Adversaries Together (29 page)

Declan came back up the stairs and slapped
Goshen’s chest with the back of his hand hard, “Wake up. We’re not
done yet.”

The two joined the throng of people moving,
browsing, trading, and hawking. Declan stayed tight to Goshen’s
side shepherding him along. It was nearly too much all at once for
Goshen, he didn’t know how long he had been down in the cell but it
was long enough to ruin his stamina. His joints were burning, his
feet were sore, and it felt like his skin was burning.

“
I’m not going to make it.”
Goshen muttered.

“
Don’t worry, we’re here.”
Declan lead them down a narrow alley, about halfway down they were
in front of a tall thin green door.

“
I can’t keep…” Goshen’s
knees gave way, but Declan had a firm hold of him. Declan threw
open the door and dumped Goshen inside. On all fours, Goshen dry
heaved and coughed.

“
That’s the gruel working
its magic on you.” Declan closed the door and barred it. He crossed
the room and began to remove the leather guard armor.

“
The gruel?” Goshen choked
out.

“
They feed it to all
Hopeless, the porridge. Keeps them barely alive and weak.” This was
a different voice; Goshen looked up and saw the woman. He tried to
stand but staggered and went back down to one knee.

“
You’re gonna be sick for a
while, yer body is working the poison out of your system.” Declan
spoke, then threw down a bota, “Drink that, it’s an amber and will
get that bile taste out of your mouth. Put some energy back in ya
too.”

Goshen took the bota up, twisted it open and
drank. The beer was welcome; as he drank, he sat back against the
door. He watched Declan tossing the guard armor away with his back
to him and the woman sitting at table staring at Goshen.

Goshen raised a finger, “You.”

“
Jena.” She sighed, “Good
to see you’re not dead.”

“
Where’s Kira?”

“
The girl I thought was
Kira was a whore and she’s dead now.”

“
You killed
Kira.”

“
No, I killed a whore who
was trying to kill you.”

“
She was giving me some
laudanum for the pain.”

“
It was
nightshade.”

“
How did you…”

“
Before she tried to give
it to you she thought she had slipped enough into my
raki.”

“
Kira?”

Jena covered her face with her hand in
exasperation, “Kira was put on a different boat than you and me. We
were on a boat with this woman whose job was to kill us and then
get killed herself by your Cathedral.”

“
But you killed
her.”

“
Cathedral thought I killed
your Kira too. We had a scuffle.”

“
That’s how you got away?
That’s how they found me.”

“
And it seems they then
decided to blame you for the whole mess.”

“
Which was why they threw
you into the hole,” Declan was all but naked as he crossed the room
to a large black wood wardrobe. He opened it and started to dress,
“And why I had to pull you out and kill six men to do it. So we
need to hurry and get out of the city.” He started throwing clothes
at Goshen.

“
You were sentenced as a
Hopeless. The Cathedral won’t like that you’re out.” Jena seemed
not even to see that Declan was there but kept her gaze on Goshen,
“We need to get out of the city, get a ship, and meet up with
Kira.”

“
Where is Kira?”

“
I don’t know.” Jena was
uninterested.

“
But you just
said…”

“
If she’s alive, she’s with
Roth.” She saw that this didn’t register with him, “The one who
saved you and her from the bandits in the marsh. He brought you
into Anhra, he hired me to bring you two here to your precious
Cathedral outpost, and chances are he’s with Kira.”

“
He sent an assassin to
kill you.” Goshen was still fuzzy on everything.

“
No,” Declan spoke, “I’ve
been following you since Sulecin. Roth didn’t have anything to with
that.”

“
Following us? Since
Sulecin.” Goshen grabbed Declan’s wrist and for a moment had a sure
grip, but it faded nearly as quick.

Declan smiled, didn’t shake off Goshen but
spun his hand and took a hold of Goshen’s shaking it as though the
two were mates, “Yeah, we can talk about that once we’re out of
here.”

“
Wait…”

Declan stood, “Get changed.” He barked.

Goshen started to undress, “Why would Kira be
with Roth? Who’s Roth?”

“
The man who saved you and
Kira outside Anhra.” Jena pinched the bridge of her nose and
furrowed her brow annoyed, “Something went wrong. We know it did on
our end. Chances are something went wrong on Roth’s end as well,
and that end involves your precious Kira.”

“
I…that doesn’t…seems
flimsy.” Goshen was struggling to dress.

“
Don’t worry your muddled
little head about it,” Declan squatted in front of him, took back
the leathers he had given him in the cellblock, and patted him on
the head, “We’re not the brains of this operation, we’re just the
muscle.”

“
You’re not that either.”
Jena stood and left the room.

Declan watched her leave, he was staring
after her when he spoke to Goshen, “She is angry, a lot of the
time. And at both of us.” He turned to Goshen and smiled, “So…since
Sulecin…”

Siracene Highlands,
19
^th
of Mabon

Reg had seen them coming from a far way out.
When they got to the camp, there was a fire going and a medium
sized kettle cooking. When they had tied up the horses, they gladly
approached the fire, the two women sitting immediately to warm
themselves. Wynne came over to Roth who was looking out into the
woods as the light faded trying to find traces of Reg.

“
Your friend?”

“
He’s out
there.”

“
Is he worried about
us?”

Roth shook his head, “If he’s out there he’s
either looking for food or making sure we’re alright.” He turned to
face Wynne with a slight grin, “No worries, Senator.”

Wynne returned a humoring smile, “We’ll talk,
later tonight.”

Roth raised an eyebrow, but Wynne had already
turned away, “What is in the pot?”

Fery had been peering in, “It looks like
yahni but smells…squashy.”

“
That’s because it is.”
From out of the deep twilight and wooded shadows came Reg, in one
hand he had two conies and in the other a long thin sword in its
scabbard. He looked at Roth and nodded, “I thought there was only
going to be one.”

“
You know how it is,” Roth
came up and took the rabbits from Reg, “Picking up tag-alongs and
chaperons.”

Reg nodded, sat, and set the scabbard next to
him, “The yahni is from curcurbita, there’s patches of them all
over these lower hills. Best to take advantage of them now.” He
winked at Fery.

“
Wise,” Wynne sat, “I am
Wynne Landis, my daughter Fery. The chaperon and tag-along
respectively.”

Reg grinned, “You’re a noble.”

“
I am a civic of
Rikonen.”

“
A civic? Not quite a
soldier but more than a guard.”

“
Something like that, we
were the peacekeepers.”

“
How is that working for
you all in Rikonen these days?”

Wynne didn’t raise to bait, “Well, I did say
‘were.’”

Reg seemed to like that answer, “Roth.”

“
I’m coming.” Roth appeared
with the rabbits again only this time with a rougher looking knife
and a large sack. He tossed the bag to Reg who opened it and handed
to Kira three wooden bowls, “Pass them down, child.” He dug out
some spoons as well and a ladle, giving them to Kira, “Help
yourselves to the soup.”

“
So,” Fery began to ladle
some of the yahni into her bowl and then handed it to Kira, taking
the empty bowl from her, “You’re Reg, then?”

Reg nodded, pointed, “You must be Kira.”

“
Yes.” Kira replied
sheepish.

“
A lot of bother to come
find you.” He said flatly.

“
Not your concern Reg,”
Roth spoke without looking up from the animal he was
dressing.

“
Kinda is, Roth, I left
Colm alone,” he turned back to Kira, “To find you. And now there
are two more folks I have to care for.”

“
We’re in no need of your
care.” Fery was a little defensive but finding herself charmed a
bit by a man who was clearly well out of his native
land.

“
Aren’t you now? Familiar
with the Siracenes are ya?” Reg smiled, “Well, then, by all means,
I won’t hold you back.”

“
Reg,” Roth had finished
the first rabbit and was in on to the second, “These aren’t the
enemy, these are the allies.”

Reg looked back at Roth, and then slowly
turned back to the fire circle. It looked like he was about to turn
back to Roth again when he seemed to mumble something to
himself.

“
You’re from Arderra, then,
Reg?” Wynne tried to change the subject.

“
Hmm?” Reg was lost for a
moment, “Ah…no, no, not from Arderra. Though I have a small
homestead near there along the Stony Shore. I’m Novosar, born and
raised in Calla.”

“
I thought your accent was
northern.”

“
It stays, can’t shake it.”
Reg smiled, “My son though, well, he sounds like a proper
Silvincian.”

“
He’s always lived near
Arderra?”

“
His whole life. Stony
Shore and these highlands. Never seen anything beyond it. And I
would have that be his life.”

“
Seems an odd thing.” Fery
said.

“
Ranging is no life.” Reg
was serious but then spoke louder in a playful manner, “I’d have no
child of mine end up like Roth there.”

The others shared a bit of a laugh. Roth
ignored them all. He came over to the fire with the rabbits dressed
and skewered; he set the spit and sat back, “I’m no ranger.”

“
No ranger, but who ranges.
No Athingani, but one raised with them. I’ve no idea about you.”
Kira spoke up having ignored her now cold bowl.

Roth gave a look of resignation and let out a
long sigh, “Still with this?”

“
I just need to
understand.”

“
Don’t we all.”

“
I need to. Now
especially.”

“
Alright. Alright.” Roth
sat cross-legged; he leaned forward and turned the spit. “We’re
going to the Siracenes. If Jena is alive she’ll have Goshen with
her, and they’ll be heading there.”

“
That’s not what…” Kira
protested but Roth raised a hand and cut her off, “Just let me tell
you in my way.”

“
Siracenes is a good way
off from Bandra.” Wynne was skeptical.

Reg nodded, “Over a thousand leagues.”

Roth shook his head, “It’s not quite that,
Reg.”

Reg shrugged, “All I know is that’s it’s far.
Especially for a rogue paladin.”

Roth seemed exasperated and looked at them
all annoyed, “Just let me tell you.” He waited a moment for the
rest of the troop to assent. They each nodded or shrugged for him
to continue, “Jena is more than capable. She can get away. At the
very least, she’ll want to meet up just to beat me.”

“
Maybe,” Wynne spoke, “But
why the Siracenes?”

“
The Cruor.”

Wynne blinked, “That’s a myth.”

“
No, it’s a place forgotten
because you killed all the people who knew where it was.” Roth was
blunt and dismissive.

“
I think that’s a bit
harsh.” Wynne said. He turned to Reg, “Roth knows how to get there.
Jena knows how to get there. I’m supposing you do as well. Which
all makes me wonder if you’re not leading us to some free ranger
encampment.”

“
You think I’m leading you
into a trap?” Roth scoffed and Reg’s eyes glimmered supremely
entertained.

“
He wouldn’t do that.” Kira
said definitively. Wynne nodded saying nothing more about
it.

“
Well that’s something,”
Roth smiled at Kira and continued, “The Cruor is the only place
nearby where I’m sure we’ll be safe. Once there, it’s just a matter
of waiting for Jena and Goshen.”

“
What if they don’t show?
How long do we stay there before we…” Kira trailed off.

“
Before we
what?”

She swallowed hard and said sheepishly, “Do
something else.”

“
I don’t know.” Roth seemed
to consent to his limits.

“
This is a terrible plan.”
Fery said matter-of-factly but without malice.

“
It is what it is.” Reg
tried to placate her.

“
No, it’s not. Dragging us
up into the highlands to hold up until someone who may or may not
be dead shows up?” Fery was livid, “We didn’t leave Rikonen to just
hide in the mountains.”

“
We’re not hiding.” Roth
snapped. “And they’re not mountains.” He mumbled.

“
I don’t see the
difference.” Fery threw back.

“
And what would you have us
do? Assault The Cathedral? Assassinate the Assemblage? Draft your
precious captain to raid the coasts? What adventure do you want,
girl?” Roth knew he was tossing ridiculous scenarios at Fery, but
he was sick of her constant criticism and complete lack of
encouragement.