He picked up a mug of water and took a drink.
‘The Rakanese do like their spices,’ Laodoc said, ‘and admit it, the burning sensation at least hides the fact that we’re eating river slugs and grasshoppers.’
Agang grimaced.
‘So,’ the Sanang man said, ‘how do you think she’s doing?’
‘I’m optimistic,’ Laodoc said, ‘judging by that cheer we heard.’
‘Unless it was to announce her execution.’
‘No, surely not. Shella told us that the town had dropped the charges against her.’
‘But speaking with them may have re-opened the wounds.’
‘I hope not,’ Laodoc said. ‘I think it was a very brave thing for her to do. And the work she put into preparing for it was admirable. Studying the Rakanese language day after day, and practising her speech. At least it’s taken her mind off Bedig for a while.’
‘I hadn’t realised how intelligent she was,’ Agang said.
Laodoc smiled. ‘Bridget’s sometimes robust demeanour has fooled more than one person. I suspect that showing off is frowned upon by the Kellach Brigdomin, unless one has the bravado of a Keira to carry it off.’
‘You taught her the Rahain language, didn’t you? In your academy?’
‘Not exactly,’ Laodoc said. ‘I hired a professor to do it. At the time, I was still a little standoffish with them. Bridget, Killop and Kallie were my captives after all, and I was worried what the other councillors would make of it. Nevertheless, I read the reports that were made for me, and kept up with their progress. While the other two showed reasonable intelligence, Bridget was outstanding, and her appetite for learning seemed insatiable. She devoured difficult books on history, and science, and poetry. It would have been wonderful to have seen where it could have led, had fate not intervened.’
‘You sound proud of her, my friend.’
‘I was, and I remain so. Bridget is a born leader, Agang, and one whose heart is as steadfast as they come.’
Agang bowed his head. ‘Then I was right to choose her.’ He shook his head. ‘That choice still preys on my mind, my friend. I can only imagine how she feels.’
Laodoc nodded.
‘How are the rest of our travelling companions?’ he said. ‘With the exception of yourself and Bridget, not many have visited me in a few days.’
‘They’re fine. Bored, mostly. Dyam and Dean niggle each other constantly. She nags, and he glowers. I don’t know how she keeps it up, that boy’s obstinacy and bad manners make me want to give him a good slapping. You know, he’s the only one I regret bringing. He should have stayed in Kell, then Dyam wouldn’t have to waste all her time nannying him.’
‘We brought him because he’s a mage.’
Agang snorted. ‘He’s yet to show any evidence of that. It’s a pity we can’t leave him here when we go.’
‘You’re being a little hard on the boy. What about Lola?’
‘Keeps to herself. Stays in her room, getting drunk.’
‘Has Tara come to visit her?’
Agang shook his head. ‘Only Shella and Bridget’s language tutor have entered this house since we got here.’
Laodoc frowned. ‘Poor Lola.’
‘She’s mourning her lover, just like Bridget,’ Agang said. ‘She needs time.’
‘At least they’re getting some here, away from the fighting and troubles elsewhere.’
There was a tap at the door, and Bridget came in.
‘Hello, boys,’ she said.
‘Well?’ said Laodoc, looking up. ‘Sit down and tell us how it went.’
Bridget walked over, plucking a jug of Rakanese spirits from the table as she fell into a seat. She poured herself a tall measure, and exhaled.
‘They didn’t kill me,’ she said, and took a large swig of the clear spirit. She pursed her lips, and Laodoc caught a spark in her eye.
‘And your speech?’ he said. ‘It was received well?’
‘It wasn’t a speech,’ she said, ‘it was an apology.’
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘Was it accepted?’
She grinned. ‘Aye. Pyre’s cracked nipples, I’m glad that’s over, but. I’ve never been so nervous in my life. Standing up there in front of hundreds of Rakanese, each of them staring at me with their great big eyes. Shella helped. She stood right next to me the whole time, and made sure I got the words right. I fucked up a few transitive verbs, which was annoying. They’re back to front in Rakanese, and I can’t get my head around them. Anyway, when I was done they had a vote, and they agreed to absolve me of the guard’s death. They accepted it was an accident, and that I was remorseful.’
Agang nodded. ‘That took courage.’
She shrugged. ‘It had to be done. I regret killing that lassie. Did ye know her family were in the front row when I was up speaking?’ She paused. ‘That was hard.’
Laodoc leaned forward, putting a hand on her arm. ‘You did well, Bridget.’
She took a swig. ‘And how have you been? Not gone mental from having to stay in bed for yet another day?’
‘It’s frustrating, I’ll grant you,’ he said. ‘It’d be nice to walk around the house, but one never knows who might come in.’
Bridget shook her head and laughed. ‘Yer being paranoid. No one’s going to know if ye take a quick five minute walk about the room once a day.’
‘I can’t take the risk,’ said Laodoc. ‘The only reason we’re still here is because I’m supposed to be healing my broken leg. If I were found out, then…’
Bridget took another swig. ‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Get up. It’s time to stretch yer legs.’
She stood, and held out her hand.
‘I’m not sure this is wise,’ said Agang.
‘Never mind wise,’ she said, taking hold of Laodoc’s fingers.
He smiled.
‘All right,’ he said. He pulled back his cover, revealing a long white tunic that reached to his bony knees. A splint was attached to a lower leg, secured at ankle and shin. He swung his feet off the bed.
Laodoc’s heart rose as Bridget smiled. He placed his bare feet onto the wooden floor, and put some weight onto them. He stood, his joints throbbing. Bridget kept a firm hold of his arm, and helped him edge forwards.
‘How does that feel?’ she said.
‘Sore, but good.’
‘Sounds like a summary of life,’ Bridget said.
Agang laughed. ‘It should be our motto.’
Laodoc gazed at his two friends, his love for both sharpened by their joy. He walked round the bed, stretching his limbs, Bridget at his elbow.
‘You fucking lying bastards.’
Laodoc turned, his tongue flickering. Shella was standing in the doorway, glaring at him.
‘Wait, I can explain,’ Laodoc said.
‘I come here to give you some good news, and find this? You faked your injury to stay?’
Laodoc glanced at Agang.
‘I want you all out of here,’ Shella said.
‘It’s time to be honest,’ Agang said.
‘It’s too late for that,’ Shella cried. She turned to go.
‘Please,’ said Laodoc. ‘Don’t leave. Come in and shut the door.’
‘It’s worth hearing,’ Bridget said, ‘believe me.’
Shella paused for a moment, her face dark with anger. She slammed the door and folded her arms.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘This had better be fucking good.’
Laodoc sat on the bed. ‘I did break my leg, we didn’t lie about that.’
‘The fuck you did,’ Shella said. ‘There’s no way it could have healed by now.’
‘Unless…’ Agang said.
‘Unless what?’
Laodoc tried to smile. ‘Do you know what Sanang mages can do?’
Shella frowned, then stared at Agang. ‘You?’
He nodded.
‘Prove it.’
Agang glanced at the others. ‘How? Does anyone have any wounds?’
&nb
sp; Shella pulled a knife from her cloak, and slammed it down on the table.
Laodoc raised an eyebrow.
‘Fucksake,’ said Bridget, leaning forwards and picking up the blade.
‘Try not to get any blood on the bed,’ Laodoc said.
She glared at him, shook her head, then crouched before Agang. She lifted the knife, and ran it down her forearm, a line of red seeping from the cut. Shella furrowed her brows and stared. Agang put his hand onto Bridget’s arm, and within seconds, the cut healed. The Brig woman flexed her fingers, and wiped the blood away, showing smooth skin where the wound had been.
Shella sat.
‘You still lied,’ she said.
‘We did,’ said Laodoc. ‘We’re sorry. We were desperate. You were going to send us away, after we’d journeyed so far, and lost so much. It was my idea to lie to you, but I was in considerable agony at the time, and I’m not proud of what I did.’
‘My answer’s the same,’ she said. ‘I’m not leaving Silverstream. You’ve bought yourselves a few more days here, though.’
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘May I ask why?’
‘Now that I know he’s a mage, I want him to attend the clinic and help out. He can cure the sick and injured, and pay the town back for the kindness they’ve shown you.’
Agang nodded. ‘I am at your service.’
‘Good.’
‘However, I have one condition,’ he said. ‘No one must discover I’m a mage. Tell the clinic that I’m a doctor, and I’ll work my powers subtly.’
Shella frowned. ‘Why all the subterfuge? I mean why would you keep being a healer secret anyway?’
‘I’m not just a healer.’
‘What?’
‘I can do more than just heal wounds.’
‘Yeah?’
‘I can bring people back from death.’
‘No way.’
‘Have you heard of soulwitches?’ Laodoc said.
‘Nope, and I’ve never heard of any mage skill that can beat death.’
‘It’s kept secret by the Sanang,’ Agang said. ‘We don’t speak of it to outsiders.’
‘Bullshit.’
‘I’m telling the truth,’ Agang said, his face reddening.
‘Oh yeah?’ Shella smirked. ‘And has anyone ever seen you do it?’
Bridget coughed. Shella turned to face her, and the Brig woman nodded.
‘You? You’ve seen him bring someone back from the dead?’
‘No,’ said Bridget. ‘I was the one he brought back.’
‘I witnessed it happen,’ said Laodoc, ‘as did Dyam, Dean and Lola.’
Shella’s mouth opened.
‘It doesn’t make sense,’ she said. ‘What about Bedig? You told me he was killed. Why didn’t you bring him back?’
The others sat in silence.
‘I knew the red-headed oaf when he lived with Daphne in Plateau City,’ Shella went on, her voice rising. ‘He was at the birth of her child, for fuck’s sake. He was our friend, and you just let him die?’
‘It’s a little more complicated than that,’ Laodoc half-whispered, ‘and the wounds are still raw.’
Shella glowered at them. ‘Explain it to me.’
‘Agang had been seriously wounded,’ Laodoc said, ‘and he needed to heal himself first.’
Agang nodded. ‘I didn’t have enough strength to bring back both Bridget and Bedig. I wish I had, but I didn’t. I hope you understand.’
‘Oh, I get it alright. You chose her over Bedig. Over my friend.’
Bridget got to her feet, her face grey, and stumbled towards the door.
‘Wait,’ said Laodoc, ‘Bridget, please.’
‘I can’t do this,’ she cried, and rushed from the room.
Laodoc felt his temper rise. He turned to Shella.
‘I think you should go,’ he said, ‘before I say something I’ll regret.’
Shella tutted. ‘Get over yourself, you lying old bastard. I’m not the one at fault here. Perhaps if you’d told me the truth in the first place…’
Laodoc exploded. ‘Have you any idea of the pain that young woman’s gone through? She didn’t choose to be raised from the dead, she loved Bedig, do you understand? The guilt she’s been carrying would crack granite. Today I saw her smile for the first time since Bedig died, and then you go and open your foolish mouth, and say the cruellest, most stupid thing you can think of, just to hurt us. Well it’s Bridget you hurt, and I’m not sure I can forgive you.’
Shella sat back in her seat. ‘You finished?’
‘I am,’ said Laodoc, his heart racing.
She nodded. ‘You’re right. I’ll apologise to Bridget. She’s not to blame, you two assholes are. She’s just another victim of your bullshit. You dragged her halfway across the world, getting Bedig killed in the process, and for what?’
‘To persuade you to come with us,’ said Agang, ‘to leave Silverstream, and help us rid the world of the Emperor.’
‘No chance,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen the Emperor.’
‘So have I,’ said Agang. ‘I stood before the walls of the imperial capital while he annihilated a hundred thousand warriors.’
‘And you still want to fight him?’
‘I must.’
She shook her head. ‘All that proves is that you’re more stupid than I am.’
‘The Emperor may be powerful,’ Agang said, ‘but we can still beat him, if we can unite the strongest mages against him. You and Keira would be formidable together.’
‘I’m sure we would, if I didn’t just kill her on sight,’ Shella said. ‘But you’re wrong. We can’t beat the Emperor.’ She sighed. ‘Look, if it’s time for trading secrets, then there’s something you should know, if you’re truly crazy enough to believe you can beat him.’
The others leaned in, listening.
‘I was there when Guilliam, when the Emperor… received his powers. I saw it all.’
Laodoc gasped. ‘What happened?’
‘It was a fucked-up ritual, a bloodbath, but that doesn’t matter. What’s important is that it’s not Guilliam in there any more.’
‘In where?’
‘In his body. The spirit of the Creator came down and took possession of it. It’s him in there now.’
‘The Holdings god?’ said Agang.
‘Exactly, and I ain’t fighting a fucking god.’
‘You’re sure?’ said Laodoc.
‘Yeah, and Kalayne confirmed it was true. That mad old bastard had a plan to beat him, but he died and well, that’s that.’
‘He had a plan?’
‘Yeah. Don’t know the details, but it hinged on Kalayne. He had a weird power, where he could make himself almost invisible, so people wouldn’t see him.’
‘I saw him do it once,’ said Agang.
‘He said it worked on the Creator too, that he could get close without being seen, and hide others next to him, so they were invisible as well. That was the only way the old bastard could see us beating him, and like I said, he’s dead.’
Agang frowned. ‘Shit.’
‘You said it, death-raiser.’ She smirked. ‘So tell me, how many people have you brought back?’
‘Not many,’ he said. ‘I kept my powers hidden.’
‘He raised Keira,’ Laodoc said, ‘after the Emperor killed her.’
‘No shit?’ Shella said. ‘Well, good for her. She slaughters half the world, and when she finally pays the price, she’s rewarded with a new life.’
‘Kalayne said she was essential,’ said Agang, ‘that she would save the world.’
‘What?’ Shella laughed. ‘There’ll be peace because she’s killed everyone? She’s a homicidal bitch, why you guys think I’ll ever want to meet her, let alone work with her, is beyond me. You said you went to Akhanawarah City, you saw what she did?’
‘We saw,’ said Laodoc.
‘She was doing the same to Plateau City when the Emperor stopped her,’ she said. ‘Of course, that time I happened to ag
ree with her, but it doesn’t mean I want to help her, or be in any way involved with her. And anyway, if she wants to meet me so badly, why didn’t she come in person?’
Laodoc glanced at Agang.
‘Let me guess,’ she said. ‘You asked her, and she told you to fuck off. Not having much luck getting us together, are you?’
‘It would appear not,’ Laodoc said, ‘but I still have hope we can persuade you.’
‘Go on then,’ Shella smiled, ‘give it another try. I’m all ears.’
Laodoc opened his mouth, then frowned. What else could he say that would make any difference? He and Agang had attempted several times to convince her, but nothing had come close to working.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I need to think about what we’ve learned. The Emperor being possessed by the Creator changes less for me than you might imagine. Whoever it is, he remains absurdly powerful, and will be difficult to defeat. What troubles me more is the failure of Kalayne’s plan. I think I’m only now beginning to understand what his loss means.’
‘It means we’re fucked,’ Shella said, ‘but only if we go looking for trouble. We stay here, we’re safe.’
‘My dear Shella,’ Laodoc said. ‘Are you inviting us to stay?’
‘No, I was being rhetorical. Nice try, but I still want you all on your way, once Agang’s put in some work at the clinic.’
‘Then you can go back to hiding?’ Agang said.
‘Pretty much.’
She stood. ‘It’s been a lovely chat, boys, but I should go and say sorry to Bridget.’
‘One moment,’ Laodoc said. ‘When you came in, you said you had some good news for us.’
‘Oh yeah. After Bridget’s speech, the town voted to host a welcoming party for you all, tonight.’
‘Is that what the cheer was for?’
‘Yeah,’ she smirked, ‘any excuse for a party. You’re all expected to attend, so be in the town square for sunset.’
‘We’re being allowed out?’ said Agang.
‘Yeah. They also voted to give you the freedom to walk the streets of Silverstream.’
‘What about me?’ Laodoc said. ‘Should I go? I mean, my leg…?’
Shella smiled. ‘You’re coming, but I want you on crutches all night, hobbling around as if you’re in pain. And I want a good performance.’
‘I suppose so,’ Laodoc said. ‘I wouldn’t want the town knowing we’d lied to them.’
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