The Queen_s Blade tqb-1

by T C Southwell

  Carriages rumbled past on the cobbled streets, and sweaty servants carried ladies in sedan chairs. Street cleaners collected dung to fill the little carts they pulled, which they would add to the vast compost heaps on the city's outskirts. When it was sufficiently mature, they would sell it to farmers and gardeners to enrich their soil.

  Noblemen rode in gossiping groups, or sprawled on benches outside drinking establishments and sipped ale or wine. An occasional park afforded a place for the children of nobles and merchants to play when the schools closed. Officers of the Watch patrolled, on hand to chase away urchins or pickpockets who strayed from the slums. Most of the buildings were constructed from dressed stone, their steep grey slate roofs designed slough off the winter snow.

  Merchants displayed their wares under tarpaulins outside their shops, and women examined bolts of cloth or haggled over ornaments, jewellery and leather goods. Many of the nobles watched Blade pass with narrow eyes, but while his garb hinted at his profession, it did not reveal it sufficiently to evoke any spitting or rude comments.

  Blade was more at home when he reached the narrow, filthy back alleys in which he had spent so much of his life. Beggars rattled tin cups at passers-by, and pickpockets moved amongst the pedestrians with busy hands. Men stepped from his path with furtive glances, while harridans nudged their fellows and cast him knowing looks. A few thin horses pulled rickety carts, and rising damp stained the white-washed buildings. The stench of garbage mingled with the sickly scent of incense and stale ale. Drunkards lay in the gutter or slumped in doorways, their pockets doubtless picked clean.

  Raucous singing emanated from taprooms, and housewives threw buckets of slops into the gutter. Urchins picked through the garbage and fought with dogs for scraps of bread. Threading his way through the whores and beggars, Blade headed for a familiar building tucked away in a dead end street. He entered a dingy taproom populated by a few drunken men and several dishevelled harlots. Rough-hewn tables and benches cluttered the soot-stained taproom, and mildewed rushes covered the floor. A glance into the darkest corners ascertained that the one he sought was not there, and he gripped the arm of a passing trollop. She leered up at him, but he ignored her gap-toothed invitation.

  "Where's Lilu?" he asked, using the common speech.

  Her smile vanished. "Her again! She's in the back, but she's busy. I'm not though."

  He pushed her away. "I can see why."

  The whore cursed him vilely as he walked away, heading for the dirty curtain that separated the rooms at the back from the taproom. Making his way to Lilu's room, he became aware, as he neared it, of the thuds and shrieks coming from within. Not caring if he interrupted her client, he thrust open the sagging door and walked in.

  Lilu knelt before a brawny man, whose hand gripped her tangled brown hair. Blade stopped and eyed them, and at the sight of him Lilu cried, "Blade! Help me! He's trying to kill me!"

  The man shook her. "Liar! I want my money back, you filthy whore! You stole from me!"

  Lilu wailed, "Help me, Blade!"

  The assassin stepped back, leant against the wall and folded his arms. "If you stole from the man, give it back."

  "I can't! I don't have it any more!"

  The man growled and slapped her. "You'd better find it, you damned whore!"

  Lilu clutched her torn dress and wailed again, clawing at the big man's beefy hands. "Let me go, you bastard! Don't you know what he is?"

  The man glanced at Blade, but the assassin spread his hands and shrugged. His throat was covered, so no outward token of his trade showed. He recognised the man as a local armourer, a towering giant covered with muscles earned from years spent at the forge. He had no intention of tangling with such a brute.

  "I'll not interfere," he assured the armourer.

  "Damn you, Blade!" Lilu shrieked. "You owe me!"

  "Be quiet, bitch!" the armourer roared, dragging her towards the lumpy, rumpled bed. "I'll take it out of your hide until you give me back my money!"

  "No!" Lilu grabbed at passing furniture, but could not wriggle free of his painful hold. "He'll kill you! He's my friend!"

  Blade's brows rose a fraction at this assertion, but Lilu's threats did not seem to worry the man, who snarled, "That little runt won't lift a finger to help you, trollop!"

  Lilu grabbed a candle-holder and beat the man about the head with it. He yanked it from her grasp and flung it across the room, narrowly missing the assassin. Lilu's beating further enraged the man, who pinned her to the bed and slapped her. She clawed at his eyes, making him roar with pain, then kicked him in the shins. He grabbed her throat and throttled her.

  "Blade!" she squeaked, "He's killing me!"

  He frowned. "Why don't you two sort this out in a decent manner? Whatever she stole from you, she can pay back in kind."

  The man turned his head to glare at the assassin. "Twenty goldens! She'll be on her back for the next three years."

  Blade shrugged. "I'm sure you'll require her services."

  "I have to pay my rent!"

  The assassin sighed. "Don't you have any money, Lilu?"

  "No!" she growled, glowering at him. "Just get rid of him, don't waste your time talking."

  "It seems that he's in the right, if you stole his money."

  "He won't get it back if he kills me!"

  The man squeezed, silencing her, and banged her head against the headboard. "I want my money now!"

  "She can't give it to you if she hasn't got it," Blade pointed out.

  "You stay out of this!" the armourer roared.

  "I'm only trying to help."

  "Why don't you get lost, you little fop?"

  Blade shook his head. "I need to speak to Lilu."

  The armourer straightened, his bloodshot eyes glaring. "Bugger off!"

  "No."

  The man swung with a roar, releasing the hapless harlot, and charged Blade. The assassin stepped aside, and the armourer buried his fist in the wooden wall where Blade's head had been an instant before. The giant's hand was trapped in the broken timbers, and he struggled to pull it out. Lilu coughed and rubbed her throat, sitting up.

  "Kill him, Blade! I'll pay you!"

  He shot her an angry glance. "You don't have any money."

  The armourer jerked his hand free and swung on the assassin again, bearing down on him like a charging bear. Blade stepped aside and headed for the door, unwilling to become embroiled in a fight. The man lunged at him, grabbed Blade's shoulder and spun him around with a powerful jerk. The assassin stumbled, lost his footing and fell backwards into the narrow hall, where he landed with a grunt, banging his head on the wall. The armourer came after him, raising a boot to stamp on his belly. Blade rolled away and leapt to his feet, heading for the taproom.

  "Come back here, you coward!" the man bellowed, following.

  Lithe as a cat, Blade turned and jumped up to grab the lintel of the taproom door, jerked up his legs and smashed his boots into the armourer's face. The big man reeled back, blood spurting from his nose. Blade trotted into the taproom, making good his escape. The armourer, however, was made of sterner stuff, and his head from solid bone it seemed, for within seconds he came after the fleeing assassin. Blade vaulted a table just ahead of his pursuer, and the men in the taproom, seeing a fight, shouted and blocked the exit.

  Blade turned to face his attacker, glancing about for a way out of the situation. The armourer swung a punch, which, had it connected, might have ripped Blade's head off. The assassin ducked and dived for the door, but two bystanders caught him and flung him back. He cursed as he almost fell into his foe's grasping hands, twisting aside to roll under a table. The armourer kicked the table out of the way, and one of its legs caught the assassin a glancing blow on the temple.

  Stars flashed in his eyes, and he glimpsed Lilu's grinning face amongst the crowd, shouting encouragement with the rest. At least, if nothing else, she seemed to be on his side. A beefy arm snaked around his neck and dragged him to his feet, cho
king. He rammed an elbow into his opponent's ribs, making him grunt, but he hung on. Gripping the man's arm, Blade heaved him over his shoulder, breaking his grip as the armourer crashed onto his back, splintering a table. Blade headed for the door, but the man leapt up and charged after him, unaffected by his fall.

  The assassin found several men blocking his way and turned, dodging the giant's charge. The armourer hooked his fingers into Blade's collar, the only place he could gain purchase. Blade was spun around with tremendous force and smashed into the wall, turning his head at the last moment to save his nose. Again stars sparkled in his eyes, and he became aware of his danger just as the big man lunged at him, trying to crush him against the wall. With an agile twist, he sprang away, leaping onto a table. The armourer swung around with a growl and rushed at him, smashing the table aside like a child's toy. Blade, balanced atop it, lost his footing and was forced to dive through the window.

  Landing in the street in a shower of glass, he rolled in the mud, leaping up in time to meet the giant's charge as the armourer followed him through the window. Blade was lifted off his feet and thrown backwards, the man on top of him, his weight punching the air from Blade's lungs. The armourer glared down at him, a gap-toothed leer splitting his bullish visage. He raised a fist to punch Blade's face, but the assassin yanked a dagger from his belt and pressed it to the man's throat. The armourer froze.

  Blade snarled, "Get off me, you great oaf."

  The giant's eyes narrowed with cunning calculation. "You're not going to use that little pig sticker, runt."

  Unable to hide his trade any longer without being severely beaten, the assassin tugged open his collar with his other hand, revealing his tattoo. The armourer's eyes widened, and he lowered his fist, lifting himself off the prone assassin. Blade kept the dagger pressed to the man's throat until he moved out of reach, whereupon the armourer regained his bravado and spat blood on the muddy street.

  "Damned assassin! I beat you fair and square, killer!"

  Blade sat up, gasping a little. "That's hardly surprising."

  "Little runts like you shouldn't go around picking fights!"

  The assassin glanced at their audience. "I didn't start it."

  "You shouldn't stick your nose in where it don't belong," the armourer snarled, still trying to pretend that he had won the fight.

  Blade was quite prepared to allow him that satisfaction. He did not care who claimed victory, only that he was still in one piece. Climbing to his feet, he clutched his stomach, then rubbed his bruised cheek. Sheathing the dagger, he tugged his collar closed, ignoring the armourer's sneer as the big man sidled away with his cronies.

  Lilu rushed up, her face aglow, and grabbed his arm. "You did it! You beat him! You should have killed him."

  He shoved her away, breaking her hold. "I didn't want to fight him, and I certainly wasn't going to kill him. Also, don't imagine that I did it for you. I'm sure you deserved the beating you were getting."

  Lilu pulled a face and shot a venomous glare at the armourer's back. Her fading looks were vanishing under a layer of puffy flesh. Bitterness lined the skin around her mouth and between her brows, and matronly plumpness ruined a once slender form. She had never been beautiful, but now, with several missing teeth and a broken nose from angry clients, she was quite ugly. Still, she had taken in a half dead man and nursed him back to health with such tenderness and diligence that Blade, no matter how he hated to owe any favours, had to admit that he owed her something.

  That did not include, he vowed to himself, taking on enraged clients the size of the armourer. Lilu had a penchant for filching money from her clients while they slept, a reason for her frequent beatings. She always survived, however. She seemed as indestructible as the earth itself, and was probably in less pain at this moment than he was. He fingered his jaw, making sure none of his teeth were loose. Lilu clicked her tongue and renewed her hold on his arm, tugging him back into the brothel. "I'll see to your hurts, my love."

  Blade shot her an angry look, but allowed her to lead him to her room, where she pushed him down on the creaky bed with rumpled grey sheets and a tatty patchwork quilt. She left to fetch a bowl of water and a cloth, and when she returned, angry shouts from the brothel keeper, who demanded recompense for his broken window, followed her. Lilu paused to shout an insult from the doorway, then forced the sagging door closed to shut out the stream of vitriol from the taproom. Casting Blade a weary smile, she sat beside him and put the bowl on a rickety table, dipping the cloth in it. When she dabbed at the mud on his cheeks, he jerked his head aside and snatched the cloth from her to wipe his face.

  "You always were a big baby," she remonstrated. "How you moaned and groaned when I was tending your hurts after I found you lying in the gutter, more dead than alive."

  "How you love to keep reminding me of that."

  "I saved your life."

  "And you'll never let me forget it."

  She pouted. "They do say that when you save a person's life, it belongs to you."

  Blade grimaced and rubbed his face, finding a lump on his temple. Picking up a cracked mirror, he examined himself in it. "Wonderful, I look like I've been in a taproom brawl."

  "You have."

  "Because of you. Why must you always rob your clients? You know it only gets you into trouble."

  Lilu scowled. "They pay me next to nothing, and I've got five children to feed. How am I supposed to do that? Most times they don't notice the missing money, they're so drunk, and even when they do, they don't know I took it."

  "But when they do figure it out, they beat the stuffing out of you."

  She fingered her bruises with a shrug. "It's worth it. Twenty goldens will feed my children for three moons."

  "Lucky for you that you had already sent it to them."

  "It's right here." She pulled open a drawer in the cupboard and took out a pouch that clinked. "I only took it last night, I haven't had a chance to see my little ones."

  Blade groaned, flexing his aching jaw. "You astound me. The bravest warrior would have given it back before taking a beating like that."

  She snorted. "Then I'm tougher than them. Why should I give it back? He wouldn't have killed me."

  "That's not what you said when I walked in."

  "I wanted you to stop him."

  "That great mountain of brawn? What do you take me for?"

  "Certainly not a gentleman."

  Blade finished wiping his face and tossed the rag aside, leaning back against the wall with a sigh. For a moment he frowned at her, then he smiled. "No, I'm not that."

  Lilu pounced on him and hugged him, burying her face in his neck. "I've missed you. Where have you been?"

  The assassin pushed her off. "Away."

  Lilu gazed at him, clearly hurt by his rejection, then made an ineffectual attempt to tidy herself, sitting up to brush her hair and tug her ragged clothes into some semblance of order before facing him again. "I know I'm ugly, but you don't have to be so cold. Even whores need a hug now and then, you know, and you are my friend."

  He pulled a face, turning away from her smell of stale sweat and sour wine. "I'm not your friend, and I didn't come here to see you."

  "Why not?" She grinned. "I wouldn't charge you, you know that."

  Blade sat up, moving out of her reach. "I didn't come here to argue with you about that again, either."

  "So why did you come?"

  "I need you to buy some things for me. Here's a list." He pulled a piece of paper from his tunic and handed it to her. "Can you read?"

  Lilu pouted. "Of course I can read." She glanced at the paper. "Perfume? Another wig? What do you need this for?"

  "None of your business." He handed her a bag of coins. "Pay for it out of this, whatever's left, you can keep."

  Her face lighted as she hefted the bag, and she grinned at him. "When do you want it?"

  "Now. I'll wait here."

  Lilu pulled a face, then rose and rummaged in her wardrobe, producing a
dress almost as tattered as the one she was wearing. Blade closed his eyes while she changed, opening them as the door closed behind her. He yawned, then stretched out and settled down to wait.

  The door opening woke him, and he sat up as Lilu entered, dropping a bag on the floor. She unpinned her cheap bonnet and bounced onto the bed beside him, flinging her arms around him again.

  "I'm back!"

  Blade fended her off. "I noticed. Did you get everything?"

  "Sure." She frowned. "What do you need the lovers' potion for?"

  "Never you mind." He rose and picked up the bag.

  "Wait!" Lilu jumped up and grabbed his arm. "You can't leave now. Stay and have a glass of wine with me."

  The assassin scowled down at her. "I haven't the time."

  "You do! Please, don't leave yet." Her eyes filled with tears, startling him, and he hesitated, still frowning.

  "What is it?"

  "I…" She brushed at her cheeks. "I'm lonely. I have no one to talk to. I've done what you asked, won't you just stay a little while, please?" Her brown eyes pleaded, bright with tears.

  Blade sighed and put down the bag. "I don't know why I listen to you. You're a nuisance."

  "Because you know that you owe me your life, and even you're not so cold-hearted as to forget that."

  "How could I, with you to remind me?" He sat on the bed, tolerating her possessive hold on his arm.

  She stroked his hair, and he jerked away in annoyance. "My assassin, that's what you are, Blade. When I found you in that gutter, I thought you were dead. I paid that healer good money to set your bones and stitch up your wounds."

  "I paid you back."

  "The money, yes, but I spent long time-glasses nursing you, feeding you, cooling your fevered brow."

  Blade frowned, barely able to remember the blurred images of that time, when fever had fogged his mind and pain had racked him. Vaguely he recalled gentle hands washing his wounds, pressing a cup to his lips and wiping away what spilt from them.