Wine of the Gods 03: The Black Goats (8 page)

Zammara craned her neck to look at the men, out of earshot away from the fire. "Are you married to them?" Her eyes shifted from the older women to the younger as they all shook their heads.

"No, little ones," Delight smiled over at them. “We don't marry, and we don't fear men. We own ourselves, and do as we please. You are free; we don't keep slaves. In fact that's supposed to be illegal, but find some man that will defend a girl
after
she'd been abused . . .  Well, other than those three perhaps! I recommend that you come with us until at least next year. People will have forgotten about you by then, and most likely you'll have filled out a bit and look different as well. You'll be free to go anywhere you like."

Curious finished the last stitch and tied it off. "There, now you won't trip, even if the sleeves are still too long." She clucked her tongue. "You'll need an overgown
though."

Never hesitated, then fetched her best skirt. "How about this?"

"Ah, thank you, Never. You always have been generous."

Zammara leaned forward and stroked the deep green velvety fabric. "That's very fine." she looked worried. “Do you mean to give it to us? We can't repay you."

"We make the fabric, up in the valley, you can help us, if you stay the winter," Never shrugged. "I'll make another skirt. This one doesn't have any embroidery, so it's easiest to take apart and make into something else. What do you think, Curious? Can we get a couple of long vests out of it?

So two days later, when they rolled back into Ash, the girls were decently dressed. With a warning look at the Auld Wulf, Curious shepherded them into her own home, her granddaughter Opinion jumping up and down in excitement at the prospect of two new friends.

***

Bail stood on the crest of the pass and gazed across miles and miles of rough mountain terrain.

"All right. Lefty, here's your chance to escape from the witches. I need you to find the end of the Old Road, so we can aim at connecting to it, somewhere, somehow.”

"You've got it, Captain." Lefty shot a last wistful glance in the direction of Ash, and started onward, on foot as usual. He hopped from boulder to boulder with fluid ease, and was out of sight in moments.

"Never did get him to talk about exactly why he needed to get away from the witches," Gruff muttered.

"Can't be worse than your orgy, can it? And I think I bedded a witch. Or maybe I just hallucinated it. Damn, that was some wine."

"Yeah. I grabbed a bottle on the way out, in case I ever needed it." Gruff eyed him sidelong. "He grew back all his missing parts, you know, like a lizard regrowing a tail, he says."

Bail whistled. "If you could get anyone to believe you, you could sell that bottle for a king's ransom. Now, let's get back to work. You can see from the debris fields where the runoff flow was. Not too high, up here, but we can't ignore it, either. If we break up the boulders, pack down all the debris on that side, the water will all channel over here. We'll need to bridge over the outlet down there . . . "

He loved these high mountains, the clear air. And engineering, straightforward and clear, with no magic about it.

The ground trembled slightly beneath his feet. "Heads up! Look for rocks!" he bellowed, spinning in place. A few rocks bounced down, but nothing large or close. He walked back to where he could see the laboring troops. They were all looking around too, but everyone seemed to be all right. Another week and he'd have a decently surfaced wagon trail all the way up here, And probably all the way through the pass before the winter storms shut them down. He could work on improvements on the lower parts until winter proper shut them down, or the king recalled them.

"Miss?"

Never looked up from scrubbing the tables in the tavern. The butcher and the miller, instead of taking a table as usual, were walking toward the kitchen door. And of course, not using a name for a female. Mages! Well, she could do the same. "May I help you?"

"We'd like to talk to Harry. Is he about?"

"I think so, let me check." She knew perfectly well that he was out back supervising his  kids stacking the firewood they'd need next winter. But if they were going to be formal, she could be even stiffer.

She ducked through the kitchen and out the back door. "Harry? Beck and Coo are here, being all Front Door and Polite."

"Ah, probably about the boys." He shrugged and headed in.

Never hesitated long enough to count heads. Four. They were unloading wood from the cart, Harry's ancient dun gelding waiting patiently for them to finish. Where was Oscar? She hustled through the kitchen and peeked out to watch the meeting.

"Harry, Bran hasn't been seen for eight days, and we understand that Oscar has gone too." Beck Butcher was a large man, pale-skinned with reddish blond hair.

"Yes, they took to the road. Boys do grow up." Harry shook his head, ruefully. “I never get used to it."

"Which way did they go? Can you bring them back?" Coo was also fair, if not so reddish, nor so large.

"North, for the Fort. They were on the road with a purpose and a destination, I can't change that, only protect them." Old and gnarled, Harry ought to have been dwarfed by the other men. But their deference, their tendency to lean away from him made it clear which way the dominance ran.

"What are they doing?" Coo continued. "Harry, I think that boy of yours got Fava pregnant."

"And my son Bran had better be prepared to marry Juli." Beck nodded decisively.

"Ah." Harry nodded his understanding. "That explains the timing. But it's no use blaming the youngsters. Go complain to the Auld Wulf and Lady Gisele. We'll all just have to shrug and deal with it."

"Running away is not dealing with it."

"They are all four too young to marry and start families." Harry scratched his neck stubble. "So we adults will pitch in and help. Boys that are immature enough to run away are also too immature to support a wife and baby. They've enlisted. They can grow up in the Army, learn something of the world, and if they come back, they may be good enough for Fava and Juli. In the meantime, if there are problems with the family, either or both girls are welcome to come here."

"My daughter is not about to become one of your strays, Harry!" Coo glared, but shuffled back a bit at Harry's raised brow.

Beck shook his head. “Harry's right. No matter what those boys did with their pricks, they're not old enough to be fathers. "

Harry snorted. “Why the fuss over the two girls?  It’s not like you mages to be so virtuous. Didn't the girls lose their virginity on their sixteenth birthday?"

Beck frowned. "Coo and I were the only surviving mages after the Auralian War. We had to marry out. Even though our sons aren't very strong mages, some of our grandchildren are, and all of our great-grandchildren should be. However, we need to be very careful about who marries whom, now. We were trying to make the girls wait until suitable boys had grown up. And for boys, that means at least eighteen, so they've come into their power."

"And now that damned wine—all the wives are expecting and we haven't a clue who fathered which baby." Coo looked irritated.

"Just think of it as fresh blood," Harry crossed his arms. "And Fava's and Juli's babies, too."

Coo shrugged. "I suppose we might as well accept what we can't change. We'll have to find some other husbands for the girls. Maybe some of the wives would like to retire."

"They're all pregnant too." Beck pointed out.

They left, still arguing. Never busied herself at the breadboard as Harry passed through. He gave her a wink. "If you see the girls, pass on my invitation, will you?"

"Of course."

***

The Sisters of the Crescent and New Moons took Zamm and Catti with them to the hot springs, not for a lesson, but just to check. After all, in the old days, according to myth, common women had been able to touch the power. Occasionally one had been strong enough to be taken into a pyramid. And perhaps the reason they'd ended up in
their
wagons was the spell of summoning Answer had placed on them before they left for town.

Never stuck her feet in the top pool, the coldest one, as she didn't want to take in too much power, and possibly harm her baby. But the power felt wonderful against her bare feet, and surrounded her and comforted her in warmth. She channeled automatically, running the power around her daughter, and back to the earth from which it came.

The children splashed and played, Zam and Catti a bit self consciously, not comfortable with nudity after their life in the brothel. Question left the water first, stretching out in a patch of sunlight on top of her clothes.

"Q, if you lay on the rock it might help." Never called.

"This is more comfy, Never, quit fussing."

The other four played for hours, switching pools as they got too hot, and finally daring each other to run through the freezing waterfall.

Likely and Mostly stayed in the hottest pool until they were all pruny.

Never sat beside them and chatted, while the kids played. "So neither of you took, this time?"

"No, thank the old gods!" Likely shivered. "I'd hate to have a daughter by those hideous men."

Mostly gave a sharp nod. " I never want to see another man again."

"But, but, then you won't advance!" Never recoiled in shock.

"Never, I think I might as well resign myself to being a low-ranking Sister. Not everyone advances to the Dark Crescent, and I, well." She splashed half-heartedly. "I suppose I should try to have a baby. I can channel now, so I should be able to handle Half Moon workings," she made a face and climbed out of the pool.

A cloud blew over the sun, dropping the temperature briefly. Never stood up too. "I guess we should head back. Who's cooking tonight?"

"You are, silly, honest, just because you're preggers doesn't mean you
can duck out." Likely splashed out of the pool, and headed for her clothes. "Okay, girls, time to get dressed. Wake up, Question! You're going to be sunburned."

"Am not! I never burn."

The five little ones raced off ahead of them.

"What are you now, Never, three months along?"

"Yeah, not even really showing yet."

Mostly smirked. "You know, even Answer and Blissful are looking a bit, umm, well fed these days."

"Earth, Moon and Stars! I wish I'd had more of that wine!" Never sighed. “I obviously left the party too early. One rather skimpy glass."

"You didn't need any help." Likely sounded a bit sour. "And how you managed that when we . . . "

As they emerged from the forest they could see across the valley. "Horsemen!" Likely spotted them first.

Mostly narrowed her gaze. "Three of them. It's them! There's Merc's black horse in the lead!" She picked up her skirts and ran, Likely hot on her heels.

Never hustled after them, going straight to the tavern’s back door to start food.

By the time the courier and his companion had washed up and started on a tankard of ale, Mostly and Likely, in all new dresses, their hair combed and caught up in ribbons, sauntered into the
Tavern and greeted the men with surprised exclamations. Never caught a glimpse of their happy faces and rejoiced for her friends.

***

Lefty decided that the easiest way to find the Old Road would be to cross entirely through the mountains, and find the road on the desert beyond. So he spent a blissful three days climbing up and down mountains, drinking lots of water and pissing on half the trees on the mountains.

He knew it was childish, but with his voice squeaking and occasionally quitting altogether when he tried singing, he felt more like fifteen than almost thirty. And it was with a teenager's confidence he climbed the great volcano.

Captain Wullo had said that it had been two centuries since the lava last flowed, but the steam rose from holes in the snow. He walked warily, sticking to rock wherever possible. The volcano was crowned with a jagged spire of stone, layers of rock in a rough three-sided pyramid.

He shuddered suddenly, and circled the spire without climbing it.
This belongs to the witches.

From the east side of the mountain, the whole world stretched before him. Lesser mountains knelt before the king, valleys with rushing rivers, that joined and drew the eye out, out further, to a lake in a land of stone. An arrow-straight line caught his eye.

The Old Road.

It clipped the lake's north shore in its drive for the mountains. And knowing about where to look, he spotted sections here and there, higher up, showing through the old lava and ash deposits. Even the builders of the Old Road had had to go around mountains.

Lefty had been a scout for the army for eight years, and the last three had been with Captain Wullo and the engineering brigade. He pulled out instruments and started taking bearings and estimating distances. It wouldn't be a good map, but it would get the job done.

***

The  witches left a week early for the mountain. This year the full moon
would fall directly on the solstice, and with most of the Sisters pregnant, Answer had decided to both take it easy and take no chances at being late.

Never strode along, feeling good now. But knowing that she'd poop out early, she paced herself.

The youngsters ran about, full of energy. Catti and Zam had adopted Question's masculine style of dress and looked very un-whorelike as they romped like children in their pants.

"I'm so glad the Auld Wulf helped them," Never told Likely. 

"I think they must belong here." Mostly snatched flowers and wove them into a crown. The two nobles had delivered their messages to Fort Stag, and spent nearly a week in Ash on the return trip. Both women were just glowing, and both were hoping for babies.

Very much to Never's relief. She'd hate to try and be a Triad of the Half Moon all by herself.

At three months, she was already starting to loosen her clothing. "I'm going to have to sew a whole new wardrobe. We won't even be able to share—you two are only a couple of months behind the rest of us.

"Well, I'm not going to sew too much; it's only just this once."

"Three undergowns," Never figured. “And since it'll be winter, a wool gown and a big thick coat. I can always cut them down later."

"Or get fat so they still fit." Mostly laughed as Never made a rude gesture.

From the edge of the forest, Never swept her glance over the whole of the valley. The little river was still in full spate, last winter's plentiful snow still melting off the first range of mountains. The fields were solid green, the sheep white blots, covering the meadow. The Sheep Man would cull his herd in the fall, selling most of this year's lambs, and butchering some after the first freeze. Every one in the valley would eat lamb all winter. Now, though, there were more than three hundred of them, straggling a bit more than usual. She shaded her eyes and counted.

"The Sheep Man has lost three of his goats. What happened? I haven't heard any wolves."

"Ugg, those hideous goats!" Elegant rolled up the sleeves of her undergown. "I'd be delighted if they were all gone."

"Really," Delight wrinkled her
nose. "So smelly, and frankly I never liked they way they looked at me."

Mostly snickered. "I heard the men talking about it last night. They couldn't figure out what could have happened. Harry said he'd heard that the last wolf to raid the flock was a she-wolf, and the goats raped her to death. Then the Sheep Man came in and said, no it was a male wolf, and they raped him to death."

There was a smattering of snickers from the Sisters, and they ducked under the first trees and headed up the path.

"Did they say anything else?" Question was frowning.

"Oh, they started talking about women, and the Sheep Man left—he was muttering something about how they found three virgins in this valley was beyond him. I don't know why he thought Harry and the Auld Wulf were interested in virgins. I don't think they do that sort of ceremony. But I guess you better watch out, Question."

"Ha! They know better than to fool with a witch. Anyhow, for a true ceremony the virgin has to be of age—that's sixteen for girls, you know? So I don't have anything to worry about for two more years." The girl nodded decisively and trotted off.

Justice sighed. "She reads too much. The Sheep Man keeps giving her books."

They cut north around the hot springs, climbing slowly as they rounded the lowest peak. The mountains rolled on, ridge after ridge, up to the giant hiding in the clouds. They walked steadily, with only a brief break for lunch.