Riki and Tanya followed O’Neil to the gantry. Ginasberg was not a suitable home for anyone afraid of heights. The walkway was a solid enough construction, wide enough for two women to walk abreast, with a secure handrail the entire length. However, it was still suspended in midair and the cliff below descended sheer for three hundred meters. Even after living at the town for years, some women preferred not to look down when walking on it.
The sight of Ginasberg, carved from the rock, made Riki’s grin fade. Soon she would be meeting her mother. This was the moment that had been driving her ever since she had spoken to her sister in Landfall. It was the thing she had to do, but that did not mean she was looking forward to it.
O’Neil continued talking. “If you’ve just come across the Wildlands, I guess you’d like a few days to rest before heading on to Westernfort.”
Tanya answered. “Just a day or two. I want to see my family as soon as possible. I know my mothers will have been worried about me.”
“Worried doesn’t begin to cover it. I’d propose sending a messenger immediately to tell them.”
“Yes. Do.”
“It means you won’t get to see their happy faces when they hear the news.”
“I suspect they’ll still look happy when I get there.”
Riki played no part in the conversation. The Ginasberg end of the walkway was getting close and she could see people congregating, doubtless expecting the town’s bad girl to be making her final appearance before being carted off to Westernfort. They were going to be so disappointed. Riki tried to amuse herself with the thought, but her growing nervousness got in the way.
O’Neil stepped off the walkway, onto the solid rock of Ginasberg. The crowd looked on expectantly. O’Neil drew a breath, preparing to address the gathering, but a disturbance made heads turn. Kavita Sadiq pushed through the ranks and stepped clear, a few meters away.
The fear and misery on her mother’s face hit Riki with a hammer blow. She opened her mouth, but no words would come.
Kavita Sadiq took a stumbling step, as if her knees were about to give way. Ignoring the rest of the crowd, Ash O’Neil moved forward, placing a supportive hand under Kavita’s arm, steadying her and claiming her attention. She then spoke, loudly enough for the onlookers to hear.
“I’m pleased to tell you that, for the first time ever, your daughter isn’t in trouble and hasn’t done anything wrong.” O’Neil paused, clearly considering her words, then added, “That I know of. She’s technically on parole until I get word from Westernfort to confirm it, but I think you can be assured that all charges against her will be dropped.”
Riki stepped forward and cleared her throat. “Mom, I’ve got to tell you I—”
She got no further. Her mother grabbed her in a crushing embrace, squeezing the air from her lungs. Riki felt her mother shaking, sobbing, and tears falling on her neck. Suddenly, her own eyes flooded and it was all she could do to cling on. She was aware of noise in the background, but she did not care who or what it was. At least three minutes passed before her mother relaxed her grip enough for Riki to pull back.
“Mom, I’ve got to tell you. I spoke to Jan in Landfall, and she—”
Tears were rolling down Kavita’s face, but her smile was pure delight. “Jan! How is she? Have—”
“She’s fine. And Fia. And the kids. I’ve got letters for you. But what she told me—” Riki broke off, marshalling her thoughts. The revelations could wait. She knew what she had to say. “Mom, I’m so sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you. When you heard about Tanya, I know you must have thought I’d turned someone over to the Guards, just for a petty argument, but I—”
Her mother interrupted the flow of words, with a hand pressed softly to the side of Riki’s face. “Oh no. I knew you were innocent. You were always a little wild, but you were never evil.”
Riki closed her eyes. Was this the final thing to feel guilty about—that she could have doubted her mother’s love for her? At the same time she was carried away by a surge of happiness. She would have the chance to put everything right. The past could not be undone, but the future was hers, to make what she would of it. No avenues had been lost. No doors were closed.
Kavita again pulled her close, stroking the back of her head. Old memories overwhelmed Riki. She surrendered all self-control, letting herself be as a small child once more, sheltered from the world in the safety of her mother’s arms.
*
Rain was falling on Westernfort and dusk was advancing. Tanya stood at a window overlooking the main square, in her parents’ house. A few people were scurrying across, dodging puddles, with their heads down and shoulders hunched. The open space was less than a hundred meters across, unpaved and surrounded by solid, one-story stone buildings. Compared to Landfall it was quiet, rustic, and safe.
Warm firelight filled the room behind Tanya and reflected off the thick green window glass. As the light outside faded, less and less could be seen. It was time to close the shutters, but she hesitated. The scene outside was so very familiar, and one she had thought never to see again.
The last few hours had been hectic. Tanya felt as if she had been hugged, congratulated, and cried on by the entire population of Westernfort. At last things were calming down. Mama Kat was helping her youngest sister with schoolwork; her middle sisters were off with their friends, no doubt telling them all about the daring escape from the Intelligence Corps dungeon; and Mama Chip was having a formal meeting with Riki in the Rangers’ headquarters.
Tanya pursed her lips, wondering how the discussion was going. All things considered, she thought it better if whatever issues lay between them were sorted out that evening. Otherwise, it might be awkward at breakfast tomorrow morning. Tanya was planning on spending the night in her room in her parents’ home, rather than the barracks. She was also planning on having Riki stay with her. A smile slipped onto Tanya’s face at the thought.
A new figure appeared at the far side of the square, running toward the house—Riki. Tanya opened the window, pulled the shutters closed, and was sitting waiting by the fire when the door opened.
Riki shook the rain off her hair and glanced around somewhat hesitantly. She looked relieved to see only Tanya waiting. On their arrival in Westernfort, Riki also had received her share of hugs and backslaps, and had clearly not known how to deal with the unaccustomed attention.
After stripping off her cloak, Riki trotted over to the fire, planted a quick kiss on Tanya’s lips, and then sat down close beside her, holding her hands out to the flames. Wisps of steam came off her sleeves. Tanya put her arm around Riki’s waist.
For a while, they sat happily together, but Tanya could not restrain her curiosity. “How did the meeting with Mom go?”
“Fine.”
“And?”
“She apologized lots for kicking me and for wanting to hang me. She thanked me for bringing you back and then apologized some more. She said she was canceling my demotion to private, so I’d get back pay at the higher rank for all the time I was away. Then she apologized again.”
“So you’re a leading ranger.”
“No.”
Tanya turned her head to stare. “Why not?”
The corners of Riki’s mouth pulled down in a wry grimace. “I thought I’d use her apologetic mood to ask a favor. I’ve asked for an unconditional discharge from the Rangers.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a lousy soldier. If I stay on, it won’t be long before I’m in trouble again. And your mother will really feel bad about demoting me then.”
Tanya needed a few seconds to adjust to the news. Surely Riki could have said what she was planning beforehand—if it had been planned. “So, what will you do?”
Riki reached into her pocket and pulled out a small stone, which she handed over. Tanya looked at it. The rock consisted of rust-colored nodules, with a few flakes of scratched glass embedded in it. “What is it?”
“Mostly, it’s iron ore. I picked
it up from Mom in Ginasberg. It’s what they mine there. But do you see the crystals it in?”
“Yes.”
“They’re diamonds. Tiny ones, but still diamonds. They aren’t very common, but over a year, the miners dig out maybe a kilo or so, along with the tons of iron ore.” Riki took the sample back. “But I’m partly guessing, because they don’t bother chipping them out of the ore. They go into the furnace and get burnt off.”
“The diamonds?”
“Why not? They’re useless out here. We need the iron for knives and plows and nails. But there are no jewelers to cut and polish the stones, and nobody with a fortune to spend buying them after it’s done.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“When I was in Landfall, staying at your grandmother’s mansion, I got to see all the things they have in the Homelands that we just don’t have the people or the resources to make. Like books and brandy and silk shirts. And I was thinking that if I made it worth the miners’ while, they could put any gemstones they find aside, and I can take them to the Homelands and trade them for some of the luxury items that folk in Westernfort would want and could afford to buy.”
“The Homelands? Won’t it be dangerous?”
Riki grinned cheerfully. “Yup.”
“You can’t just take them to a shop. Who’d trade with you?”
“There’s a profit to be made. I’m sure your grandmother would be interested. And she’ll be able to sort out how to get the details lost in the paperwork, so the Sisters and the Guards don’t find out. I’m no good as a Ranger, but I know I’ll make a great smuggler.”
Tanya’s surprise was giving way to irritation. It would have been nice if Riki had given her the chance to discuss it, rather than springing the whole scheme all on her as a fait accompli. It was not as if they had been short of time for talking on the journey. “You’ve been planning this. Why didn’t you talk it over with me first?”
“It was just vague ideas. I hadn’t totally made up my mind until I was with your mother, standing to attention, and I knew that being a Ranger was never going to work for me. So I asked to be let out.”
“But what about us? You don’t want to run off to the Homelands and finish with me, do you?”
Immediately, Riki grabbed Tanya’s hand and pressed it to her lips. “Of course not. But if we’re involved with each other, we wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the same patrol anyway.”
“So? At least we’d be able to spend our off duty time together.”
“We still will. We’ll probably have even more time. You’ll be out with your patrol for four or five months a year, playing with the Guards in the Wildlands. That’s when I’ll do my round trip to the Homelands. If I was in another patrol, I might get sent out when you return. Whereas this way, we know I’ll be waiting for you, ready to make your life miserable when you get back here.”
Tanya sighed. How could anyone be so exasperating in such an endearing way? Riki was impulsive, unpredictable, and trouble. She was not going to change. In her heart, Tanya knew she would not have it any other way.
She leaned forward and kissed Riki slowly and thoroughly before putting her lips close to Riki’s ear. “You obviously don’t have the first idea about what makes me miserable.”
About the Author
Jane Fletcher was born in Greenwich, London in 1956. She now lives alone in the south-west of England after the sudden, untimely death of her partner.
Her love of fantasy began at the age of seven when she encountered Greek mythology. This was compounded by a childhood spent clambering over every example of ancient masonry she could find (medieval castles, megalithic monuments, Roman villas). It was her resolute ambition to become an archaeologist when she grew up, so it was something of a surprise when she became a software engineer instead.
Jane started writing when her partner refused to listen to yet another lengthy account of ‘a really good idea for a story’ and insisted that she write it down. After many years of revision, the result, Lorimal’s Chalice, was published. This book was short-listed for the Gaylactic Spectrum award in 2003.
Lorimal’s Chalice will be re-released as Book One and Book Two of The Lyremouth Chronicles in the coming year (Book One: The Exile and The Sorcerer, Book Two: The Traitor and The Chalice) along with the all new Book Three in the series: The Empress and The Acolyte.
Jane is also the author of The Celaeno Series. All three books in this series will be available from Bold Strokes Books in 2005 (The Walls of Westernfort, Rangers at Roadsend, and The Temple at Landfall).
Jane can be contacted at [email protected]
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