by Diana Rivers
There was a thud and cry of rage from inside. Another of the guards growled, “Shut your mouth, Arn, this is bad enough! Why make it worse?”
“Why not,” the other grumbled. “Who knows but that something interesting might happen. How many nights are we expected to stand here? Why not make a great fire and cook them all out? I hear that is the only way to kill those star-brats anyhow.” Just then a fight broke out at the card game that had to be quelled by the others.
“Well it is easy to see they are bored and restless and badly organized, but they are still far too many for us,” I said shaking my head.
Irdris nodded, “Bored more than anything. Bored men are easily entertained. The guards at the front gate look to be trained troops, too well disciplined to be bored, but I thinp9k these fellows are mostly raw recruits.”
Askarth grunted, “This little siege along with all his other girl hunts must be straining the Zarn’s larder. These fellows look to be green as cabbage.”
At that moment another guard rode around the corner and gave a whistle. Several of the others came to crowd around and make comments on his horse which he clearly come to show them.
“This is what I earned for my part in tonight’s business, not bad, eh?” he bragged as he spun the horse about in front of them.
Suddenly there was a hiss. The guard on his horse disappeared into the shadows. The cards and dice vanished. The men all tried to scramble for their places, but the guard commander was already in their midst. He rode up and down looking at them with contempt.
“You are no better than scum straight off the farm. There is not a decent soldier here. What if an attack were to come while you were lounging about in that way, then where would you be? Dead, most likely! Garbage is what they are sending me now. You cannot make fine goods out of garbage.” He turned and rode off the way he had come.
As soon as he was out of hearing there was a volley of rude remarks about the captain’s ancestry.
“Attack, eh? Not likely. I, for one, would welcome it. At least it would be something to do.”
“Who is going to attack, tell me that? A pack of star-brats? Well hopefully we will not see that fool of a captain again for another hour. Perhaps next time we will be better warned.”
The cards and the dice were out again. The young man had come back with his horse. Everything was as before.
“Well, what do you think?” Rishka whispered. “Have we seen enough of their weaknesses? Cards and dice are interesting games, but for me, I prefer horses.”
“You have an idea?”
She nodded, “Something that might be worth a try. Now, when we go to play this horse game, we had best all be drunk and not very bright.”
“Stay here and watch for us,” I told Irdris.
She nodded, “Mother’s Luck go with you all.”
When we staggered out of hiding there were shouts from the guards warning us to stay back if we wanted to keep a whole skin on our backs.
“This house is sealed by order of the Zarn. Keep away. No one may pass in or out through the gates.”
Rishka wavered on her feet, “I want nothing to do with your Great-House. You may have it all, for all I care, every worthless stone of it. It is your horse I want to see,” she gestured wildly. “Yes, that one. I used to have one much like it before I bargained him away for some bottles of drink, fool that I am.”
Some arguments broke out between them, and I heard one say, “What harm? He is only some drunken idiot here to amuse us. It passes the time.”
I followed after Rishka, calling plaintively in my poor Shokarn, “Ricko, wait, do not leave your friends. Wait, Ricko, come back. What have you done with the quillof?”
Rishka pretended to ignore me. She walked forward with a bold, drunken unsteadiness, going right between the guards and up to the horse. When she put out her hand to make contact the pull and snap of it was so strong I felt it on my own head.
“Why I believe this is my old Lightfoot. Hello fellow, you never thought to see me again, eh? You and I, we could show them a trick or two, eh, things they would never dream of.”
There were many shouting to drive ‘him’ off but some were curious to see. The young man himself who owned the horse was clearly angry now. He was trying unsuccessfully to back his horse away from Rishka’s touch, but the horse was fretting and tossing its head, unwilling to move.
“Leave be, you drunken clod. This is my horse in payment for this night’s work.”
I caught the smell of smoke and fastfire even over the stench of the rubbish heap.
“Oh come on now, soldier, what are you afraid of? Do you think I will best you in front of these men? Are you afraid to let me try?” With those words, Rishka lurched forward so that she stumbled against the horse. She steadied herself and stood leaning there. “If I fall off you may run me through with your sword in great style and say you caught me trying to climb the walls. How is that for a bargain?”
“Come on, Thorgan, let us see what he can do. Who knows if he can even stay on. It will pass the time. The captain will not be back around for another hour. If he falls off, you heard what he said. We could all have the chance of a little blood.”
Thorgan shrugged. He dismounted with evident reluctance, “Well, fool, you have your few minutes. Show us what you are bragging on, but do not frighten my horse with your foolishness. And if you fall off, remember what you said. That part I accept with pleasure.”
Rishka rubbed the horse’s nose, “Well, Lightfoot, are you ready?” The horse seemed to nod, rubbing back against her hand. Rishka tossed me her cloak and said with drunken boldness, “Hold that, will you, while I show these green guards how to ride a good horse. Then we go to water our thirst.”
With this she leapt on the horse and almost fell off the other side to the loud guffaws of the men. All their attention was now on Rishka as she rocked in the saddle, teetering back and forth is if trying to regain her balance. She finally righted herself. There was some lively betting going on with the odds heavily against her.
She waved her hands for attention, “Watch, watch carefully. Are you really watching now?” Suddenly, with no apparent signal, the horse spun about and stood straight up on his hind legs with Rishka clinging to his back. As soon as he was down, she swung him the other way and he reared again. Then she had him bow first one way and then the other. By now the guards were cheering. After that she began to do a series of high fancy steps, weaving back and forth, but always moving a little further from the gate. After each step she would call out to the young ‘owner,’ “Can you do that near as well? I wager not.”
With a sudden growl of anger he grabbed for the bridle shouting, “Enough, give me back my horse!”
“Your horse?!” Rishka shouted back, “This horse is mine! Mine! You will never see him again, you fool!” With that she spun the horse around and plunged away at a run through the surprised guards, shouting back at us in Kourmairi, “Run for the gate!”
I grabbed Askarth by the arm and ran toward the gate, almost carrying her. Most of the guard had raced after Rishka, shouting, “Horse thief. Stop that horse thief!” But a few had more sense or were lazier. I heard one of them shout, “Block their way to the gate! It was all a trick!”
There was a scramble in back of us, then a thud and a groan. Dragging Askarth along, I kept running with my eyes fastened on the door in the gate. That door stayed stubbornly shut.
Askarth was screaming, “Open, open, open up, you fools!”
I could hear a horse galloping in back of us and could only hope it was Rishka and not the commander of these men. At the very last moment, with the fateful sound of stone scraping on metal, the door swung open just wide enough for us to squeeze through. Then, seconds later, Rishka catapulted through the opening after us, landing on the floor in the midst of the startled guards. There was a roar of rage from outside and the sound of many feet running as the door scraped shut again and a huge metal bar dropped into place.
&nb
sp; Panting for breath, Rishka struggled to her feet. “Well, the getting in was not so hard. I hope the rest goes as easily.” Her words were brave enough, but she was shaking and gasping for breath.
I looked around. We were surrounded by the same guards who, under another’s master’s orders, would have been trying to burn us alive. One of them, the one in charge, had his sword raised for a blow.
Chapter Eighteen
Where is Askarth? What have you done with her?” he shouted, taking a threatening step toward Rishka. Askarth struggled free of my grip and threw back her cloak, “Here! Here! Right in front of your face, Merrik. Did you not hear me shouting to open the door? Drop your sword. It makes it hard to talk.”
He lowered his sword, sheathed it, and made a slight bow. “Greetings, Askarth. I was not sure in these strange times if we would ever meet again. So you have really come back.” I was surprised at his tone of respect, almost deference, and at the manner of the other men as well.
Askarth seemed to bristle at his words, “Of course I have come back. When I left I said I would and that you were to watch for me. Did you expect any less of me than my word?” She looked at each one in turn as if to make sure they understood.
Meanwhile, from outside, a pounding began on the door that shook the whole gate as if those we had tricked meant to break it down. One of the men near me leapt to the door to peer out an eye-hole. There was much noise from above, then the whistle of arrows, the rush and splash of something being poured, shouts and cries of pain, much running, more shouts and finally loud cheers from above, no doubt from the defenders at the top of the walls. After that there was a strange silence.
The one who had been watching turned away with a laugh, “That should hold them off for a while. Do those fools think we are undefended, that they can just come up to our gates as they please?” He turned to Rishka then. “Well, girl, that was a good show with the horse, very good. You had that pack of clowns running in circles after you out there. I saw you hiding by the midden and wondered how you were going to get past them. The Zarn’s guards think they are so clever, eh?” He began to laugh and shake his head. “And the way you came flying in here, flying by me so fast I even felt the wind on my face. And the look of surprise on their faces,” he gave a nod of his head in the direction of the other men, “when you landed in the middle of them. Now there was a sight to see.” He was laughing even harder now and slapping his leg. Soon he had the others laughing with him. He apparently took great personal relish in the besting of the Zarn’s guards, but to me the guards inside seemed not much different from the ones outside, all of a cloth. I felt no great friendliness for any of them.
Askarth interrupted their laughter impatiently, “Where are they then, my girls? Where are Lhiriasha and Nunyairee? Are they all prepared? Are they ready to leave? Why are they not standing here? There is little time. We have to be out of here at a moment’s notice.” To my surprise she was now speaking to the leader of these men in Kourmairi.
I was even more surprised when he answered her in the same, “They cannot go with you, Aunt. The Lord Starmos has said that you may take the rest of them if you can get them out safely. If not, they go anyway. He will not harbor them any longer. He wants the other star-cursed out from under his roof, says he is tired of sheltering witches in his house. But his daughter, my Lady Nunyairee and her slave Lhiriasha, those two he will not allow to leave. He says he has heard many stories of the star-women, that they are an immoral, nasty lot and much more, begging your pardon.” This last was said with a bow in our direction. “And that he would not let his child go with them, that he can protect her better here and needs Lhiriasha to stay and care for her.” All this Merrik said looking off to the side as if ashamed to meet Askarth’s gaze.
She burst out angrily, “Then the Lord of this house is a great fool. This is their one chance of escape. Did you tell him that I would care for them, that they would be in my hands again?”
“Pardon, Askarth, but he said if you were the Goddess Herself he would not put them in your hands.”
“Then I will go speak with him myself. He must be made to understand.” She took a step and instantly Merrik moved to block her way. “He has expressly forbidden it. I have orders to turn you back if you should get this far.”
“Surely he will hear me. There is an old debt between us.”
“No, Aunt, he has made that very plain. He will not see you at all.” Askarth put a hand on his arm and drew him aside. Heads bent together, they talked intently, but I could only catch a few words here and there until I heard Askarth say passionately, “...if you have ever loved her...” Later Merrik raised his voice and I heard him say, “...cost my life.”
Meanwhile Rishka and I stood there surrounded by guards and some of the kitchen drudges as well who had crept out to stare at us. None of us spoke to each other. All ears seemed to be intent on that secret and almost soundless conversation where our fates were being decided by the words of others. I could feel the weight of that house around me and the weight of Eezore pressing in around that house and wished myself anywhere else at that moment. What if the master of the house, roused by the commotion, came to see for himself? Would he order us thrust out of his gates into the waiting jaws of the Zarn’s guard as he was so willing to do with the others?
Before I had time to work myself into a state, Askarth and Merrik came back. In his commander’s voice Merrik ordered six of his men to stand guard by that gate, sent another to fetch the Star-Born who were to go with us and dismissed the rest to other duties. Then he beckoned us to follow him.
We went down a barely lit corridor and from there turned into a narrow hall. A short way down this hall he stopped and told us to turn our backs. There was a sliding, grating sound. When we were allowed to turn back, I could see that a door had opened in what appeared to be a flat wall. Merrik’s flare lit a narrow stairs. We followed him up and up until the stairs ended in an even narrower passage with many turns. All of us went with the utmost quiet. I could hear the sounds of the house around us, people walking, a dog barking, and at one moment the sound of voices so close that if there had been no wall I believe I could have reached out and touched the speaker.
Finally, after another short set of stairs, we stopped again. Merrik slid open another door, and we were in a small room clearly used as a closet, “You go first, and I will stay out of sight,” he said to Askarth. “They will be less afraid that way.” He tapped lightly on the door. When there was no answer he tapped again, opened the door slightly and thrust Askarth into the room. Rishka followed right on her heals, and I was just behind Rishka.
Even in the midst of all this danger, the sight of the room overwhelmed me. I had never imagined such luxury. Everything seemed decked in rich, red fabric that covered the walls as well. The candle holders were hung with bits of bright glass that flashed in the candle light and filled the room with dancing colors.
A young woman, no darker than Rishka, had rushed up, grabbed Askarth’s arms and put a finger up to her lips to sign for silence. “Askarth, how did you get in there?” she whispered, pointing at the closet. ‘Be very quiet. There are guards posted right outside our door. I had not thought to see you here this night.”
“Oh, Lhiriasha!” Askarth whispered in return, throwing her arms around the young woman, “still safe, still alive. I was not sure...”
Another young woman, very white-skinned, who had been lying on the bed, sat up quickly and stared at me with a startled look. “But you are so dark!” she said in surprise. “Dark as any Kourmairi. I had not thought...”
Rishka pushed past me and in two strides was at the bedside. “What had you expected, ‘Lady’? Were you thinking that some handsome young Shokarn lord, white as swan feathers, would ride in to save you from your own? If our color is so offensive we can leave you here for those of your own color to deal with. You can easily see how kind they are!”
“No, please, I meant no offense. I was only surprised...I had
not expected...”
“No offense!” Rishka’s voice was rising. “You had a look on your face as if a toad had pissed in your hand. No offense, eh?”
The other one turned and hissed at Rishka, “Quiet, I beg of you! Do you want all those guards rushing in here at us and alerting the whole house?”
Rishka was about to answer when I pulled at her arm, “Leave be. It is all those years of training and habit. She will soon learn.”
Rishka pulled free of my hand and turned away muttering, “She had better be quick at the learning. I have not much patience with this Shokarn ignorance.” But after that she held her peace.
Askarth was rushing about the room. “Are you ready? Do you have dark cloaks, men’s clothing, money, jewelry, whatever of value you can bring? Quickly, quickly, we must soon be gone from here!”
“We were all ready,” the young woman on the bed answered, “and then my father said we were not to go.”
“And I suppose you always do what you are told, Nunyairee, even when it will no doubt cost your life. On your feet! Be quick! The Zarn’s guard already left three young women on the Barguell to die this night, all horribly burned, one so badly we had to help her out of this world. If they can, they will do as well by you. Now move! We are leaving as soon as the signal comes. This is your one chance. After tonight we are gone from here. All who remain in Eezore are abandoned to their fate!”
Nunyair jumped up and threw her arms around Askarth. “Save us, Askarth. I will do whatever you say.”
Lhiri was already gathering up their things, piling clothes on the bed. As they both dressed in haste there was a knocking on the door. One of the guards called out, “Lady, I hear voices in there. Are you alone? Are you safe?”
