Sacrifice

by Christopher Mitchell

‘Cheers, Kelpie,’ Keira grinned.

  Flora glanced at her. ‘Maybe you should hold back a bit, at least until you’ve spoken to this new group that’s coming.’

  Keira snorted. ‘Fuck that.’

  She turned and gazed at the sunset. The sky was now blood red, and darkening. A brisk wind gusted by the open windows, and she breathed in a good lungful.

  ‘Nothing beats the air in Kellach Brigdomin,’ she said. ‘Every other place stinks. Especially Sanang.’

  ‘You’ve never been to the Holdings,’ Flora said.

  ‘True, but I bet it reeks of horseshit.’

  ‘At least it’s warm.’

  ‘It’s warm now,’ Keira said.

  ‘What?’ Flora said. ‘This is the middle of summer, right? As good as it gets? And I’m still wearing three layers to keep the wind out. Even our winter is better than this. And don’t get me started on the rain.’

  ‘I don’t mind a wee bit of rain. ’

  They paused as Kendrie put a bottle of whisky onto their table, along with three glasses.

  ‘Could I have some water, please?’ Agang said.

  Keira frowned. ‘A pair of pansies, the both of ye. One’s moaning about the fucking weather, and the other needs water to put in his whisky. Might I remind ye that I’m not forcing anyone to stay here with me. Yer more than welcome to fuck off if ye don’t like it.’

  Agang glowered, while Flora looked away.

  Keira poured herself a large whisky, as Kendrie returned with a jug of water and a bowl of bread.

  ‘Your fans have arrived,’ he muttered.

  Keira turned, and saw Bay and Dora waving at her from the tavern’s front doors. She sighed as they began to walk over.

  ‘Remember, don’t be mean to them,’ Flora said. ‘They look up to you.’

  The two young Kellach women approached the table.

  ‘Can we sit with you, please?’ Dora asked.

  ‘Will you be quiet?’ Keira said.

  ‘Aye.’

  Keira nodded at a couple of spare chairs, and they sat down, beaming.

  ‘Have you been in a fight?’ Flora said, peering at them.

  ‘Aye,’ Bay said. ‘A few of us caught up with those pricks from lunch, you know, the ones who were giving Keira grief.’

  Dora gazed at Keira. ‘They won’t be disrespecting you again, mage.’

  Keira smirked, and sipped her whisky.

  ‘Can I ask you something, please?’ Bay said. ‘What did they mean? What happened at the Rakanese camp?’

  Keira continued to stare out of the window. The light was fading, and lamps were being lit inside the tavern. She finished her glass of whisky, and poured another.

  ‘Is it true you destroyed a whole city?’ Dora said.

  Keira said nothing.

  ‘That’s what those folk told us,’ said Bay .

  ‘I thought ye were going to be fucking quiet,’ Keira said. ‘If ye don’t shut up, ye can fuck off.’

  The young women lowered their eyes, and sat in silence.

  After an awkward minute, Flora spoke up. ‘So, girls, you always seem to know what’s going on, have you heard anything about the group coming in this evening?’

  ‘Just more refugees from Rahain,’ Bay said.

  ‘Eight thousand,’ said Dora. ‘All heading down to the lowlands.’

  ‘Call themselves a clan.’

  ‘It’s their leaders coming here tonight. Apparently some of them say they know Mage Keira.’

  Keira glanced at them. ‘Who?’

  Dora and Bay shrugged.

  ‘Don’t know any names,’ Bay said.

  ‘Could be anybody,’ Keira said, putting her feet up onto a nearby stool. ‘I know loads of folk.’

  ‘Do you know when they’ll get here?’ Flora said.

  ‘We can find out for you,’ Bay said.

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said. ‘You go do that, girls.’

  The two young women stood, and hurried from the tavern.

  Agang poured himself a small whisky, and topped it up with some water.

  ‘At some point,’ he said, ‘you should probably tell me and Flora what happened at the camp. I think we have a right to know.’

  ‘Do ye now?’ Keira sneered. ‘Anyway, I thought ye fucking knew.’

  ‘In the Plateau, King Guilliam, as he was then, told me that the Rahain had slaughtered an entire city of Rakanese refugees. He didn’t mention you. But last year a Holdings priest told me that it was you who’d done it. That’s all I know.’

  Keira nodded to Flora. ‘She knows. You can ask her. Just wait until I’m not around.’

  ‘I know about as much as Agang,’ Flora said. ‘Just that you burned up a whole city. Half a million refugees, or something like that.’

  ‘What did I just fucking say, ya silly cow?’ Keira cried. ‘I ask ye not to speak about it, and off you go, spouting fucking numbers at me.’ She glared at them. ‘I’m not going to fucking talk about it, do you understand? Fuckwits.’

  Flora pushed back her chair and stood. ‘I’m going back to bed.’

  Keira shook her head as the Holdings woman strode from the still-empty tavern.

  ‘You should be nicer to her,’ Agang said.

  ‘What the fuck’s it to you, eight-thirds?’ She downed her glass of whisky. ‘You fancy her, don’t ye? Ye just want to get into her pants.’

  ‘Sometimes,’ Agang said, ‘you are completely clueless.’ He stood. ‘Good night.’

  ‘What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?’ Keira yelled as he walked away. She turned back to the windows, filled her glass, and watched the last lingering light of the sunset, its final glow diminishing into the horizon.

  ‘You should treat your friends better,’ Kelpie said, sitting at the table and pouring herself a whisky. ‘As far as I can tell, they’ve stuck with you this long, they deserve a bit more respect.’

  Keira snorted. ‘You’re one to talk. The way yer milking Agang, like he was a prize cow. Doesnae sound like respect to me.’

  ‘Keira, my dear,’ Kelpie said, shaking her head, ‘I’m just trying to help you. Agang, it is true, is earning your keep here, but the important thing is that everyone knows you’re home. You give the people hope, Keira.’ She smiled. ‘From the moment I saw you at Marchside, when you destroyed the attacking ranks of Rahain, I knew that you were special. Our folk have been scattered to the far corners of the world, those of us who have survived invasion, slavery and war, but now they are returning home.’

  ‘And what the fuck’s that got to do with me? I just want a quiet life.’

  Kelpie laughed. ‘You must know there’s no chance of that. Whatever happened in the past, you’re still Keira the fire mage, the one who rallied the clansfolk after the Rahain invasion, and cleared the lands of Kell and Lach of the lizards, until you were captured.’

  Keira smirked .

  ‘That’s what most folk here remember about you,’ Kelpie went on. ‘You’re still a hero to them. Most of the refugees coming in are from slave camps in Rahain, yet each night you talk of wars in Sanang, and fighting outside the walls of the empire’s capital city. These lands are so far away for most that they may as well be listening to fables or legends.’

  ‘Ye saying that I’m lying?’

  Kelpie sighed. ‘Of course not.’

  The front doors of the tavern opened, and Bay and Dora ran in.

  ‘They’re coming,’ Dora yelled. ‘And there’s loads of them.’

  Keira stood, picking up the bottle of whisky and her glass.

  ‘Close the shutters, Kendrie,’ Kelpie said. ‘Let’s get ready.’

  ‘And then the bastard appeared, high up on the fucking walls,’ Keira said, a glass of whisky in one hand, the other gesticulating at the listening crowd. She scanned their faces, but recognised no one. ‘He raised his arm and, just like that, the heads of every fucking Sanang warrior exploded, covering everything in brains and blood. A hundred thousand heads, bursting like ripe fruit. Pyre’s ars
ehole, the fucking noise it made, it shook the ground like a low, long rumble. Mental.’

  ‘How did ye get away?’ cried someone amid the crowd.

  ‘I fucking ran for it,’ Keira said. ‘It was dark, and there were so many bodies around, no one noticed me go.’

  ‘How many wars have ye been in?’

  Keira frowned. ‘Umm, let me think. The Rahain invasion, then when the Alliance attacked Rahain, and finally when the Sanang invaded the Plateau. Three.’

  ‘You were with the alliance forces?’ someone said. ‘They liberated us from slavery.’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘that was our plan. Free all the slaves.’

  ‘Tell us a story from that war.’

  ‘Aye, all right.’ She paused as the main doors opened, and another group of travellers entered. The crowd seemed to know who they were, and parted for them. Keira squinted through the dim lamplight as the group approached.

  ‘Conal, ya wee bastard,’ she yelled, standing and grinning. ‘Yer alive!’

  The young man gazed across the tavern at her, his mouth falling open.

  ‘Clear a path,’ Keira said, stepping out from behind her table. Alongside Conal were the others from the new group, and she spotted a solitary old Rahain man lurking near the back.

  ‘Keira!’ Conal cried as she reached where he was standing.

  She embraced him, squeezing hard and lifting him off the floor.

  ‘I cannae tell ye how good it is to see a friendly face,’ she said, releasing him. ‘Are ye with the lot that’s just come in from Rahain?’

  ‘Aye,’ Conal said, ‘from Slateford.’

  Keira nodded, the name meaning nothing to her.

  A woman with short, dark hair stepped in front of her. ‘Hi, Keira.’

  ‘Who the fuck are you?’

  The woman blinked. ‘I’m Bridget. I was in your squad at Fallsie Castle, and under the Fire Temple.’

  ‘Bridget?’ Keira squinted. ‘Oh aye, I mind ye now. A right wee sarcastic cow.’

  Conal coughed. ‘She’s our chief.’

  ‘Was,’ Bridget said. ‘We’re in Domm now.’

  A pale, blonde woman came to Bridget’s side. ‘Yer still our chief, no matter what the Domm Council says.’

  ‘This is Dyam,’ Bridget said, ‘my herald.’

  ‘Whatever,’ Keira said. She glanced over to Kelpie. ‘Talk’s over. I’m getting drunk with my old squad.’

  Kelpie frowned, but nodded.

  ‘Come on,’ Keira said. ‘Sit with me, we’ll crack open another bottle of whisky and ye can tell me what ye’ve been up to.’

  As they began to move past her, she noticed a tall red-haired man.

  ‘Bedig, you as well?’ Keira said, slapping the big man across his back. ‘How the fuck did you end up with these guys? ’

  ‘It’s a long story,’ he said, grinning, ‘involving Kylon. By the way, do you know where he is?’

  Keira shook her head. ‘Last time I saw the prick, we were on the Plateau. We had a fight, I might have called him a useless dipshit, and he fucked off.’

  Kendrie came over. ‘Old friends?’

  ‘Aye,’ she said. ‘They’ll be needing food and plenty of booze.’ She glanced at the small party now sitting around her table. As well as Dyam and the three familiar faces, there were another half dozen that she didn’t recognise, including the old Rahain man. ‘Where are ye all staying?’

  ‘A few of us booked rooms here,’ Bridget said, ‘once we found out the World’s End tavern was hosting Keira the fire mage.’

  ‘See?’ Keira smirked at Kendrie. ‘Told ye I was good for business.’

  She sat, and waited while bar-boys and girls filled the table with plates, ale and whisky.

  ‘Here’s to us,’ Keira said, raising her glass and taking a drink. ‘So,’ she said, ‘ye decided to get the fuck out of Rahain?’

  ‘It’s a mess,’ Conal said. ‘Slateford wasn’t safe any more.’

  ‘Slateford? Where the fuck’s that?’

  ‘It’s the estate we were living on in Rahain,’ Bridget said. ‘Laodoc here gifted it to us.’ She nodded over at the grey-haired Rahain man sitting slouched. He was the only one without a drink in his hand.

  Keira eyed the folk at the table as an awkward silence fell. She narrowed her eyes.

  ‘Is there something yer not telling me?’

  Bridget downed her whisky. ‘It’s about your brother.’

  ‘Killop?’ Keira cried. ‘Ye’ve seen him?’

  ‘I’ve spent the last three years by his side,’ Bridget said. ‘In captivity, as a rebel, then in Slateford.’

  Keira’s temper burned.

  ‘Then where the fuck is he now?’

  ‘He went off after Daphne,’ Bridget said, ‘his Holdings woman. He didn’t come back. ’

  ‘Did you look for him?’

  ‘We sent out a squad, but they lost track of him near the tunnel to the Plateau.’

  Keira stood, clenching her fists.

  ‘You lost him? Ye fucking lost him?’

  ‘Wait…’ Bridget said.

  Keira lashed out with her right fist, striking Bridget in the eye and sending her flying back off her seat.

  ‘Ye fucking lost ma wee brother?’ Keira screamed.

  She raised her fist to strike again, but Bedig reached up and gripped her arm, and Dyam shoved herself in front of Bridget.

  ‘Don’t you fucking touch her,’ the blonde woman said, her eyes dark.

  Keira yanked her arm free of Bedig and glared around the table.

  ‘Ye bunch of cowardly shitstains. If ma brother’s dead because of you, I’ll fucking kill the lot of ye.’

  She picked up the bottle of whisky, and barged past Bedig.

  ‘Out of my way, ya prick.’

  The crowd in the tavern parted in silence, and Keira strode out into the dark night sky before anyone could see the tears in her eyes.

  Chapter 3

  Shamed

  W estgate, Domm Pass – 15 th Day, First Third Summer 507

  Laodoc eased past the sleeping bodies to the door of the small room he was sharing with five Kellach Brigdomin. He crept out onto the landing, descended the deserted stairs, and went outside into the bright light of morning. It was too early for the tavern staff to be up, and there was no sign of any guests, so he wandered round the perimeter of the building, until he came to the terrace overlooking the lowlands of Domm.

  A sharp wind was blowing up from the west, and Laodoc pulled his cloak and scarf around him as he took in the panoramic view. The World’s End tavern sat next to the road, at the far western end of the Domm Pass, just next to where the road led down a steep, switch-backed path to the lowlands below. White clouds scudded across the sky, rolling in from the great ocean, which was out of sight over the horizon. Domm spread out beneath the terrace, a vast carpet of green, dotted with farmsteads and villages.

  Laodoc gazed over the little fence at the edge of the terrace at the straight drop down to the lowlands. A hundred feet, or more.

  Why had he come here? He was useless to Bridget and the others, just a sad old man who contributed nothing. Although they tried not to show it, he knew they blamed him for Killop leaving, after he had pressurised Daphne into hunting down Douanna. If only he could discover if she had been successful. If he knew Douanna was dead, then perhaps he might feel some peace. Instead, the worst had occurred. Daphne and Killop had gone, and he didn’t know if Douanna still lived.

  She could be laughing at him at that moment.

  Hatred billowed through him, the only genuine emotion he continued to experience.

  He had fled Rahain, but he couldn’t flee from himself.

  Maybe he should jump. His life was as good as over anyway. No one would miss him.

  He heard voices coming from his left. Round the corner of the terrace, by the back door of the tavern, Bedig and Dyam were standing.

  ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Bedig said. ‘She’s inconsolable. Anything I
say just makes it worse.’

  ‘I’m raging at that cow, Keira,’ Dyam said. ‘She fucking humiliated Bridget. If I see her today…’

  ‘Just stay clear of her,’ Bedig said. ‘She’s mental.’

  ‘And pretending she didn’t recognise her,’ Dyam said, scowling. ‘Bitch.’

  ‘She probably didn’t. That’s just Keira. I was a bit surprised she remembered who I was, to be honest.’

  ‘She thinks she’s something special.’

  ‘She was upset about her brother, though.’

  ‘But it wasn’t Bridget’s fault,’ Dyam spat. ‘She wanted to take half the clan to go looking for Killop, but Draewyn and the rest outvoted her. There was nothing she could do.’

  ‘I know.’

  Dyam shook her head, then frowned.

  ‘Laodoc,’ she said, ‘you can stop eavesdropping and come over.’

  Laodoc’s face reddened, and he turned towards them.

  ‘Morning,’ Bedig said.

  ‘Good morning,’ Laodoc said. He walked over to where they stood.

  ‘Sleep well?’ Dyam said .

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Dyam said. ‘You don’t look so good.’

  ‘I can assure you Miss Herald, I am perfectly well.’

  ‘I worry about you,’ she said, ‘and so does Bridget. You’re not eating enough.’

  ‘I fail to see the point.’

  ‘In eating?’

  ‘In anything.’

  ‘Come on,’ Bedig said, ‘we’ve just survived a civil war, and we’re almost at the end of our journey.’ He pointed out over the Domm lowlands. ‘In a few days we’ll be down there, ready to begin new lives.’

  ‘And what is it that you think I’ll be doing down there?’ Laodoc said. ‘Farming? Milking cows? I know nothing about this kind of life, and am too old to learn.’

  ‘We can find you something to do,’ said Dyam. ‘How does teaching sound? I plan on setting up a few schools for the clan when we get settled. You could help with lessons in Rahain.’

  Laodoc frowned, and gazed out at the view. ‘I don’t like children.’

  Dyam shrugged. ‘You don’t have to do anything. You’re retired, you can put your feet up and relax. The clan will always look after you.’

  He bowed his head and said nothing.