‘So the attack on your village wasn’t just a dispute between religos,’ I said. ‘It was part of a bigger war.’
‘That’s what we’re afraid of — a civil war across the entire country.’
A call from the house drew the man inside, leaving Tamlyn and me alone on the doorstep. He seemed as bewildered as I was.
‘You see them in your mind, too, don’t you?’ I asked.
‘The worst scenes from the Felan’s mosaics? Yes, a civil war would make them real.’
‘I was worried those scenes would happen in Erebis Felan,’ I told him. ‘The Circle of Elders certainly thought so. But after this news, I’m not so sure. Even with Lucien far across the sea, blood will flow in Athlane. Rivers of blood, just as those pictures showed.’
‘There won’t be a village where the religos don’t go looking for soldiers to die for them,’ said Tamlyn. ‘And if they refuse …’ He nodded towards the jumble of ash and smouldering timbers.
His words gripped me with a fear that threatened to squeeze the life from my body.
‘Every town, every village,’ I said desperately. ‘That means Haywode, too. They’ll take my father; they’ll burn our homes if the men refuse. We must get home to be with them.’
My fears would have to wait. The business of the hour was salvaging what we could from the wreckage of the house and helping its homeless occupants to settle in with neighbours. When this was done, Tamlyn was invited to share a tankard of ale with the men of the village. He left me among the women, as though I didn’t count, and I wasn’t very happy about it. When he returned, I was ready to tell him so.
‘Hold up, Silvermay,’ he said, when he saw the anger on my face. ‘I had questions to ask, but I didn’t want the men to guess why.’
‘What questions?’
‘About distances and directions. I have a good idea where we are now.’ He drew a map on the ground with the point of a stick. ‘Haywode is about here,’ he said, stabbing the stick into the dirt. ‘With luck, I can guide us there.’
I calmed down. ‘How long will it take?’ I asked.
‘Three days of walking, I’d guess, if we were able to use the roads. By the sound of things, though, the roads are patrolled by religos’ men looking for recruits. That will slow us down.’
The villagers urged us to stay with them, but when we insisted on leaving, they showed their gratitude by slipping what food they could spare into a sack that Tamlyn gratefully swung over his shoulder.
‘Do you have a weapon of any kind?’ he asked. ‘Even a rusty sword would be better than nothing.’
The men shook their heads.
‘Everything has been taken. Even the blade from my scythe,’ one man explained. ‘Anything that can be wielded on the battlefield.’
We set out in the early afternoon, hoping to travel twenty miles before sundown, but we were fooling ourselves. Roads scarred by wagon wheels and pot holes might not be the smoothest surface to walk on, but they were the straightest. Avoiding the patrols meant tramping across fields and through woods choked with fallen limbs and bracken that forced us into constant detours, meaning we walked three miles just to get two miles closer to our destination. By nightfall, we had managed only half the distance we’d hoped for.
It was a cool evening, but we couldn’t risk a fire. When we settled down to sleep on a bed of brittle leaves and without a blanket, it seemed silly to waste the warmth of each other’s body. Tamlyn gathered me close, pressing his chest against my back and folding his knees into the bend of my own. It was certainly warmer this way, but what meant more to me was the intimacy of our touch, almost like lovers.
We had not been alone like this since the wizards of Erebis Felan had worked their magic on him. Before then, I’d enjoyed girlish dreams that one day we might be husband and wife, but while he’d remained a Wyrdborn that was impossible. Now, though, he was one of the commonfolk. The idea wasn’t impossible any longer.
Don’t be silly, I scolded myself. You’re only sixteen. Too young to marry by the laws of Athlane. And yet, a doubtful voice asked inside my head: what will suddenly change about you on your birthday?
With the warmth of Tamlyn’s breath on the back of my neck, I slipped easily into sleep.
21
Through the Woods
I was still nestled against Tamlyn when the first rays of morning arrowed down through the trees. I turned, expecting to find him still asleep. Instead, his eyes stared back into mine. The feeling of closeness was suddenly too much for both of us and we rolled away, each sitting up to brush the leaves from our clothing. I could feel the blood hot under the skin of my cheeks and hoped he didn’t look my way. But of course he did and, to my surprise, he was blushing just as much.
‘I cannot decide,’ he said.
‘Decide what?’
‘Whether you are more beautiful awake or asleep.’
Only the gods knew how red my face must have been after that.
I tossed some leaves at him and stood up. ‘We have a long way to go today. We’d better make a start.’
We covered a lot of ground that day, after finding trails through the woods made by woodcutters and also by the deer and other animals that stayed as far from the road as they could. The following day was even better, and Tamlyn spoke of reaching Haywode by sundown of the day to come.
The only living souls we saw were the occasional farmers going about their work in the fields, old men all of them, just as in the first village. There was no sign of men on horseback hunting for recruits, but there were other men we hadn’t counted on, and late on that third day we came across them. Amid the dim light of the woods, it was difficult to see far ahead and we were among them before we realised they were there. We tried to run, and if Tamlyn had been alone he might have escaped, but my legs were no match for a man’s, especially when a couple of them were as quick as hares.
‘Well now, what have we here?’ said one of the men, once they had surrounded us.
Perhaps he was their leader. Or perhaps they had none.
‘A pair on the run from their religos, you can be sure of that,’ said another.
‘Just like us,’ added a third, making the rest snigger.
By then I had counted seven. They had a predatory look in their eyes and taunted us with the air of men who knew they had the upper hand simply by weight of numbers.
Tamlyn stood in the half-crouch of a warrior ready for battle, and if these men had captured us only a month before, a battle is what they’d have got for their trouble. His Wyrdborn strength would have throttled the first few he caught hold of and the rest would have run off like frightened dogs. But he wasn’t a Wyrdborn any more and, unarmed against men who each held a sword or a club spiked with nails, he could do nothing.
‘Who are you?’ I demanded.
‘We’ve told you already, my young pretty. Just like you, we’d rather not die fighting for some fool who dreams of being king. We’re sitting out the war in these woods, instead.’
And to survive, you prey on the villages left without men to defend them, I added silently.
‘Let’s see what they’ve got for us,’ said the boldest of the band.
Advancing into the circle formed by his comrades, he snatched the sack from Tamlyn’s hand. It was mostly empty by then, which didn’t please him.
‘That jerkin you’re wearing looks warmer than mine,’ he said. ‘Take it off.’
‘But it’s cold in the woods at night,’ I complained. ‘He needs it.’
They laughed at me, and when Tamlyn didn’t move to obey, the man tugged the jerkin up and over his head, daring him to resist.
‘Fine material,’ he commented. ‘You must be a wealthy man. Let’s have a look in the pockets.’
I knew there was nothing in Tamlyn’s pockets, but the humiliation was too much and he grabbed the man’s wrist to stop the search. Immediately, three others rushed in and seized Tamlyn by the arms. He thrashed around, but with two men on either side he
was overpowered. When he continued to struggle, one punched him hard in the belly, doubling him over and forcing a grunt of pain from his lips.
‘Leave him alone, you pigs,’ I shouted, and would have rushed in to help him if one of the three who’d stood back to watch hadn’t pulled me away and thrust me against a tree.
‘That mouth is for better things than name-calling,’ he sneered, and before I could turn my head away he’d pressed his lips against mine.
I pushed him off, but the others had seen him steal the kiss and cheered him on to try again. From the leer in their eyes, I guessed they were eager to have a go themselves.
Tamlyn had seen it all. He threw himself to one side, knocking over one of the men holding him and forcing the other to release his grip. He brought his free hand round hard into the jaw of the man who still had hold of his arm, causing him to cry out in pain and surprise. This brought the others rushing in and they pummelled my poor Tamlyn in the ribs and on the back of his head.
One rogue saw his opportunity. With his companions busy beating Tamlyn, he came at me, smacking his lips obscenely to show his intentions. He didn’t know I was Birdie Hawker’s daughter, though. He swaggered towards me as though I was a cowering rabbit too frightened to run. I waited, hitching up my dress a little around the knees to give me room, and when he was close enough I kicked him hard, right where my mother had told me to aim. He sank to his knees and filled the forest with a howl of agony that would have sent any wolves running for the hills.
His friends guessed instantly what had happened. It could well have made things worse for both Tamlyn and me, but instead they began to howl themselves, with laughter. When my victim fell onto his side, writhing in pain and cursing, they laughed all the more and, better still, forgot all about beating Tamlyn.
‘That’ll teach you,’ cried one, and he seemed to speak for the rest.
When finally the joke had run its course, they had lost interest in us as well.
‘Go on, off with you,’ the leader said. ‘You weren’t worth robbing in any case.’
We didn’t wait for a second invitation. With Tamlyn clutching at his ribs through the thin material of his undershirt, we hurried away into the trees, and kept up what pace we could until it grew dark.
‘I’m sorry, Silvermay,’ said Tamlyn once we’d flopped down on the leaves that would be our bed that night.
‘About what?’ I asked. ‘Those men? We were just unlucky to stumble into their camp.’
‘No, I mean that I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t protect you.’
‘You’re the one who’s hurt,’ I pointed out. ‘Did they break any ribs?’
‘No, just bruises, I think. But I feel ashamed of the way they mocked me.’
‘Easy to mock when it’s seven against one. That’s the way bullies like it, but if you take away their power they’re not so cocky.’
‘Like me,’ he said. ‘I bullied other boys like that when I was a Wyrdborn. Now I know how they must have felt.’
He lay down with his back to me. When I settled in behind him, as he had done for me in recent nights, he wriggled away, as though he wasn’t worthy of my touch. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but remembered what Ryall had told me — sometimes men needed to be left alone to work through their feelings. In Erebis Felan, I hadn’t listened. I didn’t make the mistake a second time.
I waited well into the night, until some instinct told me it was long enough.
‘Are you awake?’ I asked tentatively.
He didn’t answer, but stirred to show that he was.
The night was cold again and now Tamlyn had only his undershirt to keep him warm. I tried nestling close to him again and this time he didn’t object. Once my body had begun to warm his back, he said my name gently.
‘What is it?’ I asked.
‘If I’d suddenly had the Wyrdborn power again today, I would have killed every one of those men, especially those who tried to kiss you. I mean it. I could feel the urge in me.’ After a pause, he said, ‘Does that mean part of me is still Wyrdborn?’
‘No, Tamlyn. That’s human anger you’re feeling.’
‘Is that all it is — an ordinary human feeling? I suppose I must accept that I am one of the commonfolk now and as vulnerable as the rest of you against a gang like that.’
‘Do you regret submitting yourself to the Circle in Erebis Felan?’
‘No,’ he said immediately. ‘Being one of the commonfolk has brought me other things I value more,’ and, turning painfully to face me, he drew me close.
There’d been a wistfulness in his voice, as though he was daring me to guess what he was hinting at. But what if I spoke of our future together only for him to stay silent?
‘What things?’ I dared.
‘Oh, like this afternoon. It was worth all the humiliation to see you fight off that brute.’ He rolled onto his back and began to laugh. ‘I’ll remember that kick for as long as I live.’
I laughed with him. ‘My aim was just right, wasn’t it?’
This set him off even more and I joined in, putting my head on his chest, until he winced at the pain. We settled together in a more comfortable position and were still chuckling to ourselves when we fell asleep.
22
Homecoming
After our encounter with the brigands in the forest, we became more vigilant, even when far from any roads. Our progress became even slower and our food was gone now, too. Despite the wild mushrooms I found on the last morning, we were famished when finally we saw Haywode through the trees.
‘Wait,’ said Tamlyn, tugging me back by the sleeve before I could hurry into the open. ‘We haven’t come all this way to walk into a trap.’
‘A trap?’
‘Your own religo might be rounding up men like the rest. We should watch for a while to be sure of the welcome we’ll get.’
I had been imagining that welcome for days and it seemed cruel of Tamlyn to snatch away my joy like this. He was right, though. These were dangerous times. Wasn’t that why we had come home to Haywode?
‘At least no houses have been burned down,’ I said after letting my eye roam over the familiar scene for a few minutes. All the same, there was something different about the place and only when I put my mind to it was I able to pick out what I’d sensed without really knowing why. ‘That field of corn,’ I said, pointing. ‘It should have been harvested by now.’
‘They are short of manpower, then.’
I counted the bodies moving about between the buildings and the few we could see in the fields. ‘You’re right. Religo Norbett has been here and this time he took more than sacks of grain.’
Without realising, I had been looking for my father among the rest; there was no sign of him. My search had turned up something else, though.
‘Those boys,’ I said, pointing to two figures lounging on the grass beside the road. At this distance I couldn’t pick out who they were, but I knew why they were there. ‘They’re watching the road.’
‘For your religo, probably, in case he comes for even more men to be his soldiers. But he’s not there now, it seems. Come on.’ Tamlyn turned away to the left. ‘It’s best we stay hidden for as long as we can.’
He led me to the cornfield I’d just pointed to. With the head-high stalks shielding us, we slipped between the rows until we were almost among the houses. This was very different from my homecoming many months ago, when Tamlyn and I had brought Ryall all the way from the north of Athlane in the hope my mother could save his life. She had saved him, and now I must tell her that he had died in the sea. And what would I tell her of Lucien?
With so few people around, no one noticed us when we stepped out from the cornfield. We rounded a corner that I had crawled and waddled and walked around a thousand times while I was growing up — and there was Birdie. She had her back to us as she split wood for the fire. That was strange — chopping wood was my father’s job. Immediately a fear rose in me that Ossin might already lie dead on
a battlefield somewhere.
Just then my mother turned. ‘Silvermay!’
She ran towards me, and I towards her. It was a wonder we didn’t knock the wind out of ourselves as we came together.
‘Oh, my darling girl,’ she wailed.
Birdie wasn’t a great one for tears, but there was an ocean quickly flowing onto my shoulder, and from my cheeks onto hers, I was sure.
‘Father?’ I dared ask. ‘Is he …?’
She pulled back slightly, without breaking our embrace, and nodded towards the doorway. When I turned my head, there was Ossin Hawker poking his head into the open to see what all the fuss was about. One arm lay in a sling against his belly but he was very much alive and as soon as he reached us he used his good arm to pull me so close I could barely breathe.
‘We were afraid you were dead,’ he said, fighting his own tears. ‘The whole kingdom has gone mad these last weeks.’
‘What happened to you?’ I asked.
‘A skirmish in the hills to the west. I was caught in a melee with no line between friend and foe. When the enemy is all around you, any sword can cut you down.’ He nodded towards the sling and winced as he shifted his shoulder. ‘Norbett is determined to expand his territory, and we are all his soldiers now. Once this wound has healed, I’ll be forced back into the ranks.’
‘Others have been taken, too, haven’t they?’ I said, remembering how few men I’d been able to count while Tamlyn and I watched from the woods.
‘Too many, and not just grown men who are ready for such horrors. Do you remember Obie, the farmer’s boy who was so sweet on you last year?’
I nodded, even though the memory was tinged with embarrassment.
‘He’s dead, Silvermay.’
‘No!’ I cried.
How could he be dead? I had shared my first kiss with Obie, down by the willow trees where there was no one to see us. It had been just for fun and I’d quickly let him know I didn’t want a second. Now I felt guilty. If I’d known his life was to be cut short, I might not have pushed him away so callously.
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