Sacrifice

by Christopher Mitchell

  There was a loud crash, and the main doors of the chamber were flung open. Hold Fast militia streamed in, and surrounded the Holders. Annifrid approached.

  ‘Commander,’ Daphne said, ‘please report.’

  Annifrid bowed. ‘The mages are safely in our custody, my lady, and the town gates and armoury are under our control.’

  ‘Thank you, Commander,’ Daphne said. ‘Lady Terras has come over to our side. Please ensure her troopers are armed as a priority. Also, we’ll need to evacuate sooner than planned. Issue orders to flee immediately to the designated assembly points in the mountains.’

  ‘Immediately, my lady?’

  Daphne nodded. ‘The Emperor’s on his way.’

  She glanced at Mirren and Lady Terras. ‘Let’s go.’

  They began to walk to the doors.

  ‘And the others?’ Annifrid said.

  ‘As we planned, Commander. No mercy.’

  Daphne strode through the entrance to the hall, followed by the noise of crossbows thrumming and screams. More Hold Fast troopers were in the town square, along with others dressed in Blackhold colours from Mirren’s personal guard. A line of Holdsmith militia were on their knees by a wall, under guard.

  The troopers hailed Daphne as she stood at the top of the steps, Mirren to her right, and Lady Terras to her left. They raised their weapons and roared out a cheer.

  She lifted her right arm until there was silence .

  ‘Troopers of the Holdings,’ she cried, ‘this is a victory, but it’s a painful one. We have removed those who wished to betray us to the empire, but the damage caused by their treachery means that the Emperor himself will soon be here.’

  Many soldiers peered up into the dark sky.

  ‘We have no time to waste,’ Daphne went on. She pointed at the group of Holdsmith militia. ‘Free them,’ she said. ‘Our fight is not with the troopers who were let down by their treacherous leaders, our fight is with the Emperor and his army of Rahain. Every trooper loyal to the Holdings must be allowed to arm themselves and evacuate, for when the Emperor arrives, and discovers that we have ruined his plans, I imagine his rage will be dark indeed.’

  She paused, watching the troopers’ expressions grow grimmer.

  ‘This war is not over,’ she said, ‘but to carry on, we must hide our mages away, and scatter. We must learn a new way to fight, as rebels, and we will teach the Emperor and his invading army a bloody lesson they’ll never forget.’

  She pointed to the great mass of rock behind her. ‘To the mountains.’

  Six hours later Daphne sat by the edge of a high pass, looking down on the smoking ruins of Royston. The Emperor had gone, his flying gaien taking him away as quickly as they had brought him to the town a few hours earlier. In the intervening time, he had taken out his fury on the buildings of Royston, devastating it with an earthquake, and then incinerating the remains, along with hundreds of his loyal subjects, who had refused to flee with the rebels.

  Killop passed her a hipflask, and she took a drink.

  ‘This is your area of expertise,’ she said, ‘mountain warfare, hit and run, guerrilla tactics.’

  She glanced at him.

  ‘I want you as my commander,’ she went on. ‘Annifrid knows everything there is to know about heavy cavalry, but she doesn’t know how to fight the next stage of this war.’

  He nodded. ‘I’ll do it, though you’ll have to get used to me calling you “my lady” in public.’

  ‘I look forward to it, Commander,’ she smiled. ‘Chane will be your second, once she’s recovered.’

  ‘This means we’ll have to leave Karalyn with Celine and Kylon more.’

  ‘I know,’ she said, ‘but she’s in danger wherever we go now. We can’t hide her away.’

  ‘They’d both die for her.’

  ‘Yes. They would.’ She stood. ‘Come on, the rest are waiting for us. You ready to go?’

  ‘Aye,’ he said, standing. ‘I am, my lady.’

  Chapter 21

  Shopping Trip

  I mperial Rainsby – 20 th Day, Last Third Autumn 507

  ‘Check the face on her,’ Keira smirked. ‘Like a fox licking piss off a nettle.’

  Flora smiled, but said nothing, her long cloak trailing along the wet ground. Apart from their tramping feet, the woods were quiet.

  ‘Go on, Kallie,’ Keira went on, ‘give us a smile.’

  Kallie glowered, but refused to take the bait.

  ‘Ye’ll be grateful once we’re back at the flying carriage,’ Keira said.

  ‘No, I won’t,’ Kallie snapped. ‘I’ll be playing nursemaid while you two get out of yer faces.’

  Keira grinned.

  ‘You should join us,’ she said. ‘I cannae wait to take some dreamweed when we’re flying through the clouds.’

  Kallie tutted. ‘Somebody has to be the grown up.’

  ‘Look, I don’t see the fucking problem,’ Keira said. ‘We had to stop anyway, and Rainsby’s only a few miles away. It’d be stupid to go right past it and not take a wee look.’

  ‘I don’t want to take a look,’ Kallie said, ‘and that’s not why we’re going. It’s so you can buy drugs and booze, and don’t fucking pretend otherwise. ’

  ‘Alright, I won’t,’ Keira snarled. ‘Pyre’s fanny, you’re no fucking fun at all.’

  Kallie shook her head. ‘I should have stayed in Kell.’

  ‘Yer fucking right ye should have,’ Keira said. She nudged Flora. ‘We should have got somebody else to come along. Somebody who wouldnae whine as much.’

  They walked along the trail in silence, the trees close on either side, as dark, heavy clouds edged across the sky.

  ‘They way I see it,’ Keira said, ‘is that we’re heading to the Holdings, right? And what are the Holdings famous for? Being prudish wee wanks that try to ban everything that folk enjoy. There’ll be no weed or whisky up there, that’s why we have to stock up now. We’ve plenty of gold from the lizard mining compound, we should be able to put together a pretty good fucking deal.’

  ‘That money’s supposed to be for emergencies,’ Kallie said.

  ‘Aye, well being sober all the time is an emergency,’ she laughed, ‘of the highest fucking order.’

  Flora frowned at her. ‘Quiet. Anyone within a mile’s radius will hear us if you keep making that racket.’

  ‘Alright, twinkletoes,’ Keira whispered, ‘is that better?’

  To their left the trees began to thin, and Keira saw the town of Rainsby in the distance, down the flank of a gradual slope. She stopped.

  ‘There it is,’ she said. ‘Shithole central.’

  ‘And behind it,’ Kallie said, ‘is that the sea?’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘the Inner fucking Sea.’

  Kallie raised an eyebrow. ‘You sailed across that?’

  ‘Twice. Was spewing ma load the entire time. Thank fuck we’re flying, I couldnae handle a boat again.’

  ‘I can’t see any ships,’ Flora said, squinting into the distance.

  ‘So?’

  ‘The last time we were here the bay was filled with boats,’ the Holdings woman said, ‘and that large mound over there didn’t exist.’ She pointed towards a grassy hillock by the town gates .

  ‘There used to be a shanty town there,’ Keira said. ‘Or was that on my first visit, I cannae mind.’

  ‘So who lives here now?’ Kallie asked.

  ‘Not sure,’ Keira said. ‘Was full of Rahain, but Agang’s Sanang mob slaughtered them, and Kellach refugees moved in. But from what those arseholes I met in Domm said, they got kicked out by the Emperor.’

  ‘Or they were killed,’ said Flora. ‘Something’s under that mound.’

  Keira shrugged. ‘Aye maybe. Folk are living here now, but. There’s smoke coming from those chimneys.’

  They walked on further down the trail, edging closer to the town. The old refugee camp had been cleared away along with the shanty town, and the walls looked as if they had been recently re
paired. A new gatehouse sat astride the main entrance, and Keira saw figures on the wooden battlements.

  ‘Holdings,’ she muttered. ‘Fuck.’

  ‘The prudes?’ Kallie laughed. ‘Let’s get back to the carriage, there’ll be no weed for you here.’

  ‘Hold on,’ Keira frowned. ‘Just cause they’re guarding the walls, doesnae mean that their church is in charge. Plenty of Holdings folk smoke and drink.’ She nudged Flora. ‘Don’t they?’

  Flora shrugged. ‘I guess. Just depends if the One True Path are in control.’

  ‘Only one way to find out.’

  ‘Yer still thinking about going?’ Kallie said. ‘We’ve no idea what to expect inside, and that’s if they let us through the gates and don’t shoot us on sight.’

  ‘Let me do the talking,’ Keira said, and began to stride towards the main road that led to the open gates. She heard a groan behind her and smiled. Time to teach Kallie a bit about the world.

  They reached the road and were a hundred feet from the gates when the rain started. Keira pushed her hair to the side as they got soaked by the downpour, the road turning to mud under their boots.

  ‘Halt!’ cried a voice in the Holdings language as they neared the open entrance. A squad of soldiers stared at them. A sergeant stood smoking. ‘What do you want?’

  Keira raised an eyebrow. ‘In.’

  ‘No Kellach are allowed through the main gates,’ the sergeant said. He glanced at Flora. ‘She can come in, but you pair will have to go round to the west gate.’

  ‘And can she come in the west gate with us?’

  ‘Of course she can, she’s Holdings,’ the sergeant grinned. ‘This is our town now, Kellach, we go where we please.’

  Without a word, Keira turned, and started walking in the direction of the other gate, Kallie and Flora following.

  ‘See?’ she said. ‘I can be calm. I could’ve punched that guy’s face in, but I restrained myself.’

  Flora smirked. ‘Yeah, I can see how getting arrested might interfere with your plan to find weed.’

  ‘Exactly. I can be as professional as fuck, if there’s something worth doing.’

  ‘So, the Holdings are in charge,’ Flora said, ‘but Kellach are still living here, presumably.’

  ‘Aye,’ Keira said, ‘and probably in the shittest part of town, as per fucking usual.’

  ‘I was hoping they spoke Rahain here,’ Kallie said. ‘I don’t know any Holdings.’

  ‘Shit, really?’ Flora said. ‘Well, we’re going to a separate gate for the Kellach.’

  Keira spat on the ground. ‘Ye don’t speak Holdings? Ye do know where it is we’re going, aye?’

  ‘Ye never asked me if I could when ye dragged me along,’ Kallie said. ‘I’ve picked up a wee bit from Flora, but. I know how to swear pretty well.’

  ‘I’ll teach you,’ Flora said. ‘More than just how to swear, I mean.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Keira decided she didn’t like the way that Flora was looking at Kallie. Even unwashed, and dressed in worn and dirty travelling clothes, Kallie was stunning. She frowned. Why did she care?

  They reached the western road, and the smaller set of gates that gave entry to the town. A squad of Holdings soldiers were standing by the open entrance, sheltering from the light rain. They moved aside as the three women approached.

  ‘That was easy,’ Keira said as they walked into the narrow streets. Tall wooden tenements lined the road, and rubbish was piled high in the gutters. ‘Fucking stinks, but.’

  She waited until Flora and Kallie stood by her, and they gazed around.

  A Kellach man staggered across the street. He turned to leer at them.

  ‘Hello, ladies,’ he slurred. ‘Looking for a good time?’

  ‘Fuck off, ya bandy-legged old prick,’ Keira said, clenching her fists.

  The man stopped, his breath reeking of cheap whisky. ‘I was only being friendly, ya stuck-up cow. And anyway, I wasnae talking to you, I was speaking to the good-looking one.’

  Keira kneed him in the groin. He folded, gasping, his hands clutching his nethers as he fell to the ground.

  ‘Learn some fucking manners,’ Keira said, and they walked round him and continued up the street.

  She smiled as they saw a row of taverns down a side alley.

  ‘This is working out better than I’d hoped,’ she said. ‘The Kellach are bound to have stuff to sell, and this way we won’t even have to speak to any more Holdings.’

  ‘What’s the plan, then?’ said Flora.

  Keira pointed to the line of bars. ‘We start there.’

  By the fourth tavern, Keira was beginning to enjoy being back in Rainsby.

  ‘This is the worst ale I’ve ever tasted,’ said Flora, ‘and yes, that includes what we had to endure in Sanang. ’

  ‘I reckon the barman’s just emptying the pissing trough back into the barrels,’ Keira said. ‘Still, it’ll do.’

  She scanned the bar. It was half-full, with elderly and crippled Kellach comprising the majority of the patrons. The table of three young women were attracting a lot of glances, she noticed, though most of them were aimed at Kallie.

  ‘Not having some?’ she asked her.

  ‘No thanks,’ Kallie said.

  ‘They’ve got food, if you’re hungry.’

  ‘If ye think I’m eating anything in this fucking dump yer crazier than I thought.’

  ‘Suit yerself, hen.’

  An old man on a crutch hobbled over to them.

  ‘You girls new in Rainsby?’

  Keira thumbed at Flora. ‘Me and her have been here before.’

  The man sat.

  ‘Friends with a Holdings, eh?’

  ‘Aye, so?’

  The man shrugged. ‘It’s nothing to me, but there might be a few about who’d take exception. Ye have to remember that it’s not so long ago that the Emperor brought in boatloads of the dark-skinned fuckers to kick our arses.’

  Flora looked up. ‘We heard about that. Were you here when it happened?’

  ‘Aye, lass, that I was. The Emperor’s a mad bastard. He killed hundreds of clansfolk, hunting for mages.’

  ‘Did he find any?’ said Keira.

  ‘Aye, just the one though. An old sparker. Once he’d been hauled off in chains, the Emperor left, and took all the soldiers with him. That’s when we moved back in. Had the whole town to ourselves for a while, not that there was that many of us left, mind. And then, about a third ago, this new lot arrived. They pushed us all into this wee corner of the town, and walled us in. Now they’re living like kings and queens in the rest of the fucking town, each of them with their own pet Rakanese. ’

  Keira frowned. ‘Eh?’

  ‘Aye,’ the man said. ‘So much for the Holdings being against slavery. The new soldiers brought a load of they frog-folk with them, ones they’d captured in the summer campaign.’

  ‘The Holdings invaded Rakana?’ Flora said.

  The man looked at them like they were stupid. ‘Where the fuck have you girls been?’

  ‘Grey Mountains,’ said Keira, before the others could open their mouths.

  The man nodded. ‘Well, everything’s changed since the Emperor went mental and killed the Sanang army. He cleared the Kellach out of the imperial capital, and then he attacked Rainsby. After that, he took a great big army and stomped all over the swamps of Rakana, and now he’s up in the Holdings, doing the same thing to them.’

  Flora’s face fell. ‘The Emperor’s in the Holdings?’

  ‘Aye, fighting rebels. Or he was. I heard he won a big battle up there, wiped out their cavalry.’

  ‘A rebellion,’ Flora said, shaking her head. ‘Shit. How could they be so stupid?’

  The man squinted at her. ‘You an Emperor-lover? If ye are, then I advise ye keep that opinion to yerself around here.’

  ‘I hate the bastard.’

  The old man slapped his thigh. ‘Then yer alright by me, hen.’

  ‘But what abo
ut all the Holdings, here in the town?’ Flora said. ‘What do they think about what’s been happening?’

  The man shrugged. ‘Some of them treat us like shit, but the rest are alright. I know a few folk with work permits who labour for them out in the fields. They said that most are conscripts, who didn’t want to join the army, or go to Rakana, or come here for that fucking matter. They just want to go home, or they did, before they found out that the Emperor’s been kicking the shit out of it.’

  ‘Any One True Path?’

  ‘Aye, a few. They never come into our wee district though, too scared we’ll rip their heads off. ’

  Keira drummed the tabletop with her fingers. ‘This has all been so very fucking interesting, but I want to get onto business.’

  The man raised an eyebrow. ‘What kind of business?’

  ‘I want to buy a shitload of weed.’

  ‘And I took ye for sensible lassies,’ the man said, shaking his head. ‘Ye don’t want to be getting mixed up in that nonsense.’

  ‘Can ye point us in the right direction, but?’

  He frowned. ‘I don’t want ye to get into trouble.’

  ‘We’re big girls,’ Keira said. ‘We can look after ourselves.’

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m not helping ye. The folk that deal in weed are a bad lot.’

  ‘Ach, well,’ Keira said, finishing her ale. ‘Next tavern?’

  She stood. Flora said goodbye to the old man, and they walked outside. Keira stretched.

  ‘Excuse me,’ a voice said.

  A younger man stepped out of an alleyway.

  ‘Aye?’ Keira said.

  ‘I couldnae help but hear what ye were saying to that auld guy in there.’

  Keira frowned.

  ‘I can help you,’ he said, ‘if yer serious. Ye said a shitload.’

  ‘Aye, I did,’ she said. ‘And who the fuck are you?’

  ‘Me, I’m nobody, but for a small cut I can introduce ye to somebody.’

  ‘I’ll give ye two gold if the deal pans out.’

  ‘Five.’

  ‘Three.’

  ‘Done.’ He grinned. ‘Follow me, ladies.’