The Queen's Blade IV - Sacred Knight of the Veil

by T C Southwell

  "I know."

  She tied the bandage off and ran a finger along a slight, pale scar on his shoulder, one of many that marked his chest and arms. "These are puzzling. Knife cuts?"

  "Glass."

  The healer peered at a small pink scar on his chest with a frown. "That looks like a stab wound, but if it was, you should be dead."

  "It is, and I should be." He picked up his shirt and pulled it on before she could ask about any of the others.

  As he shrugged into his jacket, she handed him the bottle of powder she had mixed. "Take it twice a day. A spoonful mixed with water, not ale. It will help with the bruises on your throat as well, and the crossbow wound in your shoulder, although that is almost healed."

  He pulled out his money pouch and waited while she pondered, then she said, "Five silvers, elder."

  Blade paid her and headed for the door, eager to quit her scrutiny. Crella smiled at Kerra as she turned to follow the assassin, commenting, "It is good to see a female apprentice in such a male dominated trade, my dear."

  Kerra shot her a startled glance, then grinned, ignoring Blade's dark look as she walked through the door he held open. The assassin paused to give the healer a suspicious look before he followed the Queen into the waiting room, where the manservant showed them to the front door.

  Blade laced his jacket as he headed back towards the inn, his keen eyes scanning the shops they passed for one that might sell some of the items he was going to need. Dusk filled the grimy streets with puddles of gloom, and most of the shopkeepers were preparing to shut up for the night.

  Two men staggered out of a tavern ahead, locked in a grunting brawl, and several spectators followed, shouting encouragement. The assassin turned into a dark alley to avoid the crowd, picking his way through the garbage that choked it. They emerged into a wider street, and he continued in the direction of the inn. Halfway along it, he spotted a promising shop and pushed open the door, entering a cosy, well-lighted establishment.

  The shopkeeper served a fat, overdressed woman who wore far too much face paint. She paled at Blade's entry and put down the wares she had been examining to hurry out. Kerra glanced around at the selection of gowns, wigs and cosmetics that seemed to be the shop's only merchandise. Blade went over to a rack of dresses and inspected a flowing creation of blue cotton trimmed with white lace. He took it from the rack and held it against Kerra, cocking his head to study it.

  "What are you doing?" she muttered.

  "Be quiet."

  Blade selected a more sedate garment of pale brown fabric with yellow beading, then a simple white calico dress. They had long sleeves and high necklines, but the brown dress was smaller than the white one. Satisfied with his selection, he put them on the counter, then chose two shawls, one red and the other pale blue. Adding these to the gowns, he examined the wigs, but did not appear to find one he liked, and approached the merchant.

  The man twitched with agitation, and Blade wondered how often he was robbed in this town of thieves. To allay his fears, Blade tugged open his collar, and the shopkeeper relaxed at the sight of the tattoo.

  "How may I help you, elder?"

  "I require a blonde wig, for a woman."

  "Ah." The man's eyes darted to his selection of black, brown, and red wigs. "I can get one for you, of course."

  "By tomorrow?"

  "If you wish."

  Blade nodded. "I do."

  "Very good, elder."

  "And have these gowns wrapped and ready for me to collect tomorrow."

  "Of course." The merchant opened the door for them, bowing. Outside, Kerra trotted to keep up with Blade's long strides.

  "You are going to disguise yourself as a woman?"

  "Only if I must."

  Kerra giggled. "I look forward to seeing that."

  "I am sure it will amuse you immensely."

  "Lucky for you, I found us a passage with the smugglers."

  "That remains to be seen."

  She shot him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

  "Smugglers are not exactly honest, Kerra. They do not usually take passengers on their trips, it is risky for them. It will not surprise me if this smuggler tries to knock us on the head and steal our money."

  "Then he would be a murderer."

  "And a thief, but a crook is a crook. Most combine a variety of talents to exploit whatever situation comes along. Our smuggler could decide that murder would be profitable in our case." He smiled. "Oddly enough, I am considered an honest citizen in this town, for assassins are forbidden to dabble in other profitable pursuits."

  "You have yet to teach me the rules of the Assassin's Guild."

  "I was only teaching you the basics to allay the suspicions of any spies who might be about. You are not going to become an assassin."

  "I know. But still, I would like to learn more."

  "Doubtless you will if you continue to plague me with questions."

  A scream ripped through the quiet, making Blade start and spin towards the sound, his hands flashing to the daggers in his belt. Kerra gasped and grabbed his arm, but he shook her off, gazing down the alley whence the shriek had come. Two men scuffled and grunted in the gloom, wrestling with a woman who yelped and kicked out spiritedly. Blade snorted and relaxed, straightening from the half crouch into which he had fallen. He walked on, but Kerra grabbed his arm again.

  "Help her, Blade!"

  "It is not my business."

  "But she is in trouble!" Kerra tried to hold him back, and he jerked his arm from her grip.

  "I know."

  "They are robbing her!"

  "They are probably going to do worse than that, but it is still not my concern." The assassin stopped when he realised that the girl was not following him. "Come along."

  Kerra watched the struggling trio, her brow furrowed. "A woman should not be treated so in my kingdom."

  He started back towards her. "Leave it, Kerra."

  "No." She shot him a glare. "If you will not help her, I will."

  "No!"

  Blade broke into a run as she darted into the alley, cursing her stupidity. The Queen proved fleet enough to stay ahead of him until she reached the thugs, whereupon she flung herself at the nearest, pounding on his back. The thug swung around, sending her staggering away with a flail of his arm, and she hit the wall with a grunt. The man turned as the assassin ran up, a curved dagger appearing in his fist, while his companion held the struggling woman.

  Blade veered towards Kerra, but the girl launched herself at the cutthroat again. The assassin leapt after her, snagged the collar of her jacket and jerked her back before she could impale herself on the villain's weapon. Pushing her behind him, he held up his hands in an appeasing gesture and backed away. Kerra shoved him towards the thug, hard enough to make him advance several steps.

  "Get him!" she yelled.

  Blade growled and started to turn, intending to take her by the scruff and haul her from the alley before she could get him involved in the fray. The cutthroat, perhaps encouraged by his apparent cowardice, grinned and lunged at him. Blade spun, daggers appearing in his hands as if by magic, and slashed the thug across the chest in a lightning-fast movement. The man staggered back, gaping at the crimson flood that poured over his shirt, his dagger clattering to the ground as he clutched the wound.

  The second man hurled the woman down and pulled a sword from the scabbard strapped to his back. Blade eyed the broken-nosed giant as he shuffled forward, his sneer revealing rotting teeth. The woman lay where she had fallen, staring at them. Blade stepped back, unwilling to engage the scarred brute and his rusty sword. He had the look of a veteran, well skilled in the arts of battle. A glance at Kerra found her pressed against the wall, her eyes fixed on him. He had a nasty suspicion that she was not going to let him back down, so he tossed a dagger into the air, catching it by the blade.

  "I advise you to leave, friend."

  The giant's grin broadened. "I ain't scared of no little wimp like you. C
ome on, an' I'll lop yer head off for ya."

  "I think not." Blade threw the dagger, which buried itself to the hilt in the big thug's shoulder.

  The veteran roared and charged, raising his sword in an overhead swing, as if he intended to chop the assassin in two. Kerra yelped and scuttled away, showing good sense for the first time, and Blade was tempted to follow her. The thug was too close now, however. He let the swordsman bear down on him until he was within reach, the sword descending, then stepped aside and swept the cutthroat's feet from under him. The big man sprawled, hanging onto his sword, and Blade straddled him, pressing his dagger to the thug's neck.

  "Drop the sword, or die."

  The villain growled and released the weapon, twisting his head to glare up at the assassin. Blade yanked his dagger from the man's shoulder, stepped away and kicked the sword into the garbage that lined the alley, allowing the cutthroat to scramble to his feet.

  He gestured with a dagger. "Leave, and take your crony with you."

  "You ain't seen the last of me, yer little snot," the man snarled as he helped his bleeding friend to his feet and backed away. "Yer a marked man!"

  "I will bear that in mind."

  "You do that."

  The villains shuffled away through the refuse, cursing and casting furious glances back at the assassin. Blade watched them go, wondering if it was wise to let them live. Who knew how many unsavoury friends they may have in this town? He found that the daggers had come from his wrist sheaths and put them away. Kerra went over to the woman, who picked herself up, brushing at her skirts. The moonlight illuminated her face, and he recognised the healer with a start of surprise. She brushed back the hair that straggled over her brow and forced a stiff smile.

  "Thank you, elder."

  "It is the healer!" Kerra exclaimed.

  Blade inclined his head. "So I see. I trust you are unharmed?"

  "I am, thanks to you," Crella replied.

  He shrugged. "My apprentice persuaded me to intervene. It is she who deserves your thanks."

  Crella smiled at Kerra. "Thank you, young lady. However, I am certain she could not have saved me alone, sir."

  "He would not have done anything if I had not made him," Kerra pointed out.

  "Most men would not have wished to take on those two brutes, my dear. Your master is a prudent man, and he is injured too. It is lucky that he is skilful enough to defeat them so easily."

  "You should not be wandering the streets alone at this time, healer," Blade remarked.

  "You are right, of course. Normally I would not, but I was on my way to my father's house to speak to him on your behalf."

  "Really." Blade was suspicious. "Surely tomorrow would have been soon enough? And if you had to do it today, you could have done it earlier. We left your house some time ago."

  "True, but I was reading a most interesting account, of a man who was shot in the back by a Cotti traitor, in the lung. He was also tortured with hot irons by Prince Armin's judges, and stabbed in the chest by Armin himself when he saved the infant queen. He should have died, but Shamsara saved him. It is not a coincidence that you have those same scars, is it? You are the Queen's Blade."

  "You are altogether too curious, Crella, and far too astute. Such knowledge is a dangerous thing to own. There are many buyers for it, and I do not wish it sold. Were you planning to tell your father, so he could kidnap me and ransom me to Endor?"

  "No!" Crella's eyes widened as she realised her blunder. "I swear, I mean you no harm. Would I have told you what I knew, if I was planning to use it against you?"

  "That would depend on how stupid you are."

  "Only a complete dolt would tell you this while alone with you in a dark alley, if they intended to use it against you."

  "Yet I only have your word that you do not mean me harm." Blade cocked his head, studying her.

  Crella backed away. "I swear to you, I only confirmed my suspicions so I could persuade my father to help you for free."

  "A patriot, then?" Blade followed her, his hand resting on the hilt of a dagger. "If you know who I am, then you know I have enough money to pay your father."

  "Yes, of course you do, but he is reluctant to take passengers on his wagons. He might have refused, and I wanted to be able to persuade him... I wanted to ensure that you did not have to ride and further injure yourself... I only wanted to help!" She tripped over a pile of rotten cabbages and staggered back, her arms wind milling.

  Blade's hand flashed out and caught her collar, jerked her to a halt and dragged her closer. "Do not run away while I am talking to you, Crella, it is rude." His voice held a wealth of menace, which made Kerra shiver.

  Crella put her hands on his chest to hold him away, her voice rising to a squeak. "I am not your enemy, I swear it!"

  "You are the daughter of a crook. A man who loves money and would do anything for it. Doubtless he would reward you handsomely for putting such a prize within his reach."

  "I am Jashimari. I would never betray my countryman, nor would my father."

  Kerra touched his arm. "Blade, I believe her."

  He shot her a scornful glance. "You are an innocent, girl."

  "Do not hurt her."

  He cuffed her across the cheek, making her gasp. "Do not presume to give your master orders, apprentice."

  Crella cried, "My father would be honoured to help you! He hates the Cotti as much as you do."

  Blade tightened his grip on her dress. "No one hates the Cotti as much as I do."

  "Almost as much, then!"

  "He trades with them."

  "He sells them poor grade wood at outrageous prices."

  "And smuggles it over the border so he does not have to pay taxes." Blade thrust his face closer. "Yet you call him a patriot."

  "He is!" Crella sank to her knees, sobbing, "Please, please do not kill me."

  Blade released her, staring down at her in surprise. The thought of killing her had not crossed his mind, yet she thought he was about to slit her throat to silence her. That annoyed him, for most people knew assassins did not kill without a client, and an elder could not even be paid to do it, although the code no longer constrained him. Her plea was an insult to him, and added to his growing irritation.

  "What do you take me for? A common murderer? If I was going to kill you, I would not be wasting time discussing it with you. You would be dead already. So what should I do with you? Let you go, to sell your knowledge to the highest bidder? I would be signing my own death warrant."

  She looked amazed, and scrambled to her feet, shaking with relief. "If I had been planning to do that, I would never have told you what I knew. I am sorry if I insulted you."

  "You should have known how I would react, which makes your admission all the more stupid."

  Crella nodded. "You are right. I should have known you would feel threatened. I did not think. When I found out who you are, I was honoured to have met you, and I wanted to help you any way I could. You should have known your scars would betray you."

  "I would have, had I known that such details of my life had been written down for the public's amusement."

  "They are not. It is an account written by the healer who attended you at the palace, detailing his treatments and conclusions. He was amazed by your ability to survive such terrible injuries, and even make a full recovery. Only a few other healers have read it."

  "Verdan."

  Blade glanced up and down the alley to confirm its continued emptiness, wondering what he was going to do with Crella. He could not bring himself to trust her, nor could he tie her up and stash her somewhere. If she was not found, she would die a slow and painful death. If he released her just before he left Dramali, it would not give him much of a head start, but it seemed like the only option. The predicament annoyed him. He was used to living in anonymity, and her discovery of his identity was most inconvenient, especially now that hiding it was so vital. The prospect of keeping her captive until he left the city was even more irksome
, since he already had the Queen with whom to deal.

  Kerra spoke into the silence. "Blade, I am sure she is telling the truth. Let her go."

  He rounded on her, making her step back. "And what makes you such a damned authority on people's trustworthiness?"

  "If I had not made you help her, she would have told her father anyway."

  "Not if those thugs had killed her."

  "Then bring her with us."

  He snorted. "I do not want another encumbrance, girl. She will bolt at the first opportunity, and tell everyone who I am."

  "What else can you do?" Kerra frowned at him.

  "I suppose I will have to keep her captive until we are ready to leave the city, and we certainly cannot go with her father."

  "Would you not consider trusting me, elder?" Crella enquired in a timid voice.

  "No. I trust nobody."

  "My father will start to worry if I am gone for more than a day, and my manservant will raise the alarm tomorrow."

  "You are making me wish I was a common murderer, healer."

  She paled and stepped back. "I assure you, that was not my intention."

  Blade growled and swung away, staring into the shadows that crouched next to the alley's dirty walls. His plan was not likely to succeed if the healer would be missed so soon, and by so many people. If he took her back to the inn, people would see her, making her discovery certain. Then, not only would he be betrayed, he would also be accused of kidnapping. He turned at a soft sound, and found the healer scurrying away along the wall, propelled by a shove from Kerra. Blade watched her vanish around the corner into the next street, then turned to frown at the Queen, who raised her chin, meeting his eyes with a bold stare. He walked up to her, holding her gaze until she lowered it.

  "Well, you have certainly solved my problem, have you not?" he asked.

  "You were considering killing her again. I could not allow that."

  "It was not up to you to decide what to do with her. And for your information, I never had any intention of killing her."

  "I have seen how easily you kill people, and you said -"

  "I was being sarcastic. That damned woman did not know when to be quiet. If I had been a murderous thug, I would have killed her. A kidnap victim should never tell their captor they are likely to be missed soon and searched for rigorously, it will only make him want to cut his losses and run.