A Whisper of Darkness

by Troy A Hill

  The guard at the gate cocked his head towards me. Soul was still in her scabbard, almost right in his face.

  “My sister will keep her blade for Penllyn,” Bleddyn told the man. The guard did a quick count of men against the weapons he had collected.

  “First you do not recognise His Grace of Penllyn,” Cenric said in jest, slapping the guard on the shoulder with a loud thwack. “Now you’ve missed noticing Lady Mair of Penllyn, slayer of armies, hero of the Battle of Abbey Penllyn.”

  “Lord Emlyn was there, milord,” the guard said. “Perhaps she only took on a squad or two.”

  “There were two armies,” Cenric said. “That’s one for each of them.” He laughed at his own jest. A rumble in his chest similar to how Ruadh sounded. “Come, milady. His Grace, Penda of the Midlands, King of all Mercia, will want to ask about how you divided the two armies with Lord Emlyn.”

  “There were enough undead, milord,” I said. “They made for at least two armies. Add with the living guilders, and we had three armies to face. Fortunately, Lord Meirionnydd brought half of his teulu, and we had one of Penllyn’s best men along to help.”

  “Save your stories for Penda, milady,” Cenric said. “He’ll want to know to the bone how many of those walking skeletons you slew.”

  A few moments later, we were leaving our horses with the grooms at the stables in this ring of the fort.

  “Milord?” Siors said, questioning.

  “Enjoy yourself, as usual,” Bleddyn said. “I’ll send word if I need you.”

  “Try not to get Talian in any trouble,” I said.

  “No more than we get into,” Siors replied and nodded at both Bleddyn and me.

  “They’ll head off and find rooms Penda has put aside for visitors,” Bleddyn said as we walked up with Cenric towards what I might have called a palace if it weren’t made of rough-cut lumber. The logs and timber were oiled. Protection against the elements.

  Another man just inside the main door blocked our way.

  “Your blades, please, Lord Cenric,” the man said. He was as large as Sawyl or Ruadh. His beard was dark but streaked with grey, his face round with deep inset eyes. Eyes that had the look of seeing battle several times and living to tell about it.

  “Ludló. Cheery as always,” Cenric said, but he passed his baldric and blade over.

  I untied the leather tail of my belt and slid the scabbard off. Ludló raised an eyebrow when he saw Bleddyn.

  “I expected Lord Emlyn again,” the guard said. “I came down special to keep him from scaring my men.”

  “Lord Penllyn brought one better than Emlyn,” Cenric said and grinned.

  Ludló shifted his gaze back.

  “You helped Emlyn with those armies?” he asked.

  “Actually,” Bleddyn said evenly, “my brother and one of our men helped her. Remember Afon?” Bleddyn said. He wore a knowing smirk to match Cenric’s.

  “Your ‘live by the sword’ fighter? Yeah, I remember him.” Ludló shrugged.

  “Emlyn and Afon had my sister’s back as they waded into the battle. I saw the piles of dead afterward. A hundred living men met her blades. That was after she, Emlyn, and Afon decimated three times that many walking corpses.”

  Ludló shot me a glance, sizing me up. I smiled. Sweet little me. I could imagine his thoughts. Too many times I had heard them when I was helping Aemi attract new nobles to his academy. I was too small to wield heavy weapons. I was a woman. I’d tire easily. The list of reasons was endless.

  Penda’s guard shrugged it off and switched thoughts.

  “The dead don’t fight, milord, they’re dead.”

  “Tell that to my daughter,” Bleddyn said. “She saw the wounds on her husband, Lord Mechain’s son Dewi. She witnessed his corpse walk after he fell, skewered on a traitor’s blade. Fortunately, Emlyn was there to end the black magic that made his corpse fight again.”

  “And how does one kill the already dead, milord?” Ludló didn’t seem to believe any of the tales we told.

  “Cut their heads off,” I said and raised Soul in her scabbard. My left hand held the scabbard, and my right was around the pommel. I tickled my cord to the Otherworld and drew a small amount of energy.

  “Lord Emlyn gave me this blade,” I said, my voice devoid of all emotion. I pulled the blade a quarter of the way out of the leather and metal scabbard. I let the magic of the goddess flow into the blade. Ludló’s eyes widened.

  “Warn your men to leave her be. The sword does not like to be drawn by anyone other than me. If she is dark,” I continued, “the one holding her is usually dead.”

  13

  Lady in Waiting

  Bleddyn spun away, careful to hide his grin. He raised a hand to his mouth and turned a chortle into a cough.

  He alone of those present understood my reference. Since I was the only one who now drew Soul, and I was already dead, what I told Ludló was true.

  “Milord Penllyn,” a voice called from down the hall.

  “Lord Chamberlain.” Bleddyn nodded.

  “Milord, we were expecting you and your brother,” the man said. He wore a finer tunic and trousers than the other men we had seen so far. Unlike the other men of Mercia, his skin was darker, his hair short and wavy.

  “My sister, Lady Mair of Penllyn,” Bleddyn said.

  “Do you require quarters in the ladies wing?” He bowed his head to acknowledge me. I looked at Bleddyn, not sure how hung up on custom and separation of the genders this culture was. Bleddyn shrugged. It was my choice.

  “I’d prefer to stay close to my brother,” I said.

  “Then we have a suite for your use as normal,” the chamberlain said. “Please follow me.”

  “Your accent differs from other Mercians, milord chamberlain,” I said as we walked behind him.

  “My people come from the desert lands near the Nile River,” he said in a polite but routine way. “My name was stripped from me long ago. Now, my title is my name.” He cast a quick glance at me. “Your own accent, and your colouring, says you come from the continent, near Rome, milady.”

  “Very good,” I said.

  “To answer your unspoken question, milady,” he said as we continued to walk. This was a large keep with several wings of rooms. “I was captured in battle and sold several times to different masters. Eventually I found myself on this island. One of the numerous lesser kings that His Grace has eliminated had me on his staff.”

  “Penda collects people,” Bleddyn added. “When he finds someone very skilled, he finds a way to keep them.”

  “You are better suited to running a household than fighting battles. And skilled enough that Penda saw your worth?”

  “Exactly, milady,” Lord Chamberlain said. “His Grace requests your company tonight for dinner. It will be somewhat formal since his son has just returned from Bernicia.” He bowed with a thin smile that had a hint of a jest behind it. “Here are your rooms. Separate entrances, with a door between the two. Milady, I hope you find the accommodations to your liking.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at Bleddyn. He just shrugged. “I know better than to intrude on my brother’s privacy. He sent you along, so whatever is behind that door is between you two.”

  “You sure?” I put a hand on the latch.

  “This isn’t Penllyn,” he said. “Discretion in all matters are best in Penda’s court.”

  “I’ve not forgotten courtly manners, Lord Penllyn.” I bowed what I guessed would be appropriate for his rank here in Mercia. Had I been in a dress, I would have dropped a curtsey. That looks silly in trousers. “Even the walls in the privy have ears.”

  My hand grabbed the latch and pushed the door open. As soon as the door shut, I knew what Emlyn’s taste ran to.

  She had long dark hair, light skin, and not a stitch of clothing on. At least not the backside of her. She rolled over on the lush bed and showed the front was just as bare. Linen sheets covered the bed. The woman gazed at me, then smiled.

  “Emi need
s two of us?” Her voice was soft, alluring, and she spoke in the Cymry language.

  “I’m his sister,” I said and dropped my cloak on the bed. “And you are?”

  “Thea,” she said, smiling. “When is Emi coming? I’ve been waiting for a year now.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll be waiting another year, my dear,” I said and reached out to stroke her hair back from her face. My hair was wavy. Thea’s was long and straight.

  “Wait, their sisters died years ago.” Her brow furrowed with thought. “When they were young.”

  “I’m adopted,” I said and let my hand drift down her bare flesh. Bleddyn had warned me we might be here a fortnight or more. That meant I’d need to feed at least once. Thea might be useful in ways she wouldn’t mind but wouldn’t remember.

  “I’m assigned to Emi,” she said and ran a caress down my leg. “If you send me away, I’ll end up in the bed of some visiting thegn or other noble.”

  “Slave?” I asked.

  “No longer,” she said with a smile. “His Graces prefers not to keep slaves. Lord Chamberlain found me four years ago and brought me to Emi first. Once your brother approved of my services, Lord Chamberlain purchased my contract from the brothel. He required I serve three years to repay the contract.”

  “And you stayed on, why?”

  “Who wants a whore for a wife?”

  “It’s all you know?”

  That made her giggle. “Of course not. But it’s what I’m good at.”

  “Understandable,” I said and pulled my hand back to my lap. “Let’s be frank, shall we, Thea?”

  Her fingers moved towards my inner thigh and caressed there in long, slow strokes.

  “Lord Chamberlain runs more than Penda’s household, and you owe your allegiance to him first.”

  Her eyes shot up to my face, and her fingers paused for a second. Thea forced them to continue their sensual wanderings.

  “Emlyn would have realised that too, my dear,” I added.

  “You’ve blurted out the accusations,” she said, looking more at the laces to my tunic. Her hand drifted that direction and paused to caress my breast.

  “Because we’re both sensible women,” I said. “We can reach accommodations to keep you here, and not in Cenric’s bed.”

  “Cenni isn’t bad,” she said. “Rough, but careful unless he’s had too much ale.”

  “Your choice,” I said. “Tell Chamberlain whatever you need about me. Tell him of this conversation. I’d like information in exchange for allowing you to share my bed.”

  “Just information?” Her fingers toyed with my laces.

  “Perhaps more,” I said. “Are you to aid Emlyn and Bleddyn with errands and such?”

  “Of course,” she said. “Everyone knows why we’re here. We try to keep up the pretence that we’re servants. Supposed to show that we’re not here just to fuck.”

  “And report back to Lord Chamberlain,” I said. “I won’t interfere in that if you help me with the ins and outs of Penda’s court. Who to suspect and be careful around, and such...”

  “And be your lady-in-waiting?” She caressed my arm, leaving the suggestion more open-ended that her words conveyed.

  “If you like,” I said. “Right now, I need information.”

  “And…” She let her suggestion drift off. Her hand had caressed the soft point of my breast.

  Even though I wasn’t feeling my thirst yet, I wanted to find out how easy her mind was to influence with my undead abilities. Her eyes glinted in the light that filtered in through the shutters, a mischievous sparkle.

  “Perhaps the information can wait for a few moments.” I leaned down, and she rose to meet my lips with hers. My clothes slid onto the floor, and our flesh met and entwined on the bed.

  As her hands caressed my body, I found the sweet spots she responded to. When I sensed her mind loosening, I caressed her cheek and her thoughts. Those green-grey eyes opened, and my mind poured into hers.

  Today wasn’t about feeding. Nor was it about sharing my passion. I could, however, use my undead link to intensify her pleasure. Her hands stopped their caress as she climaxed. The only change I made to her memory was that I had reached my climax with her. Our lips met as she came down from her high.

  “Oh, gods,” she breathed. “Emi is good, but he could never do that. You’ll be staying a month or two, won’t you?”

  “Perhaps,” I whispered. “Bleddyn and Penda decide that.”

  “Penda likes your brothers, both of them,” she said, sliding her body up to nestle in the crook of my arm. “He will miss watching Emlyn practice with his swords.”

  I chuckled.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked, leaning on her elbow to rise above me.

  “Our deal is you can report on me, and you provide me information as needed. Not the other way around.”

  “If I may ask,” Thea said, “which lady of Penllyn am I now waiting on?”

  “Mair,” I said.

  Thea’s eyes went wide.

  “Of the Battle at the Abbey?” she asked. “And adopted… swords… you’ve been with Emi, too?”

  “I don’t kiss and tell,” I said and gave her a coy smile. “Tell me about tonight’s dinner and the gatherings of nobles.”

  “Unless His Grace says otherwise, you should be welcome to attend,” Thea added.

  “I brought a finer dress from Penllyn. I’m not sure when the grooms will send our packs around.”

  “I will check on them, Lady Mair of Penllyn,” she said and rose. A moment later, she was clothed. I pulled one sheet up across my still-naked body. She surveyed my curves under the cloth. “I will see if I can find a more formal gown to fit your frame. We keep several wardrobes for visiting ladies, should the need arise.”

  “Thank you, Thea,” I said and leaned back into the pillows. Take your time, I may rest.”

  “Of course, milady.” She dipped into a curtsey and giggled. “Or would you like me to crawl under the sheet with you?”

  “Not right now, Thea,” I said. “When you return, you can fill me in on all the courtly intrigue I’m likely to find.”

  14

  Eyes and Ears

  “I found out what kind of girl Emlyn prefers,” I confessed to Gwen.

  “You will need to feed, dearest,” Gwen replied. Despite the distance between our locations, with me in the middle of the Severn Valley and she in the northern reaches of the Cymry lands, I could still sense her chuckle.

  “Loving you, dearest, is a new experience,” she added. I sensed a sigh behind her thoughts. “If you don’t feed, you’ll lose your mind. So find the partners you need. Save the special times for me.”

  “Other than Emlyn and Rhian, this is the first time I’ve had to go outside of our little family,” I added.

  “And it won’t be the last, dearest,” Gwen sent. “You feed on emotion almost as much as blood.” She was correct. The intimacy of the feeding, the sexual peaks of my partner, they gave me energy as much as the blood.

  “I love you, Gwen,” I sent and tried to pour my heart into the thought. My love didn’t stop with just her. “And Emlyn, and our family in Penllyn.”

  “That is both your blessing and your flaw, dear Mair,” Gwen responded. “You love deeply and often. That makes you special. That is why I love you.”

  I sensed the warmth behind her thoughts.

  “What of the darkness you chase?” I asked.

  “Afon and I have tracked it as far as Gwynedd, then it doubled back,” she sent. “It’s headed up into Oswiu’s lands north of the Humber River.”

  “You mean you have tracked it,” I added. “Afon’s only role is to make wisecracks and stick his silver blade into it.”

  “You are correct,” she sent, chuckling again. “Afon is… an interesting travelling companion.” Then she changed the subject. “How is Penda’s court?” Gwen the leader was back, despite the leagues between us.

  “Miss Thea is the most I’ve seen of
Penda’s court,” I said. “And I saw much more of her than I’ve seen of Lord Chamberlain.”

  “Be cautious of him, dearest.”

  “Thea reports all to Lord Chamberlain. The eyes he controls are Penda’s eyes, and the ears he controls are Penda’s ears,” I sent. “How far is his reach of eyes and ears?”

  “Very far,” Gwen sent, then paused. “I meant what I said. Be cautious with him, dearest. I suspect that as long as Penda is our ally, Lord Chamberlain will share information both ways. Be careful, though. Don’t give away your nature.”

  “I’ve had six centuries of practice,” I sent. “I should be able to hold my own against Thea and Lord Chamberlain.”

  Thea returned not long after my conversation with Gwen. I sat with my legs tucked to the side, watching a thin sheen of wine roll around the bottom of a cup. A used cup with a splash of wine in the bottom had served me well. People were less likely to pass me a full one if I already held one.

  The consort drifted into my room without a knock and closed the door. Her eyes found me over by the window and smiled.

  “I see they brought in your pack.” She nodded to where a steward had deposited my sling bag and the pack with my dress. “I wasn’t sure if it would arrive in time. Those grooms are not always the most organised.”

  “You mean,” I said, “they take their time to unpack then repack the belongings before they report to Lord Chamberlain.”

  “Of course, milady,” she said, and she held up the gowns to change the subject. “I thought deep blues and reds would work best with your colouring.” She laid them out on the bed. “I also brought a green close to Penllyn’s colours. Or would you prefer your own dress?”

  I didn’t want the dress I had packed. The blue one I had embroidered the swords on was more than I wanted to advertise my presence. The way I had run my mouth earlier with the guards was sure to cause me trouble at some point. I already had a reputation here and didn’t need to remind anyone. It had been the most courtly of the dresses.