Druid's Bane

by Phillip Henderson

  Kane snorted. “The bones say so, do they?” he hissed so as not to be overheard. “They also said I’d win the tourney, and unless you had not noticed the majority I have worked so hard to broker to see this bill succeed is fast falling apart, and there is no guarantee that what is left will be sufficient to see us through the council tomorrow. So damn your bones!”

  He muttered an oath and closed his eyes. For more than a month now he had been fielding a constant stream of messages from panicked nobles. Danielle and her bloody rumours! He’d done his best to reassure them all, but the truth was, he didn’t know whether Danielle was bluffing or not—he could never tell with her.

  But as soon as she came down the highway, he was determined to find out the truth once and for all. If the rumours proved true, he wasn’t yet sure what he’d do. Though he knew damned well what he wanted to do.

  Hearing a rustle in the undergrowth, he looked up to see the scout running up the overgrown track. Kane got to his feet, and Fren pocketed her bones and rose beside him, the top of her head just reaching his shoulder.

  “Milord…” panted the scout as he burst into the clearing, “the lady… She comes!”

  “How many with her?” Kane demanded.

  “Eight men, armed only with swords,” the mercenary said, short of breath.

  It was as he had suspected. “Right. All of you put your masks on. It is time to do this”

  The joking and dicing had stopped, and the mercenaries were getting to their feet. Now they quickly pulled on rabbit-skin masks, slipped swords back into scabbards, and shouldering crossbows before making for their horses.

  “And remember what you’ve been told. The lady is to be brought back here. The rest of you are to disarm and guard her entourage. And no one is to be harmed, under any circumstances, unless I say otherwise.”

  Kane watched them mount up and disappear down the wooded track in single file, Orson leading the way. It would be the first time he had seen Danielle since wounding her in the final bout of the tournament, and he intended to make the most of the reunion.

  ***

  The departure from Fairfax had been an emotional affair. The entire family and all the household servants had crowded the front stairs of the villa to see Danielle off, and by the time she rode through the open gate, there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen, her own included. Three hours later she was humming quietly to herself, her ponytail swaying back and forth behind her head as she rode along at a fast trot, an escort of eight riding with her.

  She had sent James back to Illandia last night with a letter for her father, the contents of which, she was sure, would be to his liking. Determined not to torture herself with the matter during the ride, she had turned her thoughts to the aid proposal she was going to present to the High Council in just over a week. They had travelled only ten miles before she had outlined the basic arguments. Convinced that these would be sufficient to gain majority support, she let her mind wander a little, and very quickly she found herself daydreaming about James and her pending reunion with Glomar and Wyatt.

  The miles slipped by, and soon they were on the other side of the Crossroads settlement, only an hour from Illandia’s main gate.

  It was a pleasant piece of highway, and more so on a clear summer’s day such as this. The wide Illandian River lay to their left, its sparkling surface often glimmering through the woods, and more than once they spotted a ship in full sail pushing upstream, while others, their canvas furled, moved with the current in the opposite direction. To the right of the highway, wheat fields replaced much of the forest, and from time to time as they rode over the undulating landscape, they could see the Eastern Mountains against the horizon. The towering snow-capped peak of Mount Hellion gleamed majestically under the clear blue sky, and a dozen lesser peaks stretched off to the north and south into the distant haze.

  With the harvest season underway, groups of commoners laboured amid the gently swaying wheat and barley and corn, and drove their heavily laden wagons and carts to the many mills that stood along the river’s edge. The mills, like the fields in these parts, belonged to Lord Gilmore, and Danielle felt a profound pity for the folk who were bonded to the Gilmore house for it must be a terrible thing indeed. Not surprisingly then, riding this highway always made her more impatient than ever for change, and ever more determined to see the abolition of the monarchy and serfdom and the birth of the free Arkaelyon republic reformist dreamed of.

  They had just entered a thickly wooded stretch of highway several miles past Taylor’s Mill when, Mr Slurry, the head guard accompanying her reached out and touched Danielle’s arm, making her look up at him in surprise.

  The man jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Looks like we’ve company, Milady.”

  Danielle glanced back through the dust and saw a group of horsemen coming up the highway behind them at a gallop. With the dust and distance it was difficult to see, and for a moment she wasn’t sure what to think. As the riders drew closer she realised that they wore masks and were armed. Then one of the approaching riders swung a crossbow up to his shoulder, and Danielle knew they were in trouble. The men around her reacted immediately, each man reaching for his sword and bringing his mount around to confront their pursuers. “You ride on, Milady. We’ll hold them here,” Mr Slurry said.

  “Put your swords away and wait!” Danielle shouted at them. She knew well enough that swords were no match for crossbows.

  “Milady?” Slurry said, frowning at her as she reined her horse around to join the line. “You have to look to your own safety.”

  “The mounts are tired, I won’t make a few miles before they have me.”

  “Then get into the woods. Make your way to Taylor’s mill.”

  “Shut up, Mr Slurry and put your sword away. All of you.”

  The men obeyed reluctantly.

  The six approaching riders had brought their crossbows to bear, and it was clear that they knew their business. To fight would be fruitless.

  “Milady, this is folly,” Mr Slurry said to her, glaring at the approaching bandits.

  She ignored him. No one was going to die today on her account. She knew all the men with her by name, as she knew all the servants at Fairfax, and come what may she would do everything she could to ensure their safety.

  The pursuers drew up in a line about twenty yards down the road and lifted their crossbows, each bolt aimed at her chest.

  “Who are you?” Danielle demanded angrily.

  From the masks and hooded capes they wore, she suspected them to be bandits. But while robbery was frequent on the mountainous stretch of the Lowburn Highway that ran from the Crossroads north to Summerset and across the border to the Amthenium region or the highway that wound over the mountains on the realm’s eastern border she had never heard of road agents working on the Illandian Highway, and certainly not in the middle of the day and this close to Illandia.

  “Have your men throw down their weapons, Milady, and no one will be hurt.”

  Danielle nodded to her men, who reluctantly did as they were asked, and swords clattered onto the dusty road. Recognising the Surlemian accent as well as the man’s voice, Danielle had an inkling of what was going on.

  The bandit who had spoken stowed his crossbow behind him and dismounted as more horsemen approached from the rear. Danielle didn’t need to look over her shoulder to guess that other crossbows were now aimed at her back as well.

  “Now, Milady, if you’d be so good as to throw down your sword and dismount, your company is desired a short way up the track. This won’t take long. I can assure you and your men that you won’t be harmed.”

  “Promise me no harm will come to my entourage.”

  “You have my word.”

  Danielle drew her sword, tossed it aside, and dismounted. Then, after handing her reins to the chief groom and ordering Mr Slurry to do as he was told, she walked confidently up to the bandit.

  She could see the blond hair beneath his hood, and despite the mask
he wore, she knew that her suspicions were correct and that the pale blue eyes peering through at her, and the sculpted mouth below, belonged to Orson Llewellyn. “My brother wishes to see me, then, sir?” she asked impatiently, though careful that only he could hear her.

  His mouth curved into a smile as he bowed politely and gestured towards a narrow trail.

  Without hesitation Danielle turned and pushed through the weeds at the verge of the highway and started up the overgrown path. She was too angry to be afraid. Kane’s gall staggered her—to abduct her on a public highway, and in broad daylight!

  After a brisk five-minute walk, she stepped into a small grassy clearing. Orson caught her arm, halting her.

  “Milord, I have the lady.”

  Almost immediately Kane stepped out from behind the truck of a large birch tree. He grinned arrogantly at her, his sword leaning casually against his shoulder.

  “Come to apologise, have you?” Danielle demanded, clenching her fists at her side. The impulse to charge her twin brother and do him violence was almost overpowering.

  His smile broadened and he chuckled in amusement. “Oh, Danielle, really, you know I have nothing to apologise for. In fact, your shabby little antics have cost me my title and a year’s worth of champion’s purses. Thus, if anyone should be apologising, it’s you.”

  “Your poor skill cost you your title,” she retorted, pulling her arm free from Orson’s grip and coming forward. “What do you want?” Danielle snapped angrily, ignoring the blade he had leisurely swung down and now stood poised an inch from her chest.

  His smirk hardened, and he slowly lifted the sword until it forced her chin up. “I want you off my back.”

  “May the arch demons of Vellum marrow you alive!” Danielle said as she brushed the sword away and stepped forward. Two strong hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up, preventing her from getting at Kane, though they couldn’t stop her spitting in his face.

  Kane swore at her, rammed his sword back into its scabbard and wiped her spittle from his cheek, his eyes seething with hate. She watched, not sure what to expect as he cocked his head and stepped slowly forward. “You think you can defy me?”

  She tried to wriggle free, but Orson held her tightly. Then she flinched as Kane casually took a firm grip on the collar of her riding coat.

  “Don’t you dare touch me, Kane!”

  He smiled, then clenched a fist and hammered it into her midriff. Danielle grunted with pain and crumpled to her knees as Orson let her go.

  Kane put his boot on her shoulder and pushed her over so that she collapsed and lay on the ground, holding her stomach and coughing violently, trying to draw breath.

  She couldn’t believe he had just struck her, that he could be so foolish.

  Kane crouched down, the arrogant grin back on his face.

  “You won’t get away with this,” she rasped, trying to blink away the dots that milled and swarmed like gnats through her field of vision. “Father will hang you.”

  “Don’t be so naive, Danielle. We both know you’ll never tell him. You see I’ve heard that Father was quite upset with you after the tournament. Not wearing the correct armour—really, you of all people should know better.”

  “May the gods curse you, you vicious, heartless snake!”

  “Oh, Danielle, temper, temper.” Kane went to stroke her cheek, and she hit his hand away from her face, scowling at him.

  “Apparently Father has appointed you a protector. He’s terrified of losing you, sister. Is this true? And the nobles pressure him from all flanks.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “My point is simply this: What do you think he would say if he heard you’d been attacked on the highway, hmmm? Not only are you returning to Illandia without his permission, but you also end up getting assaulted.”

  “When he hears it was you, I expect he’ll be too busy organising your execution to be worried about punishing me.”

  “Oh, but Danielle, therein lies the problem. You see the identity of your attacker would be debatable. Your escort can’t identify me, so it would be your word against mine, and, of course, I have an alibi: meetings all day today with various members of the nobility. There is simply no way I could have left the city today, you understand? And besides, everyone knows you want to get back at me after what happened at the tourney, and you’re not beyond lying to see it so. I mean, you make up nasty rumours, so what’s another lie, ah? My guess, Dee, is that you’d only be hurting yourself. Then we could add to that the growing mob, who would happily have joined me out here to day, if given the chance. You really have not made too many friends lately have you?”

  She knew he was right, and no words on her account would change that. It infuriated her.

  “Nothing to say?” Kane chuckled. Then, as he started to rise, Danielle saw her chance and leaped at him, one hand going to the dagger sheathed at his belt. Off balance and caught by surprise, Kane toppled over and landed on his back, and she was on him, the knife now in her grasp. He only just managed to grab her wrist before she could get the steel edge to his throat.

  “Help me, damn it!” he said frantically, the blade flashing in front of his face.

  Enraged, Danielle fought fiercely, trying to force the knife down at him. She didn’t intend to kill him, only to reverse their positions. Let him know fear for a change. But he was too strong for her. Then a shadow fell over her, and an instant later the toe of Orson’s boot caught her in the ribs. The blow took the wind out of her and sent her rolling into the grass, where she stopped and curled up in a ball, cringing in pain.

  “Get the little wench up and tie her to that tree,” Kane demanded as he stood and irritably brushed himself off. He bent and snatched up his dagger.

  Teetering on the edge of consciousness, Danielle didn’t even have the strength to scream as she was dragged to her feet by her hair and slammed back against the trunk of a tree. Her arms were wrenched painfully behind her and she winced as they were roped tight.

  Having regained his composure, Kane came forward and grabbed her around the throat, forcing her head up so that their eyes met. “You have caused me a lot of trouble of late, you little wasp. This lie of yours has been most annoying. Now, is it a lie, this business about ambushing me in the General Council tomorrow?” He leaned into her face.

  The dagger pricked against her stomach. Danielle clenched her teeth and glared at him.

  “Well, is it?”

  Despite her predicament, the doubt in his voice made her sneer.

  “Oh, you think this is a joke?” Kane said, jerking her head back by the hair. She cried out in pain and then held her breath and closed her eyes as he lifted the dagger to her throat.

  “It is a lie, isn’t it?” he asked with deliberate calm. “Don’t call my bluff, sister; because I assure you, you will lose most pitiably. Now, what do you know?”

  “Nothing,” she hissed, not daring to move least he cut her.

  “Are you certain of that?”

  “Yes!”

  He considered her face for a moment and then smiled, obviously confident and relieved that she spoke the truth. “Very good. Then I expect we understand each other.”

  She closed her eyes and heaved a breath as he stepped away, returning his dagger to its sheath. Though she still felt giddy, she was lucid enough not to provoke him further.

  When he stepped forward again, she flinched, half expecting to be hit, but he merely laughed at her.

  “What do you intend?” she asked quietly. The old fear was returning. She resented it deeply but dared not show it.

  Kane shrugged. “All I require is that you leave off sticking that lovely little nose of yours in business that doesn’t concern you. Particularly my business.” Putting his hand against the tree trunk above her head, he leaned in an inch from her face. “However, if you persist in hounding me, I’ll have no choice but to circulate rumours around court that will make father so concerned for your safety, he’ll have an arm
y of protectors deputised to watch your every move. With any luck, it might even convince him to curtail or even retire you from all involvement in Arkaelyon’s political affairs. I’m quite certain you wouldn’t want that, now, would you?”

  Danielle jerked her head to the side, refusing to look at him.

  “I didn’t think so,” Kane said casually as he patted her cheek. “Do yourself a favour, Dee. Leave affairs of state to those who know best. And go and spread those lovely legs of yours for some out-of-the-way nobleman to bed and breed you.”

  “I will not. I have every bit as much right to participate in the councils as you do,” she said with venom. She knew it was unwise to say as much, but it was true.

  Kane clamped a hand over her mouth and shook his head, feigning regret. “Oh, sister, how you disappoint me. I would have thought that you, of all people, might have seen reason.” Without warning he swung a fist into her again, making her shudder and double over in pain.

  She groaned as he pulled her head back up by her hair. Her eyes glazed with tears.

  “This isn’t a game you can win,” Kane said, taking her face in both hands. “You have to understand that you’re caught between Father on one side and me on the other, and either way you will lose. Now, I’m being more than generous and patient with you.”

  “You’re a beast,” she murmured.

  “A beast?” He drew in a deep breath of feigned shock. “Fine. Perhaps you’re right. Maybe it would be best if I took the risk and slipped my blade between your ribs and left you and your entourage here for the wolves and summer flies. There are enough people in Arkaelyon and beyond who want you dead to throw suspicion far and wide.”

  “You’ve made your point. Just let me go,” Danielle said weakly. Every breath made her insides ache.

  “But that’s the problem, Danielle. I don’t think I have.”

  He shook his head and then, with a look of finality on his face, drew his dagger again. Danielle winced and stiffened as she felt the point prod her in the side. She began to tremble, and tears of terror blurred her eyes and ran unchecked down her cheeks. It was hard not to remember her nightmare and how it had ended, or to forget the tourney ring.