by Imogen Elvis
“What happened?” Briar asked.
Mistress Tempe paused for a moment before answering. “It was the middle of the night,” she said finally. “The songs came out of nowhere. They tore through the forest north of here, decimating everything in their path. They did the same to the south. And here in Lorholt, well, you see what happened to us. I never saw the magicians who did this, but I could hear their voices, carried on the wind. There must have been dozens of them.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why they targeted us. We’re just a small river town. We have nothing of importance. And nothing was taken, no money, no goods. It makes no sense.”
“What did you do when they attacked?”
“We hid, as best we could. I gathered up anyone I could find, and we sought shelter in the town hall. All we could hear were those songs as they ravaged the town.” The mistress paused, pressing her lips together into a thin line, lines creasing her face and making her look suddenly old. “I sang all night until my voice was gone, just trying to keep the flames and the smoke away from our hiding place.” She shook her head. “That is not a night I ever want to relive.”
“I’m sorry,” Briar said quietly.
Mistress Tempe managed a small smile. “It’s not quite as bad as it looks. We lost too many townspeople that night, and we will mourn them for a long time. But we can rebuild the town. And with cargo ships like Captain Finbar’s, coming regularly, we’ll be alright.” Mistress Tempe’s voice hardened. “I may not have seen who did this, but if they ever come back, they will be sorry.”
“What about the Order house here?” Briar asked. “Was that attacked too?”
“There isn’t one here. I’m the only magician in Lorholt.”
Briar frowned. “But I thought that all magicians were connected to houses.”
“In larger towns, maybe. Here, along the river routes especially, the towns are important for shipping but aren’t always large enough to warrant an entire Order house. There simply aren’t enough people in Lorholt to need so many magicians. So instead, wind singers are often stationed by themselves, one to each town, to send messages, share news, and such like. I am the singer for this town.”
“I think I have heard of that before, actually,” Briar said slowly. “Up in the north, there were towns that had their own wind singers that sent messages up and down the roads, though I never saw an Order house there. But I always thought that magicians stayed there together.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me.” The mistress slowed her steps. “But enough about such dark things. What is a magician doing travelling alone on a cargo barge such as Finbar’s? Especially one as young as you? You can’t be more than a novice.”
Briar hesitated. She couldn’t tell Mistress Tempe the truth, of course. But she couldn’t lie to her either. It didn’t feel right. Finally, she settled on a version of the real story. “I’ve come from Osman. It was attacked several months ago when the song council was there?” She waited for Mistress Tempe’s nod of recognition before carrying on. “I’m going to Mizra. The Order house in Osman was pretty much destroyed.” They had been rebuilding it even before Briar left in the aftermath of the attack, but Mistress Tempe didn’t need to know that.
Mistress Tempe’s face softened then, just as Briar thought it might, and a touch of guilt twisted in her heart at having to manipulate the mistress by her omissions. “I am sorry. That is something you should never have had to witness.”
“Nor you,” Briar said.
“Thank you.” In that moment it felt less like they were mistress and novice and more like they were equals, connected by the same lived experiences, terrible as those had been. “The central Order house will be more than happy to have you, I’m sure.” Mistress Tempe’s voice gentled. “It sounds as if you have been through more than your fair share of hardships.”
“I suppose so.” Briar gave a little shrug. “We’ve all seen things no one should have.”
“That is true.” Mistress Tempe sighed. “And we live to remember them. I should get back to work. There is still much to be done. Lorholt won’t rebuild itself after all. Thank you for all you have done for us. We won’t easily forget your kindness.” And with that, she was off, striding away to her next important task. Briar watched her go. With such a driving spirit behind them, this town would recover sooner than ever. Mistress Tempe was a force to be reckoned with, and Briar pitied anyone who got in her way.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dawn brought a flurry of activity onboard the Done Wishin’. With the help of the townspeople, the crew had unloaded their cargo, working until it was almost too dark to see. There was no way they could risk setting sail that late, so the barge stayed in Lorholt overnight. But now, with the first glimmer of sunlight turning the treetops gold, all hands bent to preparing the boat to set sail once more.
Briar kept out of the way of the sailors, standing at the side of the railing closest to the jetty. While the crew made their final preparations, Mistress Tempe appeared out of the town, striding onto the wooden pier. She stopped alongside the boat, her eyes following the preparations, her arms folded over her chest. It was hard to tell whether she was there to farewell them, or to make sure that they actually left.
“Good morning, mistress.” Briar smiled tentatively at the mistress, ducking her head in respect. Much to her surprise, Mistress Tempe gave her a respectful nod in return.
“Thank you for your help, novice,” the mistress said.
“It was nothing.” Briar’s cheeks heated at the mistress’s words. She fidgeted with her medallion. It was her duty to help where she could.
“Not to Levine and her granddaughter. And not to the people whose lives you saved.” Mistress Tempe’s face actually broke into a smile. “I wish you and your friends all the blessings of the Tree. May you reach Mizra in safety. Take care, little novice.”
“I will. Thank you. I know words don’t mean much, but I am so sorry that this happened to you.”
“The people of Lorholt are strong. Trade ships pass through regularly, and most of our important buildings survived. We can weather this.” The mistress shrugged. “The scars will fade with time.”
If Mistress Tempe were anything to go by, then the people of Lorholt would be just fine. If whoever attacked Lorholt had meant to cow them with fear, or break their spirits, then in that, they certainly failed. Briar admired these people for their determination.
“Cast off!” Captain Finbar’s voice boomed over the deck.
Micah unhitched the heavy mooring rope, and the crew hauled it onto the deck. Freed from its moorings, the boat drifted away from the dock, and Micah leapt from the jetty to the boat so as not to be left behind. The sails unfurled, and the barge made its way out into the open waters. As they ponderously turned downstream, a voice rose from behind them. On the jetty, Mistress Tempe had closed her eyes and began to weave a song. Magic filled the air, carrying with it a sudden rush of wind. The sails snapped tight and the deck lurched as the boat picked up speed. Briar clutched the railing with both hands, silently thanking Mistress Tempe for her parting gift.
The crew tightened ropes and adjusted the sails, settling in for a long day on the river. Kade and Lara came to join Briar. “Look at how fast we’re going.” Lara glanced up at the taut sails, straining with the wind, a smile creasing her lips. “At this rate, we’ll be in Mizra inside of three days.”
“I think it’s Mistress Tempe’s way of saying thank you,” Briar said.
“Magic has done some terrible things, but it is very useful as well.” Lara shook her head, her smile fading. “I can’t imagine why anyone would attack Lorholt like that. Was it the Nameless Ones, do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Briar said. “They used to attack the towns in the north, back when they were searching for the song catcher. It could be them, but I don’t know why they would attack now.”
“Could Lorholt be more important than we thought?” Lara suggested.
Kade shook his head. �
��It’s just a small river town. It’s not on a main trade route. Destroying it wouldn’t make any sort of impact on anyone.”
“They didn’t attack the warehouses either,” Briar said. “Or the town hall. That’s why so many of the townspeople stayed safe during the attack. Whoever did this, they weren’t trying to disable the town.”
“Well, let’s hope we don’t come across anything like that again.” Lara’s eyes still looked sad and distant. “That was awful.”
It was. Briar’s thoughts took a dark turn towards other towns she had seen, things she’d rather not remember, like Osman, Astar, Ava… She swallowed hard and pushed those memories back. Those were ghosts that she would deal with when she was alone. “If there is anything good to come out of this attack at all,” she said with an effort, “it’s that this is recent. If Master Sachio did this, for whatever reason he has, then he’s still working towards something. Which means he can’t have taken the throne yet-”
Lara nudged Briar’s shoulder, cutting her off. “Does that look like trouble to you?”
The woman with the red bandanna stood near the deckhouse, talking to Finbar in a low voice. She had something cupped in her hand, which they both bent their heads over. Finbar’s face creased into a heavy frown. From this distance, Briar couldn’t make out what they were gazing at so intently, but it sent a shiver down her spine.
“Briar?” Kade asked.
“I don’t like this,” Briar said quietly. Maybe it was paranoia, or maybe her magic was picking up on something, but the first strains of dread twisted in her stomach.
As if he felt their gaze, Finbar looked up suddenly. If he was surly and unfriendly towards them before, now there was something so sharp and hostile in his eyes that the force of it hit Briar like an arrow to the chest. He took the object the woman held out to him, closing it inside his fist. His eyes slid to Micah, who stood nearby, and his head jerked ever so slightly. Micah and a couple of the other crew members followed in their captain’s shadow as he headed towards Briar and her friends.
Briar narrowed her eyes, trying to read the oncoming danger. The captain’s face was expressionless now. Not a good sign. You knew where you were with a man when he was showing just how he felt, even when it was burning anger. Cold silence and tightly reined emotions usually meant trouble.
Lara and Briar exchanged a worried look. Then, as the captain reached them, any anxiety swept out of Lara’s face, to be replaced with the blandest of smiles. “It looks like we’re making good time today.”
“We are, with this wind,” Finbar said. “It’ll be a good run. I give it three, maybe four days, if the wind blows steady.” His face twisted in a tortured smile, a poor pretence at civility.
“That’s good news,” Briar ventured. “Isn’t it?” What was he playing towards?
“Tis. My crew and I are eager to get to Mizra, have some time onshore.”
“We are as eager as you.” Lara’s smile took on a strained edge. Briar couldn’t blame her. The sooner they got off this ship and into Mizra, the better for everyone.
“I’m sure you are.” Finbar fell silent for a moment. Something brewed behind those calculating eyes and that twisted smile. “We’ll be picking up some new contracts as well. Get most of our regular work in Mizra. Good customers in Mizra. Interesting people.”
“You must know a whole range of people, travelling up and downriver as you do.” Briar kept her voice even, with an effort. “Lots of people must need cargo shipped.
“Aye, that is true. Once we hauled goods for a prince in Beldra. Shipped a whole barge-load of crystals for him.” Finbar leaned one shoulder against a stack of crates, casual, apart from the way his fingers fidgeted with whatever it was he held in his hand. “Got a couple of noble families in Mizra who like to ship things every so often too. They’re so precise in their deals. Seals and crests on everything.” The captain regarded them from under hooded eyelids. “Guess they like to be sure everyone knows who they are.”
Lara’s voice held an edge to it when she spoke. “This is all fascinating, I’m sure.”
“I’ve not even reached the interesting part yet,” Finbar said. He straightened and as if smelling blood, the crew members behind him stepped a little closer. “See, Kyla here found a sweet little trinket lying around in the cabin.” Finbar held a ring up between two fingers. Sunlight glinted off a crest set into it. “It’s a fancy little thing, isn’t it?”
Lara took a half step forward, her hands balling into fists. “You’ve been going through our stuff.” She snatched at the ring, but Finbar held it out of reach. “You were looking for more money, weren’t you? You’re nothing but common thieves.”
“Now, now. I haven’t even finished yet.” Finbar raised his eyebrows at her, the smile on his face growing a shade more genuine. “See, I know this crest. It belongs to the Brockhurst family. Done business with that family a few times in the past. Far as I know, there’s only two of them left now: the young Lord Rowen, and his sister Lady Lara.” He paused, making the most of this moment when he held them all captive with his words. “Both of them are wanted for treason.”
Briar’s heart plummeted into her boots. He knew. Her eyes darted to Kade, who had stiffened at the captain’s words. Lara should have known what danger carrying this ring put them all in. She must have. By the way the colour drained from Lara’s face as her mouth worked silently, she knew her mistake.
“That’s not even the half of it. See, by all reports, Lady Lara is travelling with a young, female magician.” Finbar’s finger pointed at Briar. “And at least one male companion. Which would make you either Lord Rowen or the traitorous prince himself.”
The captain’s words hit Briar like a punch to the gut. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when they were so close to Mizra. Lara shot Briar a wide-eyed look that said ‘do something’. What was she supposed to do, work a miracle? Still, Briar reached for the captain’s life song. If she could find even the barest quaver of a doubt, she might have a chance of convincing him that he was mistaken.
“That’s a big assumption, don’t you think?” Briar let her magic seep into her voice, covering her desperation with warmth and confidence. “There isn’t even the right number of us to fit that description. Just because we have a ring doesn’t mean that we’re the fugitives.”
Finbar blinked a couple of times and tipped his head to one side. A spark of hope lit inside Briar’s chest. “In which case, where would you have got it?”
“Maybe it was given to us.” Lara jumped in before Briar could say anything. “Did you ever think of that?”
“I did. But no one gives away rings like this. You either stole it, which makes you thieves, or you are the fugitives. Simple as that.”
“What proof do you really have, though?” Briar shot Lara a look. If she would just stay quiet, maybe they’d have a chance. “A smart man waits for more proof than a single piece of jewellery can provide. And you’re smart, aren’t you, captain?”
Again, there was a moment of hesitation. The captain blinked several times, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Then he nodded. “I am a smart man. Smart enough to know that either way, you’ve broken the law. The rest we can figure out when we get to Mizra. You can’t sway me, magician.” He straightened. “Micah, Kyla, tie them up. Lock them in my cabin. They can stay there until we reach Mizra.”
Kyla strode towards them, her red bandanna fluttering in the wind, beckoning to her crewmates. The crew surged towards Briar and her friends, a multitude of hands grasping at them. Some grinned, baring their teeth, while others approached with grim, stolid faces. Briar took a half step backwards, her back pressing up against the railing until there was nowhere to go. No. Please, no.
Kade took a half step forward, shielding Briar with his body. “Don’t touch her,” he said, his voice low and menacing. But his words barely caused the crew to pause. They swarmed around him, jeering.
“Traitor.”
“Outlaw.”
> “Thief.”
Someone struck Kade a stunning blow on the jaw. Kade reeled, but kept his footing somehow, moving to keep himself between the crew and Briar. She should be brave, stand beside him and fight back. But those faces, the animalistic glee in their eyes, their lack of mercy, she froze in the sight of that, cowering away.
Another blow hit Kade and another. They crowded around him, grabbing his arms and twisting them behind his back, forcing him down to his knees. Someone grabbed Kade’s hood wrenching it back off his face. A trickle of blood made its way down Kade’s cheek. He tried to rise, tried to pull his arms from their clutches, but there were too many of them. A rope bound his wrists together.
“No.” Briar grabbed the arm of one of the nearest men, trying to pull him off Kade. “Leave him alone.”
But the man shook her off easily, and Kade was bound. The crew dragged him to his feet and marched him away, Lara following in his footsteps, her hands also bound, defiance in her eyes, shouting every curse under the sun at them.
Kyla grabbed Briar’s arm, her red bandanna fluttering in the breeze. Panic flooded through Briar. She dug in her heels and clawed at the woman’s hand as Kyla pushed her forward, away from the railing. “Let go of me.” She lashed out with her heels, catching Kyla on her shins.
The sailor swore and wrenched Briar’s arms around until pain screamed through her shoulders. “Do you want me to break something for you? Stop struggling.”
Tears sprang to Briar’s eyes. She bit down on her lip, pulling against Kyla’s grasp, even though her hands were turning numb. “Let me go.” She couldn’t stop fighting, couldn’t give in. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Sairth. Enough already.” Kyla kicked Briar in the back of the knee. Briar’s leg crumbled beneath her and she pitched forward, Kyla’s grip on her arms the only thing keeping her from falling face-first onto the deck. Briar closed her eyes as the woman tied her hands behind her back. The ropes pulled too tight, biting into her skin. Then Kyla hauled Briar to her feet and spun her round to face the deckhouse. “March.”
