Codex Alera 01 - Furies Of Calderon Part 26

"Yes, sir, I'm sure, that is," Pluvus waved a hand at the centurion. "Arrest them. Go on now. You heard the Count."

"I didn't say to arrest anyone," growled Count Gram, testily. He squinted at Bernard and then at Amara, his gaze sharp, penetrating, for all his bawling and staggering. "Did you get yourself another woman, Bernard? Crows it's about time. I've always said there's nothing wrong with you that a good romp or two wouldn't take care of."

Amara felt her cheeks flush with warmth. "No, sir," she said. "It's not that. The Stead-holder helped to see me safely here so that I could warn you."

"Highly irregular," Pluvus stuttered to Gram, pages fluttering.

Gram irritably took the pages from Pluvus's hand and said, "Quit waving these under my nose." There was a bright flash of light and heat, and then fine, black ashes drifted away on the cool wind. Pluvus let out a little yelp of distress.

"Now then," Gram said, dusting his hands. "Warn me. Warn me about what?" "Now then," Gram said, dusting his hands. "Warn me. Warn me about what?" "The Marat," Bernard said. "They're on the move, sir. I think they're coming here." "The Marat," Bernard said. "They're on the move, sir. I think they're coming here." Gram grunted. He jerked his chin at Amara. "And who are you?" Gram grunted. He jerked his chin at Amara. "And who are you?" "Cursor Amara, sir." Amara felt herself lift her chin and met Gram's bloodshot gaze squarely, without flinching. "Cursor Amara, sir." Amara felt herself lift her chin and met Gram's bloodshot gaze squarely, without flinching. "Cursor," Gram muttered. He glared at Pluvus. "You were going to arrest one of the First Lord's Cursors?" "Cursor," Gram muttered. He glared at Pluvus. "You were going to arrest one of the First Lord's Cursors?" Pluvus stammered. Pluvus stammered. "One of my Stead-holders?" "One of my Stead-holders?" Pluvus stuttered. Pluvus stuttered.

"Bah," growled Gram. "Ninny. Bring the garrison to full alert, recall all soldiers on leave, and instruct every man to get into his armor and fighting gear, now."

Pluvus stared, but Gram had already swept back around to Bernard. "How bad are you thinking it's going to be?" Pluvus stared, but Gram had already swept back around to Bernard. "How bad are you thinking it's going to be?" "Send word to Riva," Bernard said, quietly. "Send word to Riva," Bernard said, quietly. Gram clenched his jaw. "You want me to call for a full mobilization? Is that what I'm hearing?" Gram clenched his jaw. "You want me to call for a full mobilization? Is that what I'm hearing?" "Yes." "Yes." "Do you know what kind of fire is going to fall on my ears if you're wrong?" "Do you know what kind of fire is going to fall on my ears if you're wrong?" Bernard nodded. Bernard nodded. Gram growled, "Scouts. Deploy scouts and reconnaissance into the wilderness and make immediate contact with our watchtowers." Gram growled, "Scouts. Deploy scouts and reconnaissance into the wilderness and make immediate contact with our watchtowers." "Y-yes, sir," Pluvus said. "Y-yes, sir," Pluvus said. Gram stared at him for a second. Then roared, "Now!" Gram stared at him for a second. Then roared, "Now!" Pluvus jumped and then turned to the nearest soldier and started repeating versions of Gram's orders. Pluvus jumped and then turned to the nearest soldier and started repeating versions of Gram's orders.

Gram rounded on Bernard. "Now then. I think you'd better explain what kind of idiot you are. Hitting one of my my soldiers." soldiers."

A gliding caress of cold air slid over the back of Amara's neck and made her s.h.i.+ver-a warning from Cirrus. She glanced behind her, out toward the blinding white of pale sunlight on snow and ice. She shaded her eyes, but saw nothing.

Cirrus stirred against her again, another warning. Cirrus stirred against her again, another warning. Amara took a slow breath, focusing on the area behind them. Amara took a slow breath, focusing on the area behind them. She almost didn't see through the veil. She almost didn't see through the veil.

There, perhaps no more than ten feet away, was a disturbance in the air, several feet off the ground, a rippling dance of light, like waves rising from a sun-heated stone. Her breath caught in her throat, and she sent Cirrus out toward the disturbance with a whispered command. Her fury encountered a globe of dense air, changed to bend light, much as she herself used it to view things from afar in greater clarity.

Amara took a breath and then forced Cirrus against the globe, sudden and quick.

There was a whoosh of expanding air as she dispersed the globe, and abruptly three men in armor with drawn swords appeared, hovering in the air. Amara cried out, and the men, their expressions startled, hesitated for a faltering second before acting.

One flicked himself through the air toward her, sword gleaming. Amara threw herself to one side, sweeping her hands at the man to direct Cirrus. A roar of sudden wind washed up against her attacker's flank, shoving him wide of her, guiding his course into one of Garrison's stone walls. The man tried to slow his advance, but collided hard with the wall, and dropped the blade in the impact.

The second of the men, expression cool, calm, thrust his hands forward, and a gale rose up immediately before the gates of Garrison, whirling snow and chips of ice into the air in a stinging cloud, and hurling legionares legionares from their feet, driving them behind the gates for shelter. from their feet, driving them behind the gates for shelter.

The third took his sword in hand and shot toward Bernard's back.

Amara tried to cry out a warning, but Bernard's fatigue, perhaps, had made him too slow. He turned and tried to dodge to one side, but snow and ice betrayed his footing, and he fell.

Gram stepped in the way. The flame-haired Count jerked the sword from the stunned Pluvus's belt and met the oncoming Knight Aeris head-on. Steel chimed on steel, and then the attacker shot on past Gram.

"Get on your feet!" Gram roared. He spat as the snow and ice clouded his vision. "Get the girl! Get inside the walls!" Gram turned his body against the icy spray and s.h.i.+elded his palm against his side. Amara saw sudden fire kindle there, and Gram turned toward the second of the attackers and hurled a sudden, roaring wall of flame back against the ice and snow. The attacker screamed, a horrible sound, and the gale abruptly vanished.

Something black and heavy fell smoking into the snow before the gates, and the odor of charred meat filled the air.

Amara dashed to Bernard's side, helping the Stead-holder to his feet. She didn't see the man who had attacked her until it was almost too late. He rose and drew a knife from his belt, eyes focused on her. With a flick of his wrist, and a sudden pinpoint burst of air, the knife hurtled toward her, whistling with its raw speed.

Bernard saw it, too, and dragged her down, out of the path of the knife.

It hit Gram in the lower back.

Such was the force of the fury-a.s.sisted throw that Gram was hurled several paces forward into the snow. He went down at once, without so much as a cry or a gasp of pain, and lay still.

Someone on the walls cried a command, and a pair of legionares legionares with bows loosed at the man at the base of the wall from almost directly above him. Arrows struck him hard, one in the thigh and one in back of the neck, its b.l.o.o.d.y tip emerging from the man's throat. He, too, fell into the snow, blood staining a quickly growing scarlet pool around him. with bows loosed at the man at the base of the wall from almost directly above him. Arrows struck him hard, one in the thigh and one in back of the neck, its b.l.o.o.d.y tip emerging from the man's throat. He, too, fell into the snow, blood staining a quickly growing scarlet pool around him.

"Where's the other one?" Amara demanded. She stood and swept her eyes over the sky. She barely saw, from the corner of her eye, another flickering of light and air, but when she focused on it, it was gone. Tentatively, she sent Cirrus out toward it, but her fury found nothing, and after questing about aimlessly for a few moments, Amara gave up the effort.

"It's no good," she whispered. "He got away."

Bernard grunted and rose to his feet, one leg held stiffly, his face twisted with pain. "Gram."

They turned to see Pluvus and several legionares legionares hovering over Gram's form in the snow. The truthfinder's face was pale. "Healer!" he screamed. "Someone get the healer! The Count is hurt, get the healer!" hovering over Gram's form in the snow. The truthfinder's face was pale. "Healer!" he screamed. "Someone get the healer! The Count is hurt, get the healer!" Legionares Legionares stood around him, stunned, staring. stood around him, stunned, staring.

Amara let out a hiss of frustration and grabbed the nearest soldier. "You," she said. "Go get the healer, now." The man gave a nod and sprinted off.

"You," Pluvus said, his face twisted with distress, anger, and fear. "I don't know who those men were, or what is going on, but you must be in on it. You came here to hurt the Count. This is your fault."

"Are you mad?" Amara demanded. "Those men were the enemy! You have got to get this garrison ready to fight!"

"You cannot order me about like some kind of common slave, woman!" shouted Pluvus. "Centurion," he snapped, eyes watering but with his voice ringing with authority. "You all saw what happened. Arrest these two and take them to the cells on charges of murder and treason against the Crown!"

Chapter 30

Despite her exhaustion, Isana could not sleep.

She spent the night holding Odiana's head in her lap, monitoring the woman's fever, with little else she could do for her. Pale light came through c.h.i.n.ks in the walls of the smokehouse, when a grey, winter dawn rose over Kordholt. Isana could hear animals outside, men talking, crude laughter.

Despite the cold air drifting in from without, the interior of the smokehouse remained broiling, the ring of coals around the two women glowing with sullen heat. Her throat, parched before, began to simply ache, agonizing, and at times it felt as though she could not get enough air into her lungs, so that she swayed and had trouble sitting up.

Once, when Odiana tossed restlessly, Isana rose and went to the far side of the ring of coals. Her head spinning with heat and thirst, she gathered her skirts and made to step over the coals, a short leap to the far side-even though she knew the door would be locked and bolted, there might be a loose board in the wall, or something she could use as a weapon in order to make an attempt at escape.

Even as she lifted her foot, though, the ground on the far side of the coals stirred, and the swift, heavy form of Kord's fury rose up from the ground, misshapen and hideous. Isana's breath caught in her throat, and she lowered her foot again.

The malformed fury subsided and sank slowly back into the earth.

Isana clenched her fists in her skirts, frustrated, then moved back over to Odiana and took the woman's head onto her lap again. In her sleep, the collared woman whimpered and stirred languidly, her eyes rolling beneath their lids as she dreamt. Once, she let out a pathetic cry and flinched, and her hands spasmed toward the collar. Even in the woman's dreams, it appeared, Kord's collar continued its a.s.sault on her senses, her will. Isana shuddered.

The light waned, shadows s.h.i.+fting over the floor by infinitely slow degrees. Isana let her head fall forward, her eyes closed. Her stomach turned and twisted with worry. Tavi and Bernard and Fade. Where were they? If they were alive, why hadn't Bernard followed her here? Had the ones attacking them been too much for her brother to handle? Bernard would never allow her to remain in Kord's hands-not while he lived.

Could he be dead? Could the boy be dead as well? Surely he had escaped ahead of the flood, surely he had evaded anyone who may have pursued him even after.

Surely.

Isana shook, and gave no voice to the sobs that racked her. No tears would fall. Her body had h.o.a.rded back all the moisture it could. She longed for the freedom to weep, at least. But she did not have it. She drifted that way, head bowed, sweltering and dizzy, and thought of Bernard, and of Tavi.

The grey of twilight was in the air when the bolt at the door rattled, and Aric entered. He held a tray in his hands, and he did not lift his face toward Isana. Instead, he walked to the circle of coals and stepped over, setting the tray down.

There were two cups on the tray. Nothing more.

Isana looked steadily up at Aric. He rose and stood there for a moment, s.h.i.+fting his weight from foot to foot, his eyes down. Then he said, "Snow's starting up again. Heavier."

Isana stared at him, and said nothing.

He swallowed and stepped back out of the ring of coals. He went to the hod of coal and began scooping out buckets again, to spread them over the smoldering ring, fresh fuel. "How is she?" he asked.

"Dying," Isana said. "The heat is killing her."

Aric swallowed. He dumped out a bucket of coals onto the ring, spilling some out sloppily, and went for more. "The water's clean, at least. This time."

Isana watched him for a moment and then reached for one of the cups. She lifted it to her mouth and tasted, though it was all she could do not to start gulping frantically. The water was cool, pure. She had to steady herself with a deep breath and hold the cup in both shaking hands. She drank, slowly, giving each sip time to go down.

Isana only allowed herself half the cup. The rest she gave to Odiana, half-hauling the woman into a sitting position and urging her to drink, slowly, which she did with a listless obedience.

She looked up to see Aric watching her, his face pale. Isana lowered the collared woman back down and brushed a few loose strands of hair back from her neck. "What is it, Aric?"

"They're coming tonight," he said. "My father. They're going to finish the... Odiana and then put the collar on you." "They're coming tonight," he said. "My father. They're going to finish the... Odiana and then put the collar on you." Isana swallowed and couldn't stop the chill that went down her spine. Isana swallowed and couldn't stop the chill that went down her spine. "After dinner," Aric said. He slopped more coals down. "It's like a celebration for him. He's handing out wine." "After dinner," Aric said. He slopped more coals down. "It's like a celebration for him. He's handing out wine." "Aric," Isana said. "It isn't too late to do something." "Aric," Isana said. "It isn't too late to do something."

Aric pressed his lips together. "It is," he said. "There's only one thing left now." Without speaking, he finished carelessly das.h.i.+ng coals onto the ring of fire around them.

Kord's entrance was presaged by a low tremble in the floor of the smokehouse. Then the big Stead-holder banged open the door with one fist and stepped inside, glowering. Without a word, he cuffed Aric's head, hard enough to stagger the younger man against the wall. "Where is that tar, boy?"

Aric left his head down, his body held in a crouch, as though expecting to be hit again. "I haven't got it done yet, Pa."

Kord sneered at him, placing his fists on his hips. Isana noticed the drunken sway to his balance as he did. "Then you can just get it done while the rest of us eat. And if you fall off the crows-eaten roof in the dark, that's your own affair. Don't go crying to me about a broken leg."

Aric nodded. "Yes, Pa."

Kord growled something beneath his breath and then turned to Isana. "Better get that other gla.s.s of water before my new wh.o.r.e figures out it's there."

Odiana let out a soft noise, curling in on herself. Kord watched her with a smirk on his face. Isana saw the ugly glitter in his eyes as he prepared to speak again, and interrupted him. "Kord. She's nearly dead as it is. Leave her be."

Kord narrowed his eyes at Isana, lips lifting away from his teeth. He took a lurching step closer to her. "Still giving orders," he murmured. "We'll see. Tonight, after I'm done with that one, we'll see what it's like. We'll see who gives the orders and who takes them."

Isana met his eyes steadily, though his words made her heart thud with dull, exhausted fear. "You're a fool, Kord," she said. Isana met his eyes steadily, though his words made her heart thud with dull, exhausted fear. "You're a fool, Kord," she said. "What are you going to do about it, huh? You're nothing. No one. What are you going to do?" "What are you going to do about it, huh? You're nothing. No one. What are you going to do?" "Nothing," Isana said. "I won't have to. You've already destroyed yourself. It's just a matter of time now." "Nothing," Isana said. "I won't have to. You've already destroyed yourself. It's just a matter of time now." Kord flushed red and took a step toward Isana, his hands clenching into fists. Kord flushed red and took a step toward Isana, his hands clenching into fists. "Pa," Aric said. "Pa, she's just talking. She's just trying to get to you. It doesn't mean anything." "Pa," Aric said. "Pa, she's just talking. She's just trying to get to you. It doesn't mean anything."

Kord rounded on Aric and swept his fist at him in a clumsy swat. Aric didn't dodge the blow, so much as he let it catch his shoulder and throw him to the floor.

"You," Kord growled, chest heaving. "You don't tell me. You don't talk to me. Everything you got, you got because I gave it to you. You will not disrespect me, boy."

"No, sir," Aric said, quietly. "No, sir," Aric said, quietly. Kord got his breathing under control and shot Isana another glare. "Tonight," he said. "We'll see." Kord got his breathing under control and shot Isana another glare. "Tonight," he said. "We'll see." The ground shook again as he turned and lumbered out. The ground shook again as he turned and lumbered out. Coals sizzled in silence for a few moments. Then Isana turned to Aric and said, "Thank you." Coals sizzled in silence for a few moments. Then Isana turned to Aric and said, "Thank you."

Aric flinched at the words, more than he had from his father's blows. "Don't thank me," he said. "Don't talk to me. Please." He gathered himself to his feet and picked up the bucket. "Still have to lay out the tar. The ice didn't stick to the roof, but I have to tar it tonight or he'll feed me to the crows."

"Aric-" Isana began.

"Be quiet quiet," Aric hissed. He shot a glance at the door. Then said, to Isana, "Snow's starting up again."

He left, and bolted the door behind him.

Isana frowned at him, trying to puzzle out his meaning. She took the second cup of water and took a bit more for herself, then gave the rest to the semiconscious Odiana.

Outside, the wind rose. She heard men moving around the stead-holt. One of them walked past the smokehouse and banged on the walls, letting out a few crude phrases. Odiana flinched and whimpered. More raucous talk and rough laughter went up from somewhere nearby-probably the stead-holt's great hall. What sounded like a fight broke out, ending in cheers and jeers, and all the while it grew darker, until only the red coals gave any light to the smokehouse's interior.

There came a bang against the wall, wood against wood. Then steps. Feet on a ladder. Someone set down a weighty object on the roof, and then hauled himself onto it.

"Aric?" Isana called quietly.

"Shhhh," said the young man. "This is the one other thing."

Isana frowned, staring up. She followed his weight as he moved from the edge of the slightly sloped roof up toward its crown, directly over the circle.

Without warning, the naked blade of a knife sprang through the s.h.i.+ngles, dropping bits of tar-stained wood and droplets of water in. The blade twisted, left and right, opening a larger hole. Then it withdrew again.

Aric proceeded around the roof slowly, and Isana could hear him slopping tar from a bucket he must have carried down onto the roof. But every moment or so, the knife would sink in again, opening a small hole between s.h.i.+ngles. Then it would withdraw. He repeated the action several times, and then without a word he clambered down from the roof again. His feet crunched through snow and into the night.

It only took a few moments for Isana to realize what Aric had done.

The interior of the smokehouse was smoldering hot, and its heat rose up to the roof above and warmed the materials there. No ice had stuck to the roof the night before, Aric had said, but if the roof hadn't been sealed properly, swelling of the s.h.i.+ngles and beams would set in after they had been soaked. They would have to be sealed immediately in order to prevent leaks, especially if the construction had been slipshod to begin with. The roof would require fresh tar consistently to keep it closed against leaks.

Against water.

Droplets began to fall through the holes Aric left with his dagger. Water that pattered to the floor, first in the occasional drop and then, as the snowfall evidently increased, in a small, steady trickle.

Water.

Isana's heart suddenly thudded with excitement, with hope. She leaned forward, across the ring of coals, and caught the nearest trickle of water in one of the empty cups. It filled in perhaps a minute, and Isana lifted it to her mouth and drank, deeply, water coursing into her with a simple, animal pleasure. She filled the cup again and drank, and again, and then gave more to Odiana as well.

The collared woman stirred, at the first cup and then more at the second. Finally, she was able to whisper, "What is happening?"

"A chance," Isana said. "We've been given a chance."

Isana reached across to fill both cups again, as the trickle came down a bit more steadily. She licked her lips and looked around the circle of coals, searching for what she thought would be there. There, where Aric had slopped the coals in a particularly careless fas.h.i.+on. A spot where no fresh coals had landed, and only old, grey, soft-edged coals remained.

Trembling with excitement, Isana reached out and poured the water over the coals. They sizzled and spat. She refilled the gla.s.ses and did it again. And a third time. A fourth.

With a final sputtering hiss, the last of the coals went out.

Shaking, Isana caught another cupful of water, and reached out through it for her fury, for Rill.

The cup stirred and quivered, and abruptly Isana felt Rill's presence within the water, a quivering life and motion swirling within it frantically. Isana felt tears springing to her eyes, and a moment later felt Rill gently easing them back from her, felt the fury's affection and relief at being in contact with her again.

Isana looked up to Odiana, who had leaned out to catch another trickle of water in both cupped hands and who had a distant, dreamy smile upon her face. "They're talking about us," Odiana murmured. "So many cups. They're going to use me until the heat has killed me. Then it will be your turn, Isana. I think-" She broke off, suddenly, her back arching with a little gasp-then flung the water away from her, shaking her head and clapping her hands over her ears. "His voice. No, I don't want to hear him. Don't want to hear hear him." him."

Isana turned to her and caught her by the wrist. "Odiana," she hissed. "We have to get out of here." Isana turned to her and caught her by the wrist. "Odiana," she hissed. "We have to get out of here." The dark-eyed woman stared up at Isana, her eyes wide, and nodded. "I don't know. I don't know if I can." The dark-eyed woman stared up at Isana, her eyes wide, and nodded. "I don't know. I don't know if I can." "The collar?" "The collar?"