Sacrifice
Page 19
Keira and Flora raced through the door and out into the rain.
‘I know yer there, Keira!’ Kelpie cried. She appeared at the side door as Flora and Keira reached the alleyway leading to the main street of Westgate village. ‘Yer meant to be working tonight!’
Keira laughed, and kept running, Flora just behind.
‘Come back now,’ Kelpie yelled, ‘or don’t come back at all!’
Keira and Flora ran out onto the muddy street and down the hill, away from the World’s End. They slowed as they grew out of sight of the tavern.
‘That was fucking hilarious,’ Keira said. ‘Did ye see her face?’
‘I hope she’s not being serious this time,’ Flora said .
‘About what, not letting us back in?’ Keira smirked. ‘Of course she will, she needs us more than we need her.’
‘But you’re missing another night of work.’
‘So what? I need a break.’
Flora shook her head. ‘One of these times, we’re going to push Kelpie too far. What’ll we do if she throws us out?’
‘It wouldnae be too bad. I mean, I’m getting sick of telling the same old stories every night. Nobody listens any more, they’ve heard them so many fucking times.’
‘But we’ve no money. Where would we stay?’
‘You worry too much. There’s always my ma and da’s if we get desperate.’
Flora frowned. ‘What?’
‘Are ye deaf? I said we could always stay at…
‘No, I heard you alright, Keira,’ Flora said. ‘My mind just refused to comprehend it. Are you telling me that we’ve been in Domm for nearly five thirds, and your parents live here? And you’ve never once mentioned them, or gone to visit them? Do they even know you’re back? Where do they live?’
‘Enough with the fucking questions.’
Flora stopped in the middle of the street, the rain running down her face. She stared at Keira.
‘What the fuck is it now?’ the mage groaned.
‘Do your parents live here?’
‘Aye. Well, I think so. They used to anyway, last time I was in Domm.’
‘So you haven’t bothered to find out?’
‘I’m a grown fucking woman, not a wee bairn.’
‘Do you not get along with them?’
Keira shrugged. ‘Come on. I need a drink, and I’m getting wet standing here like a donkey.’
She set off again, and Flora followed a few steps behind. After another minute they reached a low, stone building, with a chimney belching smoke. Two large Kellach stood to either side of the door, above which hung a sign reading ‘Dermot’s Bar’.
‘Hold it,’ the tall Kellach woman on the left said. ‘I’m not sure we should be letting ye in, not after what happened last time.’
‘Come on, Bella,’ Keira said, ‘that wasnae my fault. Those two Domm arseholes were winding me up all night.’
‘Will ye behave if we let ye in?’ asked the large man on the other side of the door.
‘Of course I will,’ Keira said. ‘Promise.’
The two door wardens glanced at each other, frowned, and nodded.
‘Cheers!’ Keira cried, and entered with Flora.
The interior of the bar was quiet, with few patrons. A handful sat at a couple of stained tables next to the great fire that roared at one end of the room. Keira strode over to the bar, on the wall opposite the fire.
‘Evening,’ she said. ‘Two ales and a bottle of whisky.’
The woman behind the bar eyed her for a few moments, then looked over at an older man who was sitting alone. He nodded.
‘All right,’ the woman said, and began to prepare the drinks.
Keira waved to the man. ‘Cheers, Dermot.’
‘This is yer last chance, Keira,’ he said. ‘Fuck up again, and yer barred.’
She opened her palms wide, grinning. ‘I’ll be good.’
The man frowned.
Keira turned to Flora and winked.
The bar woman placed the ales, whisky and glasses onto the bar. ‘That’ll be twelve bits.’
‘Stick it on my tab.’
The woman turned to Dermot, who shook his head.
‘Sorry, dear,’ the bar woman smiled. ‘No more credit.’
‘Fucksake,’ Keira muttered, counting out the coins from a pouch on her belt. ‘Here ya go, ya greedy bastards.’
She dropped the coins onto the bar top, took the drinks, and found a table near the fire. She sat, and Flora joined her. Keira poured two large whiskies, and took a slug of ale .
‘That’s better.’
She glanced at Flora. ‘What’s up with the sour face, hen?’
Flora muttered something.
‘Speak up,’ Keira said. ‘Stop fucking mumbling.’
‘I said you’re an idiot.’
Keira laughed. ‘Let’s hear it then, oh wise Flora. How exactly am I an idiot?’
‘Domm is full of refugees, people whose lives have been thrown up in the air. They’ve been torn apart from their loved ones. Sisters, brothers, children. You must have seen the countless posters, nailed to every house and shop-front on the main road, where people are searching for their relatives. Yet you’ve sat on your arse for thirds, while your mum and dad might just be a few miles away?’
Keira wagged her finger. ‘See, that’s where yer wrong. Fuck knows where my ma and da are. I only said they were probably in Domm. Think about it, why should I spend ages searching for them? I might be looking for a year, who knows? Is it not a better idea to stay in the same place, and let them find me?’
She sat back, smug in her certainty.
Flora shook her head. ‘So you’re saying that this has been your plan all along? That you’ve been expecting them to turn up?’
‘Exactly.’
‘You’re full of shit.’
‘Steady on,’ Keira frowned. ‘Ma parents are no fucking business of yours. Do ye hear me asking about your ma and da?’ She smirked. ‘Like I’d give a fuck.’
Flora lowered her eyes, and she took a sip of whisky.
‘Keira,’ she said, ‘are we friends?’
The mage raised an eyebrow. ‘Why are ye getting all heavy on me? We only came here for a drink, for fuck’s sake.’
‘Would you please answer the question?’
‘No,’ Keira said, ‘I fucking won’t. It’s bullshit, that’s what it is. Ye shouldnae be questioning me on shit like this. Maybe folk in the Holdings go on about their feelings and crap like that, but yer in Domm now, hen.’
‘I count you as a friend.’
Keira groaned.
‘My only friend, in fact.’
‘I cannae handle this,’ Keira said, downing her whisky and pouring another. ‘I’m sitting somewhere else if ye keep this shit up.’
Flora fell silent.
‘That’s better,’ Keira said. ‘Now, keep yer eyes open for they bastards from before that I was telling ye about. I want to see if they’ve got anything to smoke. I’m gagging for a bit of weed.’
‘They haven’t been in for ages,’ Flora said. ‘They moved on thirds ago.’
Keira shrugged as she scanned the bar. ‘They might be back, ye never know. In the meantime, let’s get manky.’
‘Shut that fucking door!’ cried someone as the wind and rain gusted into the bar.
Flora shivered in the chill draught.
The departing customer closed the door, and the warmth returned.
‘It’s nasty out there the night,’ Keira slurred. She squinted at the bottle of whisky. ‘Shit, we’re nearly out of the good stuff.’
She glanced up at the bar.
‘Last orders have been and gone,’ said Dermot.
‘Fuck you,’ Keira sneered. ‘Surely ye can give us a couple more ales at least.’
Dermot shrugged. ‘Ye can get more at Kelpie’s. I’m closing up in ten minutes.’
Keira glanced over the remaining patrons. ‘Maybe one of these jokers has got some booze.’
‘Hoi,’ she said, approaching. ‘What ye doing after this? Ye got anything to drink?’
One of the men shook his head. ‘No, Keira. We’re off to bed. Got work in the morning.’
Keira scowled. ‘Fucking pansies.’
She looked over the rest of the bar. In a dark corner, three men were sitting, huddled round a lamp. She strode across to them and sat down at their table.
‘Evening, fuckheads,’ she said.
They gazed at her, their eyes narrow.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen you lot round here,’ Keira went on. ‘You new?’
One of the men put down his glass. ‘Who’s asking?’
‘Ye must be new if ye don’t know who I am,’ she said. ‘Anyway, have ye come from the Plateau, or lizard land?’
‘What the fuck’s it to you?’
‘Is it not fucking obvious?’ Keira smirked. ‘I’m wanting a smoke, and if ye’ve come from the Plateau, then there’s a much better chance ye’re carrying weed.’
The men glanced at each other and laughed.
‘We’ve come from Rainsby,’ said one.
‘Excellent,’ she said. ‘I mean, it’s a fucking shithole, but every bastard was smoking weed when I was there.’
‘Not any more, they’re not.’
Keira frowned. ‘How come?’
‘Rainsby got well and truly fucked over by the Emperor,’ the man said. ‘You not heard? Him and his army sacked the place, then burnt it to the fucking ground.’
‘He killed thousands of Kellach,’ said another. ‘The whole town’s just a smear now.’
‘What a shame,’ she said. ‘So, have ye got any weed?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Any ye’d like to donate?’
‘No.’
‘Any to sell? ’
‘Maybe. What you got?’
‘About twenty bits.’
‘We’ve got plenty of money. What else you got?’
‘What ye after?’
The man looked over to where Flora was sitting.
‘Is she yours?’
Keira shrugged. ‘Aye.’
‘Lend us her for the night, and ye can have all the weed ye can smoke.’
She narrowed her eyes at them. ‘How much exactly are we talking about?’
The man rubbed his chin for a moment. ‘An ounce.’
Keira glanced over at Flora. Enough weed for a third. She got to her feet.
‘Be back in a minute, boys.’
She staggered over to the table where Flora sat, stumbling as she reached her chair. She scrambled, and crashed down into the seat.
‘Did ye see that?’ she laughed. ‘Nearly fell on my arse there.’
‘So,’ Flora sighed, ‘did you find any?’
‘Aye, maybe,’ she said. ‘I’ve been thinking about what ye were saying earlier, about us being friends.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yer a good friend, Flora,’ she said, pouring the dregs from the whisky bottle into her glass.
Flora snorted. ‘I know you’re pissed, but you’re not that pissed. What do you want?’
Keira put on her hurt expression. ‘Here I am, opening up to ye, and ye throw it back in my fucking face.’
She turned away, lowering her eyes.
‘Sorry,’ Flora said. ‘I’m just not used to you being like this. It’s good. I’m glad I’m your friend.’
Keira looked up. ‘I need a favour.’
‘What?’
‘See those guys over there? ’
‘Yes.’
‘They’ve got weed, right? A shitload. But here’s the thing. They’re ready to hand it over, but they’ve got their heart set on spending the night with you first…’
‘What?’ Flora cried, getting to her feet. ‘You fucking what? You want to hand me over to some random fucking guys so you can get a smoke? What the fuck is wrong with you?’
She slapped Keira across the face, and as the mage blinked from the shock, she heard laughter coming from the table in the corner where the men sat. Before she could say anything, Flora stormed out of the bar, slamming the door behind her.
Keira rubbed her cheek. ‘Fucksake.’
She staggered to the bar, ignoring the three men in the corner.
Dermot looked up from drying a row of glasses. ‘Aye?’
‘I’ll give ye twenty bits for a bottle of fucking whisky.’
Dermot laughed and shook his head.
‘Kelpie cut ye off, eh?’ he said.
‘Not yet,’ she grinned, ‘but the cow had a right fucking mood on before, and I’d rather not have to ask her, if ye know what I mean.’
Dermot sighed and put down the glass. He reached under the bar and lifted a bottle. He placed it in front of her and held out his hand. She smirked, and emptied the contents of her money pouch onto the top of the bar. She picked up the bottle and headed for the door.
‘Hey you,’ cried one of the men in the corner.
She turned.
The three men got up and approached her.
‘Where’s yer wee friend gone?’
‘She thought you were the ugliest fuckers she’d ever laid eyes on. She’s away to throw up in the fucking street.’
‘You reneging on the deal?’ he said. ‘If yer friend’s done a runner, then you owe us a favour. But we’re reasonable. We’ll take you instead.’ He smirked at his friends. ‘For half an ounce.’
Keira punched him in the face.
‘Half an ounce, ya cheeky bastard?’ she cried, as the other two men rushed her, lashing out. She felt a blow to her chin, and flinched backwards. Another punch struck her in the stomach. She gasped, and staggered. She brought her arm up and over one of the men’s heads, and began to choke him.
‘Take that out of here!’ cried Dermot, and at the sound of his voice, the two door wardens ran into the bar. Without a word, they began piling into the three men and Keira. The mage rolled to the floor as the fists flew all around her. She clutched onto her bottle of whisky, and dodged the legs between her and the door. A last punch struck her back as she flew out of the building and hurtled down the muddy street into the darkness. After a few hundred yards she paused, gasping for air. She glanced back up the street, but could see no one.
She opened the bottle of whisky, and laughed.
The dawn was grey, with a chill breeze blowing from the west. The rain had stopped at some point during the night, but the street was still wet and muddy. The cold had worked its way into Keira’s bones as she lay sprawled out in the gutter next to a row of cottages. Her clothes were sodden and covered in mud, and her head ached liked an evil sprite was hitting it with a hammer.
She opened her eyes, then shut them again, the dim grey light too much for her to take. She heard footsteps walk by on the road, as folk avoided where she lay. A few tutted in her direction, or muttered disapproving comments. Arseholes.
Where the fuck was wee Flora? Was she not supposed to prevent this sort of shit from happening?
She cracked open her eyes a slit and glanced at the street. She was at least a mile from the World’s End, and half that from Dermot’s Bar. She tried to get up, but her limbs were stiff and frozen, and she collapsed back into the mud. Ignoring the laughs from a couple of passers-by, she put one hand in front of the other, and began to crawl up the street. The gutter had an inch of water at its bottom, and she grew colder as she struggled up the hill towards the tavern.
After a hundred yards she fell down into the mud, exhausted. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the low clouds covering the sky. A drop of rain hit her face.
Shit.
She opened her mouth as the rain started, catching some on her dried and parched tongue, and closed her eyes.
After a moment, she felt the rain stop, although she could still hear it falling around her.
‘Pyre’s tits,’ said a voice. ‘
What a fucking state to get into.’
‘Ye found her?’ another voice said, one that she recognised as Kendrie’s.
Keira opened her eyes. A woman with long red hair was standing over her, looking down with a frown on her face.
‘Aye,’ the woman said. ‘Ye were right. Drunk in a ditch.’
‘You get her arms,’ Kendrie said, ‘I’ll take her legs.’
Keira tried to speak, but it came out as a mangled groan. Kendrie chuckled, walking to where her feet lay in the mud. The red-haired woman reached down and grasped Keira’s wrists, and she felt herself lifted into the air, her backside swaying.
‘Fucksake,’ Kendrie muttered. ‘She’s heavier than she looks.’
‘Fuck you,’ Keira tried to say, then passed out.
When she next awoke she was in her bed in the tavern. Her head was splitting, and her bones ached, but at least she was warm and dry. She peered under the blanket and saw she was wearing a clean night-shirt, and her temper rose.
She gazed around the empty room. Someone had tidied away the piles of dirty clothes and rubbish that had littered the floor, and removed the collection of empty whisky bottles that had been accumulating in the corner. The window had been opened an inch, and even the smell in the room was better than she remembered.
‘Fucking Flora,’ Keira muttered, ‘messing with my fucking stuff again.’
‘No, it was me.’
Keira nearly fell off the bed in surprise. She turned, and saw the red-haired woman, sitting on a chair in the corner by the door. Keira’s mouth fell open.
‘Good afternoon, Keira.’
‘Kallie?’
The woman filled a mug with water and passed it to the mage.
Keira took it, and drank deep.
‘When Bridget told me what was going on down here,’ Kallie said, ‘I didn’t believe it.’
‘You met Bridget?’ Keira said, her voice hoarse and raspy.
‘Aye, in Kell.’
‘Wee cow.’
‘Shut yer mouth, Keira. Bridget’s a hero. After all the shit she’s been through, and she’s still fighting, she’s still trying, while you’re sat on yer arse in Domm, getting wasted day and night. Yer a fucking disgrace, that’s what ye are.’
‘Hey,’ Keira croaked. ‘That’s not fair.’
Kallie shook her head. ‘Fair? I was being generous. If I told ye what I actually thought of ye… But I won’t. All this time, I’ve been fighting up north, watching my comrades get killed, and having to live in the nightmare that Kell has become. All that time, we were waiting for you. “When Keira returns, that’s when we’ll kick the lizards out of Kell at last”, that’s what we used to say.’ She laughed, but her eyes remained dark. ‘But ye were down here all along, getting hammered while we were dying. I never thought ye’d give up, Keira.’