Maig's Hand

by Phillip Henderson

  Yet the thought terrified her. Since Kane had held her head under the water as children while the maids bathed them both in the nursery she had always feared drowning. He’d tried the same thing again two summers later in the palace lake. Faith had bloodied his nose, trying to drag him off, and he’d protested loudly, saying he was only teasing. Danielle knew better, and now she understood why—why they hated each other so much.

  “Milord.”

  Allius removed his mouth from Danielle’s neck. “What?”

  “Everyone is aboard.”

  “Then cast off.”

  Danielle whimpered as the Allius slipped a hand down the front of her trousers. He stopped abruptly and looked out at the fog. Danielle felt it too, a presence in the air. It was furious. Every one of the Twenty Three aboard seemed to have noticed it at the same moment and were looking in the same direction as their commander. They had fallen silent and the only sound was the oars grinding in their rowlocks and the barge moving through the placid water of the lake. Danielle knew it was Keira, and she had a fairly good idea why the priestess might be in such a black mood. She eyed the side of the barge as Allius got off her and pulled up his trousers. Somehow she had to find the courage to end this.

  “Karic!”

  The warrior had been laughing and joking with his colleagues, slugging drink from a crate of wine skins before the presence had made itself felt. Now he was on his feet with every other warrior aboard the barge. He came forward at a half run. “Milord?”

  “Seems our mistress is awake.”

  “That is a good thing, is it not?”

  “Something is wrong.”

  “Watch this little bitch closely. If she gives you trouble, nail her feet to the deck.” Without another word he dissolved in a flash of green light and winged off into the fog.

  Danielle kept her eyes on the deck as Karic sat down beside her. She looked at the side of the barge and the cold water beyond.

  “That would be unwise, Milady. Lord Garrath over there would fell you before you made it to the railing.”

  The warrior nodded towards his colleague who had settled back down by the horses and was cradling his crossbow in his lap, his eyes closed as if he were asleep.

  “Best you just be quiet and still, otherwise, me and my friends will finish what the commander started. Do you understand?”

  Danielle nodded stiffly. “Yes.” She had already been raped earlier today, and she did not relish the thought of it happening again. Yet every pull of the oars was taking her closer to Keira and she wasn’t sure she liked that thought either. She could feel Allius and Keira arguing now. What was being said exactly she could not say, but the priestess was angry as a hive of Corenbald wasps at the way her defence and extrication from the attack in the woods had been handled. Danielle thought about the wisdom of having stolen the priestess’ Seer’s bones. It certainly had not helped as far as she could tell.

  “Draw in ya’ oars!”

  Karic’s shout startled Danielle, bringing her back to her surroundings. They were running up beside a large ship, which was sitting at anchor in the mist. Grappling ropes were thrown down from the deck above and the barge was quickly secured to the side of the vessel before the large door to the hold was lowered down to the deck of the barge. Karic shouted a few orders and then, as the dread knights began to lead their horses up into the hold of the ship, he took a wad of chewing tar from a pouch and stuck it in his mouth before pulling Danielle to her feet. Chewing on the tar gum, he put her over his shoulder and then nodded to four of his colleagues.

  Danielle knew what was coming, as did the silent white-faced ferrymen. Swords and axes were drawn and began to deal out death to the oarsmen, removing heads and splashing the deck with blood and gore. Several ferrymen managed to get into the water and began to swim for the relative safety of the fog, but crossbow men on the deck above ended the escape attempt with brutal accuracy, leaving the swimmers floating face down in the water, their corpses peppered with arrows.

  Danielle was trembling with fear and anger as she was carried up the ramp and into the ship’s hold. Karic lugged her up a narrow set of stairs and down a passageway before knocking on a cabin door. Danielle could hear Keira and Allius inside arguing about the Seer’s bones.

  “If they were merely lost, I’d be able to hear them singing. Which leaves two possibilities; they have been destroyed or Naratha has them!” Keira bellowed. “You should have checked to see that they were still on my person before ordering your men to extricate me.”

  “Milady, it wasn’t Allius’ fault. I saw to your extrication,” Lord Mason said.

  They all fell quiet as Danielle was carried into the cabin. Mason was sitting by a small iron stove trying to warm his hands.

  “Either way they are lost to us!” Keira said, breaking the quiet. Still glaring hotly at their Lord Marshal she pointed to a chair, and Karic carried Danielle over and dumped her there. “Do you understand the magnitude of this failure, particularly if they have fallen into Lord Naratha’s possession?”

  Allius glared back at his mistress as if to say he did not appreciate her condescending tone. Karic bowed to his superiors and quickly left, closing the door after him.

  Danielle kept her gaze on the floor as Keira walked over to her. The priestess was dabbing her flushed face with a damp cloth and mumbled something about Naratha’s cursed magic as she crouched down. “Damn it, open some more windows, I can barely breathe in here. And pour me another cup of urgrath broth with a touch of nethlilia powder.

  “You should rest some more and give yourself a chance to regain your strength, “Allius said.

  “Perhaps that would be possible if my Seer’s bones were not missing.”

  A cruel hand grabbed Danielle’s chin and lifted it. Keira’s eyes considered her angrily.

  “Was this your doing? Well, was it?”

  Danielle fixed the woman with cold defiance. “I wish it were.”

  Keira fished in her pocket and pulled out James’ ring and waved it in front of Danielle’s face. “Would you have me take something precious from you in return?”

  A shot of terror went through Danielle from head to toe. She had not anticipated this. She had to think quickly for she knew what peril James was now in.

  “If I had taken those bones would I not have taken that ring as well?”

  Keira smiled mirthlessly and drew her dagger. “You just killed you fiancé my dear. You have also thrown away any chance you had of saving your brothers’ lives.”

  “No wait. I know where the bones are. They haven’t been destroyed. I can get them back for you.”

  The blunt confession seemed to surprise Keira. She frowned and looked deeply into Danielle’s eyes again and then smiled, pleasantly surprised. “You speak the truth.”

  Before Keira had a chance to raise her defences again Danielle jerked forward and bit the woman’s fingers. The ring dropped into her mouth as the priestess yelped and pulled away. Not about to let them get it back off her Danielle immediately spat the ring out of the open window for the lake to swallow and protect.

  “Oh, you little bitch!” Before the two male elders could stop her, Keira back handed Danielle across the face and stood, kicking her as hard as she could. Allius pulled her off and she grudgingly calmed down and pushed out of his hold. She looked at her Lord Marshal and nodded at Danielle. “Hurt her. I want to know where my bones are.”

  Expecting another beating, Danielle cringed and curled up in a ball as the large warrior crossed the cabin. He grabbed her collar with one hand and pulled her to her feet. “Best you tell our mistress where the bones are, Milady. It will go better for you if you do.”

  “You need me alive,” Danielle said, trying to hide her fear.

  “That is yet to be confirmed,” Keira said. “Now where are they? Or would you prefer I had Allius’ horsemen finish what Lea began? I’m sure they would enjoy you greatly after so long without a woman of flesh and blood to sate their needs.”<
br />
  The thought terrified Danielle. “I don’t know where they are.”

  “Allius, have some of your men loosen her tongue.”

  “Wait. Please,” Danielle said as the Lord Marshal began to drag her across the cabin towards the doorway. “Yes, I stole them. But when Allius caught me by the brook, I dropped them in the pocket of the druid woman who came to my assistance and whom your man killed.”

  Keira cursed angrily, and told Allius to wait. “How do we get them back? Naratha will have them for sure.”

  “He cannot use them while you are alive, so we’d be best keeping you alive and finding out whether this one has the third nature or not,” Allius said.

  “If she doesn’t have the third nature, then we can at the very least get the name of her sister out of her,” Mason added.

  Keira nodded, not pleased, but resigned to their predicament. “Chain her and lock her in the brig. And when your men are fed and rested, I want that name. I want them to hurt her. Now get her out of my sight.”

  CHAPTER FORTY

  “Do you think we can trust them?” Sir Colita said. The distinguished Lunwraithian knight and elected Commander of the Amthenium city guard had been overseeing the preparations on the mid deck of a small trading vessel called Lela, which they’d commandeered from an obliging Noren captain at the wharf at Wildling Cove.

  James had just climbed down from the rigging after he and some of the soldiers had helped the sailors set the sails. Without the hint of a breeze the coarse, damp canvas sat limp in the still foggy air. Though Lord Baryon had assured them that would not be the case for long.

  James followed the commander’s gaze down the length of the eighty-foot vessel to where Lord Baryon and his five colleagues were standing at the bow in quiet conversation. Some of the forty-eight knights and palace soldiers who were wetting down their weapons with God’s water—the latter having been hastily procured from the town’s only priest—were also casting troubled looks that way. No one was overly pleased with the conditions Lord Naratha had demanded in return for their involvement, and for good reason.

  “Not sure we have a choice, sir,” James said.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Colita replied.

  James excused himself and headed for the bow of the ship. He wanted clarification regarding the wards Lord Baryon had said he was going to erect around the vessel to hide their presence on the lake. In the quiet morning air, any noise would travel for miles and from what the local residents had told them, the ship they were after—a large three mast Vafusolum merchant vessel called Ra’tane—had sailed eerily passed the town in absolute silence only a few minutes before they had ridden into the small settlement. It was heading due east toward the mouth of the Xavean River.

  The Druid conference broke up as James approached. “Lord Baryon, you said you can make a breeze sufficient to move this vessel, and have one of your folk guide the helmsman through the fog? And these protective wards?” James was trying to be polite, but the man’s lack of obvious urgency was annoying him no end.

  “It has all been taken care of.” The Druid nodded and his colleagues, three men and two women, left them without a word. James went to follow but Baryon reached out and caught his arm. The man’s grip was surprisingly strong and unwelcome.

  “Can you vouch for the Lady Galloway?” he asked quietly. He had made no effort to hide his dislike of Corenbald’s First sword.

  James pulled his arm free. “It’s not the Lady Galloway who got us into this predicament.”

  The young Druid smiled at the accusation. “Is that a yes, or no?”

  “You have a nerve, sir. She is risking her life to save the one person who can turn this war back in our favour. Oh, and while we are being honest; up on the hill, Lord Naratha said druid fire was accurate, that you could kill the priestess and break up her rank and file with no danger to our lady, yet the bolts from your hand came bloody close to my fiancée. Don’t think, I didn’t notice.”

  “Then you’d best hope your Lady Galloway can pull this off, because if she fails and doesn’t live up to her word and kill your fiancée and herself, I’ll show you how accurate Druid fire can be. Now I suggest you go and see to it that Lord Colita’s men and our dear Abbagay are ready.”

  ***

  Faith looked up as the sails filled out and the ship got underway, courtesy of a Druid standing beside the helmsman. It was an odd sensation to feel the deck moving, and there being not a breath of wind. She had been watching James and Lord Baryon at the bow of the ship through the wispy mist drifting across the deck as she sat on the stern seat sharpening her dagger with a grindstone. Now she saw James walking toward her with two mugs of tea and looking none too pleased. He climbed the three steps to the aft deck, passed the helmsman and the Druid and sat down beside her with a weary sigh.

  “That looked like a fun conversation,” she said, stabbing her dagger into the woodwork and taking the mug he offered her.

  “He doesn’t like us much, I’m afraid. And you the least.” He looked at the mug in his hands and then at her, deep concern in his face. “Are you sure you want to do this? I think they’d sooner kill you than see us succeed.”

  “I know. But they need Dee.”

  He nodded toward the Druids on the mid deck. “Even so, you know what they’re going to do to you if we fail?”

  “At least it will be quick,” she said with a grin.

  James’ attempt at a smile failed dismally and he looked at his mug again. “I’m not sure we should be risking your life….”

  Faith laid her hand on his arm and squeezed. “That’s not your decision to make.”

  He sighed and then nodded. “Of course.” Despite his admission, it was clear he was carrying the weight of it anyway. Faith also knew he was worried sick for Danielle. They both were.

  “Don’t worry. We’re going to get her back. I wouldn’t be doing this unless I thought I had a good chance of managing it.”

  He nodded again. “Is there anything you need? Anything I can do.”

  “No.”

  She had discarded her armour and was now attired in riding trousers, boots, duelling shirt and a thick long coat. It was all part of the rouse she had devised. Her sword was belted at her right hip and her dagger was now sharp. Sharp enough to open a priestess’ throat with an easy stroke. What would happen after that she wasn’t sure and she had wondered once or twice if death at the hands of Lord Baryon and his associates would be a kinder mercy for Dee and her if she failed.

  “I’ll see to the long boat.”

  Faith caught his hand as he made to rise, bidding him wait. She didn’t want to alarm him, but this needed to be said. “If I fail, please tell Michael I’m sorry and ask him to forgive me.”

  James looked ready to argue for a moment before nodding grimly and saying, “I will. And if we fail, and you get a chance, tell Dee, I love her and always will.’

  She squeezed his hand. “Of course.”

  As he walked away, Faith closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. The waiting was always the hardest part. She heard the boom above her head creak and felt the deck pitch slightly as the ship altered course. Across the ten miles of water to Amthenium, the city bell still tolled and the smell of smoke was plain in the air. Faith could even hear the water slapping against the bow of the ship in the eerie quiet. Yet the tranquillity did nothing to ease her nerves. Death was coming, she could feel it as plainly as she did whenever she was mounted on her horse or standing at the head of a Corenbald shield wall, waiting for the horn to sound the charge.

  “Milady. It’s time,” the helmsman said about half an hour later.

  Faith took a few sips from her mug of cold tea and then slipped her dagger into its scabbard and went down to the mid deck.

  Lord Colita looked up at her approach, as did James and the five knights and soldiers who were helping hook the longboat to a pulley in preparation to lower it into the placid water below. Their concern for her was palpable, if
left unspoken.

  “Where are they?” Faith asked.

  Colita said, “According to Lord Baryon they’re somewhere off our starboard bow. We’re overhauling them quickly.”

  The Druid was standing slightly aside in quiet conversation with one of his brethren. Faith could feel him watching her.

  “Once we have you in the water, the Druids will guide your boat into the path of the on coming ship so you can get aboard,” Colita continued to explain.

  “They’ll know when I’m aboard?” With the fog she wasn’t sure for she would most certainly be out of sight.

  “Apparently, yes; and when you have done the deed, he’ll use the Seer’s bones to send the Twenty Three back to where they came from and we’ll ram their vessel and see that you and the Lady de Brie are freed.”

  Faith nodded. They’d been over this a few times now and she was confident that they all knew what was required and would do their very best.

  To her surprise Colita caught her arm, as she stepped into the small boat, making her look at him. “On the off chance things go wrong, try and get yourself into the water as quickly as you can. We’ll find you,” he said quietly so only those in company could hear.

  “I’ll try.” She told them what they wanted to hear. The truth was, if she ran into trouble it would likely be death for all of them.

  James said, “It might be wise if we have a sword closer to hand to defend you, milady. I would accept that charge, if you wish it. I could hide under a sail on the floor of the boat.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Lord Baryon said as he approached across the deck, his expression fixed in a permanent scowl.

  “Says you,” James replied petulantly.

  “Yes, and as I understand it, I am in command here. Besides, your accompaniment will only afford Lady Galloway more danger, since the wards around the enemy ship will sense your presence and undo her deceit.”