by Jill Cooper
Then the ravengers attacked and the one named Temptress revealed she had George, the young man I was to marry. The man I loved wasn’t dead but instead was a prisoner in her fortress. I was terrified if I failed in my mission, I’d become something like her. Something dark and formidable, something that only wanted to destroy rather than create.
I embraced my destiny as best I could, but was this really something I could do? If I had to face off with her again, I didn’t know if I could stand it. I was no fighter, no leader. The only thing I could do was read.
Maybe it was magic, but it wouldn’t stop Temptress, and it couldn’t help me fight my way out of a dangerous situation.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Sebastian asked. The boat rocked back and forth as we got closer to the cavern’s side. Above us, I saw a bright white light starting to peek out from between the rocks. It was high, but if we could make it up the slick sides, we’d find a way to safety.
I shook my head. “Lost in personal moments.” Saying it made me think of George. He was to be my husband in six month’s time, and I loved him. Now he was lost to the ravengers and those desperate to stop me. He gave his very life for me, and I’d never forget his act of sacrifice, or forgive myself.
If only he was here. If only I had one real friend.
Instead, he was locked up somewhere with the she-devil Temptress. She would hurt him, and I was helpless to save him. It wasn’t a good feeling.
Sebastian grinned. “That’s okay. I don’t have a penny anyway.”
I returned his smile because it seemed like the right thing to do, and he was putting forth a real effort. A good one.
“Let’s get going. Daylight waits for no one, I’m afraid.” Sebastian climbed out of the boat, and I followed suit.
I anchored the vessel to the rocks, and then we climbed the high, jagged cliffs, all dark and gray with green moss growing over them, to the top of the cavern. The exit was well hidden within the hanging leaves and vines. Thick moss grew on top, soft and moist, smelling like the rotting underbrush.
I cut away at the thin vines with my knife, and then we slinked outside. Standing on the edge of a mountain, I gazed down at the valley. Nothing grew, the land had been ravaged as far as the eye could see. Valleys of brittle grass and trees reduced to twigs that couldn’t grow leaves withered, and their branches had been cut. The sky was gray, and far off in the distance a tall brown fence seemed to protect a small area of land.
“What is that?” I pointed my finger off toward it.
“Our haven, for a short while. We’ll get there. Have some food and drink. A good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll push off and head where you and the remnant you carry tell us to.”
The remnants. The pieces of the magical crystal I needed to find so I could find the last library and defeat the dark lord. My mind, however, was on my most immediate worry.
“So, there are people there?” My stomach tightened at the idea I would meet the barbarians of the Unforgiving Lands. Sebastian, what had he called it, the land of the free? My mission brought me out of the comfort of the civilized world, but I wasn’t exactly excited at the idea of meeting those with no rules. No laws.
Sebastian laughed. “They aren’t exactly what it is you’ve been told, Tarnish. The Dark Lord Creighton and his ministers don’t want you to know the truth.”
“What if they tear me limb from limb?”
He laughed again and patted my shoulder in a manner I didn’t appreciate. “I won’t let them. How about that?”
It seemed as good as I was going to get.
“C’mon.” Sebastian stood up straight and offered me his hand, but I shook my head.
“I can get myself down a few cliffs.”
His eyebrows rose as he gave me an appreciative look. “Then I guess we better hurry. The ravengers will pick up our scent sooner or later, and it’s best if we don’t linger where they can get us.”
****
We arrived by foot in front of the large brown gate held together by thick, twisted rope and large fence posts. A soft wind brought coarse sand against my cheeks. Up far above, a lookout tower on each corner had a pointed roof, and I gazed up at the man on watch in his thick armor and rounded helmet made of metal, fastened in a way I had never seen.
He had a crossbow, something I had read about in Robin Hood, and pointed it straight at me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no need to point a weapon at me or wear the angry scowl on his face.
I held my satchel tight as if to protect it and stayed so close to Sebastian he nearly fell over.
“Please, Tarnish,” he said as he knocked on the door. “I know you’re afraid, but I need air. Room to breathe.”
“There’s plenty of air here for the both of us. Don’t be such a baby about it,” I said in a rush.
The guardsman’s mouth twitched, and I nearly lost all my composure to have someone snarl at me. He seemed so angry. Did barbarians eat human flesh? I certainly hoped not.
A small slat opened on the door. A pair of eyes peered out with a nasty squint. “State your business.” His eyebrows rose. “Hey, Sebastian. Why didn’t you say it was you?” The eyes shifted to me. “Who’s your friend?”
“A friend to me and the rebels,” Sebastian answered. “You may call her Tarnish.”
The man considered me with a grunt. I lifted my hand and waved to him, but Sebastian quickly grabbed it and forced it down.
“You don’t need to do that,” he said quietly to me.
“You may enter.” The slats closed as quickly as they had opened. The doors squealed as they were pulled apart. I stared into the opening, barely able to see inside. There were a few buildings that looked rather nice. Nothing fancy, but nicer than huts or demolished cities. I smelled something which tingled my nose and heard the neighing of horses.
Sebastian offered me his elbow. “Let me be your guide, and I promise, nothing bad will happen to either of us. These are nice people, Tarnish. You need to let go of your misconceptions.”
Easy for him to say, but I realized he was right. I nodded and took a deep breath, slinging my arm through his, and we stepped inside just past the gate. Against the fence, there were giant gears men spun to close the doors again, and I thought it rather ingenious.
“Sorry to put the fright into you.” The chubby man who stepped up was obviously the man who spoke through the slats. “Can’t be too careful these days. Scavengers get closer and closer to the wall all the time. You hear stories about weekly raids on the homesteads past the outer banks. This place needs to stay pure.”
So, there were other developments where people lived? I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me at the realization the people here had lives—and their own concerns. As we walked, I couldn’t stop taking in everything I saw. A windmill spun on the other side of the settlement, and I saw the peak of little children running through the back. Their laughter was ripe, happy, and it thrilled me to see such happiness here.
He addressed Sebastian, and then he turned his attention to me. “Abraham, dear lady.”
“Tarnish Rose.” I took his hand and offered it a warm shake even if I was distracted as I gazed at horses and chickens.
“Welcome to Haven! Just passing through?” he asked Sebastian, who confirmed. “Well, stop by the pub, warm meal tonight is meat pie.”
“Meat?” I whispered. I sure hoped it wasn’t a human pie.
Abraham nodded quickly, not sensing my discomfort. “I can’t get enough of that.” He patted his stomach, and it reminded me of Poppa, so I laughed.
Bitterly, sadly, I laughed and wondered what Poppa might be doing then. Was he still all right? Would everything work out?
“We’ll do that. Thanks, Abraham,” Sebastian said. “We’ll also need two rooms.”
Abraham scratched his chin and shook his head. “Might be tight. You better go and ask Rebecca. Barkeep will know what she has to offer.” Abraham went his way toward the wall, and I gazed after him, following the
watch towers up. They had weapons pointed at the sky.
“For the ravengers,” Sebastian said. “They leave Haven alone most of the time, but every once in a while, they get greedy.”
“And the people here kill them?” My mouth went slack.
“More like warn them off. I don’t think anyone has ever successfully killed a ravenger before you came along.” Sebastian offered me a smile. It just made my insides feel more nervous. If all these defenses couldn’t kill ravengers, what was my real chance at success?
We walked along, small pebbles crunching beneath my feet, and I took in my surroundings. There were watering holes to my left, and off to my right, the most miraculous thing. Plants, simple plants and crops, growing in single file rows. A garden, an actual garden. Cucumbers, squash, and maybe even carrots growing just inside the border of a simple fence.
“How do they grow where there is so little water?”
“Irrigation. It’s underground, and Haven pumps water into it that it collects through rain barrels. It rains here, buckets of it, but there are long periods of drought. The people here have learned to be prepared.”
My eyebrows rose with awe. “It’s… not what I expected.”
Sebastian spoke softly but sternly. “That’s because the ministers have been lying to you and everyone else for six hundred years. There is life outside the civilized terrain. People here are free, not barbarians. Good people, Tarnish. You’ll find them to be your friend if you let them.”
I considered his words as we came up to the steps of the pub. Just outside the door, was a post where horses were tied up and they drank water from a basin and ate grains. One of them looked at me, and I offered my hand to him so I could stroke his muzzle. Brown and white, he’s a real beauty. His intelligent eyes met mine for mere seconds. It filled me with wonder before he neighed and went back to drinking his water.
I shrugged. “I guess water is more interesting than I am.”
“I wouldn’t say that. C’mon. I’m sure you must be hungry. I know I am.” Sebastian slapped his palms together before we trudged up the steps.
“Thirsty more than anything,” I said as Sebastian held open the door and I peered inside to the most unlikely sight.
I had never seen a restaurant or a pub, a place where people gathered to eat and be happy wasn’t something that happened in Rottenwood, Beantown, or any of the other places I had been. The rich smells of food and the smell of the burning lanterns was enough to do me in. The colors of the bar counter and the tables had a depth I hadn’t seen before.
Round tables by the bar were filled with people, mostly men, but a few women. Laughing and hunched over pewter plates as they ate steaming meals and decadent looking puddings.
I glanced up at Sebastian, who grinned at me. “Barbarians, the lot of them. You know, I think we should start by beheading every single one.”
Funny man. “I think I’m hungry now. I think I want one of everything.”
Chapter Three
The Richardsons
Mitchell Richards readied for work like he always did. Working at the office for the Minster of City Affairs meant a pinstripe suit fitted just so, a white collared shirt affixed with a gray tie, polished shoes, and a boulder hat upon his head. Well-groomed, his mustache fell exactly a centimeter above his lip. Once all put together, he headed down to breakfast.
Right on the nose, it was seven o’clock and fifteen minutes. Just enough time left to have his morning tea, buttered toast with a side of jam, and make mundane chat with his wife.
“Good morning.” Mitchell did his best to sound happy and upbeat as he planted a quick peck against her cheek. Say a lot of things about Mrs. Richardson, but she was elegance and grace refined. From the simple way she turned her head to how straight and proper she sat. Everything about her was effortless, down to the chilly stare of her eyes.
Evelyn picked up her tea cup in a quick, fluid motion, watching their only home slave, Dani. An olive-skinned woman with tired eyes, she placed a basket of toast onto the table beside a simple serving of scrambled eggs for them to share.
Dani curtsied them, but her wide, fearful eyes fell only to Mitchell. His heart held a tremor at the sight of her, he could remember the smell of her musk from the night before when they made love in her quarters. How they called out with satisfaction, their perspired bodies clinging to each other under the cover of darkness. Now he could barely look at her as he took his seat at the head of the table.
“You are excused. Put your eyes back in your head while looking at my husband.” Evelyn clinked her tea cup down onto its saucer quickly.
Dani hurried along, and Mitchell buttered his toast and took a small scoop of eggs onto his pewter dish. “And where is Timothy this morning? Doesn’t he wish to join us for breakfast?”
“He’s running an errand for me. There’s much early morning chatter on the common streets. I can’t say I like it. We need to know what it is if we are to weather whatever storm is coming.”
Evelyn always had a flare for the dramatic. Mitchell resisted a sigh. “Yes, of course. You’re right, just as you always are, my dear.”
She turned to him sharply, her nose pinched and her eyes flat. “Don’t forget, while you sit at the head of this table, it is I who run this family. It is I who answers to the minister.”
“How can I forget something you never cease reminding me?”
“Maybe you’re just a fool, then. The walls are thin. I know what you and the slave girl are up to when you think I’m asleep. I’d think you could at least show some restraint until our son moves out on his own. Then maybe you can move into the servant’s quarters with her.”
Montgomery swallowed hard. “I mean you no disrespect, whatever it is you think I’m doing…”
“Oh.” Evelyn laughed and took another piece of toast from the center of the table. “You think to fool me when the smell of you is on her? You are both lucky I need a husband and a hard-working house slave, and there is a shortage of both in Rottenwood. Otherwise, she would meet her end. The both of you would. Never forget that.”
Montgomery lost his appetite as he pushed his eggs around his pewter bowl. He had so many plans, all of which would go up in flames if Evelyn discovered Dani was pregnant with his child. She was far enough along it wouldn’t remain a secret for much longer. “We shall never forget, I assure you.”
“I may need you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make her life difficult. Until now, it’s been rosy. I will push her until she breaks if you don’t learn to keep your pants zipped. Do I make myself clear?”
Montgomery felt his face flush and rose from his seat. “Perfectly, as you always do. You’re the boss, you’re in charge.”
Satisfied, Evelyn smirked as she sipped her tea. “And where do you think you’re going? It’s only seven-thirty. You never leave until quarter of.”
“To work. The ministers are far more relaxing to be around than you.” Montgomery hurried out of his home and slammed the door. The knocker vibrated against the wooden panels, and he took a moment to take a deep breath. The mannequins in the window staring at him in their fine gowns and dresses mocked him surely as his wife would.
The weather was cool, the air damp, so in that regard nothing much had really changed. But there was something different about the feel of the place—a buzz and excitement. Rarely did that feeling come from town unless there were preparations for a wedding. Curious, Mitchell hurried down the street, avoiding the puddles along the cracked cobblestone.
He turned the corner and headed to the minister’s office. Around the tall Capitol building, a group of people were gathered in their morning dress. They chirped and talked to each other, the enthusiasm was contagious even though Mitchell didn’t know what the fuss was all about. He tapped a young woman wearing a bonnet on the shoulder.
“Miss, what is going on? Most unusual for a Thursday morning,” Mitchell joked with a slight laugh.
Her weathered face surprised him when she tur
ned, but her eyes were lively and bright. “Oh, Mr. Richardson, good day. The most curious thing!” She pointed up at the sky just past the minister’s main tower. Mitchell did his best to follow her finger’s trail.
There was no mistaking what he saw. None at all.
Wide-eyed, Mitchell removed his hat and held it to his chest in a sign of respect. “A rainbow?” He whispered. “Here?” The richness of the color, the beauty and splendor, well, it took his breath away.
The young lady’s smile spread from ear to ear, and despite her darkened teeth, Mitchell saw beauty in her plainness. “Indeed. A rainbow, the first of its kind in centuries, right here in Rottenwood! We may be first, but I do hope we aren’t the last.”
The vibrant colors were distinct and beautiful as anything Mitchell had ever dreamed, if he even did that anymore. Reds, purples, blues, yellows, he had heard rumors of such things occurring in nature once, but to see them… well, Mitchell wished he could see nothing but these colors.
His eyes moistened with happy tears. When had such a feat happened before? Had he even been truly happy when Timothy had been born, or had he simply been relieved the ministers would let him and his dreadful wife live a while longer?
“There!” Someone pointed at the hunter’s tower. Several hunters swooped out of their windows toward the rainbow. They dove and scooped, swirling around the color. A piercing death cry punctured the air.
The rainbow persisted. It hadn’t been destroyed even when faced with their screeching. Angry, the hunters dove away, and Mitchell ducked as one went straight for him. People screamed and fell to the ground, but he stood back up straight and did an about face.
Angry, the hunters cried and charged for the rainbow. Its shoulder clipped Mitchell, and he fell to the ground under the force. Holding his breath, his eyes never left the sky as the death hunters did their best to remove the rainbow.
But it remained. In steadfast rebellion.