The Heresy Within (34 page)

“I see you can pay double,” she whispered close to his ear. Betrim realised she was holding his cock in one hand and his purse in the other. “I'll hold onto both of these for now. Don't worry; I’ll only take what I'm worth.”

“You best be worth it,” he growled at her as she started leading him towards the stairs.

Rose glanced back at him, a wicked grin on her face that looked nothing like Swift's. “Oh I am.”

Thanquil was trying to think of a situation where he'd felt more awkward, a situation that had been more tense. He was coming up blank. Sitting between two women who seemed to hate each other was somehow worse than being questioned by the council of Inquisitors, worse than having a dozen swords pointed at him for a crime he was innocent of, worse than standing by and watching as the Arbiter passed judgement on his parents.

For her part, Jezzet wasn't making a show of it. She stared into her mug but Thanquil could feel the anger radiating off of her like a dark haze that spurned all attempts at conversation. Henry was far less subtle, she sat staring poisonous daggers at Jezzet and sneering with even more contempt than normal.

To make matters worse the rest of the common room of the inn was loud, jovial and drunk. Their table was like an island of moody silence among a sea of revelry and that grated on Thanquil's nerves.

The giant sighed and Henry sent him a look that could have frozen the sea. “Don't give me that Henry. I'm bored,” Bones whined. “All the others are off havin' fun an' here I am stuck here with three people all look like they want ta kill the others.”

“I have no wish to kill any of you,” Thanquil said.

“Not even Thorn?”

“Especially not Thorn. Trying to kill that one is dangerous work. Six Arbiters he's killed!”

Henry spat onto the reed covered floor. It landed close to a man's feet but he took one look at the table and thought better of whatever insult had been on his lips. “He's fond of tellin' us too,” Henry growled.

“Do you really burn folk?” Bones asked.

Not the sunniest of topics for a conversation but Thanquil was willing to take just about anything at this point. “I've been known to... do a few burnings.”

“Why? I mean, why burnin'? Don't stabbin' work jus' as well? Or beheadin'? Or poisonin'? Or crushin'? Or drownin'? Or...”

Thanquil decided to interrupt the big man before he ran out of ways to think of killing people. “There's cleansing power in fire. But I try not to burn people if possible. There are more humane ways of killing those deemed heretics.”

“Huh.” The giant was fumbling idly at one of the bone necklaces he kept around his neck.

“That's a grisly trophy you carry with you,” Thanquil said. He had long ago discovered the best way to stop people asking questions about him was to make them talk about themselves.

Bones smiled and pulled out all three of the necklaces he wore. Crude things made of string looped through bone. Two were complete; the third only had bones half way around its length. “Took one from every man or woman I ever killed.”

“Why?” Jezzet asked.

“Ta remind me. Count every night so I know jus' how many people I killed. Easy ta forget in the game we play that everyone we kill is a person, jus' like us. Each one got bones and skin, jus' like us. Each one got friends or family, jus' like us. Some folk like Thorn an' Henry here they like ta forget that but not me.”

“So what is your count at?”

“Forty-nine so far.”

Henry snorted, Jezzet nodded and Thanquil tried to remember how many people he'd killed. It was hard to say but it was over fifty.

“Don't seem like that many,” Jezzet said.

“Weren't always a sell-sword. Used ta be a farmer or at least I used ta work on a farm. The man who owned it didn't have enough bits ta buy an ox so he used me an' another lad, Jehry, from the nearby village. Used ta spend all day pullin' a plough, now that was hard work. Mostly grew corn but he had a small fruit orchard at the back of his house. We used ta sneak back there an' steal some sometimes, me an' Jehry. This one's Jehry, here.” Bones pointed at one of his bones.

“Ya killed him?” This came from Henry.

 “Didn't have much of a choice. One day group came round, armed an' mounted. They killed the owner an' then chucked a sword down between me an' Jehry an' said, '
We don't need two giants
'. Jehry got ta the sword first but he weren't never as big or strong as me so I took it an' took my first bone. After that I rode with them fer a while 'till the Hangman caught 'em.”

“Hangman Yril?” Henry asked.

“Aye, chased us half way across the wilds the ol' bastard.”

“How did ya escape?”

“Didn't. He never caught me. Was off takin' a shit when he came on our camp. Heard the commotion an' laid low. After, when I stole back into camp ta see if my stuff were still there I found the whole gang swingin' from ropes. He hung 'em all.”

“Never been so glad of a man dyin' as when I heard the Hangman had been done in by the rot. Bounty hunters is near as bad as witch hunters,” Henry said.

“He weren't so bad,” Bones said with a smile. “Met him a year later in Korral. Near pissed myself but he had no idea who I was. Bought me a drink.”

“You could have gone back though,” Thanquil suggested. “Back to your old village.”

Bones laughed. “There is no going back, Arbiter. Not fer folk like us, not in the wilds. Once ya part of the game, the game's a part of you.”

“With all those people you burned, never killed an innocent one, witch hunter?” Henry asked.

Thanquil remembered the body of a boy with a hole in his head lying amongst rotted, splintered wood, he remembered the blood seeping into the soiled reeds on the floor, and he remembered Jezzet Vel'urn standing in front of him naked as a babe. “Aye, I've killed innocents before.”

Henry spat, there was something vicious and cruel about her. “See, ya no better than us.”

“Never claimed to be. I’m just better spoken.”

“Words? Words is jus' air, don't matter how they spoken.”

Thanquil smiled at Henry, she scowled back. “Words have power with the proper application and how they're spoken is the key.”

“Would words save ya if I leapt at ya with a knife?”

“With the right words... they might.”

“If they didn't, I would,” Jezzet said, her voice as dark and dangerous as her eyes.

“An' who are you anyway?” Henry returned the dark eyes. “Black Thorn says ya good but all I see is a scared little girl in bed with a witch hunter.” She was speaking loud enough to draw attention now but more eyes rested on Thanquil and his coat than the small woman with murder in her eyes.

“Henry...” Bones started.

“Shut it, Bones

“The Boss said...”

Henry rocketed to her feet, her chair clattering to the floor, and she spat at Jezzet. The Blademaster made no attempt to move and the spittle hit her in the face. She pushed herself to her feet, her right hand resting on the hilt of her sword. For somewhere close to a lifetime Henry and Jezzet stared at each other across the table. Then Bones stood up, towering over all of them.

“The Boss said we're all together in this, her included. He ain't gonna be pleased if you two start killin' each other.”

“Boss is off sticking his cock in some poxy whore, what the fuck do I care if he's pleased.” With that Henry turned and stalked away, men twice as large as her parting to let her through.

Jezzet sat back down, wiping the spittle from her face. Bones collapsed back into his chair, Thanquil was amazed the small wooden structure didn't collapse under the weight.

The regular sounds of the common room resumed and Thanquil leaned over and picked up the fallen chair. Bones swallowed the rest of his mug of beer and motioned for the serving girl to bring him another, Jezzet also requested another. Thanquil could see her hand was shaking, just like his did when he hadn't stolen anything for a while.

“Sorry 'bout Henry,” Bones was saying, “she's... well... Henry.”

“She doesn't seem to like me much,” Jezzet said as she paid the serving girl for her beer.

“She jus' don't like not bein' the prettiest of the crew no more,” Bones said with a smile and Jez smiled back. “Just don't go tellin' my wife I called ya pretty. She'd have my stones off 'fore I could say sorry.”

After that Jezzet and Bones traded a few stories. Each told the other of the big names they had met and the big names they had killed. Jezzet seemed to come out on top of that contest. Bones always mentioned one crew or another he had served with. Thanquil kept himself quiet for the most part, more than content to listen.

When the big southerner they called the Boss arrived he sank down into Henry's empty chair, took a large swig of beer and commenced scowling. “Where is she?”

Bones winced. “She um... left.”

“Why?”

“Well the last thing she said had somethin' ta do with you an' whores.”

“Fuck. Well we best jus' hope she don't go murderin' anyone.” The big southerner looked tired and more than a little angry.

“We are moving towards H'ost, I hope. I seem to remember someone saying something about west and we seem to have moved somewhat east,” Thanquil said.

The Boss nodded. “Some roads are longer than others. This one happens ta be safer, 'specially with the company we keep. Reckon it's about time Jezzet Vel'urn told us what she knows 'bout H'ost.”

Jezzet's eyes flicked up to the Boss and then across to Thanquil. The Boss continued speaking. “Aye, seems there's some folk heard of you after all. An' they reckon ya might know a bit more 'an nothin'. Some say you worked fer H'ost, some say you crewed with Deadeye.

“Now from the way you drew steel when I said we were workin' fer her, I know ya got some sort o' involvement. Reckon it's 'bout time ya told us a tale, 'fore the others get back'd probably be best fer ya.”

“Can't lie ta an Arbiter,” Bones pitched in.

Jezzet looked at Thanquil and then away. “It was me gave Constance her deadeye.”

“Aye,” the Boss said after a mouthful of beer. “That much I know already. Did in her sister too, the one they called the Bloody Angel. Were you workin' fer H'ost or not?”

“Aye. A few years ago when I'd just come to the wilds I was in Solantis.”

“A woman alone in Solantis is like ta end up a woman raped an' dead in Solantis.”

“Maybe, but a woman who can use a sword in Solantis is like to end up very wealthy... for a time at least.

“Catherine, Constance's sister, saw me in the fighting pits. She was there gathering sell-swords, wanted to raise a new merc company and make a name for herself. She hired me on as a second bodyguard. She called us the Angel's Blades. You can imagine the talk I'm sure. A merc company led by three women. Constance was as big as a bear and stronger than most men; me, a Blademaster; and Catherine was as good with a map as she was with a sword.”

“But not as good as you,” the Boss put in.

“Not with a sword, no. The other companies laughed but those who worked for her were fiercely loyal. She soon made that name for herself at Feville.”

“You were the ones that sacked Feville?”

Jezzet nodded.

“Is it true what ya did there?” Bones asked.

Again Jezzet nodded. “We'd been paid to take the city. The contract was not specific as to how and their walls were fairly high. We  arrived during the day when many and more of the town's people were out farming and working and such. Catherine took them prisoner, all of them, including the magistrate's daughter. Two hundred and eight townsfolk in all.

“When the rest of the company had arrived she set up the siege and met with the magistrate. Told him no one had to die, no one even need get hurt. All he needed to do was open the gates and give command of the town over to us. The magistrate told her to piss off so Catherine had his daughter staked out in front of the town and gave the men free use of her. For three days and nights all you could hear was that bloody girl screaming and crying.

“Eventually one of the men took pity and slit the girl's throat. Catherine had him hanged for it. After that she had three prisoners a day brought out in front of the town's walls and had a two teams of horses pull them apart. Twelve people we killed like that before the gates came open and the magistrate was marched out in chains.

“Catherine ordered the town sacked, its garrison executed to a man. After that they started calling her the Bloody Angel. Prettiest woman I've ever seen but so much blood on her hands.”

“You didn't do much ta stop it yaself,” the Boss put in.

“No. I didn't.” Jezzet said, her face and eyes as hard as stone. “H'ost bought our contract soon after. He never was much one for military matters so he gave full command of his forces to Catherine. Our company was absorbed by H'ost's larger force.”

“That doesn't tell us much about H'ost,” Thanquil said.

“I really don't know that much. Only met him a few times and two of those he was in his cups. He's mad though. All the blooded families dream of reclaiming the wilds into the empire it once was but H'ost... he believes it, and he believes he's the man to do it.”

“That it?” the Boss asked. “Nothing else?”

“Well he really doesn't like me,” Jezzet added. “Not since I cost him the lands around Longwater. Or not since I won them for D'roan more like.”

“Well that's good at least,” said Bones with an easy grin. All eyes turned to him. “Well I mean you're less like to betray us given that he hates you.”

Rose was breathing heavy, her breasts rising and falling with each breath. Even though he only just had her and even though that was the third time, Betrim wanted her again already.

He made a clumsy grab for one of her breasts with his five fingered hand but she swatted it away. Then she leaned over and plucked a bottle from the table beside the bed, uncorked it and took a long, deep swallow of the sweet, amber mead inside.

“Open,” she said with a smile on her lips and a brighter smile in her eyes. Betrim opened his mouth and she poured mead down his throat. Her aim was perfect.

“So, reckon I'm worth double?” Rose asked her voice playful but not mocking.