“Do you want to know where Geoffrey is, Fierell?”
“I heard that he was dead, lady Nanda.” She smiled.
“Drowned?” I turned to slice the sword arm from a guarde preparing to cut me on the left. I whirled both blades at him and brought them back to guard Fierell. She raised her sword to meet mine. Her blade was cut with a dozen glinting teeth down one side.
“No, he’s fine Fierell. Though he is a bit distressed at Tgeha’s uprising. The reports he’s getting of Tgeha’s power are impressive.”
“Tgeha doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
I watched as a few of the guarde defending her back overheard Fierell’s words.
“He’s not responsible for this? I thought he wanted the rule.”
“He’ll rule the day his father returns to Kahago. Geoffrey is dead. I am the rightful queen and I will rule Kaveg.”
Her back was suddenly less protected. Three black leather adorned men waded out of the battle.
I spoke louder to compensate for the noise around us. “So your puppy, Arinaud simply convinced Tgeha to march against Voferen Kahago on your orders?”
“And my guarde began the fray, not Kahago’s. Yes. And yes, my Arinaud torched your bond’s dear parents and their friends, not the dragon as I’m sure you’ve figured out. Tell me,” she turned her blade gently in the air, “what happened to the baby, my dear? Lose it?”
I twisted my shock into a smile. “You mean your grand-niece, the next queen? She’s safely inside the castle. Geoffrey is not without his own talents.” I turned the conversation back to my purposes, “You killed your sister?”
“And my aunt, and my little brother. My mother died naturally damn her. Is that enough? Are you angry enough to fight me now?”
“Are you strong enough to fight me without using nature?”
“Why should I?”
I took a chance, “Because you’re too tired to play sorceress all night old lady. You know you haven’t got a chance against me in a fair fight.”
She chuckled, “My dear...”
I attacked, praying that her talent required some forethought or preparation.
She met my feinted leg cut easily with her blade and blocked my accompanying stab at her gut by grabbing the second sword with her chainmail gloved hand. She tried to pull the blade from my grip, but I pushed forward into her pull and kneed her in the crotch as I fell against her body. She shoved me off and cuffed the back of my skull with her gloved hand. I just managed to block her lowline cut which I saw out of the corner of the colorful and sparkly haze in front of my eyes.
I heard Tren yell ‘duck’ and instinctively followed the order not knowing if she was speaking to me. When my head cleared, I saw I was surrounded by legs. I stepped forward in my low crouch and stuck my left blade behind Fierell’s legs. I had an idea to throw her balance with an easy to parry stab at her gut which would move her back toward my lower blade. But when I looked up to aim I saw her serrated sword coming straight down at my bent back. I fell and rolled sideways.
Arinaud took a stab at me on the ground but his attack was easy to avoid. I tried to fling his blade up into Fierell as I parried it and rolled to my feet. I think it missed, but my attention was diverted from Fierell as Arinaud took up the fight. She suddenly had a few of Tgeha’s newly enlightened guarde to keep her busy.
Arinaud’s bloody smile soon filled my tunneling vision. I squinted, trying to widen my view and caught his blade at the last possible instant to divert it from my throat. It sliced a chink out of my cheek and while he rotated the blade over his head, blocking Wolf’s attack with his gloved hand, I saw my opening.
His armor had been sliced directly across the breast. My ears had begun ringing when Fierell hit me, now all sound drained away and I felt the world slow around me. As if underwater, I watched as I brought up my sword and dragged it across his chest, deepening the earlier cut in the leather. I saw his slice coming from a mile away and ducked under the arc of his sword. In the instant his arms were spread wide I drove Geoffrey’s blade through the weakened armor and straight into Arinaud’s black heart.
His smile disappeared and his sword flew from his grasp into the swarm of bleeding, fighting bodies. He fell to his knees before me, blinked, and died.
Sound and speed flooded back at me. The battle raged on. Blood flowed from the deep stinging cut on my cheek. My head throbbed. I stood to rejoin the fight, shaking my head to put the confusion in order and heard my name called by an unexpected voice. I turned to see Geoffrey in battle with one of Arinaud’s men. He was looking at me intensely and a bright wave came towards me from his body. I barely understood his words in time.
He was screaming, “Fierell!”
I turned to find the steel of her dagger at my chest. A wave of full body nausea passed through me as I dropped my sword and grabbed Fierell’s hand on her dudgeon with both of mine. Contracting my chest away from the point, I fell backwards over Arinaud. Fierell followed me down, pulled by her momentum and I kicked up and flipped her over me keeping hold of the dagger. I rolled sideways off of Arinaud and crouched in a guard against Fierell, flipping the weapon around to face her. But she was gone. I started, looking frantically in every direction but she was nowhere.
“Where did she go?!”
Then I realized what else was missing and I looked up again to where I had seen Geoffrey. He was not there. A uniformed guarde stood with his sword in a head parry, staring before him in amazement at no one. He was killed from behind as I watched by a stray slice from another guarde.
I shivered and a sudden terrifying chill ran through my bones. A head parry…
“Nanda!” Toss shook me where I crouched, my bloody hands hanging before me like a surgeon.
Something had happened when I grabbed Fierell and the skin had been burned from my palms where I touched her. I looked from them to the small hole between my breasts that leaked red down my undershirt. With Toss' help I stood and tilted my head up to grab a deep breath. I inhaled dirt and heat and fear.
Wyckham grabbed my arm to keep me up and shot a worried glance at Toss when she saw my hands. “Where’s Wolf?”
“He and Raum went after Fierell. We have to get the lady out of here.”
“Tgeha. We have to get to Tgeha.” I coughed out. “Arinaud lied to him. Is that rain?” I tilted my head back and greedily drank the drops that landed in my mouth.
Stiles took the bandanna from his head, soaked from the unexpected downpour, and wrapped one of my hands in it. “It’s Annie. She put out the fire and now she’s spitting water over us. Can’t figure out why.”
“Let’s get going, runner. Lead the way.” I physically turned him away from the fight.
Tren helped Krt finish off his opponent and met us on the periphery of the battle. I noticed more than a couple guarde milling about the periphery as well, arguing. None of them bothered us as we passed and most of them kept shooting glances up at Annie.
It didn’t take us very long to get to the circle of Stray Tor guarde protecting Geoffrey’s childhood friend, Tgeha, but once we started moving into the battle again Toss and Krt got caught up in a fight protecting our rear and we left them behind. We joined a group of villagers from Weary fighting Tgeha’s guarde but I pulled Stiles back and sent him running to find dTella. I told him to take her and a protective force to the cliffs northeast of the castle where she could speak with the dragon. He looked at me in surprise.
“She knows the dragon’s language and I think she’s bright enough to know how Annie can help. Go!”
When he left, I added my fists and my voice to the fight. Every time I got a guarde into my grasp, I screamed in their ear that I had message for Tgeha from Geoffrey and then shoved them back into the circle. It didn’t take long to realize that being unarmed was a serious impediment in a war. Tren flanked me and pushed me over to a spot on the other side of the circle where it looked like progress was being made in breaking through. She pulled me and another woman into
a crouch. The other woman smiled grimly and offered her hand.
As is local custom, I placed my hand, palm up below hers to show respect and an empty hand. I should have pressed my open hand up on the back of hers, but that would have hurt, a lot. I watched her green eyes blink in surprise as she took in the condition of my palm. Her jaw dropped minutely but then she raised her head on her long neck, closed her thin lips, and gently moved her hand to hover below my palm, outbidding my respect for her as it were. Embarrassed, I shrugged off the gesture, nodded at the woman in greeting and looked to Tren for introductions.
“Nanda, Kierri, you two get into the circle when we break it. You’ll have to cover her back, Kierri and we’ll cause as much distraction as we can. Just get Tgeha to see that dragon putting out the fires. Convince him.”
We got into the circle. I was nearly catapulted in by the pressure of our forces and I stumbled past Tgeha’s personal guarde to find myself facing an angry man with long raven hair pulled back into a cue lying low on his long neck. He had green eyes with a nasty crease between them. I looked up into his face and felt as though I’d already met him.
I held my empty hands up, “I’m Nanda. I have information from Geoffrey and of Arinaud, Tgeha’s second commandt.”
He looked over me. My dragon-blood stained hair was coming out of its two tight braids around my chipped face, my blood drying in rivulets down my cheek. He looked at my fleshless hands and down at my formerly white undergarments with the hole in the chest. I dare say he might have killed me on the spot if I hadn’t looked so completely harmless. I feared for my protector, Kierri in her leather armor with a short staff, covered with knives, and wearing a protective helmet.
But she dropped her staff and slipped off the helmet, shaking out her short raven hair. She smiled at the man from where his guarde held her, “Hi Tgeha. I’m Zera’s daughter, Kierri.”
Something deep and old shifted in his psyche. I watched it. His face showed every thought. With Kierri’s help I explained everything I knew. I told him about Arinaud’s collusion with Fierell. I told him how the successive deaths in Geoffrey’s family could be traced to her. I told him about Forte. I told him about Annie. I turned and pointed to the sky suggesting he judge for himself how vicious the dragon was.
As soon as I turned away, I was knocked forward by the force of blood exploding onto me. I caught myself from falling and turned to see the guarde backing Tgeha had blown to bits. A cloaked figure stood behind them, raising her steel gloved hand to do the same to Tgeha. I leaped at the lord of Stray Tor to protect him, but before I reached the man, the figure’s arm dropped and the body crumpled to the ground. Eight variously shaped blades were buried in her back. Kierri flipped the hood back and revealed Fierell’s face frozen in a horrid, twisted deathmask.
“Nanda, Kierri, Tgeha, are you hurt?” Girard appeared out of the crowd with two more bladed stars ready in his hands. He looked down briefly at Fierell’s body and dismissed her. The weapons he flipped and slid back into hidden recesses in his clothing. “Your mother’s favorite weapon, right Kierri?”
Peace was quickly negotiated. Runners from Tgeha’s wings spread through the battle, arresting bloodshed and Fierell’s guarde. Stiles took off to alert the villagers. The killing ended before the sun finished rising from the lake. The instant Fierell was killed her spell was lifted from the gates and the citizens of Kahago poured out of the city to join the battle. Many had to be forcibly restrained while they were convinced that a peace had been reached. They channeled their fighting energy into the dirty work of cleaning up the war zone.
Tgeha with Kierri and Girard took charge of the cleanup. The burnt woods in the west have been chosen as an appropriate burial site as most Kavegans prefer to be cremated after death and the bodies are being cleaned up and transported there for identification. Throughout the day I, like everyone else, have found some excuse to return to the westwoods to search through the bodies. I haven’t found Geoffrey. I guess it’s foolish to think I would be the first to recognize him.
All the healers were gathered and a hospital was set up in the Voferen Kahago guarde barracks. I’ve spent the day distributing food, water, and medical supplies from dragonback. We removed piles of waste and weapons from the main battle site, but Annie became too distressed when I tried to have her transport a few bodies and she doesn’t have the dexterity to move wounded. Now, we’ve stopped for some food and a rest. I distributed the supplies that Geoffrey and I packed onto Annie before we left the Dormounts so to feed us she’s gone fishing, displaying yet another unexpected skill.
Twenty-eight
∞ Edling Geoffrey of Kaveg’s journal ∞
November 17
Denver, CO America
It’s cold out. I’m wearing the jeans Sensei gave me before we left Chicago with the long sleeve waffle-cut shirt Murphy gave me when I started working at the bar. Neither is keeping me warm. I’ve wrapped myself up in the ratty blanket Nanda curled up in alone every night until last month. And still I’m freezing. I’m lying here alone on the bed in our tiny apartment, reviewing everything I could have done to make it all turn out differently. He’s right. It was my fault.
I left Nanda on the coast of Voferen Kahago, hoping that she would have the sense to get back on Annie and fly away with her. Running through the woods with Donja I was surprised at how easily I found the trail into the underground treepath that Mobious had led me through on my last day in Voferen Kahago. It was tight and I had to duck my head through most of the length. Also, I had no torch and had to pick my way carefully through the roots. By the time I reached the lower eastwing alcove, my eyes had become accustomed to the dark and I found my way out of the basements and up through the halls with little trouble. I passed rooms filled with old friends and tutors. I shouted for Mobious and ran toward the family wing with Donja huddled to my chest.
I was stopped in the hallway along the southern balcony by my logic tutor. Demo sent the household staff off to bring Mobious to me. He asked me about the battle outside and I told him what little I could. He explained to me that no one inside the walls was able to help because each time anyone touched a wall or gate or door, they were burned. Some spell had been cast over the entire shale. Mobious himself was off trying to figure some way around the problem.
I sent Demo to round up the shorter members of the available guarde and others willing to fight. I could lead them out the way I had come in.
A very short time passed between his departure and Mobious’ arrival, but it was time enough for me to be mobbed by old friends asking if the baby in my arms was mine.
I told them no. I didn’t know I was lying.
Aneke showed up at my elbow with a small blanket and helped me extract Donja from the skirt-carrier. “She’s beautiful.”
“She’s so young.” Mobious pushed through the crowd to my side.
“She was born only a few nights ago.” No need to share details just yet.
“Hatched?” Mobious spoke softly for my ears only. I had forgotten that he was dTelfur. But even so, how would he have known that Donja was?
“Yes.”
“I thought you would have longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“I ran into Demo. He’s taking your guarde straight to the lower eastwing. You’d best go meet them. It sounds like they could use some trained help out there.” He took Donja from Aneke and stared down into her curious eyes. “I’ll take good care of her and I will see you soon. Go. Nanda needs you.”
With no further discussion, I found myself running back out of the castle. I led about fifty men and women, shuffling, through the tight treepath and ran to join the battle where I found Fierell about to slaughter my love. I reached out a hand and told Nature to stretch the time between Nanda and Fierell. I called to warn her but I don’t know if she heard. When I turned away for a second to bring my sword down on the head of one of Arinaud’s men, I felt a shimmer and found myself bringing my sword down at Nanda. I fo
und myself here, in America.
While Donja hatched from her egg, Fierell was marching on Voferen Kahago. I was dead, she believed. Mobious had become unpopular. She had control of Tgeha’s wings through his second commandt, Arinaud. And she imagined that her tales of the dragon’s attacks and the lack of action from the encircleted blood, the lack of action from me, had stirred up enough unrest among my people.
But she was mistaken. While she was planning and plotting for her revenge on my grandam for placing my mother over her, I was meeting the people. I knew more about Kavegans than she did, towered away with her solipsism. Kavegans are fiercely independent people who know that the first responsibility for a good life lies within themselves and not the circlet. Whether they believed in the prophecy or not—and many mistakenly did after they met Nanda—they approved Mobious’ plan to send me off to become a man by my own wits. I hope that I have become a man they could be proud to have as their partner. I hope that I’ll get to see them again.
∞
This morning, Nanda and I took a picnic lunch out to the pavilion at Cheesman Park, not knowing what time Faite and Kelly were going to arrive. We began working out some choreography for Macbeth. She notated several possible versions of our ideas and we munched on the sandwiches from our basket. By four o’clock we decided he wasn’t going to show and we packed up the lunch and the weapons.
But Nanda had been so hoping that Faite and I would meet that day and I was so hoping that Kelly was really coming back. So we pulled out our rapiers and delayed our departure by sparring down on the grassy hills of the park, cleared again of snow despite the unseasonable storm earlier in the month that had caused Kelly such glee.
Nanda attacked low to my left leg and when I parried it with my point too low, she leapt past me and changed her aim for my lower back. I, of course, turned and beat her blade away. But as she danced back I realized that she had achieved her purpose. The low evening sun was now shining in my eyes.
Geoffrey's Queen: A Mobious' Quest Novel Page 28
