by J. K. Barber
“So it seems I owe you my life then,” Jared said to Damon, removing his hand from Sasha’s dagger, but keeping his arm around her waist. “It is a debt I will not forget.” Jared bowed his head as deeply as his position on the cot next to Sasha would allow.
“Think nothing of it,” Damon replied; his manner indicating that he did not consider the matter to be of great importance. “Besides, I have already been well compensated for my help.” The captain gestured towards Sasha who colored slightly and lowered her eyes. The same something that had twinged inside Jared earlier gave another tremor, stronger this time. Captain Damon continued before Jared could consider the odd feeling any further.
“I’m actually surprised you didn’t recognize the poison yourself, Jared,” Damon said, addressing the hunter. Jared looked up from Sasha, the look of confusion apparently evident on his features. “The venom of the Dark Lady’s Viper is deadly indeed, but easy to counteract with the right ingredients. All of which were readily found in the apothecary’s shop.” Damon looked at Jared, his statement and eyes seemed to be searching for something in the hunter.
“We were in a bit of a hurry to leave, so I didn’t have time to go shopping,” Jared said, hoping the statement sounded nonchalant and not like the deflecting reply it was meant to be. The hunter once again looked around the cabin they were in, trying to disguise the intent of his words. The room was smallish, with cots that folded down from the walls of the ship to allow for several men to sleep, but also to provide ample room should the cots be folded back up. Various small chests and rucksacks were arranged about the room, pressed up against the wall or tucked behind larger crates. It was clearly a room meant to house sailors while they weren’t involved in the day to day business of keeping a ship afloat and on course. Jared recognized his own backpack along with his bow, sword, and other various weapons leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, well out of arm’s reach. The hunter made a mental note to speak with Sasha about their placement in the future, but not here in front of Captain Damon. Jared shifted on the bed, doing his best to make the gesture look as though he was trying to settle into a more comfortable position and not checking for the various blades he usually had secreted about his person; none of them were there.
“So I take it we’re aboard your ship and on our way then?” Jared asked of the tall Easterner.
“Just so,” the man replied, smiling proudly. “You’ve been aboard for a of couple days now. Unfortunately, you weren’t in any shape to be properly greeted when you came aboard. Let me officially welcome you aboard The Isabella,” Damon bowed deeply, this time Illyander style with a flourish of his hands in a wide sweeping gesture. “If there is anything I can do to make your voyage a more pleasant one, please, do not hesitate to tell my first mate and we will see what we can do to accommodate you.” Finishing his grandiose bow, he continued, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are other matters to which I must attend.” Not waiting for a reply, Captain Damon turned on his heel and walked confidently and gracefully from the room.
Jared turned to Sasha, noticing how close her face was to his, but not minding her nearness given his recent brush with death. He resisted the impulse to kiss her warmly on the mouth, wanting answers first. “Now, tell me what I missed while I was… indisposed.” Jared smiled affectionately at Sasha, giving her a small squeeze with his arm. “And why is my sword all the way over there?” he asked, gesturing towards his long curved blade where it lay across the room
Sasha pushed away from Jared and stood with her hands on her hips. “You were delirious when we carried you aboard and put you here.” The red-headed woman gestured towards Jared’s cot with her hand before straightening her shirt with annoyance, which did not need realignment. Something was bothering the young woman, but Jared couldn’t guess as to what.
He shook his head a little, trying to clear some more of the cobwebs in his skull, but immediately regretted it as another wave of nausea threatened to return him to the bucket of vomit on the floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to settle his stomach. Opening his eyes, he continued. “And my sword?” Jared asked, inclining his head towards his weapons, which were so far out of reach. Surely, by now, the swordswoman had realized that they both liked to keep their blades nearby at all times.
“As I said,” Sasha replied, her voice still holding a noticeable tone of irritation. “You were delirious from the poison. In your feverish ranting and thrashing about we were concerned you would hurt yourself or someone else. So, I placed them out of arm’s reach, but close enough that you would be able to see them, once you came to your senses, and hopefully realized you hadn’t been captured. That is also why I asked if you were really awake earlier. Several times you seemed awake, your eyes were open, but you spouted nothing but nonsense and gibberish.” Sasha paused for a moment, her expression softening slightly with a look of concern. “You also yelled out once about a fire… and your mother.” The swordswoman looked genuinely troubled.
Out of reflex Jared deflected the inquiring look and changed the subject. “And you said Katya was all right now?” The hunter immediately regretted the question. He had opened up to Sasha about his closest held secret. Why did he feel the need to ward off her question about his mother? Before he could apologize, Sasha answered him.
“She is, and if you’re feeling up to it, we can go out on the deck and see her.” Jared started to rise, but Sasha stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and pressing him back down into a sitting position. He looked up into the young woman’s face, seeing an irritated look. “Right after you explain to me what the two of you were doing in Valshet.”
Jared sighed, settling back onto the bed, knowing that no matter how he explained it, somehow he was going to end up in trouble with someone.
As if on cue, the door to the room opened once more and Mala, making no effort at all to hide her displeasure, stalked into the room, her arm already raised to point a finger at the hunter.
Chapter 8
The three women sat on their wooden bunks in the tiny cabin given to them by Captain Damon for “a lady’s privacy.” These bunks were actually attached to the decking unlike Jared’s that had folded down from the hull wall by chains. The room held nothing else besides the four bunks, the last empty, and a large wooden storage chest bound in iron. Katya had been resting as she often did recently in the afternoons; while the snake poison was gone, it had left her body weakened. Damon had recommended that she and Jared rest as much as possible. When Mala and Sasha had come in and sat down, Mala indicating she wanted to talk to the girls, the sorceress had pulled back the woolen blanket and sat up. Mala and Sasha wore simple clothes, their armor stowed until they arrived in the Frozen March. It had gotten notably colder as they sailed North despite the fact that it was now summer, so Sasha had donned her favorite white bearskin coat and Mala wore a simple mottled-colored fur cloak that matched Katya’s, which hung from a peg by her bunk. The ship’s sway on the waves was a constant reminder of where they were headed and the dangers that awaited them.
“Okay girls, it is past time I talked with you. I have already… spoken to Jared about his and Katya’s little trip into town…,” Mala started, her tone stern as if chiding young children. Katya interrupted her.
“It was meant to be a simple trip to a shop, Mala, we had no idea those men…,” the sorceress began before Mala cut her off so harshly with a yell of frustration that it almost sounded like a growl. Katya opened her mouth to speak again but the words were lost. The older woman’s body went rigid like a predator about to strike down its prey. Her eyes went wildly wide at the dark-haired twin’s insolence. Both girls retreated inwardly, feeling more than just a little bit scared; they had never provoked this kind of reaction from Mala who had always been an attentive mentor. The Master Swordswoman was truly distraught, her face haggard with worry turned to anger.
“That is correct, you have NO idea.” Mala spat, her voice venomous. Katya’s eyes began t
o well with tears. Sasha simply stared in shock. Mala softened her tone but only slightly, “You girls think you know what dangers await you, but in truth you have lived in Snowhaven all your lives. You are only beginning to understand what it is like to be outside the sturdy fortress walls of our home.” Mala turned to Sasha, deflecting some of her anger from the darker twin so that they both shared her wrath equally. “Sasha, you were amazingly lucky to have met Jared and for him to have turned out to be a trustworthy friend. Had he been a bandit he would have charmed you, slept with you, and most likely killed you after.” Sasha looked more than a little taken aback, her face pale. The older swordswoman turned back to the sorceress. “Katya, what if you had not broken free of the Shadow Walker that kidnapped you? What horrible experiments would the Ice Queen be performing on you right now? What if the nexus you had arrived at was not the peaceful Nhyme village? You two have been truly blessed. The Great Mother watches over you both more than you know. Now, I will say that for the most part you two have made good decisions, but your lack of experience in the outside world is going to get you killed. Jared should have known better.”
Mistress Mala took a few breaths, trying to compose herself while the girls stared at their feet knowing her words to be accurate. Mala continued, “I promised your father I would watch after you. I can’t do that if you run off on your own without telling me.” She looked to both the girls in turn, who finally managed to meet her matronly gaze. “Now come here,” she said gesturing to them with arms wide. The twins warily complied and Mistress Mala hugged them tight. “I say all of this only because I care so much. I loved your mother like she was my sister and in turn I love you girls as if you were my own. I couldn’t bear to lose you, too. You are my family.” Mala began to cry and held the girls tighter. “I need your word that when we arrive in the Frozen March you two will not leave my side. If we survive the cold and the ferocious wildlife, there are still the ravening orc tribes. They are abominations; at least you have seen them first hand. There is no telling what horrors we will encounter should we actually find the Empress of Ice’s Glacial Palace. Promise me you will stay close to me from now on.”
“I promise,” both the girls replied, though Katya’s response was a little less enthusiastic than her sister’s.
“Good, now go get some dinner before the men devour it all,” the middle-aged woman smiled, wiping away her tears. Mala looked very old to Sasha at that moment; the redhead noticed her mentor’s hair had more gray in it since last they were together in Snowhaven, and the skin of her face was showing age lines. Katya stood, straightened her blue velvet robes, and headed for the cabin door after tucking Lucian’s journal back into her backpack that had been lying next to her on her bunk.
“I am sorry, Mala, to have caused you this much worry,” Sasha whispered. “I never knew you cared so much. I will be more careful.” Sasha hugged Mala one more time before following her sister to the galley. Mala wiped her face as she lay down, too tired, angry, and sick with worry to eat. Sleep would help, she hoped.
The Isabella consisted of three decks: the cargo hold at its base, the galley and sleeping areas as the second deck, and then the upper deck proper with the captain’s quarters at its stern. Able to sleep one hundred men, these three decks were immense. Luckily, the girls’ room, or the noble’s room as Captain Damon had called, it was right next to the galley. Sasha and Katya had only to just take a right turn out of their room and walk down a short hall to enter the galley proper. Only Jared, the cook and a scrawny cabin boy, scrubbing down a large pile of dishes, remained when the twins arrived there. Cabinets hung from the walls with their doors held closed by sturdy iron latches. The room itself was quite large, allowing room for five long tables lined with benches, all bolted to the floorboards. The two men laughed together about something neither girl could make out. Sasha smiled at Jared, but Katya’s face was moody and troubled, a frown creasing her lips.
The cook, Jon, was a tall man of medium build with brown eyes and hair. He was taking the remains of a large fish off a wooden baking tray on a counter by the stove. Seeing the girls, he ceased his conversation and began scooping out the remains of what was in the cook pot on the cast iron stove. The wood-burning apparatus had bars surrounding it so should the ship rock suddenly Jon wouldn’t grasp the stove itself.
“Evenin’ ladies. Sorry there isn’t much left,” Jon spoke, his hands never leaving his task of preparing their food.
He placed rice into bowls and put the remaining fish on top, handing a bowl in turn to each of the girls with a wooden spoon. Nodding to the men, the sisters took their bowls with muttered thanks and moved to the opposite wall, getting mugs from a bin and filling them from a tapped barrel of water. Their meal fully gathered, Sasha and Katya sat side by side at one of the tables and began to eat. Jared clapped Jon on the shoulder and went over to the girls, sitting across the table from them. The cook went to help the blond-haired boy with the rest of the dishes.
“From the look on Katya’s face it seems Mistress Mala had a similar chat with you after she was done berating me,” Jared said sullenly.
Sasha smirked, but Katya was in no mood.
“It was your idea to leave the ship,” the sorceress spoke, her tone accusatory. Jared’s face darkened considerably.
“And what of your decision to join me, Katya? Oh wait, that’s right you don’t like to take responsibility for your actions. I suppose it was my fault too then that the shopkeeper was murdered after you stilled my hand to try and save her,” the woodsman was obviously upset now, his face an angry red. Sasha regarded the woodsman, her mouth open in shock at his harsh words. She wondered if his discomfort at being cooped up on the ship coupled with his sea sickness was causing him to be overly vehement. “What bothers me most is that no one but me seems to have cared that she died,” Jared finished.
Katya’s face whitened even more so than her usual paleness. She opened her mouth to speak but instead she burst into tears and ran out of the galley. Sasha fought an immediate impulse to go after her, but in her heart she knew Jared’s words were true, even if callous. Sasha’s dark-haired sister, while the same age as she, was more naïve. The swordswoman often wondered how that had come to be, since they were so close. She had always chalked it up to a difference in their schooling. Now more than ever, she realized it was just who Katya was. More time in the outside world would hopefully help.
“By the fact that you are still sitting here, my guess is that you do not support your sister in all things as I had thought.” Jared said after a few moments. Sasha fingered her spoon and scooped some food into it absently.
“Katya has always been delicate. I love her and would give my life to protect her, but you are correct. I think she has made some bad decisions as of late and she has not been entirely honest either. She told me you two were unable to rescue the shopkeeper, but I was not aware that it was her hand that kept you from possibly saving the woman.” Sasha placed the food in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, and Jared took that time to further calm himself.
Sasha continued after swallowing, “I am guessing you told Mala and Captain Damon that detail. The only reason perhaps Katya was not berated for the shopkeeper’s death was because it was possible that trying to assist the shopkeeper would have resulted in your deaths. You speak of responsibility, Jared. You cannot blame Katya for the shopkeeper’s death, when despite her hesitant hand, you did not continue to act.” Sasha had stopped eating and was looking deeply into the woodsman’s brown eyes, hoping that he would understand her line of reasoning. The tension in Jared’s body fled suddenly, and he visibly sagged in his seat, his shoulders slumping. He sighed.
“You are as wise as you are beautiful,” Jared’s tone was playful, but he did not meet her gaze and stared at the table instead. Sasha smiled, her cheeks tinged with the pink of a blush. She slid her hand across the table and covered his with her own.
“You don’t know what could have happened, Jared. I admire you for t
he thought to try and save the shopkeeper. While thought may not have led to action, your heart was valorous. May she rest in peace.”
Jared swallowed hard and raised his eye to meet those of the swordswoman. “Thank you, now I’ll just have to convince myself. Mala was of the strong opinion that the whole thing was my fault.” He frowned but then managed half a smile. Sasha returned with a sympathetic smile. She removed her hand from his and began eating again. They sat for a time in silence listening to the clattering of cutlery. The sound of Jon shooing off the cabin boy assisting him made the travelers look up. The cook had finished the remaining dishes, doused the fire in the stove, and seemingly retired for the evening by taking his leave of the galley. Jared was content to sit quietly, enjoying the comfortable silence, but soon he grew restless.
“Sasha, I have only heard a couple of fire-side stories of your youth and your home when we worked for the trade caravan. What was your life like in Snowhaven?”
Sasha nodded and finished the last bite of her meager dinner, draining the last of her mug of water. Her eyes lingered on Katya’s untouched meal as if she were still hungry, but she placed her bowl on top of her sister’s to keep it warm and take it to her later.
“I am not sure where you would want me to start? I guess my earliest memories would be of the training courtyard of the Snowhaven Fighter School and of helping my father in the forge. He always used to tell me, ‘The smithy forges more than just metal...,’” Sasha touched her chest over her heart, “‘it forges the fighter’s soul.’ I soon learned that my time working the forge with him gave me discipline and the muscle to keep up with the men. There weren’t many females that wanted to learn to use a sword, my sister included. As much as I loved to collect flowers with my sister like any young girl, I couldn’t ignore my desire to fight. The beauty in a dance of blades and the strategy of battle intrigued me. My sister was more interested in plants and the magic that could be used in conjunction, more of what my mother, Dara, was involved with on a daily basis as the Administrator’s assistant. Even though we are twins, we do think differently. We have very separate identities. We do complement each other though. I’m the brawn and she’s the brains,” Sasha laughed.