The Balance of Power (Godsland Series: Books Four, Five, and Six)

by Rathbone, Brian

  "I wish I could've done more," Jharmin said, his eyes distant. "Your mother was a good woman."

  Sinjin nodded, still not knowing what to say when people said such things. Kendra gave him a firm nod, and Sinjin supposed it was a compliment. Hand held open the door of the carriage, and Kendra seemed to be waiting for him to get in first, which bothered him, but he didn't know why. Instead, he simply climbed into the carriage without another word, the uncomfortable silence lingering, and Kendra climbed in beside him. She wore a sad smile, and the light made her eyes sparkle. It was a rare moment, but it made his mouth go dry. When she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, he nearly leaned over and kissed her; the thought of her punching him in the face intervened. Then the chance was gone as the carriage rolled away from the keep and over a cobbled bridge. The stones made their teeth chatter, and Sinjin almost laughed.

  Hand rode alongside and motioned to two of the guards accompanying them to scout ahead, and those men made clicking noises with their tongues and kicked their heels. Soon they outpaced the carriage and four remaining guards who rode in front and behind the carriage. It was an odd feeling to be under guard. Certainly he'd been under his Uncle Chase's watchful eye his entire life, but this was different. Sinjin was very far from home.

  "Once you've retaken Dragonhold, things will be much better," Kendra said.

  Sinjin didn't respond at first, knowing the words on his tongue would only start an argument. They had an extensive ride ahead of them, and that could make for a very long argument. Sinjin was determined to stave that off for as long as possible. In this case, his silence seemed to have sufficed.

  Neither of them wanted to talk about the black armies that still roamed the countryside, albeit in far smaller numbers and without any sense of organization. It didn't seem that the demons and ash men wanted to fight any longer. Jharmin had worried that there were no ship builders among them, so those left behind might be stuck here.

  It reminded Sinjin again just how weak he was. There was no guarantee he'd make it back to the Godfist. How could he expect to retake Dragonhold? He had no power. The people were not loyal to him; they had been loyal to his mother. He was just the boy who caused so much trouble in the hold. How could he expect any of those people to fight for him? The people were better off under Trinda's rule than fighting each other over whether she or Sinjin was their ruler. And all of them would face her power. Sinjin had to admit that with his parents and Thorakis gone, Trinda was the most powerful person on all Godsland. Durin had said that she ruled fairly and treated the people well, so there really was no reason for him to depose her. She was, after all, only continuing the work his mother had started and probably more effectively than he ever could.

  "Hard roll?" Kendra asked, in her hand a long, slender piece of bread.

  Sinjin accepted the roll and tapped it on his tooth; it made a hollow clicking sound. "You didn't get the rolls mixed up with a bag of rocks, did you?"

  "They're better with soup," Kendra said. "They keep forever, and if they're all you've got, you get used to them."

  That statement rattled Sinjin. He'd never gone hungry an hour in his young life, and even through the trials of the last year, he'd never experienced real hunger. It shamed him. Kendra seemed to sense it, and he could almost feel her anger building.

  "Is there anything in there to soften this up with?" he said, partly to break the silence and, he hoped, deflect her anger.

  "I've always pegged you as a 'ration the supplies' kind of person, given your heritage," Kendra said, her voice level and even. "Now that you need something to soften your food, let's just have some of everything. Here, here's some apple preserves. Maybe you can soak it in that until it's soft enough for your tender little mouth."

  "Are you trying to start a fight?" Sinjin asked against his better judgment.

  To his surprise, she smiled. "We've got to pass the time somehow."

  * * *

  The smell of the sea brought with it both anxiety and anticipation. Kendra had been his only link to his old life, save the thin connection through Jharmin and his brief conversation with Durin. Now he would be reconnected with that life. How would he be welcomed? Would they blame him for his parents' deaths, just as he blamed himself? It was difficult to keep the tears from falling, but he knew how much it bothered Kendra to see him cry. The sight of it compelled her to great lengths to make it stop, which had included everything from yelling, nagging, punching, and tickling; the last hadn't been so bad, but it hardly made up for the rest.

  She sat next to him, calm but alert, and definitely not looking at him. He sniffed and wiped away the tears. He'd expected to have to wait for the Dragon's Wing to arrive, but the instant the water came into view, so too did the ship. Well-kept sails were furled, and the rich wood of the ship shone lustrous and golden, deeper browns shifting and moving depending on the angle. It was Benjin who saw them first, and he moved silently yet with great speed. Sooner than Sinjin would have guessed possible, the big man was down the gangplank and grabbing him in a mighty hug that lifted him from the ground. His eyes filled with tears when he saw Catrin's staff, but he smiled a sad smile. "Thank the Gods you've been returned to us," he said, and he grabbed Kendra and gave her an equally robust hug.

  Blood rushed to her face, and she was momentarily speechless. "My mother--" she began after some thought.

  "Did what she did," Benjin said. "And you did what you did. There's a difference. You understand?"

  She nodded, and this time tears gathered around her eyes. Sinjin thought about yelling, nagging, punching, or tickling, but his better sense prevailed. He was, after all, rather fond of having teeth.

  Hand stood before Sinjin and bowed. "It has been a pleasure to travel with you," the big man said. "I am very sorry, once again, for my original treatment of you."

  "I owe you my life," Sinjin said. "You did what you had to do when we first met, and you've done nothing but make up for it ever since. Thank you. And please send my gratitude to my aunt and uncle." He wasn't at all certain how his message would be received by his aunt, but he sent it nonetheless.

  Fasha came to them next, and then Gwen and Jessub Tillerman and a man Sinjin didn't recognize. Jealousy stirred in Sinjin when he saw the way Gwen looked at this man. His face flushed when he found that Kendra was staring as well. A jumble of feelings came together and made his stomach hurt. He and Gwen had been close their entire lives, and there had always been something between them, something Sinjin had never been able to figure out. He was reminded of that by the fire in Gwen's eyes when she saw Sinjin standing with Kendra. Though the girls had only barely met before Gwen had left the Godfist aboard the Dragon's Wing, their brief meeting had been enough to foster enmity between them, and Sinjin saw that rivalry rising fast.

  "I leave you alone for a couple years, and look at what's become of you," Gwen said to Sinjin, ignoring Kendra. "You look a sight."

  After a brief hug, Gwen turned to the man. "I don't believe you've met," Gwen said. "Sinjin, this is Pelivor. I believe you know who he is."

  "Yes," Sinjin said. "You were friends with my mother."

  His use of the word were hung between them.

  "Come," Benjin said. "We should be on our way. This is not the safest place for us to be; there are black ships patrolling this area."

  No more words were spoken as they made their way back to the Dragon's Wing.

  "Where's my grandfather?"

  "No time for questions now," Benjin said. "Get everyone aboard and get ready to set sail. The devils aren't done with us yet."

  Sinjin and Kendra moved as quickly as they could to the galley, where they stood in the hatch and watched, feeling helpless. On the horizon were dark ships, and all were pointed toward the Dragon's Wing.

  "If they've abandoned the assault on the Greatland, why attack us?" Sinjin asked despite the fact that everyone else was rushing around, trying to get the ship ready for departure. The crew moved with speed and grace, and in a short tim
e, the ship was making a wide turn and heading back out to sea. Benjin aimed straight for the ships.

  "They need more ships," Kendra said, "and it's far easier to steal a ship than it is to build one." Both fell silent as Gwen moved to the back of the ship where two large wooden tubes had been erected. Sinjin was still trying to figure out what they were when fire and lightning leaped around Gwen's hands.

  "Get us out of here," Benjin growled, and Pelivor raised his arms, his right fist clenched and leaking red light.

  Sinjin could almost feel the energy radiating from the man, and the air around him shimmered.

  Kendra grabbed on to Sinjin when Gwen laid her hands on the wooden tubes and a deep moaning emerged, growing in pitch as the ship lurched forward. Kendra's grip grew tighter, hurting Sinjin's arm, but he could find no words as the ship left the water and turned sharply. Though he'd heard the tales, Sinjin had never thought to see a ship fly, especially not without his mother aboard; the cruel irony of that did not escape him. His mother had been persecuted, and in the end killed because of her power, and yet there were clearly others in the world with similar abilities. How was that fair? He'd learned not to ask why things weren't fair a long time before, but he couldn't help it. Only having Benjin, Fasha, and Gwen back in his life kept his chin up. He couldn't help but smile when he heard Millie cursing from within the galley. "Why can't they tell me when they are going to do things like that?" she grumbled.

  Sinjin looked in the galley and saw Morif trying to help Millie clean up the mess. The old soldier gave him a brief wave and a smile that softened his otherwise stone-hard face.

  "Is it safe for a person to try to feed the crew now?" Millie asked.

  Looking down, Sinjin saw the black ships fading into the distance. Any danger presented from those ships was past, for a time at least. Sinjin knew his world might never again truly be safe. How foolish they had been to have believed the world wouldn't change, that war would not someday come. With a bit of bitterness, he looked back to how his mother had been treated when she'd tried to tell them. And what of Nat Dersinger? Had he not also tried to warn them? Looking back, it was easy to place blame, but he also remembered how he'd felt about it, and it shamed him. He'd been so certain she was wrong, that there would never come a time so terrible that people would have to live underground, yet that time had already come. The world had seemed so permanent as it was; now nothing seemed quite as solid or indestructible. Life was fragile, Sinjin had learned, and so was everything else. All things were just one disaster away from ceasing to exist.

  "Come in and sit," Millie said. "Those fools should be done tossing us about now."

  "Do you know where my grandfather is?" Sinjin asked.

  Millie smiled. "He was his usual stubborn self the last I saw him," she answered, "but he and your great-uncle decided to stay in Endland, just in case Lord Kyte's message was actually a trap. I can't argue that they could have been correct, but they just seemed to enjoy the idea of sneaking around the harbor too much. They were like a couple of children. Kenward and his crew also stayed behind, looking for mischief as well, I'd wager."

  "They're good men who risked themselves to make sure Sinjin could be brought home safely," Morif said.

  "Home," Sinjin said. Despite having known of Trinda's conquest for some time, Sinjin had still not gotten over it. He'd tried to be her friend, and this was how she returned the favor? She took away the only home he'd ever known.

  Millie looked over at him and shook her head, but for once said nothing.

  "You've suffered a great loss, lad; that's for certain," Morif said, his voice serious and low. "I know how badly one can hurt, and I want you to know that it's all right. What's over your head isn't what matters. When you're among friends, you're home."

  The words didn't make Sinjin feel much better, though he appreciated the sentiment.

  "We'll go back for your grandfather and great-uncle," Millie said. "Hopefully they won't be too difficult to find. The black ships are keeping a pretty close watch on all the ports and harbors. We'll need to get in and out as quickly as possible. This ship can do amazing things with those aboard, but she isn't indestructible, something I've been trying to make sure Benjin and Fasha remember. With Gwen and Pelivor aboard, they've gotten cocky, and because of that, they've gotten sloppy. It's going to catch up to all of us eventually."

  Morif rolled his eye.

  That was enough to make Sinjin smile. Some things would never change.

  "Who taught Pelivor and Gwen to fly the ship?"

  "Pelivor figured it out on his own but just barely," Millie said. "Or so I've heard--over and over again."

  "Kenward?" Sinjin asked.

  Millie just snorted and nodded. "You guessed it. Always complains that Pelivor tried to drop them from the sky. The young man seems quite competent to me," she said, and she even blushed a little.

  Morif leaned back and laughed. "He hasn't dropped us from the sky yet," he said. "And with Gwen, he can make time like nothing you've ever seen. We're just cruising at the moment. When she's got a mind to, that little girl can send this ship so fast, the wind tries to tear her apart."

  "Here," Millie said to Morif. "Put some of this in your mouth and be quiet. You're just going to scare these poor children needlessly."

  Despite the humor, Kendra didn't like being referred to as a child any more than Sinjin did. Both let it go since Millie brought more food for them, including thick broth and crusty bread that had little, star-shaped seeds in it.

  "It would've had more substance if those fools had given me a little warning."

  No one said anything since they had food in their mouths. Sinjin considered this the appropriate response. Millie seemed to as well, and for a brief time was content to watch them all eat. While he picked at his food, his mind wandered, and he tried to understand all that had taken place. It was impossible. He didn't know the source of this evil that attacked the Godfist and the Greatland and now was retreating, if slowly.

  "From where do these invaders come?" he asked without meaning to, but no one answered.

  Chapter 3

  Kindness is one thing of which we should never run out.

  --Missa Banks, healer

  * * *

  Bits of straw clung to Allette's face when she pushed herself up from the crude bench on which she had slept. Running a hand over her cheek, she could feel the indents left by the rough surface on the unsanded wood. Hoping she didn't have any splinters, she ran a hand over her aching head. When her vision finally focused, she drew a sharp breath. She wasn't alone.

  A hard-eyed and bearded old man sat across the room, looking at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable. Another man snored on a similar bench and smelled of whiskey. She was trapped in a cell with these men, and she nearly climbed the walls in fear. The reinforced door showed signs of previous escape attempts, its surface pocked and scarred, splinters of wood still hanging. The place had the smell of creosote, and she would bet the door was soaked in it, making the wood caustic to the touch.

  "Think you can get out of here, boy?" the hard-eyed man said, his calloused hands clenched. And the way he said "boy" gave Allette another start. Did he know she was a girl? The old man looked over at the other, who'd stopped snoring. Allette took the opportunity to check her hair. Some of it had come loose in her sleep, and it must have made her gender obvious to this man. Quickly she tucked it back under her collar. The man turned back to her, aware that the other was still sleeping. He said nothing and instead only grinned at her.

  When a loud clang sounded from the heavy cell door, Allette jumped. The door swung inward, and a broad, bald head peeked in. "You there, come with me," he said, pointing to Allette. Then he turned his eyes to the bearded man. "You stay where you are."

  Standing slowly and not turning her back on the bearded man, who watched her intently, Allette made her way to the door. The bearded man lunged at her then, and she squealed as she leaped away. The bald man at the door had
sweat running down his face from just standing there, and he reacted slowly. Allette was already past him and into the dark hallway before he moved. From within, she heard the bearded man cursing and the sound of the drunken man waking.

  The bald man pulled the door shut as quickly as he could and lowered the heavy bar back into place. Afterward, he wiped the sweat from his face and regarded Allette. She hadn't moved. Once she had gained her freedom from the cell and was safely away from that lecherous man, she waited quietly. This man did not look dangerous to her. He was pale and soft, and he jiggled when he moved.

  "I am Sensi," he said. "I will represent you. Do you understand?"

  Despite being uncertain of exactly what he meant, Allette nodded, her tongue unwilling to speak. This man would know she was a girl, this man who would defend her; at least, that was what she hoped he had meant.

  "Follow me. We must speak in private," Sensi said before leading the way through narrow halls.

  Natural light did not reach this far into the hold, not that Allette knew just how far in she'd been. The trip into the stone fortress had been a blur, and she remembered little of it. From the bruises she felt, she was almost glad she didn't remember it. Now though, it seemed they were impossibly deep within the hold, and only the light of Sensi's lantern let them see. Deep, cold fear crept into Allette's psyche and shaded her every thought. Waves and storms and darkness at sea she could handle, but to be trapped within cold stone, bereft of light and wind, was too much for her and she trembled.

  Looking over at her, Sensi gave a sad but kind smile. "It's not so bad," he said. "Throwing fruit at someone is not the most heinous crime, and dropping a bit of peel is forgivable the first time. And if I wasn't so fat, I'd probably run from Heinlin too. The man is a brute."

  Allette said nothing, not wanting to incriminate herself. That didn't seem to dampen Sensi's enthusiasm or optimism. "If you must know," Sensi said, despite the fact that Allette had not asked, "it is quite refreshing to work with a young person; so many of those who end up here know better. But you . . . well . . . I don't know."