'Gosh, a secret and in Ashwell. Bet I find out by noon tomorrow.
'Bet you don't.
'Bet me what?
'No. I'm being unfair. It's a private thing.
'Now you're just being cruel. I'll pray to the Lady for your redemption.
'That's very kind.
She stood right up close to him, still smiling sweetly. 'So are you off up to the caves?
'Er, yeah, one or two of the others said they might go in. I thought I'd see.
'So when do I get asked?
'I don't think Mother Lorellan would want you in the caves at night.
'Pha. There's a lot of things the good Mother doesn't know I do. She shook her hair defiantly, squaring her shoulders. The aggressive pose lasted a couple of seconds before she started giggling.
'Well I'll pray she doesn't find out, he told her.
'Thank you, Edeard. Her hand rubbed playfully along his arm. 'Who'd have thought it just a few years ago. Both of us happy. And you: one of the lads now.
'I was in a fight before they accepted me. 7 killed people. Even now he could still see the face of the bandit before the man smashed into the tree, the astonishment and fear.
'Of course you were, that's a typical boy thing. That's why you're going into the caves again tonight. We all have to find a way to live here, Edeard. We're going to be in Ashwell for a long long time.
He couldn't answer, just gave her a fixed smile.
'And watch out for that Zehar. She's already bragging how she intends to have you. She was very descriptive. For a baker's apprentice.
'She. Is? She wants…?
Salrana's face was devilsome. 'Oh yes. She blew him a kiss, giggling. 'Let me know the details. I'm dying to know if you can really do such wicked things. Then her back was to him, her skirt held high by both hands, and she went racing off down the slope, giggling all the way.
Edeard let out a long breath. His emotions were as unsteady as his legs. If there was ever a reason to stay in Ashwell, he was looking at it. His farsight followed her long after she'd turned a corner on to main street, making sure she was safe as she ran along on her errand.
* * * * *
There were a number of caves burrowing into the cliffs behind Ashwell. A lot of them had been expanded over the decades, modified into storerooms for the long winter months, where the temperature and moisture hardly varied at all. Several of the larger were used as barns. Edeard wasn't interested in those. Instead, he headed for a small oddly angled fissure in the rock on the western end of the cliff, only thirty yards from where the encircling wall began. He had to scramble up a pile of smoothed boulders to reach it, then grip the upper lip and swing himself into the darkness. Anyone larger than him would have real trouble passing through the gap; he'd only be able to use it for another year or so himself. Once inside, the passage opened up, and the soft background babble of the village's longtalk cut off abruptly. His immediate world contracted to a dank gloomy blackness; even his farsight ability couldn't perceive through such a depth of rock. All he could sense was the open cavity around him. Only after he'd gone round a curve did he see a glint of yellow light ahead.
Seven apprentices were gathered in the narrow cave with its high crevice apex, sitting round a couple of battered old lamps whose wicks were chuffing out a lot of smoke. Their talk stopped as he entered, then their smiles bloomed in welcome. It was a gratifying sensation of belonging. Even Obron raised a cheery hand. Fahin beckoned him over. Edeard was very conscious of Zehar watching him with a near-feline intent, and gave her a nervous grin. Her answering smile was carnivorous.
'Didn't think you were coming, Fahin said.
'I got delayed slightly, Edeard explained. He opened his bag and pulled out the large wine bottle, which earned him some appreciative whistles as he held it up.
Fahin leaned in closer. 'Thought you were running scared of Zehar, he murmured in a knowing whisper.
'Sweet Lady, has she told everyone but me?
'I overheard it from Marilee. She was trying to get Kelina to take some vinak juice from Seneo's pharmacology store. I assumed you were party to it.
'No, Edeard growled.
'Okay. Well should the need arise, and I do mean rise, just ask me. I can get you a phial without anyone being any the wiser, especially Seneo.
'I shall remember it well, thank you.
Fahin nodded, as if unconcerned. An attitude confirmed by his passive surface thoughts. He unbuckled his ancient physick satchel and took out some dried kestric leaves. The pair of them became the centre of some not very subtle attention from the other apprentices in the cave.
Edeard shifted position and opened the wine. It was dark red, which Akeem always claimed was a sign of quality. Edeard was never certain. All the wine available in Ashwell had a strong taste which lingered well into the next day. He supposed he'd get used to it eventually, but as for actually liking it… 'Fahin, where do you see yourself in fifty years?
The doctor's tall apprentice glanced up from the little slate pestle he was preparing. 'You're very serious tonight, my friend. Mind you, she does have that affect on people.
For an instant Edeard thought he was talking about Salrana, then Fahin's eyes glanced over at Zehar, a movement amplified by his over-size lenses.
'No, Edeard said irritably. 'Seriously, come on: fifty years' time. What are you working towards?
'Why I'll be doctor, of course. Seneo is actually a lot older than most people realize. And she says I am her most promising apprentice in decades. He began grinding the kestric leaves with smooth easy motions of the mortar.
'That's it? Village doctor?
'Yes. Fahin wasn't looking at Edeard any more, his thoughts took on an edge. 'I'm not like you, Edeard; Honious take me, I'm not even like Obron. I'm sure you're going to build our Eggshaper Guild to greatness over the next century. You'll probably be Mayor inside thirty years. Ashwell's name will spread, people will come, and this land will flourish once again. We all hope that from you. So, given the circumstances, village doctor and your friend in such times is no small goal after all'
'You truly think I will do that?
'You can do it. Fahin mashed up the last flakes of leaf into a thin powder. 'Either that or you'll lead a barbarian army to sack Makkathran and overthrow the old order. You have the strength to do either. I saw it. We all did. That sort of strength attracts people.
'Don't say that, Edeard said. 'Not even in jest.
'Who's jesting? Fahin poured the kestric powder into a small white clay pipe, adding some tobacco.
Edeard stared at his friend in some alarm. 7s this what people think? Is this why I make them nervous?
'You know the gate guards say they still farsight your fastfoxes at night sometimes, Fahin said. 'Do you keep them out there?
'What? No! I sent it away when we got back; you were with me, you saw me do it. And how would the guards know that, the old fools. They're asleep most of the night anyway, and they can't tell one animal from another at any distance.
'These fastfoxes have collars.
'They're not mine! he insisted. 'Wait, there's more than one? You know I only mastered one. When did they see them? he asked in curiosity.
Fahin struck a match and sucked hard on his pipe stem, pulling the flame down into the bowl. 'I'm not sure, he puffed out some smoke. 'A couple of months now.
'Why did nobody tell me? I could find out if they are real.
'Why indeed? The match went out, and Fahin took a deep drag. Almost immediately, his eyes lost focus.
Edeard stared at his friend with growing dismay. They all gathered up here for a drink and a smoke and talk, just as apprentices had done since Ashwell was founded. But lately Fahin was smoking on a near-nightly basis. It was a habit which had grown steadily ever since they got back from the Witham caravan.
'Sweet Lady, Edeard muttered as the other apprentices came over. Maybe leaving this place is the right thing to do. Fahin passed the pipe up to Genril. A smiling Z
ehar held out a hand for Edeard's wine. He deliberately took a huge swig before handing it over.
* * * * *
The first thing Edeard did when he woke up was retch horribly. When he tried to turn over he banged his temple hard on cold floorboards. It took a moment to realize, but he wasn't lying on his nice soft mattress. For some reason he was sprawled on the floor beside the cot, still fully dressed apart from one boot. And he stank!
He groaned again and felt the acid rising in his throat. Gave up all attempts at control and threw up spectacularly. As he did so the fear hit, squeezing cold sweat from every pore. He was shaking as he wiped pitifully at the fluid dribbling from his lips, nearly weeping with the misery. Hangovers he could take, even those from red wine, but this was more than just the payback for overindulgence. He'd felt like this before. The forest. The bandit ambush.
His body was reacting to the alcohol and a couple of puffs on the pipe. While his mind was yelling at some deep instinctive level of the mortal danger closing in out of the surrounding darkness. He forced himself to sit up. A thin pastel light from the night sky washed round the shutters revealing his small room. Nothing was amiss, apart from himself. He whimpered from the sheer intensity of fright pouring through him, expecting something terrible to envelop him at any second. The hangover made his head throb painfully. It was hard to concentrate, but he slowly managed to summon up some farsight and scan round.
The three apprentices were asleep in their dormitory. He forced the ability further, almost crying out from the pain sparking behind his eyes. Akeem, too, was asleep on his bed. Out in the courtyard, the young genistars dozed the night away, shuffling and shaking as was their style. A couple of cats trod delicately along the roofs as they tracked small rodents. By the gate, the ge-wolf in its traditional stone guardkennal lay curled up on its legs, big head swaying slowly as it obediently kept watch on the road outside.
Edeard groaned with the effort of searching so far, and let his farsight wither to nothing. He was still shaking and cold. The front of his shirt was disgustingly sticky, and the smell was getting worse. Nausea threatened to return. He struggled out of the shirt and lurched over to the nightstand where there was a glass of water and took several large gulps. In the drawer at the bottom of the little stand was a pouch of dried jewn petals soaked in an oil which Fahin had prepared. He opened it, closed his eyes and shoved one of the petals into his mouth. It tasted foul, but he took one final gulp from the glass, forcing it down.
In all his sixteen years he had never felt so wretched. And still the fear wouldn't abate. Tears threatened to clog his eyes as he shivered again, hugging his chest.
What is wrong with me?
He wobbled over to the window and pushed the shutters open. Cool night air flowed in. Odin's Sea had nearly fallen below the horizon, which meant it was no more than a couple of hours past midnight. The low thatched roofs of the village were spread out around him, pale in the wan flickering light of the nebulas. Nothing moved. But for whatever reason the sight of such serenity simply made the fear even worse. For an instant he heard screams, saw flames. His stomach churned and he bent over the window sill.
Lady, why do yon do this to me?
When he straightened up he instinctively looked at the village gate with its twin watchtowers. There was no sign of the guards. But then they were nearly half a mile away and it was night. Edeard gathered his breath and gripped the side of the windows in grim determination. His farsight surged out. If they're all right I'm going straight back to bed.
The towers were built from smooth-faced stone; recent decades had seen them strengthened inside with thick timber bracing. Even so, there were no holes in the walls, just some alarmingly long cracks zigzagging up and down. Their parapets were large enough to hold ten guards who could fire a number of heavy weapons down on anyone foolish enough to storm the gate. Tonight the eastern tower was empty. A solitary man stood on the western parapet underneath the alarm bell. He was facing inwards, looking across the village. Three bodies lay on the flagstones at his feet.
Edeard lurched in shock, and tried to refocus his farsight. It swept in and out before centring back on the parapet. The lone man's thoughts shone with a hue of satisfaction; Edeard felt a filthy mental smile. 'Greetings, the man longtalked.
Edeard's throat contracted, snagging his breath. 'Who are you?
Mental laughter mocked him. 'We know who you are. We know all about you, tough boy. We know what you did to our friends. Because of that you're mine tonight. And I promise you won't die quickly.
Edeard yelped in horror and dived away from the window. Even so he could still feel the tenuous touch of the other's farsight upon him. He put as much strength as he had behind his longtalk, and cried: 'Akeem! Akeem, wake up. The bandits are here. They're in the village.
His mental shout was like some kind of signal. The soft glow of minds materialized in the alleyways and lanes that wound through the cottages and Guild compounds. Edeard screamed. They were everywhere!
So many! Every bandit in the wilderness must be here tonight.
'What in the Lady's name, Akeem's fuzzy thoughts came questioning.
'Bandits, Edeard called again, with voice and mind. 'Hundreds of them. They're already here. He jabbed every ge-wolf in the compound with a mental goad, triggering their attack state. Loud, dangerous snarling rose from the courtyard.
Five bandits appeared in the street outside the Guild, strong and confident, making no further attempt at cover. They didn't have the muddy skin and wild hair of the ones in the forest; these wore simple dark tunics and sturdy boots. There were no bows and arrows, either. Strangely they wore two belts apiece, looped round their shoulders so they crossed over their chest. Little metal boxes were clipped on to the leather, along with a variety of knives. Whispers spilled out of the aether as they longtalked.
Then Edeard sensed the fastfoxes walking beside them; each had two of the tamed and trained beasts.
'Oh sweet Lady, no, he gasped. His mind registered Akeem longtalking the other elders, fast and precise thoughts raising the alarm.
It was too late. Flames appeared among Ashwell's rooftops. Torches thick with oil-fire spun through the air, guided by telekinesis to land full square on thatch roofs. The fire spread quickly, encouraged by the dry months of a good summer. A dreadful orange glow began to cover the village.
The ge-wolves were racing across the Guild courtyard. Edeard extended his third hand with furious intent and slammed the gates open for them. That was when he heard the noise for the first time. An awful thunderous roar as if a hundred pistols were all firing at once. White light flashed across his open window, and his mind felt the dirty glee of the bandits' thoughts coming from the street below. Ge-wolves fell in torment, their minds radiating terrible flares of pain as their flesh was shredded. Some of them managed to survive the strange weapons to collide with fastfoxes. The metallic roaring abated as the animals fought, tearing at each other as they writhed and spun and jumped.
That was when Edeard heard a woman scream. There was too much turmoil, too much anguish storming across Ashwell, for his farsight to track her down, but he knew what the sound meant. What it would mean for every woman in the village caught alive. And girl.
He sent a single piercing thought at the church. 'Salrana!
'Edeard, her panicked longtalk barked back. 'They're here, they're in the church.
His mind found her instantly, farsight zooming in as if he was illuminating her with a powerful beam of light. She was cowering in her room in the Mother's house which formed the back of the church. Inside the dome itself, three bandits were advancing along the empty aisles, radiating triumph and contempt as their fastfoxes stalked along beside them. Mother Lorellan was already out of bed and heading for the church to deal with the desecrators. For a devout woman her mind shone with inordinately strong aggression.
The bandits and their fastfoxes would cut her to ribbons, Edeard knew. 'Get out, he told Salrana. 'Move now. Out o
f the window and into the garden. Stay ahead of them, keep moving. Head for the market, it's cobbled, there's no fire there. I'll meet you at the corn measure station.
'Oh Edeard!
'Do it. Do it now.
He raced over to the window. It wasn't such a big jump to the street, and the carnage the fastfoxes were wreaking on the surviving ge-wolves was almost over. Whatever victors were left he could take care of them. Flames were racing across the thatch of the terraced cottages opposite. Doors were flung open, and men charged out, shields firm round their bodies, knives held high. The bandits raised their weapons, and the noise began again. Edeard watched numbly as the squat guns spat a blue-purple flame. Somehow they were firing dozens of bullets, reloading themselves impossibly fast. The villagers shook and flailed in agony as the bullets overwhelmed their shields.
'Bastards, Edeard yelled, and jumped.
'No! Don't. Akeem's longtalk was strong enough to make half the village pause. Even the guns were temporarily stilled.
Edeard landed, his bare heel shooting pain up his leg. He turned towards the nearest bandit, crouching as if he was about to go for a wrestling hold. Somehow he sensed both Akeem and the bandit in the guardtower both holding their breath. The bandit in front of him lifted the dark gun, snarling with delight. Edeard reached out with his third hand, closing it round the gun. He wasn't sure if even his shield could withstand quite so many bullets striking at him, but like every gun, you first had to pull the trigger. The bandit's eyes widened in surprise as his own shielding was unable to ward off Edeard's power. Then the street was subject to an unnerved screech as the bandit's fingers were snapped in quick succession. Edeard rotated the gun in front of the bandit's numb gaze until the man was staring right into the muzzle, then pulled back hard on the trigger. The discharge was awesome, even though it lasted barely a second before something snarled inside the gun's mechanism. It blew the bandit's head apart. Tatters of gore lashed down on the muddy street.
Three other bandits raised their guns. Edeard exerted himself, gripping their flesh tight with his third hand, preventing the slightest movement. 'Get them, he told the surviving villagers stumbling out of the blazing cottages.
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