by Alan Black
He shouted in Geldonite again. “I’m the high and mighty governor of this region and the military commander of the third and fifth armies under the leadership of His Mighty Emperor Garterious, the Magnificent. Who here speaks a civilized tongue? Come now! Speak, for you delay me and my troops on our march toward Stantinstadt.”
The red-haired man stood forward, with a small dark man beside him. Both men looked skeptical, but neither looked willing to attack Tanden without knowing the size of the force that might be with him.
The dark man pointed to the red-haired man and spoke in halting Geldonite. “This is Orrick. He commands here. I am Narol of Garrold. I understand you well enough, but I know not of this ruler you speak of or of your armies.”
Tanden bellowed, “Fool. I don’t care what you know. Orrick commands nothing of importance here. Does this Orrick understand my language?”
Narol said, “Of course, he is an educated man.”
Tanden dismissed the little man with a wave of his hand. “I don’t speak to underlings. You!” He walked straight up to Orrick and jabbed a finger at the man’s chest. “You hold my property. I want it back.” Tanden gestured with a casual hand toward I-Sheera.
Every Surr on the beach turned to look at I-Sheera and then back to Tanden.
Orrick laughed, “You plan to take this one by yourself? I see no others with you.”
Tanden shook his head as if he was speaking to a small child or a fool and said in a patronizing tone, “Nor will you until it’s too late.”
A shadow passed over Tanden causing him to glance upward. The severed head Seenger had carried, spun through the air. It landed with a dull thud in the midst of the Surr slavers. Several backed away, awkwardly stumbling over each other. A babble of arguing voices broke out among them.
Orrick shouted at them and they quieted. Most of the slavers appeared ready to run for their boats. Only three or four gripped their weapons tightly. Tanden saw their knuckles turning white across their sword hilts. These men were true warriors, men who held their fighting spirit in check by the tightest of reins. If they rushed Tanden, the others would follow.
The Surr slaver shouted again and the men guarding the slaves on the beach began hustling their charges toward the ships.
Tanden said, “There are one or two in that bunch that I might be willing to purchase from you for the right price.” Then he roared, “After you give me back what is rightfully mine.”
Tanden noticed Orrick and Narol eyeing the area behind him where Tuller and Seenger were hiding. Soon all of the Surr were looking behind him. Tanden turned his back on the Surr as if unconcerned. Kneeling next to the oak tree, bound and gagged, were the two Surr captured by the spring. Gadon was out of sight, but the flat of a sword reached from behind a tree to rest on the head of one of the captives.
Tanden turned completely around, slowly showing the Surr he had no fear of them. He used that time to look for Seenger and Tuller. Neither was in sight.
“You!” Tanden said, jabbing a finger at Orrick’s chest, “Orrick is it? Yes, I’m sure it is, but no matter. These two are yours, I think. I’m feeling generous today. You may have them back, but release that,”—he jiggled his finger in I-Sheera’s direction and continued—“now, or I’ll command my archers to fire and I’ll take everything.”
Orrick started to speak, but Tanden shouted, “Count yourself blessed by the great six gods this day that I don’t exact a toll from you for trespassing on the emperor’s realm.”
Tanden watched Seenger step onto the beach. The Surr were focused on Tanden, so to them it looked like Seenger appeared out of thin air. A few of them broke and ran at the sight of the ogre. Tanden was accustomed to the creature’s looks, but had he not known Seenger, he might have run as well.
Seenger’s leather clothing barely covered his massive size. The garments were torn and filthy, remnants stolen from dead Hummdhar warriors. A sword casually propped across one shoulder, he had two knives stuck prominently in his ill-fitting trousers. His hair was a wild tangled mass, matted with bat blood and mud from the swamps. Red blood streaked his face. His bone white tusks and fangs were shining in the bright sunlight. One leg was painted with blood from mid-thigh to the tip of his boot. Every exposed area of his thick pebble-like hide was scratched, bruised, and mottled.
Seenger walked by Tanden. The Surr milling about parted as Seenger walked directly toward where I-Sheera lay in the sand. Her captor still had his foot on her neck. He leaned backward at the ogre’s approach, but held his position until Seenger placed his hand flat on the middle of the man’s chest and gave him a mighty shove. The slaver flew backward, scattering sand as he landed on his back, sprawled on the beach.
During the commotion, Tanden glanced toward the trees to see Gadon slipping from tree to tree, quickly making his way toward the west. Tuller was not in sight. He turned back, relieved to note that all of the slavers were watching the ogre.
Seenger reached down to I-Sheera. He clutched a fistful of tangled black hair and lifted her bodily into the air. The woman screeched in pain through the gag covering her mouth. He set her down on her feet and slapped her backhanded across the face, forcefully sending her crashing to the sand. He stepped to her and bent to pick her up, but she scrambled out of his way, able to get to her feet.
Seenger swung at her again and missed.
Nimbly, she darted out of his way, raced through the Surr slavers and ducked behind Tanden. Grabbing her shoulder, Tanden spun her around to face where he thought Tuller might be hiding, and he pushed hard. The shove sent her careening off the beach. He aimed a well-timed kick, barely missing her as she ran from them.
Tuller stepped from behind a tree in time to catch I-Sheera in his arms. Tanden noticed the man looked almost as wild as Seenger. His hair was a mass of scabs and burns, with tufts of hair pointing in all directions. Dried mud covered him from the waist down. He was matted with leaves and bits of weeds. Seenger looked more animal than ogre, but Tuller looked more like a thorny plant than a man.
Seenger casually strolled past Tanden, following the woman without looking back.
Tanden faced Orrick and said, “Some of them are almost more of a problem than they’re worth, don’t you agree?” Without waiting for a response he shouted, “Orrick. Get out of my sight. Take what’s yours. I don’t care about them. No! Wait.”
Tanden needed to stall and delay the Surr until his friends could put some distance between them and the group on the beach.
He stood eye-to-eye with the red-haired Surr. “I don’t care if you trade in Hummdhars, Coodhars, or even those damnable Holdenite bastards, but have you stolen my lord’s subjects? Maybe I should have my men board your ships to inspect your stock, what do you say to that, Orrick?”
Without waiting for a response, Tanden spun on his heels to walk eastward, the opposite way Gadon had gone. Over his shoulder, he shouted, “I’ll leave a detail here to watch your departure. You have one hour to be gone from my sight or I will come back, kill you all, and burn your puny ships.”
He walked casually up the path toward the spring without turning around. Sweat trickled down his back, tickling him between his shoulder blades. He wanted to turn and run after his friends, but he looked neither to the left nor to the right, keeping his eyes fastened on the path. He willed the Surr to watch his departing back. The longer they watched him, the more distance the others could gain.
Tanden did not know how he had bluffed the Surr into inaction. An old saying rumbled through his head, “The man who wavers eats the loser’s sparse meal, but the man of bold action gains his own kingdom.” Usually Tanden did not have much use for old sayings, but today he greatly hoped this one might hold some small measure of truth.
Once he was out of sight of the beach, Tanden glanced back over his shoulder. No one was following him. He turned abruptly and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, angling away from the beach, but heading in the approximate direction of his crew. He watched the area in
the direction of the beach for any sign the Surr slavers were following him. He scanned the area ahead of him looking for any of his crew.
There was nothing in the clear open area to slow him down. He was well away from the swamps and on solid dry land. However, Tanden tired quickly, even with a full night’s sleep behind him. The air was thick and humid increasing the effort he was forced to take to breathe while running. Still, he ran. Gadon, in his weakened condition could not have traveled far or fast. He should meet up with the others sooner than he would like.
Tanden was beginning to think he had passed them when a rock sailed over his head and thudded into the ground. He spun about, dropping to the dirt. Looking back he saw the sun reflecting off metal in the grass. Attached to the metal was Tuller’s hand waggling at him to stay down and crawl to him.
Lying in the dirt, surrounded by tall clumps of weeds, Tanden could not see beyond a dozen yards in each direction. Slowly, he slid on his belly from one patch of weeds to the next.
A clank of metal on metal and a shout froze Tanden in place. The Surr must have shaken themselves into action and were searching the area. Tanden had not been seen. He would not be alive if he had. The weeds afforded him only minor protection, so he needed to find solid cover soon. Tuller must have found some hiding place, because Tanden had almost run him over without seeing him.
Tanden slithered silently a few feet toward Tuller and dropped into a depression next to the sailor. The depression was no more than a low spot in a field. It probably filled with rainwater at times. Even now the bottom oozed mud. Its value as a hiding spot lay in the fact that it was ringed by bushes and weeds and enabled them to stay below the visual plane of the field. His entire crew was hunkered down in the mud. Gadon lay on his side curled up. Tanden fought to control his ragged breathing. Their hiding place was precarious enough without making noise to easily give their position away.
Tuller held up seven fingers and pointed toward the beach, indicating seven slavers were searching for them in that direction. Tanden saw a flash of sunlight reflecting against metal again. The rays of the mid-morning sun were shining off the brass bracelet Seenger had given Tuller back at the spring.
Tanden pointed at his own wrist, wiggled his flat hand, then drew a finger across his throat, frowning deeply. Tuller looked down at the bracelet. He scooped a handful of mud from the bottom of the hole to smear the brass, successfully hiding the shine.
Tanden looked over at Seenger who was cautiously watching the opposite direction from Tuller. Tanden caught the ogre’s attention and signaled a question.
Seenger shook his head and held out a clenched fist. No one was coming from his direction.
Tuller continued watching the slavers moving between them and the sea.
Tanden glanced at I-Sheera. He smiled at her, but she did not meet his eyes. Someone had untied her hands and released her gag. She was visibly upset. She sat shaking, huddled in the mud with her arms wrapped around her sides.
Tuller silently signaled, “All clear.”
Seenger whispered, “I don’t see anyone.”
Tanden softly asked Tuller, “Which way did they go? Toward their ships or away from them?”
“Seven walked away and six came back,” Tuller answered. “Surr slavers?”
Tanden nodded and said, “First, we find both Hummdhars and Coodhars coming out of the mountains and moving to the coasts of the Black Sea. Then we find Surr slavers as open as you please. When Warwall pulled his red troops out of Stantinstadt, he left this area wide open to all. I told Father, King Krebbem was making a mistake not to retake Stantinstadt. That town is the key to controlling the Oggy Strait and all of the Black Sea. Something will have to be done or the Holden Empire will be fighting more than one war at a time, and fighting for our very survival.”
Tuller said, “I agree. Something will have to be done, but not by us. I think we have enough problems of our own.”
Tanden snapped, “Damn politicians! We wouldn’t be having problems if it weren’t for politicians.”
Gadon looked up and wheezed, “Careful. That almost sounds like treason against King Krebbem. Men have been hanged for less. Not that I’d mind if you get hanged, but everyone knows that I’m your friend. They would hang me just for good measure. Now, I enjoy a good hanging every now and again, but by my very breath, I don’t think I’d enjoy any personal participation in that activity.”
Tuller smiled and said, “Don’t worry, big brother. We may not live long enough to die from a comfortable hanging.”
Gadon smiled weakly, “True, all too true.”
Tanden shook his head. “Tuller, any sign of the slavers?”
Tuller replied, “No.”
“Good. Then we move west, away from their ships. Stay together. Try to stay out of sight as much as possible.”
Each man stood, trying to watch every direction at once. Tuller pulled Gadon up and out of the mud hole. Tanden stepped out and signaled for them to move west. Seenger stepped up next to him, continuing to watch the area to the east near the beach.
I-Sheera was the last to stand. She was still shaking and holding herself. Tanden reached out a hand to pull her up next to him. Slowly, she accepted his hand and joined him and Seenger. Facing the two, she suddenly doubled up her fist, swiveled her hips and punched Seenger dead center in the middle of his chest. The punch was well delivered and sharp, but the ogre didn’t even flinch.
She hissed, “You hit me!”
Tanden would have laughed, but she spun on him and said, “And you tried to kick me.” She swung her fist at him, but Tanden backed away from her in time.
He said, “But I missed. And I meant to miss. Great glory, girl! We were trying to rescue you from slavers.”
She spat at him, “And I missed you just now. I won’t miss next time.” She turned and stalked off after Gadon and Tuller.
Seenger looked at Tanden, rubbing the spot on his chest, “She carries a mighty fist for one so little. I assume that among human women such a strike is not an invitation to bed?”
Tanden laughed and shook his head. Speaking so softly that I-Sheera couldn’t hear, “She is odd, even for a human woman, Seenger. One moment she’s as playful as a kitten, or as shy and quiet as a kitchen mouse, and the next moment you’d swear she’s a lioness looking for lunch. A hellcat, for sure.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
I-Sheera stormed away. Anger flared in her eyes.
Suddenly, she turned and walked back. She stood there quietly with her head down for a moment. She put the palm of her hand flat against Tanden’s chest. “I’m sorry, my Lord. Thank you for coming to save me.” Turning to Seenger, she stood on tiptoes and stretched up to kiss his cheek. “Forgive me, Seenger, I struck in anger, but I wasn’t angry with you.”
Seenger wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. He looked to Tanden and said, “Captain, I would send this one back where she came from. I think her mind isn’t right.”
Tanden said, “Follow Gadon and Tuller. We need to put some distance between us and the Surr.” He gestured for Seenger to move on ahead. He took I-Sheera by the elbow and turned her, propelling her after Seenger.
After a time, she asked, “Tanden?”
When he said nothing she continued, “I want to tell you why I hit Seenger.” Still, Tanden did not speak. “I know you’re ashamed of me. I’m sorry.”
“Woman, you said you were sorry once. I believed you then, you don’t need to repeat yourself. I’m not ashamed of you. It’s true, I don’t think you are like other women at all. Of course, that’s not entirely a bad thing.”
Her voice quivered as she said, “I’ve been thinking and I don’t know why I hit Seenger. I was running ahead of Tuller and I felt free. I think for the first time in my life I felt free to make my own choices. And then, suddenly, it was all gone again. I didn’t understand what you said to those men, but you acted like I was unimportant and I felt that way all over again.”
Tanden took her hand
as they walked along side by side. “We were trying to make the Surr think you are unimportant to us. We might not have gotten you away from them if they thought otherwise. You are a free woman to make your own choices. You made the choice to run ahead of us. That choice got you captured by the Surr. Freedom isn’t always easy, I-Sheera. Every action or decision you make has results, some good and some bad. We’re where we are today, because of the decisions I’ve made. You’ll be where you’ll be tomorrow because of the decisions you make for yourself.”
They had moved four or five miles along the coast away from the slavers when Tuller waved to catch their attention. He was urging them to hurry. Seenger joined the brothers crouching behind a cluster of bushes. Each of them drew a weapon. Gadon held his sword point down as if it was too heavy to hold upright, but his hand tightly gripped its hilt. Tuller and Seenger flanked him.
Tanden and I-Sheera joined them. He looked at Tuller, gesturing a silent question in Gadon’s direction. Tuller shook his head slightly, a look of deep concern on his face.
I-Sheera stooped next to Gadon. She brushed her hand against his forehead. He weakly pushed it away, but she persisted, touching the back of her hand to his cheek and forehead. She took the sword from his hand and laid it against her own knees. She cradled the man in her arms and he seemed to melt against her.
She said, “His fever has returned. It’s burning the strength from his body.”
Gadon mumbled, “Leave me alone, girl. I’m not a baby to be pampered.” However, he made no effort to move away from her.
Tanden put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. Turning to Tuller and Seenger, he asked, “What’s ahead?”
Tuller answered, “It looks like a small fishing village. There are a handful of small huts and one big building. I don’t see any people around. There’s one small fishing boat pulled up to the dock.”
Seenger asked, “Why didn’t the Surr anchor off this shore if they took the people from this village captive? Instead, they pulled to shore down the coast. There’s good water, look.” He pointed toward the buildings.