by Jane Glatt
“Have I spoken to anyone from Aruntun in the past few weeks?” Turner said. “Did I know anything about the pretender’s coronation in Silverdale? Am I loyal to King Beldyn and do I follow the One-God?”
“What did you tell him about the uh… pretender?”
“Just that I’d not paid much attention to it, me being interested in trade and all,” Turner said. “And that of course I was loyal to the rightful king.”
“At least he let you enter the city,” Kane said. “Let’s hope they let you back out.”
“That’s a chance I took coming here,” Turner said. He pointed to a street and Kane directed the team that way. “Do you think my answers will help them decide?”
“It’s possible,” Kane said. “But if they are trying to keep Brenna’s coronation quiet they wouldn’t have let us into the city. And since when is following the One-God required?”
“I guess since the edict,” Turner replied. “Following the old gods is illegal.”
“But that shouldn’t mean following the One-God is mandatory.”
“Turn right here,” Turner said. “There’s an alley halfway down that we can drive the cart into. The horses can be taken off from the front and put up in my brother’s stable.”
Kane twitched the reins and the guided the horses into the narrow alley. As soon as the end of the wagon was clear of the street, he stopped it. He wrapped the reins around the wagon seat, jumped down and walked to the front. By the time he reached the head of the lead horse, a young man of about twenty was confronting him.
“What business do you have here?” As he asked the question the man slipped his vest aside to show Kane a knife strapped to his side. Kane stepped back and raised his hands.
“You don’t need to worry about him, Nole,” Turner said from the other side of the cart and Kane relaxed.
“Uncle Reece, what are you doing here?”
Turner came forward and hugged his nephew, patting the young man on the back.
“Do I need a reason to visit my own brother and nephew?”
“These days you do,” Nole said, eyeing Kane. “You can take the horses into the shed, driver. Come on uncle, I’ll get father. But I warn you, he won’t be happy that you’re here.”
Kane set about removing the horses from the harness and getting them settled in the shed. He’d insisted on doing the work all along the trail despite Turner’s objections and he wasn’t about to do anything different now. As soon as he was finished he would ask for his pay, like any driver would, then slip off to his own business in Kingsreach.
Turner and Nole entered the shed just as Kane was putting the clean tack away.
“The horses are watered and fed and the tack all cleaned,” Kane said. “If you want help unloading the wagon that’ll be another crown, otherwise I’ll just take my pay and leave.”
“I told Nole who you are,” Turner said and Kane frowned. “He wanted us to hire you to drive us all out tomorrow. I had to explain to him why you couldn’t.”
“I didn’t tell my father,” Nole said. “I’ll tell him once we’re away from here. Uncle Reece says that Silverdale is safe for those fleeing Kingsreach.”
Kane studied Nole for a few seconds before replying. The young man looked weary with worry and tense with fear. “Duke Ewart has been welcoming any who enter his lands.”
“And they have food enough? We have money, my father and I, but money won’t feed us over the winter.” Nole looked at his uncle. “As we’re already finding out here.”
“There are food shortages already?” Kane asked.
Nole nodded and Kane frowned. The harvest should just be in - this time of year should be a time of plenty. “Fallad is prepared. In the spring Ewart asked farmers to plant extra crops if they could. Some of the early refugees were sent to help on the farms.” And thank the gods for Brenna’s vision, Kane thought. “It’s much the same in Aruntun, from what my sources say.”
Nole nodded again and looked relieved.
“We’ll go to Silverdale then and see what can be done about trade later.” Nole turned to his uncle. “You should leave town as soon as possible. They don’t mind some trade goods coming through but the Guard don’t look kindly on extra mouths in town these days. You gave them Father’s name at the gate?” When Turner nodded, Nole continued. “Then it’s best you leave tomorrow at dawn. If this one,” he gestured to Kane, “doesn’t mind we can trade him some other clothes and send another man out with you and the empty wagon. Between us we should be able to convince Father that he and I need to leave the day after.”
A change of clothes was found for Kane and he gratefully slipped them on. No cleaner than the last set, but at least they marked him as Kingsreach, he thought as he laced up the rough shirt. He’d kept his own boots – he wasn’t about to let them go, not when having proper footwear could mean the difference between life and death if he had to walk away from town.
After a quick goodbye Kane let himself out of the stable. It was getting dark and the streets were even more deserted than before. In the market area he had to wait for a train of wagons to clear the road. The horses pulling the wagons looked as tired and drawn as the men who drove them. Once they passed, Kane went in the opposite direction down a small lane. In less than an hour he was at the back entrance to the Crooked Dog.
Kane sipped his ale as Eryl filled his own mug.
“Thorold’s been rounding up the folk from Thieves Quarter and sending them to work his mines?” Kane asked.
“We think it’s been happening for about two weeks,” Eryl said, a dark look on his face. “Someone escaped and found their way back to tell us.” He got up and opened one of the doors to the hall. After a low conversation he sat back down. A minute later the door opened again and a boy of about ten entered.
“Ye wanted t’ see me Master Eryl?”
“Tell this gentleman what happened to you, Perin.” Eryl’s smile softened as the boy shuffled his feet. “Not to worry, he’s come to help,” Eryl said.
“Well, I was lookin’ fer pigeon eggs, over by the church, ‘cause they likes to nest on the roof,” Perin said. “When the witch haters come. Only this time they had the Guard with them. And their Captain.”
“Barton was there, are you sure?” Kane asked.
“I knows the Captain of the Kingsguard when I sees him,” Perin said. He looked more closely at Kane and paled. “T’other one, not you.”
“All right, you know the Captain of the Guard,” Kane said. “Go on.”
“Well, the witch haters, they starts to round up folk, starting with the men but just takin’ everyone who’s there. Then the Guard herds us all together, poking some with their swords so’s we keep up and all.” Perin stopped and licked his lips, eying the pitcher of ale. Eryl poured a small amount into a glass and pushed it across the table towards him. The boy snatched it up and took a gulp before wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
“They takes us out the gates past the church, and I tell ye, some of us thought we was fer the High Bishop, so women were cryin’ and men were swearin’ even though we’re still gettin’ poked by the Guard. Then the captain, he says stop here and we all huddle together until it gets light. Then they bring a long line of wagons. And they take these long chains from the wagons and they chain all the men and women together in two long lines, one fer the men and one fer the women. And all us kids, they hoist us inta the wagons an draw a piece of canvas down on us.” Perin paused to swallow the rest of his ale and Kane met Eryl’s eyes.
“And then what happened? How did you get away?” Kane asked.
“We traveled for two days. Then I heard two of the guards talkin’ about what they’d do once they got to the mines and which men they thought would be for the top of the mines and which would be goin’ underneath. Me, I’m not interested in bein’ a miner, so that night when the guards are lookin’ another way, I slip out and follow the wagon tracks back to Kingsreach. Took me more’n two days to do it too, ‘cause I was worried
they’d send someone after me. I was fair starved by the time I got here. When I told my story in the Quarter I was brought to Eryl.” Perin looked up at Eryl, his eyes bright. “I been here ever since, haven’t I?”
“That you have, Perin,” Eryl said. “Thank you, you can go now.”
Once Perin closed the door behind him Kane reached for his ale. He swallowed the rest in one gulp and set the glass down on the table.
“Six generations of my family have been proud to be Kingsguardsmen,” Kane said. “To think that they have been reduced to shackling and driving men, women and children like animals. It shames me to think they’ve fallen so low so quickly.”
“Much as it pains me to say this.” Eryl sent him a slow smile. “At least when you were Captain a man knew what to expect. The laws were clear and you knew what would happen if you were caught by the Guard. Now,” he said with a shrug. “An honest man is as likely to be rounded up as a thief and neither one of them will ever be seen again. From what I’ve been able to find out the Kingsguard are targeting folk from the Quarter.” Eryl sighed deeply. “At least we know they aren’t all being sent to the High Bishop. There’s some chance they are still alive.”
“For a while, anyway.” Kane thought back to his days in Blackwall. The miners were alive, yes, but it was dangerous work even for strong men. Most of the residents of Thieves Quarter started off underfed. Would Blackwall be any better prepared than Kingsreach to feed its people once the snows came? Even in summer food had been scarce and expensive – which didn’t bode well for the prisoners sent there. And what about the women and children? They weren’t being sent to the mines, he hoped, so where were they being sent?
“We need to plan a way to divert these wagons. Show me exactly where you think Perin was when he escaped.” Kane leaned over the table as Eryl unrolled a map and spread it out. He’d contact Brenna later, when he had a better idea of what to tell her, he thought as Eryl’s finger traced a path along the map.
Brenna closed her eyes, trying to will the images of her vision out of her mind. She’d tried to sleep after Kane had contacted her but now it was almost dawn and she’d barely rested all night. Finally she got out of bed, pulled the blanket around her and sat at the window staring at the sky as it lightened.
When Brenna had told Kane about her Seeing he’d been relieved that they knew for sure the wagons and people were headed to Blackwall. It would help them find a place to intercept them, Kane had said, a place where they could rescue them now that they were certain about the start and end points of the route.
All those people. Kane had confirmed that most were from Thieves Quarter. Brenna knew in her heart that Duke Thorold was targeting them because of her. Eryl was sending his lads out to try to find out when the next wagons and people were being shipped out and Kane promised to let her know what they found.
Sighing, Brenna splashed some water on her face and dressed. She needed her map. And Dasid. Between them they’d find the best place to hide some men so they could take the wagons. And Brenna was not going to be left behind this time. These were her people, people she’d healed and shared tea with and yes, likely fought with. But she wasn’t going to let them be sent to the mines. Or further, she thought as she remembered the way the wagons full of children had been driven out of Blackwall.
“I was thinking that we may be able to keep a force of men over here.” Brenna jabbed her finger at a place on the map that was well within Comack’s borders. “It looks like forest - Thorold probably doesn’t have men in place.”
Dasid leaned over to see where her finger pointed.
“Thorold uses the land around there for pasturage,” Ewart said from his seat across the room. “He and his cursed horses. The man’s appetite for grassland for them is insatiable.”
When Brenna had gone downstairs she’d found Dasid in the kitchen. She’d immediately spread the map out and they’d been weighing the options for intercepting the wagons ever since. Ewart’s arrival mid morning had surprised them. He’d come straight from his country estate and had joined their discussion immediately.
“What about Stobert’s lands?” Ewart asked. “Is there any way we can use his lands for this? After betraying you to Thorold I’d like nothing better than to have a reason to go in there and force him off his property.”
“It’s too far away from the route we think is being used,” Dasid said. “Otherwise I’d be happy to oblige.”
“He’ll be starved out by spring,” Brenna heard herself say. She looked up to see the two men looking at her oddly and shrugged. “Not quite a vision but a very strong feeling,” she said.
“Fine, I’ll ignore Stobert for now,” Ewart said. He rose and joined them at the table, leaning over the map. “We should get Gaskain in here. He knows this country as well as anyone.” Ewart grinned. “He’s been trying to keep Thorold’s horses out of Fallad most of his life.”
Brenna made tea while Dasid went to find Gaskain. She was pouring water into the pot when her hand started to shake so much that she almost dropped the hot water.
“By the Brothers, what was that?” she muttered.
“Is that you Brenna?” The voice thundered through the old steel. Brenna tried to sever the connection – it didn’t quite work but at least the sound was at a comfortable level.
“Who is that?” she asked. She wasn’t even touching her knife.
“It’s Gaskain.”
Brenna felt another jolt and then she felt Dasid’s presence through the old steel as well.
“Dasid and I have our new swords.”
“So I see,” Brenna replied. The difference in strength was incredible. How had previous rulers managed it? But none of them had been the Caller, had they?
Even when she took her knife off Brenna was aware of every step Dasid and Gaskain took on their way back to Ewart’s house. She had to find a way to mute the effects or she’d be too distracted to have a rational thought of her own. By the time they were walking up the steps she at least had some peace, but she still felt each and every time one of them touched their new weapon.
“We told Smith Innis about your reaction and he thinks that if he changes the timing of a few stages, along with the concentrations of blood, he can lessen the effect,” Dasid said as he and Gaskain entered the kitchen.
Dasid’s knife and sword as well as Gaskain’s sword flared to light, more brilliant than any other weapon ever had and Brenna gasped. She struggled to get the old steel dimmed and finally, shaking with the effort, she was able to darken them.
“Please ask Smith Innis to make the adjustments,” she said. She smoothed a hand over her hair and took a deep breath before she returned to the normal task of making tea.
“Maybe,” Dasid looked at her thoughtfully, “that’s what the passage in the book Innis can’t decipher is about. He says it has nothing to do with creating a weapon - it seems to be some sort of ceremony. Perhaps we’re missing something key that binds the old steel to you.”
“That would make sense,” Gaskain said. “It would be dangerous if every time a new sword was created it almost overwhelmed the Caller. I’ll visit the smith later and see if between the two of us we can’t get a better idea of that. Now,” Gaskain turned to the map, “I understand you need some advice about the land just over the border into Comack.”
By early afternoon they had decided where to place their troops. It was a few days ride into Comack and therefore a risk, but one they all felt was warranted – especially Brenna. She would not allow more people to be sent to the mines.
In two days, twenty men, hand-picked by Dasid, as well as one wagon, would be on the way. They would be bringing these people back and they would need wagons to do it. Brenna insisted that a healer go and Neemah volunteered. She hadn’t yet told them that she was going as well, but she wasn’t planning on giving them a choice.
Gaskain left to talk to Smith Innis and Brenna headed over to the church to stock up on supplies. They weren’t going all the way up
into the mountains to Godswall but she wanted to get more libo seeds just in case. She still hadn’t managed to investigate other treatments for altitude sickness so the seeds were the best she could do. Hopefully no one would need them.
Kane felt Brenna’s exhaustion as soon as he touched his sword.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Just tired,” she replied. “Dasid and Gaskain received their new swords today. Until Gaskain found the spell that quieted them down, it was very draining.”
“There was a spell?” Kane frowned. “I didn’t think the Brotherhood did any magic.” He was relieved to feel Brenna’s amusement through their connection. She was tired but not completely drained.
“I’m not sure the Brotherhood knew it was a spell. It was in the book on forging old steel and was called a ‘binding prayer’,” Brenna said. “It calls on all five of the old gods. It’s actually quite powerful. And it worked, which means I have some peace for the first time in twelve hours. Do you have any more information? I’m too tired to bring Dasid into this communication tonight but he’ll be in position with twenty men in four or five days. I’ll have him confirm exactly where with you tomorrow.”
“Twenty men should be enough. Eryl has been able to find information that two separate wagon caravans have left but none of them had more than ten or twelve guards.”
“I’ll let Dasid know. I’ll contact you tomorrow with more details.”
Brenna severed their contact and Kane was once again aware of his small room at the Dog. Dasid would save people from the mines – it was up to him stop the wagon caravans from being created in the first place. He headed to the tavern. One thing he appreciated about living around thieves - they were usually about at night. Kane joined Eryl at his table and gratefully took the mug of ale the thief offered.
“Will they be ready?” Eryl asked.
“Five days or less.” Kane nodded across the table to Larkly and Millen and sipped his ale. It was better than the Dog's usual brew. “They’ll have twenty men. That should be a small enough force to avoid detection by the Comackian militia and large enough to do what needs to be done.”
