The Ship of Tears_The Legend of the Nine_Part One Read online

  “What about the old house,” Elspeth said. “Isn’t there anybody there? Any of those red dress women, maybe?”

  Madam Olpany shook her head, then gave Elspeth a surprisingly gentle smile. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We will find them. And now you are here, the search will go all the quicker. We only have a few folk who can hear the Voice. And don’t forget Juran and Morn.”

  Olivia sat up. “What about Juran and Morn?” she asked.

  “They’ve been off up north, around Marlyn and almost all the way to Sparrow Island. They might have found something. Of all the rebels, Morn is the strongest with the Voice – although he can only hear it; he can’t actually use the thing. If there’s anything up there, he will find it. And as it’s the only place on the island we haven’t searched, I’m betting on some good news. But I still think she’s gone across to Sparrow or one of the smaller islands. Especially after what happened with you lot – you scared her off.”

  “Sorry,” Elspeth said. And she was; had she not summoned that great wave, half drowned most of Rieg, Zill might still be there. One thing was beyond doubt; wherever she was, Zill would be nowhere near the sea.

  Madam Olpany laughed uproariously. “Don’t you be sorry, girl. Best thing you could have done. Gave the rebels a lot of heart, that did. I don’t mind telling you, there are a lot of folk want rid of Tyrell and the Kel’mau, a lot a folk who wish Sek would come back, but few of them would raise a hand to help. Now… Well, we got more help than we can use. Fisherfolk, merchants, farmers; hundreds of them.”

  “But no soldiers,” York said, flatly.

  “No,” Madam Olpany said, her voice appeasing, “but you ever seen a farmer fighting to protect what’s his? As good as any soldier, I’d say. And you would be surprised how useful the merchants can be, sending messages and hiding folk and what not. Yes, I understand what you’re saying, about us not having fighting men, but I tell you true, Tyrell’s days are numbered, as are Lady Zill’s. I’d bet on it.”

  Elspeth was not so sure. She had seen what the Kel’madden could do, and the Kel’mau made the Madden look like children fighting over honey cakes. She did not say that to Madam Olpany, though. Let the woman have her belief. And who knew; maybe she was right. If enough folk joined their cause, maybe they could pull Lord Tyrell off his perch.

  But you still have to find Zill, she reminded herself. And whatever she’s doing will likely make Lord Tyrell look like easy meat. At any rate, they will need more than a handful of farmer and merchants to put a stop to her plans.

  And likely more than three witches and ten volunteers, she added sourly.

  They said their goodbyes to Madam Olpany, and promised to come back the following day, then tell her their plans once Nini returned with Juran and Morn.

  On the way back, Elspeth wondered if they could just move into town. It would be a slow couple of days, camped out by the market ground. But normal guards or not, she decided that would be too much of a risk for a little comfort.

  Once back at camp, she greeted Trapper’s enthusiastic bounding and told Anooni what Madam Olpany had said. Then she unrolled her bedding and tried to go to sleep. Until Nini returned, there really was not anything else to do.

  * * *

  Nini returned just before evening on their second day at the camp by the market grounds. He brought quite the entourage with him – at least four men and three women; Elspeth suspected there were a couple more off to the west, in the woods.

  “You made good time,” York said. “Two days on the button. They’ll make a captain of you yet.”

  “Thank you, Colonel,” Nini said.

  Elspeth gasped. Was she hearing things? Was York a colonel?

  York frowned up at the lieutenant and gave the barest shake of the head, then looked around to see if any of the others had heard.

  For the first time, Elspeth really looked at York, and what she saw surprised her – he was a Surabhan, and likely from the east. What was one of the king’s own colonels doing volunteering for an Eirasian lieutenant?

  He must be retired, Elspeth thought. But why would he even be on the island?

  A thought occurred to her; had the two met on Toya? Elspeth remembered Nini saying something about having to fight his way off the island. Maybe the colonel and the lieutenant had helped each other. Whatever the reason, it did not matter; York clearly did not want anyone to know he was a colonel, and Elspeth wasn’t about to force the issue. What would be the point? Still, it was good to know at least one of the volunteers was a seasoned commander – that could prove very useful.

  “It’s about time,” Olivia said.

  The princess had been under the tarp, resting. Now, she sidled over to Elspeth’s side and stood regarding the riders. She had tidied her hair, and was wearing perfume. Elspeth could have laughed.

  “I have come bearing gifts,” Nini said. “Six more to join the fight, and another three dozen north of the woods.”

  “You did well,” Olivia told him. “Alas, we have no need of more men, it is information we crave.”

  She was doing her full princess accent, Elspeth noticed, as if she were back in the palace welcoming an ambassador.

  “As to that,” Nini said. “Well, I think I will let Juran explain. But food first, and the horses need seeing to.”

  “Explain what?” Olivia said.

  The five men and three women had already dismounted, and were tying their horses in the area behind the tarp.

  “And just where is Juran?” Olivia said, after eying the newcomers.

  “He’ll be along. He has news of Lady Zill. I know some, but best to wait, I think. You will have questions, and I do not know all.”

  Olivia folded her arms tight against her chest. She looked down the trail the horsemen had used, then toward the road. Tapping a finger against her elbow, she said, “How long? Just where is the man?”

  “With Morn,” Nini said. “Visiting.”

  “Visiting who? He should be here.”

  “For the god’s sake, Olivia,” Elspeth barked. “Enough. We can’t all jump when you say boo. The man is visiting a friend.”

  She regretted the outburst as soon as the words left her mouth, but she could not say sorry now; it would only make matters worse. Olivia glared at her, then at Nini, then spun on her heel and, thumping the door flap out of her way, retreated under the tarp.

  “I see she’s in as good a mood as ever,” Nini whispered.

  “You’re not helping,” Elspeth said. “Visiting? You could have said more. We are risking our lives to save their friends.”

  Elspeth left him gawping and walked to the tarp. She would have to apologise to Olivia before Juran and Morn arrived.

  Fool. You berate her for her rudeness by being rude yourself. Very clever.

  * * *

  It was full dark when Juran finally arrived at camp. He was with Morn and two women who both looked old enough to be Elspeth’s mother. They had just finished supper, and Juran’s group joined them at the fire.

  “Never thought I would see you again,” Juran told Elspeth. “Where is the princess?”

  “She’ll be along,” Elspeth said. She nodded a hello to the Morn and the two women. “I hope you brought food, we are running low. Wasn’t expecting twelve guests, sorry.”

  “We have eaten,” Juran said. “And, one way or another, we will be heading north come morning.”

  “North?” Elspeth said. “Is that where Zill has gone? Did you find her?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Juran said. He sounded saddened, and not by the vague answer to her question. He sounded like a man who knew something but wished he did not.

  Elspeth could see what the princess saw in the man; Juran was very handsome, in a rough, forest tracker kind of way. He was tall, broad, had long brown hair, and striking blue eyes. He also looked tired, as if he had walked a hundred leagues and slept under a hedge along the way.

  “Who are all these men?” Juran asked.

  �
��Volunteers,” Elspeth said. “You can thank Lieutenant Nini for their being here.”

  Juran’s brow pinched. “Volunteers? Why would…?” He waved off the comment. “Never mind, we can use all the help we get. More, if what I heard a few days ago is correct.”

  Elspeth felt herself swallow. Was that why he looked so tired? Was this news that bad?

  “She will be along in a minute,” Elspeth said. “She’s just—”

  “I am here,” a voice from the shadows said.

  Princess Olivia walked into the firelight, Chrissa by her side. She had dressed in her silk shawl and green leggings, a belted white blouse making a skirt to her knees. Not the sort of clothes one wore to camp out in the wilds, but Elspeth knew why she was wearing them.

  “It is good to see you, Master Juran,” Olivia said.

  Anooni chuckled, and Trapper, who had utterly failed to bark at the newcomers, growled at the heady scent of Olivia’s perfume.

  Juran stood and made a decent bow, as did the other Toi men. The volunteers remained seated about the fire.

  “Princess,” Juran said. “You look… different.” His eyes rolled over her from head to toe, then he blushed when he realised what he was doing. He made a space for Olivia at the fallen log he was sitting on, putting his cloak down for her to sit on.

  York laughed, and Nini was shaking his head. Elspeth thought the gesture was chivalrous, and remembered Gialyn had done something similar for her on their first visit to the Ambieth Marsh. Elspeth had brushed away that attempt at gallantry, thinking herself too proud to take such a kindness. Olivia, on the other hand, accepted Juran’s offer graciously.

  It would have been a nice moment, had Chrissa not ruined it by shoving Nini to the side and plopping herself down next to him. “You didn’t offer me a cloak,” she told the lieutenant, smiling.

  Nini snorted. “I value my ear unslapped,” he said, and York laughed again.

  “All right,” Nini said. “Now we are all here, would you like to tell them, or should I?” He asked the last of the woman sitting to Juran’s right, one of the two older women who had arrived with them.

  The woman nodded. “I will say, if it pleases you, sir? It were my daughter what discovered the ship.”

  Elspeth sat back against the tree she had been leaning on. “Ship?” she whispered. And who was this woman? She sounded like a beggar from the Wickham. What was she doing… Oh, she’s one of the women Zill kidnapped.

  “As you wish, Nell,” Nini said. “But if you want to stop at any time….”

  Nell started talking, and it was not long before Elspeth discovered she had been right – Zill had kidnapped her.

  She described her capture, how the Kel’mau had plucked her from a farm north of Colair, and how they tried to grab her daughter, too, but Crya escaped into the woods.

  She continued, saying how her daughter rescued her from the old house just before Zill and the red dress women moved everyone out of Rieg. She explained how, instead of going home, she had joined the rebels and how Cyra had spent her time trying to discover the location of the Tower Ship.

  There was a break there, where York asked her to explain exactly what this Tower Ship was, but Nini waved her on. “More about that later,” he told York.

  Nell continued, telling the tale of how Crya used her Voice to track down the wet witches, and how she discovered the women from the old house had been taken off the island, maybe to a smaller island just north of Raff. But when they found a boat, and sailed out toward the Voice, there was no island.

  Thinking they had lost the trail, Crya had asked the captain to turn the fishing boat around, but just as they were about to sail for shore, she heard the Voice again, same as before, only five leagues to the west of where it had been. Crya had told them how they turned their boat to follow the Voice. And how, three hours later, she had seen it, and that was when they were attacked.

  They had managed to beach the fishing boat, and Crya ran to raff, where she stole a horse and rode south to the Gateway, all the while favouring an arrow wound in her lower back.

  “But she rode,” Nell said. “She…. Oh gods,” Nell cried. “She rode to the Gateway and…”

  “That’s enough,” Juran said, quietly, taking the woman’s hand. “No more, now. You rest. Cory, can you…? And Thom, help her with the tent.”

  Cory and Thom helped Nell over to where they had tied their horses. As Nell watched, the other two quickly pulled bedrolls from their packs and, while Cory settled Nell down, Thom started on the tent. Nell was still crying.

  “She is dead?” York asked. “The daughter?” His voice was soft, but maybe a little angry.

  Juran nodded. “Just before we arrived, not six hours ago.”

  Olivia put a hand to her mouth. She suddenly looked pale. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “That is awful. Poor woman.” She looked over at Nell. “And she came straight here. Brave woman.”

  They sat in silence until Nell had settled into the tent. Cory and Thom came back to the fire, and Nini said, “Do you want me to go on?”

  Juran was still staring at the fire. He shook his head.

  “It was a ship,” he eventually said. “That’s why we couldn’t find it; Zill has them all on a ship. And if you believe Crya’s account, which I do, it is the biggest ship any of us have ever seen. ‘The size of a small island,’ she said.”

  “How could that be?” Elspeth asked. “How could a thing like that float?”

  Juran shrugged. “It might be five or six ships lashed together, but there is only one tower, Crya was sure of that. A huge wooden tower; ‘bigger than any in Rieg and as black as a crow’s feather,’ she said.

  Elspeth, too, stared at the fire. She opened her mouth to speak, but Olivia asked her question for her, “What could they be doing that they need such a thing? I mean, making a ship of that size must have taken months. She did not have it built for Vanities sake. Why does she need it?”

  Again, Juran shrugged.

  Again, silence.

  Then, “What’s this Gateway?” Elspeth asked. She could not help thinking about what Zill had said about making her the Gatekeeper.

  “We found that just after I found you,” Juran said, looking at Olivia. “In the same cave. But instead of going back to Bhail, it leads under the mountain. The gate itself sends the Traveller just north of Raff, to another cave. Apparently, the locals have known about it for years, use it for ferrying trade goods, but it’s not on the map of Gateways we knew about. In fact, as far as we knew, there weren’t any Gateways north of the moutains.”

  Elspeth pulled in a sigh and tried to settle her breathing. That could not be it; Zill would not need a Gatekeeper for a simple portal of less than thirty leagues. But finding it in the same cave…?

  “There must be more of them,” she said. “A hole network, maybe. I mean, they did not send out ships to take folk from their farms and villages; someone would have noticed. So they must have used portals. Did Nell say anything about being brought back through a Gateway?”

  “No,” Juran said. “But then, she was unconscious. Crya took a ship to Eiras, then another to Rieg.”

  “Let’s not worry about the Gateways just now,” Olivia said. “Yes, why their location remained a secret is a mystery we need to solve, but this ship should be our priority. First of all, we need to see it. How soon can you lead us back to the cave? I’m afraid, with all the fuss at the time, I have forgotten where it was.”

  “I haven’t,” Elspeth said. “Half a day, on horse. But if we are all going, then a day’s march.”

  “I think we should all go.” Olivia said. “We came here for the wet witches, and this Tower Ship is where they are. Little point leaving folk here.”

  “You should hold off a while,” Juran said.

  “Why?” Olivia said, irritation showing on her face.

  Don’t start, Elspeth silently urged. Listen to the man before you argue.

  For a wonder, she did.

  “We ne
ed to get a man on that ship,” Juran said. “A deckhand, or a cook, someone who can walk about unnoticed. We know nothing of the tower’s construction, or its purpose. At the least, I would feel better knowing how many Kel’mau Zill has with her.”

  Olivia nodded. “Very well. But we should still Travel to Raff. If we do get news, we may have to act quickly.”

  Agreement all around.

  “The morning then,” Nini said. “We’ll head up to Tofai and Travel through the gate. If the weather holds, we can be in Raff by late morning the day after tomorrow.”

  Olivia grimaced, but nodded. “That will have to do,” she said.

  She looked over at Elspeth. “Someone will have to go back to Sugal and tell Wex to wait another week.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Elspeth said. “I’m coming with you.”

  “I’ll send one of the volunteers,” Nini said. “I hate losing a man, but we’ll need someone there to stop Jebb sailing off without us.”

  “Then that’s settled,” Olivia said. “We leave for Tofai at first light. And in the meantime, we should…”

  Olivia went on, but Elspeth was not listening. She was too busy thinking about the Gatekeeper. Did Lady Zill know about the portals? And if she did, were the ways safe?

  They will have to be, she told herself. We don’t have time to march around the island.

  CHAPTER 15

  Raff

  Raff was a small village. The addition of near-on forty rebels to the population would be too much to go unnoticed, so rather than spending the day in the common room of the local inn, Elspeth and Trapper were, once again, sitting by a campfire in a snowy forest.

  “It’s not that bad, boy,” she told Trapper. “At least it has stopped snowing.”

  Raff lay in a dip created by two low hills. From where Elspeth sat, she could see beyond the village to the grey waters of the northern ocean. A near permanent mist lay over the water, obscuring the horizon. About five miles out, Elspeth could see a dim grey mound that was one of the small islands that dotted the northern coast in this part of Toi’ildrieg. Just to the west of that island, she saw a faint vertical line – the Tower Ship. Even from the forest above the village, Elspeth could not look at that indistinct line without feeling a shudder roll down her spine and see a wave of images flashing through her mind. What was Lady Zill doing to the women on that ship? Was she torturing them, bleeding off their Power somehow? And why the ship at all? Olivia had been right, there must be a good reason for building the tower, and it was not just Zill’s vanity – if that were the case, why hide it up there in the mist?