Artesans of Albia

by Cas Peace

  Ky-shan’s men sniggered, but the Major ignored them. “Mount up,” she called. “We have wasted enough time.”

  She handed her pack to Robin and adjusted her sword belt so that the longsword rode at her back. Then she walked over to Drum and swung herself into the saddle. The huge warhorse pranced and snorted, and the pirates eyed him warily. “This beast is battle trained,” she warned them, “as is the Captain’s. Do not ride too close behind or you will feel the steel of their shoes.”

  When they were all mounted, she directed Marik and Robin to flank her. Then she urged Drum to a canter and led her band out of the Citadel gates, passing a furious Commander Vanyr on the way. As they rode round the perimeter wall, they drew shouts of encouragement from the guardsmen manning it. More used to being reviled than hailed, the pirates’ mood slowly lifted. Sullyan kept a stern eye on them, concentrating on identifying those she already knew and fixing in her mind those whose names she had yet to learn. By tomorrow night she wanted to be able to address each one by name and know something of their character. It would deepen their respect for her and was part of the reason why her Albian command followed her so readily.

  She led them across the Plain in a southwesterly direction. The wind was bitter and the ground semi-frozen, but the light cloud cover presaged no rain or snow. They made good time, and after a couple of hours of hard riding Sullyan called a halt to breathe the mounts. As she moved round the men, talking to them and telling them what she intended, she noticed that some of them were drinking thick, brown liquor from stone jars. She nudged Drum closer to Ky-shan’s horse and pointed to the jar in his hand.

  “What is that?”

  He wiped his mouth and grinned. “Brine rum, Lady. Try some?”

  “I thank you, Ky-shan, but I do not drink. I do not object to your men doing so, but let me warn you. If I ever find one of your men incapable of fighting due to intoxication, I will send him back in disgrace. Our success as a company depends on each man’s skills and obedience, and I will not tolerate less than total commitment. Remember the terms of our bargain.”

  He heard the threat in her tone and glanced severely at his men. There were some scowls, but they all stoppered their jars. “Have no fear, Lady, they won’t let you down.”

  “See to it, Ky-shan. You are responsible.”

  Sullyan led them at speed for the rest of the afternoon, and they entered the forests bordering the Citadel Plain as the light began to fade. Under her instructions, Robin sent out scouts, but none returned with news of the enemy. Having already asked the Captain to use his metasenses, Sullyan wasn’t surprised. She already knew roughly where Rykan’s men were. She kept her own powers shielded. The last thing she wanted was for Rykan to catch a glimpse of her presence. She also concealed her knowledge from Ky-shan, as a test of his men. So far, she was content. The pirates were behaving themselves, happy to be out of the Citadel and doing what they had come for.

  As the failing daylight made further progress through the trees too risky, she gave the order to make camp. Among the bustle and noise of settling the horses and lighting fires, she could hear some of the pirates commenting on the fact that she, Robin, and Marik were seeing to their own horses and gear. It gave her grim amusement. Ky-shan’s men were used to Andaryan officers, who did nothing for themselves. There was an even greater stir when she and Robin made their rounds, something Sullyan always insisted on, before making a fire or seeing to their own comforts. They went round separately, talking to the men individually or in groups, seeing that they had all they needed and that there were no complaints. Many puzzled eyes and low mutterings followed them.

  As they made their way back to where Marik was sitting with their gear, they passed Ky-shan’s campfire. The pirate leader was eating with his son, Jay’el, the twin giants, Almid and Kester, and the other young lad, who was called Ki-en. Ky-shan invited the Albians to share his fire, and as Sullyan sat, one of the huge twins wordlessly offered her his flagon.

  “I thank you, Kester, but I do not drink.”

  Surprise crossed the huge man’s face, and Sullyan guessed that most people couldn’t tell the twins apart. She grinned. “I was right, then?”

  He smiled back with a shy expression which was strange to see in such a large, brawny man. Something about his manner caught Sullyan’s attention and she frowned. “You cannot speak, can you?”

  Wariness came into his eyes and he gave a curt shake of his head. His brother shot her an apprehensive look before turning his eyes on Ky-shan.

  The pirate leader leaned back on one elbow. “They’ve had their tongues cut out. Happened years ago when they were boys. It was Relkorian slavers. They often do that, the bastards, to stop their victims crying out. Triton knows how, but the boys managed to fight their way free, even young as they were. But they were useless then, with their tongues gone, so their kin cast them off. I found them begging on the foreshore one day, half-starved, ragged, and homeless, and took them on. You don’t need tongues to sail a ship, you need brawn. And they’ve got that in shoals.”

  Kester watched Sullyan closely, uncertainty in his eyes. Discerning his worry, she grinned. “Have no fear, Kester. It is of no importance to me. My only care is how well you use that huge meat cleaver you carry.”

  He showed surprise again, then grinned back and traded a glance with his brother. It confirmed a suspicion for Sullyan, and she placed her hand on the huge man’s arm. Kester leaped up as if he had been struck and stood there, staring wildly round. Ky-shan and the others jumped too.

  Sullyan laughed. “I am sorry, gentlemen, I seem to have startled our big friend here. Kester is used to hearing only his brother’s voice inside his head. Hearing mine was clearly a shock. Kester, would you like me to show you how I did that?”

  Ky-shan frowned at her as they all settled back down. “You spoke to his mind, Lady? But they’re not Artesans.”

  “Almid and Kester might not be Artesans in the usual way, but they are twins. Twins often share a bond of the mind. It is not always possible, but sometimes a skilled Artesan can tap into that bond.”

  The giants regarded her with awe. Then they glanced at each other and Kester slowly nodded. After a few moments, his brother Almid did the same.

  Sullyan spent some time with them, only standing to leave when both twins could speak to Ky-shan and Jay’el, as well as Robin. Fascinated and excited by their new skill, the two giants watched her with something akin to adoration in their fire-lit eyes.

  “Ky-shan,” said Sullyan, “we must set watches tonight. Divide your men into three groups, please. You will lead the first watch. The Captain here will lead the second, and I want Almid and Kester included in his group. I will lead the dawn watch, and I want your son and Ki-en in my group.”

  Jay’el started to protest, but his father shot him a quelling glance. “You’re going to lead the dawn watch, Lady?”

  “Do you have a problem with that, Ky-shan? No? Good. Let me remind you, I expect all your men to be alert and thoroughly sober, no matter what shift they are assigned. I leave their distribution to you, apart from those I have already mentioned. I am going to rest now. I suggest you give your orders and deploy your sentinels. Be sure to wake the Captain at the appropriate time.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The night watches passed peacefully. Dawn found them breaking camp and mounting up, and Sullyan rode round the men, greeting them all before leading them off. Jay’el, who had sulked through his entire watch, stuck close to his father and his friend. Ki-en was a year younger than the twenty-year-old Jay’el, and clearly felt none of his friend’s resentment of Sullyan. During their watch, he had asked her about Drum and Torka and seemed fascinated by the finely trained beasts. She answered his questions willingly, amused yet exasperated by Jay’el’s obvious disapproval. She could only hope that Ki-en’s more mature attitude would rub off on his sullen friend.

  She led them southwest once more. The night had been bitter cold, and they moved at a ste
ady pace to warm the horses. Once they were thoroughly limbered up, Sullyan increased the pace to a ground-eating canter. Around midday, they saw the first sign that Rykan’s troops were near when they came across a team of field medics from the Citadel. Sullyan halted her band and rode over to talk with the Chief Healer. He was also a Master-elite, which pleased her as she rarely met others of her rank. He accorded her easy courtesy, grateful for her offer of metaphysical help should he require it. Before parting they exchanged knowledge of each other’s psyche so they could communicate.

  After a brief meal, they continued on. The going beneath the trees was getting rougher. Many men and horses had been that way. From the elderly Master Healer, Sullyan had obtained information of where Rykan’s main forces were the day before, and she asked Robin to send out teams of scouts with strict instructions to report, not engage. She was gratified when one group, a team of six including Almid and Kester, rode in at the gallop, saying they had located a small force of the enemy off the right flank of Rykan’s main column.

  As soon as the other scouts returned, Sullyan called the whole band together. This was an important moment, and it was crucial that this first attack succeed. If it failed, it was unlikely she could continue to lead the band. She shared a look with Robin, making sure he understood. Then she turned to address the pirates.

  “Gentlemen, our scouts have found us our first target. A small unit of enemy horsemen has strayed too far from the main body of troops. They have no scouts, and Kester reports that they appear disorganized. If we can surround them, we can kill them. We will advance in close order, following Kester’s lead. Keep your progress as silent as possible to maintain the advantage of surprise. Once the order to engage is given, strike swiftly and strike hard. Do not get separated from your fellows. If the enemy succeeds in breaking back toward their fellows, we will retreat. There will be no waiting for stragglers. We will have other opportunities to strike at Rykan’s men, but only if we take no unnecessary risks.”

  There were no dissenters. The pirates who had crossbows eagerly began to arm them. Robin loosed his crossbow from its straps on the saddle. It was a one-shot weapon, impossible to rearm in such close quarters, but one well-aimed bolt meant one less enemy to fight. The rest of the band drew their swords, holding the blades at their sides.

  “Form up into your watch teams,” called Sullyan. “Jay’el, please ride on my right.”

  The young pirate refused to meet her gaze, but he did sullenly kick his horse up beside her. Ki-en was just behind him, and he grinned nervously at Sullyan. She put Jay’el’s childish resentment out of her mind and accepted Robin’s and Ky-shan’s nods of readiness.

  “Ride on,” she called, nudging Drum with her heels.

  The pirates were plainly astounded when she didn’t fall back behind them, but rode at their head as before. Despite her instructions for silence, she heard one man hiss at another, “Do you think she knows what she’s doing? She’ll likely get herself killed ….”

  She ignored him, too intent on the outcome of the raid. They moved forward at a steady trot, following Kester’s lead. After a few minutes, she felt his unpracticed touch on her mind. He and the other scouts had the enemy in sight. Her heart began to pound, and she felt the familiar rush of trepidation and excitement fill her, as it did at the start of every fight.

  She gave a prearranged signal, sending Ky-shan’s group off to the left. They would circle round and cut off the enemy’s line of retreat. A few minutes later, she heard yells and the ringing of steel. Kester’s group had engaged Rykan’s men.

  “Charge!” she called, and the pirates surged forward, moving as fast as they could through the trees. Then she could see Kester dead ahead, he and his men battling a small group of enemy horsemen.

  The forest filled with shouts of warning and rage. The distinctive thunk as the pirates loosed their crossbows was alarmingly loud. As the enemy realized they were surrounded, they clustered together, but they were too slow. Horses screamed as the pirates plunged into their midst. Metal rang on metal, followed by the screams of men. Figures flashed in and out of Sullyan’s vision, and her entire attention narrowed to what was immediately before her. Drum bore her powerfully forward, and her sword flashed as one of Rykan’s men engaged her. She ran him through.

  She felt Drum kick out and heard the dull thud as his steel-shod hoof met flesh. There was no scream. Then he reared, and she cut downward as an unhorsed rider ran past, fleeing Jay’el’s curved blade. The man collapsed and Drum bore her onward, toward her next target.

  She cut down two more men before realizing her band was gaining control. “Ky-shan,” she yelled, “finish them!”

  Within twenty minutes, it was over. Sullyan dealt her final opponent a vicious cut to the head and looked round, seeing only familiar faces. “Pull back,” she called, and Ky-shan echoed her shout, gathering the pirates round him.

  They returned the way they had come and found a suitable site to rest. Sullyan walked among the euphoric men, congratulating them and checking for injuries. Incredibly, they hadn’t lost a single man in this skirmish, and their few wounds were minor. She had them retreat further into the forest, looking for a suitable campsite. Some of them muttered against this, wanting to strike the enemy again, but Sullyan insisted they rest. The short day was already beginning to fade, and the going would soon become impossible within the confines of the trees.

  She and Robin did their rounds as usual, astounding the men once more as they stopped to check the wounded. Sullyan even helped heal a few. The whispers that followed her round the camp that evening were even more appreciative than the night before.

  She came to Ky-shan last and spent some time with him, praising his men and discussing their next move. She also enquired how his own wound did and used her power to speed him back to full strength.

  He tried to protest. “You shouldn’t use your energies on us like this, Lady. You need your strength for yourself.”

  She looked him squarely in the eye. “Out here among the enemy, I am only as strong as the weakest of my command. Now, please deploy your watch teams as last night.”

  As she walked back to Marik and Robin, she could feel the stocky pirate’s eyes on her. She hoped he was considering her words and what he had seen that day.

  The next two days passed in similar fashion. Thanks mainly to Almid’s and Kester’s scouting skills, they located and destroyed many groups of stragglers who had become isolated from Rykan’s main forces. The Lord General’s strategy was working well, and Robin linked with General Ephan to report their success.

  On the evening of their fourth day, they relaxed as usual after yet another successful attack. The troops they had ambushed that day proved to be the toughest yet, and Sullyan’s authority was tested to the utmost as she directed her men in the most effective maneuvers. Used now to seeing her fight alongside them and respecting her skills, the pirates instantly obeyed her orders in the heat of battle. There were few serious injuries to deal with that night.

  The only complaint she could make of her new command concerned the way they addressed her. She couldn’t convince any of them to call her Major. They all insisted on using Lady. It galled her, but she had to let it go. That night as she did her rounds, she was intrigued to hear some of the pirates referring to Robin as ‘Skip,’ so she asked Ky-shan about it as she spent her usual hour with him before retiring for the night.

  They drank fellan round his campfire. The pirate had laced his own beverage liberally with brine rum against the night’s chill, so he said. He grinned at Sullyan where she sat opposite him, wrapped in her cloak against the cold, leaping flames playing on the gold of her rank insignia.

  “The thing is, Lady, in our eyes ‘captain’ means the master of a sea-going vessel, and of course that doesn’t apply here. The closest term my lads could come up with was ‘skipper,’ which is an informal version of the same word. They mean no disrespect by it. In fact, it shows they’re comfortable with him, so d
on’t you worry about it. It’s just their way.”

  Sullyan had no intention of trying to change things; they were working out well as far as she was concerned. Robin was feeling more at ease with the men too, now that they had accepted him as one of their own. Fondly, she watched him moving among the pirates, exchanging pleasantries or insults depending on the individual. She went to her rest that night satisfied with their success.

  The next day, things went terribly wrong.

  + + + + +

  The night watches passed peacefully as usual. Sullyan had come to terms with Jay’el’s smoldering resentment and resolved to ignore it as long as he followed orders. Putting him in nominal charge of the dawn watch hadn’t mellowed him as she had hoped it might, and she didn’t know how else to win him over.

  After breaking camp, they scouted for more of Rykan’s men, soon discovering a large band of his troops moving their way. Once again, they managed to split the band and kill most of the men, but the band sustained many more injuries in this fray. It was something she had feared—their successes so far were making the pirates over-confident. It was mid-afternoon and they were far out on the right flank, so Sullyan ordered them to rest. She and Robin did what they could for the injured. The Captain had sent scouts to keep an eye on the enemy. An hour before dusk, one of them rode in at speed. He headed straight for Sullyan.

  “Lady!”

  She looked up, recognizing the man. “What is it, Xeer?”

  He grinned, his teeth flashing white in his dark-skinned face. “It’s Count Marik, Lady. He says, will you come?”