“Did any Guards make it inside the wall?” Natasha asked, wondering if the sacrifice had been totally futile.
“No. Some got as far as the gate. If you look carefully, you can see one or two hack marks in the wood. But no Guard has ever gotten into Westernfort. They all died on the path.”
“Did you feel sorry for them?”
“For Guards?” Shelly sputtered with laughter.
Silly question, Natasha thought.
“Shelly? Is there much more?” Cal called from the gateway.
“No. That’s it. We’ve finished,” Shelly replied
“Right. Well, we’re going back. We’re getting cold.”
“We’ll come too,” Natasha said.
Natasha followed Shelly back through the gates and toward town. Rohanna and Cal were going briskly and already had quite a lead. The two younger women walked at a more leisurely pace.
“I hate Guards,” Shelly said abruptly.
“Why?” It was probably another silly question, but Natasha got the feeling Shelly wanted her to ask.
“Because of what they did to my grandmother.” From her tone of voice, it was obvious that Shelly had indeed wanted to be asked. She launched enthusiastically into the story. “I was only seven at the time. My family had to escape from Landfall. We got as far as the wildlands, but then we were caught by the Guards. They tortured my grandmother...burnt her with a red-hot iron bar. They were going to start on me, to make my parents say where Westernfort was. But Gina and Captain Ramon had only just started it, so we didn’t know. The Guards wouldn’t believe us. I was too young to understand what was going on, but I remember being terrified. Then Captain Ramon came and rescued us. And she killed the Guard major who’d been in charge, though that was a bit later...”
Shelly rattled on, losing Natasha. It was clear that she had a very severe case of hero worship for Kim Ramon. Natasha almost expected the story to end with an account of the dance Kim that performed on the surface of the lake. She also found some of the claims hard to believe. No Guard, in Natasha’s experience, came anywhere close to being as evil as the major described by Shelly.
By the time the story was finished, they had reached the town, and Rohanna and Cal had disappeared, presumably back to their lodgings. Natasha was about to go after them when Shelly said, “It’s nearly lunchtime. Do you feel like coming for a drink?”
Natasha hesitated before saying, “Yes. Sure.” If she was going to stay in Westernfort until spring without being unmasked, it was important to act as ordinary as possible. Abstinence from alcohol was not a good idea.
Although the tavern was like the rest of Westernfort, with the emphasis on functionality, this didn’t make it unwelcoming. Early in the day, few customers were gathered, but the fire was blazing in the hearth. Wooden tables and benches ran the length of the room. Flagstones covered the floor. Barrels and bottles stood in the corner behind the bar. Shelly paid for the beer and then led the way to a seat in a quiet corner, close by the fire.
“I hear you had a rough journey getting here.” Shelly initiated the conversation.
“Yes. We’d have been dead without Ash.”
“You had Danielle Diwan with you as well?” The question was stilted and unnecessary. Surely Shelly already knew the answer. She was trying to sound casual, and failing. Natasha realized that the young Ranger was after something. She hoped it was just general information.
“And my parents.” Natasha played for safety.
“Did Dani talk about me at all?”
“Er...to be honest, we were pretty much taken up with day-to-day survival.” It wasn’t strictly true, but for the life of her, Natasha could not remember what they actually had talked about.
“She’s really nice, isn’t she?”
Natasha got the feeling that agreeing too enthusiastically would be unwise. “Um...I suppose so.”
“Dani and me, we’ve…sort of…got this thing going,” Shelly said indistinctly.
Is she warning me off? Natasha wondered. However, Shelly seemed to be too unfocused for such a definite plan, and there was a vacant smile on her face. Or does she just want to talk? Natasha was not certain if she wanted to hear, but she was not given the option. Shelly was on a roll.
“I’ve had a soft spot for Dani for years, ever since she came here, but it never seemed like she wanted to know. Then there was a party in the square, last spring, for Landfall, and we just clicked...became lovers. Then Dani took the job in the Homelands. I was dead against it. She could easily have been killed, but she was determined. We had a big quarrel, but we didn’t actually finish with each other. And now she’s back. I haven’t seen her yet. But I thought if she’d been talking about me, perhaps I should stop by.” Shelly stopped and looked at her expectantly.
If that was a question, do I want to answer it? Natasha wondered. Either way, something vague was best. “Um...maybe.”
Shelly smiled and took a mouthful of her drink. “Yes. I’ll go and see her this afternoon.”
Natasha looked at the surface of her beer. All things considered, it would be much safer and easier if Dani did have a lover waiting for her. Natasha knew that she dared not risk the mission by getting further emotionally involved. It might be the Goddess’ answer to the problem—removing temptation. She looked up again at Shelly’s happy, good-natured face, and to her surprise, she felt a sudden, ridiculous, and unwarranted desire to murder the woman.
*
They spent the afternoon meeting various people about the town. The three conspirators returned to their lodgings after dark and shared a meal of bread and stew in the common room. Most of the other residents were recent arrivals in Westernfort and of a similar age to Rohanna and Cal. Apart from one baby, Natasha was the youngest by a good few years. People were pleasant, but she felt that she was on the outskirts of the general conversation, which was fine by her. Rohanna and Cal could do all the lying about their supposed life history in the Homelands.
When the meal was over, she found a quiet corner to sit in. Rohanna had joined a card game on the other side of the room, and Cal was talking to a group by the hearth. Natasha considered going to the tavern. Surely that was what a young heretic in her position would do. But then she wondered whether there was something more useful she should occupy herself with—something that could advance their mission.
They would need to collect provisions for the return journey, weapons to supplement the small daggers they carried, and maps. In Cal’s estimate, they had at least three months to complete their preparations before the weather would be safe for travel, which should be ample time. Possibly the trickiest part would be in finding somewhere safe to store the things they gathered. They would also need horses, although obviously, they could not take the animals before the executions had been carried out.
Natasha looked up, and all other thoughts flew out of her head. Dani had just entered the common room. It was sleeting outside. Dani’s boots were splattered with mud, and her cloak was wet. She pushed back her hood and peered around. Uplighting from the oil lantern in her hand enhanced the impish quality of her face but did nothing to spoil the smile when she spotted Natasha.
“Hi. You said you’d come over and visit my place...remember?”
Natasha scrambled to her feet. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be free.”
“Why?”
“Something might have cropped up.” Natasha did not want to mention Shelly by name.
“No. I’m all yours.”
Natasha tried not to speculate on how literally she could take the phrase, but she could not help hoping that it meant Shelly was missing from the gathering at Dani’s home. There were enough potential complications in meeting Dani’s family without adding extra tensions.
On the short walk across town, Dani was mainly silent, apart from apologizing for not coming earlier and making a few vague comments about things she’d had to sort out. It gave Natasha time to prepare for the forthcoming introductions, although it was hard
to know what to expect, since Dani had never spoken of her family.
They arrived at a shop situated on a corner just off the main square. Dani lifted the latch and led the way into a small oblong room. A window was at the front; another door was in the back. Apart from this, every square centimeter of the walls was taken up with deep shelves, although there was far more empty space on them than pots.
Dani indicated the gaps. “It seems while I’ve been away, people have been going in for plate-smashing in a big way. But at least it will keep me busy for a while.” She put down the lantern by the rear door and bent to untie the laces on her muddy boots.
Natasha copied her actions in silence. She did not know a single thing about Dani’s family, not even how many sisters she had. She prayed that there would not be a mass family gathering, complete with nosy grandmothers. She had lied in Dani’s presence more than enough already.
Dani slipped out of her boots and opened the door. Natasha followed. The room they entered was larger than the shop, although still not huge. It appeared to be a combined workshop and living room. A bed stood in one corner and a potter’s wheel in another. A large chimney took up most of one wall. Logs were burning in the grate, casting a cheerful glow over the well-ordered clutter. Nobody else was in the room.
Natasha looked about, confused. “Where are your mothers?”
“Dead,” Dani said simply.
Natasha bit her tongue, but before she could draw breath to say, “Sorry,” Dani appended, “And so is my sister.” She hung the lantern from a hook on the ceiling and turned around. Her expression was hard to read, but when she spoke, her voice was quietly unemotional. “It’s all right. It was years ago. I’ve mostly gotten over it.”
“Oh. So you live here by yourself?” Natasha cursed to hear how weak her words sounded, but they clearly amused Dani. The smile returned to the heretic’s face, and she nodded.
The thought occurred to Natasha that she had never been totally alone with Dani before—she did not count lying under a bush while they were being hunted by Guards. It was an awkward situation, but one that needed facing sooner or later. Always assuming she is going to make a pass at me, Natasha mocked herself. It would be desperately disappointing if Dani did not.
“Would you like some tea?” Dani’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Er...” Suddenly, Natasha could not even think of an answer to so trivial a question. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, feeling like a complete idiot, while the smile on Dani’s lips grew. At last, Natasha managed to nod before collapsing onto a bench in front of the fire, stretching her stockinged feet out to the heat. The wooden planks of the floor snagged gently on her heels.
“I’d have invited you over for dinner, but my cooking suffers from my trade. I tend to bake everything until it is white-hot and has a hard glaze finish. Did you notice how Ash never let me help with the food?” Dani spoke lightly as she filled a kettle from a large urn and hung it from a chain over the fire. Then she also sat down on the bench.
Natasha fought to regain her composure. If Dani did make overtures, it would be necessary to display a lot of tact. Natasha tried to prepare suitable phrases. Her gaze caught on the doorway. Of course, running away would be far easier, but very hard to do in a dignified fashion. Her eyes continued to travel around the walls; she tried not to make too big a point of not looking at the bed. There was not much space for all the things squeezed into the room, but the effect was cozy rather than cramped.
“What are your first thoughts of Westernfort?” Dani asked, reclaiming Natasha’s attention.
“It’s more civilized than I expected,” Natasha managed to answer and then reconsidered her words. “I mean the amenities, not the people...not that the people aren’t civilized. But I wasn’t expecting...I mean, I was...” Natasha stopped. She could not believe the mess she was making.
Dani laughed, her eyes searching Natasha’s face. “Oh, I don’t know. There are some very dodgy folks around here.”
Natasha tried to start again. “I hadn’t been counting on a bathhouse and sewers. I didn’t think you...”
Natasha felt that she was starting to dig herself another hole. Luckily, Dani took mercy on her and turned away to stare into the fire. “The town has advanced a lot recently. I’ve been here eight years, and I’ve seen the changes. Many of the houses have under-floor heating, but I like a real fire.” Dani indicated vaguely in the direction of the hearth. When she lowered her arm, her hand, as if incidentally, ended up on Natasha’s thigh.
Somehow, Natasha stopped herself from yelping at the shock that tore through her body. The tingling from Dani’s hand exploded down her leg and up her spine. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, while her stomach performed a complicated sequence of flip-flops. Dani continued looking into the fire and talking, but it might as well have been gibberish. Natasha heard the individual words but could not hold them in her head long enough to construct any meaning from them. Occasionally, Dani would pause, as though she were waiting for a response. Natasha could only reply with strained, noncommittal noises.
I’ve got to do something, Natasha thought. I can’t let this go on. Her leg under Dani’s hand was throbbing. It was the most wonderfully paralyzing sensation she had ever experienced. Her pulse was doing crazy things, and her stomach had taken on a life of its own. Natasha, this is serious. Say something, she pleaded with herself, but her willpower had evaporated in the heat building inside her.
Dani continued talking about something; possibly it was making sense. But at last, she stopped, bit her lower lip thoughtfully, and turned to look at Natasha with a soft smile on her face. “Tell me—how much encouragement can I take from the fact I’ve had my hand on your leg for the last five minutes without you complaining?”
The time for playing was over. Natasha fought to control herself—her face, her voice, her breathing. “Er...well, I’m sorry, but...I’m afraid I was trying to think of some tactful way to ask you to remove it. But I didn’t want...”
Dani’s expression slowly retreated to a forced blankness. “Ah...right. Sorry.” She lifted her hand, interlaced its fingers with those of her other hand, and shoved them both between her knees. Her eyes fixed back on the fire.
“It’s not that I don’t like you a lot, but...” Natasha could not bring herself to continue.
“But you don’t like me like that,” Dani finished for her.
“I really want us to keep...” Natasha’s voice died.
“Are you going to say we can still be friends?”
“I’d have hoped that went without saying.” Natasha’s voice regained some cohesion.
Dani nodded and tried to smile, but to Natasha’s dismay, she could see tears forming.
“Do you want me to leave?” Natasha offered.
“No. You haven’t had your tea yet. Mind you, the kettle has probably boiled dry.”
Dani got up from the bench and attended to the kettle. Natasha saw her surreptitiously wipe her eyes. She felt on the verge of crying herself, but by the time Dani sat back down with two steaming mugs, they had both rebuilt a degree of self-control.
“We were talking about your impressions of Westernfort.” Dani bravely restarted the conversation. “I take it you’ve been given a tour of the place.”
“Yes. This morning. We were shown around by a Ranger called Shelly. She said...” Natasha hesitated, remembering the conversation in the tavern.
“She talked about me?” Dani suggested, a hint of amusement returning to her voice.
“Yes. I...er...” Natasha wanted to make excuses. “Coming here tonight...I didn’t mean to lead you on, but I didn’t expect to be alone with you, and Shelly implied you and she had a relationship going, so when...” Natasha swallowed. “You caught me by surprise.”
Dani’s lips formed a wry grimace. “My relationship with Shelly exists purely in her dreams. She’s been chasing me for ages. I’ve tried dropping hints, but I’m afraid hints don’
t work with Shelly. She’s ever so sweet and well meaning, and she’s not actually stupid, but it can be very hard work getting through to her.”
“She said you’d been lovers,” Natasha said, probing.
This time, Dani groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Okay, I confess...once.” Her hands dropped. “I’m afraid I was very seriously drunk at the time.”
“That’s not the way Shelly tells it.”
“I can imagine,” Dani said in ironic despair. “I’m going to have to say something to her. Being nasty to Shelly is like kicking a puppy dog, but this has been going on too long. I keep hoping she’ll hit on someone else. I’ve been away eight months. That should have given her plenty of time.”
“I’d have thought Westernfort was big enough to offer a range of candidates.”
“But obviously, none of them are right for Shelly. We need somebody new...like you.” Dani’s eyes focused on Natasha for the first time since the rebuff. She playfully adopted a tone of serious intensity. “Right, okay, I’m not your type, but how do you feel about Shelly? I really would see it as the most enormous favor.”
Natasha joined in the game. “Well...” She drew out the word, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “I don’t know...how would you rate her technique? Points out of ten?”
“Can I use fractions?”
“Do you need to?”
Dani shrugged. “It’d give a spurious air of precision, because like I said, I was far too drunk to be making accurate observations. But I’m sure she did her best.”
Both of them were laughing. An underlying rawness remained, but the first steps had been taken in rebuilding the easy friendship they had shared on the trail. The humor continued at the expense of the unfortunate Shelly before moving to a range of other subjects. But despite her effort at nonchalance, Natasha could still feel her leg tingling where Dani had touched her. She tried hard not to think of it, to work on the idle chatter, but there was an ache deep inside.
The Walls of Westernfort Page 13