An old drinking song from her days in the Militia came to mind. Natasha pursed her lips and whistled the tune to herself. Somehow, shaving flakes off the rough wooden block was very satisfying. She could easily get carried away and end up making a toothpick, especially since the long knife was on the clumsy side. But it was all right for forming the rough outline, and the blacksmith had offered to lend her a small file for the finishing touches.
Her whistling was not loud, but it was enough to cover the sound of stealthily approaching footsteps and the dull whisper of a sword being loosened in its scabbard. The first Natasha knew of her visitor was when a shadow fell across her. She looked up and saw Shelly standing just outside the door.
“Hi,” Natasha said.
Shelly did not answer. The sun was at the Ranger’s back, making it difficult to judge her expression, but her posture was tense. Natasha wondered if she had come to apologize for the incident at football the day before.
“Did you want something?”
Natasha lifted one hand to shade her eyes. Screened from the worst of the glare, she could see Shelly staring at her other hand, lying in her lap with the knife and model sheep. The Ranger looked unwell—an impression enhanced by the croak in her voice when she snapped, “What are you doing?”
“It’s an addition to Becky’s toy farm. Her birthday is—” Natasha’s words were cut off.
“You’ve got a dagger.” Shelly made it sound like an accusation.
“It’s only the knife we use around the barn.”
“Your parole. The terms say you mustn’t carry a weapon.”
Natasha stared at Shelly, caught between irritation and confusion. “It’s only the old knife we use around the barn.” Natasha repeated, emphasizing each word.
“Kim said if you were caught with a weapon, you could be killed on sight.”
“Don’t be stu...” Natasha’s voice died at the sight of Shelly’s hand moving to the hilt of her sword. “Shelly!” she shouted in disbelief, at the same time tossing both knife and carving aside and holding up her empty hands.
The gesture of surrender had no effect. Shelly drew her sword and glared at Natasha. “I’m allowed.” The childish sulky tone would have been funny if not for the circumstances.
“You can’t—”
Even as Natasha started to rise, the sword came slicing toward her. She threw herself back, and the blade bit into the wooden door frame, missing her by centimeters. Natasha hit the ground in a roll and came up holding the milking stool out like a shield. Shelly advanced, following her into the barn.
“Shelly! What’s up with you?” Natasha yelled, but got no response.
Shelly’s face was set in a tight scowl. Her eyes glinted under puckered eyebrows. Her movements were stiff, as though every muscle in her body was taut. She jabbed out twice with the sword. They were heavy, vicious lunges, but poorly timed, and both were deflected by the stool.
“Shelly, stop being stupid. We can go to Kim if you want, tell her I had a knife.” Natasha could hear the panic in her own voice.
She might as well not have spoken. Shelly continued to press ahead, forcing her back down the wide central aisle between the pens. Another thrust of the sword struck the stool. Then Shelly brought the blade down in an overhead swipe that took a chunk out of the seat. The assault contained no element of subtlety, as if the violence of the strokes was an end in itself rather than an attempt to shed blood. Shelly moved with all the grace of a puppet. Her sword lashed out in a series of wild hacks. Each was far too poorly aimed to pose much direct threat, but on the eighth hit, Natasha felt one of the legs of the stool start to loosen.
Natasha’s eyes darted left and right. Nothing suitable for use as a weapon against the sword was at hand, and once the stool was gone, even the clumsy attack would be impossible to withstand. Through the barn door, Natasha could see the distant town. Shelly stood between her and the way out, but even if the route had been clear, Natasha would not have fancied her chances. A healer had tended to her knee after the football game. So far that day, the injury had given Natasha no problems, but her leg was not up to a race.
Yet another blow smashed against the stool. Natasha heard the faint creak of splintering wood. She was going to have to chance her luck. She took two quick steps backward to make room and feigned first to one side and then the other, as if hoping to wrong-foot her attacker and make a break for the door. Shelly responded immediately, moving quickly to block off the escape.
But that was not Natasha’s plan. Shelly was off balance, expecting her quarry to rush forward, and she was just a little too slow to respond when Natasha hurled the stool underarm, like a bowler aiming at pins.
The seat cracked on Shelly’s knee. One of the legs caught on the heel of her boot, and another was under her foot as it came down. Shelly staggered, arms flailing. Natasha leapt forward. Her fist thumped hard into Shelly’s ribs. A second punch sent the Ranger spinning. Natasha completed her offensive by catching Shelly’s shoulder and flinging her, face down, onto the floor. Before Shelly could regain her breath, Natasha had her pinned to the ground by a knee in the back, with one arm twisted up behind her. The sword was torn from her hand and tossed to the far side of the barn.
“What the fuck do you think you’re playing at?” Natasha’s fear evaporated in anger.
Shelly’s cheek was pressed into the straw covering the floor. She clenched her teeth, breathing harshly. For a moment, her face held an expression angry enough to match Natasha’s, and then it crumpled, like a lost toddler’s. Tears squeezed out of Shelly’s closed eyes, and her shoulders shook with sobs.
“What’s this all about?” Natasha shouted.
“Dani.”
Natasha pulled back slightly. Did Dani hate her so much that she would try to talk Shelly into murdering her? “Dani told you to do this?” She asked for confirmation, but Shelly shook her head as far as was possible with her face pressed into the ground. Natasha looked at her defeated opponent in confusion. Her anger faded. “If I let you up, do you promise not to try to kill me again?”
“Yes,” Shelly whispered, nodding.
Natasha let go of Shelly’s arm and shifted away. Shelly rolled over and pulled herself up so that she was sitting with her back against one of the animal enclosures. Tears were still running down her face, although her sobbing had subsided.
Natasha remained kneeling on the floor. “What’s this about?” she repeated her question.
“It’s Dani. I’m jealous,” Shelly mumbled.
“I’d have thought I had more reason to go for you on that score.”
Shelly shook her head. “She doesn’t want me.” Her lower lip began to shake, and she caught it between her teeth.
Natasha bowed her head. The outcome was predictable, if she had thought it through. From what Dani had said before, it was obvious that a relationship with Shelly was unlikely to last. Dani had fallen into the first pair of arms to come along, in the shock of finding out that she had been seduced by a Guard. But now that the initial distress was over, Dani had dropped Shelly. Shelly was feeling badly used and was looking for someone else to take it out on. Natasha could not help feeling a degree of sympathy—with the motive, if not with the expression it took.
She raised her head and looked at Shelly. “Why go for me?”
“I thought...if you weren’t around, she might...” Shelly’s mumbling ground to a halt.
“Why should I make a difference?”
“Because you’re the one she’s crazy about.”
“Are you nuts?”
Shelly met Natasha’s astonished gaze. “No. I’m serious. You’re the one she wants.”
“Then she’s doing a first-class job of hiding it.” Natasha’s voice was full of skepticism. “Look, just because Dani has dumped you, it doesn’t mean—”
Shelly interrupted. “She hasn’t dumped me.”
“You think she’s going to?”
Shelly’s face twisted in pain before she h
ung her head. “I’ve got some pride, and I’m not stupid. She’s just using me to get at you. She’s all over me whenever you’re around, and the rest of the time, I might as well not be there.”
“That isn’t the...” Natasha’s words trailed off.
Shelly went on in a dead voice. “That first night when you were locked up...I went around to see Dani. She was really upset. I just meant to comfort her, but she was...” Shelly shrugged. “She virtually dragged me into bed. I admit I didn’t take much dragging. I knew it was because she was cut up over you, but I thought it was my chance. I thought I could show her how I felt and make it work.” Shelly’s head dropped into her hands. “At first, I was just too happy to notice, and perhaps she was so desperate to distance herself from you that she put some effort into it. But she hasn’t gotten over you, and I don’t think she ever will. I used to think if I had Dani as a lover I’d have everything I wanted, but it’s a sham.”
Shelly raised her head and looked directly at Natasha. “You probably never see it, but I do. Sometimes, we’re sitting in the tavern, and you walk in. Even if I don’t see you, I know it’s you from Dani’s face. For a fraction of a second, her face lights up before she remembers she’s supposed to hate you. I’d give anything to have her face light up like that for me.”
“I’m not sure that’s what it means,” Natasha said carefully.
“Oh, you can be sure. I’m sorry about going for you just now. I came up here to see you. I’m not certain what I was planning, and when I saw the knife, I thought...” She broke off. “It was stupid of me. If you weren’t here, Dani would lose her only reason to notice my existence.” Shelly’s tears had stopped, and her expression was back under control. She took a deep breath and continued. “But like I said, I’ve got some pride. If Dani wants to get at you, she should have it out to your face and not use me. I’m not going to let her carry on with the game. You asked if she’d dumped me...” Shelly shook her head. “No, but I’m going to dump her.”
Natasha looked at Shelly, unable to think of anything to say.
“It’s taken me a long time to build up to it. I love her; I always will. It’s going to be too hard to hang around here, seeing her every day, but I could go to Ginasberg and make a new start. What do you think?” Shelly looked at Natasha anxiously.
“I think...” Natasha floundered for a moment. “It might be a good idea. I’m considering it myself for exactly the same reason. I don’t think you’re right about Dani’s feelings for me.” She grinned wryly at Shelly. “And Ginasberg does seem the right sort of distance to nurse a broken heart. Once my parole expires, I might join you there. We can commiserate with each other.”
Shelly shook her head. “You shouldn’t give up so easily. If I was you, I’d go talk to her—force her to say what she really feels. Tell her that if a woman has something to say to another, she should say it and not play games.”
Natasha was about to speak, but she was interrupted by the sound of lowing from the field beside the barn. She rose to her feet. “That’s the cows. They’re due for milking, and you’ve wrecked my milking stool.”
“Sorry.” Shelly also stood, looking shamefaced.
“I’ll cope without it today, but I’m not sure how I’ll explain the damage.”
“If I get you a replacement, will you keep quiet about all this?”
“I won’t lie if anyone asks me directly, but...” Natasha smiled and shrugged.
“Oh, of course. But I think I know where I can lay my hands on one by this evening. And it would be embarrassing if the story got out. I mean, I had a sword, and you had a milking stool, and you won.”
Natasha laughed. “I won’t tell anyone, if I can avoid it.” She started to walk toward the doorway, followed by Shelly, who stopped briefly to reclaim her sword. They separated at the gate to the field. The six cows were clustered on the other side.
Shelly took a few steps along the road to Westernfort and then turned back. “You know, for a Guard, you’re not so bad.”
*
The two Rangers rode slowly along the banks of the river, as they had for the previous eight days. Now they were far to the southwest of Westernfort, and the terrain was changing. The range of mountains had fallen away, and a wide plain stretched before them to the horizon. The river had broadened and slowed, meandering in sweeping sinuous curves, and the land on either side was swampy, forcing the Rangers to keep farther from the banks than they wanted. At last, one of them, a corporal, reined in her horse and stood in her stirrups. Sunlight glinted off the water as far as the horizon. There was either a lake or, more likely, a marsh ahead.
The corporal called out, “I don’t think there’s any point going much farther. If the bodies were washed into that, we’ll never find them.”
The other Ranger looked at the area where her comrade was pointing. “And there’s no telling whether any bodies are here to find.” She raised one eyebrow. “Do we head back now?”
“We’ll go another kilometer or so and get closer to the water. Where the river slows as it flows into the swamp is the sort of place it would dump anything it was carrying. But if we can’t find anything around there, we might as well turn back.”
The soft ground obliged the women to leave their horses behind. They continued on foot through the long reeds for ten minutes until something caught the eye of one Ranger. She shouted to her comrade and carefully advanced to the river’s edge, with her feet sinking in mud.
“What is it?” the corporal asked, staying back.
The Ranger by the water held up the rotted remains of a bundle of straw, twisted like a thick rope and about half a meter in length. An attempt had been made to pull it apart and scatter it, but now that they were alerted, they both could see other sections strewn between the reeds. The piece in the Ranger’s hand was the largest. Despite its condition, neither Ranger had any difficulty recognizing what it had once been.
“They made a round raft from straw and a tarpaulin and floated downriver,” the Ranger said, looking at the evidence in her hands.
“No wonder we haven’t seen any sign of them to the east.”
“Where do you think they’ve gone?”
The corporal shook her head. “I don’t know. But it’s going to be our job to find out.”
The two Rangers headed away from the river and collected their horses. Night was falling when they found the next trace of their quarry: the blackened stones of a campfire. The corporal examined the site and looked toward the mountains in the distance. She stood for a while, chewing her lip, and then said, “We might as well stop here tonight. We don’t want to miss anything in the dark. But first light tomorrow, we’ll press on, and we’re going to have a hard ride.”
“You sound worried.” The Ranger’s tone made it a question.
“I am.”
“Why?”
“I’ve got a nasty feeling I know where they’re headed. They’re circling back to Westernfort. They might think they’ve got some unfinished business back there.”
“You think they’ll make another attempt on Lynn and Kim?”
“Yes.”
The Ranger started to build the fire and then stopped. “Natasha said they’d be going back to the Homelands.”
“Maybe she lied.”
“If she’s still one of them...”
The corporal’s voice was grim. “Then she’ll come to regret it. We haven’t time to waste. We need to get back to Westernfort as quickly as possible, and then perhaps Kim and the captain would like to ask Natasha a few more questions.”
*
Natasha dumped the food into the pig trough and stepped back from the stampede of piglets, but her eyes and attention were not focused on her work, and she collided with the gatepost on the way out.
Lynn was watching her from the doorway of the barn. “Have you got something on your mind?”
“Pardon?” Natasha jumped slightly when she was spoken to.
“I asked if you had something
on your mind, and obviously, you do. So I guess my next question concerns whether it’s any of my business.”
“Um, it’s...er...”
Lynn laughed. “It’s all right. I was teasing. If it’s what I suspect, then it isn’t.”
“Isn’t what?”
“Isn’t any of my business.”
“Oh.” Natasha frowned and then looked more sharply at Lynn. “What do you suspect?”
“Well...rumor has it that yesterday afternoon, Shelly came up here to talk to you. And then, last night, she and Dani had a major bust-up, where your name was shouted a few times. I did warn you about gossip in Westernfort.” Lynn’s expression was apologetic. “My guess is that the two events are linked with whatever you’re thinking about.”
Natasha leaned back against a rail and let her eyes drift over the fields before her. She opened her mouth to speak; then she shrugged and started again. “You’re right. Shelly did say something that’s got me thinking.” Her expression was somewhere between a smile and a frown. “She reckons Dani is still in love with me and has just been using her as a...” Natasha’s voice died as the frown won out. “I know Shelly isn’t the best judge of character, but she seemed really certain.”
“And if Dani is still in love with you, would you be interested?” Lynn asked softly.
“I’d walk from here to Landfall, barefoot on broken glass, if it would help me get her back. But I’ve only got Shelly’s say-so, and if I go talk to Dani, I might upset her. I’ve treated her badly enough already.” Natasha raised her eyes to Lynn. “What do you think I should do?”
Lynn groaned. “I guess that question is what I deserve for sticking my nose in.” She bit her lip. “And the answer is, I don’t know. After what happened to her family, it’s going to take a lot for Dani to look kindly on a Guard—even an ex-Guard. Maybe she can’t stop herself from being in love with you, but it doesn’t mean she’ll be willing to forgive you. And you’ve given her quite a lot to forgive.”
“I know. I wish I could...” Natasha closed her eyes and sighed.
Lynn patted her arm. “You asked for my advice. OK, here it is, though I can’t promise it’s any good. I think you should go and talk to Dani. You might just upset both her and yourself, but it isn’t like either of you is cheerful to start with, so you can’t ruin anything. Until you’ve resolved things, I can see that Tipsy and I are going to have a hard time.” She looked at Natasha. “Do you realize that you dumped Tipsy’s dinner in with the stuff for the pigs?”
The Walls of Westernfort Page 26