by Spurrier, Jo
It was well dark before Cam allowed them to leave their little niche. First he ventured out alone, leaving Delphine to flex legs stiff and aching after more than twelve hours of standing immobile. Her belly was cramping with hunger, her throat parched, and she was chilled to the bone and desperately needed to relieve herself. After a brief scouting trip Cam returned to hustle her across the open ground to the nearest patch of cover, and from there they made a slow and cautious journey from one patch of shadow to another. When they had gone only a little way, Cam pointed out a thin, silvery gleam of light in the gloom, which after a few moments of hard staring resolved into a streak of moonlight reflecting off the hand-guard of a soldier’s sword as he stood watch. At that point Delphine’s heart began to race again, and she hardly dared lift her eyes from Cam, watching for any signal to freeze and stretching her shorter legs to step only where he trod.
After a terror-filled hour of this creeping motion, Cam decided they could take a moment to rest. Delphine ducked behind a patch of scrub to attend to her most pressing needs, and when she returned Cam handed her a tangled puff of pale green threads. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘I could hear your belly growling as we walked.’ He had a handful himself, and took a bite.
Delphine stared at the lichen, the same stuff that festooned the upper branches of the trees. Old Man’s Beard, the native folk called it. She took a cautious mouthful. It was dry and bland, but not unpleasant, and she washed it down with icy water from the stream. ‘I don’t suppose we could have a fire,’ she said.
Cam shook his head. ‘Too dangerous. With food in your belly, you’ll warm up when we start moving again.’
Delphine nodded, although she wasn’t certain she believed him. They’d escaped the soldiers thanks to her, but it was Cam who would keep them free and alive, if that were possible. ‘What do we do now?’
He took another mouthful of the lichen and frowned down at her as he chewed. He was younger than Isidro, she remembered — eight years her junior to Isidro’s seven, but in the darkness and weary after a long day, he seemed older. ‘We’ll come up with something,’ he said.
Delphine pressed a fist to her still-aching stomach. ‘You should know, my power isn’t like Sierra’s. She can draw power whenever there’s someone to feed her, but I grow weaker if I’m hungry, cold or tired, and I need rest and food to recharge.’
Cam nodded, his eyes lost in shadows. ‘I understand.’
‘Cam, that man … the one who was hurt.’ She couldn’t bring herself to own the awful damage that was done to him. ‘Do you think he’s dead?’
He hesitated, and it seemed to her that he decided not to lie. ‘Yes.’
Delphine turned away, covering her face with her hands.
‘But if you hadn’t acted, we’d both be in chains right now. You did the right thing.’
Delphine shook herself, and tried to push the image of the bloody, truncated limb from her mind. ‘So,’ she said, ‘what’s our plan?’
‘We evade the soldiers looking for us, and then find some way out of these wretched hills. It’s not much of a plan, but at least it’s simple.’
And then what? Delphine thought, but she didn’t say it aloud. They were on foot, unarmed, with no shelter and no supplies — achieving just the first part would be difficult enough.
They set out again, following the edge of the stream, weaving through gullies and along game-trails. Cam sacrificed speed for caution, and after half an hour or so Delphine heard the snort of a horse in the darkness ahead. Stones clattered as it pawed the ground, and a man’s low voice soothed it with nonsense words.
Delphine froze even before Cam raised his hand in signal, and with his next gesture, they retreated. Until that moment Delphine had been growing sleepy, but she found herself wide awake and shaking again as Cam guided her around the hillside and away from the noise of the man and horse.
He paused in a rocky gully.
‘Why are we stopping?’ she demanded in a whisper.
Cam looked troubled. ‘I’m going to check out that noise.’ Delphine shook her head, but Cam settled his hands on her shoulders. ‘I swear I’ll be careful —’
‘But what if it’s a trap?’
‘That’s why I’ll be careful! Look, it doesn’t make sense for men to search on horseback at night. Horses don’t see well in the dark, and this ground is too rough to give chase. Mira may have sent them to help us.’
‘Or it could be a trap,’ Delphine said.
‘Yes, or that,’ Cam said. ‘I’m going to find out.’ He fumbled inside his jacket and pulled out the bundle of lichen he’d collected earlier. ‘Here. If I don’t come back —’
‘Don’t say that!’ Delphine hissed.
‘Hush,’ he told her. ‘If I don’t come back, this will keep you going for a few days, and you can hide yourself with the device. Go south and try to find some herders. They’ll be driving their flocks into the hills soon, but they’ll stay south to avoid the Mesentreians and the Akharians.’
‘But I’m an Akharian!’
‘It’s your only chance, Delphi. If they catch me I won’t lead them back here. If I’m not back in two hours, go on alone, and head south. Got it?’
She was furious, but she held her tongue and only gave him a sullen nod.
When he was a dozen paces away, Cam stopped to look back, but he couldn’t spot the shield. Shaking his head at the wonders the old mages had wrought, he took a moment to fix this location in his memory, and then retraced their steps.
Cam turned off the path early and started up the damp hillside, aiming for a spot that would let him look down on where he’d heard the horses. He stayed low, crawling on his belly over the wet ground.
As he climbed, he thought about Hespero. Cam had only met Dremman’s favoured son a handful of times — Hespero had commanded men for years, and was often out patrolling on the clan’s southeastern border, where settlers and outlaws were likely to make trouble. His men were old hands and loyal … but Mira was well respected, and Cam had gone out of his way to make friends with the Wolf men when he’d been travelling with Dremman’s army. Would Hespero’s troops put their loyalty to their commander above their distaste for the Akharian alliance? Or would they support Mira and the man who could have been their king above the demands of those who had so recently been enemies?
Keeping to the densest undergrowth, Cam crept to a position overlooking the rocky gully where he’d heard the man and horse.
There were two horses on the rocks below. They each carried a full kit, with saddles bearing bedrolls and other gear — an axe, a bow and quiver, and a few pots and pans lashed down on the load.
The man holding the reins had his back to Cam. It was only when an owl glided silently overhead and he looked up that Cam saw it was Ardamon. He was perched on a rock, huddled against the cold and wearing only indoor clothes, as though he’d crept out of a tent with no time to equip himself for a chilly spring night. His manner was far from watchful, however — he sat hunched, staring at his feet like a lad given sentry duty as a punishment.
The location was bad: a deep, rocky gully, much like the one he’d hidden in while fleeing Severian’s men. Once within, it would be easy to be trapped. Ardamon had his flaws, but stupidity wasn’t one of them — he would have known the site was a poor prospect. The only conclusion Cam could come to was that he was bait in a snare, and he wondered what had been done to make him go along with it.
Cam spent some long minutes searching for lookouts, and was about to retreat when a voice drifted down from above.
‘He ain’t gonna show,’ a man muttered in Akharian. ‘That Ricalani lord is no fool.’
Another voice made a tch of disgust. The men were lying on a ledge directly above him, a place Cam had decided not to aim for, because it would leave him too exposed to other watchers.
‘I could have told that dog Hespero it’s a waste of time. I was there in the north when all this began: I heard what this’un did down in the caves. That particular fox is to
o clever to take bait so neatly laid out for ’im. We’re out here freezing our bollocks off for nothing.’
‘I tell you what,’ the other said. ‘I’d rather risk my bollocks to freezing than chase after the Blood-Mage.’
‘Too bloody right. I spoke to some poor bastards who had to bury what was left of those as crossed his path. I hear he’s heading west now — with any luck the cocksucker will cross the fens and become some other legion’s problem.’
‘I heard some officers talking about it,’ the soldier said. ‘Seems the younger two mages are trailing the old one. At first the commanders thought they were still working together, but it looks like they’re hunting the old bastard.’
‘Well then. No sense getting involved in a war between Blood-Mages, is there? With any luck they’ll destroy each other. It won’t be our problem, in any case. With the Blood-Mages gone we’ll get back to clearing out this wretched forest.’
‘Even better,’ the voice whispered, ‘the general has agreed to leave the dogs’ lands alone, but you’ve seen how the villages in the north are scattered all over the place. In the south there are proper towns and farms, and we’ll take back the slaves we lost in the north. We’ll get our end-year bonuses still, you’ll see. It’ll be richer pickings than we’ve had so far. Cursed good thing, too; I was getting bored of those squint-eyed northern sluts.’
He’d heard enough, Cam decided. It was time to leave. He shuffled back an inch at a time, fighting the urge to hurry, but by the time he was safely on the path again, his heart was still beating hard and his knees felt weak.
Cam would have walked right past Delphine’s niche if she hadn’t taken down the shield to meet him. ‘Oh, by all the Gods, you were gone so long I was sure you’d been seen!’
‘No, but it was a close thing,’ he said. Her dark skin had turned sallow, and her eyes were wide with fright. ‘What’s the matter?’ he asked.
‘I saw a tiger. It walked right past me, Cam — it knew I was here. It looked at me and snarled. Dear Gods, it was huge …’
Cam settled his hands on her shoulders and felt her tremble. ‘Did you drive it away?’
‘No, it watched me for a moment and kept walking.’
‘That’s a good omen, Delphi. Seeing a tiger is a sign the Gods are watching you.’
‘It is?’ She blinked at him with huge eyes, and drew a deep breath. ‘What did you see?’
‘That bastard Hespero has laid a trap with the Akharians so we can’t go that way … but at least we’ve had a bit of a rest, and we’ve got a good few hours until morning.’
Cam led her on, away from the trap. Hespero had blocked the best route out of this patch of country. Path-finding in these hills was not easy; away from the established routes one had the choice of following game-trails or cutting a new track across rough ground, and either was likely to lead to an impassably steep slope, or a gorge that could only be crossed by rope-bridge.
He tried to think, racking his memory, but after spending a full day and most of the night cold, hungry and exhausted, Cam knew that his mind was sluggish.
There were two priorities — stay out of sight, and find food and a warm place to sleep. They couldn’t go on much longer without a meal and warmth. How would they survive so early in spring with even less than he’d had when Sierra helped him escape? There were ways to stay warm without a stove and tent, but preparing a firebed and rain-shelter would take hours, especially with a belt-knife as his only tool. I’d give my eye teeth for a hatchet, he thought as he trudged on, not entirely sure of his direction when the pole star was hidden behind the steep hills.
They’d been walking for twenty minutes and were crossing a natural dam when Cam recognised a ledge and lip of stone. This small waterfall was where he’d come to fish and refill his water-skin while he’d been waiting for Isidro and the others to find him. They were not far from the hovel he’d made for himself, and he’d used the old tent-hide and some cord to construct the shelter. There was a chance it had been left behind, along with the horse blanket and some salvaged tack.
Once the abandoned shelter came into sight, Cam saw the dark shadows of horses tethered to the fallen tree, and his heart sank once more. Not again, he thought. What chance do we have if that wretched Hespero is always two steps ahead of me?
Cam pulled Delphine into a patch of spindly bushes. It was cursed poor cover, but there was little else on this hillside — it was the reason Cam had chosen it for a refuge, it was impossible for anyone to sneak up or lie in wait for him.
Delphine peered through the bushes, chewing on her lower lip. ‘How could they have known we’d come this way?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know,’ Cam said, ‘perhaps Ardamon told Hespero about this place before he knew what the son of a bitch had planned …’ But as he spoke, a niggling doubt crept into his mind. Ardamon was the black sheep among his father’s sons; that was why he’d been left to lead Mira’s personal guard instead of going to war with the Wolf Clan’s army. The exact location of Cam’s shelter seemed too unimportant a detail for Ardamon to volunteer.
While he thought, Delphine was still peering around the dark slope. ‘If there were people watching the last trap, they must be here too, yes? But where are they? I think we’re in the nearest patch of cover. I suppose they could be hiding up in the trees …’
‘They’d have to be,’ Cam said. ‘There’s nowhere else.’ After a moment’s thought, he sighed and bowed his head. He’d have to check it out. ‘Wait here.’
‘Cam —’
‘Just wait!’ Weariness and worry were making him short tempered. Delphine said nothing, but she fumbled inside her coat to give him a handful of lichen.
‘Thanks,’ he said quietly, and tore off a mouthful to chew as he started another slow circuit. Starting down-slope first, he found the tracks where the horses had been led in, as well as the prints the men had left as they’d retreated.
Cam felt horribly exposed as he made a cautious loop, moving from shadow to shadow and tree to tree, searching for any sign of men. There was nothing, no sound and no other tracks. The forest was perfectly still. The horses, hobbled, were dozing peacefully with hind-legs cocked until he went upwind and they caught his scent. When one snorted and lifted its head, Cam froze, and waited. Nothing happened. There was no sound, no movement from the trees around him.
One of the horses had something pale tied to its bridle. At first he took it for a hollow bone, the sort used for a needle-case. It took several moments for his weary mind to identify it as a slip of paper, tightly rolled.
With a deep breath, Cam crossed the carpet of fallen foliage. Once he drew close, the horses both reached for him with velvet noses, lipping his palm in search of bread or other treats.
Cam pulled the slip of paper from the bridle and unfurled it, but it was too dark beneath the canopy to make out anything more than the vague shape of letters scratched onto the page. ‘Delphine?’ he called softly across the clearing.
At once, she popped up out of the bushes and started over. When she saw the note in his hands, she pulled out her lantern-stone and crouched down against the side of his old shelter to hide the light.
Cam, it said.
If you’ve found this then you’ve evaded that wretched ruse of Hespero’s. Please don’t be angry at Ardamon — Hespero threatened to turn Anoa out with only the clothes on her back if Ardamon didn’t do as he was told.
The men are deeply discontented with their orders and the alliance both. They know Leandra named you heir, and neither Kell nor the Akharians would be in Ricalan if her will had been carried out. Now that they know Hespero always intended to deliver you to the Akharians, they feel dishonoured by the deed.
But it is clear to me, my dearest love, you must remain in hiding. My clan will not rest until they are rid of you. Delphine, too, is in danger — the Akharians have accused her of treason, and I hear she may have been tried in absentia. I fear for both your lives if the Slavers catch you, for you wil
l be beyond my aid. You must at all costs stay safe. To that end I have had my men equip these horses and leave them where I hope you will find them.
Don’t worry about me, Cam — I have loyal men around me, men who know you and your deeds and who are stung by the dishonour of treating a good man so badly. I cannot ignore the rot that has spread through my clan any longer — I must take a stand and root it out, or else you and the others will never be safe. I’ve given you what money and supplies I could gather. It wounds me deeply to abandon you like this, but I suspect you see the truth of this matter as clearly as I. Please stay safe.
With all my love,
Mirasada of the Wolf It was marked with Mira’s seal, but at the bottom of the sheet there was another entry.
Madame Delphine,
I would have you know that I honour you greatly for protecting my beloved. When this matter with my clan is settled, you may request of me any boon that is within my power to grant.
M
Cam shoved the slip of paper into one of Delphine’s hands and went to look over the horses. They were fine beasts, and between them the packs contained the same kind of kit Ardamon’s bait mounts had carried — tent, stove, cooking pots and blankets, as well as a hatchet and a bow with a quiver of arrows.
Delphine read through the letter again, and then turned to Cam. ‘So we just … set out on our own?’
‘We don’t have much choice,’ Cam said as he began tightening the girths and unbuckling hobbles.
‘But … on our own? Isn’t it awfully hard to survive?’
‘We’ll do alright in the summer,’ Cam said, thinking, but if we’re still running loose in the winter we could be in trouble.
‘I can’t believe the Wolf Clan would just hand you over like that,’ Delphine muttered.
‘Oh, I can,’ Cam said. ‘The clan has their own plan for Mira, and it doesn’t involve me. With the last Angessovar gone, and the Wolf the most powerful clan in Ricalan, the throne is theirs, as Hespero said. No one else in the land will contest it.’
‘If my people get their hands on you they’ll probably take you for a Triumph,’ Delphine said. ‘Do you know what that is?’