Chapter Twelve

 

The following day, Blade took her to the bathhouse as he had promised. She found the primitive facilities degrading, but it was wonderful to wash off the dirt. The women who used it seemed like slatterns, with their coarse language and bold eyes, but none of them bothered her. The assassin waited at the door when she finished. He took her to a tailor, where he purchased a pair of black trousers and a thick black jacket much like his own, only made of cloth. She retained her riding boots and undergarments, which she had washed in the bathhouse.

They visited an armourer, who repaired the damage to Blade's jacket in a few minutes, then returned to the inn for a meal. Afterwards, he took her to the edge of the forest for her first lesson. She expected him to teach her how to use a dagger, but instead her first lesson consisted of standing with her eyes closed and trying to pin point his location while he walked around her. She failed, and grew impatient with his insistence that she should persevere. It seemed pointless, since she was not a blind person, but he refused to teach her anything else until she had mastered it.

Two more days passed, and she made progress with her lesson, learning to stretch out her awareness to sense his approach. Afterwards, he would do some gentle stretching, and lift weights to strengthen his arms, mindful of his cracked rib. Whenever he did too much, or jolted his injury, he would hold his side, despite the broad bandage with which he had bound it. She decided that it was fortuitous that he was not required to do anything strenuous while his injury healed. Sleeping on the floor still bothered her, and she woke aching and stiff each morning.

On the fourth day, a company of Cotti soldiers arrived and searched the town. Blade predicted some fun, and soon the crooks began to molest the Cotti troops, goading them into brawls in the taverns and ambushing them in dark alleys. The soldiers arrested some of the culprits, but the town lacked a jail or guardsmen, so the prisoners were released after some military-style chastisement. This only made the situation worse, as the criminals retaliated.

Eventually, their search led the Cotti to the tavern where Blade and Kerra resided, but the soldiers barely glanced at her. After they left, the assassin announced that they would be staying in Dramali, which did not please the Queen. She demanded a more comfortable place to sleep, and Blade procured a straw pallet, which helped. Two days later, the Cotti left the city, and Kerra hoped that she was safe until Kerrion found his wife. She longed for the day when she could return to her palace, and her comfortable existence.

The day after the Cotti company's departure, they returned to the usual place for Kerra's instruction, on the edge of the forest through which they had ridden to reach Dramali. Halfway through her lesson, she sensed tension in the air, and opened her eyes to find that Blade had turned away. He stared into the forest, and she followed his gaze. An old man walked towards them, a hawk perched on his shoulder and a wolf at his heels. A bright red adder coiled around his neck, and a grey stallion stood amongst the trees beyond him. A deer watched them from the shelter of a clump of bushes. Kerra gasped, staring at the man, whose snow-white hair and beard framed a lined, nut-brown visage with twinkling green eyes. He wore a robe of animal skins and feathers, and his sandaled feet barely seemed to crush the leaves. She trotted over to Blade, who was the man's destination, arriving at the same time as he did. The assassin regarded the elder with a grim smile, his eyes icy.

"Shamsara."

"Conash." The Idol of the Beasts inclined his head to her. "Kerra."

Kerra smiled, not bothered that he had omitted her title, nor surprised that he had recognised her. Blade shot her a wry look, clearly annoyed.

"What do you want?"

Kerra gasped at his rudeness, but Shamsara smiled, as if expecting it. "Ah, Conash, you still have not forgiven me. It is time you did."

"Why?"

"You will feel better."

"You had no right."

"I had no choice."

Blade gestured. "Well, here I am, doing as you predicted."

"This is only a part of it, a small one for a man of your talents."

"What do you mean?"

"It pains me to make more demands of you, when you so clearly resent what little has already been asked of you. Yet I must. Your destiny shines in my visions like a beacon, impossible to ignore. I had hoped you would realise what was needed of you on your own, but clearly you will not." He paused, eyeing the assassin. "You must go to Cotti and find Kerrion's wife." Shamsara glanced at Kerra, then back at Blade. "Restore her to Kerrion, and do as she bids you."

Blade threw back his head and burst out laughing. Kerra stared at him in confusion and surprise, shooting a glance at Shamsara, who watched the assassin with a gentle smile. Annoyed at being so left out of the conversation, Kerra addressed the Idol of the Beasts.

"It is more important that Blade protect me, Idol. Kerrion will doubtless find his wife."

Shamsara shook his head. "No, he will not, young Kerra. She will die, and Kerrion will go mad with grief. After murdering his brothers, he will fall on his sword, and his kingdom will pass to his half-brother Jovan, brother to Lerton."

Blade sobered, his brow furrowing. "What of Kerrion's sons?"

"An unfortunate accident, arranged by Dravis."

"The war will start again."

Shamsara nodded.

"Damn you and your bloody predictions!" Blade snarled. "Why must it always be me?"

"You are the instrument."

"I am the damned pawn! I am the one who gets kicked around, mauled by dogs, punched in the face and chased by Cotti." He swung away, paced in an agitated circle and confronted the Idol again, tapping his chest. "I am the one who must risk his life. Always me! Why do you not go and pick on someone else? I am doing enough, playing nursemaid to a spoilt child."

Shamsara shook his head. "Sir Raylin and Sir Favan are dead. Kerrion's wife suffers hunger and humiliation, as well as loneliness and anguish. Kerrion drives himself to exhaustion, and Chiana is being tortured even as we speak. Are you sure you are the only one to suffer, Conash?"

"Chiana!" Kerra gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth in horror.

Blade's eyes narrowed. "So, they have all fallen foul of each other's plotting. It is not my problem."

"Come now, you know that is not true."

"It is! If you had not meddled sixteen years ago, none of this would be happening."

The Idol inclined his head. "True. And the war would still be raging."

"I do not care."

"I know. But I am not asking you to do it for nothing."

"There is nothing I want." Blade glared at Shamsara, his nostrils flaring. "The princes will not die, will they?"

"Not if Kerrion's wife is saved. Your former apprentice will fail, but that is as much of that future as I can see at the moment. The course is far worse."

"It is not worth it." Blade shook his head. "Besides, if what you say is true, I could go to Jadaya and kill the bastards myself."

"I have wondered why you have not, considering your hatred for them."

"Kerrion would be blamed. Or Chiana. The other princes would manufacture proof of their guilt."

Shamsara smiled. "But you do not care." The Idol raised his hand as Blade opened his mouth to argue. "I am not offering you the princes' lives, that is not within my power."

"Then what?"

"Something that you lost a long time ago."

Blade frowned. "You will have to be a little more specific."

"I am not called the Idol of the Beasts for nothing. That is within my power."

"What is?"

The Idol smiled. "Come now, Conash, do not pretend to be dense. I know full well that you are not."

Blade studied the old man, only the twitching of a muscle in his jaw betraying his tension. His eyes slid away, becoming blank, as if he gazed into a memory so painful that he had not dared to dwell upon it for a long time.

"If you mean what I think you mean, it is impossible. So is what you are asking, especially with a young girl in my charge."

Shamsara shook his head. "No, you can do it, although it is not certain. We stand at a place where the paths of future diverge, descending into war if you fail, or continuing in peace if you succeed."

"And what are you offering, exactly?"

"Rivan."

Blade shook his head. "Impossible."

Kerra glanced from one to the other, puzzled. "Who is Rivan?"

Shamsara smiled at her. "Conash's familiar."

"He is dead!" Blade snarled.

"At the moment."

"Even you cannot bring back the dead, Shamsara. You lie!"

The Idol looked offended. "I never lie, Conash. Every beast and person is reborn into this world. They do not stay in the Everlasting. I am willing to pray to Tinsharon for Rivan's rebirth now, and to lead him to you when he is born."

"Pray to Tinsharon." Blade's lip curled at the idea.

"I know you have no faith, but he does listen to me on occasion."

"That is like saying you will go digging for gold with which to pay me. What if he does not do as you ask?"

The Idol looked serene. "He will, if you succeed."

"No one has ever been reunited with a familiar that died. If they are reborn, why is that so?"

"Normally I do not meddle, and the reborn have no memory of their past life, so they do not seek their former friend. Only if I bring him to you, will he recognise you. Also, much time must pass between their death and rebirth, by which time their human companion is often dead or aged. To reunite a young familiar with an old companion would condemn the beast to suffer when its friend dies. In your case, three and thirty years have passed since you lost Rivan, but you were just a boy then, so you still have many years before you."

Blade ran a hand over his hair, clearly agitated. He glanced at the Queen, then took her arm and guided her to the edge of the forest. There he stopped and pointed at a distant log visible through the trees, but well out of earshot.

"You see that log over there?"

"Yes."

"Go and sit on it."

Kerra opened her mouth to argue, but his chill glance made her close it with a snap and flounce away.

 

Blade waited until Kerra was out of earshot, then walked back to the Idol. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Shamsara sighed, reaching up to stroke the adder that was coiled around his neck. "Because only you can do what is needed, Conash."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"Use your special talents and skills to find Minna-Satu. Kerrion has searched every possible hiding place within two tendays ride of Jadaya, and now he waits and hopes that Chaymin's familiar will lead him to her."

Blade shook his head. "Trelath would not have taken her more than a couple of day's ride from Jadaya. Do you know where she is?"

"Not exactly. I only know that my visions become worse as Kerrion waits, which means that Chaymin's familiar will not lead him to her."

"Kerrion is no fool. How could he have missed her?"

Shamsara spread his hands. "I do not know."

"And what do I do once I have found her?"

"She will tell you."

"I am sentenced to death in Cotti."

The Idol nodded. "But right now, Jashimari is a more dangerous place. They are not searching for you in Cotti."

"I had considered that, but it is safe in Dramali."

"That is why I had to come and tell you to find her. If you had gone to Cotti of your own volition, to escape the troops searching for you here, fate would have led you to the Queen. But when you slipped through the Cotti net, I knew you would not go."

"And that is when you concocted your story to persuade me to do this. You knew I would not, otherwise."

The Idol stepped closer and placed a hand on Blade's shoulder, ignoring the assassin's glower. "That was when I decided to offer you the chance to regain your familiar. You lost the three most important things to a man, when you were just a boy. I cannot restore the other two, but I can bring Rivan back to you.

"You were tempered by cruelty to make you what you are, and I regret that I must make you earn the return of something that was taken from you so harshly. It does seem doubly cruel, and I wish I could simply pray for Rivan's return without asking anything of you. But I knew you would not do this for anything less, and it must be done."

"Kerrion found my sister to pay for Ronan's death, and she was killed."

Shamsara shook his head. "I know. But you will not lose Rivan again, I swear."

Blade shrugged off the Idol's hand and moved away. "Even if I believed you, which I do not, I am not fit enough for such an undertaking."

"There is a good healer in Dramali, her name is Crella. Seek her out."

The assassin rubbed his aching ribs and glanced at the distant Queen sitting on the log. Shamsara followed his gaze and smiled.

"Remarkable. She obeys you, even though it humiliates her."

"She is arrogant. And taking her to Cotti would put her in grave danger."

"Yes, but if you do not save Minna-Satu, Kerra will also perish in the turmoil that will follow Kerrion's death, as will your wife."

Blade frowned. "What is Endor doing to her?"

"Not too much as yet, but it will grow worse, and it will only end when Minna is restored to Kerrion."

"What will happen to Endor?"

"He will be ordered to return to Cotti, where Kerrion will wreak such vengeance as he can upon him and Trelath, perhaps Chaymin, too."

"And Dravis?"

Shamsara shook his head. "Oh no, Dravis is too clever to show his hand until the other players have shown theirs. At the moment, he is blameless."

Blade gazed into the forest, pondering. "I could leave Kerra here."

"No, you must take her with you."

"Why? She is a burden. She will slow me down."

"She may help you, too."

"How?"

The Idol smiled. "Soon, she will find her familiar."

"Something useful, is it?"

"Very."

"If I find Minna-Satu, Kerra will find out that her mother lives."

Shamsara nodded. "I think it is time she did. She is old enough to keep the secret upon her return to Jashimari, and I think it will do her good to meet Minna-Satu."

"Probably. It amazes me that Minna's life with Kerrion has remained a secret all these years."

"That is mostly due to your account of Minna's death. Rumours have circulated from time to time, but Chiana refuses to believe them, and has even threatened to have the liars punished. To say such a thing has become tantamount to heresy, and no one dares to spread such tales anymore."

Blade sighed, then smiled. "You are sending me on a fool's errand, Idol, but Minna-Satu sent me on worse in the past. Perhaps you know I will not live to discover your lie, so you make me this insane promise to restore Rivan to me. After all, you are a seer."

"I do not see all things, nor as clearly as you think. Yes, there is a chance that you may die, but if you live, I will restore Rivan to you. I swear it."

The assassin chuckled. "A simple job, this. Take the heir to the Jashimari throne to Cotti, and protect her from harm in a patriarchal society where young girls are snatched from their fathers' fortified harems. Find the Queen, who even the Cotti King cannot find in his own land, and restore her to him, while protecting her from a mad prince. It is impossible. No wonder you promise me the impossible as payment."

"It is possible, but only you can do it."

"Then I shall." Blade stepped closer to glare into the Idol's eyes. "And I will return to see that you keep your promise, old man."

"I am counting on it." The Idol of the Beasts smiled, his eyes filled with the wisdom of the ages, and laid a hand upon the assassin's shoulder once more. Blade glanced at it in annoyance, but Shamsara removed it before he could shrug it off.

"Good luck." Shamsara turned and walked away, and the forest swallowed him up as if by magic.

Blade stared after him, then went to the log where Kerra waited. She jumped up at his approach, scanning the trees behind him with hopeful eyes.

"Where is Shamsara?"

"Gone."

"But I wanted to speak to him."

"Maybe that is why he left."

Kerra headed towards the trees with a determined air, but he took hold of her arm and swung her around, wincing as his ribs protested.

"You will not find him. Come, I have much to do."

She pouted, but followed him across the fields towards the city, trotting to keep up. "You are going to do as he asked?"

"Yes."

"Will it not be dangerous?"

"Yes."

"But what about me?"

He shot her a frown. "You are coming too."

She fell silent for a while, then asked, "Do you really think he can give you back your familiar?"

"I intend to find out."

"And if he cannot?"

"Then he will answer to his god, in whose sight he swore an oath to me."

When they reached the city, Blade went to the inn and asked the proprietor for directions to the woman healer's house. The man's instructions led them to a modest domicile in a side street, which stood out by virtue of a fresh coat of whitewash. A manservant showed them into a cosy, book-lined room furnished with overstuffed chairs. After several minutes, a tall, bony woman with an equine face and soft brown eyes came in. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a bun, and she wore a simple brown shift belted at the waist with a braided yellow rope.

The healer smiled and invited them into a smaller room, this one lined with shelves that held a plethora of books, jars, vials, pouches and dried herbs, as well as a few shrivelled, unidentifiable objects. Her eyes lingered on Blade, since Kerra was obviously robust, and she gestured to a well-scrubbed table. The assassin perched on the edge of it, ill at ease. He had always hated healers, with their cold hands that prodded and poked in all the most painful places, and the way they then peered into his twisted face and asked, "Does that hurt?"

Crella smiled and studied him with bright, interested eyes. "So, how may I help you?"

"I have a cracked rib, I think."

"And this?" She gestured to his throat, where bruises were visible above his collar.

"A dog. It is not serious."

"Remove your jacket and shirt, if you please."

The healer's eyes widened at the sight of his mark, then flicked to the dagger sheaths strapped to his wrists. Kerra stifled a gasp when he removed the bandage that bound his ribs, revealing a huge blackened area on the right side of his chest. The last time she had seen it, there had only been a red mark, now it looked much worse. The healer bent to peer at it, but did not touch him.

"Lift your arm."

Blade stopped when he had raised it no more than halfway, frowning. "That hurts."

"Of course it does." She studied the bruise. "A sword stroke, I would guess."

He nodded, lowering his arm when she straightened.

"Yes, you definitely have at least one cracked rib, maybe two. Patients usually know what is wrong with them, unless it is a disease. If you drop a cart on your foot, you know that it is broken, do you not? You do not need me to poke and prod it to find out that it hurts."

She turned to peruse her shelves. "I can give you something that will speed the healing threefold, but you must keep it strapped and do nothing strenuous for at least a tenday. Judging by the bruise, it happened about five days ago, right?"

Blade nodded.

"If you had come to me then, it would have been much improved already. But I suppose you do not like healers, do you?"

He frowned at her. "Are you reading my mind?"

She chuckled. "I do not have to. Horse kin are sensitive, and you are the first assassin who has ever come to me for treatment."

"Most healers will not treat an assassin, so I usually look after myself."

"This is Dramali. Healers treat far worse than assassins here." She selected a jar and decanted a white powder into an empty bottle.

"Why are you here?" Kerra asked, and Blade shot her a quelling look.

The healer smiled as she capped the jar and reached for another. "My father is a smuggler."

"Does he go to Cotti?"

"Kess!" Blade said.

The healer sifted a little brown powder in with the white. "Yes, actually he is leaving for Darjaran the day after tomorrow. It is a little east of the capital, Jadaya. Do you know Cotti?"

Blade glared at Kerra. "No."

"Then I suppose you want to go to Jadaya." She corked the jar and put it back on the shelf, then scanned the other containers. "He will take you if I ask him, but he will charge you, of course."

Kerra smirked at Blade. "I suppose Bla-Claw should not ride, should he?"

"No. Even travelling in a wagon will not be good for him. He should stay in bed for at least five days." Blade snorted, and she glanced at him. "Of course, he will not."

Blade pondered her words. "Your father is not the curious sort, is he?"

She laughed, selected a third container and sniffed it. "A smuggler? No. You pay half in advance and half when you arrive, no questions asked."

"How much?"

"Usually about fifty gold pieces." She poured a little black powder into the mixture and put the vial back on the shelf. "If you want to go, be on the southern road outside town at dusk, the day after tomorrow. I will tell him to look out for you."

Crella corked the bottle and shook it as she turned to the assassin, then put it down and picked up his bandage.

"Try to make this tight when you put it on again yourself. Perhaps your apprentice can help you." She wound the cloth around his ribs, pulling it so tight that he grimaced. "An interesting collection of scars, elder. Burns, these." She indicated the ones on his chest. "Torture, I suppose. And the one on your back was made by an arrow?"

"Crossbow bolt."

"In the lung. You were lucky to survive."

"I know."

She tied the bandage off and ran a finger along a slight, pale scar on his shoulder, one of many that marked his chest and arms. "These are puzzling. Knife cuts?"

"Glass."

The healer peered at a small pink scar on his chest with a frown. "That looks like a stab wound, but if it was, you should be dead."

"It is, and I should be." He picked up his shirt and pulled it on before she could ask about any of the others.

As he shrugged into his jacket, she handed him the bottle of powder she had mixed. "Take it twice a day. A spoonful mixed with water, not ale. It will help with the bruises on your throat as well, and the crossbow wound in your shoulder, although that is almost healed."

He pulled out his money pouch and waited while she pondered, then she said, "Five silvers, elder."

Blade paid her and headed for the door, eager to quit her scrutiny. Crella smiled at Kerra as she turned to follow the assassin, commenting, "It is good to see a female apprentice in such a male dominated trade, my dear."

Kerra shot her a startled glance, then grinned, ignoring Blade's dark look as she walked through the door he held open. The assassin paused to give the healer a suspicious look before he followed the Queen into the waiting room, where the manservant showed them to the front door.

Blade laced his jacket as he headed back towards the inn, his keen eyes scanning the shops they passed for one that might sell some of the items he was going to need. Dusk filled the grimy streets with puddles of gloom, and most of the shopkeepers were preparing to shut up for the night.

Two men staggered out of a tavern ahead, locked in a grunting brawl, and several spectators followed, shouting encouragement. The assassin turned into a dark alley to avoid the crowd, picking his way through the garbage that choked it. They emerged into a wider street, and he continued in the direction of the inn. Halfway along it, he spotted a promising shop and pushed open the door, entering a cosy, well-lighted establishment.

The shopkeeper served a fat, overdressed woman who wore far too much face paint. She paled at Blade's entry and put down the wares she had been examining to hurry out. Kerra glanced around at the selection of gowns, wigs and cosmetics that seemed to be the shop's only merchandise. Blade went over to a rack of dresses and inspected a flowing creation of blue cotton trimmed with white lace. He took it from the rack and held it against Kerra, cocking his head to study it.

"What are you doing?" she muttered.

"Be quiet."

Blade selected a more sedate garment of pale brown fabric with yellow beading, then a simple white calico dress. They had long sleeves and high necklines, but the brown dress was smaller than the white one. Satisfied with his selection, he put them on the counter, then chose two shawls, one red and the other pale blue. Adding these to the gowns, he examined the wigs, but did not appear to find one he liked, and approached the merchant.

The man twitched with agitation, and Blade wondered how often he was robbed in this town of thieves. To allay his fears, Blade tugged open his collar, and the shopkeeper relaxed at the sight of the tattoo.

"How may I help you, elder?"

"I require a blonde wig, for a woman."

"Ah." The man's eyes darted to his selection of black, brown, and red wigs. "I can get one for you, of course."

"By tomorrow?"

"If you wish."

Blade nodded. "I do."

"Very good, elder."

"And have these gowns wrapped and ready for me to collect tomorrow."

"Of course." The merchant opened the door for them, bowing. Outside, Kerra trotted to keep up with Blade's long strides.

"You are going to disguise yourself as a woman?"

"Only if I must."

Kerra giggled. "I look forward to seeing that."

"I am sure it will amuse you immensely."

"Lucky for you, I found us a passage with the smugglers."

"That remains to be seen."

She shot him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Smugglers are not exactly honest, Kerra. They do not usually take passengers on their trips, it is risky for them. It will not surprise me if this smuggler tries to knock us on the head and steal our money."

"Then he would be a murderer."

"And a thief, but a crook is a crook. Most combine a variety of talents to exploit whatever situation comes along. Our smuggler could decide that murder would be profitable in our case." He smiled. "Oddly enough, I am considered an honest citizen in this town, for assassins are forbidden to dabble in other profitable pursuits."

"You have yet to teach me the rules of the Assassin's Guild."

"I was only teaching you the basics to allay the suspicions of any spies who might be about. You are not going to become an assassin."

"I know. But still, I would like to learn more."

"Doubtless you will if you continue to plague me with questions."

A scream ripped through the quiet, making Blade start and spin towards the sound, his hands flashing to the daggers in his belt. Kerra gasped and grabbed his arm, but he shook her off, gazing down the alley whence the shriek had come. Two men scuffled and grunted in the gloom, wrestling with a woman who yelped and kicked out spiritedly. Blade snorted and relaxed, straightening from the half crouch into which he had fallen. He walked on, but Kerra grabbed his arm again.

"Help her, Blade!"

"It is not my business."

"But she is in trouble!" Kerra tried to hold him back, and he jerked his arm from her grip.

"I know."

"They are robbing her!"

"They are probably going to do worse than that, but it is still not my concern." The assassin stopped when he realised that the girl was not following him. "Come along."

Kerra watched the struggling trio, her brow furrowed. "A woman should not be treated so in my kingdom."

He started back towards her. "Leave it, Kerra."

"No." She shot him a glare. "If you will not help her, I will."

"No!"

Blade broke into a run as she darted into the alley, cursing her stupidity. The Queen proved fleet enough to stay ahead of him until she reached the thugs, whereupon she flung herself at the nearest, pounding on his back. The thug swung around, sending her staggering away with a flail of his arm, and she hit the wall with a grunt. The man turned as the assassin ran up, a curved dagger appearing in his fist, while his companion held the struggling woman.

Blade veered towards Kerra, but the girl launched herself at the cutthroat again. The assassin leapt after her, snagged the collar of her jacket and jerked her back before she could impale herself on the villain's weapon. Pushing her behind him, he held up his hands in an appeasing gesture and backed away. Kerra shoved him towards the thug, hard enough to make him advance several steps.

"Get him!" she yelled.

Blade growled and started to turn, intending to take her by the scruff and haul her from the alley before she could get him involved in the fray. The cutthroat, perhaps encouraged by his apparent cowardice, grinned and lunged at him. Blade spun, daggers appearing in his hands as if by magic, and slashed the thug across the chest in a lightning-fast movement. The man staggered back, gaping at the crimson flood that poured over his shirt, his dagger clattering to the ground as he clutched the wound.

The second man hurled the woman down and pulled a sword from the scabbard strapped to his back. Blade eyed the broken-nosed giant as he shuffled forward, his sneer revealing rotting teeth. The woman lay where she had fallen, staring at them. Blade stepped back, unwilling to engage the scarred brute and his rusty sword. He had the look of a veteran, well skilled in the arts of battle. A glance at Kerra found her pressed against the wall, her eyes fixed on him. He had a nasty suspicion that she was not going to let him back down, so he tossed a dagger into the air, catching it by the blade.

"I advise you to leave, friend."

The giant's grin broadened. "I ain't scared of no little wimp like you. Come on, an' I'll lop yer head off for ya."

"I think not." Blade threw the dagger, which buried itself to the hilt in the big thug's shoulder.

The veteran roared and charged, raising his sword in an overhead swing, as if he intended to chop the assassin in two. Kerra yelped and scuttled away, showing good sense for the first time, and Blade was tempted to follow her. The thug was too close now, however. He let the swordsman bear down on him until he was within reach, the sword descending, then stepped aside and swept the cutthroat's feet from under him. The big man sprawled, hanging onto his sword, and Blade straddled him, pressing his dagger to the thug's neck.

"Drop the sword, or die."

The villain growled and released the weapon, twisting his head to glare up at the assassin. Blade yanked his dagger from the man's shoulder, stepped away and kicked the sword into the garbage that lined the alley, allowing the cutthroat to scramble to his feet.

He gestured with a dagger. "Leave, and take your crony with you."

"You ain't seen the last of me, yer little snot," the man snarled as he helped his bleeding friend to his feet and backed away. "Yer a marked man!"

"I will bear that in mind."

"You do that."

The villains shuffled away through the refuse, cursing and casting furious glances back at the assassin. Blade watched them go, wondering if it was wise to let them live. Who knew how many unsavoury friends they may have in this town? He found that the daggers had come from his wrist sheaths and put them away. Kerra went over to the woman, who picked herself up, brushing at her skirts. The moonlight illuminated her face, and he recognised the healer with a start of surprise. She brushed back the hair that straggled over her brow and forced a stiff smile.

"Thank you, elder."

"It is the healer!" Kerra exclaimed.

Blade inclined his head. "So I see. I trust you are unharmed?"

"I am, thanks to you," Crella replied.

He shrugged. "My apprentice persuaded me to intervene. It is she who deserves your thanks."

Crella smiled at Kerra. "Thank you, young lady. However, I am certain she could not have saved me alone, sir."

"He would not have done anything if I had not made him," Kerra pointed out.

"Most men would not have wished to take on those two brutes, my dear. Your master is a prudent man, and he is injured too. It is lucky that he is skilful enough to defeat them so easily."

"You should not be wandering the streets alone at this time, healer," Blade remarked.

"You are right, of course. Normally I would not, but I was on my way to my father's house to speak to him on your behalf."

"Really." Blade was suspicious. "Surely tomorrow would have been soon enough? And if you had to do it today, you could have done it earlier. We left your house some time ago."

"True, but I was reading a most interesting account, of a man who was shot in the back by a Cotti traitor, in the lung. He was also tortured with hot irons by Prince Armin's judges, and stabbed in the chest by Armin himself when he saved the infant queen. He should have died, but Shamsara saved him. It is not a coincidence that you have those same scars, is it? You are the Queen's Blade."

"You are altogether too curious, Crella, and far too astute. Such knowledge is a dangerous thing to own. There are many buyers for it, and I do not wish it sold. Were you planning to tell your father, so he could kidnap me and ransom me to Endor?"

"No!" Crella's eyes widened as she realised her blunder. "I swear, I mean you no harm. Would I have told you what I knew, if I was planning to use it against you?"

"That would depend on how stupid you are."

"Only a complete dolt would tell you this while alone with you in a dark alley, if they intended to use it against you."

"Yet I only have your word that you do not mean me harm." Blade cocked his head, studying her.

Crella backed away. "I swear to you, I only confirmed my suspicions so I could persuade my father to help you for free."

"A patriot, then?" Blade followed her, his hand resting on the hilt of a dagger. "If you know who I am, then you know I have enough money to pay your father."

"Yes, of course you do, but he is reluctant to take passengers on his wagons. He might have refused, and I wanted to be able to persuade him... I wanted to ensure that you did not have to ride and further injure yourself... I only wanted to help!" She tripped over a pile of rotten cabbages and staggered back, her arms wind milling.

Blade's hand flashed out and caught her collar, jerked her to a halt and dragged her closer. "Do not run away while I am talking to you, Crella, it is rude." His voice held a wealth of menace, which made Kerra shiver.

Crella put her hands on his chest to hold him away, her voice rising to a squeak. "I am not your enemy, I swear it!"

"You are the daughter of a crook. A man who loves money and would do anything for it. Doubtless he would reward you handsomely for putting such a prize within his reach."

"I am Jashimari. I would never betray my countryman, nor would my father."

Kerra touched his arm. "Blade, I believe her."

He shot her a scornful glance. "You are an innocent, girl."

"Do not hurt her."

He cuffed her across the cheek, making her gasp. "Do not presume to give your master orders, apprentice."

Crella cried, "My father would be honoured to help you! He hates the Cotti as much as you do."

Blade tightened his grip on her dress. "No one hates the Cotti as much as I do."

"Almost as much, then!"

"He trades with them."

"He sells them poor grade wood at outrageous prices."

"And smuggles it over the border so he does not have to pay taxes." Blade thrust his face closer. "Yet you call him a patriot."

"He is!" Crella sank to her knees, sobbing, "Please, please do not kill me."

Blade released her, staring down at her in surprise. The thought of killing her had not crossed his mind, yet she thought he was about to slit her throat to silence her. That annoyed him, for most people knew assassins did not kill without a client, and an elder could not even be paid to do it, although the code no longer constrained him. Her plea was an insult to him, and added to his growing irritation.

"What do you take me for? A common murderer? If I was going to kill you, I would not be wasting time discussing it with you. You would be dead already. So what should I do with you? Let you go, to sell your knowledge to the highest bidder? I would be signing my own death warrant."

She looked amazed, and scrambled to her feet, shaking with relief. "If I had been planning to do that, I would never have told you what I knew. I am sorry if I insulted you."

"You should have known how I would react, which makes your admission all the more stupid."

Crella nodded. "You are right. I should have known you would feel threatened. I did not think. When I found out who you are, I was honoured to have met you, and I wanted to help you any way I could. You should have known your scars would betray you."

"I would have, had I known that such details of my life had been written down for the public's amusement."

"They are not. It is an account written by the healer who attended you at the palace, detailing his treatments and conclusions. He was amazed by your ability to survive such terrible injuries, and even make a full recovery. Only a few other healers have read it."

"Verdan."

Blade glanced up and down the alley to confirm its continued emptiness, wondering what he was going to do with Crella. He could not bring himself to trust her, nor could he tie her up and stash her somewhere. If she was not found, she would die a slow and painful death. If he released her just before he left Dramali, it would not give him much of a head start, but it seemed like the only option. The predicament annoyed him. He was used to living in anonymity, and her discovery of his identity was most inconvenient, especially now that hiding it was so vital. The prospect of keeping her captive until he left the city was even more irksome, since he already had the Queen with whom to deal.

Kerra spoke into the silence. "Blade, I am sure she is telling the truth. Let her go."

He rounded on her, making her step back. "And what makes you such a damned authority on people's trustworthiness?"

"If I had not made you help her, she would have told her father anyway."

"Not if those thugs had killed her."

"Then bring her with us."

He snorted. "I do not want another encumbrance, girl. She will bolt at the first opportunity, and tell everyone who I am."

"What else can you do?" Kerra frowned at him.

"I suppose I will have to keep her captive until we are ready to leave the city, and we certainly cannot go with her father."

"Would you not consider trusting me, elder?" Crella enquired in a timid voice.

"No. I trust nobody."

"My father will start to worry if I am gone for more than a day, and my manservant will raise the alarm tomorrow."

"You are making me wish I was a common murderer, healer."

She paled and stepped back. "I assure you, that was not my intention."

Blade growled and swung away, staring into the shadows that crouched next to the alley's dirty walls. His plan was not likely to succeed if the healer would be missed so soon, and by so many people. If he took her back to the inn, people would see her, making her discovery certain. Then, not only would he be betrayed, he would also be accused of kidnapping. He turned at a soft sound, and found the healer scurrying away along the wall, propelled by a shove from Kerra. Blade watched her vanish around the corner into the next street, then turned to frown at the Queen, who raised her chin, meeting his eyes with a bold stare. He walked up to her, holding her gaze until she lowered it.

"Well, you have certainly solved my problem, have you not?" he asked.

"You were considering killing her again. I could not allow that."

"It was not up to you to decide what to do with her. And for your information, I never had any intention of killing her."

"I have seen how easily you kill people, and you said -"

"I was being sarcastic. That damned woman did not know when to be quiet. If I had been a murderous thug, I would have killed her. A kidnap victim should never tell their captor they are likely to be missed soon and searched for rigorously, it will only make him want to cut his losses and run.

"Given a choice between leaving her alive to identify him or silencing her, most villains will choose the latter. I hope you are right about her, because if she tells her father who I am, he and his friends will hunt me down for the reward the Cotti have undoubtedly put on my head, and yours."

"You have a woeful lack of trust in your own people, Blade."

"And you are altogether too trusting." His hand flashed out and gripped the front of her jacket, hauling her closer. "When I have the time and the energy, I intend to put you over my knee for this. You will learn not to disobey me, whether you like it or not."

Kerra met his frigid gaze with a stony one, her expression mutinous, but her breath caught in an ill-concealed gasp of dismay, and her voice shook a little. "There will come a day when you will kneel before me. You would do well to remember that."

A cold smile curled his lips. "I have not forgotten, little girl. But lords do not kneel, and by that time you will have more sense than you do now. At least, I hope so."

Blade pushed her away and set off towards the inn.