The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear (35 page)

they would tie me bare-assed over a chair and use my hole and my

mouth as their own private piss bucket. Then they all laughed.”

He looked from the plate with cold cuts to the one with cheese,

and finally grabbed a piece of the latter, smelled it and nibbled at it.

Both ladies laughed so hard that it made him look up and smile self-

consciously.

“That sounds like Damydas, dear,” Sobrathi said.

“He never could restrain that vile tongue of his,” Emelasuntha

agreed.

“I’m almost certain it was him,” Jerruth said softly. “When I came

back with the other three jugs they stopped talking as soon as they

heard me enter the room. I have a light step. They teach us that at the

castle. Here, at the Chapter House, they taught me what to look out

for and what to listen for. So before they had heard me coming, that

man was saying...”

“Yes,” Emelasuntha prodded him on.

Bonds of Fear

273

“He said, ‘No, six jugs is more than enough. Then a few hours sleep

before we leave for the Northern Marches. That little cocksucker will

understand soon enough why they call me the Bloody Baron when I

stick my dagger in his hole and work it up all to his navel’ is what he

said.” He paused. Then, much softer, “That’s what he said, and then

they all laughed again.”

With one savage gesture of her arm, Emelasuntha swept all plates

and cups before her from the table. They landed with an infernal

noise several feet from the table. Sobrathi looked worried.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” Jerruth said, looking down. “I guessed he

meant your... he meant his highness, the prince.”

Emelasuntha regained her composure in an instant.

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Jerruth. You did exceedingly

well. You were astute enough to first identify him, then overhear him,

to come immediately here instead of waiting till the next debriefing,

and at last you stood up to all those blockheads that tried to keep you

away from me. You can be proud of yourself. I am.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“He plans to kill him,” Sobrathi said, shocked. “So, we were right

all along. Your husband is sending his henchman to the north to kill

Anaxantis.”

“And Damydas just prolonged his death struggle with a full

week,” Emelasuntha said with barely pent up furor. “He will still be

known as the Bloody Baron, but for some altogether different bloody

reason,” she added, her face now contorted with rage and hate. “But

the little pleasures will have to wait. There’s work to be done while

that animal is sleeping off his hangover. He can’t be leaving before

midday. Sobrathi, get dressed and get everybody together. Send for

the men at the Sermyn farm as well. I want every able bodied man

274

Andrew Ashling

armed to the teeth and ready to go an hour before noon. We’re going

to cover every exit of the castle that stinking rat could use.”

Making decisions had calmed her down. She went over to a

cabinet and came back with a small purse, which she put on the table

before Jerruth.

“Majesty, that’s not necessary, I... I...”

“I know. Take it anyway. Treat yourself and your loved ones

to something special. You’ve earned it. I will see to it that your

supervisor hears of it. In fact, I will see to it that everybody in the

Mekthona Tribe hears about it.”

She smiled warmly at him.

“Go home now, Jerruth, and get some sleep. You look tired. You

have done your part. Leave the rest to us.”

Jerruth stood up.

“Really, my lady,” he said, pointing at the purse on the table, “this

wasn’t—”

“I know, my boy, I know,” the queen said as she took the purse

and pressed it in his hand.

Jerruth had meant what he said. It was indeed not necessary

for Emelasuntha to give him a reward. That she smiled at him was

enough. For Jerruth had fallen in love for the first time in his life

Bonds of Fear

275

“I suppose your lordship will want to visit the capital, before

continuing his journey to the north?” the man asked.

“Actually, no.” Rullio smiled amiably. “Just give me a fresh horse,

and if you could indicate on this map the quickest way around the

city?”

Upon nearing Ormidon he had thought about it. He longed to see

the city again. The hustle and bustle, the smells, the stench even, the

loud noises, he missed it all. But it was too dangerous. It was only a

remote possibility, but somebody might recognize him. Also, the lure

of the city and all it had to offer might prove too much to resist.

The man nodded. His lordship must be anxious to reach his

destination.

Minutes later, Rullio left the Guild Station. It was almost midday,

when a few miles south of Ormidon, he took the road that branched

off westwards, looking wistfully at the mighty walls of the capital.

Emelasuntha didn’t know it, but she had halted her horse at

the exact spot Martillia had stood more than ten months ago. The

irony being that Martillia too had watched the Eastern Gate hoping

to intercept the Black Shields, but with the purpose of freeing

Emelasuntha.

Sobrathi joined her. The forest concealed them perfectly from

anybody watching from the castle. Both women removed the red veil

276

Andrew Ashling

that covered the lower half of their face. Emelasuntha scratched her

forehead, upon which a tattoo-like inverted triangle was painted.

“Don’t do that, dear,” Sobrathi chided her. “You’ll make the paint

run out, and everybody will see you’re not really an Avadesquan

warrior woman.”

“I can’t help it. It itches,” the queen complained.

“Well, we tried disguising ourselves as men. That didn’t work out

too well, now, did it?” the baroness replied soberly.

“No, it didn’t. But is was loads of fun, wasn’t it?” Emelasuntha

burst out laughing. “Especially you—”

“You weren’t exactly my dream guy either,” Sobrathi interrupted

her. “Anyhow, this is much more sensible. The Avadesquans keep

to themselves, and everybody knows that their women are fierce

warriors. And taciturn, my dear. Extremely taciturn.”

“Hey, no need to become all bitchy. You’re right of course. Nobody

will begin a conversation with us, and the traditional veil covers half

our face. I think this ponytail looks rather good on me, don’t you?”

“Adorable, dear.” Sobrathi sighed. She wished her own hair had

been just that bit longer so that her own ponytail wouldn’t stand

half upright as it did now. In the mirror it had looked a bit like a half

erected cock.

Behind the two women a group of about twenty men on horseback

stood waiting in silence.

Not long after midday the gates opened, and a group of eight

knights, all clad in black, emerged out of them. Emelasuntha turned

around.

“You and you,” she ordered, indicating two men, “go and warn

the other groups. This is it. Everybody is to gather here.”

Bonds of Fear

277

The two men saluted, turned their horses, and took off.

“Look,” Sobrathi said excitedly, “Still up to their old tricks. There’s

a second group emerging from the castle.”

“There’ll be a third one soon,” Emelasuntha said. “one of them

will take the road to the eastern provinces, another will ride in the

direction of the coast. We want the one going north.”

She signaled two men to approach.

“We are going to follow them from a distance. When they split

up, we’ll follow the group going north. You two will instruct the

others to follow us, when they arrive. But I want two patrols of ten

men following the other groups, in case they veer back in northerly

direction. When they have made sure that isn’t the case, they are to

join us. Is that understood?”

“Yes, my lady,” one of the men nodded.

Without another word, Emelasuntha took off, slowly making

her way on a parallel course with the road the Black Shields were

traveling on, while taking care to remain just inside the forest.

Sobrathi and sixteen men followed her in a single line.

Rullio was halfway around Ormidon when he saw a small inn, and

suddenly he felt hungry. He was just about to dismount when a young

man of about eighteen came out of the ramshackle establishment.

“A good day to you, master,” Rullio greeted him cheerfully.

“And to you, my lord,” was the hesitant answer.

“Is the food any good here?”

Rullio smiled at the young man. Short black hair and a rugged

face. Built to weather storms and earthquakes, but his eyes betrayed

a gentle nature.

278

Andrew Ashling

“Only stew and old bread, my lord. The stew is very spicy.”

“I don’t mind spicy.”

“This kind of spicy you do mind, my lord. It’s to conceal that they

use rotten meat.”

“Ah,” Rullio said. “Well, that’s no good then.”

“No, my lord, it isn’t. But if you don’t mind simple food, I was about

to return home for a meal of freshly baked bread and homemade

sausages, cooked in a sauce of onions and brown beer. A specialty of

the region. Mother is at her friend’s as usual. Don’t ask. The whole

village is gossiping as it is. I don’t like eating alone. I wouldn’t mind

the company.”

“Now, wouldn’t you? What’s your name?”

“Dworill, my lord.”

“Rullio of Brenx, at your service. Well, Dworill, I wouldn’t want

you to eat all by yourself, since you seem to hate it. And I’m sure your

sausage will be delicious.”

“Sausages, my lord.”

“Yes. Hop on, and tell me which way to your house then.”

He held out his hand and helped Dworill climb behind him. The

saddle was just big enough to accommodate them both, though they

were a bit pressed together.

“Hold on tight, master Dworill,” Rullio said.

Dworill reached both arms around Rullio and with one hand held

on to his belly while another clamped a breast.

“A bit lower, if you please. I need to breathe.” Rullio smiled.

The young man repositioned his hands.

“I didn’t mean that low, but never mind,”
Rullio thought, chuckling.

Bonds of Fear

279

The old goatherd leading his bleating animals past Dworill’s small

house was surprised. He thought the youth of today was forsaken

by all the Gods. Well, not young Dworill apparently. He was loudly

praying to them and to one in particular.

“Oh, Gods, Gods, my lord, my lord, I beg you,” he heard a beseeching

voice come from the direction of the cottage.

The old goatherd nodded with approval.

“I will never see you again, will I?” Dworill said, almost in tears.

Rullio took him in his arms and caressed his short black hair.

“That is in the hands of the Gods, I’m afraid, but I will take a little

piece of you wherever I go, and a little piece of me will always stay

here.”

He tapped a finger on Dworill’s chest and with some difficulty

broke their embrace.

“I won’t offend you by offering to pay for the food. I know you

don’t charge your guests,” he said, mounting his horse.

Dworill followed him as long as he could see him. Once Rullio

turned around and waved, but he kept riding on.

Only at evening, when he went to sleep, he found the small piece

of Rullio that had stayed behind under his pillow. A small golden ring.

“Hell, what is happening?” Emelasuntha cursed.

All had been going well until now. They had followed the group

of Black Shields. As expected they turned into the Northern Highway.

There had been quite some traffic, which was good as it prevented

280

Andrew Ashling

them from being easily detected. But barely ten miles outside the

capital, where the village of Troncton lay beside the road, fairly busy

had turned into positively thronged with people.

“Damn it, by Zardok’s five pustulant nipples, where did all those

people come from so suddenly?” the queen raged.

“Easy dear, you’re beginning to sound like that foul mouthed girl