The Beast of the North (27 page)

‘We won’t be thieving together again, not ever,’ he lamented. ‘I will miss that.’

I shrugged. ‘I think nobles are far worse thieves than we ever were, Sand. And perhaps I shall be a thieving noble as they are. And maybe we can figure something out.’

‘Perhaps we can,’ he whispered. ‘He was buried, after all. They were.’

‘They were?’ I asked him.

He shook his head, his face white with a strange emotion. ‘Yes. Someone cut them down and put him to the ground though burning him would have been kind. Gods would have—’

‘It would have,’ I agreed.

‘We should leave,’ he said. I hesitated, and he saw it and shook his head.

I went on. ‘Balan is making his plans, but he tells me not to worry, that he will deal with the issues, but I am not sure it will be that simple,’ I told him. ‘I will try this anyway. But I have an idea.’

‘It’s high time you start to think on your own,’ Sand growled. ‘We should go away. Listen–’

I interrupted him and grabbed his arms. ‘I must go back. But I think you should not come back to the Crimson Apex,’ I told him.

‘I was going to tell you. I won’t,’ he said. ‘Look—’

‘I think you should disappear. Find Shakes. The Lamb. Until I call for you. Hold onto this.’ I thrust the book at him.

He took it and stared at it with confusion. ‘What is it?’

‘A book. Famous book. I’ll explain it later, but it’s a collateral against Balan’s treachery.’

‘So I am basically out of the picture,’ he whispered. ‘I’d have to hide with this book. While you … No. You come with me.’

‘I don’t know exactly what is in that book, but it tells the history of Midgard. There is bound to be a hoard of delicate information that might hurt any of the high houses. It is a goldmine. Keep it. It has a lot of worth. It might even have enough information to punish Crec and Gal if Balan does not. If I die, figure out what to do with it. They cannot find you, not easily if Shakes helps you out of town. And they have to wonder, always wonder what might happen if I am betrayed. If I die. I will have to see this through. We made a pact to punish the bastards. We swore to avenge our family. I will try it, but I need you to hide for both of us.’

He chuckled. ‘A beautiful plan. But it is far too late.’

‘Take this,’ I told him and pulled at my stolen pendant. ‘It will keep you safe from the king as well.’

‘No,’ he said. ‘Look. I am going to the king.’

I stared at him in total stupefaction.

‘The king?’ I asked him with a slight voice.

‘The king, yes,’ he said. ‘I spoke to Illastria. And their old keep? I peeked in. Listen.’

And he died.

A whip-like voice rang through the woods. We turned to look up the hillside. ‘Fire! Fire at them!’ we heard a man yell imperiously.

‘No! Hold!’ Another answered. It was a Brother’s deep voice, and the archers he had told to stand down had already acted and released their missiles. Arrows rained down on us. Some hit the grave mound, others the muddy yard, some went through shrubs, and one pierced Sand’s face. He fell howling, shuddered and then he went very silent, his eyes open and bloodshot. I turned in horror to look up to the wooded hill. The White Brother Knight was up there, holding the dreaded whip and the sword, gazing down at us. His archers were spreading out. I hesitated and pulled at Sand. An arrow hit the mud before me, and I let go of him. ‘Stop firing you dog-faced mongrels!’ the Brother hollered. I grabbed the bag with the book, cursed and wept and ran away, looking back at the terrible Brother, who was now mounting a horse. His hand glowed, and I heard him calling a name. Mine. My hair stood upright on my neck.

I vaulted on my horse. Despite the order, arrows flew around me again, and one struck Sand’s horse and the beast fell, whinnying, the sound strangely like that of a child. I whipped my horse for the darkness. I rode like a madman and heard some of the king’s men ride after me. I heard a deep thrumming noise, a horse heavier than the others beating the ground with its dreadful hooves, and so I knew the Brother was leading them. I stroked the amulet, knowing he could not find me, not quickly if I did manage to escape.

I rode to the south, crossed the Broken Crown Road, took to the cliffs and meadows before the Arrow Straits, and turned to the west. I rode carelessly, then waited. And rode again. I was soon breathing hard, but still I went on, riding and stopping every ten minutes. There were no sounds that I could hear from the men pursuing me, the houses I passed were asleep. I hesitated for a moment as I considered my situation. Sand was dead. It was my fault.
Should I go back? Yes.
Where else could I go? Shaduril needed me. I considered the bag. I spied a branch on a curiously twisted tree, one that was dead and sturdy. It was by a stream of silvery water, and there were mossy boulders around it. I sighed and hefted the bag. Then I threw it. It spun in the air, twisted as it flew and got caught on a sturdy branch. It was swinging there, apparently well stuck. I nodded. I would never find it again, I was sure.

I shook my head as I tried to memorize the place. A stream led south, and there I heard the noise of the waves of the Arrow Straits. The sea was hitting the cliffs. The land was open there, and I hesitated, and then I forced myself forward. I had lost them, had I not?

I rode on, slowly believing I had made it. I had to get back to the Crimson Apex and face Balan. I stopped at the cliff’s side. The Straits were below me, and there were series of dagger-like boulders down there. I turned to squint up to the woods and saw the tree. I might find it again.

Then, behind me, there was a neigh of a horse.

Shit.

I turned to look that way, the impending doom pressing heavily on my heart. There, three shadowy archers were riding forward; their bows held comfortably on their sides. A dark knight sat on his horse, his hand glowing gently, and the dreaded whip uncoiled as he rode forward. ‘Take him. Alive,’ he rumbled. Birds flew from the woods around me, startled by the armored men. They were very careful and spread to right and left. ‘Come smoothly, Maskan,’ the Brother said.

I shook my head and held onto Larkgrin. ‘You killed my friend.’

‘I’ve killed a lot of friends to someone, boy,’ he said. ‘But this one was a mistake. One I didn’t make. I didn’t give the order. You heard me.’

‘It’s my mistake,’ I whispered, for I should have done something a long time ago to get them buried.
Sand would be alive
, I thought.

‘Whom are you staying with, boy?’ he rumbled as they spread out around me. ‘We need to know. It’s crucial.’

‘Torture me if you like,’ I said defiantly. ‘I’ll not talk otherwise.’

He laughed so hard inside his helmet that his white horsehair crest flew to his chest and face. He pushed it away from the helm’s eyeholes. ‘I don’t have to torture you, you ridiculous fool. Morag will make you sing, easily he will,’ he laughed. ‘He will be euphoric.’

I got ready to die. My horse was suddenly supremely nervous as the men guided their horses around us. It whinnied, and more birds flew out of the branches of the trees, wildly, shrieking in fear.

White Brother raised his head in alarm.

A small army of men charged out of those woods. They wore dark leathers, no insignia on them, and they were fast and looked deadly. They carried long spears and axes, and their faces were covered. An archer turned and fired his arrow at one, sending the man face down to the ground. Another shot his arrow, but it went wide.

It made no difference. There were fifty of them.

One sat on a horse, a dark beast of noble bearing. While the newcomers swarmed around me to chop at the hapless archers, this figure was pointing a finger at the White Brother.

The beastly Knight was pulling at a sword, his white horsehair flying around him wildly as his horse reared. The dark mass of warriors stabbed and ripped at the archers and their animals and soon formed a spear bristling crescent around the fearless Brother.

‘Kill him,’ whispered the rider, and I knew it was Taram. He was not supposed to know about our business. But yes, of course, he did, having read my letter. But where did the men come from? Balan’s men? Was he there to save me for Balan, or to kill me for his pleasure, later?

The mass of men charged. The White Brother rumbled something, and I felt a wonderful tug of power fluttering around me in the air, but the result was not as pleasant. All of us fell to our knees as a wickedly fiery storm of fire whipped up amidst this mass of charging men. Cinders flew; flames danced in a whirlwind of death. A dozen men fell in blazing flames and made no sound as they died. Others fell down, dazed, but most went forward. They were no longer organized, and the knight charged the mass. The whip went up, came down and ripped a man nearly in two. A sword stabbed down at one man, then another, and both fell on their backs, shuddering. Spears emerged from the shadows to stab the knight, and then I felt another tug of power. The Danegell Brother was using mighty artifacts, as the fierce enemy covered himself with dull, gray stone skin. I could not believe it. He looked like stone, and probably it was rock, for the deadly spears shattered on him like icicles. The knight was moving slowly now as if the spell was hampering him, but he let the enemy come to him. The whip went up repeatedly, the enemy swarmed him and tried to pull him down, but could not. It was like ants trying to tear down a mounted mountain. The sword stabbed, it backed up, then stabbed, and the horse carried the deadly thing around.

Some twenty men were left, a ragged band of very silent warriors. They hesitated.

Taram cursed softly. He shuddered and swayed, and I realized he was also doing something with magic. ‘How—’ I began.

‘Silence!’ he hissed and released the power. I felt it. Dark vines grew from under the Brother’s horse, and there were thorns in them. They entwined the beast and the men around it and tightened around the Brother and his mount. A line of fire left the knight’s hands, rushed near me for Taram, who pulled his horse away. He shook his head and uttered a curse. He charged forward and dragged me on top of his horse. ‘Kill him!’ he yelled at his remaining men. ‘Die rather than get caught!’ he added as I dangled before him, rather ignobly as his horse swerved too close to the Brother. The whip went up and reached for us. Taram howled as it ripped at his back. The knight screamed in anger as he tried to release himself from the vines; masked men died as the sword came down again and again, but we were riding to the night.

I struggled in his lap, but he slapped a hand across my neck. He leaned over. ‘Silence, I said it once.’

‘Let go of me, Taram,’ I hissed.

‘You saw what he did,’ he spat. ‘They have powerful artifacts. I could not touch him, not even with what I have.’

‘What artifact do you have?’ I spat. ‘Everyone has something. I thought your father did not trust you.’

‘He had none else when we found out Sand was gone,’ he said dourly. ‘Before that I was curious and read your letter. And learned of his plans at the same time. I heard from a guard Sand had left. I rode out, but Father sent those men to find me. They did. Don’t ask how. They told me to obey him. Now I am in, no matter what.’

‘You read my letter,’ I spat.

He said nothing, but the grip on my neck was constricting. ‘I did. I read it. I don’t approve. Not at all. I knew he was plotting, but I had no idea how high ambitions he has. But now he has to trust me. And I’ll face you when it’s done. I’ll fight to keep you far from Shaduril.’

‘Fight me now,’ I said.

He hummed. ‘Later. Where is Sand? I tried to find him before Father’s men found me.’

‘Why?’

He leered and shrugged.

To kill him,
I thought.

He went on, with a bored voice. ‘I’m happy I found you, though. Had no damned idea you would be this stupid. It cost the house a lot of men, just when we need them the most. Best hope they won’t recognize any of them. But they won’t talk. That is for sure.’

‘Sand is dead. That Brother killed him. Like he did our family,’ I said, and I thought of my poor friend. ‘You wanted to kill Sand.’

He chuckled. ‘I might have been tempted. But I was given the men to keep me in line.’

‘They are not here now,’ I taunted him.

He said nothing and rode for a time. He led the animal deeper to the wooded hills, rode around villages and houses and seemed to know the ways very well. Finally, he stopped to sit on his horse, steadily, listening. He pushed me off the horse and nodded for northwest. ‘That way.’

‘How far are we from the Crimson Apex?’ I asked him.

‘An hour, two, depending on if there will be unfortunate accidents on the way there,’ he said darkly. ‘Your friend got us into some serious trouble.’

‘Your father has enough trouble with Crec and Gal,’ I whispered.

‘They are no trouble,’ he spat. ‘If the Brothers guess it is the Blacktower family plotting against the crown? There will be armies marching our way. Happily there are hundreds of noble families along the road, and some are much more likely suspects that the Tenth House.’

‘He followed me. That knight.’

‘He did,’ Taram agreed. ‘I trained those men for five months. Your Sand deserves a bigger punishment than death. And they called me reckless.’