by David Weber
"Prince of—?" the halfling began incredulously, only to stop with a bark of laughter. "Aye, of course you're a prince! What else could you be?" He ran his eyes back over the naked hradani and tweaked his mustache once more. Bahzell's ears flicked in amusement at his tone, but there was no more give in his eyes than in the halfling's, and he nodded.
"That I am, friend, and a champion of Tomanak." All five halflings looked at one another in disbelief, and Bahzell's voice hardened. "I'd not be laughing at that, were I you, for I'm not in the mood." He raised the tip of his sword slightly, and the spokesman held out a restraining hand as his fellows bristled in instant response.
"Not yet, lads," he said, his eyes still locked with Bahzell's. More feet scampered up the companion as his crew belowdecks realized something was happening, but neither he nor Bahzell turned their heads. They faced each other in the darkness, and then the halfling looked pointedly at Bahzell's sword and raised an eyebrow. The Horse Stealer turned it slightly, letting the light catch the symbols of Tomanak etched deep into the steel, and the halfling nodded and lowered his own blade.
"Well, then, Bahzell Bahnakson," he said dryly, "my name's Evark, and I'm master of this ship. If you need her, I'm the man you have to talk to about it, so suppose you tell me why I should waste time listening?"
"I've no mind to be rude," Bahzell replied politely, "but I'm thinking this—" he twitched his sword "—might be one reason."
"It might," Evark allowed. "You might even be able to carve us all up into fish food with it, though I doubt Tomanak would approve. But that would still leave you a little problem, friend—unless you've got a spare crew tucked away?"
Bahzell chuckled and leaned back, propping his weight on his sword.
"You've a way about you, Evark, indeed you do. Very well, then, if it's a reason you're wanting, d'you think we could be keeping our swords out of each other long enough for me to give you one?" He twitched his heavy purse so that it jingled, and added, "You've my word you'll not lose by listening."
"Oh, I suppose we might." Evark beckoned his crewmen back and sat on the roof of the deckhouse, his own sword across his thighs, and grinned at Bahzell. "Assuming, of course, that you understand we'll still chop you into dog meat if it's not a reason we like."
Brandark sat huddled in a blanket beside the piled heap of driftwood and stared morosely out to sea. The night lay in ashes about him, a hint of gray tinged the eastern horizon, and he chewed the inside of his lip.
Bahzell should have been back by now, assuming his lunatic plan had worked, and worry gnawed at the Bloody Sword. The whole idea was crazy, and he was bitterly aware why Bahzell had hatched it. He touched his bandaged leg and swore. The sheer joy of realizing it was going to heal after all had been so great he'd almost been able to forget what his continuing incapacity implied, but he could no longer pretend. Without him to look after, Bahzell could have played catch-as-catch-can with the cavalry patrols; with someone who could barely ride, much less walk, that was impossible. Which was why Bahzell had hit upon the notion of somehow hiring—or stealing—a ship. The idea had a sort of elegant simplicity, but only an idiot would think a hunted fugitive could sneak into the Purple Lords' very capital, get aboard a ship, and—
His thoughts broke off as something flashed in the darkness. It blinked again, then burned steadily—a tiny pinprick of light, spilling reflections of itself across the sea. Brandark stared at it incredulously, unable to believe in it, and then he was fumbling madly for his tinderbox.
A brilliant arm of sun heaved itself drippingly out of the sea just as the launch came gliding in. There was something strange about the boat, and it had taken Brandark several seconds to realize what it was. That enormous shape in the bows had to be Bahzell, but the oarsmen looked like children beside him, and the Bloody Sword shook his head in fresh disbelief as he saw the glint of ivory horns and realized they were halflings.
The boat slid up on the beach, and Bahzell—wearing sword and dagger but otherwise naked as the day he was born—leapt over the side and heaved it higher on the sand.
"I see there's some benefits to bringing along someone your size after all!" a voice called from the stern sheets, and Bahzell grinned.
"You've a sharp tongue for so small a fellow, Evark!" he replied. The fiercely mustachioed halfling laughed, and then Bahzell was bounding through the surf to clasp Brandark on both shoulders. "And you, little man! Don't be telling me you weren't feeling just a mite anxious."
"Me? Anxious?" Brandark heard the huskiness in his own voice and cleared his throat. "Nonsense!" he said more strongly. "Everyone knows Horse Stealers are born to be hanged. What could have happened to you on a simple little job like this?"
He waved at the boat as Evark jumped onto the beach and stumped up to them. The halfling captain propped his hands on his hips and peered up at the two hradani, then shook his head.
"Hanged, is it? Well, he came near enough to it, I suppose. But what's a man to do when an idiot with more sword than brain climbs over the side of his ship in the middle of the night?"
"Here, now! It's hard enough when one of you is after calling me names!"
Evark ignored Bahzell and thrust out a hand to Brandark. "So, you're the bard, are you?" he said gruffly.
"Ah, no." Brandark grasped the proffered hand with a smile. "I'd like to be one, but I've been told I lack the voice for it."
"Do you, now? Well, never mind. From what your friend tells me, the two of you managed to piss off half the Purple Lord army, and that's recommendation enough to anyone who's ever had to deal with 'em! Besides, Korthrala wouldn't like me anymore if I left one of Scale Balancer's lot to fend for himself, and if Tomanak's crazy enough to take on a hradani champion, who am I to argue with him?"
"Ah, the tongue of him!" Bahzell mourned, then laid a hand on the captain's shoulder. "Brandark, be known to Evark of Marfang Island, master of the Wind Dancer, who's after being kind enough to offer us a ride."
"But I'll not change my schedule for you, mind!" Evark said gruffly. "I'm bound straight to Belhadan with a cargo of Wakuo dates. They won't keep long, so it's to Belhadan you'll go if you ship along with me. Aye, and you'll pull your weight aboard, too!"
"Belhadan?" Brandark laughed. "D'you know, I suddenly have an absolutely overwhelming desire to see Belhadan. Where is it?"
"You'll find out, my lad," Evark assured him. Several more of his men swarmed ashore and began gathering up the hradani's sparse gear, and the captain made a shooing gesture at the launch. "Get aboard, get aboard! Your friend's been freezing his arse long enough—we'd best get him back to Wind Dancer and into some clothes before something he'll miss freezes off!"
"Aye, I'll be going along with that." Bahzell grinned at Evark and slipped an arm around Brandark to help him hobble to the boat. "It's a terrible temper he has for such a wee little fellow," he told the Bloody Sword, "but he's a head on his shoulders for all that."
"And a good thing, too," Evark snorted, chivvying his passengers across the beach. "Korthrala knows the pair of you need looking after if even half of what you've told me is true, longshanks! Damn me for a Purple Lord if I know which of you's the bigger idiot—you, for getting yourself into this, or this other fathom of fish bait for following you!"
"Oh, it's Bahzell, hands down," Brandark assured him as the Horse Stealer half-lifted him over the gunwale and settled him on a thwart. One of Evark's men handed him his balalaika with a grin, the other halflings scrambled back aboard, and Bahzell heaved the launch off the beach and crawled over the stem as they backed oars to slide away from the island.
The bonfire still burned, pale and smoky in the growing, golden light, and Brandark gazed back at it and shook his head again at the breakneck speed with which everything had changed. They were going to live after all.
"So, I'm the bigger idiot, am I?" Bahzell growled as the launch curtsied across the water. "And where would you be without me, hey?"
"Snug in bed in Navahk—and hating eve
ry minute of it," Brandark said, and Evark snorted behind him.
"Well, you're a long way from Navahk—wherever it is—" the captain observed, putting the tiller over to steer for his ship "—and I can hardly wait till I put the two of you ashore in Belhadan! Korthrala, the Axemen will have a fit! Still," he squinted into the sun, his voice more thoughtful, "I doubt you'd've made it this far if you couldn't land on your feet."
"Oh, we'll be fine," Brandark said, turning on the thwart to sit facing him. "Assuming, of course, that Bahzell doesn't find something else to come all over noble about."
"Noble, is he? Him?" Evark gave a crack of laughter. "Now somehow I don't think that's the very word I'd use to describe him!"
"Oh, but he is!" Brandark assured the captain. "Nobler than you could possibly guess."
"Here! That's enough of that!" Bahzell protested while the entire boat's crew chortled.
"Don't let his modesty fool you," Brandark said earnestly, a wicked gleam in his eye. "He's too shy to brag on himself, but I know. In fact, why don't I just entertain you with a song on the way back to your ship, Captain?"
"Oh, no, you don't!" Bahzell made a grab for the balalaika, but he couldn't reach far enough past the oarsmen, and Brandark settled the instrument in his lap with a seraphic smile.
"It's just a little thing I'm still working on," he told a grinning Evark while Bahzell sputtered behind him. "I call it The Lay of Bahzell Bloody-Hand, and it goes like this—"
APPENDIX
THE GODS OF NORFRESSA
THE GODS OF LIGHT
Orr All-Father: Often called "The Creator" or "The Establisher," Orr is considered the creator of the universe and the king and judge of gods. He is the father or creator of all but one of the Gods of Light and the most powerful of all the gods, whether of Light or Dark. His symbol is a blue starburst.
Kontifrio: "The Mother of Women" is Orr's wife and the goddess of home, family, and the harvest. According to Norfressan theology, Kontifrio was Orr's second creation (after Orfressa, the rest of the universe), and she is the most nurturing of the gods and the mother of all Orr's children except Orfressa herself. Her hatred for Shigu is implacable. Her symbol is a sheaf of wheat tied with a grape vine.
Chemalka Orfressa: "The Lady of the Storm" is the sixth child of Orr and Kontifrio. She is the goddess of weather, good and bad, and has little to do with mortals. Her symbol is the sun seen through clouds.
Chesmirsa Orfressa: "The Singer of Light" is the fourth child of Orr and Kontifrio and the younger twin sister of Tomanak, the War God. Chesmirsa is the goddess of bards, poetry, music and art. She is very fond of mortals and has a mischievous sense of humor. Her symbol is the harp.
Hirahim Lightfoot: Known as "The Laughing God" and "The Great Seducer," Hirahim is something of a rogue element among the Gods of Light. He is the only one of them who is not related to Orr (no one seems certain where he came from, though he acknowledges Orr's authority . . . as much as he does anyone's) and he is the true prankster of the gods. He is the god of merchants, thieves, and dancers, but he is also known as the god of seductions, as he has a terrible weakness for attractive female mortals (or goddesses). His symbol is a silver flute.
Isvaria Orfressa: "The Lady of Remembrance" (also called "The Slayer") is the first child of Orr and Kontifrio. She is the goddess of needful death and the completion of life and rules the House of the Dead, where she keeps the Scroll of the Dead. Somewhat to her mother's dismay, she is also Hirahim's lover. The third most powerful of the Gods of Light, she is the special enemy of Krahana, and her symbol is a scroll with skull winding knobs.
Khalifrio Orfressa: "The Lady of the Lightning" is Orr and Kontifrio's second child and the goddess of elemental destruction. She is considered a Goddess of Light despite her penchant for destructiveness, but she has very little to do with mortals (and mortals are just as happy about it, thank you). Her symbol is a forked lightning bolt.
Korthrala Orfro: Called "Sea Spume" and "Foam Beard," Korthrala is the fifth child of Orr and Kontifrio. He is the god of the sea but also of love, hate, and passion. He is a very powerful god, if not over-blessed with wisdom, and is very fond of mortals. His symbol is the net and trident.
Lillinara Orfressa: Known as "Friend of Women" and "The Silver Lady," Lillinara is Orr and Kontifrio's eleventh child, the goddess of the moon and women. She is one of the more complex deities and extremely focused. She is appealed to by young women and maidens in her persona as the Maid and by mature women and mothers in her persona as the Mother. As avenger, she manifests as the Crone, who also comforts the dying. She dislikes Hirahim Lightfoot intensely, but she hates Shigu (as the essential perversion of all womankind) with every fiber of her being. Her symbol is the moon.
Norfram Orfro: The "Lord of Chance" is Orr and Kontifrio's ninth child and the god of fortune, good and bad. His symbol is the infinity sign.
Orfressa: According to Norfressan theology, Orfressa is not a god but the universe herself, created by Orr even before Kontifrio, and she is not truly "awake." Or, rather, she is seldom aware of anything as ephemeral as mortals. On the very rare occasions when she does take notice of mortal affairs, terrible things tend to happen, and even Orr can restrain her wrath only with difficulty.
Semkirk Orfro: Known as "The Watcher," Semkirk is the tenth child of Orr and Kontifrio. He is the god of wisdom and mental and physical discipline and, before the Fall of Kontovar, was the god of white wizardry. Since the Fall, he has become the special patron of the psionic magi, who conduct a merciless war against evil wizards. He is a particularly deadly enemy of Carnadosa, the goddess of black wizardry. His symbol is a golden scepter.
Silendros Orfressa: The fourteenth and final child of Orr and Kontifrio, Silendros (called "Jewel of the Heavens") is the goddess of stars and the night. She is greatly reverenced by jewel smiths, who see their art as an attempt to capture the beauty of her heavens in the work of their hands, but generally has little to do with mortals. Her symbol is a silver star.
Sorbus Kontifra: Known as "Iron Bender," Sorbus is the smith of the gods. He is also the product of history's greatest seduction (that of Kontifrio by Hirahim__a "prank" Kontifrio has never quite forgiven), yet he is the most stolid and dependable of all the gods, and Orr accepts him as his own son. His symbol is an anvil.
Tolomos Orfro: "The Torch Bearer" is the twelfth child of Orr and Kontifrio. He is the god of light and the sun and the patron of all those who work with heat. His symbol is a golden flame.
Tomanak Orfro: Tomanak, the third child of Orr and Kontifrio, is Chesmirsa's older twin brother and second only to Orr himself in power. He is known by many names—"Sword of Light," "Scale Balancer," "Lord of Battle," and "Judge of Princes" to list but four—and has been entrusted by his father with the task of overseeing the balance of the Scales of Orr. He is also captain general of the Gods of Light and the foremost enemy of all the Dark Gods (indeed, it was he who cast Phrobus down when Phrobus first rebelled against his father). His symbols are a sword and/or a spiked mace.
Torframos Orfro: Known as "Stone Beard" and "Lord of Earthquakes," Torframos is the eighth child of Orr and Kontifrio. He is the lord of the Earth, the keeper of the deep places and special patron of engineers and those who delve, and is especially revered by dwarves. His symbol is the miner's pick.
Toragan Orfro: "The Huntsman," also called "Woodhelm," is the thirteenth child of Orr and Kontifrio and the god of nature. Forests are especially sacred to him, and he has a reputation for punishing those who hunt needlessly or cruelly. His symbol is an oak tree.
THE DARK GODS
Phrobus Orfro: Called "Father of Evil" and "Lord of Deceit," Phrobus is the seventh child of Orr and Kontifrio, which explains why seven is considered the unlucky number in Norfressa. No one recalls his original name; "Phrobus" ("Truth Bender") was given to him by Tomanak when he cast Phrobus down for his treacherous attempt to wrest rulership from Orr. Following that defeat, Phrobus turned openly to the dark and became, in fact,
the opening wedge by which evil first entered Orfressa. He is the most powerful of the gods of Light or Dark after Tomanak, and the hatred between him and Tomanak is unthinkably bitter, but Phrobus fears his brother worse than death itself. His symbol is a flame-eyed skull.
Shigu: Called "The Twisted One," "Queen of Hell," and "Mother of Madness," Shigu is the wife of Phrobus. No one knows exactly where she came from, but most believe she was, in fact, a powerful demoness raised to godhood by Phrobus when he sought a mate to breed his own pantheon to oppose that of his father. Her power is deep but subtle, her cruelty and malice are bottomless, and her favored weapon is madness. She is even more hated, loathed, and feared by mortals than Phrobus, and her worship is punishable by death in all Norfressan realms. Her symbol is a flaming spider.
Carnadosa Phrofressa: "The Lady of Wizardry" is the fifth child of Phrobus and Shigu. She has become the goddess of black wizardry, but she herself might be considered totally amoral rather than evil for evil's sake. She enshrines the concept of power sought by any means and at any cost to others. Her symbol is a wizard's wand.
Fiendark Phrofro: The firstborn child of Phrobus and Shigu, Fiendark is known as "Lord of the Furies." He is cast very much in his father's image (though, fortunately, he is considerably less powerful), and all evil creatures owe him allegiance as Phrobus' deputy. Unlike Phrobus, who seeks always to pervert or conquer, however, Fiendark also delights in destruction for destruction's sake. His symbols are a flaming sword or flame-shot cloud of smoke.
Krahana Phrofressa: "The Lady of the Damned" is the fourth child of Phrobus and Shigu and, in most ways, the most loathsome of them all. She is noted for her hideous beauty and holds dominion over the undead (which makes her Isvaria's most hated foe) and rules the hells in which the souls of those who have sold themselves to evil spend eternity. Her symbol is a splintered coffin.
