Courage Of The Conquered (Book 3)

by Robert Ryan

  She pulled back her arm as though to fling the witch-fire, but she need not have bothered. No one saw this final threat. The guards were already sprinting toward the palace, fear driving them faster than duty ever could.

  Lanrik was amazed. Erlissa looked at him, and her eyes were still ablaze. She seemed queen of the world, her face filled with power and authority. She was remote, like a beautiful figure of carved of ice, but without passion or thought or heart. Only power. And then she winked at him. The slight movement seemed so strange on that face, so bizarre, that he laughed.

  She flashed him a smile in return, and Ebona was gone. She was Erlissa again. She undid the red belt, and tucked it within a fold of her white dress that hid some kind of pocket.

  She looked at him again. “Let’s go,” she said.

  They followed in the wake of the guards. The white dress could not be hidden, but with the red belt gone, she appeared normal enough and passed for an average citizen. He kept hold of the staff.

  The guards were well out of sight. Behind, the other troop of guards must have stopped at the Haranast. There was no one near them now except the usual citizens of Esgallien. The people were less desperate than they were before, but not by much, and he knew the streets were no longer safe. Too many eyes were on them; too many that might have seen what Erlissa had done. And it only took one to report it to the first guard that they saw.

  He took her hand once more. “Time to disappear,” he said.

  Without seeming to hasten, he led her off the Hainer Lon. Several people watched them go, but no one followed. He made sure of that.

  When they were several streets away and the crowds were normal once more, he put his arms around her and picked her up, swinging her in a full circle. When he put her down, he kissed her hard on the lips.

  She kissed him back. A few long moments it lasted, both oblivious to anything else, and then he let her go.

  She looked at him. “So, you missed me, then?”

  “You bet I did.”

  They moved on down the street, but now they walked arm in arm and she leaned against him as they went.

  “Where to?” she asked.

  “An alley,” he said. “One that’s dark and quiet.”

  She looked at him strangely, and he laughed.

  “We need to hide,” he said. “Although privacy wouldn’t hurt either. I’ve discovered a good way to get off the streets, but we have to stay clear of windows.”

  She gave him another strange look, but he kept on walking. He did not want to tell her about what had happened to him this morning.

  They wandered through the streets. As they headed away from the Hainer Lon it grew less crowded, but he would have to find a very quiet alley indeed for what he intended to do during daylight hours.

  The roofs were a good place to hide. They offered views of the city streets, and no one would look for them there, but to get on top of one was the hard part. The climbing was difficult, and most of all to be seen trying to get there was to risk being taken as a thief and having the City Watch called. Yet, if he could find a place quiet enough, they could disappear that way. And disappear they must, for it was far too dangerous at the moment. Also, it would give them a chance to talk and to work out what they intended to do next.

  The streets grew narrow and winding. They were passing into one of the poorer areas of the city. The buildings rose tall and gray about them, like cliff faces overlooking a dark river that ran between steep banks.

  Rubbish, both old and recently discarded, lay everywhere, and they picked their path carefully. Lanrik loved the city, but some parts were an eyesore, and dangerous as well. He would not normally come to an area like this, especially with a girl, but it served a purpose now.

  It was not only the buildings and streets that were different. The people had changed too. There were few markets, few friendly eyes, but many dirty children playing in the corners. And men and women who stared at them suspiciously.

  Lanrik realized that he and Erlissa, for all their recent troubles, were well dressed. Far too well dressed for a poor neighborhood like this.

  He had better find what he wanted quickly, or they were at just as much risk of being robbed as they were of discovery by Royal Guards.

  He turned down each narrow street that he could find, and this seemed to bring him to the kind of place that he wanted. They were now come to a maze of winding lanes and very narrow alleys. He walked past a few, but kept on going as there were people in each one, though not many. After a while, he came to one that was empty. It was also dark, smelly, and filled with the rubbish of long years of neglect.

  “Just what I’m looking for,” he said.

  Erlissa looked ahead with some distaste, but did not answer.

  They walked into the alley, and he kept a close eye on things. No one followed them. No one was ahead of them at the far end, either. And as best as he could see, no one looked out of the few narrow windows that had a view of them.

  “Here,” he said.

  It was another drainpipe, like the one that he had climbed last night. Only this time it would not be necessary to ascend very far. It led up only one story, and it came straight out of a windowless brick wall. However, there was a balcony next to it, and the pipe would give them access to its small roof. Above that again, the real roof of the building was within reach.

  “You want me to climb that?” Erlissa did not look happy about the situation.

  “I’ll push you up from behind,” he said. “It won’t take long. Just be careful not to make too much noise when you step on the balcony’s roof.

  She frowned, but reached up to take hold of the drainpipe. It did not take long for her to climb, and he did not have to offer much help. When she was on the roof, he handed her the staff and made the climb himself.

  There was noise now; the sound of scuffing boots and muffled talk, and they both hunkered down low and went still. Someone was close by, but it appeared to be a group of people in the nearby street, rather than the alley. The sounds soon drifted away.

  “Quickly,” he said. “We’re too easily seen here.”

  They stood up on the balcony and Erlissa reached for the real roof above it. She deftly pulled herself up so that her head was above it, and then with a final heave she slithered her whole body over the rim and disappeared from sight.

  A moment later he followed. He looked around and was satisfied that he had chosen well. There were no windows in the other buildings high enough to look out onto this roof. They should be safe here, at least for a while, until they could figure out what to do next.

  Unexpectedly, she put her arms around him and gave him a kiss.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered.

  Lanrik looked her straight in the eye. “I’m hard to kill. Especially when I have so much to live for.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “Now, tell me what happened.”

  He explained to her how the charred-man had pursued him, leaving out that he had ensured that it did so, and of his final ploy in the city aqueduct.

  She asked him several questions about the specifics of its reaction to water. Neither of them could be certain if that was a weakness in Ebona’s witchery, or if the creature’s ungainliness simply meant that it could not swim.

  “It won’t give up the hunt,” Lanrik said.

  “No. Ebona has done something to it. I mean, apart from the obvious. It’s driven to find us. Tormented every moment that it doesn’t. But at least now I’m prepared if it finds us again.”

  Lanrik was not so confident. He had seen it struck by lòhren-fire, and even that most deadly form of lòhrengai had proved ineffective. Erlissa would need to think of something else.

  “So,” she said after a pause. “The creature just chased you? I don’t believe it. You did something to make that happen, didn’t you?”

  Lanrik looked away. He did not want to answer, but he did not want to lie to her, either.r />
  She put a hand over his. “We’re in this together. No more splitting up. No more anything by ourselves. Well do what we have to do in Esgallien, and we’ll do it together. Even if it means fighting the charred-man, or anyone else that we must. And when we’re done, we’ll get out of here and meet Aranloth.”

  He was not surprised that she had worked out that the creature had followed him at his own instigation. What surprised him, even impressed him, was that although she was upset that he had taken that risk for her, she did not make a point of saying so. Instead, she just made sure that he understood that there was only one way forward for them now, whatever happened.

  “All right. We’re in this together. No matter what.”

  She patted his hand. “Now, what do we do next?”

  It was a good question, and Lanrik had no easy answer. They discussed a few more details, such as how she had evaded capture during the night and where she had gotten her disguise. And then he mentioned the park and the guards surrounding it.

  “Conhain’s Rest,” she said. “Now, that really is strange.”

  “There was just no reason for them to be there,” he added.

  “And yet, there must be.”

  He raised his palms. “I can’t figure it out.”

  She tapped her fingers against the staff. “I think it’s just too much of a coincidence.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Conhain was Ebona’s worst enemy. It was by Aranloth that her power was broken when Esgallien was founded, and yet without Conhain, the people would have fallen under her sway. It was their love for him that won out – a feeling that she could never inspire.”

  “But that was nearly a thousand years ago. What could Conhain have to do with things now? She killed him, or her dogs did, anyway.”

  “Yes. She killed him, but her hatred did not die with the deed.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She looked at him. “There’s a reason that no one knows where Conhain is buried. There’s a reason there are so many rumors, but so little truth on the subject.”

  “I’ve heard it said,” replied Lanrik, “that he might be buried in the park. I’ve heard lots of things said, but I still don’t understand what any of it has to do with Ebona. Or the guards who surround the park.”

  “Everything, or nothing. I’m not sure, but I know this, for Aranloth told me himself. When our ancestors founded the city, there was an ever-present risk of treason and corruption. Some remained who would conspire with our enemies, especially those who once had served Ebona. Her influence was broken, and theirs along with it, yet it was feared that out of spite they might desecrate Conhain’s grave. They had sworn to do so.” She paused, taking her time to consider what she would say next.

  “And of course,” she continued, “there was also a chance that others, less hateful, but more greedy, would plunder the tomb. Much that Conhain owned was interred with him, and most of his possessions were gifted to him by the Halathrin. There are treasures inside his tomb beyond the wealth or craft of humanity.”

  Lanrik had thought he knew the history of the city, but it was clear that even the Raithlin had gaps in their lore.

  “So that’s why no one knows where he was buried. It makes sense,” he said.

  “It was Aranloth’s plan. But a few do know, have always known, where he was buried. A few who guard the tomb, who keep watch on things, and make sure his sleep is not disturbed.”

  “So Conhain really does rest in the park?”

  She nodded. “Yes. But think, Lanrik, there’s more.”

  He closed his eyes and considered all that she had said. That someone, or some group, guarded it through the years was key. Whoever they were, they would be trusted.

  He opened his eyes. “The Lindrath,” he said. “Not just the present one, but all the Raithlindrath’s from the founding. Who would be better trusted to keep the secret and watch over things?”

  She nodded. “Yes. And your Lindrath was the last to hold that secret. He learned it from his predecessor, and he knows also that the tomb is shielded. Not just watched by himself, but protected. For Aranloth himself built the tomb, and he set forces to work there to guard against Ebona and her allies, knowing that although her power was broken, she would one day return. Conhain’s tomb is the one place in Esgallien that she cannot go, that she cannot destroy, nor have men destroy for her. For ùhrengai, the same sort of force that protects Lòrenta, infuses it.”

  Lanrik ran a hand through his hair. “So you think that when the Lindrath escaped, he went there for protection?”

  “Yes. It makes sense. He’s in the tomb, and the guards are there to ensure he doesn’t escape. For while they cannot get in, likewise, he cannot get out, and must die of thirst or hunger, eventually.”

  Lanrik shrugged. “If I know the Lindrath, and if what you think is really true, they’ll be waiting a long time, for he’ll have stockpiled supplies there. If not before, then certainly after Ebona came to the city.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t think of that. I hope you’re right.”

  Lanrik let out a sigh. “None of this really makes sense, though. If the tomb is protected, how could he get inside it? And if he did, why are they guarding the whole park? They could save enormous expense and manpower by just surrounding the tomb.”

  “The tomb is protected. But there is a way in, for those who know. Just as there’s a way into Lòrenta. And you’re assuming that he’s trapped in there. What if there were tunnels, leading out in any direction, finding their exit in any part of the park? Ebona could not know where. They would have to guard everywhere.”

  “Are there tunnels?”

  Erlissa shrugged. “I don’t know. And neither could Ebona. Aranloth only mentioned these things to me in passing. It was just something that lòhrens should know, he never went into detail.”

  Lanrik thought about it all. No matter which way he looked at it, it was plausible. The thing that confirmed it to him was the number of guards. So many of them. So much expense. Nothing could justify that except the prospect of capturing the Lindrath, or ensuring his death.

  “I think you’re right,” he said at last.

  “I do, too. But what are we going to do about it?”

  “The only thing we can. The one thing that the Lindrath needs most. The one thing that Ebona wants the least. We have to rescue him.”

  Erlissa looked at him. Her eyes had widened, and he saw many things there, including outright fear. But he did not see unwillingness.

  “You always come up with the boldest of ideas,” she said. “But tell me, how can we do it? He’s guarded by what must amount to most of Esgalliens army. How can we possibly get in there, let alone get out again?”

  Lanrik rubbed his chin. “There’ll be a way. Let me think on it.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt there’s a way. And I don’t doubt you’ll discover it. And it’ll be sure to be something so breathtaking in its audacity, so outright crazy, that it just might work.”

  He winked at her. “Well, you know all about that sort of thing. You pulled off something like that yourself just earlier. Who else but you would, or even could, impersonate the Witch-queen?”

  Erlissa grinned. “She’ll be annoyed when she learns of that …”

  “Very annoyed. And yet, I can live quite easily with her discomfit.”

  He sat back, more serious now. “All right, I have an idea. But if we try it, we’ll pass far beyond our arrangement with Aranloth. We’ll not just be learning of all that’s going on in the city – we’ll be actively defying Ebona, and there may be consequences to that.”

  “Yes, but we’ve already gone beyond our original mission. Circumstances made us. Aranloth won’t like it, but he’ll understand.”

  Erlissa tilted her head after she spoke the lòhren’s name, and Lanrik saw a look of concern cross her face. It passed after a moment, and she looked back at him.

  “So, tell me. What’s this idea of yo
urs?”

  15. The Boldest of the Bold

  It was a long afternoon. The sun beat down upon the roof, and there was no shade. They dozed fitfully, coming alert at the slightest sound, but few people entered the alley, and those who did were oblivious to the fugitives hiding above them.

  At length, dusk came to the city. Dark shadows crept into the alleys and lanes, and the air cooled. But the tiles did not. They remained hot and uncomfortable.

  Of one thing, Lanrik was grateful. He had not seen any soldiers or guards. Had the search for them moved to another part of the city? There was no way to know. But he was sick and tired of hiding.

  When the sun had set, and even the glow of it had disappeared from the horizon, he woke Erlissa. It was time to dare the streets once more.

  The plan that he had conceived would work equally well during the day or night, but having come to the conclusion that the Lindrath was in the park, he wanted to reach him as quickly as possible. He needed help, and they would bring it to him without delay. At least, they would try.

  But Lanrik had no illusions that his plan was not risky. More risky even than infiltrating an enemy army. For this time, his skills as a Raithlin would be near useless.

  They slipped down from their hiding place without noise or problem. Nevertheless, when they reached the alley, Lanrik gave Erlissa her staff and drew his sword. Royal Guards were not the only thing to fear, and they were in just as much danger from thieves and ruffians.

  They began to move through the lanes and alleys, heading back toward the inner city and the Hainer Lon. It was quiet all about them. There were no nighttime revelers. The streets seemed hushed, even brooding.

  Esgallien was effectively a conquered nation, and yet he had seen signs that its people were ready to reclaim their freedom. He felt it now as he walked through the empty streets. It was too quiet. And not the quiet of fear. Anger and resentment festered. Like a living thing, it wandered the streets with them. It occupied every house and every tenement building that they passed. It was the heartbeat of Esgallien.