Dynasty of Rogues

by Jane Fletcher

  Loke strained her eyes. The door of the cabin was outlined in dull red. By the look of it, a fire was burning down inside, but no lanterns or candles were lit. Loke cautiously advanced. As she passed, one of the ponies shuffled its feet; the hooves clattered loudly on rock. Loke froze and waited, but no other sound or motion disturbed the silence. She reached the cabin door and slowly drew her sword.

  Again Loke paused, listening, while weighing up her plans for the last time. She had to kill them both. Loke felt her jaw tighten in an involuntary grimace. She did not like the idea, but she had no choice. Tanya had the more damaging testimony to deliver, but Rikako returning to Westernfort alone would be nearly as bad. They must have been together for some time. Who knew what they had told each other? The mere fact Rikako had chosen to return would ensure that she got a hearing. She might even be carrying letters.

  Loke hoped she would be able to kill both in their sleep; a quick stab through the throat, that would prevent the one she struck first from crying out and waking the other. However, Loke knew nothing was certain. She had to allow for some disturbance, and possibly a struggle with her second victim.

  Rikako Sadiq was the one to dispose of first. In Loke’s estimation, she was the more dangerous and less predictable of the two. Undoubt-edly, Tanya Coppelli was a competent Ranger, intelligent and skilled with a bow. Yet she was no match for her mother, Captain Chip Coppelli. She lacked aggression and fire. She could put a dozen arrows into the heart of a target, but Loke did not think she would be so quick to put one into the heart of a woman. Tanya had never killed, never been in a fight with deadly intent. If it came to one on one, Loke counted on having the advantage, because Tanya would freeze, just for that split second, before striking the fatal thrust.

  Loke edged the door open, a millimeter at a time, and slipped inside. As she had thought, the remains of a fire in the hearth were sinking into glowing embers. The soft red glow flowed over the room. Loke waited for her eyes to adjust before moving.

  She looked for the two sleeping bodies. One blanket-covered form was immediately apparent, but there was no sign of a second. Loke’s forehead furrowed in confusion and her eyes returned to the first shape. This time she studied the outline in closer detail and realized that two women lay under the same blanket, fitted close together, like spoons. Loke could not restrain her wry smile. So that was how it was.

  Loke stood over the sleeping figures. The frown deepened on her face. Rikako was closer to the wall. Tanya lay behind, with her right arm over her lover’s shoulders, holding her close. Her hand was in front of Rikako’s face. Although unintentional, the positioning effectively shielded Rikako. Tanya’s throat was in turn equally well protected by Rikako’s head.

  Loke held her sword out experimentally, judging angles and swings, and then stepped back, chewing her lip. The wall was too close to let her put a forceful blow into Rikako’s chest. The only guaranteed quick killing strike on either woman was to Tanya’s back, between her ribs and piercing her heart.

  Loke stepped forward again, tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword. She drew back her arm, and then stopped. She would kill Tanya, but it would leave her with Rikako to confront, awake and forewarned. Even so, she would have the advantage. She ought to win. Yet Rikako was quick and far too good in the wilderness. If she chose to flee rather than fight and made it to the woods, the odds did not look good at all.

  Loke stared at the two figures. What was her best option? What other opportunities to kill them would she have? An ambush on the trail was not a good idea. If she picked her position, she would be able to put an arrow through one, but the other would then be a fast-moving target, and far harder to hit.

  Loke’s thoughts churned through plans and conjectures. They had to be heading for Westernfort, but they would undoubtedly stop at Ginasberg on the way. Their next night would be spent at the Ranger post below Turner’s Lookout. Loke’s frown faded as a new plan seeded itself. It should work, and even if not, she would have lost nothing. The chance would still be there to stab them in their sleep, and maybe tomorrow night they would be a little farther from the wall.

  Slowly, she backed toward the cabin door and left. With a little effort she would arrive at the next post several hours before Tanya Coppelli and Rikako Sadiq, which would give her plenty of time to prepare a surprise for them.

  *

  Sunset was more than an hour away as they rode along the ridge toward the next Ranger post. The exposed location meant that few trees grew to obscure the panoramic view over the land below. This was the last of the high hills. The terrain ahead leveled out into softer contours, and forests of firs replaced the dry, barren uplands.

  Riki fixed her eyes on the horizon, following the direction of her thoughts. Ginasberg was a mere forty kilometers due north, a day’s journey. In her heart she was both eager and worried. Would she be able to find the words she wanted? How would they be received? Would her mother forgive her?

  Tanya rode beside her in silence. Was she also thinking ahead to being reunited with her mothers? Although for her, the occasion was guaranteed a good outcome.

  At the end of the ridge, they descended into a depression in the hillside that turned into a steep-sided ravine. The route was traveled often enough to leave a visible trail along the bottom. They rounded a sheer escarpment as the valley walls fell away. Before them lay an area of bleached grass, scattered bushes, and spindly trees. A ring of limestone fists punched up through the thin upland soil, between cracked fissures.

  Riki pointed to the largest stone bastion and reined her horse to a standstill. “The Ranger post is in there. And I think someone’s already home.”

  “Why?”

  “Do you see that wooden bridge over the crevice in front?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s the only way in that doesn’t involve a climb. But normally we don’t advertise the post’s location by leaving the bridge out. It gets hidden under those bushes.” Riki nodded at the ones she meant. “Either somebody’s been lazy and not put it away when she left, or she’s still here.”

  “No sign of horses.”

  “They get put to graze a little farther down the hillside where there’s a stream and the grass is better.”

  Tanya raised her voice to a shout. “Hello? Anyone here?”

  They waited while the echoes faded over the hillside.

  “Maybe she’s down seeing to her horse,” Tanya suggested.

  “Should still be in earshot.”

  Riki hopped down from her pony and walked the short distance to the bridge. The fissure it spanned was less than four meters across and of a similar depth. The outcrop on the other side rose in a flat wall, except for the small cleft the bridge led to. The fissure ran for a dozen meters in either direction before more cliffs sealed it off. As far as could be seen, the floor was flat, but it was hidden beneath a covering of dover ferns. Windblown soil could accumulate at the bottom, and it was sheltered from direct sunlight. Footprints marked the ground around the bridge, scuffed in places, but definitely caused by a Ranger’s boots.

  “These prints are fresh. Two hours at most. The wind would have blown them away if they were any older.”

  Tanya had remained seated on her pony. She stood in the stirrups and scanned the surroundings before also dismounting. “Must have had to go and do something. There’s still an hour before dark. She might come back.”

  Riki shrugged and walked onto the bridge. The structure was light enough to be put out by one woman, yet robust enough to take the weight of several. However, as she approached the middle, Riki felt it bouncing under her feet more than she remembered. She glanced back. Tanya was a few meters behind her and had not yet set foot on the bridge.

  “You better wait there. I think the bridge is in need of—”

  Suddenly, the planks under Riki’s feet gave way with a loud snap. Her knees flexed in an automatic but pointless attempt to keep her balance. The bridge cracked in two and Riki tumbled to the
bottom of the ravine.

  She had no time to think, but fortunately her instincts kicked in. Her arms shot out for balance. Her knees bent, ready to take the impact. Her feet hit the ground and she pitched forward into a roll. Fire erupted in her ankle, but faded almost as quickly—nothing worse than a sprain. Fortunately, the thick plant cover cushioned her from worse bruising, and the falling timbers landed away from her. Riki rolled once more and ending up sitting among the crushed ferns and broken wood, more surprised than hurt.

  “Riki!” Tanya shouted.

  Even before Riki could draw breath to reply, Tanya’s head appeared at the top of the crevice.

  “I’m okay.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.” Riki took a deep breath. “Just a bit shook up.”

  “What happened?”

  “The bridge broke when I was standing on it.”

  The fear on Tanya’s face faded to an amused pout. “I guess if you can come out with smartass answers you must be okay.”

  “You asked the question.”

  “Wait there. I’ll get a rope to help you out.”

  Riki grinned and looked at the remains of the bridge. The largest section had fallen against the side of the ravine and now stood propped beside her at an angle. She could see where the under-strut had cracked. To a first glance, the wood appeared weathered but sound. Then her eyes caught a glimpse of clean white wood. Riki pulled away the shrouding ferns to take a better look.

  “Tanya!”

  “What is it?” Tanya’s head reappeared. Her expression showed rekindled alarm.

  “The bridge was sabotaged.”

  “What!”

  “Here. Somebody has hacked at the strut to weaken it.” Riki looked up. “It’s a trap.”

  “Who would—” Tanya met Riki’s eyes. “I’m not going to leave you here.”

  “They’ll be watching. You’re exposed. You can’t help me by being a target.”

  “I—”

  Abruptly, Tanya broke off and ducked out of sight. Riki heard her run away, and then the unmistakable twang of a distant bowstring.

  “Tanya!” Riki could not stop herself from shouting, although she did not expect an answer. Her only comfort was that she had heard no cry and no thud of a body hitting the ground.

  Leather creaked. A pony snorted, followed by rapid hoofbeats echoing between the rocks, and then fading into silence.

  Riki got uneasily to her feet. Who had sabotaged the bridge? It was not a likely tactic for Guards, even if a company was in the region and had discovered the post. Had she and Tanya been the targets? Or had they stumbled unwittingly into a trap intended for another victim? In which case, who and where was she? But if the trap had been for Tanya and her, who might have seen them approaching and wanted to stop them? Who would shoot at Tanya?

  At that point, Riki’s thoughts lurched to an uncomfortable stop as one plausible answer presented itself. She peered around the fissure. Was there any point in hiding? The saboteur would have seen her fall and would know where she was. Lying down and playing dead was not a good idea. Even if her words to Tanya had not been overheard, anyone with a modicum of caution would put a few arrows into an easy target, just to be sure.

  Riki looked up at the sound of footsteps. She was about to find out the saboteur’s identity—not that she felt much doubt. Riki was unsurprised when Loke Stevenson appeared at the rim above her, holding a strung bow with an arrow nocked on the string. It took Riki a split second to realize that there was a point in hiding after all. She dived into the space behind the solid timber remains of the bridge. An arrow hit the rocks by where she had been standing.

  Five seconds of silence followed.

  “Tanya,” Loke shouted at the top of her voice.

  The silence continued.

  “Tanya Coppelli. If you don’t come back, I’m going to kill your girlfriend.”

  Use of the term girlfriend made Riki frown. When had Loke spotted them, and what had they been doing? It was decidedly unpleasant to think they had been spied on.

  “Come on, Tanya. I know you. Even if you weren’t fucking her, you wouldn’t run off and desert a comrade. I know you’re still here, listening.”

  Riki heard Loke as she stamped up and down the length of the ravine. Riki shifted from side to side behind the bridge panel, to keep herself covered.

  “You better come out. Now. Or you’ll regret it.” Loke was sounding increasingly desperate.

  Riki decided that she might as well get the answer she wanted, rather than listen to the inane threats. “Why did you call me her girlfriend?”

  “I saw you last night.”

  “Ah.”

  “I crept into the Ranger post. I was going to stab you, but you were all wrapped up in each other’s arms. I couldn’t get a clean stroke.”

  “Oh. You saw us asleep.” Riki felt a sense of relief that was completely disproportionate, giving the situation.

  “Yes.” Loke’s tone was terse and distracted. She raised her voice again. “Tanya. I know you’re close by. This is your fucking last chance.”

  “Last chance or what?”

  Loke ignored Riki and carried on shouting. “If you don’t come out, I’m going to get some lamp oil from the supplies in the post. Then I’m going to toss it down into the ravine, with a torch. The ferns will go up nicely. Do you want to hear your girlfriend scream as she burns?”

  Riki looked at the dover ferns. They were starting to wilt with the end of summer and would burn well enough. She leaned her head back on the rocks and caught her lip in her teeth. She was sure she knew the game that Tanya was playing, and wanted to give her every last second.

  “I’m going to get the oil.”

  “You’ve left yourself a jump,” Riki pointed out.

  Loke merely snarled and stomped along to where the ravine narrowed to little more than a meter. She slipped her bow over her shoulder and stared at the rock face where she would land. Riki peered between the wooden slats, watching her. Loke backed off a few steps, clearly preparing to take a running jump, but then stopped and looked around, shifting her weight. She took an indecisive half step away from the crevice.

  Riki spoke again. “You know she’s gone, don’t you?”

  “You think she’d run off and leave you?”

  “It depends on how you look at it.”

  “She’s too damned noble to ditch a comrade.”

  “What would you know about being noble?”

  Loke spun away from the ravine. Her head jerked left and right. “Tanya.”

  “She’s not stupid, you know.”

  Abruptly, Loke pulled her bow off her shoulder and set off at a run, away from the ravine.

  “Loke, before you go. There’s something you need to know. Something I found out about Tanya when I was in Landfall.” Riki shouted, unsure whether her words would get any response, but through the gaps in the timber, she saw Loke reappear on the brink.

  “What?”

  “The Coppellis. They run half of Landfall. Tanya’s grandmother, Isabel Coppelli, she’s sharp. She’s the shrewdest woman I’ve ever met in my life, but the whole family are the same. And Tanya’s a Coppelli.”

  “Where’s this going?” Loke was fidgeting, impatience manifest in every muscle of her body.

  “When you started shouting threats, Tanya would have still been quite close, so she’d have heard your voice and recognized you. And what you were saying. All that ‘Come out or I’ll kill your girlfriend’ rubbish. She knew that if she did what you said, you’d have killed us both for sure. It wouldn’t make my life one iota more secure. You need us both dead, else you’re sunk. You were bluffing with a completely empty hand. And I can tell you that any Coppelli would have spotted it in an instant.”

  “This is fucking pointless.” Loke turned away.

  “No. Wait. What I want to say is that Tanya would have known that the only way to keep me safe was for her to run away. She knew when you eventually realized that
she’d gone you weren’t going to hang around, wasting time, trying to kill me. Because even though you’d be safer with us both dead, she’s the one you really have to stop from getting to Ginasberg and talking to people. And she’s got a big head start. She took two seconds to work out what’s taken you twenty minutes. Because she’s smart and you’re not. Like you’ve just wasted another two minutes, listening to me tell you something you’d finally work out for yourself.”

  “Fuck you.” Loke darted out of Riki’s sight. The sound of her running footsteps pounded away.

  “No, thanks. I’m already claimed.” Riki pulled a wry smile. She had no hope of getting Loke to waste more time listening to her. She could only pray that Tanya had enough of a lead for what she had to do.

  Riki heard distant hoofbeats that faded almost immediately. She crawled from behind the planks of the bridge and examined the fissure wall. The rock face was vertical, but covered with cracks and nodules. It ought to be readily climbable.

  Riki flexed her ankle experimentally, testing where she had sprained it when she fell. A few twangs darted up her leg, and it was going to be stiff when she woke the next morning, but it would not stop her from climbing out. Riki reached up, seeking her first handhold. She wanted to get on Loke’s trail as soon as possible. Unfortunately, she was unlikely to do it quickly enough to be of any help to Tanya.

  Chapter Nineteen—The Old Block

  By the time Tanya reached the wooded lowlands, the sun had sunk close to the horizon. Tall fir trees grew on either side of the trail, towering over her and blocking what little daylight was left. Despite the gloom, Tanya pressed ahead hard, but in another half hour true night would fall and she would not be able to maintain her wild gallop.

  Yet, even if it were not for the fading light, Tanya knew she could not keep up the pace much longer. The pony’s flanks were heaving. The animal was nearing its limits. She had no hope of outrunning Loke. The pony was a solid, reliable beast that had carried her without complaint. Yet it had been chosen for its commonplace quality. Loke, however, was mounted on one of Westernfort’s finest horses.