[Blood on the Reik 01] - Death's Messenger

by Sandy Mitchell - (ebook by Undead)

  “I don’t, that’s for sure,” Bodun agreed, and after a moment Theo nodded.

  “Better safe than sorry. But stay with her. I don’t want her left alone with him.”

  “That makes two of us,” Rudi assured him truthfully. Evening was falling now, and the campfire had been lit. He and Hanna walked into the shadows with a reassuring sense of concealment.

  “What do you want?” Despite the truculence in his tone Fritz shied away from them like a frightened horse.

  “Show me your arm,” Hanna said, her brisk tone somehow reassuring. Rudi squatted next to the lad, angling himself so that his back would conceal most of their conversation from the adventurers clustered around the fire. The mouth-watering odour of roasting pork drifted across on the breeze, and he fought against the distraction.

  “We need to talk,” he said in an undertone.

  “I’ve nothing to say to you.” Fritz extended his arm as best he could, encumbered as he was by the heavy manacles Theo had produced from his pack. He flinched as Hanna took it between her hands. Rudi suppressed an unexpected pang of jealousy.

  “Then listen. If you keep your mouth shut about us, we’ll help you escape.”

  “Why should I trust you?” Fritz glared at him, wincing as Hanna peeled the blood-encrusted bandage away from his arm. She glanced up.

  “Because right now we’re the only chance you’ve got of escaping the noose,” she pointed out reasonably. She washed the gash with a little water from her canteen, and swabbed it clean. “I’m afraid that’s the best I can do for now. I’ve been keeping my eye out for some woundwort, but so far no luck.” She began to retie the bandage, using a clean strip of cloth.

  “That feels better.” Fritz looked surprised, and returned his attention to Rudi. “All right. But I want to know how you got here.”

  “That’s a long story.” Rudi sighed, glancing back at the group around the fire. So far most of them had their attention on the roasting meat, apart from Conrad and Alwyn that was, whose attentions were firmly on one another. But Rudi did not dare risk prolonging the conversation too much. “The short version is the witch hunter accused us of heresy. We’ve been on the run ever since, and ran into these people a few days ago.”

  “So why are they after you?” Hanna asked. “They said you were a deserter, but somehow that doesn’t seem right.”

  “No, it’s true enough.” Fritz shrugged, the linking chain of the manacles clinking metallically. “A couple of days after leaving Kohlstadt I ran into a recruiting party at an inn on the Pottermer road. The army seemed like a good place to hide, so I enlisted.”

  “So why leave?” Rudi asked. Fritz’s face seemed to pale in the distant glow of the fire.

  “The witch hunter came to the camp, looking for soldiers to search the countryside. For dangerous heretics, he said.” He looked appraisingly at Rudi and Hanna. “I didn’t realise it was you, of course.” Rudi felt as though he’d been doused in the Reik again. If Gerhard was that determined to find them they had to get a lot further away from Kohlstadt than this.

  “Did he say why?” Hanna asked, her voice tight. Fritz shook his head.

  “I didn’t hang around to find out. The minute I recognised him I was out of there.”

  “He must have recognised you too,” Hanna said. Fritz shook his head.

  “He didn’t see me. I was on my way to the captain’s tent with a message when I saw him go in.”

  “But they must have known who you were,” Hanna insisted. “Why else would they put such a big price on your head?” A thought occurred to Rudi.

  “Fritz,” he asked carefully, already sure of the answer, “what name did you give when you enlisted?”

  “Name?” The brawny youth looked confused. “Fritz Katzenjammer of course.” Rudi sighed, meeting Hanna’s expression of stunned disbelief. It seemed that life on the run had done nothing to sharpen his old enemy’s wits.

  “So the moment you disappeared he realised you’d been there.” And would no doubt be waiting for the fugitive to be returned. That meant he and Hanna would have to leave too. Every day they spent with Krieger’s company would bring them closer to the man who’d destroyed their lives. And apparently he would stop at nothing until they were dead. As to how they would manage to slip away under the noses of a party of experienced warriors…

  “We’ll think of something,” Rudi promised, standing to leave. As he turned away Fritz called after him.

  “Wait a minute.” Rudi turned back, meeting an expression of eager enquiry. “You left Kohlstadt after I did. How’s my mother holding up?”

  As the days passed, Rudi found no opportunity to keep his promise to Fritz, despite his assurances. They were within sight of the river again and were heading back upstream. Knowing that they were getting further away from Marienburg where he might get answers to the questions which continued to torment him was almost as painful as the thought that every step was bringing them closer to the witch hunter.

  “We have to go tonight,” Hanna murmured, dropping into step beside him. She gestured to the left, where a grey mass rose indistinctly from the marshland between them and the water. With a start Rudi recognised the ruins where they’d fought the skaven. “Bruno says we’re only two days from the soldier’s camp.”

  “That’s not good,” Rudi said, but he smiled as though she’d made some remark about the weather. He glanced at Fritz, who was stumbling along in the middle of the group, goaded by Bruno. Since they began to plan their escape he and Hanna had become closer again, and Bruno had become correspondingly more sulky, taking his bad temper out on the prisoner. A small part of Rudi relished the idea that the bully was getting a taste of his own medicine, but he was ashamed too. Fritz had suffered enough, and he ought to intervene, but doing so would draw attention to them. “How’s Fritz doing?”

  “His arm’s getting better,” Hanna said, smiling and waving as Bruno glanced in their direction. She’d continued to treat him, but Bruno had insisted on accompanying her on subsequent occasions, so it hadn’t been possible to talk openly. “But as for how he’s feeling…”

  Rudi sympathised. Fritz had taken the news of his mother’s death more calmly than he’d expected. He had just nodded slowly, and hugged his knees. But he knew the older boy well enough to know that he would be feeling it keenly, just as he and Hanna still felt the pain of their own losses, but unlike them he could do nothing about it except brood.

  “We’ll need a good start on them,” Rudi said. Though none of the others had his tracking skills they could follow an obvious trail after a fashion, and Fritz was in no condition to move stealthily enough to conceal the traces of their passing. Hanna nodded.

  “I’ve been thinking about that. I’ve an idea…” But she was cut short as Bruno came trotting over; Theo had told him to leave the prisoner alone. No matter, he trusted her. He forced his face into a smile of greeting as the youth joined them.

  “Hello,” he suppressed another pang of jealousy as Hanna took hold of the lad’s arm.

  “Hello.” Bruno seemed more awkward than usual, as though he had something on his mind. He patted Hanna’s hand absently, and cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, liebchen, I’d like a word with your brother.”

  “All right.” Hanna looked a little puzzled, but detached her arm. “I’ll be with Alwyn when you’ve finished.” She wandered away, leaving Rudi to fall into step beside Bruno.

  “What’s the problem?” Rudi asked, trying to mask his annoyance at the casual endearment Bruno had used with the girl.

  “To be honest, it’s you.” Bruno’s voice was unwavering. He kept it low and emphatic, so none of the others would overhear. “I know what’s going on with you and Hanna, and I’m giving you fair warning, I’m not going to stand for it.”

  “What?” Rudi stopped walking; momentarily paralysed with astonishment. Bruno walked on a couple of steps before stopping too. He turned to face him.

  “You’re trying to get between us. Yo
u think a wandering sell-sword isn’t good enough for your precious sister, don’t you?” Bruno prodded him in the chest for emphasis. Rudi fought down the urge to strike him. Conrad’s words at the coaching inn came back to him, and for the first time he truly believed that this awkward buffoon could be dangerous. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back off.”

  “I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick,” Rudi said, trying to sound reasonable. “Hanna makes her own decisions. Whatever’s going on between the two of you is nothing to do with me.”

  “Damn right. And you’d better remember it.” All of a sudden Bruno was smiling, as though the conversation had never been anything other than affable. “See you later then.” He wandered off to look for Hanna, leaving Rudi to wonder if things could possibly get any more complicated.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  That night they made camp late, just as dusk was falling. Normally they would have done so at least an hour earlier, but Theo had insisted on putting as much distance between them and the skaven stronghold as possible before resting for the night. This made sense, but Rudi suspected that he was just as eager to get close to their destination so he could turn Fritz in for the bounty.

  Rudi’s mind was reeling. He busied himself with the routine of settling for the night, and tried to look as casual as possible. Bruno glanced at him oddly a couple of times, but he hoped that was simply a result of their astonishing conversation earlier in the day. Boden, Conrad and Theo didn’t seem to be treating him any differently, so he supposed he was concealing his feelings well enough. He stowed his new pack where he could grab it in a hurry if he needed to, and started to collect firewood from the fringes of the copse where they’d made camp.

  “Here you are.” He dropped a bundle of sticks in front of Hanna, grateful for the excuse to talk to her.

  “Thank you.” She extended a hand to the small pile of kindling she’d already prepared, and flashed it into flame. Rudi watched Fritz flinch and mutter prayers to Sigmar as he had done every time he’d seen the girl use her abilities. He still seemed more frightened of Hanna than the rest of them put together, and Rudi hoped he would be able to overcome it when they made their break.

  “This idea of yours…” he began quietly then checked himself as Bruno trotted up with another bundle of wood.

  “That should do,” Hanna said brightly, favouring the youth with a smile. She picked up the company’s stewpot and hung it over the flames. “Anyone got some water?”

  “Right here, lass.” Theo threw her a half-full canteen, which she emptied into the cauldron. Then she started preparing a stew with the rabbits Rudi had snared the previous night. Bodun sniffed disappointedly.

  “We’ve still got plenty of pork,” he pointed out hopefully. Hanna smiled at him.

  “We’ve already cooked it, so it’ll keep another day or two. But these coneys are still fresh.”

  “Aye, I suppose so.” The dwarf nodded reluctantly, conceding the logic.

  “Besides,” Rudi added, holding a freshly skinned rabbit corpse up to spill its guts into the fire, “you’ll be able to afford some ale to go with it this time tomorrow.”

  “True.” Bodun seemed a great deal happier as he considered the prospect. “That’ll make it all the more sweet.”

  “A drink, for Sigmar’s sake.” Alwyn appeared from nowhere, with an abruptness Rudi was beginning to get used to. She swayed on her feet. Conrad hurried forward to support her. He glared at Theo.

  “I told you it would be too much for her!”

  “What’s the matter?” Rudi handed her the bottle of rough spirits he’d found in Fritz’s pack. He’d sniffed cautiously at it the first night, when he went through the contents to see what was worth keeping or bartering, but he hadn’t dared take a sip at it. Alwyn took it gratefully, and downed several swallows. Her face was pale, and her nose was bleeding.

  “Too many jumps. Too fast.” She coughed, spraying a mouthful of the liquid at the fire, which flared momentarily with a bluish flame. Then she wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. “I’ll be all right.” She smiled wanly at Hanna. “That’s something you’ll learn about magic soon enough. Push it too hard and it’ll push right back.”

  “I hope you think this was worth it,” Conrad snapped at Theo. The mercenary captain nodded thoughtfully.

  “That depends. Did you find them?”

  “Right where they said they’d be.” Alwyn took another pull at the bottle then handed it back to Rudi with obvious reluctance. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  “And?” Theo asked, apparently only partially satisfied with her answer.

  “And they’ll have our money.” Alwyn paused. “There was another man there this time. The captain did all the talking again, but I’d bet my grandmother he was really in charge.”

  “Who was he?” Bruno asked. The sorceress shrugged.

  “No idea. But I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him, that’s for sure.” Rudi fought the impulse to glance across at Hanna. It had to be Gerhard.

  “Thanks,” Theo said. Conrad stared at him again, his expression still hard.

  “Satisfied?” he asked. Theo nodded again.

  “It confirms what we thought,” he said. “There’s more to this one than meets the eye.” He glanced reflectively at Fritz.

  “Who cares?” Bruno asked. “We’re getting paid, aren’t we?”

  “Oh yes.” Theo nodded. “But just to make sure, I think we should double the guard on our quarry tonight. If there’s something we’re not being told…”

  “Agreed,” Conrad said. His expression softened, and he led his wife solicitously over to their bedroll. Rudi felt as though he’d been punched in the stomach.

  Try as he might, Rudi was unable to think of a single strategy. It would have been hard enough spiriting Fritz away from under the nose of whoever would normally have been left on watch, but if two of them were going to be on guard the whole night it looked as though they were sunk. He began to entertain the idea of slipping away on his own; he was sure he could move stealthily enough to evade them in the darkness, and no doubt Hanna would be able to look after herself well enough…

  He rejected the idea impatiently. He’d made a promise to her, and to Fritz, and he was honour-bound to go through with it. There must be a way, somehow…

  “Here you are, it’s piping hot.” Hanna appeared in front of him with a bowl of stew. He sniffed at the appetising aroma, suddenly aware of how hungry he was. The faint scent of herbs overlaid the richer smell of the cooking meat. She lowered her voice as she bent to hand him the bowl. “Don’t eat it. Just pretend.” Before he could react she’d turned away.

  Confused, Rudi did as he’d been told. The effort of stopping the spoon just short of his mouth was agonising. The others were plying their spoons with evident enthusiasm. Even Bodun, who had finished first, called for more.

  “There’s plenty,” Hanna assured him, taking a bowl over to Alwyn. “Here. This’ll make you feel better.”

  “Thank you.” The sorceress was shivering as though she had the ague, and she took the food gratefully. “It smells great.”

  “You’ll make someone a wonderful wife,” Theo pointed out, and Bruno flushed to everyone’s amusement. While they were laughing, their eyes fixed on the youth, Rudi tipped the contents of his bowl quietly onto the ground.

  “I’ll take some more too, if it’s there,” Conrad said. Hanna refilled his bowl, before going round the campfire to ensure everyone else had a second helping. Theo pretended that Bruno was getting a larger portion than the rest of them, and Bodun and Conrad joined in with accusations of favouritism. By now the youth was blushing furiously and smiling with more genuine warmth than Rudi had seen since they’d met.

  “He’s a growing boy,” Hanna said, eliciting a roar of laughter far greater than the feeble jest deserved. He hadn’t seen them like this since the night at the inn, when they’d all been drunk together.

  “I’m going to s
leep,” Alwyn said. “I’m all in.” She yawned loudly, and stretched out on the bedroll.

  “Careful, sweetheart. It’s catching.” Conrad yawned too.

  “I’ll take the first watch,” Theo said. “Me and Bruno…” He glanced at the youth, who was stretched out on the grass snoring quietly. “I don’t know, youngsters today, no stamina. Me and Bodun then.”

  “Right with you, boss.” The dwarf yawned. His jaw cracked like a dead branch under an incautious heel. “Just need to, you know, rest my eyes a moment…” Then he toppled over sideways.

  “What the…” Theo stumbled to his feet. His hand reached for the hilt of his sword, which he’d almost drawn when his knees buckled. He sprawled face down in the dirt.

  “What did you do to them?” Fritz asked, shrill with panic. He began worming his way backwards as Hanna approached him, with Theo’s pack dangling from her hand.

  “Nothing permanent,” she said. “Just the right combination of herbs in the stew.”

  “She’s a healer, remember?” Rudi said, masking his own surprise with a show of scorn. He began to rummage through the provisions. “Anything we can eat safely? We’ve got a lot of walking to do.”

  “Anything but the stew,” Hanna confirmed, tipping the captain’s possessions out on the ground, and swooping down to recover the key to Fritz’s fetters. “Hold still, you idiot.”

  “This’ll do.” Rudi gathered a bagful of food together, and threw Fritz a lump of the pork. “Here, I suppose that’s yours technically anyway.”

  “So’s the pack,” Fritz said, biting into the meat eagerly. The last few days he’d had to make do with whatever scraps were left after the adventurers had finished their meals… and Bodun never left much.

  “Not anymore.” Rudi shouldered the pack he’d looted from the lad which was now stuffed with his new possessions. “Unless you want to fight me for it.”