Shadow Over Avalon (29 page)

“Copper, prove you’re fit to lead us,” Ironfist called, his deep voice booming in the sudden hush.

“I’ve accepted challenge. I command you to obey Shadow if she is victorious,” Copper shouted, catching all by surprise.

“A fix!” Rowan sneered. “All know she can beat any.”

“Judge for yourselves whether we fight for true. I’ve a grudge,” Shadow cried, reaching for her sword, too angry to remember all went unarmed.

“Give them blades,” a brother called. Someone rushed inside.

Shadow and Copper advanced to the center of the cleared area, facing off against each other. The willing hands of brothers belted weapons about the waist of each fighter.

Shadow pressed her attack without giving Copper time to adjust to his new skills. The air around them hushed with tension as the full skill of Submariners revealed itself for the first time. The clang of steel and the hiss of breathing broke a silence unchallenged by the watching Brethren.

Both of them looked for an opening, and now Shadow fought a losing battle against Copper’s greater strength and stamina. He knew every move and counter move she tried. The outcome loomed closer as she tried desperation moves. A slight misstep from exhaustion brought his blade down upon her leg in a glancing blow. Blood flowed.

“I offer the Shades’ ambassador quarter in exchange for a retraction,” Copper called, standing back.

“Retraction issued.” Shadow glared at him, wincing in pain. He had tried to maim her. That was almost a hamstring injury. Was he trying to stop her being an active member?

“Are there any other challengers who dispute this combat as true?” Copper looked around at the circle of Brethren.

The silence oozed with a life of its own. All had witnessed their king beat the Shades’ creature in a test of arms none could match. Suddenly, they crowded around him offering congratulations. Shadow limped into Haven alone, nursing bitterness.

Helga, recognizable by her startling blue eyes and soft voice, led her into the sisters’ caverns. She cleaned the wound with spirits and stitched it together with capable hands. Shadow declined a drink of spirits to take away the pain.

“Take it. I know you let Copper win. It was well done,” Helga said.

“He tricked me into giving him faster reaction times and all my battle knowledge.” The shame carved a deep wound, hurting beyond the slice he cut in her leg.

“Shade skills? I didn’t see the fight.” Helga packed away her implements and the bloody rags in a brisk fashion. She rounded on Shadow. “The others learn fast. This buys limited time.”

“Skills, not the speed. He’s safe enough.”
Even from me. Curse him.

“He traded with you for this? What in exchange?”

“I asked why he needed all those earrings.” Shadow shrugged, trying to distance herself from what had happened. “His plan will fit well with Shade intentions. If all is coordinated, we should control a fort.” Shadow sensed the watchers from behind alcove curtains. All the sisters, except Helga, seemed to regard her as some way station between man and beast. “We need a way for Brethren involvement to be concealed. When Harvesters learn of Brethren activities, they will begin extermination as they have with Shades. This force must be protected.”

“They’ll never find Haven.” Helga sat on the edge of a table. “Only Brethren have safe crossing over the blanket bogs surrounding us. No others have the means to evade vortai.”

“It’s not so invisible from above,” Shadow disagreed. “Brethren are the eyes. We can’t risk losing vision, not when our forces are so far apart. We must take as many forts as we can before they discover us, and have an evacuation plan.”

“Talking with you is just like talking with a brother, all war-craft. We’ve watched you training with them. You have a female form still, so we hoped. The woman in you died just as surely as it did with us, not so?”

“I trained as War Maid. Nothing else remains of that life. I think as a warrior, Helga. The time for me to be a woman has passed.” Shadow brushed aside an image of the Dragon Duke. A hot wave of pain scorched her soul to set her shuddering.
I’ll never go near Copper again.

“Don’t,” Helga said. “Don’t go there. I used to flay myself with the ‘might have beens’ when I regained full memory.”

“A lost love?” Shadow wanted to focus on anyone but herself.

“We were promised—a good match for both, and I was a Silver Band accounted pretty. My lord’s second son caught me alone in a storage cavern one day where I was busy with an inventory of weapons. He was far too strong to resist. We overset a case of daggers in our struggle. My hand closed over one while he was about his business. Unfortunately, he survived. I didn’t.” Helga sighed. “I never saw my love again. One of our brothers appeared at my fort at the time. He took me up pillion behind him when they turned me out for the hunt.”

“Did you see any Harvester when the priest passed sentence?”

“Nothing beyond that dreadful blue fire, none of us have.”

“Except me. I saw the face of our enemy . . . not human.” Shadow visualized that terrible face in her mind again, an image never far from the surface. It looked a bit like a furred man with an animal’s jaw, the tusks protruding and the eyes. Those eyes belonged to a night hunter from the way the pupils contracted. She repressed a shudder at the memory of those twin breathing-pits sucking in air and pouting to breathe out.

“Harvesters are gods. Why should they look like us?”

“Harvesters are mortal—gods aren’t. What I would like is to kill one slowly, maybe more if I get a chance. That is going to happen.” Yes, she wanted that most, a complete bio-scan to determine which cuts would kill, and then exquisite torture to surpass her own torment.

“Are you fey?”

“Call it determined instead. I’ll have vengeance.”

“A killer, just like brothers.” Helga turned away in contempt.

The accusation sunk in to bone level. Yes, a killer with one species as target. “I’ll create a sea of their blood.”

Playback ceased at Shadow’s thoughts of carnage. Now Arthur recognized the legend this woman had become. No trace of the loving girl remained: the cyborg parts overwhelmed the humanity. She stood as a perfect killing machine, devoid of compassion. The thought saddened him.

The winking lights of the gray console seemed like a score of eyes instead of instrumentation. Disturbed, he looked away to the shadows of a metallic, unadorned wall. The lights reflected off that surface too, appearing to watch him.

“Is this the point she lost all connection with social standards of higher life-forms?”

“Shadow is a complex individual,” the Archive replied. “This particular facet of her personality is best left undisturbed by her allies. She is an adept student, with a mind remaining open to events and suggestions. In many ways, she has transcended the human.”

“Did she ever find her son?”

“Boy remained un-acquired, despite all searches she instigated. She still tries on occasion.”

“You know where he is.” Arthur stared at the row of lights on the console, watching as a few more lit up. He had more of the Archive’s attention. “Why don’t you tell her?”

“Boy has made his own life. He may decide to contact her at some point. I will not jeopardize his position by disclosure.”

Arthur heard the words and disagreed with all his being. Why should these two be kept apart? There was no sense to it, no logical reason.

“That’s unfair to Shadow and unfair to Boy. Has he tried to find her?”

“Boy does not know his parentage. Downloading data could be counter-productive to his development.”

Where was the boy hidden? A pink-skinned Terran would have stood out from the Submariners just as Shadow did. While he might have inherited her gills, it was unlikely with Uther as the sire. “Is he so important that he can’t have a life?”

“Yes, Arthur. He is.”

What made Shadow’s son so valuable? Had she some other trait Arthur didn’t know about? He wanted to find the truth, and he had time before his scheduled training started this morning. He requested continuance.

*

Earth Date 3875

Shadow ran her hand over Amber’s back and legs to check her mare for any trace of tenderness. After daily rides in preparation for this time, the animal was fit for a long journey. The six other riders, chosen by Copper to travel south with them in June, stowed their baggage, looking grateful for summer sunshine. A sister came hurrying over to Shadow. She recognized Helga at a distance by the woman’s measured stride.

“Shades are healers,” the head woman said. “Is there a chance any will return with you to our base?”

“It may be offered if terms can be agreed. I can’t say whether any will accept.” Shadow waited as Helga worked up resolve. A warm breeze bringing the scent of pollen ruffled the sister’s veil.

“I’ve found a lump in my belly. It’s growing fast. There is pain.” Helga caught Shadow’s eyes. “I’m not afraid of death, not quick death. Copper said a sister should go to the Shades’ place to find if they could heal our cursed state. We discussed it among ourselves. The others are frightened.”

“Helga, are you asking to come?”

“If I stay, I’ll be opening veins soon. I’d rather spend my life giving hope to the others. I know what a lump means. Will you take me with you, Shadow?”

“Can you ride on your own?” When Helga shook her head, Shadow said, “Ride with me. Get whatever clothes you’ll need. I’ll deal with Copper.”

The Outcast King set his mouth in irritated annoyance when Shadow stated her intention of taking Helga.

“Next time—if we have a treaty at the end of this meeting.”

“There won’t be a next time for Helga. She’s dying.” She couldn’t believe Copper denied her after she made the effort to be civil.

“Rot. She can’t be more than five and twenty.”

“She’s in pain now. If she stays, she says she is going to make an ending. Either way, you lose your headwoman.”

Copper placed his hands gently on her upper arms, looking at her with a sad expression. “What kindness shall I do to allow a sick woman extra pain with no hope at the end? Let her die easy with friends around.”

“She offers her life for the chance of a cure for others.” Shadow pushed his hands away, backing from him. “I’ll care for her during transit. I can reduce her pain, and she’s riding with me.”

“Shadow, there’s no guarantee Ector will take her. What happens then?”

“He will if I ask it.” Shadow saw Helga hurrying over with a small bundle she must have prepared in advance. “Don’t destroy her sacrifice.”

“If she suffers . . .” He left the threat hanging to stalk off.

“Can I come?” Helga asked, her voice wavering.

“It’s agreed.” Shadow took Helga’s bundle to lash with her own small one. She helped Helga to mount, swinging up behind her. “Say if the pain gets unbearable. There is a way of masking it.”

*

Helga’s eyes brimmed with tears when they made night camp in a woodland glade. She went off to sit by herself, rocking in misery. Shadow collected a cold meal of bread and meat for both of them, taking it over to the woman.

“I’m not hungry,” Helga said.

“You’ll not ride another day without food. We can do this the hard way, with you held down, or you can remove your earring yourself. The pain ends now, but it means we both go dumb.”

Helga took out her earring. She didn’t even turn her back to the men as she adjusted her veils to reach her ear.

Shadow had hoped to limit the growth, but this vast swelling challenged her small knowledge of healing. She used her mind probe to trigger the release of quantities of endorphins from Helga’s brain. Rapid breathing slowed to a more relaxed rhythm.

Copper came over to them with bedding rolls. He looked worried. “Helga, I brought a supply of spirits along. A shot will help you sleep.” Her sign of negation brought his attention to Shadow. “Does she need it or not?”

Shadow signed ‘no’.

“So . . . you’ve gone that route. See you keep tight control over her mind. You won’t be able to explain you need help fast enough without your earring.” He frowned, glancing once at Helga before meeting her eyes. “I won’t release you to the Shades unless Helga goes, too.”

Shadow signed back she’d already decided on forcing Ector if reasoning failed.

“I can trust you to care for her after?”

Shadow nodded, making the sign for ‘sister’.

“Helga’s drinking the spirits is needful. You can’t stay up all night helping her and still ride in the morning.” He turned to his headwoman. “Helga, I want you insensible.”

It was a hard journey for both women. Shadow was relieved when they came to the seashore fifteen days later. They made camp in the dunes to wait for solstice, setting up guard positions back from the shore. Shadow did Helga the mercy of removing consciousness as soon as the woman was lying comfortably.

Saffron, a blond brother, came striding through tussocks of marram grass with cooked leaf-shaped creatures, just as she clipped back her earring.

“Shall I keep Helga’s warm until she wakes?” he asked.