aSilly wee gomerel,a said Hollow fondly. aDoesna care for beina on his ainsome; jumps at shadows. Didna bite ye, did he?a aI didnat give him the opportunity.a aGets up tae mischief when Iam awaa. Scatters ma banes, chews on the beddina, lets me know heas noa best pleased.a Back in the cavern, we set down our belongings againa"Tali kept her staff closea"while Hollow went off down another pa.s.sage and returned with a substantial joint of meat, most likely from one of the local sheep. This he laid on the coals to cook. Then he set about rearranging the disordered bones until the hearth was encircled by an orderly pattern, with skulls at precisely placed intervals. The largest of these looked like an oxas, complete with great horns; the smallest was tiny and delicate, a shrewas or voleas. When all was to his satisfaction, the brollachan gave a contented sigh, sank down on a large stone, and turned his gaze on us, solemn now. The pookie leapt into his arms and clung, chirruping.
aMightna be the way ye wanted tae spend the mornina, but Iam glad I caught the twa oa ye before ye met up wia the kingas men. And at least yeall get a good feed wia me.a aIam so happy to see you, Hollow. I thought you might be gone right away. Or hurt.a He eyed me. a aTwould taka mair than a few poxy Enforcers tae hurt me, Neryn. But the twa oa yea"Sage tellit me your companion there is a braw fighter, but nae la.s.sieas braw enough tae fend off a troop oa kingas men hung about wia iron weaponry. Dinna ye try tae tell me otherwise,a he added quickly when Tali made to speak. aIf yeare as guid as they say ye are, ye willna lead Neryn intae peril, and thatas a fact. Listen now. I ken ye dinna want tae be waitina here wia me any langer than ye must. It didna need Sage tae tell me the sandas runnina through the gla.s.s quicker than ye thought. aTis all ower the place now; wee folk pa.s.sina the word, birds and creepina things tellina how we should be gettina ready for a big fight.a aAlready,a breathed Tali. aSage left Shadowfell only a matter of days before we did. How could she have spread the word so quickly? I thought the Good Folk were slow to trust.a aYe suggestina a brollachanas fibbina tae ye, la.s.sie?a Hollow stretched his mouth in a grimace.
aGetting accurate information could mean life or death on this journey. Iad be stupid not to check it. And my nameas Tali.a aThe la.s.sie has a tongue on her,a Hollow said, the grimace turning to a grin. aOur folk hae ways oa pa.s.sina messages, and ways oa crossina country, that your folk canna understand, la.s.sie. Tali. Thatas a guid strong name.a She gave him a tight nod.
aI told ye the word was beina pa.s.sed abroad; I didna say those that are pa.s.sina it are happy wia it. But change is afoot. The Master oa Shadows is walkina the land, and a Calleras stepped up. Sage tellit me ye pa.s.sed your test, Neryn. That the Master came tae ye oa his ain will. So thereas nae doot ye can maka the difference.a aI hope so, Hollow. But I do need to get to the isles, to find the Hag and do the first part of my training. And now that timeas so short, Iall have to go to the north as well before next winter.a aThe Lord oa the North? They say heas sleepina and canna be woken.a aThe Northies said that. They implied that he was the one who should be keeping the Master of Shadows in check.a aThatas the old balance: earth and fire. Water and air. Mebbe ye can call him out, Neryn. Seems naebody else can.a The task ahead was becoming so daunting it made me feel sick. I said nothing.
aHollow.a Tali was trying for a more courteous tone, though I could see the wish to be gone in her restless fingers and the little frown that never left her dark brows. aYou say we canat use this cliff path because of Enforcers. The only alternative is the kingas bridge, but you say we shouldnat use that either, and I agree entirely. It would be a foolish risk. What choice is left to us, go home or wait here indefinitely? You know we have very little time to accomplish this. The isles, the north, home before the autumn storms.a A lengthy silence, then, as Hollow turned the meat on the coals. A rich, savory smell filled the cavern. aThere is a wee path,a the brollachan said eventually. aI dinna ken if yead be wantina tae go that way. A secret path, atis. Human folk canna find it on their ain. But Nerynas noa the common kind oa human folk. If ye care tae use it, Iall show ye how.a aA path,a Tali echoed. aWhere?a aStraight up the cliff frae the brig, ower the hill, west as the raven flies. A bittie later the way curves tae the south. It comes out by Hiddenwater. Yead want tae be guid at climbina.a aDue west,a mused Tali.
aSo we could bypa.s.s Summerfort altogether,a I said. Even better, we could get as far as Hiddenwater without setting foot near the well-traveled path that ran beside Deepwater.
aWait a moment,a said Tali. My heart sank. aIf the path goes the way you describe, it would have to cross Wedderburn land, for part of the way, at least.a aAch,a said Hollow, throwing his hands wide, aI dinna understand your clans and holdings and chieftains. The four Watches, theyare auld and easy to grasp. But those others, theyare the lines drawn by human folk for their ain purposes, and make nae sense tae me. Whatas wrong wia walkina on Wedderburn land? Is there an auld curse, or a sheep disease, or is the chieftain oa those parts another such as that king oa yours, the fellow thatas set Alban all at sixes and sevens wia his thirst for power?a aWe donat know,a Tali said, her mouth grim. aThereas old history between that chieftain and our leader. I wonat go into details, but weave no cause to expect a welcome if weare caught crossing his land. Still, given the choice between that or the keen eyes of the Summerfort sentries, your wee path seems the safer option.a aDo you know the path well, Hollow?a I asked. aHow good is the cover? How long would it take us to reach Hiddenwater?a a aTwould be quicker than gaeina down the valley and along the lochs. Theread be risks, aye; but ye wouldna be needina tae pa.s.s close by this fellowas stronghold. Keep tae the north oa that, cross a wee river ower a ford, pa.s.s a hill wia a crown oa standina stanes, and after that bear southwest. Yeall find oaks, pines, rocks. Guid cover, aye. And if ye dinna gae south afore ye pa.s.s that hill, noa sae many settlements. For a woodcrafty la.s.sie such as yoursela, atis a guid way.a I looked at Tali.
aWe have no real choice,a she said. aTimeas short. Iam not taking you over the kingas bridge, itas just too risky. And the original plan is no longer viable. So weall try this path. Agreed?a aAgreed,a I said, thinking her method of consultation left something to be desired. aBut we have breakfast first. I donat imagine weall be making campfires on Wedderburn land, unless weare pretty sure n.o.body can see us. So this might be our last hot meal for a while.a WE MOVED WESTWARD, FOLLOWING HOLLOWaS wee path. After the first challenging climb up the cliff, it traversed a landscape whose hollows still held patches of stubborn snow, printed by the feet of creatures out foraging for what lean pickings they could find. Tiny mountain flowers popped up tentative heads, spots of white or yellow among the rocks. The path was often hard to find. Hollow had told us to look for certain signs: a little pile of white stones, blades of long gra.s.s twisted into a loose knot, a row of last autumnas leaves threaded onto a stick, telling us to go left or right, uphill or down. Here, I felt the constant presence of magic. There were Good Folk everywhere, though they did not show themselves directly.
The weather warmed a little, and the bare hills began to put on a tentative cloak of green. Occasional stands of pine softened the landscape, and in these we heard the songs of birds. At night, as we sat by our meager campfire, there came the hunting cries of wolves. We kept our fires small, mindful of the need to go unseen, at least until we were off Wedderburn land.
We reached the river on the third morning. It was broader than Hollowas description had suggested, and if there was a ford, clearly it was not in this spot. The waterway wound through a valley whose slopes were thick with alder, birch, and willow. Stony outcrops broke the tree cover here and there. Even so early in the season, with springas new growth barely begun, it was hard to see far in any direction.
We halted on the pebbly sh.o.r.e. Tali slipped off her pack; I did the same. Each of us kept watch while the other knelt to drink; we refilled our waterskins.
aYour friend said cross a wee river,a Tali said. aI suppose this is it. You rest, Iall look for the ford. Keep under cover.a I settled myself, with the two bags, half under a row of straggly bushes, and she headed off upstream. Within the s.p.a.ce of a few breaths she was out of sight.
I was glad of the opportunity to rest my legs. Pride meant I did not ask Tali for breaks unless I was incapable of going on, and she did not often suggest them. I sat quietly, listening to the conversation of birds in the woods and the gurgling of the water. At times like this it was almost possible to forget what a sad and sorry place Alban was. There were Good Folk somewhere close by, up in the trees or in the great stones that lay along the river valley like pieces tossed aside from a game for giants. I wondered if they might show themselves while Tali was not with me. It was at just such moments, on my other journeys, that a little voice had piped up with Neryn, oh, Neryn, or a small being had raised its head out of the bracken to gaze at me. Perhaps I should leave out an offering for them. We still had a supply of Millaas waybread, a hard-baked, long-lasting substance that sat heavily in the belly but was welcome at the end of a long dayas walking. I would break off a morsel and put it on a piece of flat bark for them to eat when we were gone.
I was fishing in my bag for the food packet when I heard Talias signala"not a shout, but a hooting cry like an owlas. A warning. I froze. Then came menas voices and the sudden tramping of booted feet on the stones, closing in fast.
Wead practiced. I had my knife in my hand within the s.p.a.ce of a breath. I kicked the bags under the bracken, then crouched still, weapon at the ready.
aThat way!a A man ran across the sh.o.r.e, pa.s.sing without seeing me. Another emerged from the trees, following. They headed in the direction Tali had taken, soon vanishing from view around a ma.s.sive rock. Had she managed to run and hide after sending that warning call, or was she trapped?
Shouting broke out from beyond the rock, the skid of boots on stones, a thud, a curse. At least three men, perhaps more. I knew what I was supposed to do: keep out of the way, leave the fighting to Tali. Shead drummed it into me often enough. If I could hide or flee, that was what I should do. My knife was only for self-defense. I might have better combat skills than Iad possessed last autumn, but I was a beginner by her standards, and my help would likely prove more of a hindrance.
Metal clashed; a man let out a chilling scream of pain. Then came Talias voice, cursing. There was a note in it that told me she was hurt. Cold sweat broke out on my skin. The knife shook in my hand. I couldnat do it. I couldnat bolt into the woods, saving myself and leaving her behind. She might be Shadowfellas best fighter, but the numbers were against her. What if I created a diversion, gave her an opportunity a Over the years I had learned to walk as a hunting creature walks, my feet making little sound. I moved with care now, avoiding the pebbles beside the water, going instead on the rough gra.s.s higher up, edging around the big rock. Tali yelled again, a fearsome challenge. I inched forward, right hand gripping the knife, left hand brushing the rock.
She was surrounded. Her staff lay on the stones, beyond her reach. With a knife in each hand she was keeping them at bay, ducking, turning, constantly in motion, never quite where they expected. There were four of them, and three had hunting knives. One man was bleeding from a cut to the cheek; another seemed to have hurt his leg, but still they circled Tali, taunting her.
aSlice my friend with your blade, would you? Just let me get close enough, girlie, and Iall show you what a knifeas for!a aWhatas that on your skin, canny magic? Shall we cut you open and see if you bleed like a real woman?a aGo on, fight me! Letas see what youare made of, witch!a I hesitated, not sure if Tali had seen me. I was at least six strides from them. My heart drummed. If I ran straight forward shrieking, could I win Tali enough time to seize the advantage? I might at least get a chance to do some damage before they grabbed me. I sucked in a breath and stepped out from cover, and someone seized me from behind, knocking the knife from my grasp.
aWhat have we here?a All eyes turned in my direction. For a moment Talias attackers froze, staring at me and my captor, and in that moment she struck once, twice, and two men went down. Then, with a roar of outrage, the biggest of the men delivered a blow to her head, sending her staggering toward the other one still on his feet.
aLeave off,a my captor growled. aThat one might be a stinger, but this oneas a soft kitten. We could all sleep sweet tonight, fellows. I say tie them up and bring them with us. Why not enjoy them before we finish them?a Tali kicked out, aiming for a manas privates, but the strike to the head had left her unsteady and the two of them grabbed her, one bending her arms up hard behind her back. She went white, teeth sunk in her lip.
My captor marched me forward. He was strong; there would be no point in struggling. Knife in hand, he addressed me. aStand still, kitten, or your friend gets gutted like a codfish. You!a This was to Tali. aTry anything and I cut the little one, nice and slow.a He released his hold on me and squatted down to examine the two injured men. One was groaning as he regained consciousness. The other lay sprawled unmoving on the stones.
aHeas dead,a said one of Talias captors, a young fellow who looked almost as pale as she. His tone was flat, unbelieving. aCoranas dead.a The man who had held me rose slowly to his feet. Between the others, Tali was trying to stand tall, but she looked close to fainting. Blood was running down her neck from the head wound, staining her shirt crimson.
aYou killed him,a the man said. aYou killed my friend.a The look in his eyes told me I had only a few moments to act. No choice, then. I met Talias gaze, trying to warn her. The river. The water, flowing deep and strong through the valley. Albanas lifeblood, from the smallest stream to the shining loch to the great ocean. I opened myself to the power of it, and silently I called, Help us! Quickly, help!
The river roiled and rose up. It was over our feet, our ankles, our knees in an instant. It washed over the fallen men, carrying them swiftly away. The three shouted in alarm, and one of Talias captors released his hold. Quick as a flash she wrenched free of the second, no longer near fainting but apparently her old self again.
The water rose to my waist. A figure rose with it, taller than a tall man, a being all ripples and eddies and swirls, its features discernible as darker patches in the watery substance of its face. Flotsam adhered to its head, forming what might be hair or a hat, and within its body twigs and leaves washed about as if carried on the natural flow of the river. In its liquid face a mouth opened, a great dark cavity, and one of the men let out a terrified oath. Another shouted in a foolish display of defiance. The man who had been holding me waded as fast as he could toward dry land. In an eyeblink the creature reached out a great watery hand and gripped him around the waist. It tossed him upa"a shower of droplets arched through the air, catching the lighta"and out into the river. He vanished beneath the surface.
aDonat hurt us! I canat swim!a shrieked the younger man, while the other gave a wordless wail of horror. The creature wrapped a hand around each, lifting them so their feet were clear of the water. Tali and I retreated to the shallows, drenched and shivering.
The river being spoke, its voice a thundering torrent of sound in which I sensed rather than heard words. aWash, dip, splash, drown?a Tali glanced at the eldritch creature, then quickly away. aTell it not yet,a she said. aNot till theyave answered some questions.a aWait, please,a I said, my teeth chattering. Somewhere under the cold and the shock was the dawning knowledge that once again I had used my gift to deliver not only rescue, but also death. That man, the one not killed by Tali, would not survive being swept downstream unconscious.
aYou!a snapped Tali, addressing the two men. aWhat are you doing here? Why did you attack us?a The river being gave the men a shake, as if this might jog their memory.
aSpeak up!a Tali said. aOr do you prefer to join your companions in the river? Who sent you?a aW-we were h-hunting,a one fellow stammered, whey-faced. aD-deer. Boar. R-rabbits. No harm in that.a aWho sent you?a Tali was formidable at the best of times; when angry, she was truly fearsome.
aDonat let it hurt me!a spluttered the other man, his feet hanging just above the wateras surface. In his terror he had lost control of his bowels. aHunting, thatas all!a aWhat sort of hunters are you,a I said, athat you feel ent.i.tled to attack women by the wayside whenever it pleases you? Which household did you come from? Tell us the truth, or my friend there holds you underwater, and how long he keeps you there is anyoneas guess.a I felt within me the beingas fluid presence, its links to the rivers and lochs and tarns of the highlands, its long story stretching back and back in time, perhaps to the days of other Callers. I did my best to meet the murky patches that were its eyes.
aDunk, wring, soak, drench?a aLet them answer first,a I said. And to the two men, aWhere did you come from?a aLast chance,a put in Tali. aSpeak or drown.a aW-Wa"a aWedderburn,a the second man gasped. aKeenan of Wedderburn is our lord. Not sent to killa"onlya"a aOnly what?a Tali snarled. The river beingas hands dipped lower. The men went in up to their necks.
aLook out fora"for folk out of place. Folk wandering. No more than that.a aLook out for them and kill them.a Talias voice was flat. aOr no, take your pleasure with them first, then kill them, wasnat that the plan? Is that what your lord told you to do?a There was a look on her face that truly frightened me.
aG-g-ga"a aEnough,a Tali said, and turned her back.
The river being held still, keeping the two suspended. So far as I could tell, it was looking at me. aPlunge, toss, drown, change?a it inquired.
The men turned agonized faces toward me. Neither spoke.
aWe canat let them go free,a I said, my heart thumping. aNot now.a The moment we released them, theyad be straight back to Keenan with their story, and if he didnat believe the part about watery monsters, head surely be interested in two young women on the road, well armed and combative. Head be interested in any sign of canny gifts, and if these men could put two and two together, theyad have realized the significance of the way this creature spoke to me. But I would not order the being to drown them. I grasped at the meaning of its last word. aChange?a A smile appeared on its fluid features. It lifted the two and threw them high into the air. As they tumbled, screaming, back down toward the river, the thrashing of limbs and the billow of clothing became the shimmer of scales and the whip of narrow bodies, and two gleaming fish dived into the moving flow of the water. They would live to see another day. But not as men.
aBlack Crow save us!a muttered Tali. Her face had turned greenish white, as if she might be sick.
The water retreated, sinking to knee level and lower. The being began slowly to slip back into the body of the river.
aThank you!a I managed. aYou saved us. We are in your debt.a aGo,a murmured the river being. aLearn. Lead.a Then, with a sound like a sigh, it rippled and vanished into the flow.
We stood in silence a few moments, then Tali said, aWe canat linger here, someone may come looking for those so-called hunters. And we still have to cross the river.a aI doubt if that will pose any problem now,a I said, with a glance toward the water. aLet me look at your head, at least. You took quite a blow. And I have something else to do, something important.a We retrieved our bags. Talias staff and knives were gone, as was my own knife. I cleaned and bandaged Talias wound, saying little. My mind was full of what I had done; full of the death I had delivered. I had called out that being to perform acts of violence. Cause or no cause, it felt wrong.
While Tali packed up, I set out an offering of waybread on a flat stone and spoke words of respect and greeting to the unseen inhabitants of this place. I added a prayer for the men who had died or been forever changed here. They had performed their own act of violence. But, like the Enforcers who had fallen in last autumnas battle, they had been sons, fathers, brothers, husbands. Someone would mourn their loss; someone had loved them.
I was bone-weary; the use of my gift seemed to weaken me. But there was no time to rest. We made our way upstream and found the ford, a broad, shallow crossing over small stones, the water babbling cheerfully along, only a finger-length deep. Washed up on the bank was a long, cloth-wrapped bundle.
We approached with caution. The thing was too small for a body.
aThatas a cloak,a Tali said. aOne of those fellows was wearing it.a She was right. The sodden cloak still bore a clasp shaped like a battle-ax, perhaps their chieftainas household emblem. Tali unrolled the garment to reveal our missing weaponry, wet but otherwise unharmed. aBy all thatas holy,a Tali muttered. aYou have some powerful friends.a A bout of shivering ran through me.
aYouare tired,a she said, turning a shrewd gaze on me. aIam sorry, we must keep moving. I donat want to be on Keenanas land a moment longer than necessary. Letas hope the standing stones your friend mentioned are in sight from the top of the hill there. Once we find a safe bolt-hole, weall camp for the night, make a fire, change our clothes, and get these wretched things dry. As for what happened just now, I donat even want to think about it. Not yet anyway.a I made no argument, though it would have been more comfortable to walk in dry clothing. This was no place to strip off and change. Where one party of hunters had traveled, others might follow.
Tali led off at her usual brisk pace. We splashed across the ford and headed up the hill, where the same subtle signs as before marked the fey path.
aTell me one thing,a I said.
aWhat?a aWere you faking weakness back there, hoping to catch those men off guard? You looked on the point of collapse. You have a lump on your head as big as a manas fist. It was streaming blood. Iad have expected you to slow down just a bit.a For a little she did not answer. Then she said, aThe pain was real enough. Iave taught myself to keep going unless an opponent actually knocks me out cold. That has happened once or twice, but only in practice.a aReally? Who did it?a I could not imagine any of the Shadowfell warriors achieving such a feat.
aRegan,a she said. aMy brother. Once each. A while back; they couldnat do it now. Andra came close once. It wasnat all pretense, Neryn. Those men caught me off guard, and I wasnat quick enough in my defense. I saw the look you gave me, warning me that you were going to try something, and I did exaggerate a little in the hope that Iad get a chance to break free. That thing in the river a Whatever I expected, it surely wasnat that. You called it, didnat you?a aIt was the only thing I could do to save us.a We scrambled up a tricky section of path, and for a while all my breath was needed for the climb. When we reached a patch of level ground, I added, aWhen I told Regan I didnat want to use my gift yet, it was the truth. Iam not used to killing. I probably never will get used to it, even though I know weare fighting a war and it has to happen. And thereas another thing. Every time I use my gift, every time I harness the support of the Good Folk, thereas a risk that someone will see and take the story back to the Enforcers and to the king. I might draw them straight to us.a aI did tell you to stay out of it if we got into a fight.a I held back the obvious comment.
aBut if you had,a Tali said it for me, awead both be dead. So I owe you.a aThe way I see it, weare on the road together and we help each other.a aMm,a she grunted, and continued to climb, long legs steady and sure on the track. I hitched up my wet skirt and followed.
That night we roasted a skinny rabbit in the coals and ate better than we had for a while. We sat in a silence that, if not quite amicable, felt less strained than before. Our damp garments dripped and steamed on the bushes around the fire.
aYou think weare over Keenanas border now weave pa.s.sed the standing stones?a I asked her, more to fill the silence than anything else.
Tali spat a small bone into the fire. aAs far as I can tell. Tomorrow weall be heading south, toward the lochs. More folk around; more need for caution. But you must know that alreadya"you must have come over from Darkwater by the same track, or one very close.a aMm.a She turned her perceptive gaze on me. In the firelight, her eyes were touched with points of gold light. aStill weighed down by conscience? Even though what you did saved both our lives? Neryn, the rebellion depends on your gift. Without you, thereas no chance we can do it in the time we have. You need to put these scruples behind you; if you canat, theyall become a burden too heavy for you to carry.a aIt would be bad enough if I were the one sticking the knife in or drowning people. Itas even worse if I make one of the Good Folk do it for me. I know youare a fighter and accustomed to killing. But wouldnat you feel bad if you made an innocent person kill someone else?a aNeryn, that thing at the river, that water creaturea"it certainly didnat strike me as in any way reluctant to help you. Nor did your alarming friend Hollow. And didnat you hear what the river creature said at the end?a aGo. Learn. Lead.a aExactly. It knew who you were. It knew what your mission was. It wished you good luck with it. There was a moment earlier on when I wondered if wead end up drowned too, purely by accident. Still, we could have swum to the bank and climbed out.a I did not reply.
aDonat tell me you canat swim.a aNot much.a After a moment I said, aNot at all, really. Iall try not to fall out of the boat when we cross over to the isles.a aWonderful.a She wiped her greasy fingers on her skirt. aIall have to hope the sea beasties of the west are as favorably disposed toward you as the river creatures seem to be.a Soon afterward we rolled into our blankets and lay down beside the dying fire. We were camped in woods, under the shelter of a stone outcrop. It was a still, clear night, winter-cold. Above us stars p.r.i.c.ked out a brilliant pattern on the dark sky. The moon waxed pearly white.
I was still pondering the extraordinary events of the day. aWhat was it made you want to stay clear of Wedderburn?a I asked. aWhen Hollow asked about it, you said something about old history.a aItas complicated.a Talias face was somber in the firelight. aThere are several reasons for steering clear, even though Wedderburn is strategically placed. Regan made the right choice when he went south instead.a aWhat reasons?a aNothing that need concern you.a She rolled over, her back to me. aGo to sleep. Long walk tomorrow.a We moved on. Closer to the lochs, the hillsides were more densely forested. With every pa.s.sing day, oak, beech, and ash put on fresh leaves, welcoming the new season. Here the snow was only a memory. Flowers lifted bright heads above a rich carpet of last autumnas fallen leaves. Birds chirped, busying themselves with nest building.
Spring rain fell often, swelling the streams and slowing our progress, though we pressed on in all weathers. The waybread was finished. But with the season advancing, mushrooms, wild greens, and roots could be found in the woods. We caught fish in the lochans and set snares for rabbits.
There came a morning when we climbed to a vantage point and saw the shining expanse of a broad loch to the southeast, nestled among forested hills. Hollowas wee path had allowed us to bypa.s.s Deepwater altogether.
aWeall be close to the road by nightfall,a Tali said. aAnd walking on it in the morning. Itall be busy. Keldec will have substantial forces back at Summerfort by now. Theyall be moving to and fro, and so will ordinary folk. For us, ordinary folk are almost worse than Enforcers.a aThey can hardly be worse.a When a settlement or household incurred the kingas wrath, the Enforcers acted without mercy. They had no regard for human life or human dignity. I had seen what they could do.
aTheyare harder to read. An Enforcer makes no secret of his loyalty. He acts as youad expect a kingas man to act. A farmer or fisherman might be anything. Friend or enemy. Helpful or treacherous. Terrified or prepared to take a risk. Wead best practice our story before we go down there.a aDonat forget to wear your kerchief, and keep your sleeves rolled down. Those men at the river noticed your tattoos.a Tali ran her hands through her dark locks, which were cropped to finger-length, making her stand out from a crowd even without the body markings and proud carriage. aAnd hide my weapons again, yes? Just as well a fighting staff can double as a walking stick or Iad have to disobey Reganas orders.a This remark made me curious. aSo you usually obey them?a I asked. aYou seem so strong in your own opinions, I thought aa aIam a fighter. Reganas a leader.a She turned and headed down the hill. I scrambled after her. aIn a war, you obey your leader,a she said, still striding ahead. aIf you donat, everything falls apart.a There was a reservation in her voice. I took a risk. aBut?a aIt can be hard to set aside the past. You must know that as well as any of us. Iave done it. Fingalas done it. Flintas done it. Regan a He struggles with it sometimes. If he has any weak spot, itas that.a aI know something happened to Regan. Or to his family. Flint told me once that it gave him good reason for what heas doing now.a Tali looked over her shoulder. Her expression was somber. aMore than enough reason, Neryn. But that storyas his to tell.a aI understand.a aAnother man might have taken vengeance in blood and fire, or made an end of himself. Regan is stronger than that. Thereas a light shining in him, moving him forward: the light of freedom. Thatas what draws all of us to follow, to take risks, to keep on fighting when we see our comrades fall beside us. But thereas no light without shadow.a Our path came out at the edge of the woods; we looked down on the road linking Deepwater to Hiddenwater, the smallest in the chain of lochs. For a while we stayed in the shelter of the trees, a.s.sessing what movement there was: carts, riders, people on foot herding stock. A group of Enforcers swept along the way. Folk scattered before the drumming of their horsesa hooves. The Cull was not until autumn, but that would not stop the kingas men from breaking down doors and putting the disloyal or the canny to the sword. Out of sheer terror, ordinary folk would lie about their neighbors. To protect his own skin or that of a wife or child, brother would denounce brother. I wondered if Keldec had kept Flint close by him this spring, perhaps ordering him to stay at Winterfort until the court moved west in time for the midsummer Gathering. For more nights than I could count, I had not dreamed of him. Wherever he was, I hoped he was safe.
We camped one last night in the woods, without a fire. When morning came, we packed up, rehearsing our story in whispers. Tali was Luda, I was Calla, the name I had used before when on the run. Not sisters; with one of us tall, dark, and athletic and the other slight and fair, that seemed likely to give rise to questions. We were friends and neighbors from a settlement called Stonyrigg, in the western isles, and we were returning home after a visit to Ludaas sister, who had wed a man from the north. The distances involved were farther than most ordinary people would dream of traveling for such a purpose, but the story should be good enough to get us to Pentishead and, with luck, over to the isles. That was if folk did not notice how ill Talias upright carriage, authoritative manner, and snapping dark eyes sat with her drab working-womanas clothing.
For me, it was easier to go unnoticed, provided I did not betray my canny gift. I was neither exceptionally tall nor unusually short. As far as I knew, I was neither strikingly beautiful nor startlingly ugly. In my ordinary attire, with my walking staff and small pack, I could be any traveler. I had a knife, yes, but so did most folk. A person had to be able to make fire. She had to have some means of defending herself on the road. As for my footwear, my old shoes with their delicate st.i.tchery had been left at Shadowfell. Now I wore a pair of st.u.r.dy walking boots. My hair, which when newly washed was honey-colored, was tightly plaited and pinned up under a kerchief similar to Talias. A bracing dip in a stream was the closest wead come to bathing since we left Shadowfell; if folk noticed anything, it would probably be the way I smelled. aWhat are you smiling at?a aNot at you, I promise. I was thinking about how filthy I am and wondering how long itall be before I next have a hot bath. I doubt the Hag of the Isles lives in a place with such luxuries.a aThereas always the sea,a Tali said. aA nice cold bath. You could play with the seals. Thatas if I succeed in teaching you to swim.a aLetas cross that bridge when we get to it. Shall we move on?a There was a series of difficult firsts: the first dayas walking down on the road; the first time we exchanged wary nods with other travelers; the first night spent at a wayside inn, where a few coppers bought us a bowl of watery porridge and a flea-ridden pallet. Wead wanted to avoid such places, which were collecting points for gossip and rumor, but sudden heavy rain cut our dayas walk short and gave us no other option for shelter. We spoke as little as possible and headed for bed soon after our meager supper. Over the meal we heard talk of new arrivals at Summerfort, a troop of Enforcers, maybe two troops. There was speculation as to when they would ride out and which direction they would take. Last autumnas Cull had been thorough; only the western isles had been entirely spared. That did not make folk safe from unexpected visits, from fists pounding on doors and masked men asking hard questions. If the kingas men didnat like the answers they got, people were apt to find themselves strung up or worse.
We left the inn soon after dawn, heading west toward Hiddenwater.
Early-morning light touched the guard tower at Summerfort, where Owen Swift-Sword stood alone. To the south lay the expanse of Deepwater, l.u.s.trous as a dark pearl. Close at hand the Rush branched as it flowed into the loch. Behind him, to the north, lay the mist-shrouded peaks of the Three Hags. Beyond was the way to Shadowfell.
The creak of footsteps on the ladder. aOwen? You up there?a He reached out, grasped his comradeas hand, hauled him up to the platform. The two stood side by side awhile, looking out, not talking. To the west, wooded hills, the lakesh.o.r.e winding away, the road to the isles. To the east, below the tower, the practice area, where already twelve men of Stag Troop were engaged in an early-morning drill. Beyond, the way to Winterfort and Keldecas court.
Rohan Death-Blade cleared his throat. Glanced toward the ladder. Down in the practice area, the men had set up targets for archery. aTheyare ready,a he said. aWe can be on the road as soon as you give the word.a aMm.a His troop leaderas gaze did not move from the practice area.
aSome advantage in moving before Bull Troop gets here. You saw how the fellows clashed at Winterfort.a Owen nodded, but made no comment.
aAbout the target in the isles,a Rohan said, dropping his voice to a murmur. He moved to the ladder, took a look down, returned to the parapet once more. aYou know that jobas best covered by a man on his own. Two at most. Sail over with more than that and the quarry will have gone to ground before anyone sets foot on sh.o.r.e.a Things unspoken lay heavy between them.
aIslanders are stubborn folk,a said Rohan. aCould be a lengthy process getting information out of them. Lengthy and untidy. One man, covert operation, quick strikea"in my opinion, itas the only way to do the job.a aYou volunteering?a aYou must be joking.a Rohan grimaced. aHave you ever seen me get on a boat if I can avoid it? We could split the troop, send Tallis north with one team while I take the other south. Regroup when the targets are all accounted for.a Down below, Tallisas arrow flew straight to the distant mark. A small chorus of congratulation broke out.
They stood watching a while longer. If there was an obvious omission in Rohanas strategy, neither spoke of it.
aItas a sound plan,a said Owen Swift-Sword levelly. aCall the men together after breakfast and weall tell them.a Before dawn we headed down to the road. It was too early for folk herding stock or driving carts to market. With luck it would be too early for Enforcers. We walked in silence, each keeping her thoughts to herself. I had dreamed of Flint, and that was enough to keep me quiet. Head been at Summerfort, watching his men as they trained in the yard. Talking to another Enforcer. His blunt features, so dear to me, had borne an abstracted expression; his gray eyes had been troubled. What the two had spoken of there was no telling. Whether it meant Flint was at Summerfort now, or whether the dream was created by my longing for him to be close, I could not say. But something of my feelings must have shown on my face, for I caught Tali looking at me from time to time, eyes shrewdly a.s.sessing.
As the road approached Hiddenwater, it wound between barren, stony slopes. The small loch lay in a deep bowl, sheer rock walls almost encircling it. The water was pearly gray under a sky of vaporous clouds. Here and there a hint of the dawn to come brightened the stark stones. The wind was from the west, an eerie whistling along the lonely track.
aHear the ghosts,a I murmured.
Tali looked at me as if I were touched in the wits. aThe story of this place is well known, of course: an ancient battle with many fallen. But what folk hear as they pa.s.s through is only the wind.a aYouare wrong. Warrior-ghosts haunt this place; the sound is their voices, crying out.a aNonsense, Neryn. How can you know that?a aI know because when I came the other way, I saw them.a It had been a momentous encounter. A turning point in my life.
Tali made no comment, but something had changed in her expression.
aWalk quietly,a I said. aIf anyone can catch sight of them, surely itas you.a aIam carrying iron.a aThese are warrior-spirits, the ghosts of the dead, not Good Folk. If they want to come out, iron wonat stop them.a We were halfway around the narrow path that skirted the loch when we heard the marching of their feet behind us, soft but regular, then a voice whispering Halt. Tali whirled, staff up in defensive mode. I turned more slowly.
They stood in a neat double line, eyes bright in their skull-like faces. Their warrior garments were rent and stained, their boots cracked and broken. Some wore helms of leather, some were bare-headed, their hair ragged, their beards wild. Here and there an ugly wound split a skull or left a limb hanging crooked and useless. One young fighter had a great hollow in his chest, as if an ax had cloven his body nearly in half. From somewhere down the line came a faint skirl of pipes and the rat-tat of a ghostly drum.
Tali stood frozen by my side, her staff gripped in both hands.
aWe greet you, warriors of Hiddenwater,a I said, doing my best to look like the fighter they had once asked me to become. aHow do you fare?a Well enough, Caller. The answer came from everywhere and nowhere. What news?
aYou bade me fight. I am preparing for that fight. Others too. My companion here is one of them.a Their eyes went to Tali. To her credit, she met that hungry gaze with confidence.
aBrothers, I salute you,a she said, and to my astonishment I heard a tremor in her voice. Not fear; she was afraid of nothing. aWhat mighty battle brought you to this sad extreme?a They gathered closer, breaking their formation to encircle us on the path. A chorus of whispers told the tale: We were camped yonder, under the trees that once grew in this vale. Conalas men came down on us by night, as we slept. Broke the ancient truce. Blood on the stones. We fought hard. We fought long. We fell.
aWhat was the ancient truce?a Now it was Tali who seemed hungry; her hands were white-knuckled on the staff.
A sigh ran through the spectral troop. Yonder lies Corriedale, the whispers told us, and several hands pointed roughly north. And yonder Ravensburn, our own place. They pointed south. The truce let men of each holding use this track from seeding to harvest; from lambing to the autumn culling of stock. Our chieftains were long at war, but folk must have a livelihood. Conal broke the truce. His men set a stain on their honor that night. They left us dying in our blood, and they bore away our chieftain.
aUltan of Ravensburn,a breathed Tali. aThey cut off his head and set it up on the parapet of Conalas stronghold at Corriedale for folk to throw stones at. The tale goes that for many nights the moon in those parts showed blood-red, and Ultanas head could be heard crying out, aShame! Shame!a a The spectral host had fallen utterly silent. I too had nothing to say. Talias response had astonished me.
Roll up your sleeves. One voice, every voice.
Tali pa.s.sed me her staff, then obeyed the request, revealing the elaborate tattoos that circled her arms from wrist to shoulder, chains and swirls and flying birds. She took off her kerchief and pulled down the collar of her shirt to show the row of birds around her neck.
A wordless whispering of excitement broke out among the warriors, a restless vibration that made my heart thump. A tall, lean fellow walked forward through the crowd; the others fell back to let him pa.s.s. In life, he might have been handsome. He carried himself straight. His hair was long and dark; his tattered clothing had once been that of a leader. As he approached, he rolled up his ragged sleeves, and on the pallid flesh of his arm were inked chains and swirls and flying birds. You are one of us, the ghost said, and One of us, echoed the others. Ultanas heir, breathed the ghost. A warrior.
aI am a warrior,a Tali said, abut I am not Ultanas heir, and neither is my brother. Ravensburn fell to our enemy long ago; it is lost to us. But we are of Ultanas blood, and we are still fighting. Not for a single territory or a single stronghold. We pursue a far greater cause. We seek freedom for all Alban. Freedom from tyranny, freedom from terror, freedom to build our land anew. No doubt men of Corriedale died here that night, along with the heroes of Ravensburn; there must have been bitter losses on both sides, for I see you fought long and hard. Corriedaleas fallen were treated more kindly after death, I imagine. But they were no less dead for that. In our war, old enemies will fight, not against each other, but side by side.a She paused. The tattooed man had reached out tentative fingers toward her neck, where the dark birds of Ravensburn followed their straight, unswerving path. aYou are my kinsman,a Tali said, and I saw to my astonishment that tears were running down her cheeks. aMy ancestor.a Ultan was my father. In the harsh, faint ghost voice I heard a fierce pride. My name was a The warrior hesitated, as if reaching for something almost fled. My name was Fingal.
aI am descended from your daughter,a Tali said. aMy brother is named for you. So we keep your memory alive and honor your courage. Our land may be lost, but the blood of Ravensburn flows strong and true. Know that, my kinsman.a She reached up a hand to dash the tears from her cheeks, and I saw in that gesture the same pride I had seen in the ghostly warrior.
aItas almost day,a I said. When I had encountered these spirits before, they had vanished with the first rays of the sun. aWe must say our farewells and move on.a Keep her safe, Fingal said. Keep the Caller safe. That is your mission. She carries the flame. Guard her with your life. Farewell, daughter of my daughter.
aFather of my father, farewell.a Tali was fighting to keep her voice steady.
aFarewell, warriors of the west,a I said. aI have not forgotten what you taught me. Weapons sharp; backs straight; hearts high.a Weapons sharp; backs straight; hearts high. Farewell.a And they were gone.
Beyond Hiddenwater lay a broad area of farmland, a place I had crossed by night coming the other way, ducking from one sheltered spot to the next with my heart in my mouth. Tali had decided we would go straight on, since the alternativea"hiding up on the hillside until duska"would lose us a whole dayas walking. Once past the farmland we would be on the wooded sh.o.r.es of the next loch, Silverwater, and could go on under reasonable cover.
I asked no questions, and she held her silence. What had struck me most strongly was the way the spectral warriors had shared their story with her, as if she were one of them. And it seemed she was: theirs by blood and theirs by calling, a warrior of Ravensburn. When I had first encountered the ghostly comrades, last autumn, I had thought the past all but forgotten for them. Perhaps, when they had bidden me sing the song of truth, that ancient anthem had woken their memory. Or perhaps the spark had been Tali herself, a vibrant, pa.s.sionate warrior as they had once been, a fighter who wore the clan patterns by which they had lived and died. Guard the Caller, they had said. They knew what I was. They knew what I could be.
There were folk about on the farms, letting chickens out to forage, hanging clothing on a line, forking a dung heap. A tired-looking horse pulled a cart laden with lumpy sacks. A girl with a dog herded sheep from one walled field to another. We kept our heads down and walked on by. Not far to the shelter of that wooded hillside. I imagined Sage and Red Cap up there somewhere, looking out and exchanging wry comments as they watched our progress. Judging by what Hollow had said, word of the mission was spreading fast among their kind. aYou! On the road!a I snapped out of my reverie. Talias hand moved to her concealed knife, but she did not complete the movement. We halted, and Tali leaned on her staff.
A man had come to the edge of the nearby field and was examining us over the drystone wall. He was a burly individual with a pitchfork over his shoulder. At the far side of the field a younger man stood watching, a similar implement propped against the wall beside him. The field smelled of pigs, though no pigs were in sight, only a ramshackle sty.
aFine day,a Tali observed in neutral tones.
aWhere are you headed?a My skin p.r.i.c.kled. n.o.body asked this kind of question anymore. n.o.body shared information with folk they did not know.