by Shawn Sodman
“Of course you do,” Fernando insists. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you are angry?”
“Stop it,” Samantha says, trying to look serious and not show a smile.
Fernando turns his attention to Fidelma, “And you, Captain, a woman who can read minds... You must be a lot of fun in the bedroom.”
Fidelma gives her prisoner a half smile and replies, “Too bad you’ll never get the chance to find out.” She stands up and says to Ariella, “He’s all yours.”
Ariella sits in the chair next to Fernando. Despite his situation, Fernando's mood is more upbeat than before. He smiles at Ariella and says, “I suppose you want me to tell you about your father's treasure now?”
“If you would, please,” Ariella replies.
“Of course,” he shrugs the best he can for being bound to a chair. “It really is a long story, but I can cut right to the end and tell you that these goblins were hired by your father, Red Beard.”
Ariella, not fully understanding the meaning of Fernando's words, replies, “So, the goblins that were trusted to deliver my father’s map to me betrayed him so they could keep the treasure themselves.”
Fernando shakes his head. “No, that is not what happened. What I mean is that it was your father's plan all along.”
“I don't understand,” says Ariella. “Why would my father deny me his treasure just to give it to the Goblin Trade Company?”
“He did not give his treasure to the goblins,” Fernando explains. “He kept it for himself.”
Ariella, becoming more confused by Fernando's attempted explanation says, “You’re not making any sense. My father is dead.”
“That is where you are wrong,” he replies. “Red Beard is alive.”
Ariella stands slowly trying to process the new information. She turns her back to Fernando and looks at the table with Fernando's belongings. She spots Fernando's family sword. She takes the blade and carefully unsheathes it. With a calm tone in her voice she says, “Everything you have done was to get this sword of yours back.” She turns to face him once more and continues, “You lied to me to gain my trust. Then, you tricked me and led me into a trap so that you could steal my mother's locket before escaping.” She flips the sword around in her hand and says, “I finally catch up to you in Sheathelm and find you with this precious sword of yours and no other treasure.” She flicks her wrist, and they all can hear the magical blade as it whisks through the air. “Now, you tell me that my father is still alive?” She points the tip of the blade at his chest and yells, “You are lying!”
Fernando's smile disappears and he replies, “No, I swear to you that this is no lie. Your father is alive, and I saw him with my own eyes.”
“Silence!” she snaps. Ariella turns to Fidelma and says, “Your potion isn't working.”
Fidelma looks at Fernando and studies him for a moment before saying, “No, I think he’s telling you the truth.”
Ariella shakes her head. “He can't be. I watched Corthag throw my father overboard with a chain and anchor attached to him. If he had found some way to survive, he would have told me.”
Fernando, trying to get Ariella to understand, says, “Your father told me that Corthag is also still alive and he wants to make sure that he can take him by surprise. Your father also said that if Corthag ever found out that he escaped, he might try to threaten you.”
“Threaten me for what?” she asks.
“Your father grabbed the key to Corthag's treasure chest just as he was thrown overboard,” Fernando explains. “He is worried that Corthag might be desperate enough to try to take you as a hostage. Your father believes that as long as everyone thinks that he is dead or missing, you will be safe.”
Ariella gives the matter some thought. She looks at Fernando and says, “I swear to the gods, Fernando Greythorn, if this is a part of a bigger plot...”
“It is not,” he replies.
Ariella looks at her friend once more and asks, “Fidelma, are you sure he is telling the truth?”
Fidelma replies, “He is either telling the truth or is the best liar I have ever met. Of course, it is possible that he was fooled by someone pretending to be your father.”
Ariella looks back at Fernando. “We have to get back to Sheathelm soon so I can talk with Torgus. Perhaps he can tell me if Fernando's story is true.”
“We should be there in a few hours,” Fidelma says. “If the storms are gone we can land. In the meantime, what do we do with him?”
Ariella asks Fernando, “Why is there really a bounty on your head?”
Fernando answers, “I am wanted because I have freed many slave women from the brothels of Bastion.”
Ariella looks at Fidelma and asks, “Is he telling the truth about that?”
Fidelma nods and replies, “Yes.”
Fernando says, “I promise everything I have told you is the truth. Could you please let me free now?”
“Not just yet,” Ariella says. “I need to verify your story first, but at least we don't have to interrogate you any further.”
“That is too bad,” Fernando smiles at Samantha. “She and I were starting to have some real fun.”
Samantha shakes her head. “You just don't quit, do you?”
“Quitting is not in a Greythorn's blood,” he says with a grin.
Fidelma grabs Fernando's cheeks and says, “You are worth a lot of money, mister. You’re lucky I don't just turn you in for the reward, anyway.” She turns to Ariella. “Are you still going to let me use Corthag's book?”
“Of course,” Ariella replies. “You did hold up your end of the bargain, assuming that his story checks out.” She hands Fidelma Fernando’s sword. “Perhaps you could sell this to recoup some of your losses.”
“Please,” says Fernando, “I beg of you, do not sell my father's sword.”
Fidelma looks at the blade and tries to swing it in air. She says, “I doubt anyone would want this sword. It feels like a mace when you swing it.”
“That is because it only works for a Greythorn,” Fernando explains.
“Well, that makes it pretty useless,” Fidelma says.
Ariella asks, “What are you talking about?”
“Here,” Fidelma replies, handing the sword back to Ariella. “See for yourself. It feels like a heavy stone is mounted to the tip of the blade. It is clearly only usable by its rightful owner.”
Ariella swings the blade quickly and precisely through the air. “I don't know what you are talking about. This sword is one of the finest blades I have ever held.”
“You should not be able to do that,” Fernando says, sounding puzzled, “unless...”
Ariella swings the sword again and asks, “Unless what?”
“Unless you are a Greythorn,” Fernando answers.
“Don't be ridiculous,” Ariella scoffs. “I am not Greythorn, I'm...” Ariella stops mid-sentence and stares at the sword in her hand. Her eyes then shift to Fernando.
“Ariella,” Fernando says, “you don't know who you really are.”
The sword falls from Ariella's hand and lands of the floor. She shakes her head and says, “No, this is just another one of your lies.”
“Believe me,” Fernando replies. “I am just as surprised as you.”
Ariella shakes her head. “Why are you doing this to me?” she asks Fernando. “First you tell me that my father is still alive, and now you are trying to imply that you and I are related. What sick game are you playing, Fernando Greythorn?”
“I promise,” he replies, “I am not playing any game. My father died on the White Feather along with your mother. I had no idea there was any connection between the two of them. My mother had always told me that my father went off to get the sword back after it was stolen from him. She said my father wrote to her, saying that he had gotten it back and would return as soon as he could. Then we heard that the White Feather was attacked by the orcneas and that Red Beard had avenged their deaths by destroying the orcnea ship. I
had always assumed that my father's sword was lost until the goblins approached me a few weeks ago. Perhaps your father kept the sword because he knew you might be able to use it.”
Ariella stands motionless, lost in a daze. Fidelma picks up the sword. “Ariella, we can ask a seer to tell us if the two of you are related.”
“What?” Ariella asks, not hearing her friend.
“We can take a sample of his blood to a seer,” Fidelma says. “Then we can find out if you and Fernando are related or not.”
“Yes, of course,” Ariella says, still somewhat out of sorts.
“Come on,” Fidelma says as she takes her friend’s hand. “Let's go topside and see how far we are from Sheathelm.”
Chapter 24
Full Circle
To the north, the Amazons of the Silver Moon wait along the side of the road leading out of Ogre's Mead. They are hiding among several large boulders and two trees as a wagon approaches. It is being pulled by two horses.
Lyra is peering over the rock with her invisibility spell active and says to the others, “There are only two males. It looks like they are taking barrels to Ogre's Mead.”
Kel'ana looks at Evelena and asks, “What do you want to do?”
“This is hardly an honorable kill,” Evelena says. “Let’s try to take them by surprise and capture them. I have an idea.”
“Are you sure?” Gelana asks. “What if they try to kill us?”
“Then, and only then, do we fight back,” Evelena replies. “Let me see if my Orcneish is good enough to communicate with them.”
Lyra says, “They’re almost here.”
“Everyone aim your weapons but hold your attack,” Evelena says. “Step out when I do.”
Kel'ana draws back her bow as the others ready their weapons and spells. It is an overwhelming force for the two orcneas on the wagon. Evelena steps out into the road with her hands up and says in Orcneish, “You! Stop where you are, and you will not be harmed.”
The others step out as well, and aim their weapons at the surprised orcneas. Kelik and Ambra stay hidden behind a large rock while Ya'leigh stands with Incendia drawn.
Even though Evelena's instructions were to stop, the orcnea steering the horses pulls the reins to his left and begins to turn the wagon around. He also shakes the reins to speed their escape. One of the dozen barrels falls off the back of the wagon as the orcneas begin to ride away.
Evelena says to the others, “Someone take out the driver.”
Kel'ana reluctantly releases bowstring of Glacies, and an icy arrow strikes the orcnea with the reins in the back. The driver falls off the wagon, and as he does, the horses are pulled sharply to the left. The wagon goes off the road and one of its wheels passes over a hole. The sharp jolt in the wagon causes it to overturn.
The horses come to a stop as the other orcnea is thrown to the ground. Evelena and the Amazons begin to approach the wagon. Ya'leigh says to Garrin, “Stay with Ambra and Kelik. I’m going to check on the wagon.”
Garrin nods as Ya'leigh follows the Sisters of the Silver Moon. Sven and Isen also follow the others to the wagon as Kianna and Gena stay behind with Garrin.
The surviving orcnea crawls back to the wagon and picks up a crossbow. Evelena says in Orcneish, “We do not wish to harm you!” She says to her friends, “Do not attack unless he attacks first.”
Just as she finishes giving that order, the orcnea stands up and fires its crossbow at Evelena. She barely manages to put her shield up and block the bolt. Ja'noa throws one of her star steel daggers and takes down the orcnea.
“Are you all right?” Kristieana asks Evelena.
Evelena looks at her shoulder. The tip of the crossbow bolt managed to penetrate through her shield and impale her. “I’m lucky my shield was able to block most of that,” she says. She pulls the bolt out of the shield and asks Ja'noa, “Can you tell if it was poisoned?”
Ja'noa takes the bolt from her and says, “It will be hard to tell with all the blood. I’ll check the orcnea for any poisons.”
“Thank you,” Evelena says.
“I'll heal your shoulder,” Yentroc says.
Yentroc begins to heal Evelena as Ja'noa walks to the other side of the wagon. She holds out her hand, and her star steel dagger returns to her. She bends down to look at the quiver of crossbow bolts. She examines one of the bolts and searches the orcnea who fired it. When she finds nothing of interest, she calls out to the others, “I don't think it was poisoned, but we may want to keep an eye on the wound just in case.” Suddenly, Ja'noa hears something beneath the wagon move. She draws her daggers again. “There’s something under there!”
Everyone draws their weapons once again, and gathers around the wagon. Evelena says in Orcneish, “We have you surrounded. Come out slowly and we will let you live.” She says to the others, “Hold your fire.”
Rehma says, “So far that hasn't worked.”
Evelena glares at Rehma and says, “I am quite aware of that, thank you.”
They watch the wagon and soon a barrel is pushed out of the way by a pair of orange skinned hands. Kel'ana aims her icy arrow at the dark hole beneath the wagon where the barrel once was. Evelena repeats herself once more in Orcneish, “Come out slowly with your hands where we can see them.”
Ya'leigh watches anxiously as the hands appear first, followed by the head of an orcnea. The orcnea slowly emerges from darkness with its hands in the air. It is holding a short sword above its head, and it tosses it onto the ground before him.
Kel'ana says, “You dropped something.”
The awkwardly timed jest causes a few of the others to hold back their laughter. Ambra says, “Actually, he threw it, so it is not considered a drop.”
Kel'ana nods as Ya'leigh gives her sister a stern look. Evelena says, “Are the two of you quite finished?”
Kel'ana replies, “Sorry.”
The orcnea says something in Orcneish that Evelena can barely understand.
Evelena says something back to the creature before her as it remains low to the ground in a squatting position, with its hands above its head. The orcnea does not look up at them as it cowers in fear.
“What did it say?” Isen asks.
Evelena looks at the others and says, “He said ‘Please don't kill me.’”
The group, having never faced a defenseless, surrendering enemy, does not know what to do. Gelana is the first speak up, “What are we going to do with him?”
Rehma says to Evelena, “You said you had a plan. What is it?”
Evelena turns to the orcnea and says something else to him in its native language. The orcnea looks up at Evelena, then looks to the others. With his hands still in the air, the orcnea slowly stands up.
“By the gods,” Evelena says, looking at the small stature of their captive, “he is just a child.”
The situation becomes difficult for Ya'leigh to handle. She cannot help but think back to the time when she was five years old and watched from underneath an overturned wagon as her mother was struck down by a raiding party of orcneas. Even though she was only five, the memory is forever vivid in her mind. As her mother fell, Ya'leigh tried to come to her aid, but her mother shook her head and motioned for Ya'leigh to stay under the wagon out of sight. Ya'leigh and her friend, Aria, watched as their mothers were slain. The memory always fades after that. Now Ya'leigh stands before a young orcnea who most likely just witnessed his father getting killed. Even though it appears that their captive is older than five, it is all too familiar to her.
“What have we done?” Ya'leigh asks. “He is no older than Ambra or Kelik.”
Isen says, “It is still an orcnea.”
Princess Kianna now joins them and as she surveys the situation she asks her friend, “Ya'leigh, are you all right?”
Ya'leigh looks at Kianna and says, “It's just a child. We cannot kill him.”
Evelena says, “We won’t.”
“What are we going to do, then?” Isen asks.
Ev
elena looks at Lyra and says, “When I point to you, I want to you use your invisibility spell.”
Lyra nods. “I can do that.”
Looking at Kristieana, Evelena says, “When I point to you, I want you to use your cloak.”
Kristieana, trying to figure out what Evelena's plan is, replies, “All right, if that’s what you need me to do.”
Evelena says to the others, “I'll explain everything shortly, but right now, I need Kel'ana to untie one of the horses from the wagon and bring it over here.”
“Are we going to let him go?” Isen asks.
“Yes,” Evelena answers, “and I'll explain why after he is on his way. If this works, we could be making a difference in the war.”
The Amazons look at each other for a moment before Kel'ana says, “I trust your plan, Evelena.” She then walks over to the horses that are still bound to the overturned wagon.
As Kel'ana begins to soothe one of the horses, Evelena turns her attention to the orcnea and begins to speak to it again. The others watch as the orcnea nods to Evelena. When it does, Evelena points to Lyra and says to her, “Now.” Lyra uses her magic to become invisible. Evelena continues to talk to the still frightened orcnea and then points to Kristieana.
Kristieana pulls her magical cloak over her head and also disappears. Kel'ana leads one of the horses over to Evelena, who takes the reins and continues to talk in Orcneish. The young captive continues to nod his head as he takes the reins of the horse.
Evelena says to the others, “Give him some space to leave.” The others back up as Evelena says some final words to the orcnea before he gives the horse a kick to its sides and quickly heads back the way the wagon came.
“What did you say to him?” Kianna asks.
As the orcnea rides off, Evelena turns to the others and explains, “I told him that we are merely a scouting party for much larger force of invisible warriors.”
“That’s why you wanted Lyra and me to become invisible,” Kristieana concludes.
Isen asks, “Why did you tell him that?”
“The orcneas will return with every soldier they have in the north,” Garrin says.