“It was more hoisted down that I was interested in,” Eder said, wincing as Kane took his eyes off the steps ahead of him.
“We’re nearly there,” Kane said as they rounded the last bend. “And look, Terrell’s actually done something useful for once.”
Eder tried to look down to where Terrell was waiting next to a partially-laden and very patient pony, then thought better of looking that far down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. They made it to the bottom without mishap, Kane taking the last few steps at a bound as Eder continued to caress the wall, and made their way over to Terrell, who tossed them a loaded pack each.
“Good job,” Kane said with a nod of appreciation as he slung his on his back. “I hope you didn’t have to thump Garrick in the end.”
“It was a close run thing at one point,” Terrell grinned. “But we managed to settle it amicably.”
He nodded back up towards the steps as his grin faded. “I see we have two Immaculatii joining us instead of the one. Is the lad any good with a weapon?”
“His tongue,” Kane said, and he heard Eder let out a quiet chuckle behind him. “If we need to tell someone off in a way they’ll never forget then we know who to call upon.”
Terrell sighed. “So it’s the three of us babysitting four liabilities and defending them against whatever big, bad monsters manifest on the way to Auris? I’m expecting a medal if we survive this.”
“I’ve checked the route,” Kane waved his concerns away. “It’s fairly straightforward, no recent reports of any skirmishes, and Marcellina’s Rangers have the whole border locked down tight. We’ll probably run into a couple of patrols on our way even. The worst we’ll have to worry about is foxes, and even the Immaculatii can handle that.”
“Kane, if we were going into active territory, I’d cut my throat right here and save the Sidhe the bother,” Terrell said. Kane elbowed him, then, sensing somebody’s presence to his left, remembered he was now an officer and spun smartly on his heel.
“You are our Child Guard escort, yes?” a rich, low and somehow familiar woman’s voice asked.
There were two figures standing before him. The one on the left, the taller of the two, was veiled in the manner of the Aurians, dressed entirely in off-white robes, with her head swathed in the same so only the eyes could be seen. Her eyes were a deep, mossy green, framed by long, dark lashes and lined in black paint. Her veil was overlaid by an intricate gold headdress which fell over her forehead and dangled between her eyes, and her robes were belted at the waist by a chain of similar design.
The girl next to her was not veiled, nor was she dressed in anything more outlandish than the garb of peasant girls of the surrounding town wore. Her dress was made of rough, plain fabric in a deep red, and her cloak was of similar weave, dark brown and tattered at the edges. Both seemed to be slightly too big for her slight frame, and Kane doubted they had been in her possession for long. Her heart-shaped face was a deep, golden tan, and from beneath the white linen wimple that framed her face, a rich chestnut curl had emerged, fighting to be free. Her eyes were white, from edge to edge.
He had a nagging feeling he knew both of them from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite place where.
“We are,” Kane said, addressing the taller woman, for it was she who had spoken. He had considerable difficulty tearing his eyes away from the other girl, but he executed a tidy salute to the veiled woman. “I am Brother-Corporal Kane, at your service.”
“I am Sophia, Professor of the Aurian Academy,” she said, inclining her head towards him. “The girl is named Cahaya, but I am afraid she can neither see nor speak at this point in time. The result of an accident, one which will hopefully be reversed once we reach the Academy.”
“Can she still hear?” Kane asked, and was answered as the girl herself nodded her head deliberately.
“She can,” the Sophia woman said, as though Cahaya had not moved. “We have had limited success at communication as yet, but I hope to improve as we travel.”
“For the sake of speed then, Miss Cahaya,” Kane turned to her, speaking slowly and clearly. “Might I suggest you be seated upon our pack pony rather than attempting to walk in your current condition. I assume you can ride?”
Cahaya nodded hesitantly, then waved her hand in front of her in a see-saw gesture that Kane took to mean ‘a little’.
“We will be walking alongside,” he said. “So the pony will not reach any great speed, I assure you. I will have someone lead it on a rope, all you have to do is keep your seat at a gentle trot.”
She nodded her head again, and the curl of hair bounced.
“Terrell, get her settled, will you?” he asked, forgetting he was supposed to be giving orders to his subordinates, not making requests of his friends.
“Yes, sir,” Terrell replied.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Eder muttered, not wanting to contradict Kane outright in front of the professor. “Contact rules and all?”
“Needs must, Eder. She can hardly mount on her own, and I am sure the rules were written with such exceptions in mind. Now, would you go and see to-“ Kane began, then thought better of it. “Actually, you assist Terrell, I’ll go and see to these Immaculatii of ours.”
“Rather you than me,” Eder said quietly, then went to assist Terrell, who, regardless of contact rules, seemed like he might try to bodily lift Cahaya into the saddle without any preamble or diplomacy.
Davena and Sampson had taken the descent at a similar pace to Eder, the carved granite steps being ill-suited to their short legs. Sampson helped Davena off the last, particularly vertiginous, step as Kane approached.
“Brother-Corporal,” Davena said, with a little bow. Kane would have appreciated a salute more, but he wondered if Immaculatii were even taught how to execute one correctly.
“Immaculata Davena, Immaculatus Sampson,” he nodded at both in turn before turning his attention to Davena. “You may add your medical supplies to the packs if you wish, it would seem easier than carrying them all the way to Auris.”
“Thank you, Brother-Corporal,” Davena nodded, and trotted off in the direction of the pony.
“If you have anything you do not wish to carry, Immaculatus Sampson, there is still some room in the packs, even with Miss Cahaya riding.”
“Personal belongings are an anchor for the soul,” Sampson solemnly intoned back at him. “I carry nothing but my faith.”
Kane bit back a sigh and nodded in what he hoped was an authoritative manner. “Very good, Immaculatus.”
He turned away to see Eder and Terrell had, between them, managed to settle Cahaya on the pony’s saddle with a minimum of rule-bending and awkwardness. Terrell took the pony’s halter decisively in his hand, and the pair of them stood straight, awaiting Kane’s orders.
Kane couldn’t stop a brief smile forming, although he did his best to trim it from the full-fledged beaming grin it wanted to become. Snooty Sampson aside, he was off on an official mission with his best friends, sun shining, a pip on his shoulder and the trust of General Cathan that he would succeed in his endeavours.
He didn’t look back as he gave the order to march.
6. Restless Spirits
“The Trial by combat is for barbarians who live and die by the sword, Cruach is an enlightened nation and we do not honour the ways of the savage clanlands. If the guilt of the accused shall be in doubt, the matter must needs be placed in the hands of the gods, and a Trial by ordeal shall be chosen by a Priest of the Temple. This may be The Trial by Hot Oil, The Trial of the Coals, The Trial of the Blood…”
Cruachan Edict
“What on earth is taking so long?”
They had come to a standstill in the square across from the ferry platform, as the crowds thronged in closely, but with a reverent quietude, broken only by the occasional child’s stage-whisper. The summer heat was oppressive, more so in the tightly-packed crowd, and the noise had been relentless since they had stepped off the w
ide, flat ferry across the River Piuthar and into the South Town. The sheer variety of people around them had fascinated Kane, Eder and Terrell. Davena had withdrawn into herself at the noise and unfamiliarity of the crowds, and Sampson had scowled and grown more surly with every passing trader. It was impossible to discern Sophia’s expression beneath her veil and Cahaya could no more see the people sleeting past than she could converse with them.
Hoping to be able to answer Sampson’s query, and impatient to be getting on out of the sweaty, smelly crowds, Kane jauntily hopped up onto a nearby barrel to see what was causing the commotion.
There was a small cauldron bubbling over a brazier in the centre of the square, and several priests standing to either side. Between them stood a young man, his tanned skin greyish and soaked with sweat, staring at the cauldron as though his eyes could bore a hole in it.
“Kalyam of Carmia, you stand accused of theft from the Convent of the Sisters of Lamentation. You have pleaded your innocence and willingness to undergo the trial of hot oil to enable the gods to prove thus to we on earth. You are to retrieve the stone from the bottom of the cauldron, and by the grace of the Sister your injuries will not fester within the fortnight. May the gods see the truth of your heart.”
Kane descended from the barrel just in time to avoid seeing the wan-faced boy plunge his hand into the boiling oil. The scream wasn’t as easily avoided.
“A trial by ordeal,” he replied. “The crowds should clear up soon.”
Sampson made a gesture of reverence.
“The gods are wise, may they show the truth of the matter to all.”
As Kane had predicted, the crowd dispersed shortly afterwards and they were able to continue along their way. Thankfully the busyness of the riverside gave way to more spaced out homesteads and farms within the hour, and though Kane lamented the loss of interesting things to see, they were all glad of the space.
Whilst the North Town stretched out far, sprawling upwards as though it wished to reach Cobis and the coast intact, the South Town huddled closely to the course of the river, the better to flee over it in case of an attack from the Forest of Ciaradh to the south-east. Such an attack had not happened in over a century but as they headed further south Kane noticed heavy iron-bound shutters on the houses, and a general wariness of strangers. The people in the town had been friendly but respectful, moving out of the way and bowing or inclining their heads as the scarlet-clad Child Guard passed. Further out in the countryside, the men were more inclined to stare at them as they passed, with eyes narrowed, only partly due to the sun. The women, if they were outside at all, found pressing reason to go indoors as the party passed by. Kane saw no young children out in the lane.
“Do you suppose it’s us?” Eder said out of the corner of his mouth, as the tenth or twelfth farmwife disappeared into the house in a swish of skirts, her basket only half-full of the carrots she was pulling up.
“Why would it be us? It’s the Sidhe they fear, not the Child Guard.”
“Fear and respect often look rather similar,” Sophia said, from several feet away. Kane flushed; he hadn’t realised he’d been speaking quite so loudly for her to hear.
“So they’re hiding from us because they respect us?”
“You are Child Guard,” Sophia said, as though that explained everything. “The reputation of your uniforms precedes you. For all these people know you could be fearsome Sidhe-fighting crusaders and they are treating you accordingly.”
“But we’re-” Kane started, and stopped himself before he could admit this was his first ever mission. “We haven’t seen active combat as yet.”
“Then perhaps you are the heroes of tomorrow. There could be a Sidhe incursion down this very lane and you would then be the best placed to fight them.”
“This far out?” Terrell said with a dismissive chuckle. “I’d like to see the Sidhe who would dare, so close to the Citadel.”
Sophia looked at him for a long moment, and his grin faded. “It was not all so long ago that there was fighting up to the walls of the Citadel itself.”
“Is that your field, Professor?” Kane asked politely, to head off more talk of heroes and crusaders. “The history of the kingdom?”
“My focus is more on the war between the Sidhe and humans,” Sophia said. “But yes, I am a student of history. Aren’t we all?”
“The history of the war, that must be a rich subject to focus on,” Kane continued. “Do your studies go right back to the origins of the conflict, or are you content to study a specific period?”
“Every scholar has a paper on the origin of the conflict,” Sophia said, in a tone which suggested such a line of enquiry was passé. “What I find more interesting is the fluctuating nature of it, the brief stops and starts, particularly the actions of those who manage to ignite the flames when they are all but out.”
“Stops and starts? The war against the Sidhe has been ceaseless and will be ceaseless until their foul kind are vanquished,” Sampson cut in. Kane hadn’t noticed him drifting closer as the conversation continued. “Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool or a hopeless optimist.”
“I am but a student of your language,” Sophia said, inclining her head gracefully in Sampson’s direction. “I referred of course to the periods of quiet between major battles. It is interesting to see how patterns form in the timeline of events.”
“Is that your current subject of study?” Kane asked. This was the first time he’d properly interacted with a stranger from outside the Citadel, he would be damned if he was going to let Sampson ruin it for him.
“I am currently working on a project involving the dissolution of the Pact of Oriya,” Sophia said, and Kane didn’t miss the way Sampson tensed at the name. “Or I was until Miss Cahaya’s story consumed my attentions. My original pursuits will have to be put on hold until she arrives at her destination.”
Kane was about to ask for more details, of why Cahaya was so important and why she needed to be taken to Auris, but at the last second he realised firstly, he had not been told by Tomas and Eachann and therefore it was safe to assume he didn’t need to know, and secondly, he was in charge of the party – to admit he didn’t know the purpose of their mission might engender doubt in the minds of their civilian charges, and worry them unduly. If Sophia continued to be chatty, he might find out before they reached Auris; if not, he was sure the debrief would clear everything up. He had not been raised to be curious, that was not the Child Guard way, but he couldn’t help but wonder at the circumstances which had brought Cahaya to them and occasioned his rapid promotion. And why did he keep getting the feeling he knew her from somewhere?
With little else to occupy him aside from reclusive housewives and the oppressive heat, his mind worried at it until all of their shadows were long and spindly, and it became time to seek somewhere to camp, as every available barn seemed shut up tight, every house a fortress, girt with iron. Kane had been taught the basics of how to choose a suitable site and make the preparations, but that had been a long time ago, and the countryside around held no helpful pointers for him.
He was saved from having to admit his failings by Sophia, who casually mentioned a ruined fort over the next hill, as a matter of geographical interest. As the sun lengthened their shadows into grotesque caricatures of their forms, Kane happily declared they would use the old fort as a campsite and get some well-earned rest, earning him tired smiles from all except Sampson, who gave the barest of nods.
He had been expecting some old, tumbledown stones, grown through with moss and grass and weeds, and he was not too far off the mark. The northernmost wall remained nearly intact, whatever roofs and staircases which had been there now lost to time and wear; whereas towards the south there was only a pile of rubble. In the slanting evening light, Kane couldn’t help but notice the old stones, particularly the broken ones, were blackened at the edges, scorched by some terrible heat. He suddenly felt quite uneasy about spending the night here. The wild grass, thick w
ith clover, which had grown within the sketched out walls went from being comfortable and inviting to a lurking trap. Who knew how many corpses lay underneath that dense green layer?
He swallowed down his chilling thoughts and took solace in handing out orders. Or, at least, polite requests.
“Eder, sort out Cahaya’s pony and start setting out the tents please. Terrell, get a fire going, thank you. Davena, could you see to Cahaya once she had dismounted, make sure she has everything she needs and is comfortable. And Sampson,” Kane fished about him for a duty to give the sulky Immaculatus. “Would you mind finding something in the packs to cook or at least eat, I’m sure everyone is hungry.”
Kane had expected Sampson to grumble or at least give him a withering look, but he trotted over to the packs in all semblance of, if not happiness, contentment. The others set about their respective tasks quickly and properly, but Kane couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling of the charred rubble.
“Nervous, Brother-Corporal?” Sophia seemed to have read his mind as she spoke from behind him. He started at her words but managed to recover himself as he smoothly turned to face her.
“This place is not quite what I had been led to believe,” he said.
“It is well-placed and defensible, there is water in the well and hedgerows nearby which make for excellent firewood. I fail to see how it is anything less than ideal.”
“It’s a burned husk,” Kane said, having dug around for some finer words and found none. “I thought it would have been abandoned centuries ago, but the stones are too well-cut. This is not an ancient ruin.”
“Ancient, recent, what is the difference?” Sophia shrugged.
“This place has not yet forgotten the smell of death.”
“Superstition?” Sophia said. He couldn’t see her expression but she sounded highly amused. “Your little priest will have a fit.”
The Child Guard Page 6