by Ashley Capes
The jailor caught his countryman with wide eyes, stumbling.
Never slipped into the corridor and spun around Bendlav, shoving both men into the room. He leapt atop the jailor’s back, where he slipped his arm around the fellow’s throat and squeezed.
The jailor grunted, thrusting himself up – lurching back and slamming Never into the cot. He swore, pain shooting through his head where it thumped against the stone but he did not let go. Bendlav drove his elbow back into Never’s abdomen, each strike causing him to curse again but the blows soon weakened. The man grew limp.
Never held the pressure a little longer, to be sure Bendlav was unconscious, then stood and kicked the jailor. “Bastard.” It might have been too much, the fellow might die, but he didn’t have time nor the inclination to check.
Move.
He snatched the key chain and jogged down to Luis’ cell, wrenching the keys in the lock and sliding the bolt free. When he swung the door open; Luis was already standing.
“Ready?”
Luis flinched. “Are you hurt?”
“Just part of the ploy,” Never said, wiping his mouth. “Quickly.”
He strode across the way to the jailor’s room. While bigger than the cells, it was still small, crammed with furniture; a desk, cot and a series of pegs hung with clothing.
And one important absence.
Tsolde.
“Where is she?” he hissed.
“Try the next cell,” Luis said.
Never leant close to the door. “Tsolde? Are you in there?”
A shaky voice answered – a young woman’s voice. “Never?”
“We’re getting out of here.”
He jammed the key into the lock and turned it as Luis pulled the bolt all the way free, hefting it like a weapon. How the man still had the strength to carry the bar was a wonder but it was a clever idea.
Tsolde tumbled out of the cell, shock covering her face. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?”
She wrapped her arms around him. “No,” she said, speaking into his chest. “Bendlav doesn’t like women, Never. He was actually quite kind.”
Never exhaled, relief washing over him. “No time to talk, but I’m glad. Come on.”
He led them out of the barracks and detoured the pool of light from a torch burning before the other buildings, keeping close to the darker mine. Using the moonlight, he was able to avoid crunching on the gravel and find firm ground, climbing the ladder that led to the quarry – which Luis had told him would soon join the King’s Road and the Iron Mines, still half a day away.
By dawn, no-one would know where they had gone, let alone when. The search would be spread thin, restricted to the immediate area for hiding. Others would waste time in the mine itself, maybe even sending word back to the main camp.
If they could simply pass through the quarry.
Luis caught his arm. “Never, I took a turn here. There are no guards at night but sentries watch the trail leading out.”
“Very well.”
He slowed his pace, checking on Luis and Tsolde once more, and over her shoulder to the still-quiet camp before starting along the path. No sign of trouble. Good, let it stay that way. The trail hugged the edge of the quarry with its silent structures before climbing up toward the King’s Road – a broad path in the moonlight. A pair of huge pines grew beside the road.
The sentries would be near.
A horn blasted in the camp below. Cries followed, new light blooming. Never swore, charging toward the tree trunks. If he could rush the sentries there might be a chance. He skidded around the tree – only to crash into the armoured man rushing toward the sound of alarm.
Never was flung back. His head struck the stone, crippling pain spreading like fire. Sprawled on the unforgiving earth, Never fumbled for his knife as the sentry blew his own horn, answering the call. Then he threw it aside and raised his own weapon.
Luis stepped over Never’s shoulder, lifting his steel pole and catching a sword blow. “Tsolde, run,” he cried.
Never found his knees, waving Tsolde around the struggle. She hesitated after only a few steps. He echoed Luis’ words with a shout as he circled the sentry. The soldier was swinging blow after blow at Luis, who met each strike with his makeshift weapon.
If Never could take out the man’s legs... he crouched, ready to dive, when something struck the man’s breastplate and bounced into the night. A stone! The strike caused the man to hesitate long enough for Luis to land a blow that drove the fellow to the ground. Never snatched the sentry’s sword and set the point to the man’s throat. “Stay.”
Beneath them, lights were converging on the quarry.
“Quickly,” Never shouted.
Luis chased after Tsolde, who still held a stone where she stood up the trail, and Never cracked the soldier across the head before following. He frowned as he ran. In the past, he probably would have killed the sentry to be sure. And probably done the same with the jailors.
What had changed?
Ahead, Luis stopped. He held his iron bar in both hands, facing off with a second figure. Never thundered up the path... and stumbled to a halt.
The advance sentry had obviously headed toward camp, hearing the horn blasts. And now he held Tsolde, a knife to her throat. Blood trickled down her skin, black in the moonlight. “Drop your weapons or she dies, yes?”
Luis didn’t move. How good was his Vadiyem? Though the meaning was clear enough. Never checked on their back-trail – torches were climbing the path, at least a dozen men. Never raised his knife to his wrist.
Tsolde screamed. The sentry growled. “Need me to spell it out? Drop them.”
“Never? What do we do?” Luis asked.
“Leave me,” Tsolde gasped.
“No,” Never said. His knife clattered to the stone. “We’re caught.”
Luis swore but flung his bar into the quarry.
“That’s better,” the sentry said. “Now turn and walk slowly to meet my comrades, keeping your hands in sight.”
Never started down the trail. The first Steelhawk caught his arm, twisted it and drove him to his knees. Never grunted but didn’t fight. There was a chance to talk his way out of it if he could convince them he was acting on Sacha’s orders.
And yet, would that compromise her position?
“Who are they?” someone asked.
“Prisoners escaped from the barracks,” another voice said. “Kill them and leave the bodies at the entrance to the mine, I say. Make an example.”
A third voice joined in. “Jailor’s probably dead – they’re the ones who killed him.”
An angry swell in the muttering.
Never started to speak but his captor cuffed his head. He bit into his tongue, blood filling his mouth again. He spat, the taste of iron strong. Familiar.
And useless.
“Kill them now,” yet another voice demanded. “I remember what Lady Isajan said. They aren’t spies, they’re just travellers. Kill them and be done with it. I’m cold.”
“Let’s not be so hasty.”
Never tilted his head.
This new voice was familiar, softer than the shouting men, yet it remained audible. The muttering of the soldiers transformed into a respectful tone and the Steelhawk holding Never drew in a breath. “Prince Tendov.”
Never tensed.
“Leave these to me. Go now, all of you.”
“But, Your Highness. We must protect you,” one of the hawks said.
“Your concern is... misguided, but I appreciate the sincerity. Go.” A hint of steel had entered his voice. Never was released. Footsteps shuffled away, light receding with it, until only Never, Luis and Tsolde remained. Never stood and turned.
The prince waited before them, a cloak and hood concealing his face.
He raised pale hands and pulled the hood back with a smile.
“Hello, brother.”
Snow.
Chapter 17.
“Snow.”
His brother raised an eyebrow, blue eyes catching the moonlight, seeming to glow as if sending the light back into the sky. “You shouldn’t be surprised, brother. You’re getting obsessed with your search.”
“Snow.” Never had no other words.
Snow was Prince Tendov. Snow was Sacha’s lover. Never swallowed. Was the sense of betrayal greater at that thought – or the knowledge that Snow was part of the invasion that had thrown Marlosi into turmoil and was now seeking to do the same to Hanik. A random, greedy little king was one thing – but his own brother?
Was there no end to the lengths the man would go? Would he topple all kingdoms in his search for Amouni artefacts? Or was it simple conquest? Or not simple at all, perhaps. There was all the ranting about breaking down humanity in order to rebuild it...
“You’re not a prince,” was all Never could say. Stupid.
Snow laughed. “Getting right to the important things, I see. Of course I am not, but King Rachinam was kind enough to adopt me as his own after my parents were most tragically killed during my youth.”
“He adopted you? He has so many sons already.”
“Yes, years ago now, Never. And why not? My Vadiya is flawless and of course there’s my appearance,” he said. “No-one turns an eye in Vadiya. It’s... refreshing.”
“I see there’s no end to your duplicity.”
“Say rather that I encouraged him.”
Never glanced to his side – there were things he wasn’t sure Luis or Tsolde should hear – but both had fallen to the ground. When? Never dashed to Tsolde first, then Luis, but both were in a deep sleep, chests rising and falling evenly.
He looked up to his brother. “What is this?”
“Privacy.”
Never stood, striding up to Snow – close enough to catch the scent of meat on his breath. “What are you doing?”
“That we have already discussed.”
“Humour me.”
Snow threw his hands up. “Use your head, brother. What is the quickest path to my goal? Unity, Empire, Obedience.”
Never clenched his teeth. At least Snow couldn’t simply annihilate humanity with Amouni powers. A small mercy perhaps. “I will stop you.”
“I’d rather you join me. You’re in the dark, Never. There’s still so much for you to learn. Go to the Altar of Stars as I instructed. Discover the truth about the Amouni. Then we will speak again.”
“What? You’re letting us leave?”
“If you hurry, yes. I told you in the Temple – you are my brother. I would not do this alone, you deserve to know what I have learnt but I am not foolish enough to think you will believe my word. You must hear our ancestors – go, Never. I will handle the Vadiya; they obey me.” He paused, a faint smile playing across his lips. “And I will send your apologies to Sacha, if you wish?”
A stab of jealousy hit him – harder than he expected – and he clenched a fist. Snow only raised an eyebrow, as if curious about the possibility of violence between them.
A groan from Luis stopped him. Never knelt beside the man, helping him sit.
“Never? What happened?”
“It was my brother. He’s letting us go,” Never said. He turned back to the trail, only to find it empty. Not a single trace remained – but a single white feather drifted down to the stone as an owl flew to the pine tree, claws gripping the bark.
“Snow?”
And there it sat, watching him help Tsolde to her feet and watching still as the three of them reached the King’s Road and started up, leaving the silver mine behind.
Chapter 18.
The journey to the old iron mines floated by in a haze of daylight and stars, thinning moons, cold meals, shivering and scattered conversation. Never tried to explain what he knew of Snow to Luis and Tsolde without terrifying them but it was a difficult task.
“What are you saying?” Tsolde asked the first night, after they’d left the camp far enough behind to be reasonably sure there was no pursuit. “If he’s trying to create a single Empire and you might be able to stop him, why let us go?”
“I’m saying he’s mad... But still in complete control of his thinking,” Never said. “He needs me for something and I don’t know what, exactly. But there are things he has done – and things I suspect he has done – which go far beyond our shared curse. He knows so much more than I. If he continues on his current path, he could pull the whole world into war. Or worse.”
Luis frowned. “What’s worse than the entire world fighting?”
Never glanced away. “The entire world dead – save for those few he approves of. If any.”
Luis gasped. “That’s possible?”
“I don’t know. But I’m afraid it could be.”
Tsolde was still gaping. “He is mad.”
Never looked from one disbelieving face to the other. “You must both promise me not to anger him, if you encounter him, no matter what, even if you think I am in danger. Let me deal with him; it’s not worth the risk.”
Luis spread his hands. “Never, I won’t let him simply kill you. You’re my friend.”
“And mine,” Tsolde added, her expression firm.
Never swallowed down a surge of crippling fear and a swelling of warmth. How long since he’d had friends who were willing to risk their lives for him? He’d almost forgotten how it felt.
And yet, how long too, since he’d been foolish enough to allow such a wonderful thing to happen?
He couldn’t be responsible for their deaths should Snow lose control.
The best way to protect them was to send them away now... yet how could he? Would they even listen? Or simply trail him? Be taken by the Vadiya to be used as bargaining pieces or to be captured by Jenisan for the same purpose. For now, weren’t they safer with him?
He smiled, unable to keep a little sadness from his voice. “Thank you both, but I wish to protect you just as much and that’s why you must swear it. Both of you. Swear you will let me deal with Snow.”
Luis and Tsolde exchanged a glance, both expressions conflicted. Luis’ shoulder slumped first. “I swear it.”
A weight on his chest eased. “Thank you, my friend. Tsolde?”
She sighed. “I swear it too.”
He clapped his hands together as another knot of tension unravelled. “Grand! It’s settled. Now let’s get some rest.”
***
When they finally stood before the shadowy entrance to the old mine – with a mere matter of days left until the new moon, Never called a halt beneath the rising sun, which was still battling through towering pines. He had to clear his head; he couldn’t stop Snow. Pointless. There was no way to second guess his brother, no way to get ahead. Snow and his secrets were always going to have the jump on him.
He had to catch up, or at least come close.
Reach the Altar of Stars, learn what he could and then decide a new course of action.
Which meant focusing on the trial ahead. The Iron Pass was dangerous enough even when he gave it his full attention.
He pointed to the overgrown staging area. No carts, but in places, grey, rotten wood from tracks remained. No iron either; that had been taken for use in other mines. “The old entrance. If we’d kept travelling, we’d come to the Iron Pass, still suffering the effects of the earthquake or avalanche, all those years ago, the same one caused some cave-ins here. Hopefully there have been no new ones. Our path will dip into the mines before we see the other side of the Folhan Mountains.”
“We’re not prepared, are we?” Luis said.
“Not truly. I hope to find rope within and any tools we might need. They’ll be old but
folks made steel true in the past. We’ll manage.”
“What about food and water?” Tsolde asked. “Or proper clothing – I can’t remember the last time I was warm. I’ve got scratches all over my arms and legs from blasted leaves and branches.”
“All good questions,” Never said. He rubbed his temples, closing his eyes as he did. “We hunt before we enter the mines. Sharpen a spear from saplings on stone, Luis. I’ll start a fire again, even if it takes another hour of rubbing wood. We’ll have a warm meal before we leave at least. There are plenty of streams too. Before we enter, Tsolde, your job is to find some way of carrying the water. There will be debris within the mine, I seem to remember something.”
“Fine,” Tsolde said, sounding pleased.
“And what can we expect in the way of danger?” Luis asked.
“Possible cave-ins, unstable floor. The usual food, water and light concerns – though it’s a three day journey, I’m more worried about light. If I hadn’t lost my blue-stone back at the stream... ” He shrugged. “Most people say evil lurks deep within – the reason the Hanik abandoned the mines in the first place.”
Luis grunted. “That’s rather vague, Never.”
“I didn’t encounter it the last time I took this path, nor the first.”
“It’s supposed to be something old,” Tsolde said. “Father used to tell me tales about the mine when I was a child and asked him to scare me. He said no-one agreed on exactly what was down there, only that miners simply began to disappear without a trace – often a man would report a disappearance of someone he had been working beside. All agree that we went too deep and woke something.”
“Maybe it was Black Embers, like the one Darom saved us from,” Luis said.
Never put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Well, my bypass isn’t so deep that we’ll be waking anything up.”
“Good,” Tsolde said.
Luis added his agreement. “So why have you travelled it twice? You didn’t tell us before.”
“One time I was hiding from Vadiya Steelhawks who were most keen to find me. I’d stolen something from them.” Although, he hadn’t done such a good job of stealing Sacha’s heart after all. He kept a rueful smile to himself; what a fool to think she’d love no-one else in the years between. He himself had found others, why shouldn’t she? Only he hadn’t counted on it being Snow. “The other time was chasing yet another dead-end clue. Legends spoke of a silver necklace and clasp, buried deep within the mountain. It was said to pre-date Hanik times.” And now he did laugh. “The amount of times I’ve tracked down something simply because it was old and might be related to my curse, I could have opened a museum.”