by Alex Avrio
“There’s no honor in hanging,” Schaefer said.
“But getting shot is OK?” Regina asked. “You need to rethink this ‘Honor, Duty, Service’ motto.”
The Eressians stared at her uncomprehendingly.
“Why can’t we secretly buy them back in Korthi?” Regina asked.
“Korthi has been trying to get a foothold in Eressia for a while. If they get their hands on the princesses, the price will be more than gold,” Morgenstern replied.
“A third of our men will go to this point with Kapitan Venn. It’s the last point we can intercept the criminals,” Morgenstern said. “He will wait there. We will ride to here and here, and hope to intercept them.”
Jaeger and Regina nodded and went to tell the plan to the Blades.
“How's your stomach today?” Regina asked.
“I checked when I woke up,” Jaeger said. “The faintest scar.”
“I think it was the full moon,” Regina said. “Like with the Abidari.”
“A theory I’d rather not further test,” Jaeger said, and waved for the rest of the team.
Mist was rolling down the mountains to the lower ground. The horses neighed uneasily. Regina wondered what might be hiding there.
“At least mist will hold them back too,” Summers commented.
“Captains,” Amanates said, “I am worried about Charlie.”
Briggs nodded.
“We’re worried too,” Regina said. “If they realize who she is, even she won’t be able to talk her way out of it. I hold myself responsible, I asked her to join this job, but I have faith in her survival instinct. She knows these people and knows what to do. And what not to do.”
“She needs to keep her big mouth shut,” Jaeger clarified.
“Maybe she’ll tell the Fox that the hunting dog is after him,” Eleven suggested.
“I have a feeling that discipline is getting lax,” Jaeger said through clenched teeth. He walked away.
The Hussars and the mercenaries rode all day, mist shrouding the ground. Regina was reminded of thick cream. Frost had settled on branches touched by cold air from the mountains. Poor visibility slowed their progress. Eventually they had to stop and send scouts to find landmarks, checking they were going in the right direction.
That night when the Black Fox gang set up camp, the princesses and Charlie again sat near to the fire to try to dispel the cold.
“We’ve been riding all day without a break,” Rosamynd said. “My thighs hurt. As does my back.”
“I’ve never ridden so much in my life,” Emilia complained. “I didn’t get any sleep at all yesterday. We’re literally sleeping on the ground – it’s so cold.”
“I wish I could be back home,” Rosamynd sighed.
“I wish I could have a bath. I reek,” Emilia said. Rosamynd went through the silk purse that hung sadly from her wrist and pulled out a small vial of perfume.
“Here you are,” she said, passing the vial to Emilia. It perked her up. She dabbed the opened lid behind her ears. “I am going to enjoy seeing these scoundrels hanged.”
“Shhh,” Charlie said, moving closer. She offered them a tin mug of hot mountain tea. “You don’t want them to hear you say that.”
“I don’t care what they hear,” Emilia said wrinkling her nose. “Hanged, and flogged in the streets first. I give you my word.”
Rosamynd suddenly burst into tears. “I miss home,” she sobbed. Fat tears ran down her cheeks and her lower lip wobbled.
“There, there,” Emilia said, giving Rosamynd a hug. “We’ll be back before you know.” Rosamynd cried into Emilia’s shoulder a few more minutes then started to pull herself together. Emilia took a handkerchief from her bag and wiped Rosamynd’s tears, looking embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry,” Rosamynd whispered. “All this is my fault.”
“Nonsense,” Emilia declared. “It’s these bandits' fault. They’ll pay.”
Charlie offered Rosamynd some water. She drained the whole clay cup.
“Why do you think it’s your fault?” Charlie asked.
“Well, I wanted to meet the Neidenwalden Prince before we got married,” Rosamynd said, her fingers twisting the handkerchief. “What a stupid idea! What does it matter what’s he like, I’ll have to marry him anyway.”
“It wasn’t silly,” Charlie said softly. “Anyone would want to know what their future husband’s like.”
“Don’t you see,” Rosamynd exclaimed. “He can be a three-headed monster and I’ll still have to marry him. This is not just an arranged marriage, it’s political. I can’t back out from duty. Father and mother would be disappointed in me.”
Charlie bit her lip, unable to feel too sorry for Rosamynd. A privileged life came with some drawbacks: not choosing your spouse was one. Then it dawned on her that the woman she knew as the Baroness hadn’t been the supposed bride-to-be. She started quickly putting it all together.
“I wanted a little adventure,” Rosamynd said, tying her handkerchief in all kinds of knots. “To see a little of the world and meet common people.” She exchanged a look with Emilia. Charlie realized that they must have come up with this scheme of changing places together. Whose idea had it been in the first place? If Charlie had to bet money, she’d have put it on Emilia.
“Well, being a commoner and having adventures isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be,” Charlie said.
“I don’t like common people,” Emilia declared. “They’re filthy and smelly and rude,” she said, glaring in the direction of the bandits.
“On the bright side, you two are having a once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” Charlie said.
“Imagine that, Rosamynd,” Emilia said, a sparkle in her eyes. “We’re in our very own Merchant Blades story.”
“Yes, I suppose we are, aren’t we?” Rosamynd said, a hint of smile returning to her lips. “The Blades will pursue these bandits and there will be a swashbuckling fight.” Rosamynd’s smile turned to a grin. Charlie wasn’t sure they’d enjoy the reality of the fight as much as the glamorous idea, but it had raised their spirits.
“And Kapitan Jaeger will save us,” Emilia said, beaming.
Well, him, the rest of the Merchant Blades and a company of Hussars, Charlie thought to herself.
“I thought you didn’t like commoners,” Charlie commented, “but you seem to like Kapitan Jaeger.”
“Don’t be silly,” Emilia laughed. “Jaeger is not a commoner. He’s a Kherr of the Empire.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. She wondered what else she didn’t know about Jaeger. She wondered if Lieutenant Adler was a Kherr. She put her hand in her pocket and found her flower, a little crumpled but still there. She held it tenderly and closed her palm round it.
22 THE RAIN MAIDEN AND THE FIRE KING
AT dawn, the Hussars and the Blades were ready to move. Regina had woken to find her hair in a slightly less elaborate braid – thankfully, without flowers.
“You know, if the spirit folk are granting favors, I’ve got some really nasty calluses,” Jaeger remarked as he walked past. She just shrugged.
“If the spirit folk are doing favors, I’ve lost two princesses,” Morgenstern said humorlessly. “The mist is thick. I’ve sent scouts ahead.”
“I’ve seen whole caravans leave fewer tracks than this gang,” Regina said.
“This is not hide and seek. It’s a speed race,” Schaefer said.
“At the moment it’s an invisibility contest,” Morgenstern said dryly. “Which they are winning.”
“Since we’ve got to wait for the scouts to return, how about you walk us through what’s been going on,” Jaeger said.
Morgenstern’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. “I will not be explaining myself to outsider mercenaries. When the time comes, I will give my report along the appropriate chain of command,” he said, in a tone that could turn water to ice.
Jaeger leaned forward. “I think you’ve lost the moral high ground here, Morgenstern. Help everyon
e, including yourself: explain what’s going on.”
Morgenstern pursed his lips but said nothing.
“The Hussars took too long to engage when the attack started. Why were you slow to give orders?”
“Go to your troops and get them ready. We leave immediately the scouts return,” Morgenstern replied. He turned his back and left, Schaefer at his heels.
Regina’s gaze followed them and then she turned to Jaeger.
“There’s a lot he’s not telling.”
“You think?” Jaeger replied.
Regina ignored his sarcasm. “Meyer warned us about people not being happy with your Emperor. Morgenstern was in charge of the Hussars and was criminally late in his reactions.” Regina counted the points on her hand as she talked.
“What’s more, Morgenstern could barely string a sentence together that morning in the village square. And not, I think, because of extracurricular activities the previous night.” Jaeger frowned.
“Then there’s Schaefer’s role. She knew everything from the beginning: she’s Baroness Orsy’s sister; she’s sleeping with Morgenstern.”
“I think Schaefer is at the center. She’s the one to talk to, but I don’t think she’ll confess anything to us.” Jaeger paused, seeing the question in Regina’s eyes. “I know Morgenstern. He’s loyal to the Empire and the Emperor. He will be bound by his sense of duty. It’s what we’ve been told since we were old enough to understand speech, and since we entered the War School. Morgenstern is loyal and faithful and stupid enough to be seduced by Schaefer. He’s not clever in politics. Never was, and from what I see never will be, for the rest of his short life. I can’t see him involved, at least not from the beginning, and certainly not knowingly. Schaefer, however, is Baron Schaefer’s daughter and will be Baroness Schaefer in his place one day. And sister-in-law to Baron Orsy. These three are connected in this. I'm not aware what Orsy’s political position is currently. He used to be a loyal Eressian; but after the war, it's anyone’s guess.”
“One thing’s for sure,” Regina said, trying to make sense of Eressian politics. “Whatever happened with the Black Fox wasn’t in the plan. All our players, including Meyer and Schaefer, were caught by surprise, and all of them are desperately trying to get the princesses back.”
Jaeger remained silent for a moment.
“I think you’re half-right. There were people who expected an attack. Just not from the Black Fox.”
Regina nodded thoughtfully. “This is getting deeper and deeper and I fear that we’ll be the ones stuck holding the bucket in the end.”
“I promise you this, Fitzwaters,” Jaeger said in a low voice. “If we go down, we’re sharing the bucket, liberally.”
Further down the camp, Briggs had made certain that everything had been checked and the team was ready to go. He leaned against a tree, took out his pipe and the pouch with the shredded herb and started filling it. Summers followed suit, and Kyfer, Peeter and a few other Hussars joined them. Meanwhile, trees only a few feet away were barely visible.
“Looks like the Rain Maiden and the Fire King are at it again,” Jackson commented, smiling wryly. Eleven and Summers laughed.
“That would explain it,” Eleven said, mischief in her eyes, “though why the Rain Maiden is still called a maiden is beyond me.”
“I guess they have to call her something,” Summers said. Amanates was listening to the conversation with interest.
“There’s an old story that the mist is made when the Rain Maiden and the Fire King make love, her being water and him fire,” Eleven explained to him.
“We have a similar story,” Amanates said, rubbing his hands together. “They say that Rain Woman fell in love with Fire Man and he with her. But because of their nature they seldom come together. When they do, the mist is born of their union.”
“People are the same everywhere,” Kyfer commented, letting out a puff of smoke that mixed with the fog. “Falling in love with those they shouldn’t. We’ve got stories about the Summer Queen and the Winter King. They love each other passionately but quarrel often.”
“Stop telling children’s stories and do something useful,” the cold voice of Morgenstern said. He appeared like a wraith out of the mist. “Go and find bearings we can use to navigate, tracks of the outlaws or any sign of a road.”
The soldiers and mercenaries scattered, looking for things they wouldn’t find in the thick mist.
Regina stood at the edge of the camp. She noticed a spider's web glistening with droplets. In the mist there seemed to be a shape. Regina narrowed her eyes to see better but the mist was impenetrable. The shape was vaguely human and for a moment Regina was alarmed in case it was one of the robbers. The slender figure had something feminine about it, a mane of long hair hanging around its head. Its hand moved slowly, lifting upwards and pointing to the left. Regina crossed the distance between them in large strides, her hand on the hilt of her sword. As she approached, Regina realized the figure was a young sapling, its hair moss hanging from its branches. On impulse she took a few steps in the direction the branch had pointed. With a shiver of surprise she saw the faint outline of a road. Beyond all reason she was certain that was the way the robbers had taken.
23 MAIMING RAID
IN the evening, sitting next to the fire and wrapped in a dirty smelly blanket, Rosamynd was unashamedly weeping. Emilia held her hand, trying to console her while trying to hold back her own tears. The two gentlewomen were not used to this kind of traveling. Though both were fine horsewomen, this was not a palace hunt where they rode sidesaddle and stopped whenever they wanted refreshments and rest. They had saddle sores from being made to ride astride for many hours, and blisters on their hands from the reins.
Charlie wandered back to the fire carrying two bowls of stew. Rosamynd shook her head. Charlie offered it again.
“You need to keep up your strength,” she said. “And it’s piping hot to warm you up.”
“It’s beans again,” Emilia complained. “Beans give me gas.”
Charlie gave her a surprised look. The woman had upheld the pretense of propriety up to now. This was a sign of how dispirited they were.
“We need to keep our strength up, until the soldiers find us,” Charlie said. Rosamynd wiped her eyes on the back of her hand and started eating her stew. Charlie thought it must be difficult for anyone not used to traveling in such a manner, much more when they had no choice. She was used to hard work and difficult circumstances even before she’d joined the outlaws. She’d still spent nights silently cursing the blisters, the sores, and the myriad ailments that plagued travelers. After drinking from a brook without boiling the water and having a rough night emptying her bowels, she swore she would learn everything she needed to stay alive in the wild. Jack had helped. Jack had been her friend, had helped her escape from General Kruger’s house. He’d been with her until the day he had died. Charlie felt a tug at the thought. She hadn’t thought of Jack in such a long time. She decided to busy herself with something else.
“How are your hands?” she asked.
“Full of blisters,” Rosamynd muttered.
“Show me.”
Rosamynd opened her hands.
“Give me one of your hairpins,” Charlie said. Rosamynd pulled one out from her hair and handed it to Charlie. Charlie put the tip in the fire until it glowed red. Emilia watched with interest. Charlie proceeded to pierce the blisters with the hairpin and let the liquid out, under Emilia’s watchful eye. When she was finished Emilia held out her hands. As Charlie was holding the hairpin over the fire again, there was movement around the camp.
“What’s going on?” Emilia asked hopefully.
“I don’t know,” Charlie answered. “Let’s finish this and I’ll find out.”
When Charlie came back from her round of the camp, she looked worried.
“They’re planning an attack on the soldiers,” she whispered.
Emilia’s eyes opened wide. “They told you?” she gasped.
“No. I know the signs. I’ve seen them before. They’re going to attack the camp between the change of the watches.”
Rosamynd covered her mouth with her hand in horror, but Emilia didn’t look as worried as Charlie expected.
“I’m sure the Hussars and the Merchant Blades will be more than able to repel a cowardly attack from these ruffians,” Emilia said.
“It’s a maiming raid,” Charlie said. Both women looked at her blankly.
“They attack with the intent of wounding as many of their pursuers as they can. They don't want to kill.”
“Why?” Rosamynd asked.
“If they kill half of them, the other half will be on their tails, thirsty for vengeance. After a maiming raid, the enemy has to tend the injured. Slows them down, ties up people to stay with the wounded.”
“If they attack the Hussar camp, there will be fewer of them here,” Emilia said, biting her lower lip thoughtfully.
“Don’t even think about it,” Charlie said. “If we stay put, the soldiers will catch up with us, or the highwaymen will sell us to the hostage merchants in Pella or Korthi. If we leave, we’ll be lost in the forest in this weather and no one will find us, or our bones. There are worse things out there than these men. If you know what’s good for us all, stay where you are.”
Emilia said nothing.
“You know a lot about military tactics,” Rosamynd said, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. It was Charlie’s turn to say nothing.
Regina was in the middle of a dream, a dream of dragons with multicolored feathers, when the alarm was roused. She jumped out of her tent, sword in hand, the dream fading. Reality quickly set in: Jaeger was charging forwards, clashing steel on steel with a masked man. Regina took the situation in quickly, looking for the rest of the Merchant Blades.
It seemed to Regina that the outlaws were determined to inflict maximum damage with minimum risk to themselves. They started the attack by overcoming the sentries in stealth and then using swords and bayonets. One of the outlaws thrust his sword at Regina, but she parried. She pushed forward, parried again, then dealt a slash that cleaved her opponent’s jaw in half. Regina turned to avoid another man coming at her with a bayonet, and inflicted a deep slash on his thigh. He fell. She spotted someone coming at Briggs from behind, as Briggs was fending off another outlaw. She crossed the distance in a leap, slashing her sword into the man’s left shoulder as she landed. He turned to her, eyes wide with anger and pain. Regina twisted her blade, and pulled it out, blood gushing from the wound. Another man, seeing his friend’s slaughter, ran, sword high in the air, at her. He was leaving his chest exposed. An easy target for the experienced captain.
