Temple of the Traveler: Book 02 - Dreams of the Fallen (13 page)

The guard lowered his voice. “When their whole family was ordered killed by the kings for following the old religion, no one wanted to kill the women. Besides, killing a brewer is bad luck. So we sold them as bond slaves. It’s a loophole that we’re allowed to use for non-combatants. Strenk made the highest offer.”

“Dhagmurna paid the original seven gold weeks for her contract and mentioned that the Shadow of Kragen would come calling if he refused.”

“Hey, the year of Freedom starts in a couple months. Those slaves go free on the seventh year. Isn’t it illegal to resell a bond servant that close to Emperor’s Day?”

“Those are the old ways, friend. In war, laws get overlooked. Understood? Besides, if her boyfriend doesn’t come across with the goods, she’s not going to live that long.”

The delivery man had other loads to take care of and begged off. After the voices stopped, Anna shriveled in the darkness, lonelier than ever.

Lady Nerissa called for her shortly after the evening meal. When Anna arrived in Nerissa’s office, the busy woman offered her a cup of tea from the softly steaming set on her desk. The prisoner licked her lips and took one of the leftover dinner rolls filled with bits of meat. After Anna helped herself to a second roll, Nerissa began asking questions. The lady wore leather armor, but had her hair arranged prettily. “We know you met Baran Togg when he came into your owner’s ale shop. Why did you favor him over all the others who came through those doors? I’ve heard he’s handsome in the right clothes, but so are many other young soldiers.”

Anna considered this and replied in a gentle tone. “He was sad and kind—the sober one who’d always offer to help me clean up.”

Looking at the plain girl, Nerissa asked, “And what drew him to you?”

Anna wanted to explain that she still followed the old ways and didn’t act like a whore. The guildmaster’s wife respected neither. Instead, she simply kept her mouth shut and shrugged.

The Guildmaster’s wife had little time remaining. They had to march by morning or lose their advantage. “Do you know why he disobeyed our direct order to surrender?”

With eyes lowered, Anna said, “He’s stubborn sometimes, ask his father. You didn’t try to pay him off, did you? He gets touchy about ethical issues.”

Nerissa examined her notes. “We spoke to his father, the honored armorer. He showed us a signed document from this criminal disowning his family and denying all claim to an inheritance.”

A faint smile flickered on the girl’s face. “There wouldn’t have been much to inherit as the seventh son. Baran did that for me. He wanted to buy out my bond contract early. His father would only give him the money if he signed that paper.”

“Yet you’re not free,” observed the military woman.

Anna focused on the floor. She held back tears. She refused to do any more crying on this subject. “Strenk refused. Baran put the money in the brotherhood bank and willed it to me. He wanted no part of it. His only hope was to volunteer for dangerous missions in order to get the big bounties or a boon. He had enough saved on the side for his own forge already. He was going to make his shop big enough for a cooper, too, so that I could have good oaken kegs.”

“I’m sorry to say, those funds have been confiscated. We’re your only hope of surviving now. This smith abandoned his unit and stole valuable property from the Kragen family. He’s a rebel and an embarrassment to his people. You will help us bring him in.”

Anna refreshed the Lady’s cup of tea before continuing. “I’m honor bound to serve you in any legitimate fashion. But why would you think I could sway him?”

“Because he sent you a letter from the Great Library saying that he was going off to war in the North. He enclosed a legal document transferring everything he owns to you. He’s also released you from your engagement vow,” said Nerissa. Before Anna could react to Baran’s contorted profession of love and the Brotherhood’s violation of that intimacy, there was a knock at the door, demanding the lady’s attention.

While harsh words were exchanged in the hall, Anna listened discretely. During the exchange, one phrase kept surfacing: the Defender of the Realm. Something had ben stolen from House Kragen. Baran must be holding the fabled sword of the emperor’s right hand.

Anna knew what she had to do. She’d escape at the first opportunity.

When Lady Nerissa returned, she asked a series of odd and embarrassing questions. Where did he want to buy the forge? Did Baran ask her to wear boy’s clothing? What sorts of things did they talk about after intercourse? When Anna blushed and explained that there’d never been sex, Nerissa stared at her. After a moment, she decided to believe the girl and sent her back to the silo.

When Anna returned to her cell at dusk, she noted one key difference. The small back door, several feet above the ground, had been opened a crack. Waiting for the guard outside to begin snoring, she made her exit. The only question was where could she flee? The entire fortress was leaving at dawn, and all the local farms were smoking ruins.

While pondering, Anna acquired a spare dagger from the numerous supply wagons. Getting caught with a knife of any kind would mean a death sentence for Anna, but she didn’t intend to face a trial. Hiding the small dagger under her apron, Anna walked directly to the Togg family home, which was located upstairs from their family business. Their shop was enormous, containing six working forges, one for each of the six recognized sons. When she asked to see Ashok the patriarch, the servants didn’t want to let her in. Only when she threatened to pound on the front door until the constables showed up did they usher her into the front office. Even this late, Ashok Togg was in his office, counting money. He had the same face as his youngest child, but the eyes were pinched and mean. The hair was disappearing, but his powerful arms and soot-spotted clothing said that he still kept a hand in at the forges himself. Anna found herself able to respect him for this. The only sign of extravagance that the wealthy merchant possessed was the fine gold chain dangling from his vest pocket.

The patriarch seemed harried tonight. All of his goods were being sold to the traveling army, but he was haggling for more gold and less of the worthless paper scrip. Ashok barely glanced up at her as she came in. “What’s the matter, girl? Did he get you with child? Expect nothing from my clan. I washed my hands of him long ago. I knew he’d never amount to anything.” When Anna refused to budge, he added. “There may be an opening in my sister’s house for a scrub woman, but I can’t promise anything.”

Bolstering her courage and using the pent up anger from her interview with Lady Nerissa, Anna said forcefully, “I’m not here for me. I’m here for Baran and your clan, you heartless old coot.”

Anna softened her tone. “He bears the Defender of the Realm. He’s going into battle in the north. And like it or not, he has the name you gave him. Kragen will stop at nothing to get the blade, including using me. If I thought they had a prayer of succeeding, I’d kill myself to prevent them. But once I’m gone, who do you think they’ll use to get to him?”

The patriarch stared at the young woman for a score of heartbeats. Then he rang a bell by his desk. She gripped her dagger u her apron.

Instead of the protective servants, one of the youngest sons appeared, one of the twins. Ashok snapped an order at him as if he were an employee. “Kirak. Get your brothers and all the war gear we still have. Get the emergency gold, too. Send your families to safe places in the hills. We’re going on a journey.”

“Most of it is already loaded on the wagons. Are we going to the capital, Father?” asked the tradesman. Anna recognized the voice as the one that had talked to her guard.

Ashok shook his head. “No, we’re going north.”

“Was it something the girl said?”

Ashok sighed. “She’s only the messenger. The words are from my father. We have to reach Baran to tell him the rest of the family secret. Pretty soon, we’ll be the only ones he’ll be able to trust.”

The powerful merchant took the gold chain out of his pocket and gave the brass key at the other end to his son. “Let the girl carry the Family Burden for a while. You may want to get her a disguise as well.”

Kirak bowed and escorted her to one of the storage rooms. When they were alone, Anna asked, “Thank you, but why?”

Kirak paused. “Two reasons. First, writing on a piece of paper doesn’t change blood. I gave Baran his first broken arm, and I’ll be damned if that guild is going to sell him out for a piece of metal. Father just needed a gentle reminder, and you provided one.”

“And?” Anna prompted gently.

Kirak blushed. “You look a lot like our mom did. None of us could leave you in the hands of House Kragen. I don’t care if it costs us every coin we ever made.” It was her turn to color slightly.

“What’s this family secret?” she asked.

“The first Togg rescued a stranger from bandits, getting wounded three times in the process. The stranger healed him with a drop of his blood on each injury.”

“The Traveler.”

“Our fates are bound to his.” Kirak opened a small strongbox in the center of the storeroom floor, underneath a spare anvil. Inside were three tiny, perfect rubies. She drew an involuntary breath when she saw them sparkle in the tiny box. They were tied together by a chain of sesterina. “Gorgeous,” she gasped.

Hand trembling, the escaped bond servant lifted the necklace from its cradle. The precious metal felt cool to her touch. Kirak let out a breath he had been holding. “When the kings cut out my grandfather’s tongue for the message he spoke, three drops of his blood fell to the floor. Where they struck, the gods transformed them into flawless rubies as proof that his words were true and would last longer than any man there.”

Anna folded the jewelry carefully into the tiny pouch she carried around her neck, the one that held her betrothal ring and her father’s signet ring. “I’m honored by your trust.”

“You’re family now, too, Anna,” he said. Then she started to cry again, but a better type of tears than she had in seven years.

Tashi was lost at the crossroads of half a dozen paths. Distances were distorted, and not every road stayed where it was if he glanced away. Voices and symbols bombarded him, making thought impossible.

Behind him a fussy, male voice said, “Come in. I’m here to take your measurements.”

As he turned, Tashi found himself in a chamber, facing a well-groomed man with a measuring tape around his shoulders. Everything about tailor spoke of culture and precision. His posture was ramrod straight, and his white hair was pulled back into a perfect topknot. He was dressed in a crisp, blue kalura covered with stars. Sticking out of his top pocket was a magnifying glass, useful for examining fine stitch work. His leggings and slippers were of velvet so black that his lower half vanished from time to time.

“You’re a tailor,” Tashi observed.

“That depends on you,” the member of the Dawn race replied with mild amusement. Communication involved more than the spoken word. Tashi experienced flashes of a judge and a monster. Any of the representations could have been equally valid, depending on the context. Accuracy in expression seemed very important to this creature.

“You’re not a god; they’d never take on a servant’s likeness. An angel?” guessed the sheriff.

The tailor inclined his head and blinked his eyes in silent assent. Tashi pressed onward. “I must be in the Halls of Eternity then.”

“They are one continuum adjacent.”

“So this is the foyer?” joked the sheriff. The tailor didn’t smile. It could have been Tashi’s imagination, but he thought he saw the stars on the man’s tunic flicker like real ones. “Um, can you tell me which road to take?”

The tailor remained immobile.

“Right,” muttered Tashi. “You’re with the gods and don’t want my quest to succeed.”

“How nice of you to be able to judge an entire species on the basis of one silence. I’m conspicuously neutral in this matter, following the Law in all regards. Your inquiry was too ambiguous.”

The indignation interested Tashi, so he decided to pursue it. “Neutral? How am I supposed to believe that?”

The tailor stared at him with dark eyes. “This passage is my home. You’re a guest in it, welcome or not. Under the ancient code of hospitality, I can’t allow a guest to die here.”

Tashi said, “You’re afraid I’d leave a permanent stain on your nice carpet, or at least stink up the kitchen.”

“There would be unpleasant repercussions. Be assured that I shall not lift a finger to help you any more than absolutely necessary.”

“How shall I force your answer or ensure your action when I have need of it?”

“Force isn’t possible.”

The sheriff wore his bst gambling face. “I can wait. At the moment, I’m enjoying my ease in this haven. I haven’t been able to relax for many months now, and I find a certain unhurried air to this place.” The words seemed to come more from the Abbot of the Spirit Temple than the Sheriff of Tamarind Pass.