Kerrion pulled his lathered stallion to a halt and gazed at the long, meandering caravan that stretched across the dunes before him. The people had seen him coming, and were already on their knees, their foreheads pressed to the sand. He gestured to his men, and the troops dismounted to round up the women, herd them closer and strip off their headdresses and veils so he could see their faces and hair. After the last had been exposed for his perusal, Kerrion turned his horse and started away, his heart heavy with despair. His subjects stared after him in confusion, and he did not bother to question them. He was sick of negative answers.
By now, he had searched every keep, village and estate within two tendays ride of Jadaya, and was losing hope. Only a few scattered villages remained further from the capital, and he doubted Trelath would have been able to transport Minna that far without someone seeing him. The other Cotti cities were rife with his spies, and their garrisons had been searching them since Minna had disappeared.
It was unlikely that Trelath had taken her to another city, where so many eyes could note the arrival of his party and spread the news. Wherever Trelath had hidden Minna, it was somewhere he did not know about, yet it had to be somewhere with shade and water, or she would die. The possibility that she was already dead weighed heavily upon him, and if he could not find her, he would never know. Now he was reduced to searching caravans, and soon he would have to start looking further afield, a prospect that did not please him. No word had reached his ears from any of his spies, not even conjecture, which was strange.
The stallion stumbled, bringing to his attention the animal's state of extreme fatigue. He stopped and turned to gaze back at his exhausted troops, whose steeds drooped and familiars limped through the hot sand. A tenday spent in the desert was taxing even at a sedate pace, and he had pushed them hard. His body protested its abuse too, his muscles ached and his skin burnt from the harsh sun and the grit that had found its way into his clothes. None of his officers had dared to suggest that they should return to Jadaya for a rest, but he knew they must. Turning his mount, he headed in the direction of the distant city.
Four days later, he rode into the palace courtyard at sunset and dismounted with a groan, patting his horse's neck in gratitude before the groom led it away. Limping into the cool halls of the palace, he made his way to his study. Jadar met him in the corridor, his visage grim. Kerrion walked into his study with the advisor on his heels, and went over to the table to pour himself a cup of wine.
"What is it, Jadar?"
"Grave news indeed, Sire."
"Well, spit it out."
Jadar lowered his eyes. "Your daughter has fled, and Endor is furious. Apparently she was removed from the palace by someone you used to know, an assassin."
"Blade." Kerrion drank deeply to hide his smile.
"Yes, Sire. The same assassin who killed your father and your brothers. I was told this by Chaymin, Trelath's brother, who said you must send troops to aid in the search for your daughter, or your wife will suffer."
Kerrion's blood heated with fury. "I have already given in to his demands and ordered Kerra to allow him to visit her, now he adds more demands and threats?"
"That is the way blackmailers work, Sire."
"If Kerra has persuaded Blade to help her, then no one will find them. Clearly she does not wish to submit to Endor, and even defies me. Sending more troops will do no good, that country could hide an army for a hundred years. It is full of caves and forests and secret valleys hidden amongst the hills. I have done as they asked. I will do no more."
Jadar reached into his robes. "Chaymin also gave me this, and bade me tell you that more will follow if you do not obey."
Kerrion stared at the knotted black tress in Jadar's hand, then banged down his goblet and strode over to take it, running it through his fingers. "I will kill that little bastard."
The King headed for the door, but Jadar said, "He has gone, Sire."
Kerrion swung around. "Of course he has, the cowardly piece of dung. I hope you had him followed."
"I did. He went to Lord Rothgan's estate, where he remains."
"I have searched that place. She was not there."
"Chaymin is a man of crows, and undoubtedly his familiar carries messages to and from Trelath."
Kerrion returned to the table and picked up his cup again. "It must be so, since Trelath is a rat. Did you have a man of birds follow him?"
"Yes, Sire, but as yet his familiar has not left him."
The King sat down behind his desk and pulled a blank parchment from the pile before him, dipped a quill into the inkpot and scribbled a quick message, then sealed it with his ring. He held it out to Jadar.
"My order to send all available troops to Jashimari to search for my daughter. I am confident they will not find her while the Invisible Assassin guards her. I am going to join your man near Rothgan's estate, so I can follow Chaymin's crow when it leaves. If it leads us to my wife, Kiara will have some hunting to do. She hates crows."
Kerrion turned to smile at the huge desert eagle on her perch by the window, and the bird met his gaze, raising her crest in pleasure at his attention. Jadar's hand crept to the pocket sewn into his robe, where a tiny bat-eared shrew made its home.
"You would kill Chaymin's familiar?"
Kerrion glanced at him. "I would kill Chaymin himself if I could. And Trelath's rat is in even greater danger, should I find it. There is no law against killing familiars."
"But few would contemplate such a terrible thing. The suffering..."
"I would contemplate many terrible things now, Jadar. And my brothers' suffering will only ease my own a little." The King rose and picked up his goblet, wandering over to gaze out of the window. "Did you know my mother is a woman of gazelles?"
Jadar shook his head, and Kerrion continued, "When she bonded with a doe, her father had it slain, since women are not allowed to have large or powerful familiars. Where is the justice in that, hmm? She suffered terribly, simply because men were jealous of her. Her father was a man of lizards. My brothers have hurt me, now it is time to hurt them back."
"When your wife is safe."
Kerrion's hand tightened around the goblet, and the metal crumpled with a soft creak. Dropping the crushed cup, he gripped the window ledge with white-knuckled hands and stared out across the city. When he turned to face the advisor, the old man retreated a few steps from the anger in his eyes.
Kerrion ran a hand through his hair. "I am not angry with you, Jadar. I just hate being so damned helpless. Yes, only when she is safe, or dead, will I be able to strike back. I dream up all sorts of ways to punish that scum, but I keep forgetting that I cannot do anything yet, much as I long to."
He paused, thinking. "Now I understand that which drove Blade to kill as many Cotti as he could, after what they did to his family and him. I had not known what it was like to truly hate someone until now. Minna told me that Blade said revenge is a sweet cup with bitter dregs that never runs dry, and I now know this to be true. You sup the sweetness when you find it, but then the thirst for more vengeance fills the cup with bitterness again. After fifteen years of retirement, Blade's cup must be overflowing."
"You knew him well, Sire?"
Kerrion turned to Jadar, searching the man's face for signs of duplicity. "If you want me to answer that question, you will have to swear to absolute silence."
"I swear it, on the blood of my familiar."
The King filled another goblet with red wine, indicating that Jadar should join him. "Yes, I knew him well. I even liked him, after a fashion. I saved him from death and brought him here. He hated me, of course. He probably still does. He is a complicated man. I tried to make amends for what was done to him by finding his sister, but then Ronan killed her. If I had not found her, she would still be alive, which has haunted me ever since. He probably hates me even more for that." Kerrion sipped his wine and shook his head. "But enough about Blade. How did the courts take my decree?"
"Not too well, Sire. They said, as I thought they would, that she is not your property, since she is not a slave, and therefore cannot be stolen. They also said that kidnapping her is not the same as enslaving. Cotti men kidnap girls from their fathers all the time. They say it is a rivalry between two men, each wanting the same woman, and must be settled in the time-honoured way."
Kerrion snorted. "The time-honoured way involves a fight to the death, but I cannot do that even if I could find him, never mind her. If it is to be settled in that manner, then they must allow me to fight Trelath to the death."
"They will not, Sire. The only time a Cotti royal may fight to the death is when a prince challenges for the throne, and even then it only means that if the loser dies from his wounds, the King is not guilty of treason."
"None of my half-brothers will ever challenge me. They are all cowards. They know if they stick their necks out that far, I will chop off their heads. Is there any other way of presenting it to the courts?"
Jadar shook his head. "I fear not, Sire. They were unmoved by your decree, and ruled upon it within minutes."
Kerrion put down his cup. "I will wager that my half-brothers have bought all the court elders. I will not waste any more time asking them to help me. I shall find ways to punish my brothers. I think of new ones every day. That is how hatred works, as I am discovering. Now I must bathe and eat before I leave for Rothgan's estate."
"But Sire, the petitions..."
The King glanced at the pile of papers on his desk, which had grown considerably in his absence. "I have no time, nor do I care right now. When my wife is found, I will attend to it. Tell them that."
Jadar bowed as Kerrion left the room, not bothering to argue this time. He had grown to realise that the King was obsessed with finding his wife, and nothing would sway him from that path. All he could do was pray for was a speedy outcome, and the safety of Minna-Satu.
Minna sat in the corner of her cell, swung the chain that hung from her wrists and hummed a tune. Her situation had improved somewhat over the tendays, which seemed like moons. A longer length of chain allowed her to walk around, and a basin of water now stood in the corner, from which she could drink whenever she wished. There was no door on her prison, which allowed Shista to come and go, and the cat went out at night now to hunt. Fortunately, she was a desert animal, able to survive in the harsh conditions.
There could be little prey in the small oasis, except for snakes and rats, but, although she had lost some weight, she remained sleek and fit. The same could not be said for Minna, who had lost a great deal of weight and was weak and listless. The diet of stale bread, dates and dried fish did not agree with her stomach any more than it did with her taste buds, and she struggled to keep each meal down. The stench that rose from her was rivalled only by the stink of the bucket in the corner.
Once a day, the Jashimari slave boy came to bring her food and empty the bucket, but he never washed it. Her filth disgusted her, and she sought escape from her situation in sleep, walking through the lush gardens of her palace in her dreams. When sleep eluded her, she sang soft tunes to entertain herself, and composed poetry in her head, anything to keep her mind off her prospective fate. Sometimes, she played with Shista on the sandy floor, and her purring presence was her only comfort.
Blade sat up as another town came into sight ahead of the coach, studying it. So far, the journey had been uneventful, and he had begun to hope that it would remain so. Ferndar was only a couple of days journey away now. They had been on the road for a full three tendays. They spent their nights in roadside inns, and the Queen had found little to complain about, apart from the poor food and uncomfortable beds. Gold greased the innkeepers' hands, and bought the best of everything, though none of it was up to Kerra's standards.
Fortunately, the novelty of her situation and the excitement of exploring the outside world had made up for the discomforts, and she had been remarkably well behaved. Blade shared the Queen's room to guard against unwelcome visitors during the night in the form of any drunken, lecherous patrons who thought that she might welcome some company. So far, nothing like that had happened. He had forbidden her to speak to the Knights or show her face, which had prevented her from giving them any foolish orders or revealing her identity.
Since the Queen traditionally never left the palace, it did not seem to occur to the Knights that they might be protecting her, although rumours abounded about her disappearance. The Knights had remained taciturn, which suited Blade, and most of the journey had been achieved in silence. He had purchased four more daggers, which were secreted about his person as usual, and had added a small crossbow to his arsenal.
His gaze sharpened as he studied the town ahead, and he frowned, filled with foreboding. Leaning out of the window, he ordered the coachman to stop. As soon as the coach halted, he jumped down and gazed at the town again, trying to discern what it was about it that he disliked. Sir Raylin rode up, and Blade glanced up at him.
"What do you see in that town?"
Sir Raylin perused the village. "Nothing peculiar. It's a bit busy... for a country hamlet."
Blade nodded. "Very busy. I will wager that if we got closer, we would see that most of those people are men, soldiers to be exact."
"A visiting company?"
"Yes, but not ours."
"What makes you say that?"
Blade shrugged. "Just a feeling. Can we detour around it?"
"Not with the coach, there's no road."
Blade glanced at the forest that bordered the road on both sides. As he did, he noticed a group of horsemen leaving the town and heading towards them at a trot. Evidently they had spotted the carriage, and were coming to investigate. He was certain they were Cotti, and equally sure they would not be as easily duped as the guards in Jondar. Sir Raylin took a small telescope from his pocket and peered through it.
"You're right, they're Cotti. Dog soldiers."
Blade's blood ran cold, and he turned to one of the other Knights. "You, get off, now."
The man looked puzzled, but obeyed as Blade strode to the carriage. He reached in and gripped the Queen's wrist, hauled her from the coach and pulled her towards the horse.
"Get on, hurry!"
Kerra scrambled aboard the big grey with his help, and he ran back to the coach to pull his bundle of clothes from under the seat and grab his crossbow. He marched over to one of the other Knights, who dismounted before he was told. Blade stuffed his bundle into the saddlebag and mounted, turning to Sir Raylin.
"This is where we part company. My thanks for your escort."
Sir Raylin frowned. "They will see you leave, Sir Conash."
"That cannot be helped."
"You're on the run from the Cotti?"
"Yes, and we must go."
Blade turned his horse and spurred it into a gallop, heading for the nearest trees. A glance back assured him that the Queen followed, riding competently, and the two mounted Knights gave chase. Blade had never liked riding, and galloping through dangerous terrain was his least favourite method. He plunged into the woods, the thunder of his mount's hooves becoming muffled by the thick carpet of leaves.
Tree trunks flashed past within finger-breadths of his legs, and branches lashed him. Kerra suffered the same fate, her hood blown back and her hair streaming in the wind. The two Knights who followed certainly knew who she was now, but it did not matter anymore, he had given away the secret when he fled the Cotti. The distant baying of dogs told him that the soldiers gave chase, and he urged his horse through a rocky stream bed with little regard for the danger.
The baying grew closer despite the furious pace he set, and when he glanced back the two Knights were gone. Kerra crouched over her horse's neck, her face pale with terror at their breakneck gallop through the forest. At this pace, one slip or stumble could result in the death of rider and mount. He disliked being responsible for her safety, and he wondered if Chiana had contemplated how dangerous this little adventure could become when she had asked him to take the Queen into hiding. There were some things even he could not guard against.
Coalwood trees flashed past in a blur, and the horses' hooves kicked up clods of earth behind them as they swerved amongst the trunks and jumped fallen logs. Blade had never been a particularly good rider, and now he was forced to cling to the pommel as he was jerked and bounced in the saddle. He glanced back again, but the forest behind them remained empty.
The Knights had undoubtedly gone back to try to delay the Cotti, and he wished them luck, but did not think that they would succeed. Moments later, a shrill yelping echoed through the woods, and, despite himself, he cringed inwardly. Unwritten law forbade killing familiars, and few people had the stomach to do it. The Cotti had killed his wood cat when they had raided his village, slaughtered his parents and enslaved him and his siblings. The memory of that agony still haunted him. None of the Knights had familiars, and he guessed that they had been slain in battle, which explained the Knights' dour, reserved manner.
They hardly even spoke to each other, so he was not being given the cold shoulder, and nor was he a talkative person himself. It seemed that losing a familiar caused this withdrawal. It was probably also the reason that they had given up all their worldly possessions and their manhood to become Knights of the Veil. Knights were known for tackling the most dangerous jobs and fighting impossible battles. They cared nothing for their lives, which was what made them so dangerous. They also, it seemed, thought nothing of killing familiars, since they had none of their own.
The yelping stopped, and he knew that the Cotti had recalled their dogs before too many were injured or slain. It bought them a little time, and might split the pursuers if the Knights chose to lead them away, for the Cotti would want to punish those who had harmed their dogs. Those with injured dogs would be forced to give up the chase to tend to their familiars, and if any had been killed, their human companions would now be suffering the coma that the bereft fell into after the death of their familiar. They too would be out of the chase, and would be useless for several tendays until they recovered.
The tactic was a good one, although he did not particularly approve of it. He had always tried to avoid killing familiars, although most of the beasts died when their human companions did. In such a dire situation, however, he welcomed any help. He ducked under a branch and was yanked sideways as his horse narrowly avoided colliding with yet another tree, the bark brushing his leg. The danger of a misstep increased as the horses tired, and his was starting to blow. He needed something to throw the pursuers off the scent, for the dogs would track them relentlessly.
As if sent by providence, a stream appeared through the trees ahead, and he guided his horse into it, heading upstream. The sound of baying was distant now, and his tactic would further split the Cotti as they were forced to search in both directions when they reached the stream. He glanced back at the pale, wide-eyed girl, slowing his horse to a trot to rest it a little.
A few leagues further on, he left the stream and headed south again, urging his horse into a canter. They came across a broad meadow and left a trail across it that any fool could follow before entering another belt of woodland on the far side. No sound came from behind now, but that did not mean their pursuers had gone, only that the Cotti had silenced their dogs. This was supposed to make him think he had shaken the soldiers off, so he would slow down. Blade kept going at a canter, hoping for a town in which to lose himself and his charge.
By dusk, the horses stumbled with fatigue, and he had no choice but to let them rest. He slowed to a walk, allowing the animals to cool down before stopping. They travelled through an ancient, gloomy forest whose enormous ironwood trees towered above them, bright ferns growing amongst their roots. Birdsong echoed through their ranks, and the leafy roof formed vast living halls filled with burgeoning life.
Night's chill invaded the sweet air, cutting through his clothes. Soon it became too dark to continue, and he stopped, sliding from his horse with a sigh. The abused portions of his anatomy ached, while the Queen dismounted with far greater ease. He tied the horses to a tree and loosened their girths, then rummaged through the saddle bags in the hope of finding food. Coming away with a little journey bread and a wine skin, he settled down with his back against a tree.
Kerra squatted in front of him, her eyes darting between the massive trunks, trying to pierce the darkness. He offered her the wine, and she took a swig, grimaced and handed it back. It was young, admittedly, but it was better than water.
She asked, "Where are we?"
He shrugged. "No idea."
"You are lost?"
"We are lost."
Kerra sank down on the damp leaves, a picture of misery. "What are we going to do?"
"Well, we are not going to start blubbering, for one thing."
"I was not!"
"The waterworks were on the way, mark my words. If you are going to be a queen, you will have to learn to be strong, and not burst into tears at the first setback."
"I am a queen, and I was not tearful! And this is more than a mere setback, it is a disaster."
Blade took a long swig of wine. "It is an inconvenience, nothing more. Without proof that they are pursuing the right quarry, I think the Cotti will be more inclined to chase the Knights who harmed their dogs."
Her eyes narrowed. "You are lying, trying to placate me. They know that a woman left Jondar unseen, and we fled their approach. They cannot be such fools."
Blade chuckled. "I would not call you a woman, Kerra, and do not overestimate the Cotti. Chances are, these soldiers do not know about our disguise. Those two idiots in Jondar probably did as I recommended and kept quiet. Furthermore, you should be more certain before you accuse me of lying, it is not polite."
"I am certain. They would have given up much sooner if they had not known who I was."
He shook his head. "There is little a Cotti loves better than a good hunt, especially with human quarry at its end."
"I see why Chiana finds you so infuriating. Even when you are caught lying, you defend it with even bigger lies."
"You should never admit to lying, even when you are caught at it," he admonished. "Remember that when you rule one day."
"I do not tell lies!"
"Then you had better learn."
She snorted. "Why should I?"
"Because the best way to trip up a deceitful person is to tell lies of your own."
"I would never stoop to such a thing."
Blade took another swig from the wine skin. "If you suspect a lord of lying to you, you should pretend to believe him, then send your spies to learn the truth."
"Why?"
"Because if you tell him you know he is lying, he will hide the evidence or kill your spies. Without proof, you will not be able to bring him to justice."
She pondered this, looking doubtful. "Now you are trying to distract me from our situation."
Blade sighed. "And I had almost succeeded. Here is another tip. Do not accuse someone of lying if you are dependent upon them for your safety."
"But you were!"
"Not really. We do not know what they know, or who they are chasing now. They may have given up, and I certainly hope they have. But even if they have not, their horses are just as tired as ours, and it is too dark to travel, so relax."
She shivered, rubbing her arms. "How are we going to find our way out of this forest?"
"I am no woodsman, but I think if we keep heading in the same direction we will reach the end of it sooner or later."
"Where do you plan to go now?"
He gazed into the darkness. "I think Endor has forced Kerrion to send troops to aid in the search. That is why they were ahead of us. We need to find a big city to hide in."
"So it was not such a good idea to head south."
"If we had gone north, we would have been penned in from behind and to the west as Endor's men came in from Contara, with nowhere to run to except the frozen wastelands. We would have been forced to turn east into the marshlands of the mud people."
"So where will we go now?"
Blade plugged the wine skin and set it down. "I do not like making plans, they always go astray. We find the end of the forest and see what lies beyond, then decide what to do."
"You must have some sort of long-term plan."
"Yes, to keep you out of the hands of the Cotti."
"How?"
He shrugged. "Keep running and hiding. Hopefully we will eventually find a place or a disguise that will keep you safe for a while."
Kerra sighed, looking disconsolate. "I hope my father finds his wife soon."
"So do I, and I am glad you are no longer hoping for her death."
"That is a strange thing for you to say, who claim to care for nothing and nobody."
Blade smiled. "Chiana again, I suppose. I do not, of course, but you should, since you will one day be a queen."
"Caring for people only makes us vulnerable, like my father is now. If he did not care for his wife, he would not have this problem."
"True. But a ruler who cares nothing for her people will incur their wrath and ultimately lose her throne. Either that, or be forced to rule by fear and bloodshed."
Kerra shivered again, pulling her robe closer. "Could you light a fire?"
"No. I am not stupid enough to set a beacon for everyone to see. And you should take that robe off, it is white. I am going to change. Eat something."
Blade offered her the journey bread, but she shook her head. He rose and went over to his horse, pulled his bundle from the saddlebag, then went into the trees to change. When he returned, he was once more clad in his black leather clothes, and almost invisible in the gloom. He ordered her to remove the robe, under which she still wore the dark riding habit from the palace.
Kerra insisted that she was cold, and wrapped the garment around herself, which defeated the whole exercise, but by then Blade was tired of arguing with her. He spread the Knight's uniform out on the ground and lay down on it, closing his eyes. After a few minutes the Queen followed suit, and he listened to the forest's night sounds, mingled with an occasional snort or stamp from the horses.