Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates (4 page)

It was early evening when they finally set off. Sebastian found that his arms were aching: it was a long time since he had done that kind of hard manual work and the forest floor had been matted with thick roots and the bones of earlier victims. Cornelius had insisted on digging the grave deep enough to prevent lupers from unearthing the remains, and as they descended through the layers of earth, they continued to find bones, which gave some indication of how long the giant serpent had been preying upon unwary travellers along this trail. Sebastian thought how close he'd come to adding his own remains to the grisly collection and he couldn't suppress a shiver of revulsion.

When they had finished, Cornelius stood at the grave for a long time, his head bowed as if in prayer, though Sebastian was pretty sure he didn't believe in any of the old gods. Then he put Phantom's saddle and bridle into the wagon and they all set off.

Cornelius had opted to ride in the back of the caravan, where he sat hunched and silent throughout the journey. Adam walked alongside, striding at such a speed that Sebastian was obliged to keep slapping the reins against Max's haunches in an attempt to keep pace with him. Max seemed to have slipped into a sad reverie of his own, and for once in his life had absolutely nothing to say. Sebastian occupied himself by throwing a string of questions at Adam.

'May I ask how long you have lived in these woods?'

'Oh, off and on since we were children.' Adam kept striding onward as he spoke, moving with an agile grace. 'From time to time we have tried other places, but we seem destined to keep returning.' He glanced up at Sebastian. 'Not far now,' he said. 'Leonora will have a meal ready for us.'

'We have provisions,' said Sebastian. 'You're welcome to take whatever you want from them.'

'No need. The forest provides us with everything.'

'Yes, but your sister won't be expecting extra mouths to feed.'

Adam smiled strangely. 'Of course she will,' he said, and walked on.

Sebastian was puzzled by this remark. 'But . . . how
could
she know?' he persisted.

'Leonora is special,' said Adam. 'She has been gifted since birth. She sees and hears things that others cannot see.'

'You mean she's a witch?' said Max, speaking for the first time in ages. Sebastian winced and Adam looked far from pleased.

'That is not a word we care for,' he said coldly. 'But she has special powers. She can look into a man's future and see what awaits him there.'

'Sounds exactly like a witch to me,' said Max. Sebastian could have slapped him. Had he no gratitude?

'You'll be able to judge for yourself soon enough,' said Adam. 'The cave is just round this next bend.'

The track curved sharply to the left, and they emerged into a small clearing where a cliff of grey rock reared upwards from amidst a tumble of vegetation. At one point a constant trickle of water came cascading down and splashed into a shallow pool before overflowing and plunging down a rocky slope beyond. There was a low arched opening in the rocks, and Sebastian could see into the illuminated interior, where the cloaked figure of a woman was sitting in front of a low fire, her face turned away.

'So,' she said, in a low, slightly husky voice, 'you're here at last.'

Adam gestured for Sebastian to climb down from the caravan and led him and Cornelius closer to the mouth of the cave. A delicious meaty smell issued from a black cauldron suspended over the fire.

'Come meet our guests, sister,' said Adam.

The woman got up from her seat and turned to face the newcomers. Sebastian snatched in a breath. He couldn't help it. He had expected some grizzled crone like Magda, the sly old harridan he had encountered in Keladon; but this woman was young and quite beautiful. Her most striking feature was a pair of tawny yellow eyes that seemed to appraise Sebastian like a wildcat observing its prey. But her full lips curved into a smile and she said, 'You are most welcome, elfling.' She nodded to Cornelius. 'You too, good sir. I am sorry for your loss.'

Cornelius stared at her suspiciously. 'What loss?' he growled.

'I'm not sure,' she replied evenly. 'But I sense that you are grieving for someone . . . or something . . .' She lifted a hand to her temple for a moment, as though thinking. 'I'm getting a word,' she said. 'A name, perhaps? Ghost . . . Spectre, something like . . . no, wait, it's Phantom!'

Cornelius stared at her with open suspicion but Sebastian was simply delighted by her skills.

'How could you possibly know that?' he cried.

'I told you my sister had special talents,' said Adam. 'We call it the gift of the Inner Eye.'

'Still sounds like witchcraft to me,' muttered Max.

Sebastian flashed him a disapproving look. 'Watch your tongue,' he hissed. 'We're guests here.'

'Please, don't stand outside,' said Leonora. 'Step into the cave and warm yourselves at our fire. Supper will be ready presently.' She beckoned them inside, and Sebastian and Cornelius did as they were told.

'Hey, what about me?' said Max indignantly. 'Would somebody like to unhitch me from this wagon?'

'I don't think the invitation extends to buffalopes,' said Sebastian quietly. 'You wait here – I'll sort you out later.'

'Oh, well, that's lovely, isn't it! You get to warm yourself by the fire and I have to stand out here like . . . like some common animal!'

'I've got news for you,' murmured Sebastian. 'Despite what you think, you
are
an animal. So please try and behave like one!'

He stepped into the surprisingly warm interior of the cave and took a seat on one of a series of logs covered with animal hides that were arranged in front of the fire. Cornelius and Adam found places opposite him. Sebastian could see that the cave was indeed well appointed, though all the furnishings seemed to have been handmade from branches and logs reclaimed from the forest.

Having ensured that her guests were comfortable, Leonora resumed her own seat. 'You have travelled far,' she said. Sebastian wasn't sure if it was a question or an observation, so he didn't answer. 'But you still have a good distance before you,' she continued. 'And you are heading for a world where water is king.'

'They're going to the port of Ramalat,' said Adam. 'Sebastian told me earlier. They have business there.'

'Business, indeed! And tell me, brother, did you find our guests where I said they would be?'

'Sure enough. I was just in time too. They were having a slight difference of opinion with a tree serpent. The big one you saw in your dream. I finally managed to put an end to him.'

'Ah, good. The forest is well rid of that old rascal. You have tried enough times, brother, to—'

'Just a minute,' interrupted Cornelius. He looked at Adam. 'Your sister
told
you that we would be there?'

Adam nodded. 'She had a dream last night. She saw you entering the forest at that very spot and knew of the danger waiting high above you. She begged me to go there and be ready to help you.'

Cornelius looked at Leonora with new respect. 'In that case, madam, we are in your debt.'

Leonora waved a hand in dismissal. 'Do not trouble yourself,' she told him. 'I only did what I could to help. And besides, I wanted to meet you.' She turned her head to look at Sebastian, and he felt the hairs at the back of his neck bristle. There was something about the power of her gaze that made him feel quite uncomfortable.

'Nevertheless, we are grateful,' he assured her. 'I saw the bones of many travellers who were
not
given help.'

'You came from Keladon,' she said. 'You were loved and valued there, but something made you leave . . .' She closed her eyes and lifted her hands again, then began making a strange scrabbling motion, as if clawing information out of the very air in front of her. 'I see you at the top of a tower,' she said. 'A very tall tower. And you are fighting an evil man . . . a tyrant.' She paused for a moment, as though trying to 'see' more. 'The tyrant falls!' she exclaimed. 'And you are a hero! But . . . something happens and you cannot stay there. You leave because of . . . because of' – she opened her eyes and stared at him with an intensity that made him blush – 'a woman,' she concluded.

There was a long silence. Then Cornelius spoke.

'Well, she's certainly got you figured,' he told Sebastian. He turned to Leonora. 'My friend here has a weakness for a pretty face,' he said. 'One day it's going to land him in real trouble.'

'Indeed.' Leonora continued to stare at Sebastian, as though trying to puzzle him out. 'And I believe that many women will have a weakness for him,' she said. 'He is fair of face, is he not?'

Cornelius shrugged. 'If you say so.'

'You were a jester in Keladon,' said Leonora. Again she made the scrabbling motion. 'I see you on stage, performing for a noble court . . . but I do not see many people laughing. Why would that be? I wonder.'

Max's mournful voice came from outside the cave: 'Believe me, you'd understand if you'd seen his act!'

'Go to sleep!' snapped Sebastian. He smiled apologetically at Leonora. 'You'll have to excuse him – he has an opinion on everything.'

She nodded but did not stop staring at him. 'He is the funny one,' she said.

There was a long uncomfortable silence while Sebastian thought about that. What exactly was it supposed to mean? Was she proposing that the two of them should team up for some kind of comedy double-act? It was a worrying thought.

Then Leonora said, 'The food is ready. Adam, fetch wine for our guests!' She ladled a thick, glutinous-looking stew into earthenware bowls, while Adam fetched a wineskin from the back of the cave and poured red liquid into metal goblets. Leonora passed out the bowls, and as she handed Sebastian his, her fingers brushed against the back of his hand and he felt a shudder pass through him. Startled, he tried to concentrate on his stew, which had a delicious earthy flavour, and the wine, which tasted rich and fruity. Even Cornelius, who was not much given to passing compliments, observed how good it was.

'How do you manage to find supplies in this wild spot?' he asked.

'Oh, everything we need is right here in the forest,' said Adam with evident pride. 'The stew is made from javralat meat and wild vegetables. The wine comes from a secret grove of blood berries which we harvest every year.'

'So why leave?' asked Cornelius.

'I beg your pardon?'

'You told Sebastian that you leave the forest from time to time, but that you keep returning.'

Adam nodded. 'We leave if there is a strong enough reason to. Perhaps some adventure bids us get up and go . . . or perhaps Leonora has a vision of the future that leads us to something worth investigating.'