by Den Patrick
‘I don’t want your fruit,’ she said, trying to imitate Sundra at her most stern. ‘What is it you’re seeking?’ Maxim frowned at her in confusion.
‘Unless I’m wrong,’ said Xen-wa, ‘I think I’m seeking you.’ He tossed the orange segment in the air and caught in his mouth.
‘Are you an Imperial spy?’ blurted Kjellrunn before she’d really thought what she wanted to say.
‘I wouldn’t be a very good one if I admitted it to you, would I?’
Maxim laughed and Kjellrunn felt herself blush. She’d never had much cause to speak to boys her own age in Nordvlast. The experience was nothing like she had imagined.
‘I’m a storyweaver,’ said Xen-wa. ‘I’m not dangerous. Well, mostly not. I come seeking the Stormtide Prophet. The air is alive with whispers on the wind, whispers that speak of Frøya’s disciples returning, the Lovers’ uprising, and the death of Veles, father of gholes.’
‘Who are the Lovers?’ said Kjellrunn, turning up her nose.
‘Steiner Vartiainen and his wise woman, Kristofine. That’s what they’re calling them. The Lovers.’
‘You know about Steiner?’ Kjellrunn took a step closer. ‘He’s still alive?’
‘I know only what I’ve heard,’ said the storyweaver. ‘And I’ll trade you a tale for a tale.’
‘What do you want to know?’ said Kjellrunn. She was desperate for word of her brother and father.
‘I want to know how you destroyed two Imperial galleons.’ Xen-wa flashed his irritating smile. ‘You’re her, aren’t you? The Stormtide Prophet, Chosen of Frøya.’
Kjellrunn was about to answer but looked over her shoulder, where the novices all gazed at her with wary reverence. Any number of cats wove in between her ankles or watched the unfolding conversation as if they understood every word. It seemed ridiculous to even attempt denying it.
‘My name is Kjellrunn,’ she replied. ‘Come to the temple and I’ll tell you what you want to know.’ She held up one finger. ‘And in return you’ll tell me of my brother.’
The self-assured smile slipped from Xen-wa’s face and Kjellrunn felt a chill pass through her. The storyweaver performed a small bow.
‘It will be as you say, prophet.’
CHAPTER TWO
Steiner
Until that point I had been consumed with the quiet and subtle work of gathering information for Felgenhauer, who had disguised herself as another Vigilant. I confess, I felt adrift and without purpose after the Matriarch-Commissar departed with her nephew.
– From the memoir of Drakina Tveit, Lead Librarian of Midtenjord Province
It was just before dawn; a prelude to the sun lay across the horizon like the dull steel of a battered blade. Dark grey clouds crowded the sky as the Morskoy Volk sailed the Ashen Gulf, the dark green waters turbulent beneath the hull. Steiner stood at the prow of the ship pondering the fate of his father.
All winter they had travelled across the continent together, often freezing, often hungry, always fearful of discovery by Imperial soldiers. The spring promised only a chill rain, the turmoil of revolution, and perhaps his father’s execution at the hands of the Emperor himself. Steiner glowered at the distant coastline, cursing the time it took to travel each league. He wanted nothing more than to make port at Khlystburg.
‘How much longer?’ said a woman’s voice behind him. Steiner forced a brave smile and turned to Kristofine, reaching out on instinct to slip an arm around her waist.
‘I’m not sure. The captain told me to stop asking him. It seems the winds have been on the change.’ Kristofine glanced over her shoulder to the stern of the ship, where Captain Sedey tended the wheel and pretended not to notice the young lovers. Sedey was a heavyset man in his fifties, missing the lobe of one ear along with one of his eye teeth. His long and lank black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail beneath a greasy hat. ‘I think he regrets bringing us aboard.’
‘I’m sure he’ll feel differently once Felgenhauer pays him.’ Kristofine pressed her head against his shoulder. ‘Did you get any sleep?’
‘Not much.’ Steiner rubbed at his eyes. ‘All I could think of was Silverdust being eaten alive by Bittervinge. I came up on deck to clear my thoughts but …’ His mouth twisted in a grimace of upset and his shoulders slumped as his gaze fell on the eastern horizon.
‘You’re worried for your father.’
He nodded and sighed. There was nothing Kristofine could say, no promise she could make that Marek would be returned to them unharmed, but he was glad of her company all the same.
‘We lose two people for every one who joins our cause,’ Steiner said after a time.
‘That’s not true,’ Kristofine remonstrated gently. ‘You have no idea how many people are out there’ – she gestured towards Slavon and all the provinces and republics to the west – ‘that have been inspired by what we’ve done.’
‘But Silverdust. All those soldiers.’
‘They knew what they were getting themselves into. We have to keep fighting for that. We have to keep fighting for them. Besides, you’re the dragon rider, remember?’
‘Steiner the Unbroken,’ he replied, his tone laced with sarcasm. ‘I don’t feel very unbroken lately.’
‘But together, we’re the Lovers, bringing hope and rebellion to Vinterkveld.’ She said all of this with a wry smile and Steiner felt himself grin in response. ‘It will do no good for Steiner the Unbroken to be maudlin, will it?’
Steiner nodded. ‘Where would I be without you?’
Kristofine’s answer was interrupted as the former Matriarch-Commissar of Vladibogdan arrived on deck. Felgenhauer, Steiner’s aunt, stared at both of them and for a fleeting moment a look of irritation crossed her face. She was flanked by Sergeant Tomasz and Lieutenant Reka.
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d made it out of the library,’ said Steiner to Reka. He grinned and grasped the soldier’s forearm.
‘I wasn’t sure myself,’ replied the lieutenant. ‘I was out cold when they dragged me from the library. I only woke this morning. You fought well.’
‘It was chaos.’ Steiner’s expression darkened. ‘Not sure if I was fighting so much as staying alive.’
‘Well, I’m glad you did,’ replied Tomasz. ‘Your aunt would skin us alive if we let anything happen to you.’ Another look of irritation troubled Felgenhauer’s face and Steiner felt his own annoyance rise in response.
‘On the subject of fighting,’ said the former Matriarch-Commissar, ‘Kristofine nearly died in the library. No civilian should be caught up in such harrowing circumstances.’
‘Civilian?’ said Kristofine, her voice quiet and firm. ‘There was nothing civil about my sword when I thrust it into Bittervinge’s throat.’
‘Kristofine recruited a gang of bandits to our cause,’ said Steiner. ‘We would never have made it without her. She’s hardly a civilian.’
‘The fact that you survived is a miracle,’ continued Felgenhauer, ignoring her nephew. ‘Steiner spent more time keeping you safe than actually fighting.’
‘That’s not true,’ said Steiner, annoyance giving way to anger.
‘What are you saying?’ added Kristofine.
‘I think it best’ – Felgenhauer narrowed her eyes – ‘for your safety and Steiner’s, that you remain with the ship when we go ashore at Khlystburg.’
‘My place is at Steiner’s side.’ Kristofine said it loud enough that even the sailors at the stern of the boat looked up from their chores.
‘And I’m ordering you to stay behind.’
‘Ordering?’ Steiner snorted an incredulous laugh. ‘You’re not a Matriarch-Commissar any more, and we were never soldiers.’
‘Steiner.’ Felgenhauer shook her head. ‘You’ve already lost your father—’
‘I didn’t lose Marek,’ snarled Steiner. ‘He was taken from me. And I will get him back.’
Felgenhauer held up her hands with a placating gesture. ‘I’m just trying to make sure you don’t lose anyone
else, and fight a rebellion at the same time. Prisoners don’t last very long in the Emperor’s presence. You should prepare yourself for the worst.’
No one had much to say after that and the knot of people unravelled. Tomasz and Felgenhauer headed to the stern to speak with Captain Sedey. His aunt glared over her shoulder as she walked away.
‘You know I’ve trained a few soldiers in my time,’ said Reka quietly as he looked out to sea. ‘I’ve never taught a woman, mind.’
‘Woman are just like men,’ said Kristofine. ‘Just more adaptable.’
‘Adaptable?’ replied Reka, looking at her from the corner of his eye with curiosity. ‘How’s that?’
‘We have to be adaptable to put up the changing whims of you menfolk.’
Reka let out a gruff laugh. ‘Do you still have your sword?’ Kristofine nodded. ‘Good. You can adapt to my lessons. They start in an hour.’
‘Are you serious?’ Steiner could barely believe what he was hearing.
‘Do I look serious?’ replied Reka.
‘You do look fairly serious, now you mention it,’ replied Kristofine.
Steiner smiled and clapped the man on the shoulder. ‘Thank you for this.’
‘Don’t get too comfortable, dragon rider. You’re getting lessons too. I saw you swinging that hammer around. It’s a wonder you haven’t hurt yourself.’
‘What?’
‘Lessons!’ replied Reka. ‘For both of you. You’re going to have to fight like legends if you want to be remembered as legends.’
‘I just want to get my father back,’ muttered Steiner.
‘That’s all well and good,’ said Reka, sounding neither well nor good, ‘but there’s a rebellion on, if you hadn’t noticed.’
‘I’ll get my sword,’ said Kristofine.
‘I’ll get my sledgehammer,’ said Steiner, feeling a touch of chagrin as he went below decks.
Reka was patient, tough and fair in equal measure and Steiner found himself thinking of his father often during the lesson. The men had little in common other than that they had both been soldiers for the Empire at some point but Steiner drew comparisons between the two of them nonetheless.
‘That’s good,’ said Reka as Steiner and Kristofine performed an attack with their very different weapons against imaginary opponents. ‘Too many times I’ve seen both of you overbalance and leave yourself open. This is better. Of course, fighting on dry land will be better still, but we have to work with what we have.’
Steiner felt a small surge of pride that he was improving, and Kristofine flashed a grin at him, caught up in the same feeling no doubt. Reka had them switch their weapons for old broomsticks which were cut down to an appropriate length.
‘These aren’t ideal but the principles are the same.’ The lieutenant sparred with them slowly, explaining as he went: parry, riposte, the placement of feet, the disposition of weight, and other soldier’s secrets. Before long they were sparring with each other, though Steiner felt about as uncomfortable raising a weapon to Kristofine as he could remember, even if it was only a broom handle.
‘That’s good,’ said Reka. ‘Now repeat the sequence I taught you again, but faster.’
A few of Sedey’s sailors watched the weapons practice with admiring glances, no doubt amused to have such famous passengers. Felgenhauer appeared behind them and cleared her throat. The look on her face had the sailors slinking back to their tasks.
‘Reka. A word.’
‘I can hear you well enough right here,’ said the lieutenant with a hard look on his craggy face.
‘I thought we agreed that Kristofine would stay on the ship when we reached Khlystburg. Why are you teaching her how to fight?’
‘Agreed?’ Reka shook his head. ‘It didn’t sound like Steiner agreed with you.’
‘I’m quite capable of being disagreeable all on my own,’ added Kristofine, performing a flourish. It might have been impressive had she not been armed with a length of old broom handle.
‘I gave you an order,’ said Felgenhauer to Reka, but the lieutenant, far from being cowed, shook his head and chuckled.
‘I didn’t leave the Empire just so I could take orders from another Vigilant. I follow him now.’ The lieutenant gestured to Steiner. ‘And it seems the lad is guided by his lady love, so there’ll be no staying on board the ship for her.’
‘This is foolishness,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘And you’re encouraging it.’
‘I just survived fighting a gods-damned dragon in a burning library, I saw a cinderwraith swallowed whole and I doubt that’s the worst thing I’ll see before all of this is over, so you’ll forgive me if I’ve taken leave of my senses.’ Reka’s frown deepened but his tone was firm and even. ‘But know this: I’ll teach whom I please.’
Felgenhauer balled her hands into fists and made a sound somewhere between a growl and a sigh before stalking back below decks.
‘I can’t believe you spoke to her like that,’ said Steiner.
‘Well, it’s true. She’s one of the good ones, mind’ – Reka nodded towards the departing form of Felgenhauer – ‘but I’m sick of taking orders. I’ll fight alongside the both of you, but my days as an obedient comrade are over.’
‘You’re in good company,’ said Kristofine. ‘Steiner has an obedience problem too.’ They all laughed, as much to break the tension from the standoff with Felgenhauer as anything else.
‘How are your arms?’ said Reka. ‘Sore yet?’ Steiner shook his head. ‘Good.’ Reka grinned. ‘More practice then!’
Steiner and Kristofine retired below decks to wash after their weapons practice, as much as anyone could stay clean aboard the crowded ship. The hold had been pressed into service as an infirmary, canteen and barracks for the soldiers that had escaped from Arkiv Island following the destruction of the Great Library. Felgenhauer kept herself apart from the men, save Tomasz, who stood guard over her like a faithful wolfhound.
‘So you’ve finally stopped all that racket,’ said a voice from behind Steiner. Captain Sedey appeared out of the gloom, shaking his head as he drew close. ‘Can’t say I’m keen on fightin’ on my ship, even if it’s only to practice.’
‘What news?’ asked Kristofine. ‘When do we make landfall?’
‘The winds are not kind and we’re not on a course I’d have chosen,’ the captain sneered. ‘Progress is slow but believe you me, I want you disembarked as quickly as you do.’ He slunk off with an ill-humoured look in his bloodshot eyes.
‘Charming as ever,’ said Kristofine quietly. ‘What do you want to do?’
Steiner snatched a glance at Felgenhauer, who caught him looking and glowered back. This was not how he had imagined his relationship with aunt would be.
‘Best we go up on deck. I don’t care for another run-in with my aunt just now.’
They made their way out of the hold and huddled together at the prow, staring out over the shifting swell of the dark blue sea, speaking of pipe dreams. Steiner talked of his wish to be reunited with his friends from Vladibogdan while Kristofine wondered if they might open a tavern one day, somewhere warm, far away from Nordvlast. The time crawled by until the sailor in the crow’s nest began shouting in earnest. Steiner and Kristofine both scrabbled to their feet and searched the horizon. A plume of fire erupted in the distance and Steiner squinted until he could make out the silhouette of a ship. A dark shadow hovered above the vessel; great wings held the creature in the dark grey skies and a terrible certainty gripped Steiner.
‘It’s Bittervinge.’
‘You don’t know that,’ said Kristofine softly. ‘At this range it could be …’ Her words tailed off as the dragon released another jet of fire. The sails suddenly caught alight, becoming beacon bright on the choppy waters.
‘This is my fault,’ breathed Steiner. ‘We should have finished him in the library.’
‘Don’t be so hard on yourself,’ replied Kristofine. ‘It’s not as if we had a choice. We were lucky to escape with our lives.’
‘It’s a merchant ship,’ said Reka, squinting hard.
‘Bittervinge will be feeding,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘Getting his strength back after the battle in the library.’
‘We hurt him badly,’ said Tomasz. ‘And that was before Silverdust …’ The sergeant fell silent as Steiner turned a hard stare upon him, warning him against saying the words he could not. Kristofine squeezed his hand to get his attention.
‘What happened to Silverdust wasn’t your fault either,’ she said, her voice low but firm.
‘I know, but if I’d fought a little harder he might still be here.’ Steiner’s thoughts turned to the men aboard the ship in the distance. ‘How do we stop him now that he’s free of the library?’ he asked. ‘Am I supposed to sprout wings?’
‘Bittervinge will seek out the Emperor,’ said Felgenhauer. ‘But not before he’s regained his strength. He’ll attack the city and feed. A creature like that, chained up for seventy years’ – she shook her head – ‘he’ll want to make a point, remind everyone just how terrifying the dragons were. And with every attack the Emperor’s credibility will fade.’
‘Surely the Emperor is powerful enough to defeat Bittervinge?’ said Steiner.
‘Perhaps,’ replied Felgenhauer. ‘But the Emperor has always been a man who used the right tool for the job, even during his more unhinged episodes. He’d want your black iron sledgehammer. That’s the weapon which brought Bittervinge low before.’
‘But what about all the people in Khlystburg?’ asked Kristofine.
‘We should warn them,’ said Steiner.
‘They’ll know soon enough,’ replied Felgenhauer, her words crisp and quiet and dreadful. ‘I didn’t want him to escape the library any more than you did.’
Steiner continued to watch the dragon attack the merchant vessel on the horizon as the others drifted away to speculate and ponder.
