by Nhys Glover
"H... How did you find me so quickly?" he asked between pants. "Wh...Why are you doing this?"
"We get to ask the questions, weed," Rama said, giving him a little shake that rattled his teeth.
With utmost care, Rama removed a lethal looking knife from his belt and began testing the blade. "First. Where were you headed?"
I picked up nothing but inane nonsense. Damn, we'd forgotten about the ward or charm or whatever it was that blocked my magic.
Rama looked at me and I shook my head. "Strip him and burn everything."
While Airshin complained bitterly, Rama tore the clothes from his body. Jaron collected them up and carried them to the corner where I'd placed the lit lamp. He removed the glass covering and held a scrap of the fabric to the flame. It immediately caught fire and he barely had time to drop the pile before it was consumed in a smoky blaze.
Jaron coughed as the acrid smoke filled the air. "Didn't think that one through properly. Though I guess it's better than the regular fragrance of the place."
While the fire blazed, I looked back at our captive. Without his fine clothes, his pale skinny body looked pathetic. As he sat on the wobbly stool, he held his trembling hands over his cock, protecting it from our eyes. Not that anyone here was interested in seeing it. Especially not me. I saw the rampant version too often in my dreams to want the image of his flaccid cock burned into my memory as well.
I began hearing Airshin's thoughts properly for the first time. The charm had been masterfully created. Now I heard every worried thought he fixated on. Rama didn't have to question him further. It was all laid out for me, much as Zem's life-story had been laid out for me. My stomach turned queasy.
Calun looked up, his eyes getting that faraway glint that could only mean one thing.
'Gods' balls! Airling riders attacking the Centre!' he cried.
I passed on the message and added more of what I'd found out from Airshin. "He was sent in by the Godslund army, once their spies had located the centre. He had until the first night of the first full moon of spring to undermine the centre and then get out. The airling riders were then going to fly in and take Airsha captive. The army's in place less than a day's beastling ride from the centre, further east in the Badlunds, ready to attack as soon as she's captured and flown back to them."
Rama roared his frustrated outrage and slit the naked man's throat. It was so sudden and so shocking −the stream of blood almost a fountain − that all I could do was stare at it dumbly, while the life went out of violet-blue eyes so like his sister's. His hands dropped away from his cock and I saw it for what it was for the first time: a little pink worm. How had I let myself be tortured for two long suncycles by that pathetic thing?
I expected to feel something. Satisfaction, triumph, relief? Anything but the numbness that claimed me. Too much was happening too quickly for my brain to process properly.
"Come on!" Darkin ordered, heading for the wooden stairs.
Jaron followed him with the lamp and the rest of us weren't far behind. No one gave a moment's attention to the dead man we left behind. It was as if he'd lost the last of his value the moment I'd shared his secrets. Now he was nothing. I liked that he was nothing. He had been so important to me for so long that having him wiped out so completely from my life felt disorientating and yet... right. He'd gone out of my life as suddenly as he'd come into it.
The journey out of town was a blur. It was all I could do to keep one foot in front of the other on the cobbled lanes. The last thing I needed now was a fall. I knew the brothers wouldn't wait for me. I knew they'd leave me behind. Airsha was their only focus now. Airsha and her babes. I could hear their thoughts: swearing, self-castigations, threats directed at anyone who hurt their woman, and fears of what they'd find when they got home.
Once we were clear of the town, we saw the airlings waiting for us. In moments, we were on their backs and in the air. How far behind the Godling's airling riders were we? If the airlings sent Calun the message as soon as the enemy arrived, that meant by the time we were home they'd have been there for a quarter to half a turn. Could they have taken Airsha by then?
How many were there? I wished Calun had told me that. Maybe the airlings didn't know. They had no real ability to count. But the images they sent would have told him something.
It felt like we were flying blind!
Chapter Twenty-Five
AIRSHA
The babes were well fed, changed, and back in their cot together. Normally, I loved to spend time watching them like that, two seeds in a pod, so in tune with each other that if one stirred, so did the other. If one slept, so did the other.
But I was too shocked and terrified to enjoy my babes. All I could think about were the dead airlings, my traitorous brother, and what he might have brought down upon our heads.
Too restless to settle anywhere, I went out onto the veranda to my usual vantage point. From there I could look down on the barn and paddocks and out along the straight dirt road that led to town. But though the airlings were all back where they belonged, and the lads out taking care of their needs, I couldn't feel relieved. Our losses had been too great. Three innocent, peace-loving airlings had been forced to fight to the death − by magic I didn't even know existed.
How could the Goddess have left us so unprotected? If she was responsible for gifting magic to mankind, what was she doing allowing dangerous magic to fall into the hands of those who would hurt her earthly incarnation? And worse still − how could my power, Her power, not be stronger than anyone else's? For moons my gifts had been overpowered by another's. An all-powerful divinity shouldn't have allowed it!
I felt it then. A Knowing almost as strong as the one that had warned me of Airshin's mischief. But this didn't hurt as much. This was not a betrayal. This didn't threaten my very foundations.
Airling riders were approaching. And they weren't ours. My babes and I were in danger.
How many riders? How soon? No answer came.
I grabbed up my skirts and dashed inside, yelling for Bertil as I went.
The old woman appeared in the kitchen doorway, wiping her flour-covered hands on an apron.
"Get the babes to the root cellar now, and don't come out until one of us comes for you," I ordered loudly. "Take food, water and the extra milk with you. Keep them quiet as best you can. But I doubt their crying will be heard from underground in the garden, anyway."
"What?" She started to ask questions but I had no time to answer. I needed to prepare.
I broke in before she could say more. This time I spoke more slowly and louder still. "Godslunders are coming. I don't know how many, but enough. Get my babes to safety and stay there no matter what!"
She said no more, simply turning on her heel and rushing back into the kitchen to pack supplies. For the first time, I was glad I had more milk than the babes needed. I usually leeched off enough for a full feed over a day. I did this before I took babes to my breasts so the milk flow would have slowed by the time hungry little mouths began to feast. That assured my babes didn't develop colic. It was a trick my mother had taught me when she was here. Now that trick would provide my childlings with nourishment if, for some reason, I missed the next feed.
I hated to think what dire circumstance might take me away from my childlings. I couldn't focus on that now. I had plans to make.
Stilling my feverish mind, I tried to focus on what I knew about the airling riders. There had been about ten of them at the time my husbands were drummed out of the army. All had been trained by my men and all rode healed airlings. Since then a further four had been added, as their required suncycle payment for their freedom. That meant at most there were fourteen riders heading our way.
Could they have bought broken airlings to augment their numbers when they heard about our army? I wouldn't put it past them. But broken airlings were dangerous and it would take the trained riders many moons to heal them well enough to ride. If they had such airlings, they wouldn't bring them
on this mission, I was sure.
So, fourteen riders. We couldn't meet them in the skies. Our lads had been practising bowmanship, and some had even gone so far as to practice from the back of their airlings, before the chaos made such practise dangerous. But none of them were skilled enough to engage an enemy. They were just as likely to shoot their own riders as the Godling's.
What about shooting from hiding? If we had time, we could set up bales and barrels behind which they could hide and fire at the riders as they landed. If we had time...
Then there was hand-to-hand fighting. I knew the airling riders my men had worked with weren't trained in that way. If they carried swords or daggers with them now, they would have little skill using them. Our lads were slightly advantaged in that way. While I was still mobile, I had trained Flea and then the lads in some of the fighting skills I'd learned from the youths-in-training. I'd focused on unarmed combat, but had moved on to sword skills when I became too big to properly demonstrate throws.
I shook my head to get my mind back on task. Focus, Airsha! Focus!
So the lads could shoot arrows and as a fall-back they could fight hand-to-hand. They would be smaller than their opponents, but I was living proof that size didn't matter.
And then there was me. I had my powers back. And, though I hadn't practiced my fighting skills for some time, I knew they were stored in my muscle memory ready to be used again. Sun upon sun I'd trained in my rooms in the harem. Forgetting all I'd learned would be next to impossible.
I needed to change out of my gown. If I was to fight, I'd need my breeches. But should I warn the lads first? Yes, they needed to prepare as I was preparing.
I picked up the hammer we used on the metal triangle. It made a horrendous noise, which could be heard all over the centre. A few hard hits at meal times, or when we needed everyone in a hurry, would bring the lads running.
I slammed the hammer down on the metal and gritted my teeth as the jarring vibrations passed up my arm. I hit it again. And again, determined to get my urgency across.
Zem was the first one to come running, I was amazed to see. He was one of the smallest of the recruits and his short legs should have slowed him down. But there he was, breaking free of the barn before anyone else, and running as fast as his thin legs could carry him up to the big house.
The others caught up fairly quickly and by the time Zem stood panting at the bottom of the stairs, so were most of the others. Their wild eyes told me they knew something was wrong. After the morning we'd all had, it stood to reason more was coming.
"Godslund airling riders are coming. They'll likely land on the far side of the homestead away from the barn. We need our best bowman in place behind barrels ready to attack the moment they do. Zem, I'm putting you in charge of that. The rest take weapons from the barn and be ready to attack. But not before Zem's team has done their worst."
"How many?" Zem asked, his mind clearly already in planning mode.
"I'm not sure. Possibly as many as fourteen. They are coming for me. Once they have me, the army will descend on us. But that might not be for a good three or four turns. Once we defeat these riders we will take to the air and flee before the army gets here."
"Where will we go?" Shem asked. He was one of the tallest and oldest lads, and had shown himself to be a leader. I assumed he'd take charge of the lads who would wield our small supply of swords.
"Rebel stronghold. For now, the rebel stronghold. Those who have not been claimed must ride with another."
"Claimed?" More than one lad asked this in confusion.
I didn't have time for explanations. Of course they didn't know about claiming. We'd intentionally kept that from them.
"I'll explain," Zem spoke up. "Leave it to us."
I felt relief replace some of my worries. Thrusting untried lads not old enough to join the regular army into battle was a risky plan. If any of them were badly hurt I'd never forgive myself. But they seemed more than ready.
Leaving them to their work, I went inside to prepare myself for the coming battle. I checked the cot in our room first. The babes were gone. Bertil had been quick. I wondered where Micca was. Mayhap he could stay with his wife, to defend her if necessary. He wouldn't be much use elsewhere.
Dismissing Micca from my mind, I threw off my gown and riffled through my trunk for tunic and breeches I hadn't worn in four moons. Would they even fit? My body had changed. My breasts were much larger now, because of breast feeding, and my stomach had yet to return to its previous flatness, though the weight had dropped off me fairly quickly after the birth.
No time to worry about my body. If my tunic and breeches didn't fit I'd wear my husbands' clothes. As long as I was able to move freely I didn't care what I looked like.
But my worries were for nothing. Though my tunic was a little tight on the top, the breeches still fitted well enough. I patted them into place, reknotted my hair so it would not get in the way, and headed for the door.
The cry went up before I got out the front door. I looked to the sky and saw a swarm of airlings headed our way. We had to act as if we didn't know they were coming, so they'd land where we expected. Had Zem had time to get his archers in place? They certainly couldn't have moved barrels yet.
I signalled the lads at the barn door to go back inside. They must have understood, because they disappeared fast enough. I did too, heading through the house to the back door. Peering out the window, I saw four lads in the garden, heading for the henling coop. Of course, why didn't I think of that? It would make a perfect spot to hide. It had enough holes in the wooden walls to allow arrows to poke out and eyes to focus on targets.
The henlings scattered out into the garden as soon as their pen was opened. Bertil would be furious about that. But then, we would not be here to benefit from the garden much longer. Or the henlings' eggs.
I felt a tug of sadness. We had worked so hard to make this place into something useful. It had become more home to me than any place I'd ever lived. Certainly far more than the harem had been to me.
But there would be time for regrets later. If we survived this.
The riders came down low and fast to the back of the homestead, just as I'd predicted. They likely thought we were all still abed, or preparing for our day. It was not much after dawn, though it felt as if many turns had passed since we were woken from our sleep by the anguished cry of one of the lads who'd found the dead airlings. I didn't even know who that had been.
Where were my husbands? Would they be safe? Calun would likely get a message that unknown airlings had arrived. Would they have time to get here to help? I doubted it.
This was down to us. I couldn't rely on my husbands for protection. Like the day I faced off with a magical son alone, I would have to depend on my own resources. And the lads.
As soon as the airlings landed, the riders began moving stealthily toward the homestead. There were thirteen of them. I wondered why there was one less than I'd predicted. Had one been lost in the war so far or was there another in hiding, just waiting for their chance to attack separately?
I could imagine Zem gesturing for the lads to hold their fire, and then, when their enemy was in range, to let loose their first volley of arrows. I held my breath and prayed to the Goddess this would work.
The moment came and arrows flew straight and true across the garden. I saw one rider go down, and the rest dropped to the ground to avoid a fresh volley.
For a few minutes there was an hiatus. As if everyone waited on the other side to act. No more arrows flew. Then I noted a couple of riders trying to sneak around the back of the coop, low to the ground, with daggers drawn. The bowmen must have seen them because they fired, but the volley didn't seem to hit any targets.
While the bowmen were occupied, the rest of the Godling's men began to move toward the homestead again, this time low and fast.
I stood at the window and called up the wind. Nothing happened. Actually, something did, but it was so minor it didn't rate as m
agic. I cursed under my breath, realising these riders carried a similar charm to Airshin's. My magic was being dampened into non-existence yet again. I swore colourfully at the Goddess for allowing it to happen.
I would have to resort to my hand-to-hand skills. Mayhap the rest of the boys would be here shortly. They could hold off some of the riders so I didn't have to take them all on at once. I was skilled, probably more so than the riders, but I wasn't up to defending myself against a dozen men.
Opening the door, I stood in the doorway and called out my challenge. I needed to give the lads a few moments more.
"Airling riders, you come for me. Leave my lads and I'll go with you," I called out, not meaning a single word.
"Demon spawn, come out so we can take you," came the shouted reply.
"How many of you were trained by my husbands, the Airluds?" I yelled instead.
Any time now the rest of the lads would be racing around the side of the homestead. Any moment now.
"What does that matter? Your so-called husbands are renegades and traitors. They proved that long ago."
That's when the lads, ten in number, stampeded around the corner, swords drawn, yelling at the top of their lungs.
I raced out the back door and engaged the first rider who came close enough. I had no weapon, but I didn't need one; the rider I faced had a sword, though from the way he waved it about he had no real idea of how to use it.
When he lifted his weapon to strike, I stepped to the side fast and grabbed the hand holding the sword. Quickly twisting my body against his arm, I forced the weapon out of his hand, bending it back far enough to break. As my opponent dropped to his knees with a cry of agony, cradling his wrist to his chest, I kicked him in the head and turned to my next opponent.