The Forbidden Library

by David Alastair Hayden

  The keening skates sliced across the ice as the ship zoomed along, powered by Turesobei’s wind spell. In the distance Awasa howled with rage, but her voice soon faded away.

  “We’ve got two dead, Captain!” a sailor shouted. “Three injured, one’s in bad shape.”

  Captain Boki shut his eyes and sighed. “Patch up the wounded, first mate. Patch them up. It’s all we can do.”

  “And the dead, sir?”

  “We can’t stop now. Store the bodies for later burial. Mop the deck.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  Bile rose into Turesobei’s throat as he stared trancelike at the two headless bodies. A sticky crimson droplets were freezing onto the deck as the lifeless eyes from one severed head stared accusatively at him. The other head was nothing but a splatter of crimson gore and white matter splattered across the deck and many of the sailors. Motekeru was wiping the mess off his body.

  Enashoma buried her head in Zaiporo’s chest, turning away from the dead men. Turesobei wished he could turn away, but he couldn’t. He choked back a sob and nearly vomited. Those two men were dead because of him. Men who probably had families who loved them and depended on them. This was his fault. If he hadn’t come to this ship, those two sailors would still be alive. This wasn’t their fight. He should never have endangered these innocent people. Kemsu was right. Everyone he encountered was in danger. Everyone one around him would suffer and eventually die. There was no other way.

  Iniru knelt beside Kemsu and put her fingers on his neck while Motekeru helped Narbenu to his feet.

  The goronku scout groaned miserably. “I’ll be okay, feel like I’ve been run over by a sonoke. Or two. I’ve never been hit that hard in my life. Surprised it didn’t just punch right through me. Kemsu? How is he?”

  “Knocked out,” Iniru said. “His pulse is good. I think he’s going to be all right.” She looked up at Turesobei. “You okay?”

  He didn’t respond. He merely stared, blankly, as the healthy sailors bandaged their wounded brethren and pulled the two bodies together, side-by-side.

  “Sobei?” Zaiporo said. “Something wrong?”

  The ship began to slow.

  Captain Boki slapped Turesobei on the shoulder. “Hey, is the wind supposed to be giving out on us already?”

  Turesobei snapped out of his trance. “What? No. Sorry. I let my focus go. My mind was too far from the spell.” This wasn’t a spell he could cast and let work on its own. Like most spells it had to be maintained. The only way for it to be otherwise would be to let the surrounding air kenja rush into it uncontrolled, which wasn’t an option in the Ancient Cold and Deep. As he restored a bit of focus to the magic, the winds picked up again and the ship’s speed increase.

  Captain Boki followed Turesobei’s stare. “Never seen a dead man before, eh?”

  “I have. My father, bodyguards, bandits and others … I’ve even killed three men myself.” He thought of the charred Gawo scouts he’d blasted with the spell of heaven’s wrath. “But I did that in self-defense. These men … their deaths are on me. I got you involved in my troubles. This wasn’t their fight. It was mine alone. They had nothing to do with it and now —”

  “Let it go,” Captain Boki said. “Just let it go.”

  “But if I hadn’t asked you for help.”

  “You would’ve died on that beach. That’s life. You took a risk and so did I. Don’t forget the part my greed played in this. Cost me two men. Two good men. And I’ll toast their names when I get to port and mourn them as I should. But this is a violent world. People die. There’s no helping that. You move on. And this ain’t the first two men the yomon have ever killed, you know.” He nodded toward Motekeru. “Your beast there killed several yomon. I didn’t even know they could be killed. Any fight that rids this world of a few yomon is a good fight, no matter the cost. I’d have been okay myself dying in a fight where a few yomon got what’s owed them. Don’t mourn the dead, just worry about the living.”

  Turesobei nodded and said dully, “I can heal the three wounded men with magic, though I won’t be able to do it until I take a break from the wind spell.”

  Motekeru stomped over to join them. “They died nobly. Honor their deaths. That is all we can do.”

  “I’ll try.” He’d try not to let it affect him, though like with Awasa, what happened here would continue to haunt him. But he had to gather himself. The others needed him. “You did well, Motekeru. Noticed your fire sputtering there at the end, though. All used up?”

  “Not entirely, master. I can do maybe a few dozen more short bursts that could hurt a yomon, but not any strong enough to kill one.”

  Once the wounded sailors were bandaged, Turesobei dropped the wind spell and healed each of them as well as Kemsu who was concussed and Narbenu who’d suffered several cracked ribs and had a dark bruise expanding beneath the fur on his belly. The ship slowed to a crawl, so once he was done he cast the wind spell again. Enashoma, Zaiporo, and Iniru sat in the prow. Shoma didn’t want to see the bodies or the blood being swept from the deck. Motekeru helped the sailors lead the sonoke below deck into the cargo hold.

  The Glass Sea proved smooth with few obstacles to impeded their path. From time to time the captain steered to avoid tall rocks or large snowdrifts, but that seemed easy enough.

  “That spell, can you teach me to do that?” Captain Boki asked.

  “Sorry.” Exhausted from lack of sleep, running, and casting too many spells, Turesobei plopped, groaning, onto a nearby canvas sack full of what he guessed were furs. “You have to be of the same descent that I am and have studied for years.”

  “That’s too bad. Sure would be useful. How long can you keep this up?”

  “It’s a simple spell and on your world there’s plenty of energy to draw on. Normally I could keep it going all day, but I had a rough night.”

  “I can see that,” the captain said. “You all look terrible.”

  “Will I need to keep the ship going with the spell the whole time?”

  “When the winds are at normal strength for this season, we will move,” said Captain Boki, “but slowly. Not much faster than your mounts could go. The ship really is overburdened now. The winds are usually stronger than this. They’ll pick up soon.”

  “In that case, I’ll try to keep the spell active for three hours to give us a lead over the yomon, then I’ll get some rest. After that I’ll keep doing the spell as much as I can to keep us well ahead of the yomon.”

  “What’s wrong with the goronku girl?” Captain Boki asked, peering at Kurine who they had lain out on top of some blankets alongside Narbenu and Kemsu. During the battle she and the still-recovering wolfhounds had remained strapped into the saddles.

  “An orugukagi bit her,” Narbenu replied, “day before yesterday.”

  Boki shook his head and tutted. “Poor thing. You know she’s going to die, right? Honestly can’t believe she’s still alive.”

  “I cast a healing spell on her to slow the advance of the poison.”

  “But there’s no cure,” Captain Boki responded.

  “There is on my world,” Turesobei said.

  “You think she’ll last long enough for you to make it back there?”

  “I’m not sure we can get back,” Turesobei replied. “I’m hoping I can find a cure at the Forbidden Library. I think I’ve slowed it enough she’ll live for a week. Should give us time to get there, right?”

  “We can reach the Forbidden Library in four days, maybe less with these winds of yours. But I don’t see any way they’ll let you in. They don’t let anyone in. It’s … well … forbidden.”

  “I’m hoping since we’re so unusual they’ll let us in.”

  The captain nodded but said nothing else about it. “First mate, the deck’s too crowded. Make room in the cargo hold to fit these people and their gears, the mounts too if you can manage.”

  “How, captain?”

  “I don’t know. Cram everything in, stack it high as it’ll g
o. Throw a ton of cheap hides overboard. Whatever it takes.”

  While Turesobei focused on maintaining the spell, letting himself drift off into a state that was almost meditative, the sailors cleared space and tossed some of the hides overboard. Then they escorted his companions and their sonoke below. Except Motekeru who stayed above.

  “You’re going to have clean up after your beasts,” Boki said. “I’m not scooping sonoke crap. I want it spotless down there.”

  Iniru returned to the deck and tapped Turesobei on the shoulder. “Scoot over and give me some of that sack. The deck’s wet and cold.”

  “We just scraped it this morning,” Boki said. “Ices over, you know?”

  Turesobei shifted to share the canvas bag with her. “Is it warm down below?”

  “No wind. We stretched out the furs, and we’re snuggly in there. But it’s not as nice as a snowhouse.”

  Turesobei chuckled. “Never thought I’d think of a house made of blocks of ice as a luxury.”

  “Kurine’s fever’s down for now. Kemsu’s watching her. He’s still pretty upset. I told Shoma and Zaiporo to get some rest.”

  “Do you think Kemsu’s in love with Kurine?”

  Iniru shrugged. “They were best friends as children and then they couldn’t be together anymore. I think maybe they were both in love, or close to it, at one time. Given their ages and history, they probably thought they’d end up together when they were growing up. But then Kemsu —”

  “Became a slave,” Turesobei said. “I’m going to make sure Narbenu gives Kemsu his freedom when we’re done.”

  Iniru laughed. “You’re funny, you know. Always fighting battles to help people … anyone.”

  “I don’t see what’s funny about it. He should be free.”

  “I agree completely, but you don’t like Kemsu.”

  “He’s … he’s … okay.”

  “I bet Kemsu does still love her. No wonder you two don’t get along.”

  “Maybe, and he’s jealous of me because he likes you, too.”

  Iniru nodded. “You have everything he doesn’t. Freedom, Kurine, me … well, maybe me.”

  “If I don’t screw it up some more. Why don’t you get some rest, Niru?”

  “I’ll stay up with you,” she said. “You had a rough night. And besides, we really haven’t gotten to spend much time alone together.”

  “I know! I braved unimaginable dangers to rescue you. And now, I hardly get to see you. Really isn’t fair.”

  “And then got engaged to another girl … I’m not going to argue with you about it. But seriously, how do you manage to get into so much trouble?”

  “I don’t know. My life used to be exceedingly boring and then … I’ll tell you what happened. Lu Bei showed up. Non-stop chaos since then.” He expected a response from the fetch but then remembered he’d told Lu Bei to stay out of sight.

  “He is a troublemaker,” Iniru said. “And you’re really, really bad with girls.”

  “I’m not bad at trying to marry them! Just all that other stuff. Imagine how hard it’d be for you to cast a spell.”

  “Okay.”

  “That’s girls for me.”

  “But it can’t be that bad.”

  “Oh yes it can. I don’t understand any of you. Not one bit.”

  For a long time they sat together quietly, just being together. Every so often he’d smile at her and she’d smile back. Eventually, Captain Boki started talking, perhaps because he thought they were bored.

  “You seem unused to the ship,” he said. “You don’t have ships on your side of the gate?”

  “We don’t have all this ice,” Turesobei said. “But we have ships. No skates. They sail on water.”

  “Water?” the captain said, astonished. “Melted ice? Unbelievable.”

  “What I find unbelievable is a creature with such big bones that you could use them as skates,” Turesobei said. “It’s amazing.”

  “The skates have to be honed and lacquered first,” the captain said. “And they work best if we stop every three days to oil and polish them, though you can go a lot longer than that. We’d just finished the procedure when you came upon us.”

  “What’s your cargo?” Turesobei said.

  “Most of it’s preserved meat and furs. We have a little wood and iron to trade, rope and bone knives. We’re taking it to the Far West. It’s faster to sail there than travel by land. Safer too … but that’s only because we’re moving faster.”

  Turesobei tapped his foot against the stretched hide that covered the deck, overlaying the wood frame. The hide was pulled so taught that it felt almost as solid as wood and a bit like walking over a reed mat, only with a little bounce to it.

  “In our world ships are made entirely from wood,” Turesobei said. “This ship looks like half of it is made from hides.”

  Captain Boki’s hands dropped from the wheel. “Entirely of wood? The expense!”

  “We have huge forests of trees that stretch for miles and miles.”

  Iniru sighed, probably thinking of home.

  “And these ships of wood aren’t slow, and they don’t sink in the water?”

  “If they weren’t wood, they would sink, and ships of comparable size are faster than your ship.”

  Boki fell silent, though every now and then he would murmur in astonishment and shake his head.

  An hour later Turesobei grew tired at last. “I’ve got to get some rest.” He released the spell and the ship slowed dramatically, but it did keep moving under the breeze, at about the same speed as a sonoke, like Boki said.

  Following Iniru, Turesobei went down a ladder into the hold and squeezed past the sonoke and into a tiny, cramped space. Sacks filled with goods were piled high all around. Turesobei sank down beside Enashoma and the hounds and was asleep before Iniru could even sit.

  Thankfully no further nightmares of Awasa or the shadowy demon plagued him. Not meaning to he slept nearly twelve hours. At first he was mad that no one woke him, but with a surge of natural strong winds the ship had moved steadily and he was forced to admit that without the rest he’d be in no shape to help out with magic in a pinch.

  Lu Bei woke up as well. “Should I remain out of sight, master?”

  “I think it’s still wise. We don’t know these people.”

  “Master, the men who died … I know how that makes you feel. You can’t afford to blame yourself. You didn’t mean for that to happen. We won and only two were lost.”

  “I know. It’s just … Those two won’t be the last. I fear more innocents like them and Kurine will die. And if we survive ourselves and make it back, I’ll be a weapon. The clan will use me to kill enemy soldiers. Innocents will die, too. I don’t want this.”

  Lu Bei patted him on the hand. “I know, master. I know. You’re a good man.”

  “You think I’m a man and not a boy?”

  “Master, from the moment you took in the Storm Dragon energy, willingly sacrificing yourself to save tens of thousands of people, I have considered you a man.”

  “I’m going to go up and get some fresh air. You rest.”

  Turesobei walked out alone onto the deck. It was night. Avida, the bright moon, was nearly full, though it was only a little more than half as bright in this world as it was at home.

  “No clouds,” Captain Boki said, having noticed him looking up at the moon. “Lucky break for us. We couldn’t have sailed this fast in the dark otherwise. Too dangerous.”

  “Do you need more light? I can do that.”

  “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea,” Turesobei said. I’m even full of surprises that I have trouble thinking about or knowing at all.

  The captain chewed on his lip. “Why are the yomon after you? Those jewels you got stolen from them or something?”

  “Oh, I wish it were that simple. I told you the witch girl leading them was my betrothed, right? She’s angry at me, and I stopped the yomon from invading my w
orld.”

  “You did mention the witch girl was betrothed to you …” Captain Boki jerked his head toward the cargo hold. “But someone else told me the dying girl was your intended.”

  “Well yeah. She’s my second one.”

  “And the girl what was out here with you earlier? She your intended too?”

  “Oh no,” Turesobei said, chuckling. “That’s my girlfriend. Sort of. I think.”

  The captain shook his head. “You sure I can’t learn magic? Because it really seems to be working for you.”

  *****

  Over the next three days they stayed watchful in case Captain Boki attempted to rob them, but he didn’t make a move. Even if he’d originally planned to, seeing Motekeru in action probably scared him off that course of action. When they weren’t keeping watch, they rested as much as possible, huddling together in the cramped cargo hold. Even if it was cold, after weeks of riding and adventure it was nice to lie around and avoid the saddle. Narbenu didn’t even worry about them mingling much, though he had placed sacks of furs in a line to make a section for the boys and a section for the girls.

  Turesobei knelt over Kurine and stroked her feverish brow. “Hang in there. Just a few more days.”

  The hounds, their injuries now healed, slept nestled beside her.

  Kemsu joined him. “Is she going to make it?”

  “If they have a cure at the Forbidden Library, yes, I think so.”

  “And if they don’t?” Kemsu said.

  “They will have a cure. I’m sure of it.”

  “I’m worried she won’t make it that long,” Kemsu said.

  “I can cast another healing on her tomorrow. It will buy her more time. She’s very strong. I think most people would’ve died already.”

  “She’s always been strong,” Kemsu said.

  “You love her, don’t you?” Turesobei asked, the words spewing suddenly out of his mouth.

  “Yeah, or at least I did.” Kemsu surprised him by answering honestly. “Now … I don’t know. I’d hoped to win my freedom somehow before she found someone else. I can’t really blame her for moving on. It’s just hard because …” He sighed, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. “Kurine and I had been friends — more than friends — for a very long time. When we were kids, we’d talk about getting married someday. You know how you do.”