Clearing the Web

by Cary J Lenehan

  “Yes,” said Theodora. “You really do not realise how much what you are about to do means to many of the women here. They have a right to see you ask.” Nikephorus is looking at the circle of expectant faces before him and swallowing. He looks very nervous now. This is something that is far beyond his experience. He moved forward, and bowed, elegantly, to the Princesses and, moving past them so they had to turn to see, he knelt before Valeria.

  “My beloved lady, from the moment that you left Ardlark, my life has been barren and desolate and as if it were ashes. My heart was empty, food has had no flavour and nothing I have seen or done has given me any joy. I ask you, in your benevolence, to grant me the boon of life again and bring spring into the winter of my existence by agreeing to be my wife.”

  He has been working on that and has it memorised. He is looking up at Valeria and she is just blushing. She is lost…there is silence. Oh hell, someone has to… She moved up and nudged Valeria. “Say something, anything, but say something.”

  “I will,” Well, that came out more as a squeak than anything else. It seems popular though; we have general cheering and ululation and a hug from him.

  “Christopher,” said Theodora, “take them aside and make arrangements.”

  Christopher

  I had better be honest with them about what Theodule and I have found out. He turned to Valeria. “Before you go any further, did you know that you are with child?”

  Well, at least Nikephorus looks delighted and Valeria is blushing again. “I didn’t know. It must be yours. You are the only man I have had since we were freed.”

  Basil

  Basil went to see Candidas where he was working unloading the carts. “Greetings, Tribune,” he said. “Have you come to give me a hand with some honest work?”

  “I try and avoid such, but I will if I must.” Basil grinned. “Do you have anything to report to me?”

  “Nothing serious from the Strategos, except that he was pleased with the visit, and that his superior seems to be very pleased.” Basil nodded. “However, I had an interesting conversation in Nameless Keep. A man came up to me and asked if it was true that I was coming here.”

  “I confirmed I was and he said that he was thinking of trading in this direction, and that he was willing to pay for information about the village. I pretended to be interested and took him for far too much money for such information. He paid so much that he cannot be an honest trader. Let me know what to say, and I will go back and sell it to him for even more before getting someone to keep a very close eye on him and his friends.”

  “I will talk with the Princesses, and we will let you know what we want them to think. It will probably be something that points in totally the wrong direction to where we intend to strike next. Is there anything else?”

  “On a personal note, do you mind if I lay court to my boss’ daughter?” Well, that was a surprise. “I get on well with her, she is wealthy, and is going to be even more so, she is good looking, in fact she is really quite a catch, and I am probably going to be on this run for the rest of my life and she could be as well.

  “If that is the case, then I would prefer to have someone to keep warm with than to be lonely the whole time like Karas and have to pay for companionship, or with a wife at one end of a long trip like Festus and Carausius. You are combining your job and your pleasure. Why cannot I do the same? Maybe my children can report to yours in the future.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way but go ahead. How do you think she feels?”

  “I drive one cart, she drives the other. At night, we talk about all sorts of things…at present, that is all. Her father is there the whole time, what more can we do? Having some time off together here will be my first chance to be alone with her on the trip, and probably my last. I guess that I had better soon find out her opinion.”

  Astrid

  Astrid took Theodora Lígo in hand, and started showing her the village, and what was being done there, and what they hoped to produce and what they needed. Most of all she wants to know what I know of her father’s man, Candidas. “I think that it would be better if we asked my husband about him,” See, I can be diplomatic.

  Well, it seems that Ayesha already has Rabi’ah, Yumn and Zafirah installed in the spare workshop-residences that are still left vacant. They will have to sleep in the barracks for the present, but the workshop will need to be made liveable. More sheep’s intestines stretched over timber frames to fill empty gaps as windows, and more outside doors to be hastily made. At least the only suitable building has a good roof already.

  Chapter LVII

  Goditha

  30th December

  Theodora may be announcing the wedding, and Nikephorus may be keeping a straight face, but Valeria has a big grin on her face and is making a gesture indicating what she wants to do tonight.

  Now Fortunata has grabbed Valeria and that is the dress being organised, and Nikephorus is left standing with nothing to do and looking around. Goditha nudged her brother. He agrees. They started forward.

  “Cometh, thou. Alloweth me to go and change. I am not going to be gettin’ any more work done today, and Robin isn’t busy anyway. I think it is time that we got thee to relax a bit. We are going to give thee thy bachelor send-off. I thinkest that I know where Aine has a crock or two of ale that she won’t be mindin’ us broachin’ before thy wedding. We can gather the other men and thee can get to know them.”

  Nikephorus is spluttering. I can see from his eyes that he knows me a woman despite my close-cropped hair, me being just wearing kilt and apron, and is wondering what to say.

  “No protests. Thou hast been dismissed for the day. See, Ayesha is already in thy place. She may not be as good as thee are, but she and Basil were a lookin’ after them afore they came here and Ayesha knows what to do as she is a Princess herself…sort of, anyway.” She headed off to put some clothes on instead of her work kilt and apron, and was soon back to them in shoes, a pair of hose and a jerkin.

  Robin and Nikephorus are chatting out on the veranda and the other men are starting to gather as well. They all have the same idea that I do. Nikephorus looks from one to the other of us. I dress the same, and we look alike, except for my tits. He will learn that from afar, I am the one with the sword, and Robin has a bow or just a dagger otherwise.

  “Sister,” said Robin, “thou didst promise us beer. Where is it?” Goditha led them off.

  Nikephorus

  She is a very good-looking woman, despite the lack of hair on her head. She is married to a girl, and she acts like a man, but she is a good host. The other men accept her as one of them and I am really going to have to work hard to stay sober tonight.

  I may have heard of the Imperial wedding, but I didn’t work at it and I may not be prepared for what is happening to me. I expected the priests, but that is about where it ends. My bride being given away by a woman from Haven, and that woman, her employer is a bit of a shock.

  The bridal gift has left me floored. Obviously, the Empress got one and my bride told me that she was wealthy, but I was thinking on a lower level than what is becoming apparent. Now Khitan dances and then a Caliphate dance, with a Princess of the Blood taking part in it. I had heard the shocked reports about that.

  At least I am able to show my skill with the dances that my wife enjoys, and now it seems that if my wife wants a rest, someone else will have me up. I am not sure how the other men will like it, but it seems that I have promised the women to teach the other men how to dance better. At least I am not the only one with skills. I didn’t know that young Yumn could play the oud.

  Basil

  32nd December

  After a day’s rest, and now finally having seen a village wedding at home, we can send Carausius back to Darkreach with new orders for goods and a whole new satchel of letters. It seems that we have four new residents.

&nb
sp; Candidas has a whole batch of rumours to be sent out into the world that will hopefully send the Masters setting the wrong defences, and Theodora Lígo has some encouragement about her prospective suitor from my wife. They even spent most of last night talking and dancing together, even if they did sleep apart.

  I think it best that all we passed on was that we believed that he was a good prospect with honourable intentions and an intention of staying with her or her father for the long haul. The rest Candidas will have to tell her himself if anything comes of it. As I said: ‘Despite what you may think, Puss, we are supposed to be a largely secret police force after all.’ I don’t think that my wife believes me on that.

  Rani

  With the trader gone, it is time to sit down with a wax tablet and return to thinking about the combat that is coming, the dragon. If we do not succeed at this, then everything else is futile. The key to it lies in how well we use the saddles.

  We have more than enough riders for them. Not all are great with them, but we have my wife and I, as well as Astrid, Hulagu, Kãhina, Anahita, Valeria, Ayesha, Bianca, Basil, Bilqĩs, Bryony, Stefan, Verily, Lãdi, Naeve, Sajãh, Lakshmi, Robin, Elizabeth, Umm, Aine, and Hagar who are all good enough at riding them. Many of them cannot handle weapons well enough, though.

  I need to keep the mages here as a reserve, and that includes the apprentices, so that we can draw on their mana if need be. That still leaves three hands of riders and an upset Hulagu. Can he accept staying back as a mage? He will have to.

  Stefan is the worst of those at riding, but the best with a sword, so if he is going to use the sword ‘Wrath’, then he has to be in a saddle and Astrid will just have to make him better at riding.

  Hagar can ride well enough, but she can scarce use a weapon at all, although anyone can use a wand. What if it comes down to more physical combat? It is likely. Aine can at least use a bow and sword, but Umm, one of the most skilled riders, is no better than Hagar with weapons. The same applies to Sajãh. Elizabeth is skilled at throwing things; perhaps she can use the molotails. Robin can use a foot bow very well, but the best that can be said was that he is getting better with using a Khitan bow from the saddle, with the arrow on the other side. Ruth is only just able to be considered on the riding list, like Stefan, but she is used to throwing a javelin, so she has to be considered for using molotails.

  Lakshmi is a superb rider, but I am not about to allow someone who really can only use daggers as weapons to take on the dragon. After her wands are exhausted, she is likely to try and prove herself by jumping on to the beast’s back and attacking it. Verily is just the same, so she is also out.

  Bianca can at least use a sling, and we have a good supply of magic bullets for that weapon, and Christopher and Theodule can easily make more. Valeria cannot use a horse bow well, but she can use one. Lãdi can use a sling, she is another who can go. If I count Bryony, who has mastered horse bow quicker than Robin, even if he is by far the better archer on foot.

  That still leaves me too many choices. Perhaps I should just keep the ten in mind and see what happens on the day. She sighed.

  Chapter LVIII

  Hulagu

  1st Undecim

  The morning has begun in as normal a fashion as any other begins in Mousehole. That is good. Hulagu left for the lookout before dawn on a saddle with his breakfast in his saddlebags and Bianca and Bilqĩs, who had handled the second of the night watches on the roof, started to hand over to Goditha, who had the first day watch.

  The Mice had learnt some lessons from when they first took over the village, and one was, that two people had to take duty there at night to keep a watch out for each other. However, they had also decided that only one person was needed on the roof during the day, and they were there mainly to act as a relay point from the outside lookout, and to keep a watch around the mountains and the cliffs behind the village.

  Hulagu

  It is important to make all of the checks. Before going to the gate, I need to check the borders of the lower valley, in the pre-dawn light, using the magic detection wand as much as my sight.

  I have a clear sky above me and, although Terror is only the faintest sliver waxing as it sets on the western horizon, Panic is a trifle higher, much fuller and lends more light. With the last of the stars glimmering faintly, the lack of clouds means that there is plenty of light as the east grows white behind the peaks.

  He moved to the gate, was let out and went, slowly and cautiously, up to the lookout. Time to report. “I am here. There is nothing to be seen, and I am about to start using the wands and the telescope.”

  Goditha

  He takes it so seriously. Hurry up, and let Bianca and Bilqĩs go to bed after their watch. The custom of waiting until the lookout gives the all clear makes sense, but he is always so slow.

  The cliffs and the fields grow clearer in the growing light. It promises to be a fine day. I can clearly see the yards, and now the gardens, the archery butts…finally the fields and the mine entrance come into sharp focus. The far mountains are lit up, the gold on their tips slowly spreading down their slopes.

  Hulagu

  Before landing, I check the immediate area around the lookout, first with my eyes from out of bow shot, and then with the magic detection rod. I report, and land and then start to do the same to the whole area around me. There is nothing to be seen or detected, the same as it is on almost every morning but, when you have enemies, getting sloppy is likely to get you killed and I have no intention of making that mistake.

  He reported again. Now I check further afield. Eventually, I look right out to the horizon to look for any smoke. As is becoming fairly common, there is a faint smudge of smoke to be seen from the direction of Dwarvenholme. It is visible only with the direct light of the growing sun behind it. Am I happy? Yes. Time to report, and let last night’s watch go to bed while I settle in for another watch.

  I keep my eyes on anything close by, use the telescope regularly, particularly in the direction of the dragon’s lair, and then use the magic detector over the whole area. I try to make sure that the order that I look at things is different each time, in case someone is watching for patterns, but that is often hard.

  The smell of kaf from the warm sealed pot rose into his nostrils as he opened it. I never had it to drink before coming to Mousehole, but now it means mornings to me.

  Bianca

  Before bed, we each have sunrise services, the first for me and the second in the day for the Muslims. The new girls have quickly gotten used to a female voice calling them to prayer, and my husband always waits until Ayesha has finished with her prayers before calling for the Orthros service.

  He has said that he is sure that God would understand that it is better to get on with your neighbours rather than fight them, and besides, this way many come straight from prayers to sermon. How many priests can say that? It shocked all of the new arrivals.

  It seems that more attention is paid to religion, any religion, in Mousehole than they were used to in their normal lives. Most non-Muslims outside the valley are content, at most, to attend something weekly. In Mousehole, most of the Christians manage at least two services each day and sometimes more.

  Unless they are unable to do so due to their work, the Muslims have their six prayers, and even our pagans, who have no priests of their own, usually manage to come to at least one of Christopher’s a day, even when they still do their own private prayers.

  Christopher said that he thinks the more uncertain that your life is and the lower your own personal chance of survival, the more likely it is that you are going to pay attention to the one thing that could at least give you an afterlife and maybe even keep you alive longer in this one.

  Orthros is over, and the smell of breakfast is floating gently through the village from the communal kitchen and from people’s houses. Mothers can be heard dressing and feeding d
aughters for school, and some of the babies need changing or feeding and they are letting everyone know about it.

  Hulagu

  The sun is fully above the mountains to the east. Time for another check. There is a moving dot in the sky to the north-east. It is hard to pick up against the bulk of the Mountain of the Dragon behind it, but it is there.

  Bracing the telescope against a rock so that it would not shake and make it harder to see, Hulagu kept watching, checking to see if there was any sideways movement.

  No, it is coming straight for us. It is a hand of hands of thousands of paces away, and only the vast size of what is coming (it has to be the dragon) makes it visible at that distance. It is the same size to my eyes as a raven at, say, eighty paces. If it were in clear sky it would stand out easily, but only my keen sight lets me see it as a red fleck against the mountain backdrop behind.

  What do I do next? I know what Rani wants, with me inside the village, but she is used to battles of mass. I am more used to manoeuvre, and tactics that will work against the Zaan may work against a dragon. Tar-khan Siramon’s elephants cannot be stopped in a charge, but if you harass them from the flanks and rear, you can sometimes turn them from their objective, despite someone they respect giving orders to the great beast.

  I am outside now, and in a position to harass the dragon as it approaches. I have two wands and my arrows and my lance. It may be that I can distract it away from the village, and give the rest a chance to defeat it far enough away so that its fall need not destroy all we hold dear. That is, if we can defeat it.

  First, I will call in what I have seen, and then wait for Rani to call back before I fly off. Then I have to lay down everything that I do not need, the talker, the telescope and the magic detector, along with any food that I do not want immediately.