Shadowless: Book 1 of the Ilmaen Quartet

by Helen Bell

  Kerin spread his hands in a gesture of uncertainty.

  ‘I don't think you could have done it, not without inside knowledge of the fort. But that you were prepared to try… I can't thank you enough for that.’

  Jesral admitted: ‘Ren’s mad idea, not mine. But you've got to tell us how you got here. I still can't believe you didn't drown in that storm.’

  ‘Fate must not have been ready to give the two of us a new life yet. We were up in the rigging fighting with a jammed yard when the wind hit the ship badly and it heeled over. Vel tried to save me; I lost my grip, and the next big wave brought him in after me, along with half the rigging.’ Jesral nodded, tying that in with the Captain's story. ‘How we avoided being trapped in the wreckage I have no idea. But the ship was further inshore than we thought, dangerously close – I was upon sandbanks almost as soon as I began swimming. Though swimming is probably not the word for whatever it was I did to get ashore; still, I made it somehow. I started walking, and the next thing I know I’m stumbling through a copse and nearly getting a knife in the ribs from some tinkers when I barged into their camp.

  ‘They took me in; we found Vel next morning, further down the coast. We have been tinkering this past week, part for cover, part for a living. We looked for you in a couple of ports but then we had to give up and turn south-east. And that brings us to here.’ He paused, story finished, and frowned apologetically at Jesral.

  ‘Forgive me, Jez, but I would feel better if I had the chance to talk to that man who knows me – Cedas, did you say?’

  ‘Yes. I'll come with you.’

  ‘Fine. Vel, can you keep an eye on Naylan and Bighur? It’s time they knew what this is really about, and I would sooner it came from one of us.’

  Renia was left alone as the others wended their way through the cluster of vans. Not needed, not able to help. She sat there a few moments longer, puzzling over one thing.

  They were all safe and well and together again. So why didn’t she feel happier?

  oOo

  Jesral knocked on Cedas’s wagon door; Nina opened it. She stood back to let them in, casting a knowing glance at both of them. Cedas stood at the far end of the wagon, waiting for them. Once they were in Nina picked up a shawl.

  ‘I’ll go help Tamli buy stores,’ she told Cedas, and left.

  ‘This is Cedas,’ Jesral introduced them. Both men eyed each other. Cedas gave a bow that Kerin matched.

  ‘You honour us, my Lord LandMaster,’ Cedas said. Kerin straightened up sharply at the honorific.

  ‘The last time you should use that title, my friend. It will bring trouble with it. Call me Anken.’

  ‘Anken it is.’

  ‘Do any others here know the other name?’

  My woman who you just saw, your two; that is all. Oh, there is a boy who knows how much money your women have on them; but he does not know your name, and he has sense enough to keep his mouth shut.’

  ‘Yes, about the money,’ Jesral started, and hesitated, not sure how Kerin would react. Cedas stepped in.

  ‘We came to a financial arrangement about your brother’s rescue. I was assured it would be honoured,’ he said. Kerin looked levelly at him.

  ‘You assume the money was mine.’ He glanced at Jesral; she had probably assumed the same thing. ‘I have been off the side of a ship twice in the space of three months, and both times came out with nothing but the clothes I stood up in. Everything I have, I owe to the generosity of those I travel with. But do not doubt that if Fortune favours me I will repay that generosity, a hundred-fold. Now,’ he continued, ‘how many here know where we are bound, or why?’

  ‘Know? The same as before. Suspect… well, they aren’t stupid. We’re off the normal circuit, and rumour has the true Crown in the dungeons of Karn. But then, it also has him in the tallest tower in Lestar, under Maregh’s personal guard; or in Federin still, being held for a great ransom by a renegade clan. I understand to some, he never left the ship; he has travelled to northern lands, in search of a pure-blooded Northern bride. And those are the least fanciful of the rumours I have heard.’ He dropped the wry smile. ‘But you, I understand, are certain he is there?’

  ‘My source is very reliable. The only question remaining is whether we can get there in time.’

  oOo

  Further meetings with Cedas and Naylan (when he had recovered from the shock of discovering who one of his workers was) established that they would all continue on the same route to Karn, but that Naylan's wagon was not effectively part of the Company. This was due to Cedas's insistence on the rule about all members of the troupe contributing. Kerin, even if he had been able to do anything, would not draw attention to himself in that fashion. Naylan and Vel avowed themselves devoid of any performing skills, and Bighur was persuaded that his light should stay under a bushel for a little longer. Cedas took it no further. Kerin could see he was wary, understandably. Cedas treated him with respect, but he was also cautious of him, doubtless in case it was all a ruse. Here was a man, claiming to be LandMaster of Lestar, as good as telling him what to do in his own camp. Cedas did not look to be a man to take kindly to that, but he said nothing. Kerin conceded to his insistence on Company rules to give the man some of his ground back.

  Whether Cedas believed in Kerin’s identity or not was immaterial, so long as Kerin had convinced him that Jastur was in Karn, and that Kerin was not fool enough to try and get him out if it couldn’t be done. The days spent on the journey had served that one purpose at least; a plan had formed and been checked and rechecked in his head. At last, improbable though it had seemed till now, it looked like it was possible.

  No further mention was made of payment. Jesral was thankful that Cedas did not raise the matter again, fearing Kerin's wrath when he found out that the arrangement had taken care of all their funds. Little did she guess what would really set light to the tinder.

  Chapter 18 – A Little Learning…

  At first, despite an offer of seats from Cedas, Naylan’s party stayed away from the shows. Bighur’s disappointment was salved by the promise that he could watch a rehearsal further along the way. If they were going to get to Karn in six or seven days there could only be four public shows, but to Cedas that was more reason than ever to have rehearsals at every evening halt, to keep everyone fit and their acts up to standard. Each day they set out early and travelled as long as they could; and on show day afternoons, while the Company set the show up, Naylan traded to curious townsfolk who came to see what entertainment that evening might bring.

  Kerin stayed out of sight now in all the towns and villages they passed through, unlikely to be recognized but unwilling to risk the possibility this close to Karn. Even if his face was not known, his good looks drew attention; there was always the danger that these would be remarked on and the connection with Naylan and the Company made later, when Jastur was out and the hue and cry got under way.

  Despite his self-imposed isolation it was not long before Kerin found out the full extent of the agreement between Jesral and Cedas, but if Jesral had hoped for an argument, given that Kerin's concerns were the same as hers, she was to be disappointed. He conceded entirely to Cedas his rights to the full sum, but quietly negotiated a compromise. Kerin could name large and plausible amounts he could lay his hands on – but only if Cedas gave Kerin's party what they needed to spirit Jastur away. He made an offer Cedas could not refuse, the balance to be paid in Lestar in October as long as Kerin or Jastur were alive to do so. So they had their emergency funds, but Cedas was a hard bargainer; it was only just enough. The whole business made it clear to Kerin that he and Cedas were never going to like each other, but so long as they could respect each other's skills they’d be able to work together.

  The skills were what mattered. The second night together, after the show had finished, they held a meeting in Cedas's wagon. Kerin knew who he wanted for the rescue and why, and he made sure they were all there.

  He began by telling them of Karn, fortres
s and town, and how impregnable it was. He painted a bleak picture of intense security and formidable architecture, built on a site with command of the surrounding area. He ended his summary with a smile; most of them thought him gone mad at the sight, but Cedas laughed and propped his head in his hand.

  ‘So, we’ve all dismissed the impossible options, and no time wasted arguing over them; now what's the improbable one you're left with?’

  The improbable one sounded as impossible as the others. Vel protested against it, as did Jesral and Naylan; Bighur, Nina and Renia sat silent and uncomfortable along with Eddir, Cedas's youthful spy who had rifled their packs. But Cedas asked question after question, probing round the edges of their protests, aiding Kerin in proving his idea viable, suggesting alternative skills that were available in the Company. Kerin welcomed the former but turned away from the latter, proving to each in the meeting that they held all the skills needed, and that to include others in this was to increase the danger to the Company and themselves. Each of them was a lynchpin in his eyes, no matter how small their role. The lure of money was mentioned but it was Kerin's oratory and enthusiasm, his honesty in admitting he was uncertain on some points but seeking their suggestions, drawing and redrawing plans and coming back to the key points to reinforce his conviction that the plan could work; that was what fired them all. Even Renia left the meeting happy.

  Kerin waited until the others had left before he spoke to Cedas.

  ‘My thanks for your support.’

  Cedas's expression dismissed his pleasantry. ‘It's what you’re paying me for,’ he pointed out. Then he regarded Kerin steadily. ‘Mind you, I’d dispute your claim that you could do nothing for the show. I could use a man like you.’

  ‘In what way?’

  Cedas kept his tone light as he replied, ‘You have all the skills of a confidence trickster. I’d lay odds you could talk folk into anything, after tonight’s performance. I suppose it’d be less offensive if I said the skills of a politician or military officer, but from my experience they’re all the same. Look at them: you told them the truth about Karn, yet they’ve gone away happy to attempt this lunacy.’ Kerin's look darkened as Cedas continued, ‘I told Jez when she first suggested this that it was damn’ near suicidal. After this last two hours I know I was right. I know you think so too.’

  ‘So what are you saying? Do you wish to withdraw your people, or are you trying to raise your price?’ Kerin's tone was level, trying to hide his resentment and disappointment at this change of heart. Cedas shook his head.

  ‘I shook hands on it, with Jez and with you. Even if you were to agree to it, from her point of view I couldn’t withdraw and hope to keep my – well, let’s be polite, and say my honour. There is bad blood between us. She only sought my aid because she was desperate, thinking you and Vel dead, and I can't say I didn't take advantage of it. The others of the Company, Nina, Eddir, they aren't bound like me; it won't be me who tries to dissuade them though, not so long as you're honest with me in one respect. Tell me why you’re attempting this madness.’

  ‘I would have thought my reasons obvious. Jastur should be Crown; for Ilmaen's sake he must be Crown. I made a pledge to him and Ilmaen, to be his Champion. I consider it no less binding than your pledge to Jez.’

  ‘Ah, but which binds you more, him or Ilmaen? If one's a lost cause, shouldn't you think about the other and keep yourself safe? You're the only other heir – without one of you two, the choice is between keeping Maregh or having civil war, isn't it?’

  ‘Jastur is not a lost cause. If you think that, then I would sooner have you out of this business now. With you or without you, I will go ahead.’

  ‘The point is, you can't go ahead, not without two of us. The rest are replaceable, but you need me to scale the wall and Naylan to pick some locks. You won't replace yourself either, even if you could, despite the risk. You see, Kerin, I know you've not been completely honest with me. But I'll let it go, because I see the reason.’

  ‘What other possible reason can there be?’ Kerin asked scornfully, but carefully. Ready to fetch Renia back with the Eagle if doubt as to his identity was voiced; ready to laugh it off if Cedas told him what he knew to be true, that he was scared to be Crown. The obviousness of Cedas's reply he had not prepared for.

  ‘Because he's your brother; because you love him.’

  Kerin kept his self-control and met Cedas's eyes with little more than a blink to register his confusion.

  ‘You think me too human, sir.’

  ‘On the contrary, you forget how human you are. I, on the other hand, am a mercenary in this. I’ll go in there because I'm paid to. I’ll look to achieve our aim, I’ll be a killing machine if need be, but I'll not throw my hide away for nothing. Nor yours, since you're paying the wages. You'd best know now that if push comes to shove and we can't get him out I won't give a damn for your orders; I'll knock you senseless and carry you out myself if necessary.’

  ‘I will kill you if you do.’

  ‘You’re welcome to try; just as long as you pay me first. If he can’t be got out, I will get you out. That’s what the country needs, and you know it. I wouldn't want you to mistake my action for cowardice – or caring, for that matter. This is a business arrangement; let emotions come into it and we'll like as not be knocked to hell.’

  ‘I have led troops since I was fifteen. I don't need you to tell me that.’

  ‘Well, good,’ Cedas allowed. Kerin held back from striking the little fold-out table in his anger, reducing the gesture to a tap of impatience on the drawings he had made earlier. He looked at what he was tapping and picked them up. Cedas gestured at them.

  ‘Might I suggest that…’

  ‘Have these burnt,’ Kerin ordered curtly before he could finish, spinning them across the table and into Cedas’s satisfyingly clumsy catch before he left.

  oOo

  Over the next few days those plans were duplicated and destroyed again and again by Cedas, Naylan and Vel; they were the ones who would enter the fortress with Kerin and they needed to commit its layout to memory. Paper was a scarce commodity, so they traced their plans in the dust under the wagons where no one could overlook their work, raking it through when they were done. They traced the plans in their minds too, reciting descriptions of what they would find at various points in and around the fort; Kerin made them repeat the lessons until they had the layout off by heart. It was hard for Renia to hide a smile whenever she passed Cedas doing his rote learning.

  He and Kerin were obliged to spend a lot of time together, but a grudging respect developed between them – enough to outweigh the antipathy. They took to exercising together when they weren't planning Jastur's deliverance. Kerin was surprised by the rigour of the exercises Cedas put himself through every day; he did no more than an hour compared to Kerin's usual two, but in a form so concentrated it challenged even Kerin's stamina. Vel would join them from time to time, but the dour rivalry of the other two made him uneasy. He preferred it when they gave him the chance to cross sword or knife with either of them. He still struggled against Kerin but he had learnt enough to recognize his own strengths and weaknesses; and he was almost a match for Cedas. That gave him a challenge he could take on with some hope of success.

  Some of their preparations were obscure enough to make openly – much to the entertainment of the rest of the Company. Four days from Karn they came upon a meandering river and Cedas called an early halt to set up camp for the night. While the Company pitched up he went and found Kerin, and the two of them strolled to the edge of the ford, where the traffic had churned the ground into mud. They spoke for a while, then began to build themselves an earthwork and discussed it at length. As they walked around it, Kerin would alter it with a pat of mud added here, a scraping off there; and the people on the nearest wagons hooted and called to find out how long Cedas had been entering his second childhood and making mud pies. Cedas's replies were good- natured but earthily graphic. Kerin looked amused too, but
he was careful to kick the earthwork down when they were done and trample it back into mud.

  Kerin found that, when it came to it, he was curious about the show; he couldn’t resist watching that evening’s rehearsal. After all, no one would see him who didn’t already know he was there. So he sat with Vel, Naylan and an entranced Bighur among the loose circle of watchers. They saw Jesral on the far side of the circle. She waved to them once, but was in conversation with the people she sat with. Renia they could not see, but they thought nothing of it then.

  Then the first act started. One of Cedas's rehearsal ploys was to put a new act in at the start of a show when the crowd was an unknown factor, to force new players to learn how to assess and handle a crowd. To be told your act was a 'middle slotter' by him was to imply it was only fit for when the crowd were warmed up and in a good mood.

  Kerin recognized Cedas instantly as he walked out. He listened with polite interest as the act unfolded until the hypnotized princess spoke, and Vel started and pulled at his sleeve.

  ‘That's Renia!’ he whispered urgently. Kerin had recognized her voice too, though it sounded unnatural and other-worldly. Vel's mind worked fast, and Kerin's was not far behind.

  Seeing through a blindfold. A supernatural skill, and one gullible people might think real and not an act. One moment of waking fit such as she had already had, and it would be for Renia exactly as it had been in Mhrydain.

  ‘What the hell is she thinking of?’ Vel hissed at Kerin, who hushed him.

  ‘Say nothing now, but as soon as this act is done we must put a stop to it. Oh, Ren, have you lost your senses?’

  ‘Something wrong?’ Naylan enquired. He had not caught the whispered words, but sensed their concern.

  ‘No, just something someone forgot. It will be dealt with,’ Kerin replied. He sat, silent and frowning, until the act finished. Then he was up in one movement, stilling Vel who had started to rise too.