The Poisoned Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 3 (Complete Edition)

by Duncan Lay

  “Ely!” She gasped and rushed forwards. “Craddock, where did you find this girl and what are you doing with her?” she demanded.

  “She’s a Kottermani spy or some such. Picked her up in the markets but she won’t say where she’s from. The Lord Protector said to toss her in a cell until she agreed to talk.”

  Bridgit winced. Now even Baltimoreans were calling him that! She glanced over at Ely, whose face showed a mix of emotions.

  “I shall talk to her. Give us a few moments,” she said.

  Craddock cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Fallon said to take her down to the cells, not turn her over to you.”

  “Well, I am saying different. Who are you more afraid of?” Bridgit demanded, taking a step closer.

  Craddock and the other villagers exchanged a look. “We’ll just step off this way for a few moments,” Craddock said.

  Bridgit grabbed Ely’s arm and hustled her down the corridor a dozen paces.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked urgently. Ely seemed incapable of speech, so she shook her, gently. “Listen to me. I know what Kemal did to you and why you had to run. But I know what you were trying to tell me and I also know that we would not have escaped without Kemal’s help. So I don’t blame you but I do need to know what you are doing here. Who are you working for now?”

  She looked intently into Ely’s eyes and saw the doubt and fear warring there.

  “I am not your enemy,” Bridgit said steadily. “I saw you with the children and I know you have a good heart. But if I have to walk into that room and tell my husband that you were working for Prince Kemal and tried to betray us, you will be in more trouble than you can imagine. So give me a reason not to go in there.”

  Still Ely hesitated and Bridgit let go of her with a hiss of disappointment. But, as she turned, Ely caught her arm.

  “Please,” she said. “Did the children all get home safely?”

  Bridgit stopped and held Ely’s hand. “They are all safe and back with their parents,” she said gravely. “Not one of them was hurt.”

  Ely’s eyes closed for a moment, and then they opened and she smiled. “I am working for Princess Feray. We are trying to stop the Gaelish in charge of the Kottermani fleet. Feray thinks if she can get to the prisoners you took, she can free Kemal and stop the Gaelish.”

  “You mean Swane and Dina? They are in control of the Kottermanis?” Bridgit demanded.

  “They are holding Kemal prisoner and using his brother Durzu to control the Kottermanis. If she can free Kemal, she can stop them,” Ely said. “I just need to know where the prisoners are.”

  “And how can you stop a Kottermani fleet with only a thousand prisoners?” Bridgit asked.

  “Our ship waits outside and it is loaded with weapons,” Ely said.

  “Why are you doing this for Feray? Does she have your family again?”

  Ely shook her head. “My mother and sister are there but we are not prisoners. We have been freed, and she promises to free all slaves if we can rescue her husband from his brother.”

  “And you believe her?” Bridgit asked skeptically.

  Ely looked her in the eyes. “I do,” she said simply.

  Bridgit thought swiftly. What to do about it? Fallon hated Kemal. The news that his wife Feray was trying to free him to stop the Kottermani invasion might not win any sympathy. And Bridgit was not sure Kemal could stop the invasion, even if he was freed. She looked at Ely, then had the strongest feeling she needed to help her. The last time she had a feeling that strong, it had been looking down at the Duke’s ship at Baltimore. That was hardly a pleasant memory but it had been right. She knew how few men they had to stop the Kottermani invasion. Any help was a chance worth taking. It was a risk but then everything was.

  “Do you swear on the lives of the children that Feray is going to use those men to stop Swane and not help him?” she asked fiercely.

  “On their lives and on the lives of my sister and mother,” Ely said immediately, her gaze level.

  Bridgit smiled. This felt right. It was a crazy risk and if she thought too much about it, she would convince herself out of it. But the time for being consumed by fears was long gone.

  “The prisoners are in my old village of Baltimore, to the south of here. Can you get back to Feray?”

  Ely’s eyes widened. “If I can get back to the docks,” she said.

  Bridgit beckoned to Craddock and the other villagers, who hurried over.

  “This is Ely. She helped us escape from Kotterman and bring your families back to you. She is working for me now. I need you to escort her down to the docks,” she announced.

  Two nodded obediently but Craddock looked less than happy. “Fallon told us to take her down to the cells,” he said.

  “I don’t care what Fallon said. I am telling you what you have to do,” Bridgit told him. “Now go and do it!”

  “Shouldn’t we just—”

  “I shall go and speak to Fallon now and explain it. Or don’t you trust me to speak to him?” she asked.

  Craddock held up his hands. “Fine. We’ll do what you say.”

  Bridgit embraced Ely quickly. “Come and find me afterwards,” she whispered.

  The young woman nodded uncertainly. But whereas before the villagers had taken the girl by the arms and marched her along, now they let her lead them away down the corridor.

  Bridgit took a deep breath. She did not know whether this was a stroke of genius or stupidity. But there was no more time to worry about that. She hurried towards Fallon.

  *

  Fallon looked at the list of weapons they had bought the previous moon and groaned. It was not nearly enough for what he wanted. Even adding in all the weapons they had seized from the Kottermanis and from Swane’s men, any attempt to call out the fyrd would result in half of them being armed. Maybe not even that.

  A knock on the door broke his feverish thoughts as to how he could find thousands more weapons and he leaned back, hoping it was not another problem.

  “Come!” he called.

  Then he jumped up from his seat when Bridgit walked in. He saw at once she was wearing one of the dresses Munro had made for them and her hair was pulled back from her face, showing off the lines of her neck. But his eyes were dragged down by the way the dress clung to her breasts and hips. It felt like it had been a long time indeed since they had shared a bed together.

  “Fallon, we need to talk,” she said gently.

  “Of course,” he replied. Especially when she looked like that. He sat down hurriedly, because his trews were now uncomfortable.

  She sat down opposite him. “You know I hate it when we are fighting.”

  “As do I. This has been a hard time for all of us and things have been said that are regretted now,” he said hurriedly.

  She leaned out and he took her hand. “We work well as a team,” she said. “And I want you to be there for the baby.”

  “And I will,” he promised instantly.

  He looked into her eyes and felt himself relax. Things would be all right now and they would get through this together. Best of all, Kerrin could be returned to his room and he could return to their bed.

  “I am sorry for upsetting you,” he said. “I have missed you. As though they had cut off one of my arms.”

  “Only one?” she said with a smile.

  He chuckled. “And both my legs!”

  “Well, then let me give you a hand. What needs doing?” she asked.

  He hoped for an apology but it felt like all of this was an apology and, anyway, actions meant more than words. Some time alone tonight with her meant more than a few words. He pulled a sheaf of parchment across the desk.

  “Every bloody town is saying they cannot supply weapons and have only scraped together a few volunteers. We can call the fyrd and everyone will be required to come along or lose their land but will they? After all, there are no more nobles. And, even if they do turn up, we can’t arm them.”

  She grabbed o
ne of the papers and began to read, then pulled the ever-present and much-thumbed map over.

  “Let’s see what we can do, eh?”

  He grinned at her. Just having her back beside him made him feel better. It was as if a weight had come off his shoulders.

  They worked companionably, as well as they ever had, and Fallon felt the room grow warmer as they did. He caught her hand and kissed it and looked into her eyes. Now was the time to end the distance between them.

  A knock on the door broke the moment and he looked up irritably.

  “What is it?” he snapped.

  The door opened and an apologetic Craddock stuck his head in through the door.

  “I am sorry to disturb you,” he said awkwardly. “But I thought you should know that the girl has left the harbor in a rowboat. She was asking if she could have her money back before we let her go but we didn’t have it. I hope that was all right.”

  Fallon sprang up. “What girl? What money?” he demanded.

  Bridgit also stood, her chair rasping on the floor. “Thank you, Craddock. That will be all,” she said crisply.

  Craddock’s eyes flickered to Bridgit, and then he nodded.

  “Answer my question!” Fallon snapped.

  “You know, the girl Ely. The one just in here, that we found in the marketplace. We brought her down to the harbor and a rowboat took her out,” Craddock said hurriedly, his hand on the door.

  Fallon stared at Craddock in bewilderment. “Harbor? The one I said to put in the cells? What in Aroaril’s name are you talking about?”

  “You need to go,” Bridgit told him firmly.

  “Yes, I have to go,” he agreed and turned for the door.

  “Don’t bloody well go anywhere!” Fallon boomed and the villager froze, guilt written plain on his face.

  “Craddock, tell me exactly what happened,” he ordered.

  “He doesn’t need to do that. Craddock, you can go, I shall take it from here,” Bridgit said crisply.

  Fallon saw the relief bloom on Craddock’s face and again the villager reached for the door and his fury ignited.

  “Don’t bogging well move!” he roared. “Not until you tell me what is happening!”

  Craddock froze again, his eyes darting between the two of them, anguish on his face.

  “Craddock, you can go,” Bridgit insisted. “It does not involve you. Go, man!”

  Fallon could see that Craddock wanted nothing more than to go. “Get out of here,” he said angrily, waving his hand. He didn’t really need Craddock anyway, he could guess what had happened.

  Craddock wrenched open the door, gave an apologetic smile to both of them and then slammed the door.

  Fallon wiped that from his memory as he turned on Bridgit. “You let her go, didn’t you? Why? Do you delight in making me look like a fool?”

  She crossed her arms. “How about you calm down, sit down and I will explain it to you?”

  He flung himself into a seat and glared up at her. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

  “Are you?” she demanded. “Or have you already made up your mind and you just intend to shout?”

  “What do you want me to say?” he snarled. “I am not the one in the wrong here!”

  “The one in the wrong? So you have already made up your mind!”

  “That’s not what I said and you bogging well know it!” he bellowed.

  She turned away then and burst into tears. Instantly his anger dried up and he stood uncertainly.

  “What is it?” he asked awkwardly.

  She held up her hand, while using the other to cover her face.

  “Stay away from me,” she said thickly. “Do you think I am some sort of traitor, trying to help Swane regain power?”

  “No,” he said uncomfortably. “It’s just maybe the baby is affecting your brain, making you do silly things—”

  “Oh, so it’s the baby’s fault?”

  “No,” he said, feeling empty inside, the anger burned out and only ashes remaining in his chest.

  “That girl was the one who helped us escape from Kotterman and I think she can aid us again. I was going to tell you about it but you had your own problems. I try to come here and help and this is the thanks I get. Well, I can’t take this anymore!”

  Her voice rose as she finished and she rushed for the door.

  “Bridge, wait, please, let me talk,” he pleaded, hurrying to cut her off but she just shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks.

  He still tried to get the door but she was too quick, ripping it open and disappearing.

  “Wait!” he cried but she ignored him, hurrying away, weeping.

  He hurried after her, only to collide with the grizzled old fisherman Donnchadh. “Fallon! There’s a message here from Lunster! You have to read it,” he said urgently.

  Fallon tried to sidestep him but Donnchadh followed, waving a piece of parchment in his face. They danced like this across the corridor, Donnchadh showing an unexpected ability until Fallon slipped past. But, although he raced down the passage, Bridgit had made it to their room and barred the door. And nothing he said made her open it.

  He leaned against the wall and hit his head several times with his open palm.

  “Brilliant work, some of your best,” he told himself.

  CHAPTER 64

  Feray helped a shivering Ely back on board and embraced the young woman.

  “Thank Aroaril you’re back,” she said. “What happened? Did you find what we need?”

  Ely accepted a steaming mug of tea from her mother and a blanket around her shoulders from Gokmen. “I was captured in the market and taken to the castle. They were going to throw me into the cells but I ran into Bridgit, the leader of the Gaelish that escaped from Adana. She recognized me and agreed to help.”

  “Really?” Feray asked. She was instantly suspicious, her mind racing. Why would the Gaelish help us? And yet she also felt a brilliant shaft of hope. Is this the answer to my prayers?

  Ely sighed. “I didn’t believe it either, but she sent the guards away, then had them escort me back to the harbor, where we rowed out. She told me the prisoners were being kept at Baltimore, a village to the south of here.”

  Feray paused. “And did you believe her? Are we perhaps going into a trap if we go there?”

  Ely swallowed a mouthful of tea and shook her head. “She meant it. I know her, from Adana. She was telling the truth.”

  Feray turned away for a moment, giving herself space to think. Although, when she did, she realized there was no choice. They had to press on and hope for the best. If this did work out, perhaps Bridgit could be an ally. Maybe they could achieve something where their husbands had failed.

  “Set course for the south. We shall free the prisoners and then use them to free my husband,” she announced.

  The crew cheered and rushed to obey and she smiled and patted Ely on the shoulder. Inside, however, her stomach was churning. This was a house built on pillars of sand. A gust of wind and all would come tumbling down.

  *

  Gannon looked out over Lunster town, as he had done almost every day of his life. It was strange to think he was the master of the town now. Well, not quite, for he was just holding it for Bridgit and the others on the Ruling Council and sent regular birds to them asking what he should do.

  Still, he felt a sense of ownership when he looked out over the town. Dawn was arriving earlier each day and there was less of a vicious chill in the air, saying that spring was on the way. The best thing about winter was the smell was better. Warm weather brought the real fragrance of Lunster out but the cold seemed to mask it better. Or maybe his nose was just blocked.

  He looked out towards the forest and enjoyed the way the early sun lit up the trees, casting strange shadows. He gazed out towards the sea—and his mouth dropped open. There was another forest out there. Of masts. Kottermani masts. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. It was like one of those dreams where you could not sound the warning. Then
the first ship appeared at the entrance to the harbor and the spell was broken.

  “Sound the alarm!” he bellowed.

  A turn of the hourglass later his own men, three score of them, were easily mustered, but only half a dozen of the hundreds of new men he’d been training were standing there.

  “Where are the rest of them?” he demanded.

  “Scarpered, sarge,” one of his men said. “Said they was going back to their families.”

  Gannon was tempted to go and drag them out of their homes but the first of the Kottermani ships was already at the docks, swarms of heavily-armed soldiers blocking off the jetty. The plump harbor master had run, along with his staff, and the place was deserted. Just one of their ships had more men than he could hope to handle but there were dozens more behind, slowly flooding into the harbor.

  That was bad enough but there was one thing that made it even worse. He recognized the flag fluttering at the mast of the largest ship. King Aidan’s flag, now Prince Swane’s symbol.

  “Right,” he said. “We need to send a message to Berry and then we need to get out of here.”

  “Sarge, what are we going to do when we get to Berry? There’s enough men and ships here to take the whole bloody country,” someone asked.

  “That’s not our problem. We just need to get back there and obey orders,” Gannon said sharply. “Bridgit will know what to do.”

  *

  “Bridge, they’re calling for you. There’s a full meeting of the Ruling Council, with Rosaleen, Padraig and everyone,” Nola called through the door.

  Bridgit lay on the bed, hands over her eyes. “I’m not coming,” she said.

  “Bridge, it’s really important. There’s a message from Lunster. We need you.”

  She did not remove her hands. “I’m sick. I might come later,” she said.

  Nola was still saying something from the other side of the door but Bridgit ignored her. She felt worse than she had that time in Kotterman, when she learned she was pregnant and had been unable to get up for days. Running Berry was destroying Fallon, destroying the man she had once known, and she hated that, hated fighting with him, hated feeling like they were trying to hold back the tide with a bucket of sand. Her emotions were swinging and surging as the new life grew inside her and she could not face Fallon at the moment, let alone her friends. He would beg forgiveness and she would have to agree, because everyone was expecting her to. But she didn’t feel like forgiving him. How could he yell at her like that, when she was pregnant?