It was not the body that took Luana's attention but what she saw above it.
CHAPTER 3
The Valley
A shimmering light hovered above the dead man. A few weak tendrils tethered it to the body below. The light seemed to come from the body. Luana felt no fear and she calmly approached the scene. The light faltered, fading slightly when she approached, then returned to its former brightness. It continued to separate from the body.
A male voice exploded into Luana's head. "What are you doing here?"
Luana stumbled with shock and fell to her knees in front of the light. She gaped wide-eyed at it.
"You should be long gone. What is it? Do you have unfinished business here?" A laugh followed. "You should join me but I see from your aura that now is not your time, ghost. The ones you lost have left you behind. You must have a purpose here yet; I wish you luck and the chance at life again girl. I'm away now to join with those who've gone before me. Farewell lost soul."
With that, the light separated from the body and dissipated into the cool forest air. The voice had called her a ghost. Shock spread through her limbs. She was not a ghost, she had joked about it the night before with Elias, but she was not a ghost. Could not be. What about Moose? Was he a ghost too? How could Elias see them if they were ghosts?
A sound came from behind; a hand touched her shoulder. Moose spoke.
"Luana are you all right? You've been here some time. Look, we need to go. Those cats could return any time."
Luana looked into Moose's sad eyes and something connected. She nodded and stood up, brushing herself off. She saw Elias frisk the dead man looking for anything of use. His eyes alert as before. He grunted as he found a few coins.
"Poor bastard, who knows his story? What was he doing this far out, away from the road? Anyway, not our problem now. Come on let's get out of here."
They left the scene and retraced their steps heading off to the west. They spent the rest of the afternoon ploughing through the trees. The going was difficult at times; the ground they covered was rocky and uneven in places. After a few hours, the forest seemed to thin out and Elias slowed down. They went on a little further, then Elias crouched and pointed.
"Over there is the road and beyond that farmland. The veil protects the farmers. Even I would not breech the protection afforded by the Magisters. However, the highway is fair game, a no man's land you might say. No rules apply, at least on my side. Only the rich can afford to travel in comfort, it's easy to target the fat lords in their carriages. This is where I'll leave you. The road there heads west down the valley. It'll take you to Nictiam and the coast. You could travel the road by night or in the forest beside the road by day. It's up to you."
Luana listened to Elias's words and examined his mask. He wore a leather band with two holes for his eyes. His skin, visible below the mask, was scarred and battered. His eyes however were intense and burning with life, they held Luana. She thought she saw something there. Recognition.
The moment passed. Luana took Elias's arm holding it in a formal grasp. She squeezed his forearm lightly. "Thank you for your help highwayman. I'm indebted to you. Good luck with your unfinished business."
The words had just left her mouth when she remembered what the voice in her head had said to her earlier. "Do you have unfinished business here?" She shivered.
"If you need help, there's a White Lady mission post half way between here and the coast. I don't have much faith in them and it's interesting they've put their mission on the smoke and spice caravan route. There's much gold to be had from rich merchants looking to appease the White Lady. They do offer shelter to travellers though, so it might come in useful. Superstitious rubbish though, if you ask me."
"Thanks." Luana replied.
"Remember too, the slave trade is flourishing in that province. That brand on your neck is a giveaway. I'd keep that covered up."
Moose shifted uncomfortably. "Last I heard, the Magisters had beaten the angels and had sent them as slaves to clear the Raven lands to the east. Bastards just seem to get stronger and stronger. Where do they get their power from?"
"Aye, I'd like to give them a kick in the teeth and rip their lungs out, every last one of them. For all they've done…" Luana said. She stood and nodded at Elias. "We'd best let you get on your way. May your ancestors protect you highwayman."
Elias allowed himself a smile. "Yours too. You'd make a good thief, you have the grace of the shadows." He paused, about to say more but then turned and walked towards the road, his cloak wrapped around him.
Moose grunted. "I always thought highwaymen had their own horse. Strange one that."
Luana looked after Elias. "Dangerous as hell. I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of him. He'd even give the blood drinkers a thing or two to think about. Come on Moose let's stop talking and get going."
They turned towards the west and made their way along the edge of the forest keeping the road in sight. Luana's thoughts turned to what Moose had said. The Magisters had indeed defeated the angels. How they had done so was a matter for speculation.
The angels were a spent force; those that survived were slaves. To be harnessed in such a way and used to clear the Raven lands was not only a brutally humiliating move on behalf of the Magisters but a distinct political statement for the region. It sent a direct message to the Frost Giants of the north; they were next.
Luana shook her head. Such folly, greed and arrogance was breathtaking. The newfound confidence the Magisters had; to take on the angels, now the Raven clans and quite possibly the Giants, it had to come from somewhere. She pondered these questions. If only the Legions would return, sense and justice might once more reign. The Legions of old. Her mother had told stories about them when she was young. Childish tales, no help to us now, she thought.
Luana tightened her belt against the hunger pangs gripping her stomach. They had covered a good distance since leaving Elias. It was now late afternoon. Her thoughts turned to finding shelter before darkness fell. They were less likely to be attacked in the valley by the blood drinkers, however the possibility remained. She had seen the odd farm outbuilding across the road and had considered sheltering there but the risk was too great. Dogs frequently roamed the farmlands, trained to protect livestock and crops. No, they would stay on this side of the road.
Another two hours passed. Darkness approached and with it the thoughts of a night in the open.
Moose hissed. "Look, over there." He pointed towards the road. At first Luana did not see it, then her eyes found the bridge. Shelter. Not ideal, but better than nothing. She smiled and patted Moose on the arm.
"Let's just watch it, make sure there's no one about. We have no weapons remember."
Moose grunted and they moved into position under cover of the trees. Luana reflected on the day's journey. They had not seen one wagon or carriage, not a single person. This was unusual; there should be some activity on the road. This thought niggled at her but she put it aside and concentrated on the bridge ahead.
It was a stone built, arched affair. Sturdy and effective. It would provide protection from the elements and hide them from the blood drinkers. They would be cold but that could not be helped. She wished they had some spice tobacco to warm their bones and give them pleasing dreams. She sighed and returned to her vigil.
As the last rays of the sun blushed the horizon, they made their move. There was no sign of life on the bridge. They broke cover and made a dash onto the road and down the other side. Crouching low, they reached the bridge and ducked under its stone arch.
Moose smiled. "This'll do me." He went to the rear wall of the arch and curled up with his back against the wind. There was no question of a fire so Luana joined her friend on the damp ground and closed her eyes. Even if she could not sleep, she would rest her aching muscles.
After a long time, sleep finally claimed Luana. She drifted off into uncomfortable oblivion. A world of shadows greeted her; she felt hunted. She saw Elias's fa
ce and heard him calling her name. Then she saw the decapitated body and the white spirit light leaving it, the voice in her head…calling her… a ghost. A booming sound broke through her nightmare and woke her.
Moose was still beside her. She shook him and he awoke bleary eyed. She put a hand over his mouth and pointed at the bridge above. Moose nodded and she removed her hand. The booming noise had stopped and they heard horses on the road. Then voices. Many voices; orders and instructions shouted. They huddled against the cold stone and waited. The river rushed by unconcerned, its sound magnified beneath the bridge.
Then two figures appeared in the arch to the left, silhouetted against the star-studded sky. They undid their breeks and relieved themselves against the bridge.
"Bad business this. Why'd they choose us for this job? Why not the sixth? They're closer to the Storm Sea."
"Aye, bad business. Magisters will know what their doing mind. Local interests may influence the sixth. Best to put us in to deal with the uprising. The prison brigades couldn't organise an orgy in a brothel. It'll be an easy mark for us; to tell you the truth the boys were getting bored anyway. It'll be a piece of piss. A little blood letting never hurt anyone did it?"
The two men did up their breeks turned and disappeared into the darkness. Shortly after the horses on the bridge moved off. It took some time for the convoy to pass; Luana estimated close to two hundred horsemen. After this, she could not sleep. Moose as always, slept with ease. She envied him. Luana dwelt on what she had heard from the two troopers.
A revolt? It must be the slaves. This had happened before and had always been ruthlessly crushed by local guards. This uprising must be big for extra troops to be drafted in. Internal tensions were known to exist within the military. Corruption? Luana shuddered. They were headed straight into the maelstrom.
She did not have another plan. She needed to reach Echo Island; the hope it offered was what she clung to. Luana finally drifted off into a bone weary sleep.
~
Elias waited patiently. Darkness approached. He had found his mark. This bastard owed him. The precautions the man had taken were predictable, easily spotted. He had to bide his time, wait for the right moment. The stars came out and the dogs had stopped pacing.
The farm building was a typical mid-Hersinian affair. Barred and shuttered ground floor windows. The first floor had an overhanging balcony festooned with flowers, a woman's touch evident. There would be dogs too. Elias's eyes were on the chimney and roof. Always a way in, he smiled. So obvious to his kind but seemingly not to others.
One by one, the lights went out in the farmhouse. The only sound was the wind through the treetops. Still Elias waited. He counted his heartbeat, slowing it and accessed his inner stillness as he had done many times before. He removed his mask. His skin briefly flickered with an amber glow. Pins and needles came to his scarred face as the cold air teased the broken nerves beneath his skin. Then the old anger started to build within and with it the memory of the man who had tortured him. He would master and harness his anger; channel its energy into strength and agility.
Elias stood and threw off his cape. He put his mask back on. It now bore a cruel expression. He joined the shadows and reached the chimney masonry. Without stopping, he held on to the cold stone and started climbing. He scaled the chimney and reached the roof. He crouched and listened. Nothing. He crawled along the wood shingles.
Elias reached into his shirt, produced a long knife, and set to work. After fifteen minutes, he had removed enough of the shingles to allow him access through the roof. He knew exactly where he was going. Haskin held him prisoner three months earlier. Tonight was payback time. Haskin would be made to suffer for the hurt he had inflicted on Elias. Elias's face broke into a cruel smile.
Elias dropped through the roof to the room below; he crouched, listening. He heard nothing. His eyes grew accustomed to the dark and he moved. He was in the attic space. He went to a trapdoor in the corner and opened it slowly. A hall lay below. He climbed down and went to the master bedroom. He kept emotion at bay. He had learned to channel the strength it gave him.
Elias stopped at the bedroom door and heard snoring. He turned the handle and opened the door a crack. The snoring grew louder. He entered the room and crossed the floor to a large double bed. Haskin's wife was nowhere to be seen. A bonus.
Elias took a glass vial from his pocket and held it over Haskin's face. Something squirmed behind the glass. Elias released the lid on the vial, dark shapes oozed out and onto Haskin's cheek.
A necessary evil, Elias thought. Fight evil with evil. The shapes were bloodworms given to him by the women vigilantes of Numibar on his last visit there. A persuasive tool they told him. He had not believed the sales pitch until he had seen the bloodworms in action. A tool of the assassins and now the vigilantes. Elias had been persuaded to part with a few gold once he had seen the evidence with his own eyes. No need for time wasting torture and risk of detection. Just allow the bloodworms to do their work.
The shapes wriggled and twisted across Haskin's face and found his nostrils. They disappeared up the sleeping man's nose and burrowed into his skull. He would become passive and compliant. For to disobey any order Elias gave would lead to excruciating pain. The bloodworms would eventually die but not for a few days.
Haskin's eyes snapped open; his mouth formed a silent scream. He recognised the highwayman's mask, he knew something had been done to him. Fear flooded his eyes. He lay rigid in the bed.
Elias whispered. "Right then Haskin, you are about to find out what happens to those who cross a brother of the road. You should've killed me when you had the chance. Instead, you wasted time and energy torturing me. Well all that energy has to go somewhere and be repaid. It's the way of the world."
Haskin's skin became pale and clammy. A damp sheen blossomed on his forehead and his bladder emptied. His mouth opened and a strange voice spoke. "I'll do anything you say highwayman, just… please don't hurt me."
Elias grabbed Haskin by his nightshirt and pulled him from the bed. He pushed him across the room.
"Lock up your dogs and tell your guards to stand down. And know this, if you don't do as I say the bloodworms in your brain will know your treachery and will bless you with the joy of pain."
Elias's words hit their mark, Haskin trembled. He grabbed a robe and stumbled towards the door. Elias followed at a distance and stopped at the landing watching Haskin disappear to the floor below. He heard Haskin ordering his men to leave the house and go to town. He heard him lock up the dogs. It took a few minutes. Not a drop of blood shed.
Elias went downstairs once he was sure Haskin had followed his instructions. Haskin was sitting in a chair in front of a large hearth. Dying embers were glowing in the grate.
"You've done well my friend. The night has just begun for you and me. We'll share such memories over the next few hours."
Haskin's eyes met the mask of serenity that the highwayman wore. Haskin was utterly broken. He simply nodded and awaited his fate.
Elias lent forwards and whispered. "You're going to tell me where you keep your gold. You are then going to give me your finest horse to replace the one you stole. Nightshade was my best horse; you took her from me and had her killed for dog food. I heard her cries when you held me captive here. I swore I'd get you back." Elias stopped and spat into the fire.
"You're also going to tell me where the other gold for the surrounding land holdings is kept. The taxes for the region. I know you'll do this, the bloodworms will ensure it. And you know the other things the bloodworms will do? They'll erase your memory of this night completely. So when I take the gold you'll not recall giving the locations to me. Sheer poetry my friend." Elias whispered the last word into Haskin's ear.
Haskin's expression was priceless. Elias paced the room while the alderman produced gold coin from various secret places around the house. Then Elias memorised the maps Haskin produced detailing the locations of the gold reserves for the region.
Haskin's mouth twisted into a shape. "S-She's gone to the slave market at Numibar to get new workers. Old ones…worn out."
Elias sighed. "Perhaps if you looked after them better they would last longer. But that means nothing to you does it?"
Haskin looked confused and frightened.
"And now comes the time for me to take back my ring. Give it to me."
Haskin looked at the emerald ring on his left hand. The ring he had taken from the highwayman three months ago. The ring that mesmerised those who looked into its depths. It had proven most useful in his dealings with the tax authorities and had allowed him to underpay substantially. Haskin tried to remove the ring but it was stuck fast on his fat finger.
"Here let me help you with that," Elias said, producing his blade.
CHAPTER 4
Nictiam
Luana and Moose rose with the sun and stretched their stiff muscles beneath the bridge. Luana went to the spot the two soldiers had stood the night before. She saw the earth trampled by their armour-shod feet. Something caught her eye. In the long grass to one side, she saw a glint. She stepped forwards and bent over examining the ground. A key glinted up at her in the morning sunlight.
She immediately recognised the key for what it was. It bore the hated glyph of the slavers. The soldiers had slaves with them. This key was different to the ones she had seen before. Why had they needed to put a glyph on the key?
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