Firemoon (13 page)

Pine City stood at the end of an inlet that was apparently one of the best docking areas of the Inner Sea. Little remained of the pines that had given the area its name, but one could see a dark-green colour up in the distant hills.

Katja walked up on a tall knoll for a better view, and now saw the road she hadn’t bothered finding during the walk.

Pine City. From it one could take the north-east road to Farnar, north-west to the Stonefoot-lands, south to to Golden Plain’s other cities, or go east by sea. The Crossroads, this city was often called. Peter Savaren had not chosen the start of his campaign at random.

“Well.”

It seemed safe enough to use the road at this point and she followed it to the north until the city towered over her. Soldiers were quite visible up on the ramparts, as well as the city’s banner; a pine wreath around a cod.

She walked the road until it joined with the northern one, before the gate. She looked to the north-east, at an open plain and the hills she had just finished going around. Valdimar’s and Peter’s army would come along this road. There, outside the range of catapults, they would make camp. It would be quite the sight.

But at this moment the city stood before her, and now plans and ruminations had to become deeds. A group of people had arrived shortly before she did and she saw a few more in the distance who seemed to be heading towards the city. The people who had preceded her were weighted down with the main possessions and valuables of rural folk, and the guards who greeted them went through their belongings and exchanged a few words she did not make out.

Katja knew there was nothing necessarily suspicious about her having a foreign accent. At the very least she sounded nothing like the northerners she had overheard in Amerstan City. On the other hand she had the moonblade, which apparently identified the north’s professional soldiers.

Still, dropping it by the wayside was not an option and she approached the gate with the knife sheathed behind her back. She tried not to look nervous as several armoured men with spears watched her approach. She had something to hide, sure, but nothing criminal.

“Good day,” Katja said and made herself sound even more strained than she truly was.

“Good day,” said the one with the green stripes on his shoulders. “What is your business here?”

“I have come to report an assault,” Katja said and showed him the knife. “Northerners attacked Blossoms. I sought shelter in the nearby fort but they had attacked it as well and triumphed. I found this knife on a dead man.”

She took a breath, but continued speaking before anyone could interject.

“I spoke to a witness. He said that it had been a relatively small force, not large enough to attack the city, and that they had vanished up into the hills. I went the south way around them to... to report this.”

The soldier took the knife from her and examined it. Katja wasn’t pleased but had to keep quiet.

“We know of the attack on the fort,” he said. “You say this was a small force?”

“Well, large enough to take the fort, but no larger than that apparently,” she replied.

“And Blossoms was attacked as well?”

“Yes. I was there collecting inheritance when we were attacked during the night. Many houses were burned and no few people slain.”

“I shall... pass that along.”

The soldier looked at her other knife, the sword and the javelin.

“You are quite well armed,” he pointed out.

“Travelling is always dangerous, and my father believed in teaching his children to defend themselves.”

The soldier nodded.

“News of the fort assault has spread wide and we have been receiving a lot of refugees. The inns are overcrowded but tents have been set up by the harbour.”

“Can a weary traveller get food there?” Katja asked.

“Yes, but I believe you will have to pay if you want something of substance.”

He returned the knife.

“May you find shelter here, as may all of us.”

“Thank you. And yes, may these walls prove strong.”

She rearranged the sheath on her belt and entered the city itself.

The prosperity that had come with declaring independence had quickly expanded the city beyond the original wall. There was still some empty space between the new outer wall and the recent buildings, but given the high quality of the houses Katja suspected that would not last long. At least, not if this war went well.

There was an unusual amount of animal droppings on the direct route to the old gate, and Katja heard a great din of beast noises come from within the city. She had evidently been right about the livestock. If nothing else, starving the city into submission would take a very long time. Not that the Brotherhood was likely to employ such drawn-out methods.

The inner gate was guarded as well, but as the outer one had let her through Katja passed through it unchallenged.

Pine City wasn’t as old or storied as Amerstan City or Baldur’s City, but had nevertheless stood for quite some time and bore the signs of it. The cobblestones had been polished by innumerable feet through the years and wagon wheels had dug grooves. Many houses were reminiscent of the ones in Amerstan’s older city districts and the sturdy, plain-looking castle that had probably been the first building stood up against the wall, to Katja’s left. Given the smaller wall surrounding it and the number of guards it was presumably still the centre of power in the city.

Brjann, Linda’s husband, was an apprentice architect. She could search out the areas where such a man was likely to live, but she was exhausted and famished and did not want to wait an extra moment. She simply accosted people in the street and asked about a young couple name Brjann and Linda.

Seeing the people was interesting. The reactions she got varied but hardly anyone didn’t show clear signs of stress. Most were in a hurry and many were quite inebriated.

But when she asked a swarthy woman with a baby in her arms she got brief but clear instructions, and walked off with excitement in every weary step.

She found the little square the woman had mentioned, and went east from there down a small but pretty street. Most of houses were of the more recent type and all were in good condition. And the dung was clearly kept under control in this area. Katja was glad Linda lived here.

“The ninth house,” she said to herself, and stopped before a handsome house with a goose enclosure.

She knocked on the door, and heard familiar footsteps come from the upper floor before the door was opened.

Linda was petite, with dark-brown hair, dimples and a round, pretty face. The brown eyes flung wide open at seeing the guest.

“Katja! Darling!”

Linda exited and wrapped her in a tight hug before Katja managed to say a word. Katja smiled and hugged back.

“It’s good to see you,” she said into her friend’s hair and meant to break the hug, but Linda maintained it and squeezed harder if anything. She had always tended to express fondness with touch, but Katja sensed a certain stiffness in her. A search for comfort. Linda was afraid.

Finally the young Shade let her go and stepped back. She sighed and put up the warm smile that made it so easy for her to make friends, but Katja saw nervousness in her eyes.

“Come in,” she said and looked over Katja’s shoulder. “Are you alone?”

“Serdra went in the direction of the army,” Katja replied in a low voice and followed her friend into the house.

Linda’s eyes widened at that, but she rerouted the subject slightly.

“We heard that you two might perhaps visit Blossoms, but I did not know whether it was meant to be your new haven or if you would just be passing through. I did know if I would see you. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, famished. But Linda,” Katja leaned up against a wall. “The Brotherhood attacked Blossoms, posing as Valdimar’s men. Patrekur is dead, as is his father, Fjola, Frank and Reon.”

“Oh,” Linda said after a brief silence, there being little else to say. “That is... awful.”

“Is your husband here?” Katja asked and looked around.

“Brjann is away,” Linda said. “I will tell him when he comes back. I did not know them well, but his family is clearly close. But what happened?”

Linda directed Katja to a chair and brought her cold meat, wine and bread as she hurriedly warmed up some porridge. Katja ate with relish, but refrained from groaning with pleasure, in light of the subject.

She described everything in broad strokes. The attack on Blossoms, Vajan’s presence among the assailants, the arrival at the fort and what Katja had seen there, as well as the conclusion she and Serdra had reached. She watched her friend’s face as she received the news that a new Brotherhood member had crowned himself the Dragon and meant to take the city. Little changed in her face, but Katja noticed how very still she became.

She then went over her journey south of the hills, hesitated when she came to the night meeting but told of it too with a foul taste in her mouth. Finally, she mentioned Vajan’s ambush and finished her story.

The porridge was ready around this time and Linda sped off to heat water for Katja to bathe with.

Katja looked around as she ate. This was quite the pretty home. Though it had not been built for the young couple the previous owners had clearly tended it well. This house had a history, in the old but sturdy wooden beams and neatly cut rocks. Linda had already begun putting her mark on it with her crafts, mostly various kinds of leather decorations on walls and in the ceiling.

I hope this turns out all right.

She poured herself more wine and began to sip it slowly and allow herself to enjoy it.  Having a proper meal in her gut made a world of difference.

“The water is ready,” Linda said as she reappeared in the doorway with clean underclothes in her arms. “And you can borrow these.”

“Thank you Linda,” Katja said.

The house had a separate washroom where a bathtub of polished rock had been laid in the floor. They poured the boiling water in along with colder water, Katja undressed, and Linda gave her soap.

“You are bruised,” Linda said as Katja stepped down into the tub. “On your back.”

“From when the horse threw me,” Katja said. “Be calm, I have had far worse than this.”

“Oh, you and this life,” Linda said and shook her head with a smile.

“I quite like this life.”

Katja let herself slide slowly into the steaming water. It was wonderful. She lay down and leaned her head up against the rim.

“So you are finally out from under your mentor’s wing?” Linda said with some curiosity.

“Yes, the time has come,” Katja said and looked up into the ceiling with half-closed eyes. “This is the trial by fire.”

“Yes,” Linda said. “How do you feel about it?”

Katja turned her head and looked at her.

“Well...” She looked for the right response. “I am excited. But this all starts with quite some intensity. I would perhaps have preferred a less fateful starting task.”

She chuckled at herself.

“What about you?” Katja then asked, and clenched and relaxed her toes in the hot water. “How is the married life?”

“The city might fall, so it starts with quite some intensity,” Linda replied, and again flashed that nervous smile. “But aside from that I am happy. Brjann is a fine man and our future looks bright. Or at least it did... I...” Linda stammered, hesitated, and looked to the north even though there was nothing to see but a wall. “I mean that Brjann gets a grant while he is apprenticing, and after that ends there will be plenty for him to do in Pine City. And I sell my crafts at the market, so we will want for nothing.”

Katja smiled warmly, and Linda mirrored the expression.

“That is good to hear. I am happy for you.”

A family life had never been an option for Katja. The Call was too strong in her, quite aside from the infertility. And any faint wish for a normal life that might lie in her soul was buried beneath a lust for adventure. Nonetheless her heart warmed at knowing that at least one of them would enjoy a peaceful life.

If the city prevailed.

Katja clenched her teeth, and reached for the soap before the water could cool.

“I am glad you’re here,” Linda said with sudden severity. “Serdra is the only better warrior I know of. But this situation is rather different from hunting down a monster and slaying it. What do you intend to do?”

Katja was silent for a little while and rubbed the soap on herself.

“I don’t know, Linda,” she then admitted, and felt the tension come over her again. “Serdra just sent me here so that one of us would be around to counter the Brotherhood’s sorcery. But I am no elder. I do not know how I can stop the Dragon by merely being on top of the wall when the army hits it. During the journey I thought to myself that I would figure this out when I got here, but...”

Katja rubbed the soap in her hair, and stroked her head in hope of stimulating something.

“But I have nothing.”

Katja slowly sank beneath the surface of the water. For a few moments she enjoyed being in a world of her own, without sound, sight or worry, and then rose. She looked at Linda.