Mervin and Colin started simultaneously as Rudiger appeared silently beside them. ‘There are people,’ stated Rudiger. ‘They’re just not letting us see them. They think we’re some kind of trick by whoever they think their enemy is. We should leave.’
‘Until I know where we are, any place we go could be worse than this. And I want to find out what happened last night. I still can’t believe it’s a coincidence that most of the crew can’t remember what happened after sundown. Where do you propose we go?’
‘Anywhere except here! I can hear them, Captain and they’re not planning to wait for us to attack them. They’re coming after us now! This bay is a trap! We have to go now! They’re coming!’
‘By ship?’ Mervin’s voice rose in alarm.
‘They aren’t exactly ships, sort of small boats, but there are so many! Captain-’ Eibhear stepped back as Mervin nodded towards Colin. The First Officer leapt across the deck, barking orders in every direction.
‘Too late,’ said Eibhear, inclining his head towards the mouth of the bay. There was a simultaneous gasp from the crew and shouts from the crow’s nest as an amazing sight appeared. Across the mouth of the bay, spaced closely together as if to prevent escape, were strangely shaped sailing boats. Every boat was painted deep green, and the square sails exactly matched the blue of the sky. A single ship moved with surprising speed across the bay.
‘Don’t make any aggressive move unless I give the order,’ Mervin said to Colin. Colin moved amongst the crew quietly relaying the Captain’s words. ‘Rudiger?’ Mervin thought. ‘What do you sense?’
Rudiger stared towards the approaching boat. ‘They can see our crossbows. They know we’re not who they thought we were. They intend to find out who we are before they kill us.’
‘Wonderful,’ said Mervin drily. ‘Why?’
‘We’re seen as a possible threat and a hindrance.’
‘Any suggestions you have would be most welcome,’ said Mervin, wondering if he should fire a couple of bolts into their hull or send a few flaming arrows across their deck.
‘That would certainly be exciting,’ said Eibhear, grinning at Mervin’s thoughts.
‘Maybe we can persuade them that we just want to go home, before they try to kill us. I doubt they can get all of us with those spears, though they might take a few of us down if they get much closer.’
‘From what I can sense of their thoughts, they also have a type of short sword, perhaps you’d say a huge knife, hidden under their clothing.’
Mervin gave a nod in acknowledgement. As the small boat approached he could see a woman who appeared to be the Captain of the vessel standing at the bow. The wind blew her sun-lightened hair around her face, momentarily hiding the swarm of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She was dressed in green, the exact shade the boat was painted and she was standing so still that Gillam knew from a distance she would be very difficult to see. Her feet were bare and her trousers were cut off just below her knees. Her shirt was of the same fabric as her trousers; a simple tunic with cut away sleeves showing the wiry muscles of her sun browned arms. The other men and women on the boat were dressed similarly as though their clothing was a type of uniform, or perhaps simply advantageous if one didn’t wish to be easily seen. They began to mutter to each other as their boat drew near to the Alkiran ship. The woman made a slicing motion with her hand and instantly all murmuring ceased.
‘Saldriquel addi neevwanch?’ the woman shouted demandingly towards the Alkiran ship, and instantly dozens of short swords with leaf shaped blades were drawn.
‘What does she want?’ Mervin whispered urgently.
‘I’m not sure exactly what she said, but in her heart she wants to know who we are and why we are here,’ said Rudiger, moving forward to stand beside Mervin and Dale. ‘I think the question might have been ‘Who are you?’ but I can’t be entirely sure.’ He frowned as he looked at the woman’s face and Dale could sense confusion coming from the warrior. Rudiger glanced at Eibhear, and Eibhear gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
‘Why then, are they all waving swords at us?’ asked Mervin, missing the exchange.
‘We’ll probably find out if we don’t answer her soon,’ said Rudiger. ‘I can try to convince her that we’re friendly, if you wish...if I can successfully communicate with her.’
‘Yes. Try!’ Mervin said adamantly.
Everyone watched uneasily as Rudiger moved forward and stared down at the woman at the bow of the small boat. A small cry of alarm escaped her lips before she took control of her emotions and glared back at Rudiger in fright. After several minutes she seemed to relax slightly.
‘Well?’ Captain Mervin was feeling frustrated and for a moment he wished he possessed the ability of the fallen and the guardians to communicate by thought. Rudiger turned to face him.
‘The woman is their commander. Her name is Kielamih...no, I think that’s her title. She says we can remain here as her prisoners or we can die. We may choose.’
‘Can we sink her now?’ asked Colin, under his breath.
Mervin frowned. ‘Explain to her that we lost our way and simply wish to go home.’
‘Popreshel!’ The cry came from the smaller vessel before Rudiger or Eibhear could act on the captain’s command. There was a confused pause, and then sailors on all sides of Dale started falling to the deck.
‘Defend!’ Dale shouted, but no-one seemed able to react. Several sailors simply stood staring around, seemingly bewildered by their comrades actions. Dale dashed forward to where Captain Mervin stood gazing blankly ahead. He waved his hand frantically in front of the Captain’s face. ‘Eibhear! Is anyone acting normal besides you and me?’ he cried, shocked by the sudden incapacitation of the shipmates.
‘I don’t think so,’ said Eibhear grimly. ‘Dale we have to go.’ Even as he spoke ropes ending in sharp iron hooks were flung over the side of the ship and people began to scramble up the ropes. Eibhear grabbed Dale’s arm and ran across the deck. Without pausing he pushed Dale overboard and taking a final glace at the strange scene, he leapt from the deck to land in the water beside Dale.
Chapter 12
Silahfohr
They made good time between Qinel and Tathra, but sacrificed comfort for speed, and Kelian was footsore and filthy, and tired of bumping along in the back of a cart. Getting into Tathra had caused him concern when he saw, near the city gates, a man who was intently watching each person as they passed. The man had seemed very interested in them, until Callian approached him, after which time he simply sat gazing ahead as if stunned.
The sky was clear, pale blue and the sun beat down heavily. Everywhere Kelian looked he could see the shimmer of heat. There was not a breath of breeze to stir even the lightest of the leaves on the few plants growing inside the city, most of which were rugged and straggly, bearing witness to the aridity of the land. Near the occasional well, trees with denser foliage had been planted, but these areas were crowded and Kelian had preferred to give them wide berth. Now he wished he hadn’t. He took a drink from his water bag and poured a little over his head. The water ran down his face and made streaks in the thick layer of dust coating his skin. Elena, Louisa and Immosey sat listlessly on the bench beside Kelian, leaning against a thick stone wall. The three girls were wearing long linen garments which were far better suited to the climate than their own clothing. The men were also attired in common Tatharlian garb. Kelian noticed there was a lot of clothing hanging on ropes strung between buildings and draped over window ledges, and what they had taken for themselves from the cart they had stolen in Qinel was commonplace. Most of the surrounding buildings had two levels. The ground levels of the buildings were open to the air, with a half wall forming a barrier between the home and the street. The upper levels were supported by stone pillars and most buildings had flat roofs, the majority of which had plants growing on top. From where Kelian sat he could see people moving about on top of buildings.
‘Well, we’ve done exactly as
Captain Mercah suggested,’ he said. ‘We’ve made it Tathra and we haven’t announced our presence. If what he said is correct, someone should find us and take us to the city. Though I have no idea how anyone would even know we’re here, let alone be able to find us.’
‘Don’t worry, they’ll find you,’ said Evan confidently. ‘I’d take you in to the sanctuary myself, but-’
‘But what?’
‘When I last left the Sanctuary I was followed for quite a distance before I shook off my pursuer. What makes me uneasy is that they came from within the Sanctuary - they were following me within the walls and they were still behind me when I took a relatively unknown passage, at least it should be unknown to most people, even within the Sanctuary.’
‘Did you recognize them?’ asked Kelian.
‘It might have been Guard Kaduk, but I can’t be sure.’ Evan shrugged. ‘So now I’m not certain that way is safe. To be honest, I’d prefer to stay here and wait until someone I can trust shows up.’
‘Are you saying you are free to come and go from the Sanctuary as you choose?’
‘The Empress trusts me. As does her personal guard. But I still think it is better we wait for your guide. This isn’t too bad a place to rest.’
‘What is this place?’ asked Kelian.
‘The Tatharlian equivalent of an inn,’ said Evan. ‘It’s called a ‘silahfohr’ which roughly means sleep overnight.’
‘Food?’
‘Definitely, and drinks too. But if we’re trying not to be noticed we should probably stay in our rooms. This place will be busy after sundown.’
‘Busy?’ Kelian glanced around skeptically. The Silahfohr was built on the side of a hill and looked over a portion of the city. Very few people could be seen.
‘Everyone’s keeping out of the heat of the day. As soon as the sun sinks, this Silahfohr will come alive. Of all places in this part of the city, we’ve chosen a relatively nice one.’
‘I’m hungry now,’ Elena whispered to Immosey.
‘I’ll get you some food,’ said Evan, overhearing the comment.
‘There was some food left at my home,’ Kalinya bit his lip, ‘but maybe we shouldn’t go there.’
‘Why?’ asked Tappy.
‘The ones who killed mother might be waiting to kill me. That’s why I ran away in the first place.’
‘But it’s been weeks. They must know you aren’t going back there,’ said Louisa.
‘Just a moment please,’ said Tappy. ‘You said earlier your mother worked at the Sanctuary, and she was killed by some men, and they wanted to kill you as well. And from what you told us of your journey to Qinel they thought this important enough to send people after you…after a child.’ Tappy sat back and closed his eyes thoughtfully, scratching his beard as he considered the events. ‘What did you say your mother did at the Sanctuary?’
‘She was an artist.’
Kelian was surprised but made no comment.
‘That’s not unusual in Tatharlia,’ Tappy explained. ‘The Emperors and Empresses have their portraits painted regularly as do most of the wealthier citizens. Was she painting the Empress’ portrait?’
‘She already painted the Empress. She said she was asked to paint something special, but she didn’t tell me what it was. She said that the Empress wanted it as a gift for someone.’ Kalinya blinked tears away as he thought back to the morning of the day his mother had been murdered.
‘I wonder if she knew something was amiss within the Sanctuary,’ said Tappy.
‘I’d love to have a look around the city.’ Immosey stood up.
‘No!’ four voices chorused simultaneously, and Louisa smiled at the identical posture of Kelian, Borgulnay, Gilgarry and Milgorry who glowered at Immosey with arms folded. Immosey pouted crossly but sat back on the bench.
‘I’ll go for food,’ Evan said once again, standing up and stretching his back.
‘We can go past the child’s house and see if anyone is around,’ said Callian.
‘Can you take us to where you live?’ asked Timbul. Kalinya nodded, but looked frightened. Callian knelt beside him and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
‘Trust me, Kalinya. I will do all I can to protect you. If there’s someone at your home waiting for you perhaps we can find out why your mother was killed. Are you feeling well enough to come with us?’
‘Yes. I feel fine,’ said Kalinya. He had stayed in the cart almost the entire way from Qinel to Tathra and his injuries were healing well.
Callian turned to Kelian. ‘We shouldn’t be very long, but if for some reason we’re not back here by sundown, it means we cannot return without drawing attention to you, and if that occurs we will join you again later. But I don’t think that will be the case,’ he added reassuringly. He set off down the road with Timbul, Evan and Kalinya.
The sun was setting as they returned. Evan, Kalinya and Timbul returned first, closely followed by Callian. They were carrying a large basket of food and everyone gladly returned to their room to share it.
‘No trouble?’ Kelian asked as he bit into a cumquat. For a moment he felt his face would shrivel up from the tartness of the fruit.
‘You have to eat it all at once silly!’ said Kalinya, laughing at the Prince. He took a cumquat, popped the entire fruit in his small mouth and chewed vigorously.
‘No trouble to speak of,’ said Callian. He casually turned away from the group and Kelian wasn’t surprised to hear the guardian’s thoughts in his mind.
‘Two men and they seemed like they’d been waiting there for some time.’
‘Did they see you?’ Kelian wondered if Callian was addressing him individually or communicating with everyone.
‘No, they didn’t see any of us,’ Timbul answered, ‘at first.’
‘But?’ Kelian was sure he knew why the guardian’s eyes were a cold glitter of anger.
‘Tim and I stood guard outside whilst Evan and Kalinya collected the food,’ said Callian brightly, smiling at the boy.
‘I know there were people still waiting outside my house,’ said Kalinya, frowning at Callian. ‘And you can talk in front of me. I used to be scared of things when I was young but I’m not just a little boy anymore,’ he declared adamantly, with hands on hips.
‘Well, it’s time for the men to eat,’ said Immosey solemnly. ‘So you’d better get in before this crowd if you’re hungry. And thank you for being bold enough to go back to your home. You’re a strong little man Kalinya, no doubt, as brave as any man here.’ Kalinya raised his head proudly and smiled.
‘Now tell me what happened,’ Kelian ordered.
‘The two men were undoubtedly the ones who killed the child’s mother,’ said Callian. ‘But they were acting on instructions, just doing a job.’
‘So did you...’ Kelian prompted.
‘I took every thought I could from them before they tried to impale me,’ Callian confirmed.
‘What prompted that? Why did they want to kill you?’
‘It might have been because Callian threatened to rip out their throats with his bare hands for killing the mother of an innocent child,’ Evan suggested drily.
‘Oh. What did you find out?’
‘We found out nothing other than the fact that they were hired to kill the mother and the child, and a string of other innocent people, but for what reason even they didn’t know, only that most of the victims were either guards or servants at the Sanctuary. They seemed unsure whether Kalinya had fled Tathra and someone else had gone after him, they were simply under instructions to remain at his house and kill him if he happened to return. They were murderers, but hired murderers only. Unfortunately, the deals were made without the murderers ever facing whoever is behind all of this.’
Kelian sat in silent thought for some time. ‘We’ll stay here tonight, but if no-one has come to guide us to the Sanctuary by tomorrow morning, we move on at first light. If by the following morning no-one has come, we make our own way to the Sanctuary.’ He lo
oked around the small room. They had taken three neighboring rooms with doors leading between them. Each room was furnished with four beds. The beds were flat based, of light but strong wood suspended from the girders by strong ropes. Thick, woolen, padded mats lined the beds and they were dressed with crisp linen sheets, light coverlets and soft pillows. Also suspended from the girders and hanging beside each bed, were small trays on which personal items could be kept. One bed in each room was noticeably wider than the others. Woven mats covered most of the floor. Along one wall of each room ran a long, high bench with shelves below. On the bench sat a finely crafted wash basin and water jug, a small oil lamp, quills, ink and several pieces of parchment, as well as a covered basket containing several large corked water bottles and drinking cups. In the shelves were extra blankets, neatly folded bathing cloths and towels, small blocks of scented sheep’s milk soap and in the lower shelf, a neat row of chamber pots. Against the wall near the door was a long lounging chair next to a low table.
‘Gil, work out a plan for guard duty tonight,’ said Kelian as he picked up the soap.
‘Evan has first watch, I have second, Borg has third,’ Gilgarry stated.
Kelian wishfully smelled the soap. ‘I suppose it would be foolish to go wandering around…bathe…’
‘Probably not the best plan,’ Callian agreed.
They stayed awake for several hours after dark discussing plans and possibilities. Surprisingly the temperature dropped significantly as the night wore on making the idea of going to bed far more tolerable.
‘Thirteen of us and only twelve beds,’ Louisa commented.
‘Not a problem. Our sister is married remember, and one of us will be on guard duty at any given time,’ said Gilgarry.
‘And there are quite a few of us who won’t be sleeping, though it will be nice to rest,’ said Milgorry. ‘Kalinya, are you planning to sleep in that enormous bed?’ Everyone turned to look at the boy who was in the process of fluffing the pillows. Kalinya ignored him and filled two cups of water, which he placed on the suspended side tables. He then took a light blanket from the shelves and stretched it over the covers on one side of the large bed. Taking two chamber pots from the lower shelf, he placed one under each side of the bed and then stood back. He folded his arms in satisfaction.
Child Of A Guardian And Of The Free (Book 3) Page 10
