by Phil Parker
The lad turned back just in time for the other man’s huge fist to connect with his jaw, it sent him reeling backwards, carrying me with him. We collapsed on the ground, me still on top of him. He quickly pushed me off him, onto the muddy ground and jumped up quickly, fists presented to the big man.
The one like a bull, stepped between them, arms outstretched to keep them apart.
‘Save it for the fucking fairies. We don’t fight each other here.’
The man’s words seemed to have a calming effect and the man he’d called Jack placed his stick back into the folds of his coat and stomped off, most of the others followed. I struggled to my feet, which felt so cold I hardly felt the ground beneath them. The wet mud that now covered my body only made me shiver even more. The big man grabbed Rimmer around the shoulder roughly.
‘If I were you, I’d keep your mouth shut. He’s a sly bastard, he’ll slice your throat in the dark without a second thought. Now, grab this prisoner and bring him along. You never know, you might get to keep this one.’
The young guy nodded and rubbed his chin. ‘Thanks Gunner.’
Rimmer snatched my arm as he started walking, with frozen feet that had little feeling and slippery mud I stumbled and fell against his slim body.
‘Looks like he can’t wait, don’t it Gunner?’
I was roughly made to stand upright and the big man took my other arm and they dragged me between them. We didn’t travel far. It was obvious this was a very small settlement. We passed groups of men, women and a few hollow-eyed children, all of them looked like they were only days away from dying of starvation. The children wore little, some of the younger ones had bare feet and I marvelled at how they coped. All of them watched me with blank expressions as though they’d been drained of emotion. They were all filthy and the stench of unwashed bodies turned the air rank.
Irvyn, whether he knew it or not, had led me into a world inhabited by savages where terror and torment ruled. I suspected these men were taking me to somewhere where things were going to get worse, knowing my luck.
Rimmer flung me down on the muddy earth close to a large, metal cylinder in which fire burned and radiated warmth. It appeared to be the only source in the whole camp. I looked up, scanned the crowd hovering around the fire until I saw an old woman. It must be a slave’s instincts that alerts you to the source of power, it was obvious to me she was the one who dictated events. The huge men, including the cut-throat Jack, all deferred to her.
She leaned heavily on a wooden pole, one of her feet turned inward in a way that wasn’t natural. She spoke to the man with a scar, who’d brought me in to the camp earlier.
‘You found him where?’
It was obvious they didn’t understand what was in the cave beneath their feet, to them it was just a hole in the ground.
‘I don’t understand how he got there,’ she said, looking around the men for an answer and getting none. Without anything more to go on she shrugged.
‘Oh well, one for the slavers when they next come a-calling.’
Jack shuffled his feet awkwardly.
‘Do you think they’ll be wanting him, with his dark skin an’ all?’
The old woman sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, she jerked her head upwards to show she wanted me upright. Rimmer was quick to oblige. She hobbled close and jabbed my stomach with the top of her wooden pole.
‘He’s scrawny too. No muscle. We won’t get much for him, you’re right, but anything is better than nothing. Jake Bayle will be around in a couple of days, he’ll take him.’
That got a snort of derision from everyone.
‘A miser and a skinflint be he!’ said someone in the crowd.
The old woman held up a twig-like arm and got silence instantly.
‘As we paid nothing for him, whatever we get is profit. Stop your moaning!’
In the silence that followed her reprimand I decided to try my luck. I couldn’t wait two days, only to be sold into slavery then. I had to take a risk. I hoped Master Darragh’s lessons would pay off.
‘Excuse me, my good lady,’ I said to the old woman and bowed low. I got a gasp of surprise from the crowd which I hoped was a good thing. ‘But I visit your home to search for a red dragon. Have you seen such a beast?’
Mouths opened like fish stranded on a shoreline.
The old woman was the first to reply. Her gaze reminded me a little of Lady Mab, the way her eyes drilled into mine.
‘You’re not a local boy.’
I smiled as innocently as I could, the worst thing to happen would be for them to work out my origins.
‘Where are you from?’
Her tone sharpened and her gaze hardened.
‘I look for a red dragon. Have you seen such a beast?’
I repeated the same thing in the hope they’d think I didn’t understand anything else. As it was I found their accent hard to penetrate anyway.
‘P’raps he don’t speak English good?’
‘He ain’t from around here’s, like.’
‘Bloody foreigners, thought we’d got rid of ‘em all.’
The old woman raised her hand and silence was restored.
‘Why is he searching for a dragon?’ she said. She turned to the man with the scar. ‘You don’t think he’s a fairy do you?’
Scarface snorted laughter. ‘With that colour skin? They’re all fair-skinned bastards ain’t they? Besides, how would he get here?’
The old woman continued staring at me. I continued smiling.
‘That’s my point. What if there’s one of them gateway things they use, in that little cave? Go have a look now.’
The mood had changed. The dozens of pairs of eyes studied me with suspicion.
Rimmer stepped forward. ‘Chief? I could get some answers out of him if you give me an hour or so. I’ll tell you what he is then.’
She looked at him as if he was something she’d scraped off her boots.
‘He doesn’t sound like he speaks much of our language? How do you get answers then? Besides, judging by the condition of the last one I gave you, we wouldn’t get anything for the little bastard.’
She gestured for the young man to move back into the crowd with a wave of a hand.
‘Take him back, I’ve got more important things to do.’
With that the crowd dispersed. Gunner moved closer to me and kicked my backside hard, sending me sprawling face down onto the mud.
‘You know where to go. Get going.’
I got up as quickly as I could and we made our way back to the stone building. The thought of being trapped in my cage, where they’d ignore me again, perhaps let me die during the night, was more than I could bear. I looked about me, for somewhere to run or to hide. Everywhere tents and tin shacks and people filled every little bit of space, squeezed together in their desperate need to stay alive. It was a need I shared.
It was obvious to me now Cochrann hadn’t come through this portal, there was nowhere for her to go that these people couldn’t have seen, they clearly had no knowledge of her. Irvyn had finally got his revenge. By sending me on this wild goose chase he had guaranteed I’d never return. I was going to be trapped here, a slave again, but in another world. My heart sank and I felt tears well up, my stomach churned and I wanted to vomit.
Rimmer joined us.
‘I’ll take him Gunner.’
The big man giggled deep in his chest. ‘I bet you will, you horny fucker.’
There was a hoarse quality in the younger man’s voice I noticed, the predatory way he looked at me fed my terror. I turned to the big man with eyes that pleaded for him to refuse the request.
‘Come on Gunner. Let me. Please?’
The big man shook his head slowly. ‘If we had one of those religious types that threaten you with Hell all the time, you’d have been roasted by now Rimmer. You know that, don’t you?’
The young man nodded, still grinning. ‘Why do you think I stay here. It’s not for the scener
y.’
The man he’d called Gunner shook his head again but was grinning now. ‘You heard what the Chief said. She’ll have your balls this time.’
Rimmer held up his hands in surrender but I could see something else in his eyes, I didn’t like what I saw.
‘Nothing like that this time. Just a man’s need for satisfaction. You understand that.’
Suddenly, shouts and loud commands were everywhere, the camp dissolved into chaos. The big man looked around the camp urgently then shoved me at Rimmer.
‘Put him back in a cage and get yourself to the main entrance. Quick!’
It may have been the slightest of pushes from the big man but I slammed against the young man’s narrow chest. He caught me easily and grinned. He grabbed my hair and ran while I did everything I could to keep up with him. People were running in the opposite direction to us, knocking me aside in their hurry, yelling things, picking up weapons and looking worried.
The area around the derelict stone building was deserted. Rimmer let go of my hair and pushed me up against its wall, pressed one powerful arm against my neck. I could feel the weight of his body trapping me in position. He kicked one of my feet to one side and I yelped at the sudden pain in my ankle.
‘Please do not hurt me.’ It was a gasp, I could hardly breathe, the pressure he exerted was pushing the air out of my lungs.
His mouth was against my ear now, his breath hot, it smelled foul.
‘I fucking knew it!’ He breathed the words hoarsely. ‘I knew you fucking spoke English. All that foreigner shit you were trying on them. I fucking saw through it.’
This man was going to do unspeakable things to me and there was nothing I could do to stop him. If I said too much he’d guess I wasn’t human then his torment would be nothing compared to what the others would do. Tears burned my eyes and the growing lump in my throat made speech, even breathing, even more difficult.
‘Who are you?’ It was a whisper in my ear.
I could only sob.
He eased his pressure against me slightly and I hoped he might relent until I felt his hand push between our bodies and caress my buttocks. I sobbed harder. His hand reached further, parting my cheeks to explore between them.
‘Who are you?’ An insistent whisper. ‘Tell me and I’ll be gentle.’
‘Please don’t hurt me. Please.’
His voice, thick, hoarse and rasping now. ‘Only if you tell me who you are. I prefer it rough you see. But if you tell me…’
His hand withdrew and I dared hope for a reprieve until I felt him tugging at his clothes.
‘All right.’ I sobbed. ‘Please, don’t hurt me. I’m no one really.’
He chuckled, it was not a nice sound. Then I felt his manhood, hot and stiff against my buttocks, his hand returned to parting them. I tried to scream but he pressed my body hard against the wall and all the air escaped in a strangled gasp.
‘So who are you, pretty boy?’
My throat and lungs burned and speech felt almost impossible.
‘I’m…’
‘Fucking hell Rimmer, what did I tell you to do, you horny little shit!’
The weight pressing me against the stone wall vanished. I turned my head to see my abuser stagger backwards and fall on his backside in the mud, exposing himself as his fur coat flew open. Gunner and another man laughed.
‘Fucking bastard Gunner! I had the little bastard about to tell me who he is. He understands English. I was just…’
Gunner went to kick him between the legs and the younger man rolled away quickly, covering himself in mud. The other man laughed wildly.
‘We know what you was just about to do!’ Gunner said.
The other man bundled me in a cage roughly and locked its door, hung the key on a peg on the stone wall. Gunner in the meantime helped Rimmer to his feet, still laughing. They positioned themselves either side of him.
‘Come on. We’ve got visitors. The Chief wants all the Watch present.’
As the three of them ambled off Rimmer turned to look over his shoulder and pursed his lips before giving me a wide grin.
I knelt in the cage and trembled uncontrollably, every muscle shook and left me begging unknown powers to help me get home. Fear gripped me tightly so I couldn’t breathe except in short gasps that never quite filled my lungs. Every sound made me jump. He would be back, he would wait until dark, he would satisfy himself on me and I would not be able to call myself a man from that moment. There were stories of what the High Lord had done to men who had tried to stop him from ascending to the throne, stories that meant other men pointed at them and laughed and women kept their distance.
I cried. I only stopped when two children were marched towards me. They were guarded by the men I’d encountered, what Gunner had called the Watch. The children were identical, a muscular girl whose face was covered in blood from a recent beating, she was manacled at the wrists. The boy, slight and hunted, had obviously had a beating from Jack. Both of them were half-naked.
Rimmer was there, holding the boy tightly to his body, grinning.
He bundled the kid into the cage next to mine, tying him up so he couldn’t move. He leaned over to me, the grin still there.
‘You can watch me fuck this one first. Then it’ll be you.’
The threat, spoken loud enough for the boy to hear, scared him so much he started to cry. I’d been doing the same thing only moments before but now I held his eyes and tried to convey reassurance. It must have worked because he took deep breaths and stopped weeping. The girl fought like an animal as she was pushed into her cage, her hands were buried in the dirt and tied into position there. She continued to spit and hurl curses, despite her injuries.
It was only after they’d gone and as night fell, that she gave in to the tears that we all shared as we tried hard not to think of what the morning would hold for us all.
Chapter 18
‘She’s certainly proven her worth, hasn’t she?’
There was no need to glance in Oisin’s direction to know he’d be looking over his shoulder, with the expression of a proud father, at the wyvern trotting behind us. I’d lost count of the times he’d said the same thing. I wasn’t sure he even realised he was repeating himself. I’d stopped replying in the hope he’d get the message. Apparently, he hadn’t.
He must have ignored the dried blood around the animal’s mouth, still preferring to think of it as a pet. Even so, after such an intelligent display of battle tactics, I had to admit she was an asset, one we might need in any conflict with Llyr’s forces.
The road to Burrow Mump had been empty and without any further delays or threats and we’d made good time. Just like we had with Hamdon Hill, we’d aimed for the bump on the horizon and hoped, this time, we didn’t find more slaughter. As we approached we could see movement in the small settlement at the top of the hill, centred around a derelict church, it had to be a relatively positive sign. Of course no community these days welcomed visitors, we still ran the considerable risk of attack, I made the point as clearly as possible.
‘We need to be careful now, they’ll see us coming and there’s bound to be a welcoming party. Remember, we only use your pet if everything goes to shit.’
Oisin didn’t like me referring to the wyvern as his pet so he frowned but nodded all the same.
Burrow Mump was a smaller fortification than Hamdon Hill. At its base a small shanty town had developed, over which two wooden towers stretched into the sky that threatened much.
As we approached a loud, course voice reached us. ‘Stay where you are.’
I kept riding and called back. ‘See my red friend behind us? Try telling it to stop and see what happens to those wooden towers.’
There was no reply. Inside its wooden walls there’d be panic and confusion. We needed to arrive before it turned into anything strategically planned so I stirred my horse to a gallop. Behind me the wyvern’s paws beat a heavy rhythmic thump like a war drum.
An avenue of th
e same pathetic shacks we’d seen the day before stretched in front of us and led to a closed wooden gate. I felt dozens of nervous pairs of eyes watch us but no one was visible. I called up to the tower above me where I could see movement.
‘Do you want the wyvern to demolish the gate or are you going to open it?’
With a lot of creaking the gate opened and we rode inside.
The place was a down-market version of Hamdon Hill, the kind of place estate agents would have called ‘up and coming’ a long time ago. It was a dump in every sense of the word. Its inhabitants were the dregs of humanity, though not from their own choosing. Too many of them lived in too small a space with too few resources, and these were the lucky ones with a high wall to hide behind. Men shambled into a large group, dressed in furs supplemented with the remains of clothes which had survived the years since they’d been bought in shops. The women looked oppressed and mistreated, several bore fresh bruises and wore rags and repeatedly-mended clothes that hung off their emaciated bodies. A handful of kids hung back to see the monster, fearful and bare-footed. Their desperate lives reminded me of the boy I’d invited into my kitchen so long ago.
‘Where’s that bastard Joe Purdey!’ I yelled at the assembled mass of humanity.
I got blank-eyed stares. I couldn’t tell if it was a sign of their demoralised plight or a sullen resentment that didn’t have the energy to boil into anger. At the rear of the mob, movement, a narrow gap opened. Out of it limped a woman holding a wooden pole she clung to with determination. She didn’t look any different to the other women, her hair had been shaved to the scalp and she was filthy but her expression told me she was their leader.
She stopped in front of my horse.
‘You wouldn’t be so fucking high and mighty if you didn’t have that four-legged corruption.’ She nodded at the wyvern.
‘Perhaps not. But as I have, I’m going to ask you one more time before I order it to turn this shithole into matchwood. Where’s that bastard Purdey?’
She glared at me with a hatred that could ignite tinder. My quarry ambled through the same gap in the crowd and stood behind the woman.