The Sword Falls
Page 40
“Little brother!” echoed a voice from somewhere in Snake Guard. “I know you’re hiding out there somewhere. How long has it been? Five years… more? I hear you were at the parliament when Trego was killed.”
Marius splashed water on his face. Santago talking to him meant that the void legionnaires had finished their first sweep of the hold and not found him. They were a poor urban police force and would have missed plenty of cellars, hidden passageways and water channels. But this was only temporary. The benefit of Santago’s single-minded brutality was that he’d tear the place apart until he found his youngest brother.
“Are you hurt?” shouted Santago. “One of my men claims he skewered you. If he’s lying, King Oliver will have to punish him. If he’s telling the truth, you need a healer.”
Marius wanted to reply, perhaps delivering a withering put down and embarrassing his older brother, but he kept silent, wondering how far he’d have to crawl to get back to the Dark Harbour. It was a really long way, especially when your starting point was hiding in a stone tunnel in two feet of water.
“Not talking, little brother?” continued Santago, this time with a catch of humour in his shouted question. “No matter. When we reach the Dark Harbour, I’ll be sure to console your wife and daughter.”
Marius clenched his fists. Even if he could make it back home, he’d never get there ahead of his brother’s void legions. Lucio Wind Claw and his warriors were probably already on their way there. There were still fighters at the Dark Harbour, but very few, and certainly not enough to repel multiple legions. The only hope for the remaining citizens was to leave for Nowhere before their hold was sacked.
“I can’t die here,” he repeated, this time with more conviction.
“Nor will you,” said a cracked old voice from the other side of the last sluice gate.
Marius didn’t need to look to know that it was Ten Cuts. The ancient Pure One was hidden behind rocks, having escaped Snake Guard well before the void legions attacked.
“I believe I told you to leave,” said the Stranger. “In fact, I think my exact words were fuck off back to Nowhere and tell Utha what happened here.”
“Umm,” grumbled the old Pure One, craning his neck to look at the Stranger through the steel crating. “I never fully understood the need to curse.”
“Why are you still here?” asked Marius.
“Surely that is obvious,” said Ten Cuts. “I am here to ensure you live. You are important.” The old man grasped the spirit-whistle around his neck and jiggled it in the air, as a father would brandish his son’s favourite toy. “I assume you wish to go back to the Dark Harbour?”
Marius smiled. “No, I wish to go up there and drive a sword through my brother’s head. Unfortunately, as that is not practical, I believe I should go back to the Dark Harbour.”
“I’m sorry about the Eagle Prince,” said Ten Cuts. “I feared what he could become, if his mind was opened to the Sunken God, but I never imagined this.”
“It was my fault,” said Marius. “I underestimated my brother. At least things are clear now. We have all the allies we’re going to get and the time for reasonable discourse appears to be over. All that matters now is getting as many people as possible to Utha’s Gate.”
“Well then,” replied Ten Cuts, placing the whistle to his lips. “Let’s get you to the Dark Harbour. Should be there in a few minutes.”
The sound was subdued, but represented a chance Marius didn’t think he was going to get. He couldn’t reply to his brother and question his devotion to the fish-god, but he could get ahead of him and save more lives.
APPENDIX
WINTERLORDS
The hold of First Port, where sits the Always King. Raised by Isabel Defiant in the second year of the dark age. Claimed by Hector Dawn Claw in the eighty-first year of the dark age. The Isle of the Setting Sun was the first to submit to the might of the Eastron.
The hold of the Silver Dawn, where sits the Silver Parliament. Raised by King Sebastian Dawn Claw in the thirteenth year of the dark age, supplanting the Lodge of the Tree.
Oliver Dawn Claw Protector of First Port
James Silver Born, called Silver Jack Duellist
David Falcon’s Fang Duellist
Leofryc Bright Hand Commander of Falcon’s Watch
Christophe Dawn Claw, called the Shining Sword the Always King
Natasha Dawn Claw the Lady of First Port
Alaric Sees the Setting Sun Spirit-master of First Port
Joseph High Heart Speaker of the Silver Parliament
Elizabeth Defiant Envoy of the Silver Parliament
DARK BRETHREN
The hold of the Open Hand, where sits the Bloodied Harp. Raised by Medina Wind Claw in the thirteenth year of the dark age, supplanting the Lodge of the Fire. Records are not kept as to how many Pure Ones died during its construction.
The Dark Harbour, where sits the Stranger. Raised by Markus Eclipse, in the twentieth year of the dark age. Claimed by the Outrider Knights in defiance of the Bloodied Harp.
Alexis Wind Claw
Lucio Wind Claw
Yanos Wolf Bane Commander of the tenth void legion
Marius Cyclone, called the Stranger Elder of the Dark Harbour
Santos Spirit Killer Commander of the ninth void legion
Jessimion Death Spell Commander of the third void legion
Jago Eclipse Mercenary
Toro, called Half Moon Outrider Knight
Straya, called Dark Maiden Outrider Knight
Emilio, called Gentle Outrider Knight
Quinn, called Full Moon Horizon-walker
Marianne Death Spell Envoy
Fabien Darkling Envoy
Trego Cyclone Envoy
Santago Cyclone, called the Bloodied Harp Elder of the Open Hand
SEA WOLVES
The hold of the Severed Hand, where sits the First Fang. Raised by Duncan Red Claw in the fourteenth year of the dark age. The first Battle of Tranquillity won the island of Nibonay from the Pure Ones, supplanting the Lodge of the Rock.
Adeline Brand, called the Alpha Wolf Elder of the Severed Hand
Tomas Red Fang Spirit-master of the Severed Hand
Rys Coldfire, called the Wolf’s Bastard Duellist
Ingrid Raider Duellist
Ulric Blood First Fang
Lagertha Blood Second Fang
Jonas Grief Master-at-arms
Siggy Blackeye Mistress of the Black Wave
Jacob Hearth Captain of the Black Wave
Kieran Greenfire Master of Halfdan’s Revenge
Tynian Driftwood Captain of Halfdan’s Revenge
Bjorn Coldfire Spirit-master of Halfdan’s Revenge
Karanya Rune Bosun of Halfdan’s Revenge
Vincent Half Hitch Rig-rat of Halfdan’s Revenge
Duncan Greenfire, called Sharp Tongue
Wilhelm Greenfire the High Captain
Roland Lahandras, called Dark Wing Duellist
Mikael Brand the Battle Brand of Last Port
Halfdan Raider Master-at-arms of Last Port
Wolfgang Rune Spirit-master of Last Port
Veronica Lahandras Senior duellist of Last Port
Xavyer Ice, the Grim Wolf Elder of Nowhere
KNEELING WOLVES
The hold of Four Claw’s Folly, where sits the Friend. Raised by Mathew Lone Claw in the fifteenth year of the dark age. Big Brother remained wild, with Jorralite Pure Ones assisting in the hold’s construction.
Tasha Strong Cook
Oswald Leaf Protector of Four Claw’s Folly
Lucas Vane, called Frog Killer Duellist
Charlie Vane, called the War Rat Captain of the Lucretia
Lachlan Bark, called Crazy Pig Captain of the Badger
SUNDERED WOLVES
The hold of the Starry Sky, where sits the Wave Dancer and the Bear Tamer.
Daniel Doesn’t Die, Drinks the Death Bear’s Eye
Micah Knows Your Name
Lis
sa Dreams
Thomas Knows Everything
Eva Rage Breaker, called the Lady of Rust
PURE ONES
The boundless native tribes of Rock, Fire and Tree, divided into numerous camps.
Ten Cuts
Young Green Eyes
Sky Father
Autumn Rain
Heart of Stone
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CLAWS
The Always King
The highest office in the Kingdom of the Four Claws. Elder of the Winterlords. The title is strictly hereditary.
Sebastian Dawn Claw 1–20DA
Arnulf Dawn Claw 21–52DA
Gaspar Dawn Claw 52–73DA
Hector Dawn Claw 73–96DA
Gustav Dawn Claw 96–130DA
Christophe Dawn Claw, called the Shining Sword 130DA–?
The First Fang
Elder of the Sea Wolves. Usually hereditary, though a Day of Challenge frequently causes problems.
Duncan Red Claw 1–40DA
Vincent Red Claw 40DA
Jacob Ice 40–41DA
Ragnar Ice 41–43DA (THE YEARS OF ICE)
Heinrich Ice 43–46DA
Darius Blood 46–50DA
Valen Ice 50–52DA
Robert Greenfire 52–80DA
Mathias Blood, the Lost Pirate 80–93DA
Victor Blood, the Half Heart 93–113DA
Halfdan Blood, the Bloody Fang 113–139DA
Ulric Blood 139DA–?
The Friend
Elder of the Kneeling Wolves. The High Families vote.
Mathew Lone Claw, the Last Claw 1–63DA
Sorrin Leaf 63–80DA
Antonius Mud 80–101DA
Jeremiah Strong 101–106DA
Isaiah Leaf 106–130DA
The Bloodied Harp
Elder of the Dark Brethren. No laws of ascension have been established.
Medina Wind Claw 1–20DA
Esteban Death Spell, the Full Moon 21–80DA
Marco Death Spell, the No Moon 80–90DA
Yaago Wind Claw, the True Harp 90–99DA
Gogol Cyclone 99–112DA
Piedro Eclipse 112–129DA
Lucio Eclipse 129–131DA
Santago Cyclone 131DA–?
Acknowledgements
It’s been a difficult year… far more difficult than most people know. I think this book has a lot of veiled references to things I couldn’t express any other way. That’s not to say they were intentional, but editing and subsequent reads have brought up a hundred musings of a hundred things I might have been thinking about when I wrote any given chapter.
Nevertheless, I have many people and dogs to thank.
Terry and Cathy Smith, Liz, Ralph, and Rowan Lovegrove, Simon Hall, Marcus Holland, Scott Ilnicki, Benjamin Hesford, Mark Allen, Tony Carew, Martin Cubberly, Kathleen Kitsell, Jessica Collett, Aaron Ward, Nigel Jones and Robert Dinsdale.
And Darcie, our beautiful little red dog.
Things break and things remain.
AJS
About the Author
A.J. SMITH is the author of The Black Guard, The Dark Blood, The Red Prince, The World Raven and The Glass Breaks. When not writing fiction, he works in secondary education as a youth worker.
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