Killop kept his expression level despite his growing irritation at Laodoc’s attitude. He had to remember that the old man was in mourning.
‘All right,’ he nodded.
Karalyn squealed.
Killop turned his head. In the distance he could see a rider and horse approach.
‘Here she comes.’
Daphne galloped the horse over the final stretch and pulled up by the wagon, a huge grin on her face.
‘That was amazing.’
Killop smiled at her, then nodded at the two Rahain men.
‘Hi, Laodoc,’ Daphne said, as she trotted the horse alongside them. ‘Look at me. I don’t feel sick anymore, it’s fantastic.’
‘That’s very nice,’ Laodoc said. ‘I need to speak with you.’
‘Yeah?’
Laodoc frowned.
Karalyn stood and reached her arms out to Daphne.
‘You want up, Kara-bear?’ She lifted the girl onto the horse, seating her on the wide saddle in front of her. Karalyn laughed and jumped up and down. ‘She’s a natural,’ Daphne grinned.
‘I need to speak with you,’ repeated Laodoc.
‘Oh,’ Daphne said. ‘It’s serious?’
‘It is rather, yes.’
A look of disappointment fleeted over her face, then she smiled.
‘Of course,’ she said, passing Killop the reins. ‘Could you tie these to the bench-rail?’
‘Aye, sure,’ Killop said.
She passed Karalyn back to the wagon, then climbed aboard, sitting behind the bench under the protection of the canopy. She took a long drink of water from a skin, and lit a cigarette, watching the stallion as it walked by the side of the wagon.
‘As you are no doubt aware,’ Laodoc said to her, ‘the entrance to the Great Tunnel to the Plateau lies not far from here. A mere thirty miles or so, I believe.’
Daphne nodded.
‘In fact,’ Laodoc went on, ‘this is the closest point in our journey to the tunnel. After we ford the river, we’ll be heading west, away from it.’
‘Yes.’
‘This, then, is our only chance.’
‘Chance for what?’
‘Lady Douanna has been observed near the settlement that surrounds the entrance to the tunnel.’
Daphne stared at the old man.
Laodoc gestured to the younger Rahain man sitting on the driver’s bench next to him.
‘Here is our witness,’ he said. ‘Tell Miss Daphne your story. The same as you told me.’
The young man nodded.
‘I was with the Old Free in the south during the rebellion,’ he said. ‘I used to assist some of the councillors in Calcite City, and saw Lady Douanna a few times. I travelled with them up to the capital during the coup, and fled when the New Free revolted and burned the High Senate to the ground.’
‘What job did you do?’ Daphne asked.
‘I was a servant, miss.’
Daphne nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘When I got out of the capital, I ran all the way to Tahrana City,’ he said, ‘but it’s in ruins, with different factions fighting for control of the caverns. I decided to get out, so I tagged along with a group heading towards the Great Tunnel. It was only after a few days that I realised Lady Douanna was travelling with them, disguised as an old peasant woman.’
‘It was definitely her?’
He nodded. ‘I’m certain of it.’
‘She’s going to the Plateau?’
The young man shrugged. ‘I don’t know exactly, but she’s smuggled herself into a convoy, and intends to enter the first stretch of the tunnel tonight or tomorrow.’
Daphne chewed her lip. ‘Why are you telling us this?’
He shrugged. ‘She’s mad. She’s completely lost her mind. I decided to see if I can buy my freedom by betraying her to you.’
‘How did you know we were here?’
‘I saw your convoy a few days ago as it moved down into Tahrana Valley, and recognised it as coming from the Slateford enclave. I took a chance that Chancellor Laodoc would be travelling with the rest of the Kellach Brigdomin. I knew that he’d be interested in locating Lady Douanna.’
Killop frowned but held his tongue.
‘I guess there’s a simple way to find out if he’s telling the truth,’ Daphne said. ‘When did you last see her?’
‘At dawn this morning.’
Daphne stared into the young man’s face, her eyes seeming to haze over. For several moments, she held his gaze, then broke away, coughing.
She glanced at Killop.
‘It’s true.’
She turned back to the young man. ‘Thank you for this information. We’ll be sure to report it to the next band of New Free we run into. They’re swarming through the valley, so that shouldn’t take too long. They can deal with her.’
The young man glanced at Laodoc, whose face was turning red, his tongue flickering.
‘Seems reasonable,’ said Killop.
‘Reasonable?’ cried Laodoc. ‘May I remind you, Miss Daphne Holdfast, that you made me a promise? You gave me your word that you would hunt down and kill Douanna. In fact you have assured me more than once that you would do it personally. The first time, I believe, was only a few days after Simiona had been butchered. You promised me you would kill Douanna as soon as you’d rescued Killop from prison. But you didn’t.’
There was anger in Daphne’s eyes, but she said nothing.
‘And again,’ Laodoc ranted, ‘when I commissioned you to break the conspiracy of those plotting the coup. Not only did you fail in that matter, but you also failed to kill Douanna. And now, when fate has offered you a third, and surely final opportunity to fulfil your promises, you spurn it? Does your word mean so little? Have you no honour?’
‘That’s enough,’ Killop said. ‘I know you’re grieving, but you’ve no right to speak to her like that.’
‘It’s fine,’ said Daphne. ‘He’s right, I did give my word.’
Killop narrowed his eyes. ‘You can’t seriously be thinking about agreeing to this?’
Karalyn let out a soft wail, and gazed at her mother and father.
‘Don’t worry, Kara-bear,’ Daphne said. ‘Everything’s all right.’
She turned to look at the old Kellach sitting in the rear of the wagon.
‘Could one of you look after Karalyn for a couple of minutes, please? Killop and I need to talk.’
An old couple nodded, and the woman reached out with her arms.
‘She’s a lovely wee bairn,’ she said, taking Karalyn’s hand as the child was moved back to her.
‘Thanks,’ Daphne said, then looked at Killop. He frowned.
‘Come on,’ she said, and leapt off the wagon.
Killop gave Laodoc a cold stare, then followed her. They walked a few yards away from the wagon, then kept pace with it as it trundled along the road.
‘Don’t get angry,’ she said, ‘but I think I should do this.’
‘Why? For revenge?’
‘To keep my word.’
‘Sometimes promises cannot be kept.’
‘But this isn’t one of those occasions. Douanna’s only thirty miles away, on the stallion I could make that in a couple of hours if the road’s clear. Even if I’m delayed, I should still be able to return to the clan convoy in one or two days, at the most.’
Killop bit his tongue, in case he said something he would regret.
‘Well?’ she said. ‘Tell me what you think.’
Killop’s anger boiled over.
‘I think it’s stupid and selfish.’
Daphne’s eyes widened, and a flash of anger crossed her face.
‘I gave him my word, Killop,’ she said. ‘I promised him, twice, that I would take care of Douanna.’
‘So you’re going to risk your life, risk leaving Karalyn motherless, over your pride?’
‘Did I not see you fighting the New Free a few hours ago?’ she said. ‘Were you not risking your life then?’
> ‘That was different. We were attacked and I was defending us. What you’re suggesting is completely unnecessary. Douanna’s reign is over. She’s finished.’
‘But she’s still alive.’
‘I don’t care.’
‘You don’t care if I break my word to one of our friends?’
‘I killed one of Laodoc’s sons. I don’t think he’s my friend any more.’
She shook her head. ‘If it was your word, your honour that was being questioned, you’d do the same as me.’
‘I’d want to,’ he said, ‘but I would look at you and Karalyn, and realise that you matter much more to me than a promise I made in the heat of the moment.’
‘Are you saying that you and Karalyn don’t matter to me?’
‘I’ll judge you by your actions.’
Daphne glared at him, but said nothing. He looked away, his anger assuring him he was in the right, while a small voice at the back of his head sounded a warning he ignored.
Ahead, he could see the vast convoy of Kellach wagons beginning to bunch up, signalling that they were approaching the river crossing. To their left, two hundred yards away, the wide, slow river flowed south. Beyond was the road to Jade Falls, and then the route to the north along the ocean coast. So many days of travelling still to do, just to get out of Rahain.
His temper faded. He turned to say something to Daphne but she had gone.
He glanced around, scanning everywhere for her. He heard a noise from the other side of the wagon, and ran. As he reached the rear wheel, he saw Daphne up on the saddle of the stallion.
‘I’ll be back soon,’ she said. ‘I’ll listen to your apology then.’
She spurred her heels, and the stallion took off, racing down the road past the clustered wagons and out of sight.
Killop stood and stared.
The rain started, then turned to sleet, and Killop remained alone on the muddy ground as the convoy continued on.
What had just happened?
He had known that Daphne would go. He knew he would have done the same.
And now she was gone.
He shook the sleet from his hair and began walking. The light was growing dim, and the black clouds overhead promised more rain. His wagon was at the rear of the convoy, and he approached the back and climbed up.
Karalyn ran to him.
‘Dada,’ she said. ‘Where’s mama?’
‘She’ll be back soon.’
He glanced up towards the front of the wagon. Laodoc was sitting on the driver’s bench, looking ahead as the wagons came to a halt. He had a tight smile on his lips.
Killop thanked the old couple, picked up Karalyn, and jumped down from the rear of the wagon. He pulled his cloak over the child as the sleet continued to fall.
‘Let’s find Auntie Bridget.’
Chapter 33
Incarnation
Plateau City, The Plateau – 19th Day, Second Third Winter 506
Time had no meaning for Shella. A blindfold covered her eyes, and a hood had been tied over her head. Her hands were locked into thick metal gauntlets, and she was chained by her wrists and ankles to a bed. Every muscle in her body was in agony. Unable to stretch or move about, she lay for hour after hour in the silence of the cell where the wardens of the One True Path had dragged her.
Her mind had fallen into a trance, and she was no longer sure when she was awake or asleep, or if there was a difference. She dreamed, and memories flooded her mind. At times she was sure Obli was standing in the room next to her, or Jayki, or any of the other people she had known who had died. She began to suspect that she might be dead herself. The only thing keeping her from giving up was meal time.
Every few hours hands grabbed her, and moved her into a sitting position. Her arms would be restrained, and the lower half of her hood opened. A wooden spoon would shove soup into her mouth, and she would eat, her body’s instincts taking over while her mind observed from afar.
Afterwards she would be led to the toilet pit, where despite the blindfold, she would close her eyes and pretend she was alone, her face burning from the humiliation.
Then she would be re-chained to the bed and left alone to the silence and the darkness.
‘Did you hear what I said?’
She remembered the wave of toxic sludge that flooded the city of Akhanawarah, and her horror as it rushed towards them, sweeping away the riverbank docks and quays, and poisoning the water supplies. Then she remembered the people sicken and die after drinking the polluted liquid to satisfy their raging thirsts.
‘Mage Shella, respond if you can hear me.’
And then came the firestorm, burning its way through the city with a ruthless precision, a wall of flames as high as a tenement block, incinerating everything in its path. She saw Kylon on his knees, weeping as he realised it was Keira.
‘Sit her up.’
Hands pulled at her shackles. Was it time for soup?
She opened her mouth, her stomach rumbling.
‘Mage Shella?’
She waited for the soup to arrive.
‘Take her hood off.’
The buckle beneath her chin was unfastened. The thick hood was lifted over her head, and Shella felt air on her cheeks for the first time since she had been arrested.
She was slapped across the face, but didn’t react.
‘Restrain her arms, then remove the blindfold.’
Rough hands took hold of her arms and her blindfold was pulled off. She blinked, then clenched her eyes shut.
‘Extinguish every lamp except for one,’ the voice said. ‘Shella, it’s me, Arnault. It’s time.’
She opened her eyes a crack, but her vision was painful and blurry.
‘How long?’ she whispered.
‘You’ve been detained here for nineteen days,’ the Lord Vicar said.
‘Bastards.’
‘That’s more like it. Warden, put her hood back on. She’s fine.’
The hood was pulled back down over her head and re-fastened under her chin.
‘Stand her up. We’re going.’
Shella was hauled to her feet. She staggered, but the wardens on either side kept her upright, and she was half-carried for several yards.
‘That’s them all,’ she heard Arnault say. ‘Follow me, everyone.’
She was dragged along, her feet trying to keep up with the pace. Her mind raced. Something was happening. She shook her head. Nineteen fucking days.
The wardens stopped, and Shella was lowered to the floor. She heard a door slam and a bar slide into position.
‘Is it soup time?’ said a voice to her left.
‘Benel?’ she cried through her hood. ‘Is that you?’
‘I think so,’ the voice said, ‘though I can’t tell if I’m dreaming or not.’
‘You’re not,’ she said. ‘We’ve just been moved.’
‘Shella?’
‘Who the fuck else do you think it is?’
‘Do you speak Rahain?’ said another voice in the room.
‘Yeah,’ Shella replied. ‘Who are you?’
‘Lilyann.’
‘Are you from Rahain?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m Kellach Brigdomin. Learned Rahain from being a slave.’
‘Are you a mage?’
‘Are you?’
‘I think we all are,’ said Benel. ‘That’s why we’re here.’
‘I’m Rahain,’ said another voice, to Shella’s right, ‘and I’m a mage.’
‘Shit,’ Shella said. ‘That’s four of us. Is there a Sanang here too?’
A different voice started to speak. Shella didn’t understand what the man was saying, though he kept repeating the word Sanang.
‘Does anyone speak his language?’ she asked.
The other mages said nothing.
‘Sorry, buddy,’ she said to the Sanang man.
‘So there’s five of us,’ Benel said. ‘One from each nation.’
‘Okay, but why?’ Shella said. ‘Wh
at are they going to do to us?’
‘I’ve been here, trapped in this place for thirds,’ said the Rahain man. ‘There used to be dozens of us, captured after the alliance invasion. Now only a few remain. Every so often, one of our number is taken from our group, and led away. They never come back. Today, it was my turn.’
‘So they might still be alive,’ said the Kellach woman, who sounded young to Shella’s ears.
‘How did a fire mage get captured?’ she asked her.
The room fell into silence. Shella shook her head in frustration. With her blindfold removed she was able to make out the dim light of a lamp through the thin fabric of the hood, but nothing else.
‘I surrendered to the church,’ the young woman said. ‘I gave myself up.’
‘What?’ Shella said. ‘Why?’
‘A Holdings deacon converted me to the creator-faith when I lived in Rahain. He told me that, because I was blessed as a mage, I should make my way to the imperial capital, and offer my services to the Emperor.’
‘And did you?’
‘Aye, I did. Priests were waiting for me when I arrived at the docks, but a whole load of Kellach were there as well. I guess someone must have spread the word that a fire mage was on board the ship. The Kellach carried me away to their quarter of the city. They said they were doing it for my own protection, but I tried to fight them. Then the Emperor or whoever sent in a whole fucking army of wardens to get me out. It was a right mess. The One True Path chained me up, put a bag on my head and dragged me here. Wherever here is.’
‘The Imperial Institute of Research into the Mage Arts,’ Benel said.
‘But what happens here?’ she said. ‘The Kellach told me there was an earthquake or something.’
‘There was,’ said Shella, ‘and I’m going to guess it happened the last time they had all five types of mages gathered together.’
‘That earthquake killed four of my people,’ the Rahain man said, ‘not including the one who was taken away by the wardens a few hours before it occurred.’
‘So you were captured after the earthquake, Lilyann?’ Shella said.
‘Aye.’
‘The riot in the Kellach quarter happened a couple of days before we were arrested,’ Benel said.
‘So,’ Shella said, ‘after twenty-odd days chained up and hooded, are you still a great believer in the church?’
The Magelands Box Set Page 137
