"Royce left the camp with Bernie not Staul," Hadrian said.
Thranic laughed. "Is that the best you can come up with to save your friend from a noose? Why not say you saw Staul attack him unprovoked, or me for that matter?"
"I saw Royce leave with Bernie, too, and Thranic and Staul followed after them," Wyatt put in.
"That's a lie!" Defoe responded, convincingly offended. "I watched Royce leave with Staul. Thranic and I followed. I worked the topmast with Royce, I know him better than anyone here. I was there the night Edgar Drew died. Royce was the only one near him. They were having an argument. You all saw how agile he is. Drew never had a chance."
"Why didn't you report it to the captain?" Derning asked.
"I did," Defoe declared. "But because I didn't actually see him push poor Drew off, he refused to do anything."
"How convenient that Captain Seward is too dead to ask about that," Wyatt pointed out.
Thranic shook his head with a pitiful smile, "Now, Wesley, will you actually take the word of a pirate and a cook over the word of a Sentinel of the Nyphron Church?"
"Your Excellency," Wesley said, turning to face Thranic. "You will address me as Mister Wesley or sir, is that understood?" Thranic's expression soured. "And I will decide whose word I will accept. As it happens, I am well aware of your personal vendetta against Royce Melborn. Midshipman Beryl tried to convince me to bring false charges. Well, sir, I did not buckle to Beryl's threats, and I'll be damned if I will be intimidated by your title."
"Damned is a very good choice of words, Mister Wesley."
"Sentinel Thranic," Wesley barked at him. "Be forewarned that if any further harm befalls Seaman Melborn, that is even remotely suspicious, I will hold you responsible and have you executed by whatever means are at hand. Do I make myself clear?"
"You wouldn't dare touch an ordained officer of the Patriarch. Every king in Avryn-why the regents themselves would not oppose me. It is you who should be concerned about execution."
Wyatt, Grady, and Derning drew their blades and Hadrian took a step closer to Thranic.
"Stand down, gentlemen!" Wesley shouted. At his order, they paused. "You are quite correct, Sentinel Thranic, that your office influences how I treat you. Were you an ordinary seaman, I would order you flogged for your disrespect. I am well aware that upon our return to Aquesta, you could ruin my career or perhaps have me imprisoned or hanged. But let me point out, sir, that Aquesta is a long way from here and a dead man has difficulty requesting anything. It would be in my best interest, therefore, to see you executed here and now. It would be a simple matter to report you and Seaman Bernie lost to the dangers of the jungle."
Defoe looked worried and took a subtle step away from Thranic's side.
"I would have thought I could rely on your family's famous code of honor," Thranic said in a sarcastic tone.
"You can, sir, and you are, as indeed that is all that keeps you alive at this moment. It is also what you can count on to have you executed should you threaten Seaman Melborn again. Do I make myself clear?"
Thranic fumed but said nothing. He simply turned and walked away with Defoe following after.
Wesley exhaled loudly, and straightened his vest. "How is he doing?" he asked Hadrian.
"Sleeping at the moment, sir. He's weak, but should recover. And thank you, sir."
"For what?" Wesley replied. "I have a mission to accomplish, Blackwater. I can't have my crew killing one another. Derning, Grady, take a few others and bring Staul's body back to camp. Let's not leave him to the beasts of this foul jungle."
Chapter 15
The Search
"I think I saw him."
Arista woke at the sound. Disoriented, she did not know where she was at first. Turning over, she found Thrace in a small streak of moonlight. The empress was dressed in her wispy thin nightgown that fluttered in the draft. She stood straight, hair loose, eyes lost to a vision beyond the window's frame.
It had been nearly a week since Gerald invited Arista to the empress's bedroom and she wondered if this was a sign she was on the right path. If fate could speak, surely this is how it would sound.
Thrace saw to her safety, guarding her like the mother of a newborn. Soldiers stood outside her door at all times, now in pairs with strict orders to prevent the entry of anyone without permission. Only Amilia and Nimbus ever entered the chamber and even they knocked, something Arista inferred was a new development. At her urging, Thrace ordered Nimbus to carry messages to Hilfred.
In her nightgown, Thrace looked almost like the girl from Dahlgren, but there was something different about her-akin to sadness yet lacking even the passion for that. Often she would sit and stare at nothing for hours and when she spoke, her words were dull and emotionless. She never laughed, cried, or smiled. In this way, she appeared to have successfully transformed from a lively peasant girl into a true empress-serene and unflappable. Yet at what cost?
"It was late like this," Thrace said, looking out the window. Her voice sounded disconnected, as if in a trance. "I was having a dream, but a squeaking noise woke me. I came to the window and I saw them. They were in the courtyard below. Men with torches, as many as a dozen and they wheeled a sealed wagon. The men were knights, dressed in black and scarlet armor like those we saw in Dahlgren. They spoke of the man inside the box as if he was a monster, and even though he was hooded and chained they were afraid. After taking him away, the wagon rolled back out of the courtyard." Thrace turned to face her. "I thought it was a dream until just now. I have a lot of unpleasant dreams."
"How long ago did this happen?"
"Three months, perhaps more."
Shivering, Arista sat up. The fire had long since died, and the stone walls did nothing to keep the chill out…the window was open again. Regardless of the time of day, or how cold the temperature, Modina insisted. Not with words-she rarely spoke-but no matter how often Arista closed the window Modina quietly opened it again.
"That would coincide with Gaunt's disappearance. You never heard anything else about this prisoner?"
"No, and you would be surprised how much you hear when you are very quiet."
"Thrace, come-"
The empress halted her by the sudden tilt of her head and the curious look on her face. "No one calls me that anymore."
"A shame, I've always liked the name."
"Me too."
"Come back to bed. You'll catch a cold."
Thrace walked toward her, looking at where the mirror once hung. "I will need to get a new mirror before Wintertide."
***
Dawn brought breakfast and morning reports from Amilia and Modina's tutor. Nimbus was bright-eyed and cheery, bowing to both-a courtesy Amilia refused to extend to Arista. The Imperial Secretary looked haggard. The dark circles under her eyes grew deeper each day. Holding her jaw stiff, and her fists clenched, she glared at Arista eating breakfast in Thrace's bed. Despite Amilia's obvious contempt, Arista could not help but like her. It was not hard to recognize the same fierce protectiveness in Amilia that Hilfred exhibited.
"They've stopped the search for the Witch of Melengar," Amilia reported, looking coldly at Arista. "They think she's either headed to Melengar or Ratibor. Patrols are still out, but no one really expects to find her."
"What about where Degan Gaunt might be held?" Arista asked.
Amilia glanced at Nimbus who stepped up. "Well, my research at the Hall of Records is inconclusive. In ancient imperial times, Aquesta was a city called Rionillion, and a building of some significance stood on this site. Ironically, several parchments refer to it as a prison, but it was destroyed during the early part of the civil wars that followed the death of the last emperor. Later, in 2453, Glenmorgan the First built a fortress here as a defense against rebellions. That fortress is the very palace in which we now stand.
"None of the histories mention anything about a dungeon-odd given the unrest. I've made a detailed search of nearly every section of the palace, interviewed cha
mbermaids, studied old maps and plans, but I haven't uncovered a single mention of any kind."
"What does Aquesta do with criminals?" Arista asked.
"There are three jails in the city that deal with minor offenses, and the Warric prison in Whitehead for harsher cases that don't result in execution. And then there is the infamous Manzant Prison and Salt Mine in Maranon for the most severe crimes."
"Perhaps it's not a dungeon or prison at all," Arista said. "Maybe it's merely a secret room."
"I suppose I could make some inquiries along those lines."
"What is it, Amilia?" Thrace asked catching a thoughtful look on her secretary's face.
"What? Oh, nothing…" Amilia's expression switched to annoyance. "This is very dangerous. Asking all these questions and nosing about. It's risky enough ordering extra food with each meal. Someone will notice. Saldur is not a fool."
"But, what were you thinking just now, Amilia?" Thrace repeated.
"Nothing."
"Amilia?"
The secretary frowned. "I just-well, a few weeks ago you talked about a dark hole…"
"You think I was there-in this dungeon?"
"Don't, Modina. Don't think about it," Amilia begged. "You're too fragile."
"I have to try. If I can remember-"
"You don't have to do anything. This woman-she comes here-she doesn't care about you-or what might happen. All she cares about is herself. You've done more than enough. If you won't turn her in, at least let me get her out of here and away from you. Nimbus and I-"
"No," Thrace said softly. "She needs us…and I need her."
***
"Dirt," Thrace said and shivered.
Arista looked over. She was in the midst of trying to determine how to finish her latest letter to Hilfred when she heard the word. The empress had knelt before the open window since Amilia and Nimbus left, but this was the first she had spoken.
"Damp, cold-terrible cold, and voices, I remember them-cries and weeping, men and women, screams and prayers. Everything was dark." Thrace wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock. "Splashing, I remember splashing, a hollow sound, creaking, a whirl, and the splash. Sometimes there were distant, echoing voices coming from above, falling out of a tunnel. The walls were stone, the door wood. A bowl-yes, every day a bowl-soup that smelled bad. There was so little to eat."
Thrace rocked harder, her voice trembling, her breath hitching.
"I could hear the blows and cries, men and women, day and night, screaming for mercy. Then I heard a new voice added to the wailing, and realized it was my own. I killed my family. I killed my mother, my brother, and little Hickory. I destroyed my whole village. I killed my father. I was being punished."
Thrace began to cry.
Arista moved to her, but the girl jumped at her touch and cowered away. Crawling against the wall and sobbing, she rubbed the stone with her hands, wetting it with her tears.
Fragile? Arista thought. Thrace took a blow that would kill most people. No matter what Amilia believed, Thrace was not fragile. Yet even granite will crack if you hit it with a big enough hammer.
"Are you all right?" Arista asked.
"No, I keep searching but I can't find it. I can't understand the sounds. It is so familiar and yet…" she trailed off and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I wanted to help. I wanted-"
"It's okay, Thrace. It's okay."
The empress frowned. "You have to stop calling me that." She looked up at her. "Thrace is dead."
Chapter 16
The Village It was perpetually twilight. The jungle's canopy blocked what little sunlight managed to penetrate the rain clouds. A hazy mist shrouded their surroundings, and intensified the deeper they pressed into the jungle. Exotic plants with stalks the size of men's legs towered overhead. Huge leaves adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant flowers of purple, yellow, and red surrounded the party. It left Hadrian feeling small, shrunken to the size of an insect, crawling across the floor of a giant's forest.
Rain constantly plagued them. The sound of water danced on a million leaves, sounding like thunder and when actual thunder cracked-it was the voice of a god. Everything was wet. Clothes stuck to their skin and hung like weights. Boots squished audibly with every step. Their hands wrinkled like old men's.
Royce rode on the back of a Gunguan, what the Vintu called the pack ponies. He was awake but weak. A day had passed since the attack, because Wesley had insisted on burying Staul. Their new captain proclaimed he would not allow the beasts to have a taste of any of his crew and insisted on a deep grave. No one complained at the strenuous work of cutting through the thick mat of roots. Hadrian doubted Wesley really cared about the fate of Staul's carcass, but the work granted Royce time to rest, kept the crew busy, and affirmed Wesley's commitment to them. Hadrian thought once again about the similarities between the ex-midshipman and his famous brother.
Royce traveled wrapped in his cloak, the weight of the rain collapsing the hood around his head. It was not a good sign, at least not for Thranic and Defoe. Until now, Royce had played the part of the good little sailor, but with the reemergence of the hood, and the loss of his white kerchief, Hadrian knew that role had ended. They had spoken little since the attack. Not surprisingly, Royce was in no mood for idle discussion. By now Hadrian guessed his friend had imagined killing Thranic at least a dozen times with a few Defoes thrown in here and there for variety. Hadrian had seen Royce wounded before and was familiar with the cocooning-only what would emerge from that cloak and hood would not be a butterfly.
Thranic, Defoe, and Levy traveled at the end of the train and Hadrian often caught them whispering. They wisely kept their distance, avoiding attention. Wesley led the party, along with Dilladrum who made a point of not taking sides or venturing anything remotely resbling an opinion. Dilladrum remained jolly as always and focused his attention on the Vintu.
Hadrian was most surprised with Derning. When Royce was most vulnerable, his shipboard nemesis had come to his aid rather than taking advantage. Hadrian would have bet money that, on the subject of Royce's guilt, Derning would have sided with Thranic. Wyatt never had the chance to find out his reason for volunteering, but now more than ever Hadrian was convinced Derning was not part of Thranic's band. Antun Bulard was part of Thranic's troop-of that there was no doubt-but lacked the ruthlessness of the others. He was merely a resource and, having shown an interest, Hadrian became Bulard's new best friend.
"Look! Look there." Bulard pointed to a brilliant flower blooming overhead. The old man took to walking beside Hadrian, sharing his sense of discovery along the way. "Gorgeous, simply gorgeous, have you ever seen the like? I dare say I haven't. Still, that isn't saying much, now is it?"
Bulard reminded Hadrian of a long-haired cat; his usually billowing robe and fluffy, white hair deflated in the rain leaving a remarkably thin body. He held up a withered hand to protect his eyes as he searched the trees.
"Another one of those wonderful long beaked birds," the historian said. "I love the way they hover."
Hadrian smiled at him. "It's not that you don't seem to mind the rain that amazes me, it's that you don't seem to notice it at all."
Bulard frowned. "My parchments are a disaster. They stick together, the ink runs, I haven't been able to write anything down, and as I mentioned at our first meeting, my head is no place to store memories of such wonderful things. It makes me feel I have wasted my life locked in dusty libraries and scriptoriums. Don't do what I did, Hadrian. You're still a young man. Take my advice, live your life to the fullest. Breathe the air, taste the wine, kiss the girls, the never forget that the tales of another are never as wondrous as adventures of your own. I'll admit I was, well, concerned about this trip. No, I will say it truthfully-I was scared. What does a man my age have to be afraid of, you wonder? Everything. Life becomes more precious when you have less to spare. I'm not ready to die. Why, look at all that I have never seen."
"You have seen horses before, and known women righ
t?" Hadrian asked, with a wry grin.
Bulard looked at him curiously, "I'm a historian, not a monk."
Hadrian nearly tripped.
"I realize I don't look it now, but I was quite handsome once. I was married three times in fact. Outlived all of them, poor darlings. I still miss them, you know-each one. My silly, little mind hasn't misplaced their faces, and I can't imagine it ever will. Have you ever been in love, Hadrian?"
"I'm not sure. How do you tell?"
"Love? Why, it's like coming home."
Hadrian considered the comment.
"What are you thinking?" Bulard asked.
Hadrian shook his head. "Nothing."
"Yes, you were. What? You can tell me. I am an excellent repository for secrets. I will likely forget, but if I don't, well, I'm an old man in a remote jungle. I'm sure to die before I can repeat anything."
Hadrian smiled then shrugged. "I was just thinking about the rain."
***
The trail widened, revealing a great, cascading waterfall and a dozen grass-thatched buildings clustered at the center of a small clearing. The domed-roof huts rested on high wooden stilts accessed by short stairs or ladders depending on the size and apparent prestige of the structure. A central fire pit occupied the very center of the clearing surrounded by a ring of colorfully painted stones and wooden poles decorated in animal skins, skulls, and strings of bones, beads, and long vibrant feathers. The inhabitants were dark-haired, dark-eyed, umber-skinned men and women dressed in beautifully painted cloths and silks. They paused as Dilladrum advanced respectfully. Elder men met him before the fire ring, where they exchanged bows.
"Who are these people, do you suppose?" Bulard asked.
"Tenkins," Hadrian replied.
Bulard raised his eyebrows.
The village was familiar to Hadrian, though he had never been there. Hundreds of similar ones were scattered across the peninsula, mirror images of each other. The rubble of Eastern Calis was the last standing residue of the first empire. After civil wars tore apart the west, Calis still flew the old imperial banners and for centuries formed the bulwark against the advancing Ghazel horde. Time, however, was on the Ghazel's side. The last of the old world died when the ancient eastern capital of Urlineus fell to the goblin hordes sweeping through the jungles. They might have overrun all of Avryn, if not for Glenmorgan III.
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