Maig's Hand

by Phillip Henderson

  The Druid’s cold grey eyes passed from James and found Faith. They hardened considerably as he handed her a vial of green liquid from his pocket. “You’ll need to drink this. It will make them think you are alone. You have been told how this is to proceed?”

  “I have.”

  “And you have concocted a story to account for your presence?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you fully understand what I must do if you fail?”

  “I think that has been made quite clear, yes.”

  “Good. Get her on her way,” he said to Lord Colita before strolling off toward the bow of the Lela.

  Colita was bristling and went to protest the man’s lack of respect for the royal lady, but Faith stopped him.

  “Be careful,” James said, as the men began to lower the longboat down the side of the ship. “And remember, if you run into trouble, get off the ship.”

  “I will.”

  When the boat settled into the water, Faith quickly unhooked the ropes. Most of the men had lined the ship’s railing to see her depart. She gave them a brave smile as the ship slipped away into the fog, comforted in small part by the knowledge that every soldier and knight would happily die trying to save her and Dee if there was need.

  In less than a minute the ship had vanished and she was alone and drifting in the thick fog. It was utterly disorientating. Her skin prickled as an unnatural breeze found the boat and the water began to ripple against the bottom of the little vessel as she moved forward. Despite the odd sensation it was a small relief to have someone else guiding the boat, for there was no way she could have found her way out here. Remembering the vial in her pocket she quickly gulped it down, wincing at the horrid taste.

  It wasn’t long and she sensed the other ship bearing down on her and then its dark shape began to materialize out of the thick white fog.

  As the bow of the ship drew nearer, Faith listened for the dreaded shout that would indicate she had been spotted out in the fog. For the plan to success she had to get aboard unnoticed. The deck was too high for her to see, but she could hear some of the men aboard. There was a quiet conversation going on at the bow—likely a watch. Further afield a group of men were laughing merrily, and the clatter of wood on wood and periodic shouts of excitement suggested they were playing dice or something similar.

  Faith carefully stood as the bow of the ship passed her and reached up to steady her boat against the ship’s hull. Careful her little boat didn’t knock against the larger vessel and raise the alarm, she worked her way down the ship looking for the rope ladder that Lord Baryon had told her would be here somewhere. Sure enough it emerged out of the white gloom and she leaped up and grabbed it before slowly climbing up the side of the ship to the weathered timbers of the railing. The laughter from those on the deck was louder here. The men sounded drunk and in high spirits—the normal state of a victorious army. She had witnessed it first hand often enough. She closed her eyes hard and took a few calming breaths, hoping she was going to be able to turn the tables.

  On reaching the top of the ladder she peeped over the railing and spotted seven dread knights standing round the hatch at the centre of the mid deck. Some were swigging from bottles of wine or gin. The man who had unhorsed her at the South Gate was shaking a wooden mug and as she watched he threw its contents onto the hatch, provoking laughter and mocking from his brethren. Five horses were tethered to the mast slightly aft, their tails and ears twitching as the deck moved under their hooves. Two more members of the Twenty Three, armoured and wearing their bearskin cloaks were standing at the bow. Both were leaning on their long swords taking a pipe, their back to the shroud of mist beyond the bow sprite. Through the fog to the rear, Faith could see more men on the stern deck. One stood at the helm, his robes marking him as a druid elder, while the others shared a loaf of bread and mug of what was likely tea or something stronger, and looked to be ordinary men.

  There was an odd smell about the ship Faith couldn’t place and as she prepared to reveal herself something small and wet splattered on the deck beside her hand. She looked up and immediately froze. The rigging was crowded with roosting crows. The sight took her completely by surprise and panic threatened her resolve. They had not anticipated the enemy aboard this ship to be so numerous.

  What do I do, Faith thought frantically. There were at least three hundred of the enemy here—and that was based on what she could see. It was far more than their meagre force could handle, even if she could kill the priestess and Lord Baryon could nullify the Twenty Three.

  A shutter squeaked open in the side of the ship on Faith’s right. Before she could react a helmeted head appeared and a hand sprung out and grabbed her ankle. It was the same man who had killed Lady Vanessa and seized Danielle and as Faith kicked at him, trying to break loose, he caught her other ankle and shouted a general alarm. Footfalls and swords being drawn from their scabbards obliterated the quiet and before Faith could draw her dagger strong hands grabbed her from above and pulled her up on deck. She writhed, kicked and clawed to break the hold of the two dread knights who had seized her, but a third stepped in and buried his mailed fist in her gut. The blow took the fight out of her, and after her weapons were removed they let her go and she slumped down on the deck coughing and trying to catch her breath.

  “Keep a good watch on the fog. If these fools want to attack us again, then I want to be ready.” Allius had clambered up the ladder and was striding across the deck. He bellowed at the birds in the rigging and they took to the air as one black mass. The dread knights split ranks to let their commander through.”

  “I am alone,” Faith protested weakly as his shadow fell over her. The pain in her stomach was only easing slightly.

  Allius grabbed her collar and dragged her to her feet and glared into her face. Faith saw the ambiguity in his eyes; he knew what she was and what she meant for their cause, but he also knew the risk she posed. “Alone are you?” Still holding her collar he shoved her up against the mast, his breath heaving in her face and his teeth bared. “A one woman rescue attempt?”

  “No. Not a rescue. I was hoping we might reach some sort of agreement. The Kathiusian Druids know what I am. They tested my blood; they know I’m Abbagay and they want me dead.”

  “Really?”

  “I ran … I want to make an agreement.”

  “What do you offer,” Keira asked. The warriors of the Twenty Three stepped aside, making way for their priestess. Allius pushed Faith down on her knees in front of the black robed woman and kept a firm hold of her shoulder and the wrist of the arm he had twisted up her back.

  It was the first Faith had seen of the slight framed priestess. If she was Fren’s sister one would never have guessed from her youth and beauty… or vanity was perhaps a better way to describe her. One thing was sure; it would not be particularly difficult to snap the woman’s delicate little neck, assuming there was opportunity to get close enough of course.

  “I’ll wed Lord Kane willingly if you promise to spare my father and Corenbald, and the lives of Michael and Eden de Brie.”

  Keira laughed at the idea. “You expect me to believe Corenbald will side with us?”

  “That’s not what I’m offering. You leave my father’s realm alone, and we’ll not bother you.”

  “And what of your marriage to our new Hand?”

  “If I must.”

  Keira sniffed and gestured to Allius that he should let her stand. “So how did you find us?”

  “Danielle told us. When she said her goodbyes to her fiancé in the woods earlier, she seared a set of symbols into his mind.”

  “Then it is fair to say that Naratha knows where we are?” Keira asked.

  “They know you are on the lake.”

  “What are they planning?”

  “I don’t know. I took my horse and escaped when no one was looking. The symbols said you were taking a ship. So when I got to Wildling Cove, I stole a small rowboat and headed out to the deepwater moori
ngs of Pine Tree Point. I saw this ship and the barrage beside it. Just before you weighed anchor I managed to get onto the rope ladder.”

  “So where have you been for the last hour?

  “Plucking up courage.”

  “Really?” Keira said with incredulity, “It sounds cowardly to me, and more than a little out of character for the famed First Sword of Corenbald.”

  “Believe me, I don’t do this happily.”

  Keira stepped forward and looked deeply into Faith’s face. “And no plea for the Lady de Brie? You and she are bosom friends are you not?”

  “What would be the point?” Faith said bitterly, glaring back at the woman. “A wise commander knows when a battle is lost and when the time has come to make terms and save what she can.”

  Keira raised her eyebrows at that. “Perhaps you’re not so cowardly after all—or stupid.” She reached out with her elegant hands and gently loosed Faith’s damp hair, letting the long black tresses fall over her shoulders. A pleased smile graced her sensual lips as she played a long dark lock through her fingers. “You know the priestess who serves the Hand, gets to share his bride?”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do.”

  “Well I’m sure I can make you scream,” Faith replied without rancour.

  Keira smiled cruelly and stepped away. There was a touch of respect or was it fear in her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure you could, First Sword of Corenbald. Put her in irons and throw her in the ship’s brig with her friend.”

  Faith realised her mistake. “Wait.”

  “Don’t quibble with me, child. If de Brie told you about this boat, she also told you about the Seer’s bones she stole from me. Did she destroy them or does Naratha have them? If it’s Naratha then you’ll know they are of little use to you while I live. So why are you really here?”

  “You can’t truly believe the White Druids would send me here, knowing what I am? And I know nothing of any Seer’s bones.”

  “Then I’m sure we have plenty of time to jog your memory. Get her below. And Allius have the brethren search the area; this she-wolf isn’t alone. Destroy anything you find. And if Naratha is with them, I want my bones back.”

  Faith tried to get free of the two dread knights who had grabbed her but it was no use. They easily overpowered her and bundled her below deck. The raucous cries and beating wings above followed her down the narrow passageways and stairs as they descended to the lowest deck of the ship. As she walked, Faith prayed Lord Baryon’s wards would hold against such a host and she tried to figure out what to do next. Unless she could find a way to get at the priestess, and quickly, failure was certain, and they all knew what that meant—and not just for her.

  One of the dread knights lit a lantern at the door to the ship’s hold and pushed her across the dark cavernous space where a good number of horses were tethered. They reached a door in the opposite bulkhead and once it was unlocked she was ushered into yet another narrow dark passageway. A few yards on and she was forced to stop outside what she presumed was the ship’s brig. They clamped irons around her ankles and wrists and then unlocked the door and shoved her inside. The door was immediately closed and locked, and footsteps retreated up the passageway, leaving her in pitch darkness.

  “Who’s there?” It was Danielle’s voice soft and scared in the darkness. There was the clatter of chains and someone moved in the far corner of the brig.

  “It’s me.”

  “Faith? What are you doing here?”

  Faith felt her way along a wall, her own chains rattling, and when she found her friend huddled in the far corner she knelt down and hugged her.

  “What’s happened,” Danielle asked.

  Faith’s face contorted in the darkness and tears slipped down her cheeks. “I think I’ve doomed us all.”

  ***

  James swore under his breath as the quiet of the morning was broken by the sound of what had to be hundreds of screeching crows taking flight somewhere off their starboard beam. Something had gone horribly wrong aboard the Ra’tane; he could feel it as surely as the cold sweat running down his back.

  Like the soldiers and knights around him, he’d been waiting silently, his sword drawn, for the signal from Lord Baryon that Faith had managed to kill the priestess. The Druid warrior had the seer’s bones in his hand, lightly shaking them, waiting; ready to utter the spell that would send the Twenty Three back to Vellum’s Forge and allow them to come around and ram the other vessel and launch their rescue mission.

  At the sound of the crows, Baryon, glared up at the fog, muttered a curse and then abruptly put the bones back in their pouch and slipped it back into the pocket of his robe and called to his colleagues before striding off toward the bow of the ship.

  Lady Amlay and Lord Gilford hurried past. Not sure what to think, but dreading the worst, James fell in behind them with Lord Colita at his side.

  “What’s going on,” he demanded on reaching the bow. The cacophony of shrieking birds was getting closer, though the thick white fog beyond the railing conceal all from view.

  “The Lady Galloway has failed, or betrayed us, it’s impossible to know which,” Baryon said curtly. To his colleagues he said, “You know what to do. Hold nothing back and protect yourselves at all cost.”

  “She would not betray us,” Lord Colita countered indignantly.

  James said. “How do we know you speak the truth? We have no idea what set those birds off. The lady may merely need more time.”

  “There is no time!” Baryon shouldered passed James and the Lord Commander and moved back to the mid deck. “Marack, bring the ship around,” he ordered. “We’ll pass, starboard to starboard. Everyone be ready.”

  “Pass?” James couldn’t believe this. “We are to ram.”

  When Baryon ignored him, he grabbed the man’s arm, and twisted him around so they faced each other. “We have to get aboard, and quickly. We still have the element of surprise. Your conjuring and our weapons splashed with Gods’ water could very well keep the Twenty Three at bay long enough to rescue our people. You know how valuable they are to defeating this evil. We can’t just give up.”

  Baryon shoved him back and hissed, “That was not the agreement. Galloway knew the price of failure as well as any.”

  “You bastard. You had no intention of mounting a rescue.”

  Baryon looked to Colita, saying in no uncertain terms, “I suggest you get this man out of my sight, or I’ll kill him where he stands.”

  James moved to draw his sword, but two of Colita’s men grabbed his arms and restrained him.

  “What do you intend,” Colita demanded of the Druid lord.

  “Lady Galloway had her chance and failed. Now my brethren and I must clean up the mess while there is still time. I suggest you honour your part of the agreement and look to the defence of my brethren so we can sink that ship and hopefully kill the priestess and the elders she has with her.”

  “We’re not leaving them,” James said angrily. The very real threat that he might loss Danielle and Faith was making him desperate and the two knights were forced to restrain him more forcefully, though James knew he had their sympathy.

  “That ship is going to the bottom of the lake,’ Baryon retorted. “The priestess must die before Allius can over run us, or all will be lost. So use your sword where it can serve best. Protecting us.”

  James turned his plea on the Lord Commander. “Lord Colita, please, how do we know this man is telling us the truth? You know they want Faith dead.”

  “I’m sorry, James. You know what the agreement was.”

  “Sir, please, we cannot give up so easily.”

  “I said no! You are not the only one grieved by this decision, James. Now you can use your sword to defend this ship as you pledged, or my men will take you below deck and clamp you in irons. What will it be?”

  “I’ll fight.” It was the only way he was going to get free from the iron grip on his arms. And he had to be free if he was going to
get aboard the ship that was emerging out of the fog directly ahead. Come what may, as soon as he had the opportunity that was what he was going to do and the Twenty Three and whatever else stood in his way be damned.

  The Ra’tane’s sails were billowing as she bore down on them. From the deck of the Lela they could now see hundreds of birds circled above the bigger ship’s mist shrouded masts. Their heinous cries sent shivers down every spine, but so far it appeared the protective wards Baryon and his kin had erected were holding for there was no evidence aboard the Ra’tane that they had been spotted.

  “On my lead,” Lord Baryon said. The Druid lord took his position at the starboard railing. His five colleagues were standing either side of him, their attention on the approaching ship.

  Silence fell across the deck of the Lela as the yards between the two vessels reduced. Every man and woman tightened a hand on a weapon or a staff, waiting for the carnage to begin.

  James could feel the air crackling with energy as the Druids prepared to unleash a devastating firestorm. He’d felt the same magical current in the forest when they’d rushed to attack the retreating priestess and her horde.

  He prayed Dee and Faith were somewhere below deck and that he could get to them before the vessel was destroyed.

  The ships were going to pass no more than fifty yards apart. James could see The Twenty Three on the mist-shrouded decks of the other vessel. Their swords were drawn, but they seemed confused by what was going on. Allius appeared, striding across the mid deck, shouting orders.

  The wards were hiding them in the fog that at least was clear.

  Baryon lifted his arm and pointed his palm toward the Ra’tane. “Fire at will!” A sphere of blazing orange fire flashed across the open water. The front mast of the approaching trader exploded in flames and smoke, shredding timber and rigging. The thunderous explosion drowned out the shriek of the birds and was almost immediately followed by a volley of fire as the other Druids cast orbs of molten fire into the enemy ship. The Ra’tane’s other masts collapsed under the onslaught and her deck erupted in an inferno. Sailors and Druid warriors were blown apart, and the lucky few that managed to escape were jumping overboard, many with their black robes a flame.