Servants and Followers (The Legends of Arria, Volume 2) (29 page)

After eating breakfast in the grand
banquet hall, which was calmer this morning than last night, the
group separated for different pursuits with Basha heading out to
the stables to check on the horses and his Coe Anji sword. He was
obsessed with it, he had to admit that, afraid almost of what would
happen to him if somebody else got their hands on it. He did not
want to lose it. He thought this sword belonged to him now, after
all he had bound it to him or something like that, and the power
was incredible. He had experienced the sensation of having all of
his senses enhanced, and the skills he had exhibited were not
entirely his own.

The sword had
controlled him, and yet he knew how to handle it
. T
hat was the scary
part. He had been in tune with what it was doing to him, he had
sensed what was coming up next, and he had anticipated the moves,
drawing from the source of his power, the sword and himself. The
capacity for what he had done had been inside himself as well as
within the sword. He had done that, he had nearly murdered those
men. He had let himself be controlled by the sword. He had accepted
it. If somebody else got the sword, got its powers, what would
happen to him? Would he be the same person? Would the other person
be worse than him? Or better?

Basha shuddered, petting Talan and
glancing at the saddle in the corner of his stall, where his Coe
Anji sword was still attached--that was another problem, the name
‘Coe Anji’ sword. There had to be another name for it--he heard
dogs barking not so far away from here, and remembered the kennel
he had passed by on his way to the stables. Somebody was coming, or
passing by close to here.

He lifted his head, and saw Gnat coming
into the stables. “Basha?” She called.

“
Over here, Gnat!” He
cried, waving his hand so that she could spot him amidst the
stalls.

Gnat hurried over.
“Basha, thank goodness
.
A
re we alone here?” She asked, almost in a
whisper as she glanced around.

Basha frowned and shrugged. “I don’t
know, I assume so. I haven’t heard anyone else in here beside the
horses.”

“
That doesn’t mean
there isn’t anybody,” Gnat whispered, going from one stall to the
next to check, and examine the corners. Basha, meanwhile, finished
grooming Talan and exited the stall, watching Gnat’s paranoid
activity with bemusement and curiosity, remembering how paranoid
Jawen used to get as well when he was dating her.

“
What are you doing?”
He asked her.

Gnat turned around and approached him.
“Please don’t be upset. I think there is a good reason why you and
all of your friends should be careful.” She told him. “I don’t know
what it is quite yet, when I have only heard a little of the
conversation, but I think you should be prepared to leave, you and
all of your friends.”

Basha’s frown deepened. “What do you
mean?”

“
Please don’t be
upset,” She repeated, “But we don’t have much time. Don’t try to
leave by the gate just yet, there are other ways out of Coe Aela
that are much safer, hidden. I have to plan how best to get you all
out of here.” She said, glancing at his horse. “It’s going to be
dangerous, and we have to be careful not to attract attention to
ourselves, so...I don’t know how it’s going to play out.” She
said.

“
Is this a game?” He
asked hesitantly, almost ready to leave.

“
Don’t--it’s not a
game, it’s real.” She told him. “Fobata is a Follower of Doomba.”
She whispered.

Basha stopped. “What?” He asked.

“
Fobata is a Follower
of Doomba, and so is Goga, and they’ve got you all trapped in
here,” She whispered. “Until they decide what to do with you all.
They don’t know for certain that you all are the travelers they
have been warned about, but--you have got to get out of here before
they decide.” She whispered.

“
Are you--sure...”
Basha whispered.

“
Listen to me,
please.” Gnat said, almost in tears. “I took a risk telling you
this, and--I’m not important, I’m just a bug around here, and--I
have to make you believe this. It’s not important what happens to
me, just--get out of here.” She whispered, running away from
him.

He could not believe this, he shook his
head, trying to reassure himself, he could not believe this. It was
just--yesterday, when he and the others had arrived in Coe Aela,
there had been a cool reception with weapons withdrawn, and he had
the distinct impression that Fobata was not entirely sincere in his
welcome, but that had just been the circumstances of the meeting
with the Black Wolves involved. However, Gnat had acted frightened
just now, and she had believed what she was saying, he was fairly
certain of that, although she could be mistaken about what she had
seen or heard--he wished that she had stayed so that he could ask
her more. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, or--he was trying to
make excuses again.

Black Wolves, a gruelmoff, crows,
possibly giant rats, and now--Followers of Doomba. He shook his
head and turned back to Talan’s stall, staring at the saddle in the
corner where his Coe Anji sword in its sheath was attached. He
wanted the sword...no, he did not need the sword. He marched out of
the stables, wishing he could go back and fetch it, although that
would look suspicious, walking around with a weapon in a place
where they were supposedly safe. He was starting to think like
Gnat. He needed to go talk to his friends, hear what they would
have to say about Gnat’s warnings. Where were they?

He stood in the front
bailey, glancing around at the various buildings
;
the keep or castle,
the wall surrounding them, with the guards parading around up top
like they wanted to be seen by those trapped inside, the
guardhouse, the smithy, the kennels, a kitchen and the
stables...what about the rest? He glanced towards the sides of the
castle
. O
ne area, the eastern bailey he supposed, appeared to be
neatly organized, with orchards and gardens, while the western
bailey was more overgrown, possibly abandoned.

He assumed his
friends would not want to stay inside the keep all day long, as it
was a nice day outside and the castle interiors were forbidding
enough, so they must have gone outside
. H
e headed for the eastern
bailey, deciding to look for them there. But when he did not find
them amidst those orchards and gardens, he headed for the back
bailey, which turned out to be more of a lawn that contained the
barracks in the east, the jousting field, and the training yard at
the western corner. He stood on the edge of the lawn, looking out
towards the barracks, when someone pushed past him. Startled, he
turned around, and stared at a guard.

“
Sorry, I was
just
…
” The guard started to say, and then stopped, staring at him.
“Eh, are you
…
you know a young fellow, fairly
tall, with dark hair?”

“
Yes, I know him, how
do you
?
”

“
He just challenged
Captain Goga to a duel.” The guard grinned and laughed, running off
towards the front bailey through the orchard.

Basha gaped at his
retreating back
.
H
ow could
Oaka do such a thing? H
e then ran
off, towards the western corner of the back lawn, the training
yard, as he assumed this man must have come from that direction if
he had not seen him before. He passed through the jousting yard,
and spotted Monika shooting off arrows with a crossbow at a target,
perfect shots, before she turned to a couple of young
fellows
, perhaps
the missing stable boys who had not been there
when he and Gnat had met in the stables?

“
Pay up,” She said to
them when he ran up to her.

“
Monika, I
was
…
” He started to say, panting heavily as he glanced at the
boys, wondering if they would
…
he decided not to share anything
with her yet about what Gnat had said. “Oaka is going to challenge
Goga to a duel, I just heard
.
”

“
What?” Monika said,
turning to him and dropping her crossbow onto the ground. “He
wouldn’t.” She said.

“
He would if he was
trying to show off.” He remarked.

“
We have to stop
him,” She cried, running off in the direction he had just come
from, east.

“
The training yard is
this way! Western corner!” He yelled, and then she stopped and
turned around.

“
Sorry,” She muttered
as she went past him, and then he followed after her. They went to
the training yard, where a dozen men were already gathered, and
more were on their way as word was spreading of the upcoming fight
between one of the newcomers and Captain Goga. Oaka stood at the
center of all this attention, holding a sword.

“
Oaka!” Basha cried
as he and Monika tried to nudge and butt their way
forward.

Oaka turned around. “Basha!” Oaka
gasped.

“
What are you doing
here?” Basha cried.

“
I don’t know, I
just
…
” Oaka gasped, and inhaled. “I just got into a contest with
some of the guards, and then they challenged me to fight Goga,
and
how could I refuse?” He laughed
desperately.

“
Oaka…” Basha groaned
as, in the distance, they saw Captain Goga approach with the man
who had been sent after him. The guards whistled, clapped, and
cheered as their captain waved a hand towards them. He swung his
sword through the air with the other hand and crooned,

I sing of the wolf, chasing the
lion,

Howling with blood on his fangs.

And now my sword eloquent will rest
upon

The hunting heart, and cut off the
mane…

The guards laughed and jeered at Oaka,
before parting to let their captain onto the training yard. Oaka
blanched as he comforted the middle-aged captain, who seemed so
much older and more experienced, composed and nonchalant as if this
was just old business for him, which it probably was.

“
Let’s get this over
with,” The captain remarked to Oaka, then he stretched a little bit
before he hunkered down on his side of the yard, ready to attack.
Oaka quickly took his own stance, hoping that he was ready for
this.

Basha, still thinking
of what Gnat had told him, blanched and inhaled, trying to calm
himself down as he hoped that
…
the fight started. Goga launched
himself at Oaka, who defended himself admirably.

Goga begrudgingly retreated a few steps
as Oaka advanced, but quickly countered as Oaka was forced to duck.
“Go-ga, Go-ga, Go-ga,” The guards chanted loudly and furiously, as
Basha and Monika half-heartedly said, “O-a-ka, O-a-ka, O-a-ka,” in
hopes that he could hear them, but it was doubtful.

Goga was pressing on Oaka, who
countered the moves as best he could while his steps retreated, but
then he countered one move, ducked, and swung around, pressing on
Goga now. Goga had the advantage, but he was losing it. Basha was
impressed, Oaka had certainly improved, perhaps because of practice
in the last week or so.

The guards were
starting to bet, some of them siding with Oaka to win instead of
Goga now, but Goga was tired of losing. Goga hacked as best he
could, trying to find a weakness in Oaka’s defense as their swords
crossed again and again.
No
fire, no fire, Oaka told himself, restraining his powers.
Goga twisted low, aiming for Oaka’s legs, and
then spun round, his sword meeting Oaka’s just as Oaka was trying
to attack Goga’s head. Oaka’s sword went flying, and Oaka had the
unpleasant sensation of staring down the length of Goga’s sword,
pointed at his neck.

“
That’s a fight,”
Goga commented, wide-eyed and panting as he stared back down at
Oaka. Everyone held their breaths.

“
You are the winner.”
Oaka said
, trying to remain
cool and calm, in spite of his fear and anger.

“
And what have I
won?” Goga asked, flinching slightly.

Oaka winced, but then he realized the
sword had not pierced his neck yet. “Um…the right to say that you
are the best.” Oaka said slowly.

“
That’s right.” Goga
said, and then backed off as if he remembered something. “Like I
have nothing better to do with my time than to fence some
adolescent adversary who doesn’t know any better,” Captain Goga
said, rolling his eyes. “I cannot believe this balnor.” He
muttered, and then walked off.

The guards looked at each other, and
grumbled, following Goga’s lead as Oaka, Basha, and Monika were
left by themselves. Oaka flopped onto the ground, groaning on his
knees as Basha and Monika slowly approached him.

“
At least he spared
your life,” Basha said, and then shuddered. It could have been
worse.

Oaka shook his head.
“He was toying with me.” He said. “He knew that he could take it. I
never should have said
…
”

Basha patted Oaka on the shoulder.
“There, there, it’s going to be all right,” He said, breathing a
sigh of relief as he hoped this proved Gnat wrong. Goga had a
chance to kill Oaka, so why didn’t he do it then?