The Sword Saint

by C. F. Iggulden

  The messenger who entered the exercise hall came to a sudden stop. He had been inside the room before. He’d smelled floor polish then, and seen the orange-stained wood, iron and leather that made up the exercise apparatus. He looked around in astonishment, trying to make what he could see match his previous memory.

  A vaulting horse was still on fire and lying on its side. Scorch lines ran right up the walls and across the ceiling, like curling webs of soot. The floor itself had been torn up in a dozen places, with bricks of hardwood flung through the air. Many of those smouldered and the messenger would have called for help if his throat hadn’t dried and his testicles weren’t trying to creep back up.

  Three people stood in the centre of the room, as if at points of a triangle. The only woman seemed to be smoking as she faced the others. The messenger cleared his throat, trying to wet his lips enough to speak. The noise caught their attention at least.

  ‘Ah … urm … mm-mm. Speaker Tellius sent me to ask you to hold. There will be three more coming.’

  ‘Well, I’m not sure we need them,’ Elias said, watching the woman with the red hair. Nancy smiled at him. He’d seen stripes of fire across walls before, he realised. On the night he’d come into Darien to kill their king. The memory sat like a dark clot on his brain – and in the deep heart of it, he remembered the unnatural lash marks burning along the walls. He was convinced he faced the source of them. Yet it had been Deeds who’d fired the shots that killed the king. Whoever this woman was, she had not done half as much harm as Elias had.

  Taeshin looked from one to the other of his companions. A man he could not hit and a woman who wielded threads of flame. He had rarely felt so overmatched in his life, but at least neither was a swordsman. Whoever else was to come, it could hardly get any worse.

  17

  Leader

  The eastern sky had grown the pale grey of rabbit fur. Elias stared out of the window of the gymnasium, waiting. He knew Tellius expected him to lead the group. He was not yet sure he wanted to, or if they would truly accept him as leader. Trust took time to build, that was the problem. It was all very well being put in charge while they remained in Darien, but in the field, when Nancy wanted to advance, or Taeshin wanted them to follow? He was not sure.

  ‘Where are these others?’ Elias said in irritation to Taeshin.

  The swordsman shrugged, continuing to test and adjust his armour. At his request, a set had been brought over from the training school. It seemed almost to be made of crow feathers, in long thin strips of enamelled iron. Taeshin seemed pleased with it and still moved well enough. Elias wondered how much he would slow down after a mile or so on foot in the dark. Unless Tellius delayed too long, of course. Then he, Taeshin and Nancy would be approaching the army of Féal as the sun rose again the next morning.

  A flicker of movement in the gardens caught his eye. Elias leaned closer to the glass, cupping his hand around it to kill the reflections of the room. He reached from instinct and his expression hardened. His mouth became a thin line as he worked the catch and opened the window.

  Jenny Post saw the movement and came forward. Perhaps she was pleased he could only look out and not grab her by the arm and shake her. She looked up defiantly, though the trials of her night showed. Her skirt was dark with mud or wet, while her hair had been tangled and knotted in some fall. She looked exhausted and his anger melted away in an instant.

  ‘Come inside, would you, Jenny? The door is just over there.’

  She nodded without saying a word and darted off. Nancy and Taeshin thought it would be the three warriors Tellius had promised, so they were surprised to see a little girl of twelve or fourteen, coming into her father’s arms in a rush.

  ‘You are frozen!’ Elias said. ‘Taeshin, would you have one of the palace servants fetch a brazier? My daughter is cold and wet.’

  One was brought in moments, taken from a nearby office and carried in on poles. Jenny looked almost hungrily at the little glowing door and seated herself as close as she could. Her lips were bluish, Elias saw.

  ‘Who is looking after your sister?’ he asked her.

  She took a deep breath, ready for the interrogation.

  ‘Meneer Finch and his wife. She’s safe there.’

  Elias nodded.

  ‘You know you can’t come with me, love. All right? I won’t take you where you’ll see men killed. No father would.’

  ‘You cannot stop me. Not even you, Dad. I can reach, with you, so I can protect you.’

  The little girl folded her arms, but she was on the verge of tears even so. Before Elias could speak again, Nancy knelt by the brazier.

  ‘Jenny, is it? My name is Nancy. How did you even find us, love?’

  His daughter looked with round eyes at her father. She had no idea who the glamorous stranger was, of course. Elias nodded to her, replying when she would not.

  ‘We can use the knack to find a path, sometimes. It’s not much more than a feeling, but I’ve used it to hunt, all my life.’

  ‘I want to go with my dad,’ Jenny said in a rush. ‘I’ll keep him safe.’

  ‘Nancy is going to come with me, Jen. You see? I won’t be alone. This man too, in the armour. He is a great swordsman from the city of Shiang. They’ll keep me safe.’

  ‘Not like I can,’ his daughter replied. ‘I can reach, Dad, as well as you.’

  Nancy smiled at the way the little girl jutted her jaw. It made her look obstinate and adorable at the same time. Jenny Post was pale and wet and probably starving, but she hadn’t given an inch since entering the room. Nancy found she rather liked her.

  A clatter of boots and men’s voices broke the silent moment into pieces. Nancy rose to her feet from instinct, the better to run or attack.

  Tellius entered first, looking twice at the girl and the brazier. Behind him came Deeds, Hondo and Bosin. They looked about as weary as Jenny Post before them, though Elias saw Tellius walked with a new bounce in his step. He noticed too how Taeshin’s mouth fell open at the sight of the Shiang swordsmen. Elias bit the inside of his cheek as he wondered how this would affect the attack they had been planning. Two or three slipping into a camp at night might have been possible. Twice that number surely meant more chance of being spotted and caught – though if it came to that, perhaps they’d have a better chance to fight their way out.

  ‘Meneer Elias,’ Tellius called. ‘I would like to introduce you to Master Hondo, sword saint of Shiang. Master Bosin, a swordsman with few equals. Meneer Deeds you know.’

  Tellius said the last with a slight emphasis and Elias stood very still, accepting the omission of detail even as it rocked him. So Tellius knew Deeds had been his companion on that night four years before! Elias wondered if the old man knew Deeds was the one who had fired the shots that actually killed the old king. He set his own jaw, just as his daughter had done before. It didn’t matter. Tellius was a cunning old devil, there was no doubt about that. If he preferred not to condemn Elias, well … Elias dipped his head, accepting. Perhaps there was a price to pay there, whether it was spoken aloud or not. For Deeds as well, though Elias saw no sign of contrition or greater wisdom in the young man’s face as it beamed around and alighted on Nancy.

  Deeds showed his teeth like a grinning wolf as he looked Nancy up and down. She was very aware of his scrutiny, though she kept her gaze on Tellius.

  Elias leaned around to see past the swordsmen. If they were as good as Taeshin, he supposed he was pleased enough. Yet Deeds was a problem that had to be addressed.

  ‘Meneer Deeds is a gunman,’ Elias said, ‘where we need stealth and silence. I know how he can shoot, so I don’t say it lightly, but he’s no good to us, not tonight.’

  ‘You’ll need me if it goes wrong, though,’ Deeds said.

  There was no bluster in it, so Elias assumed Tellius had already promised the gunfighter a place. He nodded, digesting the new information.

  ‘I won’t go if you expect us to fail, Tellius. Now, my daughter is here, s
o I’ll speak gently to you. If we are a diversion, or some part of a greater plan, I will come back, alone if I have to – and I will speak to you again. Do you understand what I mean?’

  ‘He means he’ll kill you,’ Jenny Post said, with satisfaction.

  Tellius looked from one to the other, seeing the family resemblance in the jaw.

  ‘I understand. And the plan is the same. You enter the camp with Taeshin – or Master Hondo might be a better choice. Nancy alongside you. She is there in case it goes wrong. She can break you out. Deeds, Bosin, perhaps Taeshin can wait in support. If you are pursued, they will be vital. It will not matter then if Deeds lights them up.’

  ‘I should take Patchwork,’ Bosin said.

  Tellius looked sharply at him, sensing the difference in the man. He shook his head.

  ‘The Sallet Greens are part of the defence of the city. If you … when you … come back, you are welcome to use the one called Patchwork. You’re the best I’ve seen in that thing, anyway.’

  ‘You shouldn’t have tested anyone else,’ Bosin grumbled. ‘Patchwork is mine.’

  ‘Lady Sallet lent the suit to you. It is not yours … Are you all right, Master Bosin? You seem less … less …’ Tellius struggled to find a way to describe what he was seeing.

  ‘Master Bosin is just weary,’ Hondo broke in. ‘We have ridden hundreds of miles and gone without sleep. We should get at least a few hours now.’

  ‘We have to leave,’ Elias said. He disliked being rushed and there were too many new things to take in. It was making him feel overwhelmed. ‘If the army of Féal is moving twenty to twenty-five miles a day, they will arrive in range of Darien tomorrow morning. We have to get going so we can intercept them before the sun rises again – and we do not know how long it will take once we are in the camp. If you can doze in the saddle, you should. I cannot wait any longer.’ He made a growling sound in his throat. ‘I don’t like this!’ he said to Tellius. ‘It is too rushed.’

  ‘Believe me, I wish we had a week, or six months! But we close the gates tonight. Either you stop the army, or you fall back to Darien. We’ll drop ropes for you from the walls and bring you up if the gates are closed. Stay alive and come home, all of you.’

  Elias nodded. He turned back to his daughter.

  ‘You see, Jen? I’m not alone. These people will keep me alive and I’ll come back to you when it’s over. Shall I get you something from the markets, then? Do you think your sister would like another doll?’

  ‘I want to come with you!’ she said, her eyes filling with tears. Nancy moved to pick her up and the girl stepped away from her embrace, leaving her holding air.

  ‘Nancy,’ Elias said. ‘Would you show my daughter why you were asked to come here this evening?’

  Nancy stood up straight and snapped her hand at the far wall. A long tendril of gold lashed out from her, like a whip uncoiling. It was followed by threads in the air, alive and so hot that a warm wind washed over them. Jenny Post gaped in awe at the beautiful woman who had such power. Bosin had a very similar expression, though Elias noted Deeds had gone a sickly shade of pale. Perhaps he too remembered the lash marks on the walls of the palace, years before. Deeds and Elias had very nearly crossed paths with Nancy. Elias wondered if she knew. He leaned down and gave his daughter a hug.

  ‘There, love. Do you see?’

  She nodded and Tellius came over.

  ‘I have a lady friend who would be happy to look after you while your father is away,’ he said.

  Elias stiffened and Tellius felt his eyes widen, suddenly aware of his mistake. He let go of the little girl’s arm and held up empty palms.

  ‘As a guest, Meneer Elias. Not a hostage.’

  The man had torn the city apart and walked through the Aeris legion to get his daughters back the first time. Even the suggestion that they might be held against their will was not something Tellius wanted to revisit. Elias nodded to him, accepting the words as he looked to his daughter.

  ‘I’ll come back here tomorrow, Jen, to take you home. All right? You’ll be safe.’

  Elias knew Tellius well enough to understand he didn’t have to mention the alternative. If he didn’t come back, Tellius would return her to Wyburn. Any man could die in defence of his people. He was not immune.

  He took his daughter’s hands in his. She began to sob softly, understanding that it was an ending. Perhaps it did have to be said, after all.

  ‘If I don’t come back, love, you’ll live with the Finches, all right? They have a daughter of their own and they always wanted more. They’ll look after both of you.’

  ‘I don’t want that! I don’t want you to go,’ she said.

  He smiled and kissed her cheek before drawing her into an embrace so tight it was hard for either of them to breathe.

  ‘Now don’t I always come back for you?’ he said tightly. She nodded. ‘These are my people, Jen. I can’t just sit it out and see them slaughtered, not if I have a chance to do something about it.’

  Tellius cleared his throat softly.

  ‘Time to go,’ he said. ‘Good luck, all of you.’

  King Jean Brieland came awake with a surge of energy, rolling out of the low camp bed and onto his front to lever himself up and down twenty times. When he’d finished, he was slightly flushed and the camp was noticeably busier all around him. A servant stood close by with a steaming cup of tea, while another waited to assist him with bathing. In all, four men and two startlingly attractive young women waited to play a part in his rising. The sky was clear and it looked to be a good day ahead. He did not look at the corner of the tent where his shadow had curled up to sleep. On some mornings, she seemed to come awake an hour or so after him, so that, for a while, he was alone and free of her whispering. He grimaced as he caught a sense of movement, like a cat stretching.

  See how they watch you? They are all afraid, even your whores.

  ‘And right to be,’ he said, smiling. The man ready to hand him his tea made no acknowledgement. He had served the king long enough to be wary of responding to any comment not clearly aimed at him.

  Where is your son, though? What did you do to Louis to keep him from you?

  ‘I did exactly what I had to do. I taught him a lesson he will not forget – as long as he looks in a mirror!’ King Jean snapped. All the servants froze and he heard a faint tinkling as the one carrying his tea trembled the cup against a saucer. He looked in reproach to the corner where the shadow lay. ‘There. See what you made me do. I am frightening the staff.’

  ‘Your Majesty?’ the one with the tea ventured.

  The king could almost smell his fear, like a sourness in the air around him. He took the tea to end the rattle of china, waving the man out of his presence.

  ‘Bring me a pot, Tom, would you? I need to move my bowels. I am a little congested, though the tea will help. Have the results inspected as well. I have been feeling less than my usual self. No doubt it is the discomforts of camp.’

  He spoke in a rattle of words, clearly aimed at the servants scuttling to fulfil his every need. He did not want them to think he had gone mad. As he drank the tea and peered at the leaves clustered in the bottom of the cup, he glared sideways at the shadow. She knew he was watching, of course. She always had, ever since she had followed him out of the priest’s cave.

  By the time he strode out into the sun, another hour had passed and the camp was beginning to pack up, ready to march. Word had taken wing in the ranks that they would see the city of Darien the following morning. One hard march, a night’s rest and then an attack. As King Jean looked around him, he saw only eagerness and energy. His legions were used to victory. He was content for a moment just to stand and breathe it in. First the violence, then mercy for the survivors. After that, he would rebuild Darien. If Louis had told its charms aright, he might make it a southern capital after it had been bled clean. That was what the healers always said. A wound filled with corruption could be cut deeper and bled clean. Yes, it was a fine i
mage for Darien.

  Lord Harkness had seen the king leave his tents. They were already being taken down behind him, part of the mass rise and fall of construction that took place every night. It might have been astonishing to see what five or ten thousand men given a simple task could do, both quickly and efficiently. Yet it had become unremarkable over time. As Harkness approached the king, servants unfolded a table and chairs. Still more unrolled maps and placed cones of lead to hold them against any errant breeze.

  King Jean clapped his hands together, ready for whatever the day would bring. Rather than sit, he leaned over the table, staring down at a map of the land ahead that made him feel like a bird flying far above.

  ‘This is excellent work, Harkness,’ he said.

  The older man fussed with his papers, delighted at even a little praise.

  ‘Your son and I had the city paced out and recorded,’ he said. ‘I think it’s about as accurate as anything they have themselves. You see the docks there? I gave those lads a gold piece each. They spent a whole night on the river, with wires and measuring sticks. I thought the city guards would arrest them, but they brought it all back. This is the result.’

  ‘Very good. Though we have to get inside the walls before any of it is useful. Most of it, I will burn. You still think they’ll pull back behind the gates? I would rather they came out to meet us in the field, like the Savoyards. My God, do you remember them?’

  ‘Of course, my lord. That was a fine campaign.’

  The Savoyards had fought with extraordinary fervour to defend their land. Just a decade later, they were part of the new nation and seemed to have accepted it. Of course, barely a fifth of them remained. King Jean had kept the women alive and sent in regiments of his army to breed new soldiers. There had been squalling babies everywhere in the new Savoy territory, so he’d heard. One or two had been killed by their mothers, but on the whole, women everywhere were a forgiving tribe.