Fire And Ice (Book 1) (25 page)

             
Now that the danger was past, Miko seemed more sure of himself and led them through the puddle-strewn streets.  Away from the fire, away from the shrieking, Coran began to relax.  With the rain there was no one to see them pass.  Eventually, Miko stopped before a dilapidated building not far from the docks.  He pushed open a loose hanging door and the two of them stumbled in out of the downpour just as the sky rumbled again.  The inside of the building was smaller than the barn and completely empty.

             
“This was used as a warehouse, but not anymore.  The roof leaks and no trader would risk his goods in here,” Miko announced with his former composure.  “I forgot the sack in the barn.  I will go out when the storm stops and get you some clothing.”

             
“What about a ship?” Coran asked as he sat down on the wooden floor.  It was covered with dust and the planks were warped. 

             
“I will see to that too.  We will not make the one I had planned to use in time.  There should be one leaving soon after the weather changes.  They would not risk sailing out of the harbor in this.”

             
“Shouldn’t I come with you?” Coran asked.

             
“No.  You stay out of sight.  I am sure someone will find out that Shevren went to see a Midian who just arrived.  When they see Shevren dead, they will start looking for you.”

             
“Why?”

             
“Because Shevren has friends, and you are a stranger here.”

             
Of course, they would want someone to blame.  What Coran really wanted to know was what had happened back there.  His father told him that Shevren had it in for him, but he hadn’t offered any details, and Shevren had only given him more questions.  Then there was the cloaked figure.  He had to have been sent by Elthzidor.  And the creature?  What was that thing?  Had Gelarus known about it?  Coran thought there was no reason he should.  He had never even heard of a creature like that, not even in old tales. 

Coran also knew that there was little that Gelarus did not know, and he was usually reserved in offering information.  Then again it could be some new evil brought out for a new war.  He looked at Miko who sat with his back to the opposite wall.

              “I am sorry Miko, for the danger I put you in.”

             
The man waved the apology away.  “I considered the dangers when I agreed to help.  I did not expect all of what happened, but I will do what I promised.  Besides, I should be the one to apologize.”  His mouth twisted into a grimace as he said it.

             
“Why should you apologize?”

             
“I was hiding when I should have been helping.  I do not want you to think I am not capable of using force when it is required.  It was that beast.”  He shivered.  “It will not happen again.”  He said the last part defiantly.

             
Coran had to smile at the man’s determination.  Once he made a decision he stood by it no matter the danger.  “You are a good man, Miko.”

             
That compliment was waved away as well, but with a slight smile.  Coran thought he was going to like his new companion.

              The rain drumming on the roof slowed and finally stopped about an hour later.  Miko went out like he said and it was a long time before he returned.  Coran started to worry until the short man came back.  He brought with him a large bundle containing some Karandi clothing, among other things.  Coran put on a pair of light tan pants that were of a thin material and baggy around the legs.  There was a shirt of the same color and material, but it fit more snugly.  A coat, or maybe a robe, that hung down to his knees was wrapped around him and held in place with a piece of cloth tied around the waist.  Miko produced a worn, brown leather sheath for the sword he had acquired during the fight in the stable. 

             
“Here.”  Miko handed him a length of red material that felt like silk.  “Tie it around your waist.” 

             
“What is this for?”  Coran couldn’t remember seeing any other Karands wearing a sash of any color.

             
“This is worn by Anagassi warriors.  They are the people who live in the desert of Ne’emen that lies to the south.  They protect the Heart.”

             
“The Heart?”

             
“Yes.  Lev, the Heart of She’al.”

             
“If they live in the south what would one of them be doing here?” Coran asked as he finished tying the sash.  He arranged the knot on his right hip with the extra silk running down the outside of his leg.  Miko nodded in approval. 

              “Sometimes a few of them will come out of the desert and hire themselves out as guards.  They are the best warriors of all the Karands, and are highly sought after.  One of them is considered to be worth ten other guards.”

             
“So I am to be your guard?”

             
“Yes.  Your name is now Besdriz.  You are a guard, so you will not be expected to talk.  Let me handle that part of it.”  Miko produced a last item.  It was another length of tan cloth.  “Your job is to look dangerous.  Only a fool would mess with an Anagassi.”  He wrapped it around Coran’s head so that only his eyes were left showing.  “I hope you are very good with that sword.  There are many fools in the world.”              

Coran moved around the empty warehouse to get a feel for his new attire.  The clothing was comfortable and nonrestrictive.  It would do.  He turned back to Miko.  “Now what?”

              “Now we go and find a ship,” Miko answered with a smile, watching Coran.  He was apparently pleased at what he saw.

              It was still night and the storm had passed.  Stars appeared in occasional breaks in the clouds.  Miko kept his face hidden in the hood of his robe.  They had both decided before Miko went out the first time that it would be better if no one recognized him until they were safely away.  That was on the off chance that Elthzidor, or some of Shevren’s friends, had any more surprises planned.

             
They reached the docks just as a ship was preparing to cast off.  Miko called aboard and was answered by a dark haired man with a bushy mustache.  He must have been the captain, because after a few words with Miko they were quickly allowed on board.  The Karands that made up the crew made sure they stayed out of Coran’s way while giving him sidelong glances as he passed. 

             
They were given a small cabin with a plain table in the center which was nailed to the floor.   Two hammocks hung halfway up the walls on each side of the cabin.  Two chairs were set against the back wall.  Only a few feet separated the swinging beds. 

             
“Do you want to sleep first?” Coran asked his traveling companion. 

             
Miko looked at him with surprise.  “We can both sleep.  They will not bother us if that is what you are worried about.  Later will be the time for caution, but not here.”  He sounded confident of their safety.              

Coran had to trust him so he swung up into the hammock after several attempts.  It was not as easy as Miko made it look.  His balding companion chuckled from where he laid, as he watched Coran struggle.  Coran thought about throwing his pillow at the grinning man, but he didn’t want to have to retrieve it and then deal with climbing back up again.

             
The next morning Coran woke from a troubled sleep.  The swaying motion had made it hard to get any rest.  He had the same trouble on the journey from Ostis.  He almost fell in the act of swinging down to the floor.  He pulled on his leather boots and buckled his sword on as Miko came into the cabin.  The Karand was carrying another gift.

             
“When we dock you should where this.”

             
Coran took the long brown robe and placed it on his bed.  “Why?”

             
“It is not uncommon for the Anagassi to wear them here in the north,” Miko started to explain.  “I do not know enough about them.  I do not know if wearing a long sword will be a problem.  The robe will hide it.  Just be sure that people can see the sash.  Also, the robe might be necessary to hide your disguise, if it is needed.”

             
Coran had to give Miko some credit.  The man was anticipating potential problems and found one simple way to handle it.

             
“We have a week until we reach Crecy, so we will start working on your speech,” Miko said in a business-like fashion.

             
“My speech?”

             
“I have heard your Karandi, and you have an accent that is easily noticeable.  At some point you will have to speak for yourself.”              

Coran shrugged.  It made sense and he couldn’t think of a better way to spend a week trapped on board a Karandi vessel, headed further and further away from home.  He
wondered how long he was really going to be gone.  
Well, I wanted to travel,
he thought wryly.

              The woman was still considered beautiful, even after bearing five children and her nearly forty years.  Her dark hair was touched with a little gray.  She watched from nearby as her eldest son picked his way through the burnt wreckage of their stable.  Some people helped, including a few friends of Miko’s and hers.  Guardsmen stood by as well to find out what had happened.  The rain had extinguished any traces of fire after the building had collapsed.  Now that it was light enough to see they could survey the damage.  Once in a while someone stopped and stooped down; then they would call her son to come over and look.  She knew they were burnt corpses they stooped over, and held her breath every time.  Her son would stand, look over at her and shake his head.  It was not Miko.   

             
It was hours before her son walked towards her with something in his hands.  He had the curly hair his father used to have, and was taller and thinner than Miko, and still innocent at eighteen.  “Did you find anything?”  She wanted to ask if he had found her Miko, but was afraid of the answer.

             
“No mother.  There is one who could be a Midian, but I am not sure,” he said sadly.  “One of them was Shevren. There were rings on his fingers that someone identified.” 

             
That cleared up some of it.  Shevren had found out somehow.   If anything happened to Miko she would find out who had told and make him pay.

             
“The other body could be a Midian’s.  It was taller than the others.  Could it be the one father was meeting?”               Tall.  She remembered a tall Midian who had given her life back to her.  If it was his son then she would mourn for him.  “It might be.”  She decided to find out who told Shevren anyway, for Oran’s sake. 

             
Her son held out the object in his hands.  It was a sword still in its badly scorched sheath.  She took it from her son and pulled off what was left of the leather.  She discarded it as she stared at the sword.  A black handled blade with silver on the pommel and hilt.  She had seen a sword like that once before.  His son would have a similar one.

             
“Mother, do you know whose sword it is?” 

             
“I do.  It belonged to the son of a dear friend,” she said as he watched her curiously.  “You must do something for me.”

             
“Anything, Mother.”

             
“You must take this to Summerhall in honor.  I do not know if he was married or had any children, but you must take his sword back.”  She looked closely at her son.  “This is important to me.”

             
“I will do as you ask, of course.”

             
She smiled at her son in approval.  She thought of Miko and hoped he was all right.  If he was then he must have a good reason for not being here.  Among the ruins of the stable, the bodies found so far were being dragged clear so they could be checked more closely to be sure of their identities. 

             
She pulled her son closer to her with an arm on his shoulder, and hugged him.  She still had a family to care for and a business to oversee.  Whatever had happened, she would find out, but not today.

Chapter 16

Into the East

              They reached Crecy a day earlier than expected, for which Coran was extremely grateful.  The cabin was hot and confining, the food was either too spicy or poor in quality, or both.  They had made a brief stop in Venusia, on the Sea of Calimus, but Miko had them stay below decks just in case.

             
Through the voyage the routine was the same, when Miko went on deck, Coran went on deck.  When Miko ate with the captain, he stood silently nearby.  His time to eat was when they were alone in their cabin.  He was supposed to be the guard, after all.

             
The crew always gave him a wide berth wherever he went.  They would even leave tasks partially done to keep out of his way.  It did prove one thing.  His disguise worked.

             
They left the ship after Miko thanked the Captain for a pleasant voyage.  The Captain, courteous to Miko, seemed pleased to have Coran off his ship. 

             
The docks were not very busy compared to the other harbors he had seen.  The vessel they arrived on was only one of three in port.  One of the others looked to be Midian.  Unlike the other harbors, where people from many lands came to trade, here there were only Karands.  He amended that as they passed a building where an Ithanian, judging by his appearance and dress, stepped out into the street, almost running into Miko.  Two others followed and quickly pulled their buddy out of the way, with fearful glances in Coran’s direction.

             
“What did you do that for?” the first one asked, upset at being forced back.

             
“That one is an Anagassi.”  One of the others pointed to Coran who wore the robe Miko provided.  He called it an
atiefa. 
It was open in front, and the red sash was clear to see.  The first one gulped and looked ready to run.  Coran didn’t even give the man a second look.  Someone else had stopped to watch as well.  A man with broad shoulders and curly hair touched with gray.  His beard was streaked with gray as well.  The dark green coat he wore and his features said he was a Midian.  He didn’t have the look of a merchant to him.  Perhaps the ship in the harbor was his.  He was studying Coran.  It was not in recognition, but more out of curiosity.  Coran briefly locked eyes with the man.  Whatever the man saw, it made him the first to look away.

             
They approached an opening in the sand colored walls of the town.  The walls and most of the buildings appeared to be made of an adobe that was the same color as the rocky ground.  There were no gates at the entrance to the city, but two Karands in baggy white pants and dark green shirts stopped them.  They wore wide, curved blades at their sides that Miko said were called
stayah
.  Both looked warily at Coran as if he were a snake about to strike at them.

             
“Your name and business,” one of them asked Miko evenly. 

             
“Mikir.  I am seeing a friend regarding a business proposition,” Miko replied.  He sounded like he had been asked such questions before and was eager to be done with it.

             
“How long will you be staying?” the guard continued.

             
“A day or two.  I will not know for sure until I speak with my friend.”

             
“I should warn you that the port could be closed at any time.”  The guard glanced briefly at Coran again.  “If that occurs you will be asked to leave, and I would not want any misunderstandings.”

             
“I thank you for the warning,” Miko said seriously.  “I would not want to cause any trouble.  I will just conduct my business and leave.”

             
“May you have a pleasant stay,” the guard told them, and moved aside so they could pass.

             
Coran was sure of one thing, he wasn’t going to be the one to start any trouble. 

             
The buildings of Crecy were of the same material as the walls, and the roofs were made from clay tiles.  The only people on the streets who seemed to notice them were armed men in those sleeveless green shirts called
mey’eal
, and a few others who wore the finer clothes of the wealthy.  The rest of the people moved about with downcast eyes and solemn faces.

             
Miko had told him some of what to expect.  Crecy was a town whose ownership had been contested many times in the past.  The population of the town, and the surrounding region were Novelah Karands.  That was one of the tribes of the Western Karands, or the followers of She’al.  The current holders of the town were Eastern Karands, or the followers of Sha’elt, and belonged to Shiomi tribe.  Sha’elt and She’al were supposedly the twin gods of the Karands, a brother and a sister.  What the differences between them were beyond that he did not know, and Miko did not say.  Either he thought it obvious, or it was not for outsiders to understand.  The Sha’elts took over Crecy a few years ago, and were subjugating the populace.  Private entrepreneurs sent men to raid the land as far as the mountains to the west, and sometimes brought back people to sell.  Slavery was legal in Daes Shael.  Fortunately the need for slaves was not very high or else the whole population of the town could be headed east for a life of eternal servitude.  What he saw of the people here so far, he was not so sure they weren’t already.  One thing he did notice was that there were no young men around the town except for the guards.  Had they been taken for some reason, or did they leave?

             
They traversed the length of Crecy in an hour and passed through another opening in the walls where a gate should have been.  The guards moved to question Miko until they saw Coran behind him.  After a quick glance at each other, they went back to leaning against the wall.  Coran waited to speak until they were far down the road leading south, and out of sight of the town walls.

             
“Where are we going?”              

“About another mile south.  A friend of mine lives along the coast,” Miko informed him.  For a heavyset fellow he moved at a brisk pace and showed no signs of tiring.  “The last time I was here he had a boat.  We can use it to cross the narrows.”

              “So why did you lie to the first guard and tell him you were staying in Crecy?”

             
“If I told him we were going south, he would have been suspicious, and might have started asking questions we do not wish to answer.”

             
“But won’t they be suspicious when they find out you lied?”

             
“Yes, but by then we will be long gone.”

             
True, but only if his friend still had the boat.  “One thing I do not understand,” Coran questioned.  “I thought all the Eastern ports were closed.”

             
“Yes.  All except this one.  I believe the local leader is trying to make some money by being the only place where goods can be traded between East and West.  When the other cities hear of it, they will force him to close Crecy as well.”  Miko did not sound very surprised as he explained the situation.  Then again, he was a trader and they know how to make a profit.

             
“What about the slaves?  Are they still taken east from here?”

             
“I do not know,” Miko shrugged.  “I would assume so.”

             
Coran wondered.  If a ship carried the slaves east there might be a way across the narrows that way.  Not that he wanted to take it, but if the other way fell through, it was a possibility.

             
The road wound through a landscape with few trees, all small and browning, and steep, rocky hills.  Grass was sparse along the road side.  The sky was clear and it soon became warm.  Very warm. 

             
They had gone about three quarters of a mile when Coran heard a scraping sound.  It could have been from someone stepping on stone or two stones rubbing together.  He started to get an uneasy feeling.  In the road ahead of them appeared a man in plain robes that looked like they had been worn for a long time.  The stranger had a curved sword at his side, but he did not draw it.  Coran had no doubt that others were hidden somewhere in the surrounding hills.

             
The man was not very old, in his twenties, and of medium height.  His black hair was short and he was clean shaven.  The man grinned at them as they stopped on the road in front of him.

             
“What is the meaning of this?” Miko demanded.  He looked rather plain himself, not the successful trader he was.  He could pass for a moderate one as he had in Crecy.

             
“I must apologize if I am mistaken, but you came from Crecy.”  His voice sounded young too.  “The Sha’elt hold Crecy and their slavers raid the surrounding towns.  Now they also gather up young men to go fight some war for them.  I see you out here alone and I have to ask myself who you are?”  He finished and stared at them, waiting for an answer.

             
Coran thought that if he was telling the truth then they could as well.  They were on the same side.  The question was could they risk it?  Miko would be a better judge of character than he was under these circumstances. 

             
“You do not fear my guard?” Miko asked the young man.

             
“Fear him?  Of course I do.  I would be a complete fool if I did not.  That is why my friends are up there.”  The man pointed and they followed with their eyes.  Four men in rumpled robes held bows, the knocked arrows trained on them.  Coran sensed that they looked a little nervous doing it.  He wondered how much of the fellows bravado was feigned.  The archers were too far away if they really wanted to hit anybody. 

             
Again Miko did not answer the question.  “So you are out here doing what?  Attacking lone men such as me instead of fighting to drive out the followers of Sha’elt?”              

The man’s smile faltered.  He became more uneasy than angry.  “We are too few.  We do what we can.” 

              Miko nodded in satisfaction.  “I do not doubt your courage, but I had to be sure of who you are.  I am Miko, a trader from Arencia.”

             
Coran was surprised to hear him give his real name.  Obviously, Miko was certain he had heard the truth from the stranger. 

             
“What is a trader from Arencia doing here?” the young Karand asked suspiciously.

             
“Fighting a common foe,” Miko answered slyly.  “Perhaps we could go to your camp and discuss it?”

             
The man licked his lips and stared at Coran.  “And let him get in close enough to kill me?”

             
Miko sighed.  “He needs proof,” he said to Coran.  “Tell him who you are.”

             
“Do we have time for this?” Coran asked.

             
“Do you have a better idea?” Miko countered.

             
Coran removed the cloth that covered his face.  It was called a
la’amod,
and was separate from the
kesu,
or
head covering
. 
It seemed most Karands wrapped the
kesu
around to protect the face and did not use a
la’amod. 
He assumed it must be particular to the Anagassi.
“
My name is Coran.  I am from Summerhall.”

             
The man’s mouth fell open.  “A Midian?  Why are you here?”

             
“Like my friend told you, fighting a common enemy.”

             
The man seemed to consider that before answering.  “You may come to my camp.”

             
They followed the man, who gave his name as Ruan, off the road and over several hills until they came to a trickling stream in a narrow ravine.  They followed the stream until the two cliff sides fell away to an open area surrounded by more cliffs.  Five blankets were rolled up nearby. 

             
Ruan and his friends sat down in a circle around each other, crossing their legs.  Coran and Miko joined them. 

             
Ruan was the first to speak.  “They come here and take our people.  They treat us like cattle.  We were gone when they came to our village and rounded up all the young men.  They took a few of the women as well.  To be sold as horses are sold.”  He quivered with anger and had to calm down before continuing.  “Can you tell me why you are here now?”

             
The man was open and honest.  Coran could not afford to be as trusting, but he had already revealed his identity.  “The West is preparing for war.”  That much was true.  At least some of the West was.  “People have crossed over the Eastern Sea and the Sha’elt have joined them.”  Whether they were willing or not, that they had joined was one of the proofs Stemis had sent him to find.  “When they are ready, they will attack Midia.  I was sent to find out information.  How many there are, where they are, that sort of thing.  It is vital that I find what I need to know and get it back to Summerhall.”