat from the flames concentrates the poison, lord wizard,” she told me brightly. “Placed under the skin one thorn will burn its way to the bone in a matter of hours.” She paused to examine a particularly long, viciously barbed thorn. “This,” she said holding the briar thorn for the boys to see, “this I will save for your—eh—delicate parts.”
The younger of the two leapt to his feet and bolted coming to an abrupt halt as Dthor-Aid’n body checked him. He sprawled backwards and then scrambled over to me grabbing my feet and sobbing. “Mercy, lord wizard, mercy. We are only scullions.”
“Shut up, Kurt, you snivelling wretch.” He glared defiantly at me. “My commander will flay you alive and make yon wench his whore.” The boy spat.
Markos almost bellowed with laughter. “Clearly you have never met a Morlan woman before,” he chortled, “She would serve him his sweetmeats for breakfast.”
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