Traitors (The Traitor King Saga Book 1)

by A. M. Hickman

  "Hmhm, perhaps the mates shouldn't hear about this," Blaze picked up the bucket and looked over the side, making sure more karn weren't lurking nearby.

  "Oy! Not tell the unbelievable story of Blaina Karnsbane and her deadly bucket? How can that not be told?"

  Blaze filled the bucket and headed to the cabin. Smiling smartly at him, she continued, "Because Blaina shouldn't have that kind of attention. So, no fishy tale, and no 'Karnsbane'. What kind of a name is that?"

  Nathan folded his arms in protest. "A perfectly daring name with a history, which Plaina Blaina needs."

  "I'm happy with Plaina Blaina at this point."

  "Well, I'm captain, so I can call you whatever suits my water-washed fancy."

  "Oh, well then, aye, aye, Captain Driftwood," Blaze saluted him. "And does your water-washed fancy allow for my horse to be watered?"

  Nathan chuckled. "Aye, and she may also get her wish. I'm going ta stop at a beach just a little ways upriver ta clean this fresh catch and perhaps for some early brunch. She can get out and stretch during that time."

  Blaze stopped in the doorway concerned. "We're stopping? Wouldn't it be better to keep our lead?"

  "Their carrier pigeons're going ta pass us up before this afternoon anyways. So, it's better ta shift our arrival time rather than stay according ta schedule. Plus, if you look behind us, there's a plume of smoke telling me that their bloody steamboat's behind and gaining. I'm thinking of letting them pass us up a little. And finally, I'm starving and need ta prepare you for our arrival inta Lebril and Eclamai anyhow."

  Blaze walked around the cabin to see a floating white stream slicing the indigo sky. Turning to ask what his plan was, she paused when he winked good-naturedly, "Don't you worry your karn-killing self. This isn't my first smuggle. Now, go water your iron-hooved horse before she kicks a hole in my cabin."

  Nathan's charm helped her achieve a small piece of calm; he felt like the brother she never had. Allowing herself one last smile, Blaze hung the bucket for Lily and patted the mare. "Vacation's almost over, Lil." Lily stretched her neck and let out a soft, rumbling sigh as Blaze rubbed a favorite spot. "You've had it too easy for the past few days. Time to make a plan." Lily turned to the watering bucket as Blaze settled next to her saddle. She needed to take stock of her supplies because when things got dangerous, she was determined to spare Nathan as much trouble as she could.

  Opening her saddle bag, Blaze removed her leather pants and tunic and checked that the honey and rum were still rolled inside of the clothes. They were, but both the honey and rum skin were low. Feeling her stomach rumble, she took her last jerky strip from its cloth bag and struggled to tear a bite off. Food was another need. Digging deeper into the saddle bag, she found a heavy purse that wasn't hers. Blaze's eye brows furrowed in confusion as she untied the drawstring. "Great kaff!"

  A small fortune of urlics and kins filled the bag along with a piece of scroll sticking out from the center of the fortune. Taking it out of the bag, she unrolled and unfolded the parchment to find large, rugged handwriting filling the page.

  Missy-

  You're probably wondering about this purse. Either I am giving it to you because you need it, or tis my last gift to Jonathan's legacy. Seeing as you seem to want to fight any charity, I figured you'd rather hear the second reason. Bottom line is that I'm a crazy old man who overcharges for wiping those whining Urlificans' noses and has more than I want to use. So, use this coin for whatever cockle-minded trouble you wish to give those sorry excuses of creatures.

  I also left you the Thundrum salve. Figure you'll need it sooner than me. Now, I trust you won't let this get into the wrong hands and understand the importance of this medicine. I have one vial left with me, and these two are the only ones I know of.

  While it seems like magic, it isn't all good. Remember, I've had people die from its negative effects, and one string is enough for most injuries. I've also found that mint tea-soaked bandages help sooth the slime's initial burn.

  As for you, conflicted warrior, consider these words that the wisest man I know gave me, for they will help your life reach a certain peace. Not calm, you're too wild for that, but peace.

  You must be East or West

  You must be awake or asleep

  So, where does your compass point

  What do your eyes see

  -Sirrah

  Chapter 13

  Lily raced through the sparse woods like the spirit of wind itself. The thudding percussion of her fleeting hooves, the exclamatory blast of air through her wide nostrils, the swish of branches passing by, Lily’s celebration of freedom was an intoxicating show of her power. With Lily, Blaze leapt over the streams and weaved through the trees as if she were born to do so. She had missed riding with such abandon; Blaze wished that they could simply run together forever without interference.

  The mare started galloping the moment her hoof touched the gravel beach, and they hadn’t slowed since. As much as she hated to, Blaze began to gently reign Lily in. They didn’t need to get too far away from Nathan. Lily slowed until she came to a complete stop, thrusting her muzzle into the cool waters of a brook babbling toward the Thundrum.

  “That was a run, Lil. One for song.” Blaze complemented while patting the mare’s shoulder and dismounting. Retrieving her saddle bag, she made herself comfortable against a moss covered tree and removed Harris’s gift.

  His generosity was unfathomable. The coin alone was a small fortune, but the inclusion of the Thundrum salve made the worn leather purse more precious than a room filled with Urlics. She pulled the letter out and read it again.

  Consider these words...What do your eyes see? Where does your compass point?

  Everyone pressed for her allegiance to the True King, but Harris’s riddle indicated that she could also ally with Urlifec. She had to be one direction or another.

  “But why does it concern these people?” she asked aloud, frustration threatening to ruin her good mood. Throwing the letter back into the purse, she unpacked her sword kit and freed Obrae’s sword from it’s scabbard. It had been neglected long enough.

  After letting her whetstone soak in the stream for a bit, Blaze began to sharpen the edge of the sword. The whining crackle overshadowed the birds’ song, and she quickly lightened her stroke to prevent anyone from hearing. Nathan assured her that people rarely traveled on this side of the river, but it would be her luck to attract all of the rare people of the forest.

  As she worked the whetstone along the blade, Blaze took stock of her surroundings. She felt exposed with the lack of the Zantar Cliffs in the western skyline, and the thick forest didn’t hide the absence of hills. While silly things, those details made her feel further away from home than ever.

  Trading the whetstone for a cleaning leather, she continued to shine the metal until it reflected the lush green around her. But, its reflection could never be as pure as the blade Theoverus carried. She leaned her head against the soft moss-covered trunk, not wanting to think about the mysterious man, but the corners of her mind kept allowing him entrance. Part of her wanted to trust him; however, another part wanted to build a fortress against him.

  Her whole life, she had known who to trust and who to keep at striking arm’s length. Tawnya, trust. Evan, trust. Patrick, distrust. Bark, loath. Everett, Darla, Harris, and Nathan, all trust. Burdock, absolutely stay away from. Everyone fit in their place, except for Theoverus.

  Lack of sleep, along with the warming sun and soothing brook, made Blaze’s exhausted mind begin to grow hazy. She knew she shouldn’t let her guard down and sleep, but the moss was so soft. Did she hear a low purring?

  The squawk of a crow jolted her awake, and she brandished Obrae’s sword. The bird was perched in its nest high in the tree she had leaned against. A low growl came from behind the tree, and the crow squawked in threat. Blaze readied herself for whatever beast had growled and searched her surroundings. Everything, including the crow, was still again.

  It was
time to rejoin Nathan. Walking backwards from the crow tree, she eased to Lily, who grazed a little ways down the brook. “Come on, Lil, let’s go,” she whispered, and the horse grunted in protest of leaving the grass she was working on. Blaze sheathed Obrae’s sword and mounted, urging Lily into a canter back toward the Wisp. Looking back, her heart raced when she saw the form of the brown and green dolinbi. After blinking, the vision changed to a clump of bushes.

  As they got closer to the cove, Blaze’s heart began to pound in fear, for a massive white cloud of smoke lingered above where Nathan camped. “No, no, please no!” she pleaded while urging Lily into a gallop. Jonathan’s burning cabin with its billowing black smoke clouded her memory with panic. She swore and pleaded for it to not be too late for Nathan.

  Suddenly, she reigned Lily in. “White smoke!” Jumping off Lily, she put her hand between the mare’s ears and pressed Lily’s nose inward with her other. “At my call,” Blaze commanded, giving the mare the signal to stay. She then stalked her way toward the cove. Wishing she had changed into her pants, she cursed every time her skirt caught onto a twig or swept noisily across a fallen squirrel’s nest.

  Once the cove was in sight, Blaze crouched as low as she could while still moving silently through the thinning woods. Finally settling within a cluster of bushes, she assessed the situation.

  Billowing white smoke exited from the cabin’s chimney of the Urlifican vessel, which had landed beside the Wisp. Twice the size of the Wisp, the Urlifican boat held a double-storied cabin at the stern and could house roughly twenty Urlificans. The most curious aspect of it was the massive wheel at the back of the boat.

  Her stomach and jaw clenched in outrage. About twelve Urlificans gathered around a fire with Nathan in the middle turning a spit of grey meat while telling an animated story.

  “And so, after three days of this numbskull’s boasting, I finally said, ‘Alright, Pete. If you’re truly that good, why don’t you prove it with Darla.’”

  Snickers escaped a few of the red clad Urlificans, but the Grand General sitting next to Nathan remained stoic. The captain continued with his story, as if he were among friends. “So, Pete, who’s pale as a root at this point, gets up and hobbles over ta the maid. He. hehehe,” Nathan starts to laugh. “He looks back at us with the most pathetic look I’ve ever seen on a water-washed mongrel, hoping we’ll let him loose. But, we don’t and...and, hehehe. He swings his peg leg up onta the table next ta her and says...” Nathan changes into a gruff, nasal voice. “They say that the loss of one limb makes the others stronger.” The Urlificans and Nathan roared into laughter, even the Grand General’s mouth twitched in a smile.

  “Before Pehehete knowhohos what’s happening, haha,” a dark haired Urlifican joined in. “Darla’s torn his leg off and whahahacked him in the nevers. Hahahaha.” The Urlificans rocked and leaned on each other in fits of laughter. “‘Doesn’t seem to be true,’ she says, ‘Now, get out of my man’s pub!’ And she chases his crawling stink hatch out the door, peg leg high in the air.”

  “And that’s how he came to be known as Limp,” a twin of the first Urlifican finished.

  The Urlificans and Nathan hooted and hollered at the story. Was Nathan an Urlifican in secret? She couldn’t imagine him being one, but he was so at home with this company of the enemy. Anger boiled her insides; was he just waiting to get to Eclamai to turn her in?

  The Grand General stood up, wiping a tear from his eye. The others joined him, standing slightly at attention, but still convulsing in snickers. “Poor Limp’s mouth always gets him in trouble,” the Grand General concluded, his smooth voice sending chills up Blaze’s spine. He held his hand out to Nathan, “Nathan, your stories are always a pleasure.”

  The captain accepted the Urlifican’s hand. “Grand General Makavel, you sure you wish ta go now? The karn’s just about done.”

  “If what you say is true, then that boat will already be reaching Lebril, and if she gets off there, catching her will be more challenging,” but his thin lips spread in a sinister smile, as if the hunt would be extremely pleasurable.

  “I can only speculate,” Nathan continued. “Was in my cabin for a good while, and that’s the only time the boat could have passed me.”

  “Men! To the Chaser,” Makavel ordered and turned to the boat.

  The Urlifican twins reached out, and Nathan grabbed each of their forearms in succession. “Take care of yourselves,” he said.

  “Safe waters under the Wisp,” one twin wished, and they turned to join the rest of the troop. As all ran up the gangplank of the Chaser, the white cloud intensified in its escape, and the wheel started to slowly turn, pushing water under the ship. A strained, complaining moan came from the boat as she pulled free of the gravel beach and ran backwards toward the river.

  “Oh, Nathan,” called Makavel, who stood at the bow of the ship. “To the powerful.”

  “To the king,” Nathan completed and watched as the Chaser’s wheel reversed its rotation and sent the ship down the river. He turned and sat next to the spit, checking the meat’s status.

  Blaze waited until the Chaser’s plume was well down the river to draw Obrae’s sword and walk toward Nathan.

  The captain sprang to his feet with hands held up. “Whoa, what’s going on?”

  “Don’t play naive,” Blaze spat back. “I saw everything. Now, step away from the fire and sit down.”

  “Blaze, let me explain.”

  “Don’t use my name, and sit down with your hands behind your head,” she spat. He did as told, fear in his eyes and a frown on his face. “So, are you a full blown Urlifican spy or just a loyal citizen who hopes to get promoted?”

  “Blaina, please, let me explain. I’m not an Urlifican or a spy.”

  “Then why are you such good friends with a Grand General and his troop?” she shouted. But before he could say any more, she cut him off. “No, anything you say is just silver-lined lead.” She whistled for Lily and heard the mare galloping toward her.

  “No, Blaina, listen ta me. You can trust me; I can help you.”

  “Shut the kaff up!” she ordered. “I’ve killed before and have no problem doing it again, especially to a spy.” Lily burst from the woods and stopped behind Blaze.

  “Then kill me now,” Nathan jumped up and exposed his chest. “If I’m a spy, then I can only hurt you. I know your plan; I could’ve told that Grand General everything I know. But I didn’t. I told him that another vessel, which could’ve been harboring you, might’ve passed me by early this morning.”

  Blaze swung into Lily’s saddle, and Nathan stepped toward her. She jutted Obrae’s sword out in warning. He stepped forward until the blade’s point dimpled his chest. “Blaze, please listen. The only king I wish ta follow is the True King, the only King. Those Urlificans’re based out of Krute, and I grew up with most of them. That’s why I know them, and they know me. Please believe me, the True King is my only king, I am not the enemy.”

  “Words, that’s all you have,” she said. “And I can’t trust your words.”

  “Please, Blaze...Blaina, I promised Harris that I would get you safely ta Beccrah, and I’m a man of my word! And, I want ta help. If you can’t see the truth in me, then just kill me and take my ship. It’ll be faster and more direct than your horse. And, I’ll be one less enemy in your way.”

  Momentary chills struck her spine as she remembered the last conversation she had with Obrae. Staring at him, she searched for his deceit, but his eyes showed no sign of hatred or anger. “Very well.” She lifted the sword and a drop of blood took the point’s place. “I’ll eat and hear what you have to say about that troop of Urlificans, but that is it.”

  Blaze dismounted but didn’t sheath Obrae’s sword, just in case he thought to do something rash. Nathan folded his hands in front of his chest and bowed, giving Blaze a flashback of Theoverus. She patted Lily on the shoulder and walked to the fire, keeping the flames between her and Nathan. “Show me your knife,” she demanded, and he
bent down to take the small blade from his boot. With a flick of the wrist, he sent the knife shooting toward her, landing blade in the ground before her feet.

  “I have skill with a blade,” he said in a serious tone, straightening up and grabbing her eyes with his. “But I hope you realize that I’m choosing ta not use it on you because I’m on your side.”

  “That still remains to be determined,” she warned and picked the blade up. “Why would a Traitor find the need to be good with a blade?”

  “For the same reason you’ve found it necessary,” he answered. “Srift may be an afterthought out in the wilds, but you knew the Urlificans would come someday. So, you prepared. I’ve grown up with Urlificans around my whole life. I can’t kill them; though, the True King forbids that. So, I’ve trained ta be good enough ta effectively injure should I need ta escape from them.” He picked up two metal plates from beside the fire and handed them to her. “If you wouldn’t mind dishing mine as well, I’m starving.”

  She picked up the knife and cleaned the dirt off on her skirt. Still grey despite being cooked, the karn flaked into big pieces once the knife ran through the skin. It smelled like old spinach, but her stomach still voiced its hunger. After handing Nathan his plate, she placed a piece in her mouth, finding that the texture was soft, and the flavor almost absent, save for a slight buttery aftertaste. Blaze wanted nothing more than to scarf her whole plate; however, she wasn’t going to seem needy in front of Nathan.

  After finishing a few bites, he looked up at her, humor returning to his eyes. “Not bad for a big fish, huh?”

  “Just start telling me what I need to know.”

  “Okay, okay.” He got serious again. “The twins were my best mates growing up. We did everything together; constantly getting each other in and out of trouble. But, the time came ta chose careers. They chose ta join Urlifec’s forces, and I stayed with my da ta learn the ways of shipping. We talk when they’re in town, but most of the time they’re off training or something. They’re clever guys and know more about trapping than most hunters. I think that’s why Makavel took them under his wing; he saw a little bit of himself in them.”