The Raven's Warning

by A. E. Rayne

  Ayla may have suspected a curse, but Edela had no idea how to break it.

  Not yet.

  Axl quickly went from feeling momentarily relieved to being even more disturbed. He sat forward in his chair, leaning his chin on his hand. ‘So, even if we break the curse, stop the sickness, join our army with Iskavall’s and somehow make it down South without getting burned alive by dragons or killed by dragur, we’ll have to face an attack from Helsabor as well now? There’s no help to find there? No way to get into their kingdom and slip into Hest to defeat Draguta?’

  ‘None,’ Edela insisted. ‘And now we know that they are just as eager to kill us as she is. Who knows how many dreamers are scheming behind those walls? How many warriors they have bound to do their bidding?’

  ‘But none of it even matters if we can’t stop the sickness,’ Gant put in. ‘We can’t worry about getting to Hest until we do that. And then there’s the dragur. They’re still coming, I take it?’

  ‘Oh yes, they are,’ Edela nodded, her face serious before lightening suddenly. ‘But so is Jael.’

  Axl lifted his head, his eyes bright with hope, his shoulders relaxing. ‘She is?’

  Edela smiled. ‘She is. And Aleksander and Thorgils too. They’ll be here soon, leading the dragur to us, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Oh.’ Axl’s face dropped, his relief once again short-lived.

  ‘So you must get the men repairing the wall to work faster. All through the night. The dragur who are following Jael will not be alone.’

  Gant was puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Draguta controls them,’ Edela murmured. ‘She has power over them. She can raise them at will, it seems, wherever they are. Wherever she needs them to be. And if Jael is coming here, then she will raise every dragur around us to kill her and take the Book of Aurea.’ Edela could see that she had worried Gant and Axl, but she had also worried herself because she was the only one of the three of them who had seen the dragur in her dreams. ‘You must work on protecting us from those creatures,’ she said, trying to focus them all. ‘And I will try and break the curse.’

  Evaine had never been more scared in her life, but the thought of being reunited with Eadmund had driven her on through the terrifying darkness, and the unfamiliar landscape, and eventually, she had come to the town Draguta had spoken of, where, with a bag full of Morac’s coins, she was able to secure the services of a man to lead her to Flane. He was old, harmless looking, toothless, and eager to be paid. She had hidden half the coins in her saddlebag, hoping he wasn’t simply going to rob her and leave her in the dust.

  He didn’t look capable of such a thing... she hoped. Nor of raping her, which she also feared. After what Jaeger had done, Evaine now looked at every man as a threat. But Toothless Bergil seemed more interested in getting to Flane for his reward than admiring her figure, which she had made a point of keeping well covered.

  Once Bergil had organised a hearty breakfast for himself, and a small bowl of porridge for Evaine, which turned her stomach, they headed off, kicking up the dust as they left Karp at speed, riding quickly towards Flane.

  Morac had been so surprised by Jaeger’s news that he stumbled down onto the nearest bench, his body vibrating with panic. ‘I don’t understand. Why would she do such a thing?’ After a sleepless night of worrying about Evaine, and trying to find her, at least he knew what had happened to her, though it made little sense.

  Jaeger eyed Morac coldly, trying to determine whether he was lying. He quickly came to the conclusion that Morac had no idea what his daughter was up to. ‘I believe she is taking the book to Draguta.’

  ‘What? Why? Why would she do that? Go to Draguta? After what she did?’

  ‘It’s just a guess, but what other motive would she have? Why else would she take it? To use it herself? She is no dreamer, is she?’

  Morac’s frown dug a deep hole into the narrow space between his wiry, grey eyebrows. He shook his head. ‘No, but it makes no sense. Eadmund is coming here to be with her. She wouldn’t leave. She is bound to Eadmund.’

  It was Jaeger’s turn to frown. He had forgotten about that. ‘Well, perhaps she is going to find him?’

  Morac’s shoulders were taut. He felt bereft. Morana had disappeared from him and now Evaine. He was more alone than ever, and when he looked at Jaeger’s angry face, more uncertain of his future.

  ‘I have men tracking her,’ Jaeger assured him. ‘She will be found, don’t worry. We will soon know where Evaine has gone.’

  Eadmund cheered, amazed that he’d finally managed to hit Rollo.

  Rollo flinched, spitting on the ground. ‘Fuck you!’ He banged his staff on the dusty surface, bringing it up into both hands as he lunged.

  Eadmund jumped back. Rollo Barda was twice as wide as him, with arms like slabs of rock. He knew how it felt to be battered with a staff wielded by those powerful arms. And if he ever forgot, his body was covered in aching reminders.

  Draguta smiled as she passed on her way to the tower. She could feel Evaine getting closer, and there was a serenity about her this morning. The sun was bright, and the breeze was light, and her new dress suited her well.

  All things felt as though they were coming together again.

  Jael Furyck remained a nagging problem, but she would soon see to her, and when she had the Book of Darkness, she would see to everyone else. Both Jael and her precious Andala were vulnerable now. It would be so much easier to destroy them.

  Eadmund watched Draguta out of the corner of his eye, his concentration wandering as Rollo grabbed the water bag, leaving him a moment to catch his breath. Draguta seemed confident that Evaine would find her way to them, but she didn’t know Evaine as he did. And despite his overwhelming need to see her, Eadmund was beginning to have his doubts that Evaine was capable of such a journey on her own.

  He blinked, jerking around as Rollo whacked him on the arm.

  ‘Come on, my lord! According to your mistress, we’ve no time to waste!’

  Now that Edela knew, or, at least, believed that it was a curse, she felt perfectly comfortable about spending time in the ship sheds with Entorp. She had her tattoos of protection, and so did Biddy, who left Eydis in the hall with Amma and came along.

  Entorp had stopped to take a quick break. He was becoming weak with exhaustion, but his mind was still alert, and they needed it now more than ever. No one knew more about The Following than him, except, perhaps Marcus, who was with Hanna, and Edela didn’t want to disturb him.

  ‘If this Briggit is the leader of The Following in Helsabor, then she’ll want to bring Raemus back,’ she began as they sat around a small table near the door. The breeze was barely noticeable, but it was preferable to being stuck too far inside. They kept their voices low, though nobody appeared to be paying them any mind. ‘So she is doing his work already. Defeating Raemus’ enemies.’

  ‘And hers,’ Entorp added. ‘No Follower likes a Brekkan.’

  ‘If Ayla hadn’t fallen ill, perhaps we would never have known?’ Biddy suggested, fighting the urge to get up and start cleaning the shed. Entorp and his helpers had done their best, she could see, but there was much she could improve upon. Her fingers were itching to be useful, but she blinked, forcing her boots to remain where they were, her attention back on Edela.

  ‘I think you’re right,’ Edela agreed. ‘But we must hurry if we’re going to save Ayla. She does not deserve to die. Not when she is the one trying to save us all.’

  ‘A curse this potent will not be easy to break, Edela,’ Entorp warned. ‘Not quickly at least.’

  ‘No, though, perhaps we should try simple things first? I know of some herbs. Some hyssop and coltsfoot, if they survived the snow and the dragon. Maybe some blessed thistle. A little wormwood too. And there are symbols. Perhaps we start with Ayla? Hanna looks far too weak to bother now.’

  Entorp didn’t look convinced.

  ‘It wouldn’t hurt, though, would it?’ Biddy wondered. ‘While you and Edela keep th
inking, and Edela and Eydis keep dreaming, it wouldn’t hurt to try.’

  ‘Perhaps the Book of Aurea will have something?’ Entorp suggested, stifling a yawn. One of his patients cried out, and he turned away, peering into a dark corner of the shed. ‘I should go.’

  ‘It very well may,’ Edela nodded. ‘I haven’t been able to find my way to the book in my dreams, but hopefully, I will have it in my hands soon. And that might mean a way to help everyone.’

  ‘Well, that’s much better, isn’t it?’ Else smiled, looking around the chamber with satisfaction. Dragmall had been up to the winding gardens at dawn, collecting petals from nearly every white rose in there, adding them to his second herbal concoction. And after the sharp, astringent smell of the first cleansing wash, the chamber now had an overpoweringly floral aroma.

  ‘It does smell better,’ Meena admitted, though the chamber was still gloomy, she thought, with Morana in it. ‘And it looks much cleaner.’

  ‘As does your aunt,’ Else declared, bringing her brush down through Morana’s black-and-white hair for the last time. ‘I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a bird’s nest, but all that brushing has helped, don’t you think? Not that I’ll be able to use my arm again for some time!’ She chuckled and stepped back, admiring her patient who sat in a chair, dressed in a fresh, grey linen dress, with a shining face and a long mane of hair that had been washed for the first time in years. It almost looked silky as it hung down to the floor in great black-and-white stripes.

  Meena frowned as she stared at her aunt.

  Morana looked ready to kill them both.

  Dragmall had left earlier, but Meena was sure she would have wanted to kill him too. She didn’t imagine that Morana would thank him for bathing her in all those roses. But Dragmall had insisted that rose had powerful cleansing properties, and who was Meena to argue.

  Besides, Jaeger needed to see that they were trying to help her, and Morana herself, if she were ever to return, needed to believe that she had been helped, not harmed by what they were doing.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?’ Meena asked, sad to be losing Else from Jaeger’s chamber. She had come to rely upon her company and advice.

  ‘I’m happy enough to stay here. Though, if I had a choice,’ Else said, walking towards Meena, ‘I would choose to remain with you. I’m not sure you’ll eat a thing without me there.’

  Meena smiled shyly as Else took her hands. ‘I will try.’

  ‘I hope so. We don’t know how things are going to go now, do we? Now that Evaine has run off with that book to who knows where.’

  Else had her back to Morana, but Meena could see her aunt’s dark eye pop open in horror, her twisted mouth trying to open. Else turned around, sensing Morana’s discomfort. ‘Morana? Are you alright?’ she wondered, hurrying back to her.

  But Morana couldn’t move. And though she tried, she couldn’t lift her arm to bat away the annoying woman or move her legs to kick her pathetic niece in the shin.

  How had they let Evaine escape with the book?

  The hall was unusually quiet as they ate their midday meal. It kept Getta on edge. She stared into each corner, looking for conspirators, though there were few inside today, and those who had taken a break to enjoy a cup of ale were loud, not appearing to care if they were overheard.

  Garren had unsettled her.

  Iskavall was a kingdom divided by deep rivalries, and there had been loud opposition to Raymon’s ascension to the throne after his father’s death. But Lothar had worked hard to placate and bribe those who were up in arms, negotiating with those who wanted something in return for their support, determined to get his daughter onto the throne.

  Lothar had chosen Raymon for Getta, just as he had chosen to support the Vandaals, so he was never going to back away from that fight. But now, without her father to ride across from Andala to smooth the ruffled feathers of his squabbling neighbours, Getta felt vulnerable. Ravenna was useless, except to push Raymon closer to the cliff he appeared determined to throw them all off.

  If she was going to keep both her husband and her son safe, she would need to nullify any power Ravenna had over Raymon. Getta had to convince him that aligning Iskavall with Brekka was a dangerous move for his whole family.

  ‘Where will you meet them?’ Ravenna asked, cutting her sausage in half.

  ‘In Rissna,’ Raymon mumbled.

  ‘On the Brekkan side?’ Getta’s eyes flared. ‘You’ll get yourself killed!’

  Raymon blinked at his wife whose temper had exploded like a bonfire. She had barely said a word as she sat, simmering beside him. But now? ‘It makes no difference whether we meet in Rissna or in Varella. Axl Furyck is requesting we meet. He chose the location. You needn’t worry. We will both have our armies. We will both be protected by our men.’ He frowned, noticing how Getta’s eyes kept jumping around the hall, as though she was looking for someone. ‘What is it? Why are you suddenly so suspicious of the Furycks? You are a Furyck!’ He tried to smile, but he had no enthusiasm for it, so he was quickly frowning again.

  ‘I was a Furyck,’ Getta reminded him. ‘Now, I’m a Vandaal, and Iskavall is my kingdom.’ She lowered her voice. ‘And handing it over to my cousins will not endear you to our people.’

  ‘I don’t intend to hand anything over to anyone,’ Raymon insisted, reaching for his ale. ‘But I do intend to keep our people safe. That is why I’m on the throne after all.’

  Ravenna was surprised by how forceful her usually timid son had begun to sound. Like his father, she thought wistfully. It was in him, of course, to be strong. It was in his blood. But she had never seen it emerge before. Not like this. Yet it was when faced with tough decisions that a true king shone. She smiled, feelings of pride fluttering in her chest, but when she looked at the many scowling faces of the hard men who sat before them, their furtive eyes turning away from hers with speed, she shuddered, wondering for the first time if Getta was right?

  13

  ‘I’ll wait for Jael,’ Axl decided, smiling as his sister’s puppies chased each other around the training ring, annoying his men who were concentrating. As he was trying to. ‘Before we go to Rissna.’

  ‘Makes sense,’ Gant panted, coming to a stop. ‘Time for something to eat. I can’t hear myself think over your growling guts!’

  Axl nodded. He’d barely been able to touch Gant with his sword, but it had felt good being up and about, trying to look like a warrior again. His mind kept returning to the battle in Vidar’s Pass; wanting to be strong enough to lead his men better than Lothar and Osbert had. And he would need to. A defeat in their next battle would surely see an end to all of Osterland.

  Fyn smiled at them as they made their way through the railings.

  ‘Your turn next,’ Gant said, taking Axl’s sword from him and heading for the training shed.

  Fyn looked surprised. ‘Me?’

  ‘You think you’re just going to watch the dragur from the comfort of your bed, do you? Holding your mother’s hand?’

  Fyn glanced at Axl who was grinning at him. ‘Well, no, but I was... waiting for Jael and Thorgils. I’ve never trained with anyone else.’ Gant intimidated him. He was economical with his words, often sharp, and he had a look about him that made Fyn nervous. He didn’t feel good enough to fight him. Not after what had happened in the Temple of Tuura. The memory of the spear in his belly was a nightmare he often woke up sweating from.

  ‘Well, I think they’re going to need some training when they get back too. I can’t imagine either of them are in much shape from what I’ve heard. I’ll have all three of you in here soon. Axl too. We need our best warriors sharp. It’s not going to help any of us if you’re hobbling and moaning about the place.’

  ‘I might have to stop!’ Thorgils called to Jael. ‘I can’t feel any part of my body! We should rest. Eat something!’

  ‘Who knew you were such a baby?’ Jael grumbled back. ‘We’ve barely started out!’ She almost found herself smiling. Thorgils
had a way of making her feel better, especially when he was in a moaning kind of mood. ‘Try and last a little longer. We need to keep the dragur far behind us.’

  ‘Do you think they’re still following us?’ Astrid asked. She was riding next to Jael, not exactly comfortable in Rufus’ saddle, but she had not uttered a word of complaint. Not like Thorgils who had been listing his injuries since they’d set off again.

  ‘I hope so,’ Jael said. ‘We don’t want them going anywhere else. We need them to come to Andala. All of them. We need to kill them. And Andala is the best place to do it. If we can get there without Thorgils falling to pieces, that is.’ She turned to glare at him. ‘How Isaura is going to put up with you, I don’t know. Not sure she needs another child to look after!’

  There was no smile in her eyes now. She blinked, looking ahead to the next hilly rise in the distance. They were getting closer to where they needed to be. Everything else lay behind them, and for now, that’s just where Jael wanted it.

  She had said goodbye to her daughter.

  And now it was time to focus on the fight ahead.

  Rollo wiped a hand over his wet mouth before snotting out one side of his nose, then the other. ‘Who is she to you, then? Draguta? Why are you doing her bidding? Letting yourself be humiliated by me every day like you’re a little dog she’s sent in here for punishment?’ He was bright red from the top of his shining head to the waistband of his trousers. ‘She’s a fine woman, but I wouldn’t be caught making a fool of myself for her. No woman’s worth that.’

  Eadmund frowned, reaching for the water bag. He didn’t have an answer, so he just shrugged. ‘No harm in becoming a better warrior, even if I do have to put up with a turd like you training me.’