Daughter of Hauk (The Raven Chronicles Book 1) (29 page)

              “And just how do you expect to do that?”  The teasing in her voice overrode the mock irritation.

              “Well, you know, I do have inroads with a Goddess. She may just agree with me and make it so all the fairy clans decide to watch your every move. I could see if butterflies fall under her realm of worshippers….they’re small and have wings after all….and make sure they don’t fly too far.”  Try as he might, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. The two of them began to laugh at the absurd picture he described.

              They stood there for a while in a pleasant silence, watching a pod of whales break the surface of the water a short distance from the ship. The massive forms appeared almost black in the moonlight. Y’Dürkie appeared at the rail, silently offering each of them a steaming mug. Arwenna took one gratefully, warming her slightly chilled hands with the mug.

              “I’ll head downstairs. I think she needs to talk with you.”  Joss’ voice softly whispered in her ear, followed up by a kiss on her head. “Don’t stay up too late, ladies.”  Raising his mug, he said a silent goodnight.

              Arwenna watched him walk away, a small smile on her face. Once he had disappeared down the stairs she turned back to the sea and waited for Y’Dürkie to speak.

              “Vas it like this for you?  Vith the Gem, I mean. It seems quite talkative.”

              “We talked, yes. But about things that I needed to deal with. It likes making sure that the people it works through can handle the tasks I think.”  Arwenna paused, taking a sidelong glance at Y’Dürkie. “I won’t ask you to tell me what it wants of you. Some things are better off not being shared.”

              Y’Dürkie nodded with understanding. “I suppose at some point ve can sit around a fire and swap tales. Havink gems talk to you is a fairly unique experience. Not many vould understand vhat it is like.”

              “I think there’s only three of us alive right now that would know. And Bah’Laush had other things he needed to do. It will make a fine addition to the tale of Y’Dürkie, though!”  Arwenna laughed a little at the flustered look on her sister’s face.

              “Dreamink of fame and glory is one think, Arvenna. Having it embedded into the pommel of your sword and beink told you
are
goink to have it, one vay or another, is completely different!”

              “Is that what is really bothering you?  That your place in history is secure, regardless if we win or lose?  If we lose, I don’t think we’ll be remembered much at all.”

              Arwenna turned her back to the rail and watched Y’Dürkie closely. Evidence of some kind of internal struggle was written all over her face.

              “I have to kill him, Arvenna. Even if you get rid of Corse, I vill have to kill Senyan.”  Her voice was almost a whisper.

              Lowering her head for a moment, Arwenna absently picked some lint off her cloak. “You knew that was a possibility months ago. We’ve known since we came back to this world that the creature we knew as Senyan would have to be dealt with. Why is it suddenly so hard?”

              “I do not know. Perhaps because I have got this rock buried into my sword tellink me there is no other choice. Perhaps because I know ve are goink to get off this boat soon and find who knows vhat has happened since ve left.”  She shrugged her shoulders, as if the gesture would help shed some of her doubts. “Maybe I had hoped it vould not come to this. He fought by our side, Arvenna. His magic saved our backsides more than once. In repayment, I have to cut him down. Does not seem right.”  She took a long drink out of her mug.

              “Nothing about this seems right, Y’Dürkie. Which is one reason we’re doing something about it. We’re trying to make it right. The Senyan we knew died a long time ago. Possibly even before he wandered into Tanisal that day. What we’ll be facing isn’t him at all; he’s not even a shadow of the man we knew. The creature that uses that name is nothing but a puppet for a greater evil. Keep him busy, Y’Dürkie. I want Senyan distracted as much as possible when I go hunting Corse.”  Arwenna’s voice hardened at the last.

              “Are you sure that is vise?  I know you have the magic, but Corse is a bloody demon!” Y’Dürkie’s voice was a mixture of concern and fear for her.

              She smiled and turned back to the sea. “We’ve all got a job to do in this. Mine’s to send that
thing
back to whatever hell it crawled out of. One way or another, it’s leaving this world.”

              Y’Dürkie nodded, understanding her determination. “Have you told Joss or Barek?”

              “They’ll find out when the time is right. Most likely as the fight begins and they can’t prevent me. I don’t put it past either of them to try and stop me if they know ahead of time.”  She paused, looking sideways at Y’Dürkie. “Why can’t the two of them get along, anyway?  It seems like they’re all but at each other’s throats if I turn my back for more than ten minutes.”

              Y’Dürkie took her time before she responded. “I am not sure I know exactly. It vould be better if you vould ask them. Men do things for the strangest reasons sometimes. It is vhy my Clan always keeps a voman in charge. Ve are more predictable.”

              Arwenna sputtered, her drink causing her to cough at Y’Dürkie’s assertion. The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Chapter Thirty-Two

            
 
B
arek crossed the deck, finding a spot near Arwenna up at the bow. Almair was slowly coming into view. They would be docking soon. His eyes slowly took in the view of the city. Black smoke rose from chimneys, adding more gloom to the sunless afternoon sky. Absently, he rubbed his ear in an attempt to get rid of the buzzing noise inside. He’d been hearing it for a day or two now.
Too many blows to the head
, he thought.
Need to start dodging better
.

              “Something doesn’t seem right over there, does it?”  Arwenna raised a hand, pointing off towards the city. “It seems darker.”

              “We’ve been gone a while, Arwenna. I know that Y’Dürkie thinks her grandmother has kept Senyan’s forces busy, but it may not be the case. Might be worth our time to spend a day or two here and see what we can find out. I don’t want to be heading into a war zone that’s moved on me.”  Barek paused, watching the city approach. “I don’t suppose you would listen to me if I told you to stay in your room while we go hunt down information.”

              She laughed a little. “No, Barek. I’m not sitting out on this. I’ve got a job to do, and it doesn’t include sitting in an inn sipping tea. I appreciate the concern, really. But there’s nothing out there that I’m afraid of anymore. Whatever Corse and Senyan will throw my way will be illusion or undead. I’m not letting a ghost scare me out of my mind. You know how well I can take care of a ghost.”  The look she sent his way was very direct.

              “Just trying to keep you in one piece is all. I know you can hold your own. You’ve done it before. And kept me and Y’Dürkie alive in the process. The stakes are higher now, though. The other side doesn’t fight fair. And I don’t want to finish the fight only to find you in a heap on the ground.”  He thought, carefully choosing his next words. “They’ve brought back that brother of yours once already. Are you sure they can’t do it again?  I remember what you were like when he was done with you the last time, Arwenna. I’m not going to let anyone do that to you again.”

              He watched her closely as she replied, “He can’t hurt me again, Barek. Even if they bring him back somehow. He seemed pretty dead when you were done with him, so I’m not sure what they could use to bring him back. I’m done living my life afraid that he’ll be there every time I look behind me. The only way he has control of me is if I let the fear overtake me again. I’m not afraid of him anymore. I’ve got Joss, you, Y’Dürkie. Lexi’s out there somewhere, too. Come winter, I’ll have a child to raise. I’d rather my children grow up in a world with at least one less demon.”  Her voice trailed off.

              Trying hard to keep his voice steady, he ignored the cold knot forming in his stomach. “It’s true, then?  I thought he was bluffing, like he did with the plants killing them.”  He kept his eyes firmly fixed on the approaching city.

              “No, he wasn’t bluffing. We had thought to keep the pregnancy quiet until this was over. For whatever reason, he announced it at that time. Probably to get Shoadin’s attention. He would’ve had a hard time passing the child off as his. Especially when I would’ve slit his throat the moment he even came near me.” 

              “Barek.” A voice whispered into his ear. Startled, he turned around. Arwenna was the only one there, but it wasn’t her voice.

              “Did you hear that?” He asked, puzzled.

              “Hear what?” Arwenna replied.

              “Barek.” The voice whispered into his ear again, almost a purr.

              He scanned the area around him quickly, seeing only Arwenna standing close enough to him to have made the sound.

              “Someone’s calling my name, almost whispering it.”  Barek kept looking around, hoping to find the source of the voice.

              “Do you recognize the voice?”  Arwenna asked him, her eyes looking at him intently.

              “It’s not Senyan’s voice. It’s a male voice, but one I’ve never heard before.”

              “Is this the first time you’ve heard it?”

              Barek paused, “The voice, yes. I’ve had some sort of buzzing noise in my ears for a day or two, though. Think they’re connected?”

              “I’m not sure. They might be. I don’t think it’s the Gem. I think you have to have it in your possession to hear it speak. It could be that someone’s been trying to do this for days now and you’ve finally gotten in range of their magic.”  She reached up and gently placed two fingers on his temple. A warmth spread through his head at the touch. After a moment, she dropped her hand. “Your mind is still your own, if that’s what scares you. Whoever’s doing this hasn’t possessed you. They’re just projecting their voice to you.”

              He nodded in understanding. “This may be to our advantage, you know. If it’s the other side, something might slip out that we can use.”

              “That’s possible, but unlikely. I can make it so they can’t read any part of your mind except what you say back to them, if you say anything. You won’t have to worry about them picking your brain apart that way.”

              “Do it, then. I don’t like hearing voices!”

              “You’re probably going to still hear the voices, Barek. I can’t stop that completely. But any compulsion they send with it to get you to do what they’re saying won’t get through.”  She paused before continuing, giving him a very direct look. “You will tell me what they’re saying, won’t you?  I can’t counteract it if I don’t understand what they’re trying to make you do.”

              “Not saying much yet, just my name. But, yes, I’ll let you know what they’re saying if it keeps happening.”  He watched the city as the ship moved closer to it. “Why do you think they do stuff like this, Arwenna?  Senyan knows better than to try and get me to back down from this.”

              Arwenna let out a heavy sigh before answering. “We can’t keep thinking of Senyan in terms of the person we knew, Barek. He’s not that person any more. Even if he knows you won’t back down, that doesn’t mean Corse won’t try to get you to. We’ve got an advantage right now in that he’s got to be scared of something we’ve got within us or he wouldn’t be trying to run us off. I don’t think Corse knows who will win any more than we do.”                She looked up at him, “You’re going to have to sit down for me to do the shielding. You’re too bloody tall for me to keep my arms that high for long.”

              Barek moved over to a bench and sat down.               Arwenna followed, taking a stance behind him. “Just hold still. It’s not going to hurt. I don’t want you to fight me, though. It’ll just make it harder if you do.”  He felt her hands gently touch the sides of his head and the warmth he felt before began to permeate his skull. He closed his eyes; the feel of Arwenna’s magic winding through his mind gave him a sense of calm.

              A few minutes passed before he felt her hands move away from the sides of his head. He moved his head slightly, trying to get rid of a kink in his neck. “All finished?”  He half turned on the bench to look at Arwenna.

              She nodded, a slightly puzzled look on her face. “Yes, I think so.”

              He swung the rest of the way, giving her a direct look. “You think so?  I’d rather have you fairly certain!”

              She looked away, “You kept part of your mind closed, Barek. I don’t know why, but you wouldn’t let me in that part. I’m not going to push into areas where you don’t want me to be, but I can’t guarantee the shield I put on you will hold if they know what’s there and I don’t.”  Her voice was soft, but a wealth of curiosity and concern were present.

              Barek averted his eyes, knowing exactly what he’d kept hidden from her. “I’ll live with it.” 

              “There you are! I was starting to wonder.”  Joss’ voice cut through the tension that had sprung up between Barek and Arwenna. Barek watched as Joss approached them, wrapping his arms possessively around Arwenna. “The captain says we’re about to dock, so we should get ready to disembark.”  Barek watched them closely as Arwenna let Joss lead her off.

              “She does not know, Barek. And I am of the mind to keep it that vay.”  Y’Dürkie’s voice was low. He hadn’t heard her come up behind him.

              “Doesn’t know what?” He kept his eyes on Arwenna’s retreating form.

              “How you feel about her.”

              Barek wheeled around to face Y’Dürkie, eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge how much she knew. “What are you getting at, Y’Dürkie?”

              Y’Dürkie stood with her arms folded, leaning against a mast. Her voice was low enough that no one else could hear. “Only think I vant to know is if you are goink to vatch Joss’ back as vell as you do mine and Arvenna’s. I do not like the idea of goink into battle not knowink if I am goink to have to vatch both the enemy and you.”  Her eyes gave him a very direct look.

              He stared back, jaw tightening at her implication. “You questioning my honor, Y’Dürkie?”

              “Not at all. Just your motivation. She has made her choice, Barek. You need to live vith it. Arvenna has got a lot to do yet, and addink the distraction of you and Joss all but killink each other is not goink to help. I do not think she vould handle him dyink again any better than she did the last time. And there is no guarantee he vould be able to come back. If you vere the one that got him killed, she may not forgive you.” She carelessly began to clean her fingernails with the point of a dagger.

              Without realizing he was doing it, Barek returned his gaze to where Arwenna had descended towards the cabins. “He doesn’t deserve her. He’s not strong enough to protect her.” 

              “She has got more magic in her than anyone I have ever seen, Barek. She can take care of herself. Treatink her like some doll is not goink to do anythink but irritate her.  In the end she is going to do vhat she has to do. Even if you do not approve of the methods she uses. I vould highly recommend not gettink in her vay. I just vant to keep her distractions to a minimum. She has noticed you and Joss do not get along but does not understand vhy. I vant to keep it that vay. If you vant to tell her, that is your business. But I vould recommend vaiting until this var is finished.”  With those words, she pushed away from the mast and headed down to the cabins, leaving Barek to his own thoughts.

              Captain Wolfgang joined them as they got ready to disembark the ship. “I’ve sent word ahead to Master Bren. He’ll be expecting the group of you if you want to spend a night or two in town. He and I have a small arrangement on this sort of thing.”  He stopped, lowering his voice as he spoke to Barek directly. “I’m probably not going to stay in port very long. There’s a bad feeling to the city. If you want passage out of here, send word before tomorrow morning and I’ll wait an extra day. I should have my business concluded and ready to sail again by then.”

              Barek nodded as he shook the captain’s hand in farewell. “It’s doubtful, but we appreciate the offer. We’ve got some things to do to the south that will take time.”

              “Understood. Well, take care and hopefully your business will conclude well for you.”  With a tip of his hat, he strode off to give orders for the unloading of the ship.

              The grey pallor of the city weighed heavily on each of them as Barek led the group down the dock and towards The Sail and Jib. There were more people mulling about than he recalled. Entire families sat alongside the cobblestone streets, desperately calling out for charity and alms. He could hear Arwenna stop here and there to drop coins into eager hands. It took longer than he liked to navigate the streets, the sign for the inn a welcome sight.

              Master Bren hurried out into the street before they could dismount, followed by three stable boys. He carried an armful of plain woolen cloaks in his arms. “Here, put these on. And quickly!”  He handed a cloak to each of them as they dismounted, the stable boys quickly leading the horses off the street. “We need to get you inside and in a room before anyone sees you.”  As soon as the cloaks were on, he motioned them to follow him to a side door. Barek glanced back, making sure Arwenna and the rest were concealed.

              Master Bren waited for a moment, listening carefully, before unlatching the door and waving them inside. There was a short walk in dim lighting to the staircase that led upstairs. Sensing his urgency, Barek and the others moved as quickly and silently as possible up the stairs. Once upstairs, Master Bren slid past them, waving his hand as he scurried to the end of the hallway. He pulled out a key and opened the room at the end, holding the door open as they hurried inside. Barek read the concern on everyone’s faces. He watched as Master Bren shut the door behind him, relaxing only slightly as he turned around. “I’ll need the cloaks back when you leave, so keep them handy just in case. I’m sorry I’ve only got this one room for the four of you, but things in the city are tense right now. Refugees are pouring in by the hundreds every day. Do what you can to be comfortable. The boys will be up soon with your packs. I’ll come up later with some food and answer your questions.”  He dropped the key into Barek’s hand, leaving Barek with questions.

              Barek locked the room behind him while Y’Dürkie started a fire in the fireplace. The room was small, but they’d make do. Two small beds sat below windows with new, heavy curtains over them. The small table near the door had candles laid out, ready for use. Barek exchanged a look with Arwenna, curiosity and concern about what had been happening since they left evident on their faces.