The Riven Wyrde Saga boxed set

by Graham Austin-King

  He sat at the table and stared at the flicker of the flames through the vents in the front of the woodstove as he sipped at another cup of keft. It wouldn’t keep for much longer anyway and the bitter drink would help to keep him awake.

  As midnight came and went, a gentle rain began to hiss down onto the cobbled streets. He stood in the crumbling cellar entrance, tucked into the corner of the half-collapsed building, watching the sparkle of the raindrops as they were caught in the moonlight. Eventually, the second bell sounded, mournful and subdued in the distance. He checked over his pack one last time and stepped out into the drizzle.

  The streets were silent. Even those who had staggered late out of taverns and into the wet had long since found their way home. Either that or they had passed out in a gutter that had conspired with alcohol to make itself seem appealing. The night was his alone. There were certain to be other thieves out at work and the constables would still be patrolling, albeit reluctantly in this weather. They were more likely to be holed up in accommodating doorways, smoking until either the rain stopped or they forced themselves out onto the streets. Despite this reality, Gavin had always thought of the night as his own.

  He moved steadily, keeping to the shadows where possible and listening carefully for telltale footfall. The constables were more or less inept, but nobody could have mistaken his intent, dressed in greys. The constables were actually the least of his worries, though. He would have to pass through the territories of two of Hesk's more vicious street gangs on his route. If he was seen, it would result in somebody bleeding and he hadn’t the time. In spite of all this, his form would have seemed relaxed to any onlooker as he made his way towards the city's centre in his strange, grey clothes.

  He spotted Tessa as he approached the Pig and Whistle. She was crouched on the rooftop of a building at the side of the alleyway that faced the inn, seemingly oblivious to the rain. She would have probably been overlooked by anyone else on the street. It was almost certain that she’d have been missed by anybody honest. Normal people didn't tend to look up at the rooftops, especially when it was raining. Gavin had only caught sight of her when she shifted slightly, probably to ease a cramp. He stepped out of the shadows and raised a hand in greeting, watching as she made her way to the edge of the roof and climbed down with a fluid grace.

  She eyed his greys and the small pack he had slung over one shoulder, and nodded to herself as he approached. “Are you ready?” She didn't bother with a greeting.

  “As I will ever be, I suppose.”

  Tessa led him through the streets, casting sidelong smirks at him as he hunched down deeper into his greys against the wet. The wind was picking up and the drizzle drifted in under the hood of his cloak, clinging to his hair and forming larger drips which worked their way down his neck. He swore under his breath and swatted a drip away for the third time, ignoring Tessa's quiet chuckle as they rounded the corner and stood before the cathedral.

  The building was enormous. Whilst impressive in the daylight, most of its majesty was lost at night. The towers were hidden by the gloom, and the building squatted in the square as if it hadn't the strength to stand erect, brooding and forbidding as it shrugged at the darkness.

  Dark windows on the second and third floors added to the image, combining with the shadows to make it look as if it was glaring out at the city. Gavin had always been able to form faces out of images. Even as a small child, he'd been able to think himself into nightmares by forming faces in the grain of the wood of his bed. He glanced up at the cathedral and gave an involuntary shudder, turning it into a shrug to mask it from Tessa.

  “How were you planning on getting in?”

  “The gardens are just on the other side of the wall you found me at last night.” Her voice was just louder than a whisper. “From what I can remember, there are enough small trees and bushes on the other side to conceal us as we're coming over the wall. We should be under cover, even if someone is watching. From there, we'll play it by ear.”

  “Glad to know you've thought this all through so well,” Gavin muttered, and walked into the alley. He kept to the shadows again almost without thinking about it and his soft boots made no noise as he passed over the cobbles. In the daytime, he didn't bother with boots, but tonight the pale skin of his feet would have drawn the eye. He ducked into the shelter of an overhanging roof and shook the worst of the water from his cloak as he waited for Tessa to catch up with him. She held out a hand and he pulled out the grapnel, passing it to her without comment. Noting the new rope, she nodded in approval, and then stepped away from the wall. He watched in silence as she swung the grapnel once, twice, and then flung it high over the wall. It make a gentle grating noise as she pulled the rope in slowly until the iron points dug in, then she was up and over the wall in moments.

  Gavin fingered the rope for a moment and sighed. It was too late for second thoughts now. He muttered a curse under his breath and clambered up the rope and onto the top of the wall. He lay prone for a moment, the damp stone cold on his cheek as he looked down into the cathedral gardens.

  The lawns were dark and silent, and the trees and bushes rustled gently in the slight breeze that drifted up and over the walls. He heard a muffled noise and glanced down to see Tessa looking up at him impatiently. He pulled the rope up and then slipped into the tree beside the wall and down into the brush.

  Tessa led the way, moving out of the bushes and across the lawn on swift, silent feet, a passing shadow in the night. Gavin felt clumsy beside her, but only by virtue of his size. They went past the arched garden entrance that would have led them into the cathedral itself, and headed for the side door that would take them into the orphanage.

  She stopped beside the heavy wooden door and tried the latch, then shook her head at him. He stepped around her and knelt to examine the lock with his fingertips. Dropping his pack to the floor, he rummaged around in it until he withdrew a cloth bundle, unrolling it and removing a simple metal probe. The darkness was almost absolute by the door, the high walls of the cathedral blocking what little light the moon shed in those brief moments when it peeked between the clouds. Gavin inserted the probe into the lock, using it as an extension of his own fingers, working by feel to determine its structure. Satisfied, he withdrew the probe and then selected two more thin tools. Within moments, the lock gave a quiet click and, with a nod to Tessa, he tucked the picks away in his pack. They stepped through the door, pulling it to but not fully closing it behind them.

  The door led into a dimly lit corridor. A rich rug ran the length of the hallway, allowing them to move more swiftly without having to worry as much about making noise. Gavin wondered at the low-wicked oil lamps mounted on the walls. They were barely alight, but why burn them at all at this time of night? He considered the wealth of this new church as he took in the walnut wall panelling. Shaking his head, he forced himself to pay attention to what they were doing. Tessa led him through the richly appointed hallways, past heavy doors and a wide staircase, through to a more austere dining hall.

  She pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his ear. “The children are all upstairs. I don't think we need to risk waking them.”

  Gavin was about to respond when a faint shimmer of light reflected off the polished tabletop. A glance at the entrance to the hall and the bright glow of lamplight prompted him to scan the room quickly. There was no place to hide that was worth bothering with. He pressed close to the wall beside the doorway and reached under his cloak for the knife at his belt.

  “Which ones?” a voice carried in from the hallway.

  “The youngest. It's always the youngest.” He sounded terse compared to the questioner. He had sounded timid, nervous.

  Gavin shot a look at Tessa and she nodded, pointing to her ear and then the hallway.

  “I still don't understand...”

  “Listen, acolyte,” the voice snapped, its owner's temper clearly fraying. “You do not need to understand. These orders came from the First himself. O
urs is not to question, just to obey. We are to take two of the youngest to the stones in the park tonight and meet others of our order. That is all you need to understand.”

  “Yes, Father.” The reply was apologetic and was soon followed by footsteps, as the pair climbed the stairs to the second floor.

  Gavin followed the sound with his eyes, as if he could somehow still see them through the wall.

  “What now?” Tessa hissed at him.

  “We wait here,” he whispered. “It sounded like they were fetching them.”

  They crouched in the darkness, pressed against the wall beside the door. A brief search had revealed no better hiding places in the time they had. Creaks from above heralded the priests' approach as they came down the stairs. Gavin clenched his fist tight around the hilt of his knife before forcing himself to relax. Tense muscles move more slowly, he told himself.

  “Lord of the New Days, this one's heavier than she looks.” The creaking of the stairs made it hard for Gavin to tell which of the priests had spoken. The footsteps reached the base of the stairs and began to fade down the corridor.

  Tessa pushed past him and into the corridor, stopping and looking back at him in confusion. “Come on!” She moved off without a backward glance. Gavin cursed under his breath and then followed.

  He caught up with her at the doorway leading out to the gardens. She glanced back at him and nodded once, though he had no idea what that was supposed to have meant, and then eased the door open. She darted through, still crouched low, her dark cloak trailing along the ground. Gavin followed and immediately headed for the deeper shadows closer to the wall. The priests were visible in the distance, heading for the doors that went into the cathedral itself. Tessa made to follow, but Gavin reached for her and pulled her up short. “Where are you going?” he whispered.

  “I'm following them, you idiot. Come on!”

  “Into the cathedral? Why? We know where they're going.”

  “Yes, inside. Let’s go.”

  “They said they were going to the park. Weren't you listening?”

  She lowered her head. Despite the darkness, Gavin could almost feel her blush. “Come on.” He led her back to the wall, secured the grapnel and clambered over. He glanced up at the sky as he waited for her. It was still dark, but dawn was fast approaching. “I don't think they're going to take their time,” he said, as he heard the distant clatter of carriage wheels on cobbles. “It will be starting to get light soon.”

  She nodded. “Let's go.”

  The two ran through the streets, hoods thrown back and not bothering to keep to the shadows as they ducked into the cobweb of alleys that covered Hesk. A maze to most of the city's inhabitants, the alleyways could get you where you wanted to be far faster than many of the main roads of the city. They could also get you robbed at knife-point and left for dead in them if you weren’t careful.

  The park was shrouded in mist. It rose in tendrils from the river surrounding it and pushed into the park in a dense, undulating blanket. Gavin was thankful for the cover it provided them, but frustrated by the fact they couldn't see anything through the shifting grey mass. They moved quickly through the park in the direction of the stones, ears alert for any noise. This time, it was Tessa who pulled him up short, grabbing a shoulder and pointing into the murk. A yellow halo of lantern light surrounded the dark figures as they made their way through the mist. The priests wore dark robes, which would have made them almost as hard to see as if they’d been wearing greys, if it hadn’t been for their lantern. They must have left their carriage at the entrance to the park and were moving over the wet grass with purpose, walking roughly parallel to the two thieves.

  Gavin and Tessa froze and let the two priests overtake them before they moved again. He waited for a safe distance to form and then set off, trusting Tessa to follow. A metallic clink from behind told him that she was readying her weapons as she ran and he patted his knife through his cloak, reassuring himself of its presence.

  They cut across the grass at an angle that would bring them level with the priests on the approach to the stones, yet still keep them at a safe distance. The stones lay at a natural edge to the park, bordered by thick trees and bushes on one side, and large rocks that sloped down to the rushing river on the other. As such, it would be hard to approach unseen, even with the mist cloaking them. Gavin skirted the trees, moving more slowly now in order to match the priests' pace. They were walking slowly, one of them clearly struggling with the weight of the child he carried, as the stones loomed out of the mist.

  “Brothers.” The soft voice cut through the mist and the silence. Not knowing quite why, Gavin stopped and dropped to the grass as he tried to see who had spoken.

  “You have performed your task adequately. You may now depart.” Two black-robed figures strode forward from the stones, the mist eddying and swirling around their legs like water. Their hoods were low over their faces, obscuring anything Gavin might have seen despite the lamplight. He crawled forward through the wet grass, trying to get a better view as they held their hands out for the children. One child was probably aged four or five from what Gavin could see, but the other was a babe, still wrapped in swaddling.

  “The girl should sleep for another three or four hours yet, but the baby could wake at any time,” the younger priest said suddenly, earning a sharp look from his companion. The taller of the two strange figures nodded in response and then repeated his earlier words. “You may depart.” His accent seemed odd. It was a little thing, but it niggled at Gavin for some reason. He glanced at Tessa, who was lying next to him in the grass, but she was watching the scene intently and did not meet his gaze.

  He was silent as the priests from the cathedral approached and then passed them. Why would they bring children, and one a baby at that, here in the dead of night? He chewed savagely at a fingernail. None of this made sense. The priests handed over the children without speaking and then left quickly. The two other priests stood by the stones as they watched their counterparts vanish into the darkness. They did not speak and held the children in a strange fashion. It wasn't a normal way to hold a child, more like the way you might hold a package. A clasp devoid of nurturing or any sense of care or protection.

  For the first time, Gavin realised that they held no lamp themselves but they seemed at ease in the darkness. As the distant glow of the lamp faded away behind them, a terrible feeling of wrongness rose in him. Moonlight broke through the clouds and the light served to make the scene even more otherworldly, if that was possible. The two figures looked up at the sky in unison, their faces lifted to the light, eyes closed and lips parted. One looked around and then burst into a delighted laugh. A shimmer seemed to pass over him and then the black robe vanished, revealing a man-like figure in simple tan clothing. Gavin held back a startled gasp and felt Tessa stiffen beside him. The figure seemed normal enough, although its face was pale in the moonlight and its hair hung down past its shoulders. It turned and Gavin bit hard on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from crying out. The eyes of the creature shone in the darkness, a gentle amber glow, the colour of a candle's flame or of sunlight on water. Beside him, Tessa whimpered softly into the grass.

  “This is forbidden, you fool,” hissed the black-robed figure in alarm.

  “Forbidden,” laughed the amber-eyed creature. “Too long has it been since I felt our Lady's touch on my skin. I'll not diminish it with a glamour. Take the younglings through, if you are so eager to return.”

  “Te eirla su trechendar, kalien su irla!” the figure in black spat, and the argument continued in words Gavin could neither make out or understand.

  Finally, the figure threw the young boy over one shoulder and then took the baby, holding it in its other hand. Gavin watched with wide eyes as it walked towards the stones, the huge blocks that formed a gateway of sorts where generations of couples had come to kiss.

  He was dimly aware of Tessa moving in the grass beside him, but couldn't tear his eyes from the s
cene before him. The robed figure reached a hand out to one of the stones, took another step forward and half-turned to the creature. Gavin was vaguely aware of the fact they were speaking but was staring, open-mouthed, at the way the figure's leg ended in mid-air. The portion of his body that had stepped through the space between stones had simply ceased to exist. Gavin heard a hiss beside him and then a sharp metallic twang. The robed figure looked up in surprise and hissed in pain as the bolt bounced off its thigh. Its robe fell away, running like water, revealing the creature beneath it. It wore the same tan clothing as its companion and had the same burning eyes. Both creatures turned to glare at Tessa.

  “Kiel serh!” the first spat. It stepped through the stones with the children and vanished.

  Tessa rose to her feet and fumbled with the tiny crossbow in her hands. A smile crept across the remaining creature's face. Holding its arms wide, as if inviting the crossbow bolt, it stepped slowly towards them.

  “Tessa!” Gavin said in a low, urgent voice. “Tessa, run!”

  Her hand was shaking as she held out the bow and pulled the trigger. Somehow, she managed to hit the creature, but again the bolt simply bounced off, leaving a small tear in the tan cloth over its stomach. The creature laughed again, a delighted but cruel sound, and pulled a long knife from a sheath strapped to one leg. “My turn,” it whispered, the sound somehow carrying clearly to them both. Gavin struggled to his feet and pulled his knife, as Tessa dropped the crossbow and drew her own blade. The thing stepped lightly through the mist towards them, and they spread apart in an attempt to force it to fight one of them or the other.