Chapter 14
Law and Order
Bad decisions
There are two sides to every story, and this one was no exception. Tanya’s life had taken a temporary nose dive, but seemed to be on the up again.
But in Ibis, things were somewhat different. Skip back in time a week or so. It was market day, and spirits were high, due to the imminent arrival of their very own man.
“Margo. Margo, where are you?” Dotty Sharp’s voice carried across the low murmur of traders and customers in Ibis market square, causing Margo Lemon to look up from the table. Jean Collier sighed in frustration. She was sure that Margo had been about to buy the ring with the big blue stones. Her mum, Fran would be livid if they didn’t sell some of their junk soon. Business was bad. Ibis folks were notoriously shy when it came to parting with their cash or trinkets, and always drove a hard bargain.
“What do you want, Dotty? Can’t it wait?”
“I got it Margo, I went and got it,” she exclaimed excitedly, and showed Margo what she was carrying. “What do you think of that then?” she said proudly.
Attracted by the unusual fuss, a small crowd was gathering, and Dotty held up the outlandish helmet for all to see and admire. It was covered in fur and had horns.
“Where’d you get that from?” asked Margo, who had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach as she vaguely recognised it. “Dotty. What have you done?”
Dotty’s chest swelled with pride. “Remember that tree beast we saw at Asher’s field? Well it won’t bother us no more. I killed it.”
“What?” Margo only managed to squeak the word out.
“Killed it stone dead. With one arrow. I was down at the practise ground by the river, shooting at the long butts, and I saw it come out of the trees. Nearly pooed my pants, but I waited till I was sure of my shot, then, whizz.” She demonstrated the arrow’s flight with her free hand. “Got it, and it fell off the bridge. I’m a hero, I am.”
“You’re a bloody idiot, that’s what you are!” Margo’s eyes were bulging as she tried to imagine the consequences of Dotty’s actions. “Don’t you remember what day this is?”
Dotty’s smile faded away, and in their wisdom, so did some of the crowd.
Margo continued. “This week, any day now, there’s a man coming over from Homestead. You remember Homestead? Right next to Burnt Wood? That beast thing was probably sent here to look after him. Now if any of them loonies from Homestead find out that you’ve killed one of their pet monsters, don’t you think they might be a little upset?”
Dotty’s face showed her anxiety as Margo’s words sunk in, then some more of the crowd decided to go home as two strangers pushed through the throng, coming from the direction of the river gate. They stopped in front of Dotty and Margo. Dotty remembered the helmet in her hands, and hid it behind her back, but too late.
“Show me.” demanded Sylvia Long, Homestead’s Prima.
Dotty grinned foolishly and held out the helmet. “Sorry,” she muttered.
“Where is he?”
“Err…”
Sylvia raised her voice several decibels. “Tell me. Now!”
“It fell in the river,” called an anonymous voice from the back.
“And how, may I ask did he get there?”
“Err…”
“She shot it. Ouch.” The anonymous informant was silenced by someone far wiser.
“Is that right?” asked Sylvia mildly, but her voice hid her true feelings.
“’Fraid so,” Dotty whispered.
Sylvia turned and briefly made eye contact with Margaret, then swung round again, and drove her fist into Dotty’s face with all the force she could muster.
Dotty staggered backwards before falling, stunned by the blow. Blood was pouring from her broken nose, and within seconds, her left eye started to swell up and close. Sylvia followed her and started kicking her in the ribs. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Margo stepped forward to stop the beating. “Hold hard there. It was only a tree beast.”
Sylvia whirled round on her, and at the sight of her fury, Margo quickly shuffled back. “Tree beast? Tree beast? You stupid peasants!”
The tree beast was one of the creatures that existed only in the imagination. The Homesteaders had spread rumours of various monsters to keep strangers out of Burnt Wood, where the wardogs lived.
“I’ll tell you what you’ve done today, shall I?” Sylvia said menacingly. “You haven’t killed a tree beast, nobody can kill a tree beast. That was a man, your man. He was this town's man, and you tell me he’s in the river?” She turned again to Dotty. “Well, if he’s dead, I’m going to come back for you and slice open your belly and strangle you with your own intestines.”
The remaining crowd held it’s collective breath, and the only sound in the square was Dotty’s sobbing. Sylvia continued quietly. “And if that doesn’t satisfy me, then I’m going to find everyone vaguely related to you, and slaughter them as well.”
She whirled round. “Come on Marge, we may be lucky and find him still alive.”
Margaret ground the heel of her boot into Dotty’s outstretched hand, then stood briefly in front of Margo. “He’s mine. You were only borrowing him. If he’s dead, you’d better hope that Sylvia gets here before I do. I’ll not stop at just fathead’s family. I’ll burn this cesspit that you call home to the ground. Everybody still here will die.” Then she ran to catch up with Sylvia, who was already jogging back to the bridge.
Fran Collier nudged her daughter’s arm. “Time to pack up I think. Not much prospect for a sale here now.”
“Not much prospect for anything here now,” Jean replied quietly, shaking her head sadly. She hadn’t seen violence like that since the Full Moon riot in Gap three years ago.
“Isn’t it a little early for you two to be dashing off already?” Asked Polly Jugg, Ibis’s leading sword hand, who had just arrived in the square.
“Got an important meeting in Central,” replied Fran, hurriedly forcing miscellaneous items into a hessian sack. “Jean, go get them bullocks hitched up. We’re late.”
After finally making sense of the garbled accounts of the onlookers, Polly was worried sick. If the man was dead, then whatever happened, she reckoned that she was going to die as well as Dotty. She was Dotty’s cousin, and also, as first sword, she would be expected to stand up for her, and she knew that only Beryl Strong could beat Sylvia with a sword. No chance of help there. Beryl was from Homestead.
She returned to Fran and Jean’s wagon. “Deliver a message for me, Fran. Please?”
The peddler frowned and shuffled her feet. “Don’t really want to get involved,” she said worriedly. “Pedlars are supposed to be neutral. Got to travel in strange places. Got to stay neutral to stay safe.”
“I’ll give you a silver coin.”
“With a queen’s head on it?”
Polly nodded. “Yes, but I’ve only got a ten.”
“What’s your me
ssage?” Fran asked without hesitation.
“It’s for Tina Flake. You know, Central’s new Prima,” she added when Fran shrugged her shoulders. “Tell her we need help here. Swords and law givers.”
Fran took her coin and promised to deliver the message personally, and Polly set about trying to sort out in her head what they were going to do.
“What are we going to do now, Sylv.” Margaret asked, breathing heavily. “Do we go back and start killing?”
They had walked and jogged for three hours along the river bank, and had emerged from the pass and were at the edge of the Southern plain. The only sign of Marco’s passing were his twin swords, which they had seen in the water below the bridge.
“No. much as I’d like to, we can’t.” She squatted down. “Sit down, we’ll have a few minutes, then press on to the coast.”
Margaret sat on a rock. “What’s stopping us going back there?”
“For one thing they’ll be ready for us. It’s one of the few places that’s got proper walls. We’d never get inside. Then, unfortunately there’s the law. It’s a job for the gurus to sort out now. Connie Nesbitt will speak our case, they’ll get someone to give their side of it, and then we’ll start killing them. Simple as that.”
“So what now then,” Margaret repeated.
“Follow the river to La Via. Take a boat to Gap, run like crazy for home, then raise an army, and with a bit of luck, we’ll be back here in a couple of weeks to make them wish they’d never been born.”
Back to the present, and Pansy was getting worried about births as well.
“You’ll have to talk to her, Tan. Tell her to stop it. Make her see sense.”
“What about Pansy darling,” asked Tanya, completely baffled by her lovers words.
“Well, I’ve been counting. Can’t help but notice that they end up making babies most nights.” Pansy was whispering in a conspiratorial manner.
“Yes, but what are you getting at?”
“They’ve done it at least seven times already. How are we going to cope when she has them all? We can’t feed seven babies! What you laughing at Tanya Vine? It’s no laughing matter. I can’t make milk, and I don’t think you can either!”
Tanya eventually managed to calm down enough to give Pansy her version of the facts of life, which were not exactly accurate, but nearer the truth than Pansy’s.
“How was I supposed to know that?” The embarrassed girl asked, when she finally realised that Flossie wasn’t about to present them with hordes of squealing babies. “Never got told nothing like that in school. Only know about spiders. Bet you think I’m a right drip now.”
Tanya put an arm round her disconsolate friend. “If you knew everything love, then you wouldn’t be you. You’d be someone else, and I wouldn’t love you.”
“Truly Tan? You’re not just saying that are you?”
“Course not sweetheart. I love you, not some ‘know it all’ from the future, like them angels, or the mighty Gudrun from the past. You’re the here and now. We belong together.”
“Oh Tan, You’re so good to me.” She paused, happy and safe in Tanya’s arms. “Bet you’re a bit vexed though, cos me and Marco are still lacking when it comes to swords.”
“No, we’re doing alright,” Tanya replied, but thought, “you’re not wrong there kid.”
They sat watching the flames lick round the bottom of the pot of rabbit stew.
“We’re going to get dressed up tonight,” Tanya declared. “Make sure we all look the part when we get there. Go through the story again.”
Pansy looked up at her. “Think they’ll really let us have it Tan?”
“No reason why they shouldn’t.” She smiled. “They’re too greedy to let a good deal like this slip through their fingers. Not long now, and we’ll be a legal part of Ibis’s domain, under the protection of Polly Jugg. Then no one can touch us. No meddling gurus, priestesses, or shark women. We’ll be safe.”
The Lanky Chicken
“Take one step closer, and I’ll give you such pain that you wouldn’t believe. And in really interesting places too!”
Sali and Sandal whirled round at the sound of the harsh voice, and looked up. And up some more, at the biggest pair of eyes they had ever seen. They both gaped in disbelief at the huge black and white bird, which turned it’s head sideways to look at them.
“You! Say the words. What’s rule number one?”
“Never panic?” said Sali, on the verge of panicking.
“No, not you, him, and that’s only number seven anyway.”
“The speakers are one,” blurted out Sandal at last, “respect your kin.”
“And do we eat our kin?”
“N n n no!”
“So you,” said the ostrich, pointing at Sandal, with a grubby finger, “can stop drooling right now. It’s bad manners to think about what you’ve got in mind. And keep away from my children!”
Sali and Sandal stared at the small arms which had been tucked under it’s wings. If there had been prizes for gaping at the annual village fair, they would have won easily.
“We meant no harm,” pleaded Sali, “only wanted a closer look at your beautiful babies.”
The ostrich cocked her head the other way, “Oh, know a lot about youngsters do you?”
“Oh yes. We’ve got lots of babies in Homestead now, and kids, calves and chicks too.”
“Chickens eh? Do they talk?”
Sali frowned, “why, no. Should they?”
“I guess not, there were no other birdfolk with us at the Ruby House, not that any of the scatterbrain dogs would remember though. Say, you’re travelling awful light, how far is it to your camp, or village or whatever?”
Sandal was regaining his composure, “about two hours to dog city, that way,” and pointed roughly South.
“And who’s in charge now?”
“Daggit,” answered Sandal.
“No, not who thinks he’s boss. Who’s in charge?”
Sali saved her partner from his confusion, “that would be Flair, or Caren.”
“Caren? What sort of a name’s that for a dog?”
“Oh, she used to be called Scutcher, but now she’s Caren Bonecrusher.”
“A Bonecrusher? Well, let’s go see your Caren then, we’ve a lot of catching up to do.”
Sali and Sandal’s first hunting trip came to a premature end, and they set off towards the clan's tented campsite (dog city?) with the ostrich following behind, and her three youngsters cavorting around and between her massive legs.
A little over two hours later, Flair crinkled her nose.
“That’s our Sandal coming back.”
Her son Flame, (Sandal’s older brother) looked up from the drawing of Asher’s field they had been working on together and sniffed as well.
“He’ll have to stop rolling in stuff. I told him it’s not civilised. Don’t catch me and Billie rolling in stuff.”
Flair dropped the charcoal and slowly stood up, and her hackles rose with
her as the scent on the air triggered her defence reflexes.
“Get ready to grab the brats and run,” she said through clenched teeth.
Flame looked up at her and gave a bemused smile.
“Run? We’re wardogs, we don’t run.”
She spun round and her right hand made solid contact with his left ear, “I’m older and wiser than you’ll ever be. When I say run, you say, how fast mum? Now go and fetch Jade, we need archers.”
“Mum, there’s walls in Homestead,” he whined.
Her hand was a fist this time and he rolled away from the table with the force of the blow. “Go!” she screamed at him, and as he left the huddle of tents that made up dog city, urging his younger cousins on, she turned to face the North trail and whatever was coming her way.
Race memories of the superdogs origins, bolstered by dark tales told on even darker nights, made Flair alternatively bare her teeth and snarl in defiance, then cringe and whimper with fear at the sight of her son and Sali being held firmly by the infamous Killer Chicken.
The ostrich sadly regarded Flair going through her emotional turmoil.
“Oh for goodness sake, pull yourself together, you’re no better than that stupid bitch Mimsy, your first grandmother. Well, say something!”
“Let my son go!” snarled Flair, then whimpered again, “please?”
Sandal was pushed gently forwards, “go on boy, talk to your mother,” then lowering her head to Sali, she said quietly, “just see where the beakies have got to honey, and bring them here, will you please?”
Flair had snatched Sandal and thrown him bodily towards the Homestead trail, then grabbed her sword and axe from the armour post outside her tent. She turned to the ostrich, her face a mask of hatred and grim determination, and advancing two paces, threw the axe with all her strength.
“Die, murderer.”
The ostrich leaned slightly to the right, and raised it’s left leg to snatch the axe out of the air as it tumbled past her, then transferring it from foot to hand, she casually tossed it into the dirt at Flair’s feet. “Would the great warrior care to try again, or would she rather talk?”
Even with the odds stacked against her, Flair was a willing opponent, and refused to back down, knowing that help had been sent for.
Eventually, with an eerie sense of déjà vu, Jade entered the clearing at Hoods Hole cave holding a half drawn bow, with Flame and Sandal right behind her, and as if nature wanted to redress the imbalance of the strange tableau, Sali and the three young ostriches, each as tall as her, came hand in hand from the North trail.
“Found them Cilla, oh!” Years of friendship with Tanya had given Sali some of her best friends attitude and the battle at Ashers Farm had been a steep learning curve for her. But also, now that she had been in the dog’s company, the persona once known as ‘Sali who passed the cutlery’, was finally being replaced, possibly even by the dogs invention, ‘Vorden of the bloody knives’? She moved to stand in front of the ostrich.
“YOU,” she shouted at Jade, “PUT DOWN THAT BOW!
There was an unnatural quality in her voice, and Jade was momentarily stunned by the force of Sali’s command, so lowered the bow uncertainly.
“What’s rule number one?”
“Don’t panic?” replied the confused Jade, wondering why Sali sounded like Ma Nesbitt having a bad day.
“Not you. You,” Sali repeated, pointing an unwavering finger at Flair. “And that’s only eight anyway.”
A small voice behind and above her said, “seven actually, but you’re doing OK.”
“Er, the speakers are as one with you,” said Flair.
“And?”
“Er, respect your kin,” she finished quietly.
“Easy, isn’t it,” said Sali with a triumphant smile spreading across her face. “You’re the dog Flair, and that’s your family. You’re the human Jade, and I’m your family. This is the bird Cilla, with her family. We all speak, so we all respect each other. Don’t we?”
“But she’s a dog killer,” said Flair in a small worried voice.
“Have you met her before?” demanded Sali.
“No, but I know the stories.”
“Forget the stories, her name’s Cilla, not killer, so stop all this stupid sword waving and talk to her. Or suffer a virgin’s curse.” And as she said the words, her left hand reached upwards, the fingers spreading outwards and her right hand stretched forward of it’s own volition towards Flair. The shocked dog woman threw down her sword and axe and cowered before the menacing figure. Suddenly, the tense moment passed and Sali seemed to shrink a little before their eyes. She turned and walked into the trees.
After a moment’s hesitation, Jade put her bow down and followed, keeping a healthy distance from the awesome bird. She found Sali some twenty metres into the trees, sat hugging her knees, alternately frowning, then staring wide eyed into space. Jade sat beside her and put her arm round the mystified girls shoulders.
“Well, that was a surprise,” said Jade.
“Oh Jade,” she said and leant against the older girls side, “Something just went click inside my head. What happened to me back there? Oh Lady, my head hurts.”
“Hush child, everything’s alright. We’ll rest awhile before we go back home, then when Connie, Ma Nesbitt, comes back, she’ll tell you about it better than I can. But it looks like you’re getting a special talent that’s only given to a lucky few.”
‘Or unlucky’ she added silently to herself.
After ten minutes of TLC, Sali felt well enough to rejoin the others and they found Cilla sitting at the rough table, admiring Flame’s latest drawings. Flair’s sword and axe were hanging from the post again, and Sandal was trying to keep the three youngsters out of the kitchen tent.
“Me and Sali have got to go back home,” said Jade to no one in particular. “Something important’s come up.”
Cilla fixed one enormous eye on Jade, “got any decent food there, like apple pie?”
“I guess that Frankie can get anything you want,” replied the archer.
“In that case, I’m coming as well, been too long since I tasted apple pie.”
She looked at Flair and said quietly, “You’d better come too.”
Flair was about to make excuses about Homestead having walls, but Cilla held up one hand to stop her protest, “You’ll have to come with us to talk to the humans honey, me and the young ones are heading South. Your cousins are on the move.”
The word of the law
“What’s the best we can hope for?” Polly asked the question more in the hope of hearing good news, than actually expecting it. Deep down, she knew that there wasn’t a ‘best’ in this case, and her racing heart was making her feel decidedly unwell.
The two lawgivers from the Court of Final Appeal in Central conferred again, then Millie Storm steepled her fingers and looked at the ceiling of the council chamber.
“If we can press the point with vigour that they wer
e lacking in the proper care of their property, to wit the man…” she looked at the papers in front of her, “...known as Marco. In as much as that they knowingly let him wander out of their sight, then they may have to be content with a blood price.”
Maddy Toogood narrowed her eyes as she heard the dreaded subject of cost come up. As Ibis’s Prima, she was expected to make sure that the town made a yearly profit, and that the coffers were always full. She wasn’t too happy that two of the bloodsucking lawyers had turned up. One would have been expensive enough, but two?
She leant forward. “What would be the likely price to pay?” she asked the two experts.
“What price indeed?” answered the other, Daisy Vetch. “How does one put a price on something so rare that there are now only five of them left in the whole world?”
“Yes, but how much?” insisted Maddy.
“Probably as much as you have.” answered Daisy.
Maddy paled at the thought of all that wealth leaking away, and there was a prolonged silence, while all in the chamber contemplated those awful words.
“Of course, they may insist on a more physical judgement, and that would lessen the monetary aspect of it.”
Maddy’s face brightened, but Polly winced and seemed to shrink a little before their eyes. She looked at Dotty, who’s broken hand was strapped to a board, and her face still resembling a disaster area. She hadn’t spoken or shown any emotion since the meeting had begun. Dotty had accepted that she was living on borrowed time, and had retreated mentally to a safer place.
“What forms of physical judgement are there?” asked Polly. “Are there any alternatives?”
Millie and Daisy whispered together again and turned several pages of the manuscript over. Finally, Daisy looked up and cleared her throat. “Usually, this will take the form of a duel, between defendant and accuser.” She looked at Dotty. “In this case, given the defendants condition, they will probably allow a champion to take part as well.”
“What about weapons?” whispered Polly.
Another muted conversation and more page turning.
Millie answered, “there are no clear guidelines. In the case of Nancy Tribble against Amanda Proudlove, they started with garden spades, but Tribble was eventually beaten to death with a sack of potatoes. It would seem that anything could be allowed.”
Polly leant forward and rested her head on her arms on the table. She screwed her eyes shut but didn’t cry. Like Dotty, she knew that she was going to die.
The meeting broke up, and the lawgivers, happy that they were earning their exorbitant fees easily, returned to the airy apartment on the top floor of the council building.
“Any chance that we can buy them off Maddy?”
Maddy shook her head. “Sorry Poll. Homesteaders are yokels. Don’t love money like we do. It’s all about honour and sisterly love over there. You and Dotty’ll have to do it the hard way.”
Dotty just sat there, in a world of her own, and Polly shuddered at the thought of Sylvia with a sword bearing down on them both. Then the outer door burst open, and the sound of an excited crowd drifted into the room.
“Maddy, quick. You’ve never seen anything like it.”
Maddy scowled at the interruption, “what are you going on about girl.”
“Visitors, Maddy,” exclaimed Shelly Sparrow, the door guard. “Foreign visitors.”
She could say no more, as she was roughly pushed to one side by a warrior dressed all in red, followed immediately by another all in blue. Their shimmering robes swept the ground and were fastened at the waist by sword belts bearing gleaming scimitars. They both wore half face helmets of bronze, with a crest of bright feathers, and they carried small shields with polished copper bosses engraved with dragonlike creatures. As they moved left and right into the room, a third, dressed similarly but all in green followed them and stood before the long table.
“All rise,” she bellowed, “for the princess Florabel of Alacant and San Wan.”
The mystified audience were already standing and gazed open mouthed as the princess entered, followed by Tina Flake and four of her guards. The princess was a big girl, a very big girl and dressed rather plainly in robes of white linen with blue edging. Only the jewels she wore marked her as something special.
“Chair,” the herald said loudly. “Chair for her highness,” she repeated irritably.
Polly nearly fell over her own feet as she scrambled to move her chair for the princess.
The princess of Alacant and San Wan sat.
“Knees,” whispered Tanya, bending low and adjusting Marco’s gown. “Put your bloody knees together.”
“So far so good”, thought Tanya. They hadn’t seen anyone familiar yet, and the helmets covered part of their faces anyway.
Maddy wrung her hands together and made a small bow in the princess’s direction. “May I say what an honour this is, to be blessed by the presence of your royal highness.” She had heard of Alacant, of course, but all reports had said that it was deserted and derelict.
The princess smiled and idly waved a gloved hand. The smile went unnoticed as Marco’s face was covered with a veil.
“The princess has taken a vow of silence for the extent of this pilgrimage,” announced Tanya. “I will speak with the voice of the throne of Alacant.”
All this was heady stuff for Maddy. Shelly was right. Nothing like this had ever been seen in the region before. And probably never would again.
“May one enquire what the princess’s needs are at this time?” She had done a quick assessment of the situation, and figured that the princess was wearing jewellery worth more than the whole of Ibis’s treasury.
“The princess is on an extended pilgrimage, and requires a private residence without the city walls, for a period not yet determined.”
Calling Ibis a ‘city’ pleased Maddy enormously, especially as Central’s Prima, Tina Flake was standing there. Like everyone else, Tina was struggling to come to terms with the presence of such wealth. Not only that. These people were so bright. It just wasn’t possible to make colours like these any more.
“Err, there are several homes available in the, er city,” Maddy said slowly, “but I can’t think of anywhere suitable outside the walls.”
“There is a walled farm to the East,” Tanya stated firmly. “We shall move in there.”
Maddy’s jaw dropped. “But that’s my family’s estate,” she whined. “I can’t really leave the orchards and livestock unattended.”
“This is not a permanent move for her highness, and it could be the start of a valuable alliance between Ibis and the South.” Tanya watched Maddy’s face and decided to go the whole distance now. “There would of course be some compensation for you and the city.” She waved forward the blue warrior, who came to the table with a small box.
Maddy’s eyes widened as the box was opened, and a glittering collection of rings, brooches and bangles was tipped out onto the table.
“Of course,” said Maddy, all smiles now, “I’ll make arrangements for you immediately.
She started to scoop the shining pile back into the box, but the red warrior suddenly started forward.
“No!” she exclaimed, and the other warriors looked at her in surprise. “The princess cannot surrender her box. It was a gift from her mother, the queen of Sutherland.”
There was a brief pause while Tanya came to terms with Pansy’s sudden change in the plan. “Indeed,” she announced. “The box is a sacred relic from the err, valley wars and must be returned to Sutherland every two years. To, err, ensure the chocolate harvest.”
She was ad-libbing furiously, and hoped that there were no more surprises in store.
Maddy’s brain had been whirling for several minutes now. She smiled and nodded wisely. “To conclude this part of the alliance,” she said, “you shall take possession of Toogood Farm, for an indeterminate period, and we shall supply you with servants to look after your needs.”
Tanya was mortified. “That won’t be necessary,” she said hurriedly.
“Ah but it is,” insisted Maddy, “we will send the Sharp family to you. They are looking for alternative employment at the moment, and I’m sure that they will fill your every need. No matter how small.”
Ibis’s Prima would not be swayed on her decision. She had managed to move the problem of Dotty’s impending doom onto the princess of Alacant. If Homestead wanted Dotty, then under what passed for employment laws, they would have to take issue with the princess. Then that interfering Nesbitt woman would get a nasty shock when the swords of Alacant and San Wan came over the hill.
Toogood Farm
Toogood farm was like a miniature castle, and Flossie slammed the huge gate shut as the last of Maddy’s relatives went out of the farmyard. She dropped the locking bar and went to join the others, removing her helmet as she went. “These are rubbish. They look good, but they’re damned uncomfortable to wear. My ears will never be the same again.”
Tanya had other things on her mind. “You nearly dropped us in the deep stuff there Pansy. What did you do that for?”
“Never saw the box empty before. Did you see the bottom of it? It’s shaped, and I think it’s my trumpet’s shape at that.”
“So you nearly messed it all up for a box to put your precious horn in?”
Pansy was taken back by her friends anger, but snapped back at her. “Yes it’s precious, you know it is, and you should know that precious things need precious care. Sword, scabbard. That sort of thing.”
Tanya could relate to sword and scabbard, so relented. “Sorry Pan. You’re probably right. No harm done, we’re safe now.”
There was a banging at the gate, and Tanya looked at it in frustration.
“We’ve got to keep Marco out of sight for a while. Tell them we’re not ready yet Floss, tell them to wait. Come on Pan, we’ll get Marco settled in somewhere safe.”
They went their separate ways, Pansy, Marco and Tanya heading for the two storey house, Flossie climbing the short staircase to the walls ramparts.
There were five people standing outside.
“You can’t come in yet,” she shouted down to them. “Come back later.”
The group looked up and then at each other. They retreated several paces to ease their aching necks and then one spoke up. “We’ve come a long way today mistress, only want a drink of fresh water and somewhere cool to sit a while.”
“Don’t be silly, woman,” retorted Flossie, “you’ve only come from Ibis, just over the hill.” and she waved her hand in the general direction.
There was some muttered conversation and shrugging of shoulders, then the spokeswoman said, “but we’re going to Ibis. Come from Homestead on legal matters.”
Flossie’s brain went into overtime as she weighed up her options. She looked at the house, but there was no sign of Tanya, so she decided to take the offensive. “Nobody from Homestead allowed inside these walls. Or anywhere near these walls if it comes to that. You’re all murderous scum, now be off with you before I set the dogs loose.”
She wasn’t sure whether the ancient, mangy mongrels she had seen about the place were capable of frightening anyone away, but it sounded good.
“Why do we deserve this?” asked another. “The war’s been over for a year now. We’ve been good neighbours with you since then.”
“I know what you’re up to, and it’ll do you no good,” shouted Flossie, getting into full stride now. “Any more of your lip and I’ll come down there myself, now begone.”
She left the rampart and ran back to the house, where she met Tanya in the doorway.
“What’s all the shouting for Floss?”
“Rabble from Homestead. Told them to sod off.”
“Come on, lets have a look at them before they get too far away.”
Back on the wall over the gate, they saw that the party from Homestead were only a hundred paces away and walking slowly. Tanya recognised them all. Julie and Terri Brand, Max Ward, Ivy Tulip and Margaret Valence. It was too much for Tanya to bear.
“Murdering Margaret,” she whispered, and took Flossie’s bow from her. “Murderer,” she yelled, and as the Homesteaders turned to look back at her, she loosed the arrow. She had aimed at Margaret’s legs in return for Marco’s wound, but the arrow stuck harmlessly in the ground between her feet. “Damn,” exclaimed Tanya, “missed.”
Ivy quickly had an arrow notched and let it fly. Tanya half closed her eyes and felt her chest muscles contract, as she watched the arrow come directly at her and expected to feel it strike home, but then it veered slightly and passed between her and Flossie.
She stood there and watched as the five Homesteaders debated briefly what to do, before continuing on their way towards Ibis.
“Bit rash, weren’t you?” Said Flossie. “I wouldn’t have done that.”
“Couldn’t help it,” replied Tanya, troubled by her brush with death. “Had to do it.”
“Well don’t do it again Tanya Vine,” warned Flossie, “we need you too much.”
Tanya looked suddenly at Flossie. The woman standing beside her bore little resemblance to the pathetic creature that they had found only four weeks ago. The half starved, half naked and grovelling outcast had gone. Here stood a warrior, confident that she was going to make an important contribution to her new family, and happy in the company of good friends who she knew wouldn’t let her down.
Tanya was feeling pleased that she was needed by someone, so she smiled as she said, “come on Floss, let’s get out of these ridiculous clothes.”
Back in the house, they had rid themselves of the flowing robes and polished armour, and were now clad in their more normal trousers and shirts. They sat on the bed in what was going to be the ‘princess’s’ bedroom, and out of bounds to the servants.
“How are we going to manage with strangers wandering about the place,” complained Marco. “For me it’ll be like being in prison.”
“Didn’t expect it, that’s for sure,” answered Tanya, “but as soon as it’s safe, the princess will leave, and Marco will come back. Probably.”
“How long do you think Tan?” asked Pansy
“Long as it takes love. Six weeks, twelve weeks. Who knows.”
“Twelve weeks locked in a bedroom,” wailed Marco. “That’s a lifetime.”
“Don’t worry,” said Flossie reassuringly, “I’ll visit you. From time to time.”
“Thought you would,” retorted Pansy. “Anyway, I don’t mind. I kissed him again when you were on the wall.” She raised her eyebrows at the sight of Flossie and Tanya’s faces. “And why should I not. He’s mine as well as yours. Aren’t you Marco dearest?”
Marco smiled. “We’re just one big happy family.”
Shouting from outside the gate interrupted the argument before it could get started.
“Come on girls,” sighed Tanya, “let’s go see if this is the hired help.”
After first making sure that the Homesteaders hadn’t returned, the gate was opened to let in the servants assigned to them by Maddy. It was a surprise to say the least.
Just to be on the safe side, Maddy had sent over Dotty and all her relations. Dotty’s mother, Edna, her older sisters, Evelyn and Annie, and their four daughters, Caroline, Marianne, Lilibet and Molli made up the Sharps. Polly was accompanied by her sister Sarah, and their mother, Doris. Sarah’s only daughter, Sasha, was eleven, which had made her the youngest girl in the world, before the new births in Homestead.
The Sharps and the Juggs were out of Maddy’s way, and were, as far as she was concerned, Alacant’s problem. And she was making a profit on leasing out the farmstead.
“Flaming seesaws,” whispered Flossie to Pansy as the assorted women and girls trailed past them into the yard. “didn’t know that royalty needed this much looking after.”
Pansy frowned. “There’s something odd going on here.” She drew Flossie’s attention to Dotty, with her splinted hand and ravaged face. “What use will she be?”
After two hours of chaos, things settled down as everyone found their place in the pecking order, and calm descended once more to Toogood farm. The entire top floor had been declared off limits to the servants, and Marco took his tea, and then his supper in the bedroom, delivered to him by Pansy. Despite the house being larger than their needs, Tanya insisted that all twelve of the servants bedded down in the cottage across the yard, and Marco was given the freedom of the house until the morning.
For four days, all seemed to be going well. Then there was an unwelcome visitor.
Tina Flake arrived with two of her troop, and bad news from Ibis.
“The princess Florabel is required to attend high council at Ibis, in relation to a serious crime, allegedly committed by one of her servants.”
“What rubbish is this?” demanded Tanya. “The princess answers to no one in this country. Especially if it’s anything to do with those scum from Homestead.”
“Those scum are camped outside the walls of Ibis, with an army of more than seventy warriors and wardogs.” Tina answered. “And there’s going to be trouble if the lawyers can’t sort it out between themselves. We need your attendance.”
Tanya went silent and thought furiously. She would have to go with Tina, but knew that she couldn’t fool the dog soldiers, so she would have to pray for a miracle. Whatever happened, she thought, she was determined not to go back to a life of drudgery in Homestead.
She informed the others of her intentions as she dressed for the part of princess’s herald again. On top of her undershirt, she wore the silver mail, covered by the green robes.
She didn’t bother with a bow, but took five of her knives and the sword she had found in Deerward tower. She topped off the ensemble with leather boots and wrist guards, the half helmet and the copper shield. Just for good measure, she pushed the snake bracelet high up onto her left arm. Outside, she found that Tina and her guards had already gone, taking Dotty with them, so she set off for Ibis on her own.
The law is a goat
The council chamber was noisy until Millie Storm banged her gavel on the table top.
Maddy winced, it had taken years to perfect it’s finish, and it had cost her dear.
“Are all interested parties in attendance?” Millie looked pointedly round the room. There was an empty chair.
“Begging your pardon madam,” said Shelly, who was trying to act as usher, “but the princess Florabel hasn’t turned up yet.” She attempted to curtsy again, and decided it wasn’t worth the bother. Stupid tradition anyway.
“Can we begin the proceedings without her?” Millie asked her fellows at the table.
Daisy Vetch nodded and looked to her left. Connie Nesbitt sniffed.
“Begin,” she said simply. She was worried. She felt that something wasn’t right here.
Millie began. “Who is the complainant?”
Margaret stood up. She and Sylvia had decided that she alone should bring the charge.
Millie looked down her nose at her. “Yokel”, she thought. “Defendant?” she said.
Dotty stood up unsteadily. She had been unnerved by meeting Sylvia and Margaret again.
“Tell me, child. Did you or did you not, shoot an arrow at the man, known as Marco.”
“Well your honour, didn’t know he was called Marco, did I.”
“But did you shoot him?”
“Well your honour, didn’t rightly know he was a man either.”
“Explain.”
“Thought it was a tree beast, come to get us again.”
“Again?”
“Thought it was a tree beast,...”
“No!” Millie stopped her angrily. “It came to get you again?”
“Oh, yes. It were at Ashers Farm. It were evil. Had horns on it’s head.”
Connie Nesbitt interrupted. “Who told you it was a tree beast?”
“Well, nobody. And everybody really.”
“Have you seen a picture of it with a label underneath that says ‘this is a tree beast’?”
“Well, no”
“And if your mother was to put that on,” she pointed at the horned helmet on the table in front of her, “would she be a tree beast, and would you shoot her?”
Dotty put on her famous ‘I don’t know what you’re going on about’ grin and shrugged her shoulders.
“But you did shoot him, didn’t you.” suggested Connie gently.
Dotty nodded. “Yes,” she managed to say in a small voice.
Daisy coughed dramatically. “Sit down girl,” she ordered, then shuffled her papers and looked at Margaret. “Now, Margret of Valens, when did you last see the man known as Marco?”
“We had breakfast that morning, and he was looking forward to seeing Ibis, and wanted to be on the way. I remember he said that he was keen to go, and I told him not to leave yet, because we’re weren’t ready for him. We finished breakfast, me and Sylvia, and saw that he was missing.”
“S
o he disobeyed your command to stay?” Daisy looked sideways at Connie and Millie.
Margaret frowned. “Well, yes. I suppose he did.”
“Any questions?” Daisy asked her peers.
They shook their heads. There had never been such a clear cut case before.
“I speak on behalf of the Court of Final Appeal, and the findings are thus.” She looked once more at the others, but as they had they had already reached agreement in their private rooms, there was no attempt to interrupt. “The woman Dotty Sharp did unlawfully kill the man known as Marco, but that there was negligence upon the part of his keeper, one Margret of Valens. As is custom, We have already negotiated a blood price, which in this instance, given the nature of the deceased...” She skimmed through the pile of paper again, “…is the sum of ten kilos of copper.” A loud murmuring broke out in the watching crowd. “Or,” Daisy raised her voice, “fifteen kilos of good steel.” There was uproar in the room as the numbers registered with the listeners. Such a penalty was unheard of. Nobody had ever been worth that much.
“The defendant will also engage in a feat of arms with the complainant.”
A collective sigh came from the watching crowd.
“The blood price will be lowered with each entrant in this engagement. Dotty Sharp, you, and as many of your companions who are willing, will meet in arms against Margret of Valens, with an equal number of her fellows.”
She addressed Maddy Toogood. “Can the city meet the blood price?” she asked.
Maddy smiled and spread her hands apologetically. “With regret, I beg to inform your honours that Dotty Sharp and her family are now working and residing under the protection of the princess of Alacant and San Wan. Therefore…” she had to raise her voice to make herself heard above the sudden exclamations from the watching throng. “Therefore, it is to Alacant that Homestead must make it’s claims.”
She sat down in triumph. Connie Nesbitt was about to launch into a scathing attack, when the crowd outside could be heard cheering. The noise swelled and suddenly grew louder as the doors flew open.
Tanya had found it necessary to take a lengthy detour to avoid the wardogs, who knew her better than anyone suspected, and she was fashionably late. She strutted into the room and marched straight up to Margaret, who suddenly found herself sitting on the floor, dazed and rubbing her ear, wondering what had hit her.
Tanya pointed an accusing finger at Margaret. “Margaret Valence,” shouted Tanya, “I accuse you of the attempted murder of Marco, son of Firestorm, and whether this court will listen or no, I will meet you on the battlefield and wring the life from your miserable body.”
“What’s the meaning of this?” screamed Millie.
“Who are you to interrupt these proceedings?” screeched Daisy.
“Tanya Vine, We’ve been looking all over for you and Pansy,” said Connie gently. “Where have you been girl.”
Tanya sneered at her. “Don’t you ‘girl’ me, Connie Nesbitt. I know you too well. It’s back to being everybody’s skivvy in The Vine and good thrashings you’ve got in mind, I’ve no doubt. Try it now if you like.” She turned as Sylvia rose from her chair at last. “And you can sit down Sylvie swift sword. I’m not frightened of you any more either.”
Something in the back of Sylvia’s mind warned her that the time for action was not here yet, so she decided to be only a spectator, and sat again.
“Wait.” Shouted Millie. “Attempted murder?” she queried.
“Correct your majesty,” answered Tanya. “We fished him out of the river and nursed him back to health again.” She couldn’t understand the sudden hush that fell. “Patched him up and tended his needs.” She blushed at the thought of Flossie tending him. “He told us that Margaret sent him into a trap. He had a hole in his leg where he was stuck by an arrow.” She frowned, looking round the faces watching her with mouths agape. She slowed down. “And Pansy heard Margaret threaten to murder him four weeks before that in The Vine.”
“No Tan,” said Margaret quietly, through bruised lips. “I’d never do that. He’s precious to me. I love him. You know I do.”
Tanya looked into Margaret’s eyes and suddenly realised that she’d been wrong.
She lifted the helmet from her head, and dropped it on the floor. “Oh chiggers! Messed it up, haven’t I.”
Dotty’s plaintive voice cut through the ensuing silence like a knife. “If he’s still alive, then I don’t have to die. Do I?”
Millie held her hand up. “Judgement has been passed.”
Daisy continued. “The law must be upheld.”
Connie Nesbitt stood up. “To hell with the judgement, we don’t need law here. We want justice. Case dismissed.” She turned to the two disgruntled lawgivers. “Sort it out,” she ordered, “there’ll be no more blood shed over this affair. I know you can make the paperwork right, so do it.”
There are expenses to consider,” interjected Millie.
“She’ll pay,” said the wise guru pointing at Ibis’s Prima. “Got a fortune stashed away, that one has.”
Maddy jumped to her feet. “But Dotty belongs to Alacant now,” she blustered.
Ma Nesbitt gave her one of her ‘looks’, “Alacant?” she mused, rubbing her chin. “No such place,” she stated. “You must be losing your touch, Maddy Toogood, falling for that.”
She moved round the table and put her arm round Tanya. “Come on lass. Lets go somewhere quiet. We need to have a chat.”
The history lesson
The meaning of the ostrich’s words weren’t clear to the humans, but Flair and her sons, Flame and Sandal started snatching things up ready to leave the camp. Jade slowed them down enough to understand what was happening, then opened the Never Look Back, using the code given to her by Denny. There were ten frantic minutes while everything they couldn’t carry was packed into the time machine’s hold by Sali and the dogs, while Jade sat in the pilot’s chair.
“I know that Caren told you to shut everything down, but the dogs are leaving, you’ll be defenceless.”
“HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO BE AWAY?”
“Don’t rightly know yet, how long can you keep your shields up?”
“252 HOURS MAXIMUM. LESS IF I HAVE TO GO INTO AGGRESSION MODE, THEN THE NEW CELL HAS TO BE FITTED.”
“Can you do it yourself, or do you need Caren?”
“CAREN OR DENNY, OR POSSIBLY RICARDO MAY UNDERSTAND.”
“OK, do it as soon as the door’s closed, and we’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“YES JADE. THERE IS A MESSAGE FOR MARGARET. HOOD HAS NOW LEFT VALENCIA ON A GRAND ADVENTURE AND DOES NOT KNOW WHEN SHE WILL RETURN.”
“Did she say what sort of adventure?”
“NO, BUT SHE SAID THAT SHE WILL HAVE THE TIME OF HER LIFE.”
She started to rise from the chair. “JADE?”
She turned back, “Yes Never?”
“WHAT DO YOU GET IF YOU CROSS A SHEEP WITH A KANGAROO?”
“What’s a ka
ngaroo?”
“I DON’T KNOW JADE, BUT HOOD SAYS THAT IT’S VERY AMUSING.”
As she left the cave, Never powered up it’s microwave defence network, then proceeded to try and work out what sheep and mythical kangaroos had to do with exotic clothing.
The mixed group got back to Homestead in record time, collecting the fourteen young dogs that were huddled together disconsolately opposite the East gate, on the wood’s side of the shallow ford. While Sali and Jade ran towards the Vine, and Cilla with her three ‘beakies’ strutted imperiously across the green, the wardogs slunk inside and tried not to look at the walls.
“Sali, you get the sun raised, I’m going to see Frankie,” and Jade kept going to the taverna while Sali entered the chapel. She emerged onto the roof and proceeded to hoist the bright red ‘come now’ flag, which had a yellow sun in the centre.
They had decided on this design for an emergency call signal because the wardogs weren’t too sure what the word red actually meant.
Jade burst into the Vine, “Frankie, we’re in trouble, there’s a pack of weird wolfs coming down from the North, and the dogs are going to run.”
All that afternoon, there was a steady trickle of dog folk and humans coming into the village in response to the signal flag, and it was about mid afternoon that the hard core of decision makers sat at the tables outside The Vine. The wardogs weren’t happy, and not just because of the walls.
Their past was catching up with them at a tremendous rate of knots.
“Stop baring your teeth like that,” said Flair forcefully to Daggit, who was struggling to keep his emotions in check. “And listen.”
She turned to Cilla, “carry on dear.”
Although the ostrich was sitting on the grass, she still looked down at the council leaders on their benches.
“As I was saying,” and her huge right eye fixed on Daggit, “we were all raised by humans in the Ruby House, and they did bad things to us. Thought they owned us, because they’d made us like we are, but the little one, human girl that is, let us all out and told us to be gone before the man with the big needle came again.”
Daggit’s lips curled back again at some hint of race memory.
“There were fourteen of us got to the wild country, and for a while we stayed together. Till we reached the desert, and the food ran out, that is. That’s when there was a little spot of bother and we split up. The wolfs headed North, I went West and the dogs came South.”
“No no no, wait a minute,” interrupted Denny, “You went West? How old are you?”
“Probably about the same as you, dearie, but the man with the big needle made us all different you see, and I’m the only one like me. This is my 34th new body.”
Her audience were spellbound by the revelation.
“When I start to wear out, I… move to another, younger me. It’s very complicated and I was a lion once, by accident of course, but I shan’t be doing that again in a hurry, the food’s awful. All that fur to keep clean.”
“If you’re the only one, then your children…?” Denny’s voice trailed off in confusion.
“Oh they’re mine. I lay eggs, and sometimes they hatch, and grow into fine girls, but they don’t talk until I move in. Never seen a male ostrich though, it just happens.”
Inside Denny’s mind, Robin was getting excited, “ask her. Go on, just ask her, I could get used to being a bird.”
“No not here,” said Denny insistently, and as all eyes turned to her, she realised that she’d actually spoken the words. “Sorry,” she said quickly, “just thinking aloud.”
In the sudden embarrassed silence, Frankie spoke up.
“What was the bother that made you split up?”
The huge eyes looked briefly at Flair, then Cilla turned back to Frankie.
“It’s a delicate matter, and Flair might tell you about it one day.”
It was Flairs turn to bare her teeth and she seemed to shrink before them as the embarrassment of her dead ancestors dreadful misdeeds came back to haunt her.
“What about the wolfs,” asked Jade.
“There’s about twenty of them and they’re not nice people to know.” Cilla replied.
Jade frowned as she said, “surely we can handle twenty wolfs, can’t we?”
“Ah well,” answered Cilla, there are twenty that can talk, but they’ve gathered a lot more of their wild brothers, and they’re eating their way Southwards.”
“So we’ll have to move the cattle and goats,” suggested Lily.
“Not just them,” Daggit managed to say, “they kill for fun, and eat people as well.”
Cycle of Life, the rise and fall of Tanya Vine Page 15
