"I think that the women are much more of a threat to me than the men,” I said after a minute of silence.
"What about Keno?” Mason asked. “He's... well, your boy toy...."
"I don't know if I should be amused or angered that you think of Keno-chan in such a manner,” I said quietly. “I assure you he isn't my or anyone's ‘toy'. What is wrong with Keno-chan? You told me....” I tried to keep the fear out of my voice, since I was suddenly terrified that something had happened to him. That would drive Aboshi insane, I knew. My companion was even more deeply in love with this Keno than he had been with his ancestor in the real world.
"Tired,” Mason assured me. “But what did you mean about Keno's power?"
* * * *
Keno
I woke up nuzzling a chest and then realized it wasn't Samojirou's. I panicked, wondering what was happening, since the last thing I remembered was the storm. I tried to figure out where I was, not wanting the man I was with to know that I was awake yet. The man wasn't Asian, I could tell from the hair that was tickling my nose, and he was in good shape, from the muscles that I felt. We were tangled together, naked, and I was warm for the first time in ages, it seemed, with heavy woolen blankets weighing me down. I was exhausted and felt that I had been training in the hot sun for hours.
I felt a hand gently stroking my hair, and I was suddenly aware of how much I itched from the sea salt caked to my skin. I wondered about the smell of the place I was in, smoky and earthy, the same smells I was getting off of the man who held me.
I looked up and was shocked to see Wolf was the one holding me.
"Keno?” he whispered.
"Wolf.” He looked tired. His hair was a bit longer, and it looked and smelled like he hadn't had a shower in a while. Not that he smelled bad, just not clean. “Where?"
"Hoppsfjord,” Wolf said, “the farm of Grima Njalsson."
"The Northlands,” I whispered, recognizing the name as being a Norse one. “Who... where...."
"What happened?” Wolf asked softly when he realized I had trouble asking him what I wanted to know.
"A storm,” I said slowly, trying to gather my thoughts. I was tired and confused, but I needed to know if Tamazusa or anyone else had survived. “The ship fell apart. I don't know how I got here. Who...?"
Wolf hesitated and then said, “Just Tamazusa."
"The Reavers,” I murmured, upset that no one else had seemed to survive. I was almost certain none of the sailors had had any idea what was going on. “The storm made it too windy for them to fly, and the rain soaked their wings. The things in the water... when the ship broke apart, Tamazusa-sama and I couldn't do anything to help them. They knew it, too. And those poor sailors...."
"Keno? What about him?” Wolf asked when I didn't complete my thought.
It figured that Wolf didn't want to talk about Samojirou by naming him. I was too tired to be angry. Wolf had been upset about the choice I had made, choosing the Dreamlands over him. “Samojirou-sama wasn't with us. I was supposed to protect my lord. I walked into a trap with her."
"She still gave you to that man!” Wolf hissed. “You owe her nothing. She isn't someone that you can trust."
Obviously, he was still upset about that. I wasn't going to argue with him about it. I knew it was a waste of time. But I was going to tell him how I felt, even if he didn't believe me. “After what happened to me that night, I needed someone to take care of me. Even if Heiseg hadn't raped me, I would have needed someone to watch over me."
"That—"
"You can't tell me that it wasn't bad! You got me into that mess, instead of shooting me like you should have! You made me a prisoner."
"What happened?” Wolf asked.
I didn't want to lie to him, and frankly, I knew I couldn't anger him by doing that. I needed allies to get Tamazusa safely back to her kuni. I needed him and anyone else who was here from the Trust, as hard as that was to admit. But that didn't mean I was going to tell him everything about what had happened. He just needed to know the basics, not who was involved. It wasn't like he knew any of the players besides Tamazusa. “My lord was going to meet with another lord, one in the South. We were traveling by ship, and he had been interested in talking with her. He spent several days doing so, almost courting her, even if she didn't seem interested in him.
"On the fourth day, we were betrayed. It was during that time that Ii... the other lord and his escort disappeared from the ship, I realized it was a trap then. Tamazusa-sama tried to gate out of there but couldn't. Something was blocking her. The ship was destroyed around us. I don't know how we got here."
"We found you washed up on the shore. The ship was in pieces,” Wolf whispered, sounding raw and needy.
I yawned and wanted to say something else, but I fell asleep again instead.
* * * *
When I woke up again, I was alone in bed, but McGann was sitting by it. I sat up carefully, and she handed me a mug of water. I sipped at it and studied her. She was dressed in a black T-shirt and cargo pants with her hair pulled back into a tight braid. She looked younger, for some reason, and just strange, because I was used to seeing her in suits. I couldn't figure out what she was doing here. Wolf, I could see, and I was betting there was a handful of Trouble Consultants here with him. Wherever here was. Wolf had told me, but I still didn't know where we were besides North.
"How are you feeling, Keno?” she asked me quietly. “Or should I say Sakura?"
"Sakura is Samojirou-sama's companion. She wouldn't be here,” I corrected. I just didn't want her to call me that. “I'm tired."
"You've been asleep for a while,” McGann said. “You've slept though dinner. I can get you some, though. It's some sort of mutton stew."
I tried not to choke at the thought of it. She frowned at me and shook her head. “You have to eat something."
"I'm a vegetarian,” I said. “And I'm not hungry.” I wasn't. I was more tired and thirsty than anything. I realized I was wearing someone's T-shirt, probably Wolf's, from the smell of it, but nothing else. “How is my lord?"
"I thought—” McGann started with a frown, before she understood what I was asking her. “Oh, you mean Tamazusa. She's fine. Mason—please don't get mad—Mason's sort of taken her under his protection. The Norse here seem to be very insular."
"Wolf?” I asked.
Norse meant we were in the Northern lands. I just had to figure out where. Once I did that, I could try to get Tamazusa home. I didn't know exactly why Iida betrayed us or who or what he was allied with. Iida had to have allied himself with someone or something powerful to block Tamazusa's ability to create gates. Not that it would have gotten us back to her kuni. She could only go to the real world. But once there, she would have been able to get us back home.
I blinked back the tears when I thought of what Samojirou must be going through. He would be devastated, thinking that we were dead. I tried not to focus on that, but on the danger that was with me: McGann.
"I told him to take a walk,” she said quietly. “I wanted to talk to you alone."
"What do you want?"
It wasn't a good sign that she had sent Wolf away. I didn't think she was going to do something bad to me, since this was a semipublic place. However, Wolf was a nice guy, and if she didn't want him around, it was because he wouldn't agree to whatever she wanted to talk to me about, so that meant it wasn't anything nice. There was all the damage I had done to the servers before I escaped from the Trust again. I knew she had to be angry with me for that.
"I don't expect you to agree to this, and in fact, I know that I should be talking to Tamazusa, but you can tell me how to approach her."
"I don't understand,” I said.
McGann leaned over and felt my forehead. I noticed she was also checking out who was nearby. While the place was crowded, there weren't too many people near us. But she still kept her voice low when she was talking to me. I guessed she didn't trust anyone here. Why was I not surprised? “I feel t
hat this isn't a good place to be."
"You gated here,” I replied in the same low tone.
"It's not like we can control it,” she said.
"Why not?” I asked, trying not to sound sarcastic. I didn't know much about creating gates, even though I was studying some of the magical tomes in Tamazusa's library. Samojirou hadn't found someone he trusted to teach me magic yet. Creating a Gate was blood magic and something Samojirou didn't want me to do. Plus, I really didn't need to know how to do something like that, with either Samojirou or Tamazusa around to do it for me without someone having to die. But I knew the theory well enough; you had to have a pretty good idea of where you wanted to go or things got messy real fast and the caster usually got lost. I wondered if that had been the problem the first time they were here, why they hadn't known where they were. Fairinox had had no idea how to anchor a gate or direct it. That was probably why Heiseg had gotten monsters when he had opened his; he had opened his Gate into one of the areas of the Dreamlands where only monsters lived, so that's why he had gotten those Hakarl that had attacked and eaten almost everyone on Boylston Street. Or he could have been insane and hateful enough to have planned it that way on purpose. “Are your magicians so incompetent that they can't control their own spells?"
"And what would you know about that?” she asked.
"I studied it,” I said, knowing she wasn't going to believe anything else.
"So you can open a gate?"
"I know the theory, but my lord doesn't want me to dabble in blood magic,” I said scathingly. “And I wouldn't even if she hadn't told me not to."
McGann winced and pulled back. “I—"
"Don't act innocent,” I said softly. “We both know what the cost is to come here. Does Wolf?"
"I follow the orders of the Trustees, as does everyone else with me,” she said evasively. She wasn't looking at me, though; she was staring at the ground. She wasn't happy, but she couldn't get away. I still couldn't feel sorry for her, though. Back when I had been a prisoner of the Trust, she could have told the Trouble Consultants not to bother me, and she hadn't.
I noticed that she hadn't answered my question. “Like Fairinox?” I asked sarcastically. “Collins's pet magician. The man was unclean."
"And what happened to Collins?” McGann asked me, looking up from the ground.
"He died,” I told her shortly. “And are you asking me how to throw yourself upon Tamazusa-sama's mercy?"
"Partly,” she said. “I feel that we would be good allies."
"Here and now,” I clarified. “But what about the future? When you... we leave this delightful place, what then?"
"I don't understand,” she said.
"Is this to be an alliance of convenience?” I asked. “Or something more permanent? And since when do the Trustees want allies? I thought we were the monsters."
"Things have changed,” she said quietly. She didn't look happy that I considered myself one of the monsters.
"Have they?” I asked her, deliberately cynical. “If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that, I might believe you."
"I....” She shook her head. “You've changed. You seem more confident now."
"I hope I have changed,” I said. “It's been over a year."
She looked shocked. “Really? But.... Time really does pass differently here."
Wolf walked back then, holding a small bowl in his hands. He looked at McGann with a small smile on his face. “I think that Keno needs to have something to eat."
I shuddered at the thought of mutton, and McGann shook her head. “Wolf. Keno informed me that he doesn't eat meat. I don't think he'd be interested in the stew."
"This is gruel,” Wolf said, frowning slightly. “I thought it would be easier on his stomach."
"Thank you,” I said with a smile. “Where exactly are we?"
"Hoppsfjord,” Wolf told me.
"I think that it's on what might be the Faeroe Islands,” McGann explained. Wolf acted embarrassed that he hadn't explained that better. “I'm not really sure, but you're a long way from Nippon."
"Hundreds of ri,” I said softly, remembering the map of the Dreamlands. I straightened up and looked at the two of them. “And where is my lord?"
"She's with Mason,” Wolf said. “He's taking good care of her."
I threw the covers back and swung my feet over the edge of the bed, ignoring how dizzy and tired I felt.
"Keno—” McGann started and then helped me up. Wolf looked at the two of us like we were nuts. “He's not going to rest or eat until he sees her,” she explained.
Wolf handed McGann the bowl he was holding and scooped me up.
"I can walk,” I protested.
"And Tamazusa's going to be furious that we let you,” Wolf said. “I don't want to make her upset. You've both had a bad time of it. Let me do this."
I wondered why they were both worried about making Tamazusa mad. I felt like an idiot being carried, but I was exhausted. I wanted several days of rest and pampering by Samojirou, but I didn't think that was going to happen anytime soon. I had to get Tamazusa to safety, no matter what it cost me.
While I was being carried to Tamazusa, I noticed the people here. Mostly men, all were tall and light-haired. I felt like I was seeing McGann's and Wolf's families. I didn't know if that was a good thing. They were all staring at me, and I heard more than a few comments being made in a language I didn't understand. Wolf knew it, though. I could tell from the way he tightened his grip on me once in a while. I didn't think the comments were nice ones, judging from his reaction.
Wolf thankfully set me down when we got to Mason's bunk. I didn't know the man who was with them, but I knew he was from the Trust, not the Norse, by his hairstyle and what he was wearing. Tamazusa was also dressed in someone's T-shirt, but she looked all right other than that.
"I'm taking good care of your sister,” Mason told me before he gave me a hug.
"You better,” I said quietly. I was surprised he had said that, but it made sense. It would give me an excuse for me to be worried about her, but it wouldn't let any one of these barbarians know who she was exactly. I wondered who had thought of that ruse, because I knew it hadn't been Wolf. “You really don't want to piss me off."
Mason laughed, “I know you kick ass.” He looked around casually, checking to see if there was anyone near us but our party. There wasn't anyone within earshot. “Fuck, I would've gone with married, but seeing that she was in bed with me, that would open a whole new can of worms."
"Mason,” I practically growled, amazed that he had been the one to think of such a clever ruse.
"Shit, she's a nice lady,” Mason said seriously. “And she's got this trick with Jell-O that I really don't want her to show me, so I'm treatin’ her good. Fuck, it'll be like I'm doin’ it with McGann. So don't worry about her, no matter what it fuckin’ looks like."
"Keno, Mason has been most considerate of me,” Tamazusa said in Japanese. “I simply have to accept his attentions at this time."
"Tamazusa-sama?” I started.
Tamazusa shook her head slightly, and I didn't continue my question. We were in enemy territory, and I didn't know if Wolf and the rest of them were friend or foe. I hated thinking that about Wolf, but it was true. I didn't trust him not to grab me and take me back to the real world because he thought it would be better for me. And then there was McGann's talk about an alliance. With what had happened last time, did they really think it would be a good idea? Did they think Tamazusa and the others would forgive them for what they had done? Or forget it? If they did, then they were insane.
One of the Norsemen came over to see what was happening. He was tall and graying; I'd have said he was in his midfifties if I had seen him in the real world. He was dressed in coarse woolen trousers and a rough linen shirt like a peasant. I guessed we were in some sort of peasant village. At least I hoped so, because this place was really poor if the nobility dressed like that.
"You know these skraeli
ngjar?” he barked, trying to take control of the situation.
I saw Mason make a face at the word skraelingjar and guessed it was some sort of insult.
"You should talk to my master about that,” Mason said. I was surprised he didn't sound angry; he wasn't too happy when someone, usually Murphy, threw nasty names around. And him using the word “master” just confused me. “It is his business to tell you."
The guy glared at us and then looked at Wolf, who looked at McGann quickly before telling the man, “Grima, we are travelers. We have met these two before. Let us talk alone. They are tired and still ill."
They moved off, and I wondered what was going on here. Why was the Trust here? How was I going to get Tamazusa home? How much could I trust Wolf or Mason?
"'Master'?” I asked Mason, wanting some answers
"Wolf told these guys that he was in charge and that he was married to McGann.” Mason grinned. “But I don't know how good everyone's English is, so talking about it...."
"I understand,” I told him.
Mason shrugged. “It ain't like I know shit anyways."
"I'm Logan Sawyer,” the other man said.
"Inuzaka Keno,” I said with a bow. “And you've met my sister, Tamazusa-sama."
It was true in a weird way, given our relationship. It wasn't like what was between my brothers Shino and Sousuke and Shino's wife Hamaji, but Tamazusa and I were close. What wasn't being said was that he better respect the two of us, but I thought he was getting a hint of that from the look in my eyes. Most of Tamazusa's samurai thought of me as their younger brother, but they also knew I was a warrior like they were.
"And the ship?” I asked.
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