The Warrior Returns - Anteros 04 (5 page)

pour a little honeyed wine in it and dip his bread for a late night snack. When I'd set the bowl down carefully on his study table, he'd hug me and thank me as if I'd crossed mountains and wild seas to do him this favor.

"Thank you, daughter," he'd say. "And to those thanks add ten thousand more."

You see what I mean? Not one thank-you would suffice. Only ten thousand and one would do.

Although my mother had the greater influence on me—and it was through her that I inherited my magical ability—my father stirred my more noble feelings, forming and cementing my notions of right and wrong and honor. It was also through him that I'd been infected by the Antero family obsession to explore new lands and see new things. And when my mother carried my wishes forward, telling him that above all things I wanted to become a soldier, my father'd made certain I had the chance to achieve my heart's desire.

I was always his darling daughter no matter how rough or boyish my play. When I was a child, I'd sit on his knee night after late night, winding and unwinding my fingers in his beard while he regaled me with tales of his early adventures in the lands of the South.

He told me of the oyster beds along the Straits of Madacar, where the pearls were plump and glowing. He showed me one rare pearl he'd found that was as big as my childish fist and black as the deeps of the deepest sea. He had a little fertility idol, a fat little woman with great breasts and an oversized pudendum, that he prized above all his treasures. He said it came through many hands from the true end of the world and was a goddess to the People of the Edge who lived on the bottom of the earth. It had been his lifelong desire to go to that place, but he'd never had the time to undertake such a journey.

I've been there since those days of pigtails and scraped knees. I've seen what my father ached to see. I remember gazing out on those wild and lovely wastelands for the first time and thinking if things had been different, Paphos Antero would've been the first great Orissan explorer instead of

Amalric. Who knows what the world would be like if that had happened?

And how much larger it would be.

I suppose it was because of his dreams and tales that I'd concentrated on southern exploration and trade since I left the Maranon Guard and joined my brother. Perhaps the threat I sensed from the false Ice Bear King made me more anxious to secure those regions for Orissan trade.

As I viewed the matter, any losses suffered to that pirate devil would be as much a blow against my father as myself.

When I set out to investigate the extent of the danger, if danger existed at all, I did so with more resolve than someone seeking mere profit. I'd be damned if I'd let some barbarian upstart interfere with
my
plans. And if he'd harmed any of my people, I'd hunt him down and rid the earth of his flea-riddled carcass.

I was a warrior in wizard's robes, and by the sweet eyes of Maranonia, I swore to have my will in this matter.

we made a
fast run south. We flew n
o flags. We used sails dyed a t
awny blue so as not to stand out on the horizon. And we avoided even the most innocent traffic.

My ship was the
Tern,
a single-masted, shallow-drafted vessel built for speed in any waters, from stormy seas to placid river currents. I carried a crew of ten, which was more than I needed to sail her, but all were skilled fighters as well, so we'd make a nasty little force to be crossed. There was a short single bank of oars on either side to get us out of trouble if we were becalmed. And I'd fitted her out with all the most modern devices, such as the small pump just out of our Evocator's shops, that'd keep her dry and light in any weather.

The pump ran on a mild spell of perpetuation, so it never needed manning, other than someone to clear the hose if oakum or some other debris clogged it. The pump was only one of many useful devices Orissans had devised in recent years, combining the magical knowledge my brother brought back from the Far Kingdoms with our native ingenuity for mechanics.

Once again the captain was Carale, whom I was delighted to sail with again. The first mate was Donarius, a big blustery fellow with a bad temper and keen weather eye. He also swung a two-handed sword with impressive and ferocious ease, and although he grumbled some, he always followed orders exactly.

One of the practices I'd instituted since joining my brother was building a stable of men and women trained both as sailors
and
warriors. In my expedition against the Archon, I'd seen the need for such a thing. Most sailors must engage in combat from time to time. But their seamanship is valued over their fighting ability. Anyone who has been in even the mildest storm at sea would never quarrel with the wisdom of this practice.

It seemed to me both things could be achieved, and at a high level of skill if the scale were kept small. And it seemed to be the perfect solution for a commercial enterprise such as ours. My brother had always maintained a crack security force composed of former soldiers or members of elite units. With Amalric's approval, I'd launched the plan and combed near and far for the best people.

I'd promised hard training, high wages, and a clean life that might very well be short. To that end I'd established a handsome fund for those who were maimed or became too old, or died and left family behind. I'd been deluged with volunteers, so I had my pick. To my delight, many were women, although I'd had to be especially careful not to impede the rebuilding of the Maranon Guard, which had been decimated in the war against Lycanth.

All the volunteers were trained as sailors by my brother's most worthy captains and as soldiers by myself. Later I became so busy, I'd been forced to turn this duty over to a retired Guardswoman, a steely-muscled sergeant with a game leg and an educated nose for laggards. Some got even more specialized training, such as handling caravan animals and desert fighting.

When I left on the mission, most of these men and women were engaged in other Antero affairs. I didn't have a great variety of people to choose from. But I was well-satisfied with the men who volunteered, and my only regret was there were no women available.

Among my men was a set of twins, Talu and Talay. They were blond, handsome lads so identical in looks, manner, and speech, it was useless to attempt to tell them apart. Therefore we called them both Talutalay. Or Talut for short. They'd trained for an elite Guards force, but in the army's age-old, small-minded manner, they were refused permission to serve together. They left when their first term ended, and I'd snapped them up before they'd reached the first tavern to drink away their woes.

Another member of the crew worth mentioning was the cook. He was exceedingly tall and remained thin as a spar no matter how much or richly he ate or drank. He had a long neck and a small head, and was bald of pate and chin. He had a nervous habit of licking his lips, a quick dartlike motion of his tongue. He was a cheery sort, an extraordinary cook, and he could hurl a spear an amazing distance, using his long, lean body like a throwing stick. He was the son of a fishing family who'd caught the adventure bug.

I forget his name, but that's because we all called him Lizard, which is how he introduced himself and was certainly the animal he most resembled. If you can imagine, that is, a lizard as friendly as an innkeep's pup.

I hadn't told the men the specifics of our mission before we left, saying only that it was dangerous. Although I'd admitted the pay was triple and the bonuses among the most handsome ever, I'd downplayed that part and emphasized the danger. I didn't want need or greed to color anyone's decision.

Just before we reached the Pillars of Te-Date I called them all together to explain what'd happened and what our purpose was.

Carale, the only one who'd been with me on the last expedition, breathed a sigh when I was done.

"I figgered that's what was up, me lady," he said. His normally dour expression had actually brightened, if you call a storm reduced to mere heavy showers a brightening. "Those poor blighters at the outposts'11 be right glad t' see us. I know I'd be."

The others nodded in vigorous agreement. A side benefit of the mission, both Amalric and I had agreed, would be to show our employees that the Anteros were behind them no matter how far away from home our business took them.

"I want to stress," I said, 'that we must be careful what we say whenever we go ashore. I don't want this fellow to get his wind up."

"Why, he's nothin' but pig dung, Lady Antero," Donarius said. "Won't take us long to nail his hide to a shed. I 'spect we'll be home in time t' tap the first barrel of spring." He smacked his lips. "I likes me brew a bit green, Lady Antero."

"Like your women, eh, Donarius?" I joked. It was well known that the big first mate went weak-kneed at the sight of any tavern slut who could still lay honest claim to a girlish giggle.

Everyone laughed appreciatively, perhaps a little louder than the mild humor warranted. I wanted them to become used to my ways. It had been easier when I was a soldier in uniform, wearing my captain's badge: most men would soon forget my sex and accept me as a warrior who was easily their equal on the battlefield or in the tavern yard. But nowadays I was an Evocator, addressed as Lady Antero this and my lady that, until I feared they'd snatch themselves bald from so much forelock tugging.

The laughter sparked a few more jokes at the first mate's expense. He blushed like an overlarge boy, and I raised a hand to bring it to a halt when I thought his good humor might soon dissolve into anger.

I returned to the subject of the false Ice Bear King.

"I don't know if this pirate is just a thief with an imagination," I said, "or if he's a real menace. For all I know, he could be nothing more than a lucky rogue who was shrewd enough to trap that demon into working for him. And when I killed the demon I wiped out what little magical armament he had."

"I fear worse'n that, me lady," Carale said, his expression sour. "It's a well-known fact that where ye'
11
find one demon ye'
11
find another."

This was untrue. I'd encountered single demons before— such as Lord Elam, who'd nearly made a feast of me and my companions. But it was senseless to argue with tavern myths and I let it go. Besides, I preferred Carale's wariness to his first mate's overconfidence.

"That's an excellent point, Captain," I said. "I think it'd be safer if we assumed this fellow is the Ice Bear King incarnate. That he's got a whole stable of demons at his command and that his pirates are as fierce as any we've ever encountered. We can't get into trouble with that attitude. Which we certainly can if we underestimate him.

"Also, any self-respecting pirate keeps paid spies at the major ports to sniff out likely victims. We should assume he's at least doing that."

"You needn't worry about loose tongues, Lady Antero," Donarius said. He glowered at the men, his chest and shoulders swelling like a bullfrog's. Putting on his most intimidating display—and maybe getting back at those who'd teased him. "We'll keep our lips clamped tight, won't we, lads?"

All were quick to murmur agreement.

"Actually," I said, "I
want
you to talk. As a matter of fact, the more you babble, the better it'll be."

They all looked confused. Before long that confusion gave way to conspiratorial smiles.

"I propose we look like easy prey," I said. "We'll waggle our soft merchant fannies around a port or two and we'll soon draw him out."

Carale made a sour face. 'To what purpose, if ye don't mind me askin', me lady?" he said. "Ain't but one ship here and eleven of us, countin' yourself. I can't make me mind big enough to figger the odds against a whole pirate fleet, sorcery or no. I know ye too well t' think ye'd be proposin' to fight it out toe-t'-toe, as it were. But
..."

"But what other choice will we have," I finished for him, "if we let him know where to find us?"

Carale nodded. "Somethin' like that, me lady."

"I intend for us to lie," I said. Carale immediately looked relieved. "We'll say we're scouting business prospects and it's rare gems I'm looking for in particular. Which will make us a rich prize, indeed. And then we'll simply say we're going southeast—but we'll go southwest instead. To the trading outposts."

This drew broad smiles. Most people like to think of themselves as potential masters of deceit if only given the chance. This is why they are such easy targets of truly cunning men and women. The thieves play on it, and their victims trip over their own artifice.

The story I'd concocted, however, was so simple that any of the men could carry it off during the brief stops I planned.

If all went well, the men would return home vastly pleased with themselves. And they'd have fat purses and broad boasts to boot.

our first stop
was Pisidia, the great trading center that sits just inside the Pillars of Te-Date and commands the entrance to the Straits of Madacar.

Pisidia was well-named. You could smell it many leagues before you arrived.

I first saw the Pillars of Te-Date on a pearly morn, the seas hissing gently between the great stone columns that reached so high it was easy to imagine they held up the vault of the sky. I knew that just through those columns was Pisidia, whose wide natural harbor made it a crossroads for all trade with the south. But that first view had been spoiled long before, when the stench of Pisidia's huge tanning vats crept in on the night winds.