Chasers of the Wind (8 page)

“How can I? For right now, as long as we can’t verify that you’re good at your job, I, Midge, and even Bamut, good soul that he is, will think you’re a burden.”

Shen scowled and then laughed shortly.

“Say what you like! If you think I’m happy to be in your company, you are sadly mistaken. Gallivanting around the periphery of the Empire, being food for mosquitoes and rubbing shoulders with sullen old fools is not as much fun as you think!”

Whip did not take offense at the word “fools.”

“My, my, aren’t you scholarly. The words you know. ‘Periphery’!”

Shen, realizing he’d blundered, sniffed loudly and began digging into his food. The leader of the team watched him mockingly. This was not the first time the kid had let his tongue slip. Every once in a while he peppered his speech with words or phrases that sounded strange to the ears of a native of the underworld. The lad played his part well, but it was clear he didn’t have enough experience. However, Mols surely had to have a reason for sending him with them.

“Don’t mess with Midge. That’s my advice to you. My friendly advice. And don’t make such a face; you’re still too much of a pup to tangle with the likes of him. Midge will chew you up and spit you out. Leave him alone, I’m telling you.”

“Yeah, sure, that runt will give it to me good!” replied Shen, spearing a piece of pork sausage. “He means nothing to me. I’d rather you talked to me about how much longer we’re going to be hanging about here.”

“We only got here yesterday and you’re already homesick?”

“Imagine that.… So, how long?”

“Right now time is working against our friend. He’s not an idiot; he’s bound to realize that if we could find him, others could, too. A day, maybe two and he and his woman will go into hiding.”

“And?”

“Like I already said, Gray is an intelligent man. He understands that concealing himself will be hard. When there’s such a price on your head, they’ll even follow you down into the Abyss. He could put off the day of his death by running away to the edges of the Inhabitable Lands. He could creep into the swamps of the Blazogs, or into the aeries of the Je’arre, or the forests of the Highborn, but sooner or later he’ll get caught. You don’t just find ten thousand sorens lying about on the road. The hunters will find them, mark my words. There’s only one real option—to get them to leave you alone you have to kill the client.”

“So you think Joch is doomed?”

“Well, I think he has very little chance of seeing the next Feast of the Name.”

“That’s too bad. They say that he disperses money on all the city holidays. Al’sgara will lose much with his death.”

“So will the Viceroy. His hand appreciates the money, too. He’s everything to everyone. I’ve never seen another whose ass can fit so well on three different stools. The Emperor, the Walkers, and his own private interests. Ha! Sometimes I think being the Viceroy isn’t too shabby.”

“Mmm-hmm. It’s a lucrative business. And not boring. All you have to do is be aware, write decrees, report to the capital, and dance with the ambassadors of Nabator and the Golden Mark. That, and rake the money in.”

“You got the gist of it,” grunted Whip. A glimmer of respect slipped into his voice. “By the way, have you been in the guild long? I’ve never heard anything about you before.”

“And who told you I was from the guild?” asked Shen, grinning suddenly.

Whip squinted at him.

“Mols said that you would come with us…”

“But perhaps he said something about why I’d been attached to you?”

No. He had said nothing of the sort. He’d simply ordered Whip to take the young man with him and not to ask any questions.

“I owed him a favor, so he asked me to put you through your paces.”

“Uh-huh.”

It couldn’t be that simple. Why would Mols suddenly send a completely unknown man with them for no discernible reason? Simply to put him through his paces? Whip was not an idiot, and he didn’t believe in such nonsense. Shen understood that but he did not bother trying to reassure the leader.

“I don’t know if you should talk about this with your friends.”

“I shouldn’t. They have very little love for you anyway. Does that mean that you’re not one of us?”

“If you think I’m going to start running around the village with a garrote or with throwing stars then you will have to be disappointed. Anyway, why would you need my help? To get your hands on the reward for Gray and his wife?”

“No. Mols didn’t give such orders.”

“What does Mols have to do with it? With ten thousand sorens you can spit on the guild. Begin a new life, yeah? Have you really never thought about risking it?”

Whip didn’t say anything but by the way he tensed his fists, Shen knew that he had hit the mark.

“It’s not important what I thought about or what I didn’t. What’s important is what I will do in the end. I won’t mess with Gray and Layen without orders from Mols.”

“Are they so dangerous?”

“That’s not the only reason. I never go against the orders I’ve received. No matter how much money is at stake. You don’t understand.”

Shen shrugged his shoulders, indicating that for such a sum he personally would immediately forget about such scruples.

“As far as Gray goes,” continued the leader, “he really is quite dangerous. Do you know his history?”

“No. Only what you’ve talked about amongst yourselves.”

“He arrived in Al’sgara about ten years ago. From somewhere to the southeast. Supposedly before that he had been shooting the Highborn in Sandon. He was very familiar with the bow, and not just with that. He rose very quickly. He began getting the most difficult and high-paying contracts. Certain people in the guild, especially those who ply our trade, didn’t like this. They were found one day in a cesspit. Dead. Midge, by the way, was also among those who were dissatisfied, but he quit while he was ahead. His friends didn’t. By and large, after that incident, no one bothered Ness. And then Mols took the lad under his wing. I worked with Gray once. I can say that he is entirely worthy of respect. He’s the best shot that I know of.”

“Why did he go off to such a backwater after so many successes?”

“No one knows for sure. Except perhaps Mols. I can only guess.”

“I’d be very interested in hearing your guess.”

Whip closely studied Shen’s countenance. Was he mocking him? But the young man didn’t bat an eye.

“It’s time to go, to track down Bamut,” said the leader, getting up from the bench. “You coming?”

“Yes. You’ll tell me your guess?”

“Why should you care?”

“I should know what to expect from him. Mols didn’t say anything.”

“Hmmm…” Once again Whip looked searchingly at his companion. “Until Joch put the price on Gray’s head, I thought that he and Layen were dead. Seven years ago two burnt-up bodies were found in their hideout. Everyone, including myself, thought that some clever lads had managed to do Ness in after all. But now … now I’m beginning to think that he did everything right. At the time when our friend supposedly died, a very notorious assassination was carried out. The target was destroyed by an arrow. It was a masterful shot. Perfect. The archer was located in such a spot that he could have only made that shot if his hand was guided by Melot himself. I know only one archer like that, and that’s Ness.”

“So Gray hit his target, duped everyone, grabbed his wife, and disappeared?”

“That’s about it. By the way, he and his wife work together.”

“Am I wrong or did it seem to me that you were more afraid of her than of your miraculous archer?”

Whip frowned petulantly. Midge was right. Sometimes this lad annoyed him to no end.

“She could boil your brain faster than you could pull your knife from its sheath.”

“All women can do that.” Shen laughed.

“I’m serious. She’s the only one in our line of work who has the Gift. Everyone thinks that Layen can only talk without opening her mouth, but when I worked with Gray I saw her blow up this one man’s head.”

“How’s that work? Is she a Walker or something?” asked his companion.

“No.”

“An Ember?”

“Why are you bugging me? No one knows. She has the Gift and that’s that. What difference does it make what kind? That’s enough talking. They’re waiting for us.”

They stepped out onto the street and headed toward Ness’s house. Shen was thinking quietly to himself and Whip was beginning to wish that he’d held his tongue.

“So who was the target?”

The leader looked at his companion uncomprehendingly.

“Who did Ness swat down that he had to flee so quickly?”

“A Walker,” said the assassin dryly and, ignoring the dropped jaw and the look of utter shock on the face of his subordinate, he walked on.

*   *   *

Pork shuffled along through the forest, delightedly gnawing on a piece of honeyed gingerbread. The pockets of his torn trousers were bursting with sweets. The half-wit had bought the treats with the money that had been given to him by that kind gentleman. The one who rode on a knight’s horse but wasn’t a knight. But he was nice. And his horse was nice, too. And his sword. Also, he was Pork’s friend. Uh-huh. They were the best of friends. Pork would do whatever Uncle wanted. He’d even treat him to a bit of gingerbread. One he had nibbled on a bit. Or not! Maybe even a whole one! Then the village children wouldn’t say that he was greedy and stupid. Lies! All lies! They were always mocking. So he wasn’t going to give them any of his tasty treats. Never! Why should he share with those wolves anyway? All it’d get him was a dirty shirt and mud flinging again. And they won’t let him play knights. So when Pork ran away from home and became a knight, he’d show them all. They’ll be jealous!

Now he was walking to his favorite glade. There, next to the swift river, he could eat up in peace and quiet, unafraid that someone would notice. Or even worse, start badgering him. Pork, let me try it. Just a piece, hey, Pork? There’s a good lad!

Oh! The clingy leeches!

In a fit of pique the half-wit kicked at a mushroom near his foot. Its cap flew into the air, slammed against a tree trunk, and burst apart into many pieces.

“Whoo-hoo!” said Pork rapturously.

He never would have guessed that mushrooms could fly and smash apart so well. This was so much better than old Roza’s turnips. The fool twisted his head around, searching through the grass for the prominent red caps, but there weren’t any nearby. Huffing in frustration, he walked out into the glade, but then he immediately retreated under the cover of the trees.

He petulantly puffed out his lips. What crap! His favorite spot was already taken! Ann, the wife of the carpenter, was standing next to the old oak. What was she doing here? He’d just have to eat another piece of gingerbread, and then go out there and tell her that this was his glade. So go away!

While Pork was chewing the gingerbread, he got another idea in his head. What if Ann suddenly stopped drilling holes into that silly tree with her eyes, and decided to take a swim in the river? Why not? It’s hot right now, she might want to. And he’d sit here all quiet and he’d watch. He’d see her naked. Pork had seen naked girls once before; they were bathing in the Black Pool on the night of the summer solstice. Of course, the village lads had noticed the half-wit skulking in the bushes and had beat him up. They nearly broke all his bones.

Then Pork nearly choked on his gingerbread. The trunk of the oak split in two as if it had been struck by the axes of a hundred spiteful loggers. All the cowherd’s attention was fixed upon the tree, which is why he didn’t notice right away that there were men exiting the forest on the opposite side of the glade.

*   *   *

Old Morgen the blacksmith greeted me affably. He invited me into his house and sat me at his table. I did not want to offend him so we calmly discussed the weather, the future of the crops, and our neighbors. Finally it was time to get down to business.

“That’s what I owe you for my tools.” I put six sols on the table.

“There’s no hurry. I can wait,” said the blacksmith in his booming voice.

“There’s no such thing as too much money,” I disagreed. “Anyway, I heard that you sent the matchmaker to your son. You’re going to have to count every penny now.”

“You speak the truth,” Morgen said, grinning expansively. “Why have you begun to pay off your debts? You aren’t planning to leave us, are you?”

“I must. On business.”

“It’s good to have business.” The blacksmith grunted. “It’s far better than wearing out your trousers. When do you return?”

I smiled wryly.

“That’s why I came to you. We won’t be returning. I don’t want to sell my home. And anyway, I don’t have enough time to do it. They say that your boy Ren has nowhere to take a wife. You only started building a month ago. It’s too long to wait. Take our house. Have them live there. Either permanently or until you finish your own cottage.”

Such a generous offer bewildered him. He grunted, settled back in his chair, and thoughtfully contracted his brows.

“This is unexpected. Melot as my witness, this is quite unexpected. You really are a strange man, Pars. To give your property away just like that.”

“I’m generous.” For all my efforts to the contrary, my smile still came out slightly bitter. “If it’s got to be given away anyway, it should at least go into good hands. So, will you take it or not?”

“Of course I’ll take it. I’d be a fool if I didn’t. It’s just awkward to take it for nothing. People will talk.”

“People always talk. Let them.”

“Let me at least pay you a part of the money. So you won’t be living in poverty.”

I did not have time to reply. A burning summons exploded in my mind.

Help me!

The mental picture that Layen sent me showed me the glade where we’d hidden the money received for the assassination of the Walker. Without so much as a good-bye, I tore out of the home of the rather startled blacksmith and set off to help her. As I ran I kept trying to call out to her. To no avail. For the first time I could remember, Layen was silent. In light of what she had shown me, it was safe to assume the worst. I’d already cursed myself five times that I had allowed her to do this by herself.