By Blood Betrayed (The Kingsblood Chronicles) (41 page)

Reidar said, “Huh?” and raised the lantern while turning up the flame.

“Go get Cedrick and Arden, Alan,” Reidar ordered, disgust evident in his features. “I’ll stay here and see if there’s any enchantment on the damned things.

“And don’t worry, I’m not going down there just yet.”

By the time Lian returned with the two captains, Reidar had cast several spells and was hovering upside-down, his head just inside the bilge. “Reidar?” Arden asked, and the sorcerer floated up and then righted himself.

“Every rat in Mola must be aboard, Arden,” Reidar said. “I can only surmise that something down there died and smelled like rat heaven, because there’s no magic on the beasts at all. They’re reluctant to leave, however, even if I promise them food.”

“You tried talking to them?” Cedrick asked.

“Not in words, Captain, but yes,” Reidar said. “My guess is that once we start to put out, the majority of them will go back ashore. Once that big catch of fish guts has had time to rot, it’ll probably draw them like flies to carrion.”

“Except that because of the money we paid the lizards,” Lian said, “there won’t be any fish guts or any other scraps, for that matter. They paid the Molans for all the meat they could get, and they weren’t picky about what parts they were given, either.”

Arden smiled a thin smile. “So our luck is holding, and what seems like a break transforms once again to misfortune.” Lian decided that he was referring to the retrieval of the ballista bolts.

“I don’t agree, sir,” Lian said. “The Molans would have let the lizards have the leavings regardless, simply to keep the beaches clear. The lizards would have just had to pay in shells and pearls and the like.”

Cedrick said, “I think the lad is right, Arden. The rats themselves might be our luck rearing its ugly head again, but the lack of remains on the beach isn’t.”

Arden sighed, “I hope so, Cedrick, I truly do. Reidar, you’d better fumigate the bilge with one of your poison spells tonight when we’re done with the mast. For now, we’ll keep the rats off of you while you finish up down there.”

“Aye, sir,” Reidar said, “but there’s no need for your assistance. The wee beasts will leave me alone while the communication spell is in force. I can’t hurt them, and they can’t hurt me, you know.” Such spells were common, and much more simple to perform than actual translation magics.

Arden nodded. “We’ll still wait for you to finish. Alan, go fetch your companion Snog and the twins, and see what they think about this.”

“I can tell you that, sir,” Lian replied as he began the climb out of the hold. “They’ll consider it extra rations aboard.”

The three other men chuckled at the idea, and Cedrick said, “You’re probably right.”

The two goblin warriors were not twins, but it turned out that they were indeed brothers. Their names were Kar and Sar, and Lian found them trying to convince Snog that he should play knucklebones with them. Ignoring the conflict between the three goblins, which had progressed to the point of drawn knives, Lian said, “Good that you’re together. The captains want you all below.” By turning his back on their situation, he made it clear that Snog would be handling his own affairs.

Snog had asked him to do this, since the only way to gain status with the bigger goblins was to prove that he was more vicious than they were. When a concerned Lian had asked if he could handle that, Snog had merely grinned.

The two larger goblins were, as Lian expected, glad to see the rats. Snog dropped down into the bilge without comment, and emerged a moment later with several rats climbing on him. “They’re no’ meanin’ ye any harm, Captain-sir,” Snog said. “I’m gatherin’ that somethin’ in the wood scared ‘em aboard yer ship. They say that this be a safe place fer ‘em.”

Kar and Sar simultaneously took an unconscious step back from the scout, whose communion with the rats demonstrated magical—possibly shamanic—power. Reidar said, “That agrees with what I learned from them. I’ll go out on a limb here and speculate that most of the bloody things will drown or starve, and that we’ll have to reprovision in Seagate because they’ll get into the foodstuffs. We were planning to do that, anyhow.”

Snog nodded. “The other lads n’ me will thin their ranks down some, too, milords. Rat stew’s one of me dam’s specialties.” He added a phrase in Govlikel which Gem translated as, “You boys haven’t lived until you’ve had my stew.” Since he didn’t threaten them with his unknown powers, and by offering to cook for them, he indicated that he wasn’t interested in ruling them. But because he had the powers, Lian knew that the superstitious goblins would leave him be.

“I think that will work, but you three keep an eye on the rats, and let me know if they exhibit any more unusual behavior, beyond coming aboard in the first place,” Cedrick said. “It’ll be more difficult for Reidar to wipe them out once we’ve put out to sea, so be sure. We raise anchor tomorrow, if we can raise the sails without incident.” Having said that, he stamped his good foot down onto the boards twice in a sailor’s version of knocking on wood.

Chapter Twenty Five

“The first great empire to rise after the fall of the elves was that of the Pelorians. From what is now the Southron Empire, Peloria reached out its hand to command nearly half of the former elven lands. Pelorian axes felled much of the great Sylan Forest, before the remaining elves managed to hold them at bay. The Pelorians were a dark people, sworn to evil gods, and the ruins of their cities can be found throughout the continent.

“So great was their effect on the world that we still measure our calendar from the founding of the Pelorian Empire, fifteen hundred years ago.”

-- Introduction to “The Pelorian Empire, Volume I of XXII” by the Sage Kommath

Gil and Kalra offered to buy the pony, intending the animal to be a gift for their elder daughter’s child. Kalra explained that their daughter’s family lived among the Argeshi and that the pony would be an enviable gift. Lian, who knew a little of the ways of the gypsy clans, asked, “Isn’t your daughter considered
gadje
?” He used the term that gypsies used to describe outsiders. The word also meant unclean and taboo.

Kalra smiled and said, “No, Alan. Gil’s half-blood Argeshi, you see, and Kay was adopted into the clan as a full gypsy when Rodaj married her. They had the clan’s permission, even their blessing, actually. They must permit outsider marriages from time to time, or the bloodlines become fouled. I think the practice was initiated by one of the Companions, or possibly the Old King himself, but I don’t really know.” She made a mild sign against evil when she mentioned the vampires.

“Because Kay is our daughter, Gil and I are usually welcome in their encampments, and this gift will help cement that bond,” the mayor’s wife explained. Lian could envision many advantages to befriending the wandering clans, not the least of which was immunity to thievery. Not all gypsies were thieves, of course, but there were a large number of them who were skilled at cutting purses and robbing houses.

Lian’s basic nature was one of generosity, and he would have given Nightmare to Kalra gladly. But he no longer had the Dunshor treasury backing him up, and so he haggled like a fishwife with Kalra, finally settling on a price of thirty-three shillings and sixpence for the pony and the tack. It was less than Nightmare was worth, particularly since he was well trained and combat-steady, but it was a good price nonetheless. Lian was certain that Nan would have squeezed more out of Kalra, but he didn’t particularly want to take advantage of her.

Two hours before
Searcher
sailed, he and Snog led Beliu to dockside. Even though he’d ridden the horse for over an hour before bringing him down, the skittish bay shied away from the huge ship.
Searcher
rocked gently in the waves breaking against the dock and sand, and each motion threatened to panic the gelding. Lian, however, had learned horsemanship from the finest teachers in the kingdom, and managed to calm him without much trouble. He breathed gently into Beliu’s nostril while they stood waiting for Nan to appear.

The barbarian approached, holding her head and avoiding the sunlight wherever possible. She had obviously indulged in the ales, if not stronger drink, of the Lonely Gull during her last night ashore. “Just remember to speak softly,” she whispered as she inspected the horse. She cocked her head to the side to look at the bay, but quickly decided that was a mistake.

“I’ve got me a fix for ale-sickness,” Snog said quietly.

Nan looked up at him sharply, then winced at the sudden movement. “It work?” she asked, her voice rough and harsh.

Snog nodded. “Ye won’ like the taste, mind. But me dam taught it to me.” He grinned, showing all of his teeth.

“How much?” she said, moaning.

“Ye can think o’ it as a favor, like,” he said, “if I gets trouble from the humans.”

“You want me to break heads if they gives ya grief? Done, little boggle,” she said.

Snog fished some of the mushroom-scented tobacco out of his pouch, but before he could retrieve his pipe, Nan had produced one of her own. He took it from her and packed it. “Ye got fire?” he asked. “Ye can light it?”

She nodded, producing a small wooden wand with a scorched end. Shaking it hard in the air before her, she hummed a single note. It flared with a bright yellow flame, and she lit the pipe.

The goblin said, “Ye smoke tha’, ye’ll feel better.” He packed his own pipe and Nan offered him her wand, which still burned. Lian could see that she was already feeling relief from the hangover pain, and her expression was clearing.

“Amazing,” he remarked. “And it explains why you smoke so much.”

Snog nodded. “Aye, milord. It do.”

Nan, obviously feeling much better, walked around the bay, clucking appreciatively as she sucked on the pipe clenched in her teeth. “He war trained?” she asked.

Lian had tested the bay’s training on their journey to Mola, and nodded. “Skirmish training only. He won’t kick unless something threatens him, but he’ll stand his ground once he’s been given time to calm down. He’s really skittish when you first mount, so I’m guessing whoever broke him didn’t do a good job.”

“Or maybe the damned horse’s just insane,” she said, leaping onto his back without warning and tossing the lit pipe to Lian. With a shout, she ran the horse toward the end of the dock and then turned. Lian pulled Snog aside as she drove the horse at speed onto the sand and toward the woods.

“Some woman, ain’t she?” asked an appreciative voice. It was the man who’d been introduced as Yarek. They had first seen him as the only weaponless man in the tavern, although Lian had since learned that he possessed a great bow several inches longer than he was tall. Yarek had a relaxed demeanor, and had made Lian feel welcome aboard the mercenary ship.

“That she is,” he agreed, unable to keep a wistful tone from his voice. He was surprised to learn that he was quite attracted to the uncouth and unpredictable Rodan horsewoman.

 Yarek smiled widely. “She bites,” he warned and turned to continue his path to the foredeck, where he practiced his style of weaponless fighting. Lian had observed him perform his art the previous day, and while it was similar to
aythra
, it was also quite different. He wondered if he’d be aboard long enough to learn some of it from Yarek. Several of the crew had joined the graceful man the previous day, to rehearse a few basic moves.

Nan was returning from her breakneck ride through the woods, and she brought the horse up short before the two warriors. Beliu’s eyes were wide and his breathing labored. “He’s a pleasure to ride, and I bet I can get thirty crowns for him. When the time comes, make sure I do all the talking, though,” she admonished.

“They ever hear of the Rodan in Seagate?” Lian asked.

“Not that I know of, save for me,” Nan said, hopping down and slapping the horse on the neck affectionately.

“Woe to them, then,” he said with a grin.

“Aye,” she confirmed, then unexpectedly grabbed Lian by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a rough kiss, “and luck fer you.” She flashed a grin at him as she grabbed her pipe from his hand and led the horse aboard.

“Gods,” was all he managed to say, and he shook his head.

Snog suppressed a chuckle, and Lian could feel Gem’s twin emotions of amusement and worry.
Cover my blush with the illusion, if you don’t mind
, he requested, and she replied that she didn’t eliminate it, but she certainly cut back on its intensity.

The fishing fleet was still on the beach, since it would be some time before the village could process the huge catch from the day before. The fishermen each told stories of the way the school had run straight into the nets. To Lian, it sounded as if something had driven the herring into the fishing boats, and he wished the Molans well.

Cedrick was occupied with checking over the ship preparations, but he stopped to make sure that Lian and Nan had the gelding well secured. “I’d hobble him, if I were you,” the captain said, “as excitable as he was when you brought him dockside.”

Lian agreed, but took Nan’s lead. The barbarian chuckled and held up a small ball which appeared to be coated with cane sugar. “Don’t you worry about Beliu misbehavin’, Captain Cedrick. He’ll be purrin’ like a kitten in a bit.” She offered the ball to the gelding, who sniffed at it and then hurriedly consumed the proffered treat. Chewing on it briefly, the horse seemed to enjoy its taste.

“What’ve you got in there?” Lian asked, genuinely curious. Shipping horses over water was a major problem for any army commander who needed his calvary moved by sea.

Nan winked and said, “Family secret, Alan. I’ve stolen a lord’s own warhorse with it, though.”

Cedrick examined the gelding, whose eyes were already starting to glaze, and with an approving nod he moved on to other matters.

The stern capstan had been freed of its anchor chain, and the cable from the harbor’s docking system had been threaded through the traction grooves. Four of the
Searcher’s
brawniest sailors took up their positions, and at Cedrick’s command they began winding the drum. The majority of the sailors, including the ones turning the capstan, began singing a chanty to time the steps and turning of the men at the crank. One sailor, however, stood by with an axe, prepared to cut the cable.