The Invisible Hand

by Chris Northern

  "How could he help?"

  There had been enough evidence to convict all fifteen men held, though doubt held me back from issuing a death sentence on any of them; doubt and the pragmatic reason that I didn't want to give these people the impression that the city was an arbitrary power. I sent almost all of them to Treleth as slaves, ordering that he pay half their value to the victims of their crimes. I would have ordered that goods be confiscated in one or two cases, but they owned nothing save themselves, leaving me little choice in the matter of sentence if their victims were to be compensated. The bulk of them had been men raised under the Necromancers’ rule. Only two had been men of Learneth, settling scores, the fall-out of the brief rule of the Necromancers that had set them against each other. Only one was a local, a woman who seemed clearly to be guilty of theft. I ordered that her goods be sold at auction and that she give up half the value to her victim. She claimed and substantiated ownership of a smallholding in the valley behind Darklake when it became clear she would be sold as a slave if she had no goods to stand in her place.

  By the time I was done holding court, there were no prisoners being held in Darklake. That's the way I wanted it.

  "I told you, he commands a spirit that could enforce an oath; he also commands a spirit that forces a man to speak the truth. He could have helped you."

  Anista had guided her mount close to mine but facing the other way so that she could look directly at me as she spoke. I'd been half surprised that she had appeared with two saddled horses at the appointed time. I had almost expected her to break our arrangement to ride out together. Two soldiers had joined us without comment, appearing at the gate on mounts of their own as though by mere coincidence. Right now, they were deliberately standing off a ways, trying to look like they were in the vicinity by chance. I hadn't felt like I could order them to stay behind. I would, in all honesty, have felt self-conscious about trying to engineer a situation where Anista and I were alone quite so blatantly.

  "Well? Why didn't you ask him?"

  "The thought hadn't occurred to me," I admitted. I did not admit that even if it had I would not have involved him; I didn't want anyone to infer that he had any authority. I considered his ability for only a moment; Balaran could, had he a sorcerer’s loupe, have cast a spell that would show him if someone were speaking truth or falsehood. To coerce a man into speaking only the truth was an entirely different matter, and one that I found disturbing. The only two abilities I had learned that Caliran had involved forcing people to act as he saw fit. I didn't know if any sorcerer had developed that kind of spell, but I instinctively doubted it. An individual should be free to take whatever action they considered appropriate, and then live with the consequences. Dubaku also, I was sure, would have no abilities that affected the will of the individual. Anista's words had simply made me slightly more wary of Caliran's attitudes. Still, I reasoned, he was isolated and harmless for now.

  "Well, perhaps you should speak with him further," Anista said.

  And I agreed. Perhaps I should.

  I gave the water spout a last look before turning my mount in a circle and heading on up the trail. "We'd better move on if we intend to make it to Duprane's Keep and back before dark."

  She gave a little snort and manoeuvred her mount on the trail to walk beside mine. "You said you wanted to talk to me."

  "We can talk as we ride," I said.

  The trail led away from the gorge and wound through the broad level between the two peaks. I could already see that the terrain ahead was different from the rocky body of the pass. Mixed forests coated the lower slopes and it wouldn't be long before we were among them.

  "Tell me what life was like for you, living with Orlek."

  She went rigid in the saddle and didn't say anything for a moment. "It can hardly be said that I lived with him," she said stiffly.

  "Hmmm. I gathered that he had a number of ..."

  "Concubines? Mistresses? Slave girls to share his bed? He did. And preferred them to me." She couldn't keep the anger or bitterness from her voice, though I had the distinct impression that part of that anger was directed at me.

  "I can't imagine why," the words came out of my mouth ironic and I bit my tongue, far too late.

  She flashed me a look of pure venom and kicked her heels to her mount, which responded eagerly, moving to a gallop in a few strides.

  The horse twitched and shifted under me, keen to take up the perceived challenge. I took a moment to curse myself, then another to wave off the two trailing guards before raking back my heels and giving chase. My left ankle gave a twinge of pain, which I ignored. The pull on the reins hurt my wrist far more, but I was just going to have to live with that as well. I didn't want to let her get too far ahead; I didn't want to let Anista out of my sight. The trail led swiftly into the woodland ahead and I didn't know the territory. She did. I didn't think she was making any kind of break for freedom; she just wanted to get away from me.

  "Dammit, Sumto," I griped to myself as I gave chase, "can't you do anything right?"

  The horse flicked an ear back at the sound of my voice but I had nothing else to add, concentrating instead on the trail and keeping an eye on the first of the overhanging branches that might be a danger. Anista and her racing mount disappeared into the woodland and I urged my ride to more speed, leaning well forward and rising slightly out of the saddle. The horse responded. He was a good sized animal and had plenty to offer; it was just a matter of getting the best out of him. Anista had a good few lengths on me and was a lighter passenger. I had little idea of her skills in the saddle, except what I had seen here and now. Better than average, I figured, but not as good as me.

  A few moments later and I was into the woodland. The hard-packed earth of the trail was looser here, a dark, moist earth that rose in clods from the pounding hooves of the horse under me. The woodland was dense enough to throw a canopy over my head and take away some of the sun, casting the trees into an eerie half-light. The sound of the river faded rapidly and the woods gave back no sound other than the pounding of hooves and the pulsing breath of my horse. The trail turned in two long slow curves with an upward gradient and then lay flat and straight with a slope to the right. I could see Anista ahead, and assessed that I had gained a little. I didn't focus on her, just took in her racing mount with a glance, before turning my full attention to the trail ahead, concerned only with the risk of roots that might trip the mount under me. Having a horse roll over me is pretty low on my list of fun things to have happen and I had no intention of taking a spill here. I was enjoying the ride, my attention focused on it, all other concerns falling away into irrelevance. By the end of the straight, I'd gained another length and it was only a few moments before I came into the next curve. Just ahead, out of my sight, came the cry of distress a horse gives when surprised by sudden danger. I knew it for what it was at once and reacted instinctively, tightening the rein, knowing my own horse would react to the sound. I controlled him, slowing hard through the tight S bend; as I came out of it onto straight trail I could see Anista just ahead. Her mount danced and circled on the trail as she fought him for control. There was a flash of movement up the slope and I caught a glimpse of some grey animal that I didn't have spare attention to focus on. My own mount stiffened under me, blowing and tossing his head as he fought me, looking for the danger. I checked him, dropping the pace to a walk. He tossed his head high and I felt him bunch under me, ready to lift his forelegs off the ground. I curbed his intent and tightened the rein more, keeping him under control as I watched Anista fight her own panicked mount and bring him under control, her full attention focused on the task. Content that she was getting it done, I cast about, looking for that flash of grey and seeing nothing of it. Whatever it had been it was gone.

  I walked my horse closer, seeing that Anista’s mount now stood stiff-legged and trembling, but that she had control of it.

  "What was it?" I said.

  She sniffed. "Wolf." She sounded sulle
n and defensive.

  I scanned the slope that rose above us, smothered in trees and scattered brush that with the deeply creased bank gave plenty of opportunity for an animal to slip away and hide. I saw no hint of movement. "Well, it's gone now," I said. "You ride well."

  She was still occupied with soothing her mount, but spared me a glance to judge my expression. She turned her mount so her back was to me and urged the beast into a walk. "Better than you," she quipped.

  Well, I doubted that. "I would have caught you anyway."

  I eyed the bank where the wolf had faded from sight as I urged my horse to follow. The trail here wasn't wide enough for two. I listened for any sign of movement over the damp thudding of the horses’ hooves on the dark earth beneath us. I saw and heard nothing. There was a sword sheathed at the saddle, a short curved weapon of the type that was pretty far from my ideal weapon, but it was better than nothing. Thoughts of Duprane and her beasts circled in my awareness, but I decided we would press on even as more rapid hoof-beats sounded behind me. I turned in the saddle and saw the two guards come up behind; they checked as they saw us and slowed their beasts to a walk. The lead man leaned back in his saddle, turning to look around him, then fussing with his reins. Their expressions were carefully neutral and neither one met my gaze. They'd ignored my order and we all knew it, but I didn't feel much like upbraiding them for it right now. I turned to face forward and ignored them. I'd speak with them when we returned to Darklake, I resolved. I would not have my orders ignored, and would find out why they thought they could do it. It was clear to me that Meran or one of the centurions would have given them orders not to leave me unguarded no matter what. I'd deal with that as well, but later.

  After a while the trail widened, the gradient of the slope beside us easing to match the flat to our left, and I moved up to ride beside Anista as the Keep came into view. I'd chosen my next words carefully but they slipped from my mind unspoken as I took in the Keep of Duprane. It was not what I was expecting; the stone walls were covered in climbing plants in flower and the grounds were gardens, well-tended for a hundred yards or more in any direction. Even the horse under me seemed to falter; the Keep itself was more a tower, set square and on three levels, and might have looked ugly and martial if not for the blooms that smothered it. My eyes roamed over the scene at random as both our mounts came to a halt side-by-side near a covered walkway lined with wicker arches that supported a mass of flowering plant-life. The scents filled the air, as did the droning of bees at work among the blooms, seemingly as enraptured as I by the heady scents. The place was otherwise silent and had an air of desertion.

  "Tell me about Duprane," I said.

  She sighed. "Duprane is old, a hag; why would you want to know about her?"

  I gestured helplessly at the visual and olfactory delight surrounding us, and then shrugged. "Every time I ask about you, you get angry."

  "You gave me the key to the hall, and I accepted them. There is no need for questions."

  Did she mean what I thought she meant? I responded instinctively. "But I'm still sleeping alone."

  "That's your own fault. I'm not too big for you to carry; unless you citymen are particularly weak."

  I was going to have to talk to Meran about the customs of these people, but I thought I could work this one out for myself. I kicked a leg over the saddle and slid to the ground, careful to keep out of the flower beds. It took but a moment to duck under my horse’s neck and come up beside her, take her by the waist and lift her from the saddle. I gritted my teeth against the pain in my wrist and held her off the ground, with just a small space between us. She didn't struggle or complain. Her expression remained coolly defiant. Slowly I eased her closer; she weighed next to nothing. Her chin came up, arrogant and proud, but her breath came in fast, shallow sips and she was trembling, her face slightly flushed. I tilted my head slightly, smiling, and touched my lips to hers. After the barest moment she responded fiercely, pressing so hard that she mashed my lips against my teeth. Tilting my head back didn't stop her, she just pressed closer. I slid one arm around her waist and held her against me, slid my other hand up her back to get a handful of her long hair, then firmly pulled her head slightly back so that the pressure eased.. "Gently," I said, out lips still touching, and proceeded to show her why. After a while she melted against me, her body utterly relaxed and I eased her slowly down until her feet touched the ground and straightened, still supporting her where she leaned against me, holding tight, her forehead resting against my chest. I had the feeling that if I let go, she would probably fall, or stagger, anyway.

  "Now," I said, "tell me about Duprane."

  Her head came up. Her eyes were liquid, still lost, smiling slightly. "Hmmm?"

  The two soldiers had come up behind us, but had turned their mounts about so that their backs were to us and seemed to be intently examining the back-trail as though they expected some threat to burst from the trees. I slackened my hold and she took her own weight, smile fading as she came back to herself. I turned to the Keep, letting one hand stay at her waist to guide her.

  "What kind of woman is she, that she invested resources into these gardens?"

  She shrugged lightly, looking about herself as though noticing the sea of blooms for the first time. "One who like flowers, perhaps. Do you like flowers, Sumto?"

  I raised my gaze to the sky for a moment. I didn't want to talk about me. Duprane was still out there somewhere, and if that lone wolf on the trail was no coincidence then she might not be far away. I was looking for an insight into her mind, and Anista was asking me if I liked flowers.

  With a sigh, I ducked under the neck of my horse and released the short, curved sword that hung there. "She is still out there somewhere," I explained as I fixed the sheathed weapon to my belt. "Do you think she is a threat? What contact did you have with her before? How involved was she? Living so close, was she a frequent visitor to Darklake? Did you ever come here?"

  She had come round my mount to stand close, looking up at me. "I never left Darklake." Some anger and bitterness had returned to her tone of voice.

  "Did anyone come here?"

  "Duprane discouraged visitors." She stood close, searching my face as though looking for something, her expression slowly settling back into hard angry lines. "She did not permit intruders into her territory. Her beasts kept within their range but hunted freely there. She would not guarantee the safety of trespassers."

  I nodded, touched her arm and looked to the Keep. "Come, let's take a look around." I glanced back at the two soldiers, who were now moving their mounts in tight circles, eyeing the tree-line and the Keep warily. There was no need to order them to do anything, I decided. They knew their responsibilities. I turned my back and headed for the Keep.

  "And did she visit Darklake?"

  Anista kept close to my side, glancing up at me every other step. "Rarely. When a Necromancer came to Darklake, she and some of her beasts would come and speak with him."

  "Describe her."

  She shrugged. "She is old but stands tall and straight like a much younger woman. She looked at people like they were food, talked to them like they were slaves."

  The gardens ran right up against the walls of the Keep; wood-chip paths ran through them and led to the only doorway, which was some feet off the ground and accessible only by narrow steps that hugged the wall. Under its carpet of climbing plants, I had recognised the design of the Keep. It was city built, but archaic; perhaps as much as five hundred years old, I guessed.

  "Tell me about the beasts; what were they like?"

  "Men tainted with wolf blood; some more than others. Some were like men, but you would never mistake one for anything else but a wolf." She shivered. "Their eyes were animal eyes, and their fingernails like claws, and their hair was like the pelt of a wolf, tawny and with the long black guide hairs. Others were worse, as though more wolf than man and bigger than a man, and some were just wolves but you could see the intelligence in their eyes
, that they were aware, and she talked to them like they were men and they understood like men."

  I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the door which had been shattered and lay in pieces on the steps and on the ground nearby. I knew from Meran's report that he had been here, and that when he had arrived the Keep had been found deserted. He and a few men had entered with Balaran and looted the Keep, then abandoned it rather than split his force. Since then, I guessed that Duprane had been back here.

  "Is that all you can tell me about her?"

  Anista frowned. "I never spoke to her, nor her to me. She would come, be admitted always, walk into the hall like she owned it and then she would speak only in private with Orlek and whichever Necromancer was there, if any. She never stayed long. She didn't like to come but would not allow people to visit her."

  I nodded, looking around. The guards had picketed the horses and one had remained mounted. The other was close by, eyes on the Keep, then flicking to either side to the corners. His hand was on his sword and I could see he was on edge. But then, he had faced Duprane's beasts in battle and I guessed the memory of that was still fresh. He noticed my look and met my gaze. "I do not think we should stay long, Commander."

  I nodded. "You feel like you are being watched?"

  His nod was bare confirmation, his attention already elsewhere, focused on seeking out any hint of a threat.

  "You think she is still here?" Anista said.