White Blood

by Holder, Angela

  “That’s no good.” Carlich looked around. Beneath the stair was a small triangular space. “Get under there. Keep him as quiet as you can. Don’t move until I come back.”

  Maryn squeezed into the narrow space, hunching her body over Barilan. He broke into angry cries. Maryn unfastened the tie of her shift and latched him on. His distress made him willing to nurse, and he settled quickly.

  Carlich padded up the stairs. Maryn heard the door at the top creak as he pushed it slowly open. His light footsteps slipped through, and it creaked shut again, closing with a bump.

  Maryn was alone. She stayed perfectly motionless except when Barilan finished the first side and she transferred him to the other. Eventually he fell asleep. Maryn’s back ached from her awkward hunched position, and she was sitting on something hard that pressed into her thigh, but she didn’t shift her position. She could tell from the smell that one of the nearby sacks held apples, and her stomach felt like a great hollow drum, but still she didn’t move.

  After a long time, the door at the top of the stair creaked open. Maryn’s heart quickened, but she couldn’t budge. Stealthy steps descended above her.

  Carlich tossed a bundle of cloth toward her. “Here. Some less conspicuous clothes for the two of you. Get changed. It will be sunrise soon.”

  Maryn crept stiffly out from under the stair and laid Barilan on the floor at her feet, ignoring his whimpers as the abrupt motion woke him. Ignoring, also, a faint twinge of humiliation, she stripped off her blue uniform bodice and outer skirt, and replaced them with the dull brown ones Carlich had supplied. He hadn’t provided a different shift, but hers was nondescript, indistinguishable from what any other woman in Milecha might wear. She knelt to remove Barilan’s ceremonial gown and dressed him in a long shirt. It was too large, and kept slipping off his shoulder, but it covered him adequately. There were even three clean diapers in the bundle; she traded one for Barilan’s wet one.

  “Give me anything identifiable.” Carlich spread out her blue skirt and dumped everything else onto it, adding his own richly embroidered jerkin and soft doeskin leggings to the pile. He had changed into a much plainer outfit, Maryn saw. Her thoughts seemed a little clearer now, but she still couldn’t muster the initiative to ask him where he had acquired the clothes.

  Carlich wrapped her skirt around the bundle and took it back to the door they had entered through, stashing it in the corridor. He regarded Maryn and Barilan. “Very good. No one will give you a second look. Now all we have to do is figure out a way past the wall. I know there must be places thieves and smugglers use. Come, I spotted a fountain where you can get some water.”

  Maryn, fighting as hard as she could, managed to break through the numbness in her mind and tongue to gasp, “Food.”

  “Yes, yes, we’ll find some food, too. One thing at a time. Just be happy I found a laundry where I could break in and get these clothes. Idiots. They should know if they’re too cheap to hire a night watchman they’re going to have things stolen.”

  The struggle wasn’t quite so hard this time. “Apples.” Maryn jerked her head toward the sack whose tantalizing odors had mocked her for so long.

  Carlich blinked. “Oh. If there was food down here, why didn’t you just take some? Go ahead, help yourself, and toss me a couple while you’re at it.”

  Released to do what she’d been longing to do, Maryn fumbled with the mouth of the sack until she got the drawstring undone. The apples were dry and shriveled, the last remnants of the previous fall’s harvest, but she didn’t care. She hurled two toward Carlich to fulfill his command, and sank her teeth deep into the next one. It tasted wonderful, for all that it was mealy and tough.

  Carlich rummaged around and found a wheel of cheese. He sliced through the thick rind with his little jeweled knife and cut off a generous piece. He grimaced at the state of the apples, but cut them open anyway and ate the fruit and cheese together. “I don’t know how people stand this dreck. That’s the blandest cheese I’ve ever tasted. Here, have some, if you can stomach it.” He passed Maryn a slice.

  She devoured it, not perceiving anything wrong with the flavor. She felt much restored by the food and far more able to think. She swallowed the last bite of apple, and shifted Barilan to the other arm. Just before she began fighting to force out another unbidden word, she stopped. Her thoughts were as sluggish as flowing honey, but she managed to formulate a dim awareness that perhaps she should conceal the fact that the spell’s effects were fading.

  “All right. Is that enough? Anything else you want to say?” Carlich eyed her sarcastically.

  Maryn shook her head.

  “Follow me, then.” Not looking to see if she obeyed, he set off up the stairs. Maryn hoisted Barilan to her shoulder and followed.

  Eleven

  The grey pre;-;dawn city was nearly deserted. Only an occasional cloaked and hooded form slunk by, intent on some business perhaps even more nefarious than Carlich’s. Maryn clutched Barilan close and hurried after Carlich. He led them through the narrow twisting streets, keeping to the deepest shadows, until they reached the large western gate where Maryn had first entered the city. It was closed and barred, even the small side gates shut up tight. A greatly increased number of guards paced back and forth before it.

  “Gallows. Voerell’s got them on alert. We’ll never get through.” He stared for another long moment before setting off rapidly in a different direction. “I’ll try the north gate, but it’s probably the same.”

  Maryn trotted after him, doing her best not to fall behind. Carlich led her to several more gates, all of which were similarly guarded. As the sun rose and the day brightened the people of Loempno filled the cobblestone streets. Maryn began to see clusters of guards striding by. Whenever one drew near she fought to cry for help, but her lips remained stubbornly closed. She could think much more clearly now, though, which gave her hope Carlich’s spell was weakening.

  Carlich cursed and grabbed Maryn’s arm to pull her into a narrow side alley. She glimpsed a mass of bodies packing the street ahead before the building cut off her view.

  “Now they’re setting up roadblocks. We’ll never get to the docks that way.” Carlich scowled and peered down the alley, but it ended in a blank wall only a short distance away. “Come on.”

  Maryn shifted Barilan to her other hip and plodded after Carlich as he pushed through the crowd back the way they had come. She clung to the hope that they would still be within the city when the spell finally wore off. Carlich couldn’t renew it in public without attracting attention. Until then she could only bide her time.

  The twisting path Carlich took to avoid the roadblocks eventually led them into a squalid area of ramshackle buildings and muddy streets. Dirty children darted away, and on every corner ragged beggars stretched out eager hands. Maryn hugged Barilan tight and pressed closer to Carlich. He ignored their surroundings, though his step grew less confident with every turn. Maryn couldn’t imagine that he’d ever been in this sector of the city before.

  A group of women carrying baskets crowded past them. Their clothes, though threadbare, were neatly mended, and the handful of barefoot children among them had clean faces. Maryn caught a whiff of the familiar mingled odors of old sweat and lye soap, and knew the women were taking their laundry down to the river.

  One woman in particular caught her eye. Though her basket was piled high with linen cloths that gave off the unmistakable reek of diapers, she walked unencumbered by any baby. Maryn wondered if she’d left her child tucked snugly in bed with its father. She swallowed and tried to blink away the tears that clouded her eyes. She stumbled into one of the women, and Maryn’s voice broke when she begged her pardon.

  Carlich turned to glare at her. As soon as the women were out of earshot, he hissed, “What’s wrong? Everyone’s going to stare if you keep blubbering like that.”

  Maryn would rather have died than reveal her private misery to Carlich, but the spell left her no choice but to answer. “She re
minded me of how I left Frilan with Edrich and took my wash down to the river, the day of the fire.”

  Carlich’s brow creased in puzzlement for a moment, before his expression cleared. “That’s right. I heard that your baby died. Well, it won’t do you any good to cry about it now, so stop.”

  Anger blazed up in Maryn, fierce and hot. She welcomed the way it pushed aside her grief and cleared the dampness from her eyes. It occurred to her that perhaps this was some action of the spell, allowing her to obey Carlich’s order, but she didn’t care. She stared at Carlich’s back as he turned to resume his progress, imagining her gaze burning into his heart with sorcerous fire.

  “Wait.” Carlich whirled back to face her, so fast she almost bumped into him. “Down to the river, you said? Do they have a way past the wall?”

  Thrown into confusion, Maryn lost the focus of her anger and floundered for a reply. “I…I don’t know. Probably. In Ralo there was a little gate the women used. Maybe there’s one like it here.”

  Carlich jumped on her words like a hound on a fresh scent. “Will there be guards?”

  “I don’t know! I’ve never been to the one here. But there never were in Ralo.”

  He eyed her for a moment before turning a speculative gaze on the women hurrying away. Wordlessly he set off after them, beckoning Maryn to follow.

  The small postern gate was very similar to the one in Ralo. But this one had a single guard leaning against the post. He unlocked the gate for the women and waved them though.

  “Gallows,” Carlich muttered. He peered around the corner of the last building and watched as the guard re;-;locked the gate. “Let me think.” He flexed his hand, which was crisscrossed with the many slashes he’d inflicted on it since the ceremony. Then he rolled back his sleeve and set the point of his knife against his inner arm, drawing it across his wrist in a slow, controlled motion. Maryn saw a tracery of similar scars marking his flesh. He swiftly sheathed his knife and gathered the spilling blood in his hand, his fingers making little dancing gestures the whole time. A generous handful of blue lightning built up in his palm.

  Still focused on his arm, Carlich leaned toward Maryn, and whispered, “Go, talk to him. Pretend you want to go through.”

  Maryn fought every step, but it was no use. She approached the guard. “Good morning, sir.”

  He looked her up and down. “What do you want?”

  “Please, I need to go down to the river.”

  “Why? You’ve no wash with you. I’ve got my orders. No one goes in or out without legitimate reason, at least not until the kidnapper’s caught.” As Maryn tried to think of an answer, his eyes narrowed, and he put his hand on his sword hilt. “Wait a minute, girl. Who are you? What’s your baby’s name?”

  A fierce buzz of magic rang in Maryn’s bones. Lightning lanced past her shoulder and into the guard’s chest, impaling him. Blue flames erupted from his wide, shocked eyes and open mouth, and he collapsed without uttering another sound.

  Maryn couldn’t scream. She could only stare in horror, clutching Barilan tight, until Carlich pushed past her, gasping for breath. “Come on.” He crouched to unbuckle the guard’s belt, then slung it around his own waist, settling the sword at his side. He drew it, made a few cuts at the air, and slid it back into its sheath. After a quick glance up and down the deserted street he pulled the keys from the belt and unlocked the gate.

  Carlich waved for Maryn to exit as he pushed the gate open. She edged through, giving the lifeless guard as wide a berth as she could. Carlich grabbed the guard’s body under the arms and dragged him into some tall grass just beyond the gate. “With any luck, no one will notice he’s missing until he fails to report back after his shift. We’d better be miles away by then.” He locked the gate behind them and set off, but turned back impatiently when Maryn did not move. “Follow me.”

  Numb with horror, Maryn trailed after him. She fought to escape the compulsion to obey, but though the spell had faded enough to free her thoughts it was still too strong for her body to disobey a direct order.

  The path slanted across the grassy meadow that extended a bowshot beyond the wall and into a tangle of trees and underbrush. Carlich followed it and Maryn plodded behind. They descended a steep slope. Ahead Maryn glimpsed a sunny break in the trees and heard splashing and cheerful voices.

  Carlich held up a hand for Maryn to wait, then slipped from tree to tree until he could see. He backtracked to where Maryn waited. “There’s a whole crowd of them down there. Too many to deal with before one manages to raise the alarm.” He looked at the thick underbrush. “No help for it.” He pushed between two bushes, and Maryn was forced to go along.

  Branches tore at her clothing and slapped her face. She nearly turned an ankle when her foot came down on a large stone that shifted beneath her weight. Barilan fussed, and she worked to soothe him. His diaper was soaked, but she dared not ask Carlich to stop.

  After a long struggle through the dense growth, they emerged on the riverbank. The river was wide, much wider than the one that circled Ralo. Out in the middle were a few ships. Maryn hoped someone on board might look out and see them, but they were too far away for her to consider that a realistic possibility.

  A narrow path ran along the bank a few feet from the edge of the water. Carlich turned onto it and quickened his step. Maryn struggled to keep up.

  Before long, though, Maryn noticed that Carlich was dragging, too. His shoulders drooped, and occasionally he stumbled. The city walls still rose beyond the trees to their left and the sun was just reaching its highest point when he turned aside into a small clearing among the trees and called a halt.

  Maryn sank gratefully to a seat on a fallen tree trunk. Barilan was bright and happy after their morning’s walk, but she was exhausted. Somewhere in there she’d lost a night’s sleep, she was fairly sure. But she must take care of Barilan. At least this time she had water and a fresh diaper to put on him.

  While she tended to that duty Carlich warded the clearing. He passed her a few apples and some cheese he’d brought along from the storeroom. “Enjoy. This is the last of it.” He rubbed his forehead. “I hope the wards hold. Casual eyes won’t see us, but a determined search might. That guard is going to be found sooner or later, and they’ll set dogs on our track.” He shook his head. “But I’ve got to get a little sleep. An hour or two at least.” He waved a hand at Maryn. “Lie down. Get some rest.”

  The need to obey was not quite so strong this time. Maryn compliantly lay down on the ground, but she could have resisted for a few moments if she’d tried. Perhaps while Carlich slept the power of his spell would drop off even further, and she could break free.

  She clung to that hope when she woke to Barilan’s hungry cries. By the sun it was early afternoon. Carlich still slept. Gathering Barilan to her breast, she quieted his wails. Maryn watched Carlich intently and held her breath as she eased to her feet. He hadn’t specifically told her to remain in the clearing, and she’d completed his last command to get some rest. It felt like wading through thick mud to step down toward the river path, but she could do it. Once she was well away she’d run. How long would it take to get to the washing place? Would the women still be there?

  She hit something that felt like cobwebs across her face. Sticky threads entangled her feet, wrapping tighter the more she struggled. Blue lightning buzzed around her. Carlich jerked awake and leaped to his feet, every muscle tense.

  Seeing only Maryn, he relaxed a fraction. “Thought you’d get away, did you?” He came to her, dissolving the invisible strands with a wave. “We’d better renew the binding right now, before you try anything else foolish.”

  She cursed herself silently for forgetting about the wards as he cut her arm and used her blood to thrust her again into a dull daze. After, her thoughts were so tightly bound she couldn’t even feel miserable.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon working their way upriver. Carlich kept eyeing the occasional two- or three-man fishing boats o
ut on the river, but not until the sun was getting low did he act.

  “There.” Carlich halted so abruptly Maryn nearly collided with him. “Stand back. Stay quiet.” He glanced at the sleeping Barilan. “Once we’re across the river they’ll never find us.”

  Maryn was just getting enough thought back to know that she should try to cry out and warn the unsuspecting fishers whose boat had strayed so close to the shore. But she couldn’t yet even make the attempt. She could only watch, quiet as he had commanded her to be.

  Carlich killed the fishermen much the same way he’d killed the guard, except this time the streak of lightning pierced them both in a single flash. The boat began to drift when the man holding the rudder collapsed. Carlich attempted to seize it and draw it closer to shore, but the blood he’d gathered from his arm ran out of power. Cursing, he dove into the river and swam out to the little boat. It nearly capsized as he clambered aboard. Carlich shoved a body aside, unshipped the oars, and stroked the boat into the shore.

  There was a rope fastened to the prow; he tossed it to Maryn. “Get that. Tie it around one of those trees.”

  Maryn obeyed. Carlich rummaged around the bottom of the boat. “They had a decent catch. That will feed us for a while. Here, this should serve.” He picked up a wooden bait bucket and dumped its contents overboard. “Put Barilan down somewhere safe and come help me.”

  Maryn wouldn’t have considered anywhere along the riverbank safe enough to leave a baby alone if she’d been making the decision. But the magical compulsion forced her to choose the best spot available. A little grassy hollow well back from the water looked as if it would do. Barilan could roll over, but he hadn’t yet begun to crawl, so he wouldn’t be able to move far even if he woke. She wished for a blanket to shield him against the damp ground, but she had nothing. She laid him down; he stirred for a moment before sinking back into sleep.