Tree of Ages 2

by Sara C. Roethle

  The line moved quickly as the poor folk were turned away before they could even speak. Four riders on horseback would not be deemed poor, but they might be turned away for other reasons. It probably wouldn’t help that Iseult looked like a tall, dark, killer, ready to take the city by force all on his own.

  Soon they were next in line. Kai observed each of the guards in turn, then tensed as his eyes landed on the one actually speaking to those who approached. He’d encountered that guard before, which might have helped them gain entrance to the city if Kai hadn’t been doing something illegal at the time. Gambling was frowned upon in Migris. Organizing an underground, gambling empire got you thrown in the stocks. Kai had escaped his misdeeds unscathed, but had avoided Migris for several months afterward, as rough drawings of his face were hung in most of the larger inns. The incident had occurred nearly a year ago, but Kai had no doubt the one guard would still recognize him. A man would not readily forget the face of someone who’d escaped arrest by tying his pursuer’s boot strings together, tripping him up and humiliating him in front of several women.

  Kai tried to gain Iseult’s attention, but it was too late. He’d already dismounted to lead his horse forward. Needing to act fast, Kai dismounted, shielding his face as much as possible, to lead his horse away with the latest group of rejected refugees.

  Àed and Ealasaid didn’t seem to notice, as they had ventured forward to stand at Iseult’s side, the three of them intent on the guards before them as the next group moved away.

  Wiping the nervous sweat from his brow, Kai led his horse further away before remounting. There was more than one way to get into the city, and Kai would likely reach it while Iseult was still arguing with the guards.

  He kicked his horse into a gallop as he rode the length of the city gates, far off enough to not draw any attention to himself. The smell of salt in the air grew thick as he neared the sea. Soon he reached another gate with different guards. Guards who had nothing to do with the Lady of Migris, and those who obeyed her laws.

  He dismounted and approached this new gate with a spring in his step. Being recognized here was a good thing, at least for Kai.

  Past the gate were the docks, which dominated the coast, all sturdy wood and rope railings. As he reached the guards, he discreetly slipped the thuggish men several coins then smiled, waiting. One brute gave a wave of his hand, then suddenly the gates swung inward of their own volition, though really there were several hidden lookouts manning them.

  Kai took a deep breath as he led his horse through. The docks were an ideal location for information gathering, as the men of the docks knew more than any innkeep or stableman around, but it would still be difficult to find information on one woman in such a large city, if she was even there at all.

  He’d just ask around until Iseult finished his argument with the guards. Then, if Iseult managed to not get arrested, and actually made it into the city, he would lead him and the others to the docks. It was tempting to move on and scour the city on his own, but four sets of eyes were better than one, and Iseult would be handy should Kai encounter any trouble.

  He walked along casually, leading his horse as its hooves echoed on the thick, wooden planks of the docks. There were ships moored all the way down the long stretch, some being loaded with supplies for export, as others expelled their goods into the city. Kai had just decided to question a few sailors waiting for their ship to load, when he was interrupted by a familiar face.

  “Kai!” the man exclaimed in a voice like gravel falling down a hillside. “It's been many a moon since I've seen ye in these parts.”

  “Sativola,” he replied, genuinely pleased. If anyone had the information he sought, it would be Sativola. He would keep quiet about seeing Kai as well.

  Sativola swiped his meaty palm across a fresh, red scar, spanning the width of his forehead, then up into his curly, blond hair. He'd aged poorly over the past several years, but still looked sturdy for a man of around fifty years.

  “What are ye doing in these parts?” Sativola questioned, drawing Kai aside from the busy walkway. “Last I heard, ye were with Anna in the Southlands. She said she left ye there.”

  Kai shrugged, trying to play off his surprise. Sativola made it sound as if he’d recently spoken to Anna, which perhaps meant she’d beaten him to Migris. If she was already within the city, she might have tracked Finn down.

  “I’ve seen a bit of travel over the past month,” Kai explained, leaning back against the railing in an attempt to appear relaxed. “I'm actually looking for Anna,” he added.

  Sativola clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him over. “Yer in luck lad. I'm crewin' this here ship for her.”

  Kai looked past Sativola to the small ship. It hardly seemed seaworthy, but if Sativola supported its use, Kai knew that it would sail, and if Anna was preparing to sail, she had a very good reason.

  “Anna? Taking to the sea?” he said jokingly. “She must really want something to engage her deepest fear.”

  Sativola chuckled and slapped Kai on the back again. “Don't let her hear ye sayin' that!” he laughed. “She'd throw ye overboard.” He leaned close again, conspiratorially. “Just between us,” he whispered, “I hear she's plannin' on kidnappin' a girl. Never knew Anna was into that sort of business.”

  Kai's heart gave a shudder, but he did his best to act unsurprised. “Ah,” he began, “I might know a little something about that, but if I told you, Anna would have my head.”

  Sativola grinned, exposing rotten, blocky teeth.

  “Do you think I could wait on the ship for her?” Kai went on. “Scare her out of her wits upon entering her cabin?”

  Sativola's grin widened as he nodded excitedly. “Oh, I'd pay a good deal of coin to see that.” He held his hand out to take the reins to Kai’s horse.

  Kai handed his horse off, trusting that Sativola would stable him. Horse in hand, his friend stood aside and gestured to the narrow, temporary walkway that led up to the ship.

  Kai eyed the walkway, suddenly regretting his plan, but knowing he had no choice but to ascend it. As Sativola had suggested, Anna wasn't in the kidnapping business, and had only entered it the first time they stole Finn. He had little doubt that the human package to which Sativola referred would be the girl he'd come all this way to find.

  Kai started toward the ship, wishing he'd brought Iseult along from the start. He wasn't looking forward to facing down Anna and an entire crew of men. He'd only thought to ask questions at the dock, so he might return to his companions with a plan of action. Now that he knew Anna intended to sail away with Finn, he couldn't risk both women slipping right through his fingers.

  Once on board, he walked casually by several more crew members who paid him little mind. The ship likely had multiple main cabins below deck, but only one above that he could see. That would be Anna's cabin. Perhaps he could confront her in private, and convince her to let him take Finn back to her friends.

  He entered the unlocked cabin, then shut the door behind him, prepared to wait, but the sight of a quill and ink brought a plan to the front of his mind. He hurried to the small desk, built into the wooden wall, and picked up the quill, and a rough sheet of parchment. He began scrawling a hasty message.

  There were still so many things that could go wrong, but he couldn't help his elation as he placed the final words upon the page. He could at least account for certain outcomes. He grinned as he allowed himself to fully process his conversation with Sativola.

  Finn was alive. She might hate him, and she might tell him to crawl back to whatever hole he came out of, but at least she was alive, and he'd just come up with a brilliant plan to save her. It was the best news he'd heard all week.

  His letter finished, he rushed out of the cabin to hand it to Sativola, knowing the man wouldn’t fail him in delivering it. Sativola might be a criminal, but he was a reliable one.

  That task done, Kai went back to Anna’s cabin to wait. Some time later, he lounged casually on
her bed as the sound of footsteps approached the cabin door. Hearing grunts of struggle, he stood quickly, feeling suddenly unprepared for the meeting that was about to take place.

  The door swung open, revealing Anna. Her black, pin-straight hair whipped about in the salty ocean breeze as she peered inside the cabin, not seeing Kai right away. Her dark, hawk-like eyes held satisfaction as she stepped inside to make room for one of her crewmen to carry a very angry human package inside.

  Finn still wore the dress Kai had last seen her in. The deep reddish purple hues still suited her creamy skin tone, and her hair was still the wild, long mess that he remembered. He felt like it had been years since he'd last seen her, and he for some reason had expected her to look far different. Yet, she hadn't changed at all, down to the angry scowl on her face, and the sudden ire lighting up her dark eyes as her gaze found him.

  “You!” she exclaimed, fighting against her brutish captor’s grasp.

  Anna turned quickly to see what Finn was shouting about, and took on an almost identical expression to the one Finn held. She moved to slam the cabin door shut behind the brute holding Finn, then turned to Kai with her hands on her hips. He noticed two sheathed daggers cinched to her belt, one near either hand. Times must have been tough if she was wearing weapons openly.

  Finn began to scream for help, but the brute clamped his dirty palm across her face. She thrashed about, but he was large enough, and she small enough, that it did little good. Though he knew it would ruin his plan, Kai tensed, prepared to cut off the hand that covered Finn's mouth, but Anna moved in front of him.

  She crossed her arms, clad in a billowy white blouse that rested beneath a tight, black vest, lying snugly against her lightly-muscled frame. “Give me one good reason to not throw you overboard this instant,” she demanded.

  The brute grunted behind her as Finn bit his hand. “You fiends!” she shrieked, but her mouth was soon covered again.

  Ignoring the commotion behind her, Anna stared Kai down patiently.

  He took a step back to lean against the cabin wall, doing his best to appear at ease. “I was under the impression that we were in this together.”

  At that moment Finn kicked the brute in the shin so hard that he dropped her, and she scurried away toward the bed. She eyed each of them in turn as everyone's attention fell on her, but she didn't try to run. Likely because the brute's body blocked the entire doorway.

  “I knew I was right for leaving,” Finn rasped, speaking to Kai while still looking at the brute who blocked her way.

  Kai frowned, but turned back to Anna, ignoring the feral woman in the corner. He was about to take a gamble. If Anna just wanted the bounty on Finn, she would have no need to sail the Melted Sea. She was after something else, perhaps something out of legend. “So are you looking for the shroud, or the Archtree?” he inquired.

  Anna glared at him. “How on earth do you know about either of those things?”

  Kai smirked. “I could ask you the same question.”

  “So that's what this is all about!” Finn exclaimed before Anna could answer. “I've been drugged, kidnapped, and manhandled, all over a silly piece of fabric!”

  Anna shrugged and turned back to Kai. “As far as I've been able to discern, Finn knows how to find it. That's why everyone around is so keen on gaining possession of her.”

  Finn laughed bitterly, drawing everyone's attention back to her. She looked downright evil as she stated, “I don't know how to find the shroud. Your efforts have all been a waste.”

  Anna turned to fully face Finn. “What do you mean,” she began slowly, her voice barely above a growl, “you don't know how to find the shroud? The entire reason that bounty was placed on your head was to find it!”

  Kai was genuinely surprised. “You found the bounty’s backer?” he questioned in astonishment. He’d tried to find that information himself while he was in Ainfean.

  “You're all a bunch of fools!” Finn shouted before Anna could answer.

  As the women continued to scream insults at each other, the brute slipped out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. Kai couldn't blame him.

  He cleared his throat to get the women's attention, but they were both too caught up flinging curses to notice. He cleared his throat more loudly, then waited patiently as they both turned their angry expressions to him.

  “What!” they shouted in unison.

  “I know how to find the shroud,” he announced.

  Finn suddenly seemed confused, while Anna gave him a calculating look. When she realized that Kai wasn't joking, a superior smile crossed her face. “Perhaps I was a little hasty in threatening to throw you overboard.” She turned back to Finn, “You on the other hand . . . ”

  Kai grunted in irritation.

  Anna rolled her eyes at him. “I'm not really going throw her into the sea, though I would like to. She's still a part of this, and the only way we come out on top is to have all of the pieces.”

  Kai nodded in acceptance, hating the way Finn was looking at him. She thought he was betraying her all over again.

  “So what is our next step?” Anna asked curiously.

  He pulled his eyes away from Finn, and forced a mischievous smile onto his face. “We set sail for the Archtree.”

  Anna smiled, though there was little warmth to it.

  Finn growled in annoyance at being ignored. “How do the two of you know about the Archtree?” she demanded.

  Kai was suddenly embarrassed. “I might have followed you after you left Ainfean,” he admitted. “I overheard many of your conversations with Iseult.”

  Finn gasped. “You followed me? Was it not apparent that I was trying to get away from you?”

  Kai rolled his eyes. “Yes, your point was well made, but you were also being followed by Óengus.”

  “What?” the two women asked in unison.

  “Is he still after the bounty?” Anna added.

  Kai shrugged. “I didn’t bother asking him.”

  Finn almost seemed to doubt her anger toward Kai for a moment . . . but it was a short moment. “That doesn’t change the fact that you eavesdropped on my private conversation!”

  Ignoring her, Kai turned back to Anna. “Now tell us, how did you come to find out about both the shroud, and the Archtree?”

  Anna’s face went rigid at the question, making Kai want the answer even more.

  “That’s private,” she snapped.

  Kai lifted a hand to his chest and pouted, feigning hurt feelings. “But I told you,” he protested.

  Anna glared at him. “Gobán!” she shouted suddenly.

  A moment later, the thug came back into the room.

  Anna looked up at her minion. “Take the girl below deck,” she demanded. “Keep her under lock and key.”

  Chapter Six

  Iseult clenched and uncleched his fists while he waited for the guard to change his mind. If he knew what was good for him, he would change his mind. Àed felt sure that Finn was within the city walls, and he trusted his judgement. Now, if only the insufferable guards would step out of his way. They had already waited too long in line, and he refused to let that time be a waste.

  Kai had disappeared, of course, leaving him, Àed, and Ealasaid to deal with the guards on their own. Iseult had hoped that the girl would be of some use, she was pretty, after all, and most of the guards were men, but she stood back meekly, covering her face with her curly hair.

  “I don't care if you're the Lady of Migris herself,” the guard spat, “no one is allowed entrance. The city is full, and there have been multiple killings.”

  Iseult finally shook his head and backed away, lest he lose his temper and end up in the stocks. Ealasaid hurried out of his path as he turned and stormed away from the gates, his horse in tow behind him.

  They walked off the road, further away from the gates, to a secluded area where refugees were yet to set up camp. Iseult stopped and waited for the others, then handed his reins to Ealasaid.

  �
�Surely she'll come out of the gates eventually,” Ealasaid comforted. “We can just wait for her here. She won't be able to slip by.”

  Àed had obviously filled her in, as Iseult and Kai had spoken to her very little during their journey. Unfortunately, the girl knew little of the outside world. There were many ways to leave a city, and if someone found Finn before him, she wasn’t likely to exit by way of the gates.

  “Migris is the largest port this side of the Melted Sea,” he explained gruffly. “I'm not worried about missing her at the gates. She’ll be impossible to find if she boards a ship.”

  Ealasaid's face crumpled into a dejected expression that Iseult had no time, nor desire, to remedy. He turned to Àed. “I sailed these seas as a boy. The gates were simply our first option for entrance. I'll find another way in, and I’ll bring Finn back out to meet you here.”

  The old man glared, just as Iseult knew he would. “I'll not wait around like a useless stump while ye venture off into the city,” he growled, blue eyes blazing with ire.

  “And what if she does come through the gates?” Iseult replied calmly as he unclasped his black cloak. He handed the item to Ealasaid, who took it silently.

  Àed spat onto the ground near Ealasaid's feet. She jumped aside, tugging both her and Iseult's horses along with her. She glanced down at the spit, then over to Àed. “I'll wait with you here. If you tell me what she looks like, I can keep an eye out while you rest.”

  Àed's expression softened, though he grumbled something about not needing any rest. Satisfied that the pair would be there when he returned, Iseult left them without another word.

  His boots sank into the loamy earth as he ventured back toward the road. He crossed it, then continued walking through the congested area of refugee camps while he considered his options.

  The docks would have fewer guards, but there would be other sorts watching over things, and he hadn’t spent enough time in the city to make connections. In fact, he’d only been there once or twice since he first left.