For Whom the Bell Trolls: Hands of the Highmage, Book 1

by D. H. Aire

  Yel’ane saw that smile and knew exactly the thought running through her mind, “Daughter of my heart.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  Leaning close, “He’s all mine.”

  “Err,” thinking that was not very Sisterly.

  “We’re not in Cathart. Things are going to be different…. Just so we understand each other for when you’re a bit older.”

  #

  A tendril lay nearly invisibly poking behind one of the curtained windows.

  :.:

  :..><.:

  :.:

  Lawson’s implant twitched. He blinked glancing around. “The dragon scale? Uh, Yel’ane, everything all right back there?”

  Ani’ya looked away.

  “Fine, just fine.”

  “Uh, good!” he said, then muttered to himself, “I think.”

  Chapter 36 – Difficult Journeys

  Bek’ka, Ryff’s daughter, now of the Shattered House dismounted by the cairns of the Badlands border. Her four Sisters looked for sign of any of the girls’ passage. “Bek’ka, they made privies here just as they were taught!”

  “There are so many paw prints it is hard to…” Bek’ka said, turning about.

  “Those are really big paws, Bek’ka.”

  “Set of hooves over here. Someone’s shoes, small feet, but not any kind of shoe our people make. Look at how…”

  “Maybe these are from some kind of Badland wolves we’ve never come across?”

  “You don’t think they dragged off the girls?”

  “There’s no sign of that,” Bek’ka said. “There would be blood.” Lots of it, she thought.

  “Bek’ka! Here!”

  “What?” she asked, walking over to the kneeling woman.

  “Look!” she pointed.

  The footprint was outsized. “Someone shod… who must be over ten feet tall.”

  “With that pace, closer to fifteen,” another said, coming over and looking past to the next.

  “There’s a similar set of impressions nearly as deep over there,” the kneeling woman said. “Shoe shod like this one but more the size of a woman.”

  “Wide of foot and running,” Bek’ka mused. “Not someone of Nessa or Yel’ane’s size.”

  “There are lots of footprints of the girls over where they made their privies.”

  “Where did the girls get dogs and how did they just vanished as the dogs and bigfooted ran north and west?”

  “Whyever even head that way? They should have made for the coast.”

  “Bek’ka! Goblins were here!”

  “What?” she cried. “Let me see.” Kneeling she looked at the impression of clawed toes. Looking about, “They weren’t with the girls. They were following them.”

  “How? The girls stand no chance against goblins.”

  Bek’ka shook her head, “Uh, you don’t think the girls remembered that fool legend.”

  “What?”

  “The old lords’ racing hounds.”

  “You think the girls managed to figure out how to ride dogs.”

  “The girls on the tapestries were a bit older, but the hounds might be about the right size and… oh, I know it sounds crazy. I just couldn’t help think of them.”

  “Look, Bek’ka, I know those tapestries. The hounds could race for leagues and leagues, but the girls would have to change mounts frequently.”

  “Um, there are a lot of dog tracks,” one of the woman said, shrugging.

  “So, let’s say the girls someone managed to find some help.”

  “A giant, and his friend, and a score or two of really big dogs?”

  Bek’ka blinked, “Not a giant… A troll. A pair of trolls.”

  “With big dogs the girls could ride? Bek’ka, that’s crazy. First, there’s no such thing as trolls… You’d have to believe they live in, well, the Great Waste, where nothing can.”

  Bek’ka shrugged, “Well, trolls would have no love of goblins, would they?”

  That brought a long silence.

  “So, Bek’ka, someone like say that fool girl, Yel’ane, who always gets into trouble, manages with at least one other of her year-mates to cross the Badlands and Borderland with the help of two trolls and a bunch of… well… dogs… with goblins hunting them.”

  Bek’ka said, “Feel free to turn back.”

  “Oh, I’m just dying to see if you’re right, Sister.”

  “None of us exactly expected to live through this...” another said.

  They mounted and followed the trail.

  #

  Ani’ya sat in the back on the wagon, not happy with her quiet conversation with Mother Yel’ane. Yes, Mother, she told herself, having a feeling having a conversation with her birth mother would have been more physically painful. Her cheeks reddened. “Difficult child,” is what her mother would call her. How she missed her. “I am not a little girl,” she muttered.

  “What’s wrong, Ani?” Vi’ya asked, coming over to her.

  “Nothing… Just, well, dreaming of things that I shouldn’t hope for, I guess.”

  Vi’ya chuckled, “So, that’s what you and Mother Yel’ane were talking about.”

  “You saw?” She glanced past Vi’ya; noticed a few too quickly turned heads.

  “You think you’re the only one not thinking about… when we’re older?”

  “Ahem, well, when we’re older, Mother and Lord Lawson will do what’s best for the family,” Ani’ya said.

  “Of course,” Vi’ya said, then whispered, “marry us off to a fine Cathartan lord, so we can bear him good strong daughters instead of our foster-Papa.”

  “Um, well, not to a Cathartan lord.”

  Vi’ya smiled, “So, we’ll have to see and a girl can dream, can’t she?”

  Ani’ya blinked, “Yeah, and you know… Casber’s cute…”

  The two girls giggled and Ani’ya found herself glancing out the back of the wagon, its curtain, above the wood drop down gate, fluttered aside. “What?” Vi’ya asked.

  What Ani’ya glimpsed made her draw open the curtain and stare, seeing a rider hard, coming out of the trees behind them. “We’ve got company!” she shouted as Vi’ya joined her at the gate and gaped.

  “Girls, keep out of sight!” Yel’ane yelled. “And brace yourselves just in case!”

  Ani’ya shouted back, pulling closed the drape, “Curse it! It’s her!”

  Lawson glanced back, preparing to urge the horses to greater speed, “Her, who?”

  The rider caught up, then slowed as her horse brought her to the front of the lead wagon, “Lord Lawson, I must say that is an interesting look.”

  “Sergeant Agwin,” Yel’ane said, crossing her arms across her chest, seated beside him, “you weren’t at the keep when we left.”

  “Missed you by a good hour, though I was told I would find you all disguised. I knew the Seeress had people building something in that barn, but never would have guessed this.”

  “What are you doing here?” seven-year-old Jen’yan demanded, half climbing up behind them.

  Yel’ane went wide-eyed, “Such rudeness!”

  “I’m sorry, but… she shouldn’t be here.”

  “Oh, how lovely you look, child,” Agwin replied, “but I think you still boyish enough that you could all lose those halters and play a boys tumbling routine so much better.”

  Jen’yan crossed her arms over her chest, “Take that back.”

  Yel’ane lowered her arms, rather consciously.

  “They are rather eye catching as they are,” Lawson said. “The tumbling part may need a bit more practice.”

  Yel’ane elbowed him.

  Some of the girls giggled, though, Jen’yan was having none of that.

  Agwin looked about, “Uh, where’s Lord Casber?”

  “That’s why you’re here!” Jen’yan grated.

  Lawson chuckled, “Oh, I imagine he’s not far.”

  “Traveling with a unicorn and a troll the size of Lord Greth explains this little trav
eling circus,” Agwin said. She glanced into the wagon. “I heard that Lord Casber fell ill last night… after raising the dragon.”

  Yel’ane raised an eyebrow, “You looking for someone?”

  “Lady Nessa,” she muttered, sounding as if the word “lady” was wrung from her throat.

  “Nessa is, doubtless, nearby,” Yel’ane said, sweetly.

  “With Lord Casber, you mean.”

  Lawson sighed, “Agwin, why have you followed us?”

  “Because I have sworn to protect Lord Casber.”

  “While we were at Dragonmount,” he replied.

  “Lord Gwilliam has given me his leave.”

  “You mean he cast you out for insolence!” Ani’ya shouted, having rushed from the second wagon to the first with Vi’ya a step behind. Jen’yan patted her on the back, grinning at Ani’ya, who now stood at her side.

  Yel’ane reached back and took hold of Ani’ya’s earlobe and pinched. “Ow!”

  “Apologize, young lady!”

  “I’m not— ow! I’m sorry for what I said… Lady Agwin.”

  Yel’ane let her go.

  Lawson gave her an appraising look.

  “I always hated it when the Sisters made me apologize,” Yel’ane admitted to him.

  “Yel’ane apologized a lot,” one of the girls said, too helpfully.

  “Uh, hmm, I certainly did,” she shrugged.

  Agwin shook her head, “I accept your apology.”

  “So, how exactly do you intend to keep protecting Casber?” Lawson asked.

  “And playing what part?” a girl said almost under her breath. Yel’ane glanced at Jen’yan who looked back at her innocently.

  “Oh, you might be amazed at my talents and you know I’m very good with a bow,” Agwin replied.

  “You’ve slain goblins?” Yel’ane asked.

  “No, Lady Goblinslayer,” she admitted, offering a title of honor, trying to at least sound respectful.

  “Hellcats?” Jen’yan asked, all too sweetly.

  Agwin blinked, “Hellcats?”

  Yel’ane glanced back, “Jen’yan, there are times when I miss the fact we thought you shy.”

  The girl put hands on hips, smiled proudly, “That’s before I rode the hounds.”

  Vi’ya leaned forward and asked, “Fought any Hellhounds, Lady Agwin?”

  “Girls,” Lawson said. “None of us fought any Hellhounds. They fought for us.”

  Agwin had a rather pasty smile on her face.

  Sighing, he smiled back at her, “Let me guess. The Seeress warned you not to follow us.”

  The young woman’s eyes narrowed.

  “Casber is very well protected,” Lawson said. “As are each of these precious ladies in the wagon with me.”

  She hesitated.

  Yel’ane sighed, “You really want to serve Lord Casber?”

  “Absolutely,” she answered.

  “All right,” Yel’ane said, “Then you can ride Greth like Nessa does.”

  There was a stunned silence, then a pounding of hooves as Agwin rode off.

  “Well, Yel’ane,” Lawson muttered.

  She folded her arms and smiled.

  Jen’yan asked, “Why’d she ride away so fast? Nessa loves riding him.”

  En’sta offered, “I bet she’s afraid of heights.”

  Lawson looked straight ahead as Yel’ane coughed and kept coughing. When, mere minutes later, Casber rode back from practice at bareback riding, looking exhausted, he asked, “Why are you all looking at me like that?

  “You just look so nice with that little cloak flowing behind you,” Yel’ane replied.

  When Greth jogged back out of the tree line, Nessa mounted in the harness behind him, Yel’ane had another fit of coughing. Lawson was afraid to pound her on the back as he made a choking sound. “You… all… right… Yel’ane?” he gasped.

  “I’ll,” cough, “be fine… You?”

  “Must… have… swallowed… a… bug.”

  “Yuck!” the girls muttered behind them.

  Casber said, “You two, all right?”

  “Fine!” they stammered.

  Ani’ya said, “Quick! Fetch them water skins!”

  Chapter 37 – Ripples

  In the waters off the shore of the Southern Crescent Lands, a young woman stood looking over the rail of the ship, watching the land receding in the distance and looking at the other ships filled with her sobbing Sisters, having finally been told the truth.

  Za’an joined her. “Well, we’ve no little girls to carry, conjole, or to wipe their little bottoms.”

  “Oh, they’ll put us back on that duty soon enough,” Mahr replied. “You know, somehow I prefer it to knowing the truth.”

  “Mahr…”

  “He took my mother in, gave me and Nessa a home. He’s the only father I’ve ever known. You’ve no idea… we were Houseless!”

  Za’an shook her head, “You are not Houseless and we’ve got each other.”

  “Nessa lost… How can I tell my mother that?”

  “We don’t know that she’s…”

  “She’s not dead,” Mahr said. “I’d know it… but she’s just a kid.”

  “She’s not that much younger than we are.”

  “You or I are old enough to take care of ourselves, know what to do, if…” They had stared, seeing so many men, so many boys running through the city-state’s streets.

  “Mahr, about your mother.”

  “You know, Za’an, I’ve hated her at times. Going off as she did to the Empire… and not coming back.”

  “I know… Mahr, well, some of the girls are talking.”

  “About my mother?” she frowned, glancing at her.

  “Lord Balfour. Your stepfather… and Lord Je’orj.”

  “Balfour, I hadn’t thought of him as… anything like that.”

  “You could talk to your mother. I think, well, being Shattered… our year-mates don’t want to lose each other.”

  Mahr frowned, “You want me to ask my mother what?”

  “We’re your Sisters.”

  Turning to look back out at the shoreline, she shook her head, “You want me to ask to take our friends in, make them....”

  Za’an shrugged, “We wouldn’t expect him to bond us. I think the Mother Shaman likely is planning that. But he could take us as daughters.”

  “You mean…”

  “Being members of the House of Balfour, could lead us to starting our own House. He’ll want to offer a dower for you. There will certainly be a young man, who, well…”

  “You saw all those handsome men out there,” Mahr said, ignoring the fact of just how solicitous the captain and his crew of sailors were being, though the Curse helped keep things professional. That didn’t mean the men weren’t staring at them when the young women were not looking.

  “My House? Lady Mahr’s House. Now, wouldn’t that be something, Za’an.”

  #

  It was after, when they entered the forest, beyond the Thorn’s brambles. The girls showed what they knew about tumbling, which would earn them only applause from Lawson as Nessa shook her head.

  “Girls, fetch those timbrels.”

  “We’ve triangles like back home, too!” Jen’yan said.

  “I found a flute!” Res’yr announced.

  “Me, too!” Lan’lein cried, grinning.

  “Bring them out, let’s hear you play,” Nessa said.

  When Ani’ya came out with the fiddle, Lawson tried not to cringe. Yel’ane said, “Uh, let’s leave that for another day.”

  The blowing on the flutes was equally untried. “Another day for that, too,” Nessa said. “How about just the timbrels and triangles? Girls, I’ve seen you play them before, at least.”

  “We did play for Vyss at his celebration,” one girl said, hesitantly.

  “It was lovely and… softly done,” Nessa said. “Try that.”

  Lawson blinked, as they played, “Uh, that sounds like music.”


  Yel’ane elbowed him.

  “What?”

  Greth shook his head, sitting, watching. “They can play that, but they are not tumblers.”

  “Well, what are we then?” Thri’la demanded. “I’d be riding the hounds and that would have been a sight to see!”

  Greth frowned, “Surefooted.”

  “What?” Casber said.

  Pointing at the girls, “I’ve an idea,” Greth said, going up to the wagons, unlatching and lowering all the planks. He then stepped back. “Girls, two groups. Half there, half there, now. Line up each facing one of the wagons. You like to race, don’t you?”

  The girls nodded, frowning.

  “I want to see who can get me those little flags flapping from each of those mock towers.”

  “You want us to what?” En’sta stammered.

  Nessa glared up at him. “You want them to what?”

  “They raced up through the Borderland and beyond. What challenge is this for them?”

  “I can do it,” Ani’ya said, looking from platform to platform, practically kneeling on all fours, not unlike how she had been mounted on a hound.

  “I can!” Jen’yan said, doing the same. “Give us the mark!”

  The other girls first frowned, then leaned over and did the same.

  Greth frowned, “The what?”

  Nessa shook her head, “Get ready, get set… Go!”

  What they saw left Casber gaping and the unicorn wide-eyed.

  The girls bounded forward, leaped to the lowest wooden platform and sort of bounced from one to the next. Ani’ya shouted, “Vi’ya!”

  The girl, bare feet pressing the pole, she had scrambled up just ahead of Ani’ya, and grabbed the little blue flag first. Jen’yan chortled and the girls below her gaped as she waved the red one.

  “Um,” Casber muttered, “did Jen’yan actually climb over those two girls to get there first?”

  Greth smiled, “Surefooted… surefooted as hounds. Lawson, you will be in their act.”

  “What?”

  “You mean,” Jen’yan said, “we can climb all over Papa?”

  There was a stunned silence.

  Nessa glanced at Yel’ane, “You did it, didn’t you?”

  “Now, Nessa,” she took a step back.

  “You bonded them to him, how?”

  “They accidently did the birthing ritual.”