Authors: Peter V. Brett
The Cutters didn’t threaten, but they didn’t need to. The shortest of them was a head taller than any of the count’s footmen. Even the mounted men in armour looked cowed. Shadow was almost of a size with the horses, and they whinnied and pranced in fear as he passed. If the beast got any bigger, Evin would soon be riding it instead of his garron.
The Wooden Soldiers hesitated, glancing at their captain for instructions. By then it was too late and they were encircled, cutting the captain off from his men.
More Cutters appeared in the trees, and bowstrings were eased back under their glare. Dug and Merrem saluted as they came to stand next to Gared.
‘You were sayin’?’ Gared asked smugly.
The captain’s face had gone slack, but he shook his head, regaining his composure. He raised a hand and gave his men a complex series of gestures. They lowered their spears, seeming relieved, but looked ready to raise them again in an instant.
The soldier dismounted, removing his helmet and giving a curt bow to Leesha. ‘My name is Squire Gamon, captain of the count’s guard. We are here to escort you to His Highness.’
‘And you need seventy men to do that, Captain Gamon?’ Leesha asked. ‘Is the very heart of the Hollow so dangerous now?’
‘You have nothing to fear here, mistress,’ Gamon said, ‘but by order of Count Thamos, no Krasian is to enter the city bearing arms.’
‘Nie take me first,’ Kaval growled in Krasian. Leesha turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
‘Forgive me, mistress,’ the drillmaster said, ‘but my spear was a gift from the Deliverer himself, and I will not surrender it to some soft greenland
chi’Sharum
.’
‘You will,’ Gamon told him, ‘or we have orders to take them, no matter who stands in our way.’ He looked to Gared and Leesha. ‘You may have us outnumbered here, but the count commands a thousand Wooden Soldiers. Do you wish to spill blood over His Highness’s efforts to keep his people safe from known invaders?’
Leesha rubbed her temple. ‘If that was his goal, he has a funny way of showing it.’ She shook her head. ‘But no, we’re not.’ She turned to Kaval. ‘You will not surrender your weapons to him, Drillmaster, you will surrender them to me.’
‘I’m afraid that will not be good enough, mistress,’ Gamon said.
Leesha looked down her nose at him. ‘They’re disarmed, Captain. Don’t insist on taking the coreling by the horns.’
Gamon’s mouth opened, but no sound emerged. It was answer enough. She turned back to Kaval. ‘Collect the spears from your men,
dal
and
kha’Sharum
both, and stow them underneath my carriage. You have my word they will be returned to you when you leave the Hollow.’
Kaval hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. Leesha hissed at him. ‘Don’t look for the
dama’ting
,
’ she said in Krasian. ‘Ahmann gave your command to me, not her. Do as you’re told. Now.’
The drillmaster curled his lip, but he bowed and complied, taking the weapons from his men and stowing them safely out of reach. Doubtless they still had knives, and Coliv a host of other hidden weapons, but there was a limit to Krasian honour. If she or Captain Gamon tried to search them, there would be blood.
Darsy appeared out of the crowd to stand at her side. She didn’t curtsy, but gave Leesha a hug that blew the wind from her. ‘No idea how glad I am you’re back.’ Leesha returned the embrace, remembering how greatly Darsy had once resented her. The shift was not new, but it continued to surprise her.
‘Now, Captain,’ she said, ‘if you’d care to escort us to His Highness, I would very much like to speak with him.’
The soldier nodded, replacing his helm and climbing back atop his horse. The Cutters opened their ring, allowing him to rejoin his men, but kept close, giving Leesha a sense of safety and protection she had not felt in months. It was good to be home.
Darsy moved to take the reins from the Krasian driving Leesha’s carriage, and the man hopped down as she and Leesha took the bench so they could speak privately as the caravan began to move once more. Wonda kept close on her horse, while Gared led his garron so he could consult with the Cutters.
‘You get my last message?’ Darsy asked. ‘Never got a reply.’
Leesha shook her head. ‘We’ve been on the road for weeks. Must have missed the Messenger. What’s been happening? I knew Thamos would be looking to flex his muscles when we returned, but I didn’t expect an armed welcome. Have things soured?’
Darsy shook her head. ‘Truer is the count’s been good to the Hollow. Been fair to the people, and brought a steady stream of supplies from the North. His engineers have done a lot to speed along the new greatwards and put roofs over people’s heads. New Tender’s much the same. Bit stricter than Jona, but folk like him well enough. Things keep on as they’ve been, and we’ll be bigger than Angiers in a year.’
‘It’s not surprising,’ Leesha said. ‘It was bold of the duke to give him the Hollow outright, and even if he does have a thousand men, he’s still outnumbered. Best not to give us any reason to oppose him till his power’s secure. He’s going to need all the goodwill he can get when the Painted Man returns.’
Darsy cleared her throat. ‘That’s what my message was about. He’s been back for two weeks. But he’s … different.’
Leesha looked at her sharply. ‘Different how?’
‘Calls himself Arlen Bales now,’ Darsy said, ‘and changed his Tender’s robes for clothes like regular folk. Says he’s from a place called Tibbet’s Brook, a town on the arse end of nowhere in Miln.’
‘Honest word?’ Leesha felt a wide smile break out on her face. Had Arlen finally faced his demons and found himself again? She thought of their last awkward parting, how much she had wanted him to go, but how safe she had felt in that final embrace.
‘Ay, seen it myself,’ Darsy said. ‘But there’s more. He has … powers now.’
Leesha looked at her. ‘He’s always had powers, Darsy. The wards—’
‘More’n that,’ Darsy cut in. ‘First night he came back, Ande Cutter was laid open like a butchered pig during a demon purge. I was there, and ready to let him go to the Creator. Wern’t nothing I could’ve done. You neither. But Painted Man just waved a hand, and the wounds closed up right before my eyes. Ande was up and about like nothing happened the next day.’
‘He just waved his hands?’ Leesha asked. ‘He didn’t draw wards on Ande’s flesh in demon ichor?’
‘Course not!’ Darsy was aghast. ‘What kind of sick soul would put demon ichor near a wound?’
‘Never mind that,’ Leesha said. ‘Was he just gesturing, or was he drawing wards in the air?’
Darsy thought a moment. ‘Might’ve been drawing wards, I guess. But not ones I know.’
Leesha nodded. ‘I’d like to speak to Ande later.’
‘Speak to half the town,’ Darsy said. ‘Next night he went to the hospit, and cleared it out. Not so much as a hangnail left to treat.’
‘Creator,’ Leesha said. She had learned some secrets of healing with
hora
magic while in Everam’s Bounty, but nothing on such a scale. The mind demon she and Inevera faced had cast spells by drawing wards in the air, but it hadn’t worked for her, even when she did it with the demon’s own horn in hand. Where was Arlen getting the power? The amount of magic he must have expended was staggering.
‘Ay,’ Darsy agreed, ‘and he’s been out to the refugee towns each night since, doing the same. All over there are tales of those at death’s door back on their feet. Still claims he ent the Deliverer, but less and less folk believe him. Night, startin’ to believe it myself.’
Leesha frowned. ‘How is the count handling it?’
‘Same as with Gared just now,’ Darsy said. ‘Tried to throw his weight around a bit, and got put in his place. Painted Man ent opposing Thamos openly, but any fool can see he’s got the count and new Tender cowed behind closed doors and pickin’ their words careful where others can hear.’
Leesha rubbed the ache in her temple, wishing Arlen were there to cure her headache the way he had every other ill in the Hollow. ‘Anything else I need to know?’
‘He fought some kind of smart demon last new moon,’ Darsy said. ‘Gets inside your head, and makes other corespawn fight like they got a good general. He’s got everyone making warded headbands before the moon goes dark again.’ She held out a strip of cloth, and Leesha took it, examining the mind ward there, same as the one she had been passing around the hamlets on her way home.
She nodded. ‘That all?’
Darsy shook her head, lowering her voice. ‘He ent alone.’
The ache became a stabbing pain. Darsy hadn’t given detail, but it was there in her tone. ‘Oh?’
‘Got a girl with him,’ Darsy confirmed. ‘Renna Tanner. Says she’s from back home in the Brook.’ Darsy paused, fixing her gaze on some far-off point. Her voice went flat. ‘Says they’re promised.’
Darsy kept her eyes staring off into nothing, waiting for Leesha to react. Almost everyone in the Hollow whispered about how Arlen had charged into the Holy House during the Battle of Cutter’s Hollow bellowing her name when he thought she was in danger. They whispered of how he had first appeared at her side and how he was seen coming and going from her cottage at all hours. They whispered, and speculated. It was no secret the whole town was praying they would just get on with it and wondering what was taking so long. Leesha had often wondered herself.
Leesha realized she was holding her breath, and forced herself to blow it out. It was ridiculous for her to be upset. She had long since tired of waiting for Arlen and begun looking for other prospects. Night, the sickness that came on her each morning confirmed how she had moved on. Yet she’d wanted him. If he’d wanted her in return, she would have given herself to him without reservation.
But he hadn’t wanted her. He claimed it was his curse. That he could not create a family with his blood tainted by demon magic. Somehow, that only made her love him more, his sacrifice so noble, so proud. She felt weak for having sought the arms of others in the light of it.
But had it been honest word? Now, a scant few months later, he had gone from swearing off love to promising himself to another. Had all his claims just been an act? The thought filled her with anger. How dare he? Did he think her so weak, so desperate for his love, that she couldn’t handle the truth? That she required a lie to sugar the medicine as he rebuffed her? Coward.
All this went through her head, but she had learned her lessons from the
dama’ting
,
and her face showed none of it. ‘That’s well,’ she managed at last. ‘He deserves to be happy, and a good woman will help keep his feet on the ground.’
‘Not this one,’ Darsy muttered. Leesha looked at her curiously, but the big woman rubbed at her throat and did not elaborate further.
To Leesha’s surprise, they did not head for the Corelings’ Graveyard, turning instead to another area of the greatward. She was wondering at the destination when Thamos’ keep came into view.
The fort was still under construction, but already a huge palisade wall had been erected, tarred logs lashed tightly together, thick and high enough for soldiers to patrol the ramparts with crank bows, and crenellated to give them cover while firing.
The palisade gate swung open, showing a courtyard more than large enough to accommodate their entire caravan. As the soldiers waved for them to enter, it became clear Thamos intended just that, taking everyone inside the walls and shutting the gates behind them. Leesha worried that once inside, the Krasians might never emerge. She had always known they were hostages and spies both, freely given by Ahmann as a show of good faith, but her intent had been to treat them as any other folk, letting them see the goodness of her people up close.
She doubted Count Thamos would do the same. He had made a show of benevolence thus far, but his mission had always been clear: get control of the Hollow, learn the secrets of demon killing, and draw Angiers’ line in the sand against the Krasians. The attitude at court had been one of loathing for the desert people. It was not undeserved after their attack on Rizon, but escalation was the last thing they needed right now. Ahmann could crush the Hollow – and likely Angiers itself – if given cause.
‘Stop the carriage,’ she told Darsy, and the woman complied immediately. The rest of the caravan stopped with them, and Leesha got down and opened the door to the carriage.
Elona looked out, taking in the count’s keep. She let out a low whistle. ‘Prince has been busy these last months. Is he married?’
Leesha sighed. Even now, she could not bear to look at her mother. ‘I hope not. Court gossip has him bedding every young thing bats a lash at him.’
‘Just needs the right one to spin his head a bit,’ Elona said.
‘I said
young
,
Mother,’ Leesha said. ‘I don’t think you’re his type.’
‘Ay, don’t talk to your mother that way!’ Erny said. Leesha looked at him and wanted to scream. Even now, he defended her. It would likely be the same even if he knew about Gared. Night, he probably did. Erny wasn’t half the fool people thought he was when it came to his wife, but Elona had been right about his courage.
Leesha pretended her father had not spoken. ‘I am going in for an audience with His Highness now. I’ll have some of the Cutters escort you back home. When you’re there and no one is looking, take the Krasian spears and hide them in the paper shop. Somewhere no one will find them.’
Erny seemed nonplussed at both Leesha’s and Elona’s lack of response, and nodded after a moment. ‘Ay, I know just the place. I’ve a slurry vat with a false bottom.’
‘Oh,
really
?’ Leesha asked. ‘And what, might I ask, did you need that for?’
Erny smiled. ‘To keep inquisitive young girls poking around my papermaking chemicals from getting themselves hurt.’
‘I’ve been mixing worse for fifteen years,’ Leesha said.
‘Ay,’ Erny agreed. ‘But I haven’t had reason to bring up since.’ He raised a finger. ‘And you’ll know my secrets when I decide it, young lady, and not before. You mind your tone if you ever want to know where the gold’s hid.’