What should I say to answer that? She looked at Theodora.
“No.” Her lover took her hint and interjected. “You should stay. We are going to destroy these Masters in the summer and then the fog will be gone. We will even trade with you in your village. It can again become strong. You know who I am, don’t you.”
“Yes mistress. You are one of his.” He jerked his head towards the mountains, and then looked abashed. “We don’t normally say his name either, but you are one of his children.”
“That is right, and what I tell you is true. We cannot let you go yet, because when the Masters catch you, you will tell them what you have seen.” He looks scared again. “Don’t worry, we will let you go…but not until after the Masters are finished. Then you can return to your village and you will tell your village this. The valley above is ours. You may not hunt in it without permission. Anyone who enters armed will die. Anyone who enters without arms, to trade, will be allowed to do so. Do you hear me?” The hob nodded. “I am the Princess Theodora and this is the mighty village of Mousehole and we will enforce our will on our area and the area around it.” She switched back to talking Hindi. “Does anyone have any other questions?” She was answered with a chorus of shaking heads. “Then put Saygaanzaamrat in one of the cells in the guardhouse. We now have to look after him all winter. Ayesha, better start teaching some others how to speak to him or he is all yours to look after.”
Rani said, “Dearest, you and two others should go to make sure the other hobs have left the valley and you need to reset your alarms.” She thought briefly before pointing. “Hulagu and Ayesha, you will do. If you find other hobgoblins you may need to talk and they may not have any Darkspeech.”
They climbed on the carpet and headed off.
~~~
Ayesha
When she went to sleep the next morning Ayesha was thinking, Damn Astrid burning her excitement off.
When she woke up it was to… Where is he? Hulagu should be here…Shaitan take these dreams that I keep having. This time I haven’t even been dancing.
Chapter XXIX
Astrid
Astrid spent the morning at the lookout trying her patience as a hunter. Excitedly she had used the Talker to report smoke to the south when she arrived, but that was it. If there are some hard-riding bandits coming up this road, there is no sign of them. They cannot just disappear.
It was that afternoon before the Darkreach traders went past again. This time they were in a small hurry. Now, as a light drift of snow presaged the hardness ahead, they were heading north and going home for the winter. The packs on the horses were very full and the trader looked to be in high spirits. I guess they will be back. She smiled. This time I won’t go down, but Carausius, Festus and Karas were due for a surprise when they return next year.
~~~
Theodora
Theodora felt a bit smug as she spent the day making a new device with Eleanor’s help. It was a very special copper ring inlaid with seven amethysts that, when completed, would make the wearer invisible, but not silent. This is a big improvement as a spell from my first device that I had made at home. Being able to talk while invisible, either to say what was happening or to call for help may be more important than silence. Not that I could afford to add that in anyway. Changing the spell from aiding just me to anyone had cost. That little bit of extra would have made it impossible. You can never have everything you want. Tomorrow I will put in the actual spell and lock it. I would not have been able to do that without drawing on a store when I left home. Now I can. I am growing a lot. She was humming a little as she worked alongside the jeweller, but she could hear her lover explaining what was happening to the apprentices and why the spell was being cast as the ring was made instead of later when it was complete.
Eleanor complained she had never had so many people watching what was, even with the tools that she had, from her point of view a very simple operation. Theodora just smiled. She will need to get used to it. I suspect that we have many more amulets and other things to make before this adventure is all over.
~~~
Ayesha
The next day was different. Ayesha had the morning duty and when she arrived she saw some faint wisps of morning smoke lingering in the sky to the south in the growing dawn. It betokens someone who is trying to be surreptitious and who has instead been a little clumsy in putting out the fire just a trifle too late. They might not even see the smoke from below it, but the light is just catching the wisps and revealing them. She reported this and was told to let them know when they came in sight and if the travellers turned in to the valley.
“Above all, stay undetected,” Rani said. This from the Queen of Stealth…as if she would teach a mouse to like cheese.
Eventually three riders came into sight. They stopped some distance away when the lookout came in their sight and one gazed through a telescope at it, while another looked at his hand. Ayesha used the Talker to describe what was happening: “I think that we can be certain that these are bandits. I bet they will come up here. I will try and make it look like no-one has been here for a few days. I will let you know when they leave.”
She started trying to make the few tracks look a little wind blown and used other artifices to age them. By the time she was content, and standing very carefully on bare rock beside the small shelter, the three were below. Again one is consulting his hand as he looks up at the lookout and along the path. He is dressed in dark green cotton clothes that anyone out in the wild could wear and he has a sword at his side. I guess that perhaps he is from the Swamp. He might be a mage or a warlock as he has no armour. The two with him are very obviously armsmen. Both wear mail, with coif and helm, both bear kite shields on their backs and have lances stuck through their saddle girths. Both even have swords at their hips and light crossbows hanging down off the saddles on their horses…and both are looking very nervous. They keep looking around as if they are expecting to be attacked at any moment. Ayesha kept up her commentary on what she saw, unconsciously whispering despite the magic that protected her. The three rode up the valley with the possible mage in the centre. When they reached the path to the lookout Ayesha’s guess was confirmed. They stopped and the man in the centre ordered the armsman at the front to climb up and look around. He is using Faen, the language of the Swamp people.
The front rider dismounted. He is still looking around. Ayesha grinned. His sixth sense is telling him he is going to be ambushed and he can see no evidence. This is making him more suspicious, not less. She passed this on. The rider came up to the lookout. Sure enough he stooped to look at the ground.
“No-one for a couple of days, by the look of it,” he called down.
“Right, well have a look around to see if there is anyone else visible and then come back down.” The man up at the lookout grunted and muttered to himself as he inspected the small area. He doesn’t even seem to be aware that he is talking. “That bastard just sits there and gives orders… Bloody wizards, think they own the world…I’d love to stick one under his ribs one bloody night. I wonder if any of the girls are still here or if we will have to get a new lot in. I hope that redhead from home is still here. I missed her wedding night; she turned me down for him and I turned her in. Now I get up here and hopefully I get to have her anyway I want.” He grinned smugly, finished his look around and then went back down the track muttering something else Ayesha could not catch.
Ayesha reported this and said, “Better tell Bryony in case she does something rash when she sees him…oh…now he has been sent on to the gate…is it open?”
“Yes,” said Rani. “None of us can be seen, most of us are in the village laying low.”
The rider returned to his horse and the three set off up the trail.
~~~
Rani
After Ayesha first reported in, Rani called everyone together. “We need to prepare for these men. These Masters obviously have their people everywhere…and lots of them. I want to capture
as many of them as I can so that we can question them. Astrid, you will need to get to the gate and latch it open with a rock. Make sure you are not seen. You still have the device Theodora made you when you set out?” Astrid nodded. “It is important for you not to be seen, but you must prevent any leaving and close the gate when they are through and out of sight. Theodora, my dear,” she looked around. Theodora was not there. “Theodora?”
“Mummy, Theodora is on the roof,” said Fear. “Will I get her?”
“No, little one, Valeria can do that, she runs much faster.” Valeria headed off.
Rani waited. Presently Valeria came back with Theodora.
“What is happening?” she said.
“More bandits are coming. Can you do the control spell that you used on Ahmed again?”
“Oh dear, not today I can’t. I was just completing the spell on the new ring.” She held it up.
Rani sighed. “In some ways that is a pity. Oh well, we now have it and it cannot be filled by what we do now. Can you give it to Astrid please?”
Astrid took the ring and put it on and disappeared. I know exactly where she is yet, even concentrating hard, I can only make out a vague shape, almost like heat haze. With her skill, it will work well. Astrid took it off and re-appeared.
“Well, it works. You may as well head off now. You will still need to hide—despite the magic, mages can sometimes tell if something invisible is near them. I can just make you out wearing it.”
Astrid kissed Basil and ran towards the gate.
“Wait,’ Rani called after her, “this time take a Talker. Let us know when they are through the gate and it is closed, otherwise keep silent.” Astrid took the Talker and kissed Basil again.
“Feel free to call me back. I enjoy saying goodbye,” she said, and headed off again.
“Does that girl think of anything but sex?” Rani asked Basil.
“It is not only sex she thinks about, but she also thinks about food, hunting, drinking, killing and sleep. I won’t say in what order she thinks about them though. She is the Cat, after all.” He grinned. He is always more than a little proud of his bride and somehow surprised…
“We need to take the mage out of the battle quickly. Ayesha can you…damn. We should have kept Ayesha here. No-one else can attack from behind like she can.” There was a cough.
“Actually,” Lakshmi spoke up. She is one of the young-looking girls from Haven who is always one of those who stay quiet and so tends not to be noticed. What did she do that was special? There is something…she remembered. What could a girl like that do to help us here?
“Most of you will know what I can do with men,” said Lakshmi. “Before I was brought here I worked in Sacred Gate and I learned some of those skills from my mother and my sisters. I was reluctant to mention this because you,” she looked at Rani…her voice is a touch bitter…“will probably shun me now.” She paused, gathering words. “I worked on the streets as a prostitute and a thief. I lived in the shadows in several ways. I was born into it and used these skills to stay alive there and here in this village. I can jump on the mage as he comes through the gate and, if I can get behind him on his horse, he won’t be doing anything. Keeping him alive is harder, but if I put a knife to his eye, he should stay still…as long as he doesn’t spell me.”
Rani nodded at the harijan girl, keeping her face controlled. I thought she is untouchable, but I did not know how much so and I was careful not to ask. Her entire life has been crime and sex and…I will deal with my thoughts later. “Thank you. If you can control him, we should be able to get the others to surrender. Those that do not have bows or a sling will go away from the courtyard. When I call out everyone must stay as still as they can. Ruth, this includes the children, but most importantly it means those of you who now have magic on them. Lakshmi, you go to the walk above the gate. Yours is the most important role. The rest, with bows and slings, go onto the roofs. Lie down and stay still. They will expect to pick up magic, but they will also expect it not to move. Only appear when I call out, then aim at the two armsmen. Now, Basil and Harald, once they are through the gate and Lakshmi has leapt, you must close the gate and bar it. You can stand waiting hidden behind each side of the gate. Once it is barred—Basil you are experienced with this sort of thing—do what you have to do to disarm and arrest them.” Basil nodded. Yes, he is used to that. “Now does anyone have any questions?”
“I have my storage device,” said Theodora. “If I really need to I can cast a sleep spell.”
Rani said, “Fine, but wait and see if it is needed. Now everyone go to your places. You can talk and move around a bit until I say so. I will wait here until Ayesha tells me that they have arrived. Valeria, stay with me for the moment.”
Everyone dispersed and Rani and Valeria took a seat on the veranda. It fell silent.
I now need to consider what Lakshmi has just said. She has volunteered for a very dangerous job, knowing what she has said might bring her down in everyone’s eyes—especially in mine. Previously I only had suspicions, and I have to admit I was not eager to clear them up, but now she has confirmed she is harijan—untouchable. She had been the healer for the village when the bandits had it. Here she has used her skills to help the women and children and she has been looking forward to becoming the midwife and a healer and all this while she has kept her past as a street thief and criminal secret from everyone. I have touched her many times. We all have. Can I now cast her out? I know what my Princess will say if I do that. Yet how can I accept her as she is? What am I doing to my soul? Am I already condemned to a lower form? Need I worry at all? I have some hard choices to make about my relationship with the girl.
Eventually Rani heard from Ayesha—the bandits had arrived. She sent Valeria racing through the village alerting everyone to be still and silent and observed the three at the gate, who were all ready to move into position. She made her way to the roof.
~~~
Basil
Basil looked up at the girl on the ledge. She looks very downcast and distracted when she needs to be concentrating on her job. If she fails, we could all fail. “Don’t worry,” Basil said, “I won’t hold your past against you. Yours is a recognised and respected trade where I come from, not the thief part I mean, we punish them. Prostitutes are licensed and those that are skilled can get very wealthy. If it doesn’t work out here I will give you a recommendation and some names in my service to help you get set up in Ardlark. My Strategos…my General, will help you out if I ask him to. Of course you will have to learn Darkspeech and a few other tongues and all your customers may not be human—but then Astrid and I are not fully human either.”
“Thank you,” said Lakshmi miserably, as she looked down over the edge. “I was hoping to have put all of that behind me, but I think that what I know is needed.”
“Yes it is,” said Harald from beside Basil. “What you did was very brave, ’n’ what you are about to do is near as brave. Did your past afore t’valley have anythin’ to do with t’fact t’at you are near t’only one not to have tried to court me?”
Lakshmi nodded despondently. “I am alive, but it is my entire fault what happened. My karma is working itself out on me still. I am not worth anything.” Just then the word came from Ayesha and Basil waved them all to their places and checked on them before patting himself and making sure he had what he needed—some lengths of rope knotted on one end.
“You did right. Just do your job and I will make sure you come out well.” She smiled weakly back. I think I can safely promise that. I can send a letter if need be, but I am sure the Princess will not stand still and let the girl suffer. At least she looks a little more cheerful.
~~~
Rani
Rani hoped she was well hidden on the roof and in some shade. I can just see over the wall and I have a good view of our little open plaza where everything should happen. Hopefully none of them below can see me in the shade.
It was not long before the riders came int
o her view. The mage stopped and checked his device. He waved the others forward. They moved towards the village. I hope that it all looks deserted enough. The armsmen keep looking around. They are acting very suspicious…expecting an ambush. Both had their hands on their blades. First one, then the other, put their shields on their arms and drew their blades. They are looking intently at every vantage point but, apart from me, I hope that no-one is watching them. The mage spoke to them and waved them on. They slowly approached the gate, looking about them as they did so. In the fields untended stock wandered about and even the chickens had been left out to run around as they wanted to. The whole village is meant to look as if no-one was at home and I am sure that it does.
~~~
Basil
Waiting is hell. Speaking of putting your past behind you…the number of times I have been in this situation, waiting for someone to make a deal or come home or…any number of things. Who would expect that I would still be doing it here?
The first riders came through the gate…the armsmen…riding side by side and looking up the long courtyard towards the spring, but thankfully not backwards to where two men waited still and silent in the shadows. He tensed. They are looking around ahead of them and to the sides, but see nothing. They are tense and still sensing attack.
Engaging Evil (Warriors of Vhast Book 2) Page 33