“Stay,” Nana breathed. “I might not have my wits later. I have to tell you about Ally.”
Daric sat back down. “Very well. But don’t tire yourself, we have all night.”
Nana stared at the brazier for a long time, then said, “She is my sister.”
Her words were full of regret, as if she were telling him she was related to some evil sorceress. He waited for her to say more, and when she did not, he said, “I thought it would be something like that; a sister or a cousin. When Yacob said he recognised you and named you Ally, I expected you would tell us. Why didn’t you?”
“We had a falling out; over a man, of all things. I thought she had gone to Kelmac. To tell you the truth, hopes of finding her was half the reason I agreed to join your party, and all the reason why I came back to Aleras. I hurt her, Daric, her pride, as much as anything, but I hurt her all the same. Get her out of there.”
“Why didn’t you say?”
Nana swallowed hard. A tear in her eye, she said, “Because I would have had to admit my shame.”
Daric nodded at that. He knew Toyan honour. Whatever had passed between Nana and her sister, it was paining her to have to admit it. She would have rather taken care of it herself. Still, if they had known they had an ally within the old farmhouse, they could have gotten a message to her, coordinated an attack, maybe.
Too late now, Daric told himself. All three hostages were likely at the manor house, there would be no getting word to any of them.
Having said that, having a fighter on the inside could prove useful. Daric pondered on how he might use Ally. Yacob had said she was a master with the sword, and had single-handedly taken on a posse of Breen’s men. Yes, very useful; Daric would have to remember to take an extra shortsword.
Still, with any luck, they would not have to fight. Lord Breen would come to his senses and realise the lives of three hostages were not worth the potential losses. Of course, that was assuming Lord Breen cared one way or the other.
You don’t know what he thinks they are worth, he told himself. You have no idea why he might want Mairi, never mind the other two.
Suddenly, Gaiden’s proposal did not seem such a good idea. Daric would have to come up with a backup plan, some way of freeing Mairi which did not involve a stand-up fight with Lord Breen’s men.
Easier to steal a dragon’s egg, he thought. Breen had three hundred men – likely more, since Yosil raised the alarm. If Gaiden’s plan did not work, Breen would add six more hostages to his list.
“What are you thinking?” Nana asked.
Daric started. He had been staring at the window, lost in thought, all his ideas running around in ever decreasing circles. His mind was clay. Short of marching a regiment of city guards down from Bailryn, he could think of no sure way of forcing Breen to give up his hostages.
“Wondering how to perform a miracle,” he said.
Nana coughed. She rolled onto her back, her arm covering her eyes from the dim light flowing in through the window above the brazier. “Just kill the man,” she said. “You have the knife, just sneak up and kill him.”
Daric chuckled. “If only it were that easy.”
“Why isn’t it?” Nana said. “They are his hostages. Get rid of him, and who is going to stand in your way?” She closed her eyes. Head lolling to the side, she added, “He has to die, Daric. You know what he is.”
Do I? he thought. Could Lord Breen be the creature Magryn spoke off? It seemed the obvious choice. Yosil had called him a demon, Ishban had said he was possessed; who else could it be? But what if he was wrong? What if Breen was just the façade? If they went straight to the manor house as soon as they got back to the cave, he would likely have less than three hours to use the Tandrian blade – what if he attacked the wrong person?
But wrong man or not, Breen would be dead, he told himself, and Mairi would be free.
Could he do that? Assuming they were all wrong about Breen, and he was not the creature, could he leave Whitecliff in the clutches of the demon and run back to Bailryn with his wife?
Yes, the gods damn him for his selfishness; yes, he could take Mairi and run.
* * *
Sarai woke Daric while it was still dark outside. He had slept in one of the guest rooms behind the kitchens, Cal in the other bed, his feet poking out of the bottom. Until Sarai shook his shoulder, Daric had not realised he had fallen asleep. He did remember lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering how he was going to free Mairi if their plan did not work. He thought he had an answer, but now he was awake, he wondered if it would work. He would have to ask Gyna.
Cal mumbled something, and Sarai suggested he should hurry if he wanted a bath, saying the others would be up soon, and that there was usually a queue for the tubs.
He should have a bath, too, Daric decided; one way or another, he would see Mairi today, and he had not washed properly since leaving the Belkyn Tower.
After breakfast, where Gaiden once again went over his plan to force Breen to release his hostages, Daric paid a brief visit to Nana, who, if he were being honest, looked no better than she had the previous evening. Sarai said she would take good care of her, and Daric promised he would come back just as soon as they were safely away from Whitecliff.
That done, Cal and Gyna joined him on the steps outside the Hall of Wolves. The witch – or rather, the initiate – the girl who would open the lier’sinn at this end was already there, waiting. Malani gathered them all together at the corner of the village green. Once satisfied, she put two fingers into the foul gloop which half-filled the lier’sinn and started to mumble some chant.
Daric was not listening. Instead, he tapped Gyna on the elbow.
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered.
“What about?”
“I have an idea. I want you to tell me if you think it will work.”
Gyna raised one eyebrow. “That sounds ominous. I thought we had settled on a plan.”
“Call this a backup. I’ll need you to stay at the cave and wait for my signal.”
“What sig—”
“Are you all ready?” Malani asked.
“Yes, dear,” Gaiden said. “We are ready. You may proceed.”
“What signal?” Gyna said, as the portal to Arenthenia began to form.
The others were closing in, making a tight group. Daric looked up at the half-Ulroch. “I’ll tell you when we get back. And you can tell me if you think I’ve gone mad.”
“I see,” Gyna said. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Daric smiled up at her. “Probably not.”
CHAPTER 31
Ready or Not
Six men entered the kitchen while Mairi, Odaman, and Ally sat at the table eating their supper of cold meat and dried biscuits. Three marched in from the backyard, the others stomping through the hall.
“What’s all this?” Calleon said. He had been sitting on the counter, eyeing Mairi with a look she did not like. When the six men entered, he jumped down and put himself between the table and the first man. “What are you doing here?”
His tone said the other men should not have known there was anyone staying at the old farmhouse.
“We are moving them,” the first man said.
“By whose authority?” Calleon said. “This is our job, what gives you the right—”
“On Lord Breen’s orders.”
The first man – an officer in Breen’s militia, Mairi decided – ignored Calleon’s comments and pointed at the three men who had come in through the back door, then gestured them toward the table. “Take the prisoners to the cart,” he said. “And hurry up about it.”
“Wait a minute,” Calleon said, annoyance thick in his voice. “We haven’t had our money. You aint taking them nowhere until we’ve got our money.”
The officer just stared at Calleon. Mairi thought he was trying to hide a smile. Calleon hesitated under the other man’s gaze – clearly, this officer was no stranger.
As m
uch as she would like to see Calleon brought down a peg, she could not help worrying over what these new men wanted with her. Had the palace paid a ransom?
She glanced over at Ally. One of the men was gesturing at her to stand up.
No, if the palace had paid a ransom, they would not be moving the Toyan.
What had happened? Where were they going? Had there been a message, something from Gialyn, maybe?
Mairi flinched at the thought. She did not want her son involved in all this; better she was in danger than allow him to fall into Breen’s hands. Or was this Daric’s doing? Had he finally returned to Bailryn to find her still not back from Whitecliff? Absently, she wondered what her husband would have to say to Evin for asking for Mairi’s help. He would not be happy. Maybe he had persuaded the king to lend him some men. Maybe there were five hundred city guards surrounding Breen’s manor. That would certainly explain the officers rush to see them away from the old farm.
With a flash of optimism, she allowed one of the new men to lead her into the backyard.
There was no carriage, just a flatbed cart that looked to have seen better days.
“Do you expect us to travel in that?” Odaman said. “Where are we going? At least let me fetch my coat. It is freezing out here.”
Mairi shook her head at the fool’s comments. Honestly, the man just did not know when to shut up.
The man at Odaman’s side ignored the comment. Instead, he pushed the secretary toward the back of the cart. “Climb,” he said. “And if you’re lucky, I might find you a horse blanket. You, too,” he added for Ally.
Odaman opened his mouth to speak, but Ally pushed him forward. “Just get in the cart,” she said. “It’s not that cold.”
It was, Mairi noticed. In fact, Odaman was right; it was freezing. Every step on the thick snow was welcomed with the crunch of ice. Mairi hugged herself and allowed the man to help her up onto the cart.
“Don’t say a bloody word,” Ally was whispering to Odaman. “Persuade them we are no bother, and we might yet escape.”
For a wonder, Odaman closed his mouth. He gave Ally a shallow nod.
There were no clouds in the sky, but the moon was not yet up; if they were going to attempt an escape, now would be the time. But how far would they get without so much as a cloak between them? Mairi knew well the depth of a Kalidhain winter. Even this far south, they would not last the night without shelter and a fire.
She was going to tell Ally as much, but the woman was busy looking around at the guards as they left the old farmhouse. Could she trust her? Would Ally know of a cave or some abandoned shack they could use to keep the worst of the winter from their bones? If not, they would likely survivor longer if they just stayed in the cart.
Despite the dark, Mairi could see over the stone wall as they made their way down the lane toward the Townhill road. The fields were a white blanket. To her right, the blanket spread all the way down to the river. To her left, the white covering disappeared out of sight, but not for a good fifty paces. If Ally was going to run, she would have to wait until the road passed through the trees south of Breen’s estate.
Mairi glanced over at Odaman, then down at her skirts. If Ally had planned on running, Mairi did not think either she nor Odaman would get very far. Odaman was a little man, he had barely mustered the strength to climb into the cart; and Mairi was wearing soft shoes.
She was wondering whether to whisper her concerns to the other woman, when Ally asked, “Can you swim?”
Mairi shot a look over her shoulder, down toward the river. Did Ally think they could run all that way without the guards catching up with them?
“Yes, but the river is across the field. How are we going to—?”
“You let me worry about that. Just be ready to jump. We’ll go as soon as we hit the trees.”
“We’ll never make it,” Mairi said. “Even if they leave their horses by the road and follow us through the trees, they’ll run us down long before we reach the river.”
“What are you two talking about?” Odaman asked.
The question was spoken too loudly, and one of the guards rapped the side of the cart with a gauntleted hand. “No talking,” he said.
Mairi sat back against the rail. Ally shot Odaman a reproving glare, then, staring at her feet, she whispered, “Just be ready. I know a few tricks, we will reach the river.”
Know a few tricks? Mairi thought. Was the woman going to scare the horses somehow, cause a diversion?
Again, she glanced over at Odaman. It would have to be a big diversion if she was expecting the little man to escape on foot. Given what she was wearing, she was not sure she could run through a forest – she was sure Odaman could not.
They were mere yards from the trees when Mairi felt a strong gust of wind. The cart rocked, and the two guards riding on her side of the wagon were very nearly unseated. Another gust, and a tornado of ice and snow rolled across the road behind them.
Mairi looked up. There were no clouds in the near-black sky, where was the snow coming from?
“Be ready,” Ally whispered.
When Mairi looked over at her, the woman’s eyes were glazed. She was staring at the road they had just ridden over. Another gust of wind blew Mairi’s hair across her face. Horses whinnied, and guards shouted. Then, suddenly, Mairi could not see her hand in front of her face. The blast of cold air was astonishing, like falling into an iced pond. Where her face was not covered, the skin felt as if it would crack. If this was Ally’s doing, was the woman trying to kill them all?
She had already decided Ally must be a wet witch, and had enough of the Voice to summon the wind – that much she knew from what little Gialyn had told her – but if she was right, Ally could not be a very good witch; for one thing, Mairi was now so cold, she did not think she could run if she wanted to, and never mind she could not see where she was going.
She felt a tug at her shoulder.
“Now,” Ally said, forcing her whisper through the spiralling snow. “Time to go.”
“Go where?” Mairi said. “I can’t see.”
“Grab your friend, then hold my arm. I will guide you through the trees. You did say you could swim, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but won’t the river be frozen?”
“Only by the bank,” Ally said. “Now hurry, stop asking questions. I can’t hold it for long.”
Mairi fumbled around until she found Odaman’s shoulder, then tugged him toward her. He flinched back, slapping her away, all the while demanding to know what was going on. He was terrified, Mairi realised, and his teeth were chattering. Again, Mairi reached out for his shoulder; and again, he slapped it away.
“Calm down, Tolas. It’s only me, Mairi.”
He stopped slapping, but now he was shivering. He gave a low moan and seemed to curl in on himself, his arms grasping his knees. Mairi could not see properly, but she thought he was rocking from side to side.
“Leave him,” Ally said.
“No, I can’t do that, they will kill him. Help me get him off the cart. I’ll drag him if I have to.”
“He will slow us down,” Ally said. “We only have a few minutes. Just leave him here.”
Mairi ignored the comment. She grabbed Odaman under the arm and started pulling him toward the rail. It was a low cart, if needs be, she could just roll him off the side.
Ally sighed. “All right,” she said, grabbing Odaman’s left arm, “but if he gets me caught, I’ll kill him.”
It took a while to drag Odaman off the cart, then another age to get the man on his feet. He was shaking so hard, it was a wonder he could stand. The guards were shouting, the horses were making that awful sound only frightened horses seem capable of producing, and the wind was howling in Mairi’s ears as if she were in a tunnel. Still, they managed to force Odaman into the trees.
“Which way?” Mairi asked.
“Down here. The river is at the bottom of this slope.”
They eased Odaman between the trees, t
hen stumbled across the uneven ground. Mairi slipped more than once, and on one occasion, would have lost her shoe, had she not fallen on it. Even here, the wind was howling. Mairi could not see the trees until they were less than an arm’s length away, and bumped her head on more than one low-hanging branch. Odaman allowed himself to be led without complaint, but nor did he help. He fell at the slightest bump in the terrain, and Mairi could feel the burn in her lower back from holding him up. How in all the hells were they going to get him across the river?
Fortunately, the guards seemed too preoccupied with calming their horses to give chase. Mairi thought at least two had galloped off, hopefully with their riders still in the saddle. But the wind was dying down, calm horses or not, the guards would soon follow. And if they were not across the river before then, they would soon be recaptured.
“How much further?” Mairi asked.
“I told you, the river is at the bottom of the slope.”
“But how long is the slope? The snow is settling, they’ll be after us soon, and I have no idea how we are going to cross the river with…” She nodded at Odaman.
“I told you to leave him,” Ally said.
She was not even breathing heavily, Mairi noticed. Odaman was panting, and she was holding her side against a stitch, but the Toyan had not so much as stumbled over a downed branch. Mairi could not help a twinge of jealousy. She told herself, it was the woman age keeping her steady on her feet, but she thought it was more than that. Was she using the Voice to help her see? Could wet witches do that?
Mairi did not answer the comment. She would not leave Odaman to those men, even if it meant they were caught.
“You can go on ahead if you wish. At least one of us should escape. Maybe you can send word to my husband, let him know what has happened.”
She had no doubt Daric already knew what had happened, but at the same time, she did not want the younger woman to risk recapture. She was safe, relatively; His Lordship likely had plans for her, but she was not sure the same could be said for the Toyan. The guards would likely shoot her on sight, and if not, they would hurt her.
The Ship of Tears: (The Legend of the Nine: Part One) (The Eastern Kingdom Chronicles Book 8) Page 36