Authors: Anna Mackenzie
Donnel's Promise (22 page)
F
rom a wooded hill above the town they watched the road into Leighton. When they’d stopped to rest at midday Risha had fallen into fitful sleep. It had not left her refreshed; rather she felt blurred, the line between reality and dream ill-defined. She shifted wearily in her saddle.
‘There’s too much traffic on the road,’ Muir said.
‘And most of it from the barracks,’ Fenn confirmed. ‘Vormer’s up to something.’
‘Or Goltoy.’
‘I’ll go in and nose around; see what’s happening at the docks.’
Muir’s doubt was tangible.
‘No one’s going to bother a weary riverwoman on her way back from a cash-run to Elion,’ Fenn said. ‘I’ll be back in an hour; two at most. You should rest. Both of you.’
Without waiting for a reply she nudged her horse towards the road.
‘Are you hungry?’ Muir asked. They’d eaten when they’d stopped to rest, but it was now close to dusk.
Risha shook her head. Picketing the horses to graze, Muir selected a tree that gave a view of the road and the eastern flank of the hill and settled his back against it.
‘I’ll stand watch if you like,’ she offered.
‘You should sleep.’
‘I’m not tired,’ she said. It wasn’t true, but her body jangled with restless tension. She’d lost all sense of day or night; of what was real and what a dream.
‘Come and sit down at least.’
A memory of dozing in his lap brought a soft smudge of colour to her cheeks. Resolutely ignoring a
treacherous
notion of resting within the safe curve of his arm, she chose a tree and settled against it, drawing up her legs and wrapping her arms around her shins.
Muir watched her. ‘How did you find Havre before all this?’ he asked. ‘You’d been here several weeks, I think?’
‘Longer.’ She rested her chin on her knees. ‘I enjoyed it more once I was out of the city. The countryside is lovely and the climate easier than LeMarc’s.’
She let her thoughts range back, before Fratton and Bray, before the visions, before Nonno died and Lyse was married in Risha’s stead. ‘Have you ever been to the west of Havre?’ she asked.
He shook his head.
‘There’s an inn where they have a bath-house with a huge wooden tub, large enough to share, so you can soak right up to your chin in steaming hot water. Nolan said his troop arranges to pass there as often as they can.’
‘Nolan took you?’
‘When we were on the way to Bray. Ciaran hadn’t ridden for years — she said it helped.’ She sighed. ‘If I could have anything I wished right this minute …’
Muir tipped his head back against the whorled trunk. Risha watched him idly. ‘What about Fratton?’ she said. ‘How did you find it? Aside from the political squabbling.’
‘There’s nothing but squabbling in Fratton.’
‘There must be!’
His eyes roamed the slope below them.
‘What’s your best memory of the past few years?’ she persisted.
A grim smile flickered and was gone.
‘There,’ she said. ‘What were you thinking of then?’
He glanced at her. ‘I was remembering you putting that jumped-up little thug of a guardsman in his place outside the barbican. I never had time to deal with that sergeant,’ he added. ‘He’ll keep, I daresay.’
Risha could think of nothing to say. As the silence stretched she got up. ‘I’ll check the horses.’
She found them snuffling windfall apples from the grass, and picked one from the tree above. It was hard and tart, but a brief search located a wild plum laden with fruit. Juice dribbled down her chin when she bit into the sweet golden flesh. Making a sling of her skirt she carried a share back to Muir and they sat in companionable silence as the setting sun washed the hills in a mellow apricot light.
‘Fenn should be back by now,’ Risha said, as the dusk slowly settled into evening.
‘Waiting is always the hardest part.’ His teeth flashed. ‘What do you think it was like for me, when you and Fenn went off to Elion?’
Silenced, Risha rested her head back and closed her eyes.
Muir’s hand squeezed her shoulder.
Risha jumped, her search for her dagger stilled when Fenn’s voice came reassuringly out of the dark. ‘Don’t know whether to thank the damned clouds or curse them.’
The woman’s shape appeared through the trees.
‘You’re on foot?’ Muir asked.
‘Long story. The docks are swarming with soldiers. I took
Lakebird
out and moored her beyond Petit Island — easier to explain an evening sail than to get the two of you through the crowd of Westlarn soldiers on the jetties. We need to get back to the boat tonight so we can get away at dawn,’ she added.
Muir fetched the horses without further questions.
‘You’re squelching,’ Risha said.
‘So will you be. There are no natural harbours or beaches along that stretch of the shore.’
Muir handed Mica’s reins to Fenn. ‘Risha can ride behind me.’
‘What did you do with your horse?’ Risha asked.
‘Left her in the care of the neighbour’s lad. Yours will have to take their chances.’
The wedge of moon dipped in and out of scudding clouds, giving barely enough light to show the sheep track they followed. Trusting Muir to find their way, Risha wrapped her arms loosely around his waist, content to feel the warmth of his back beneath her cheek.
‘Here,’ Fenn said at last.
Risha slid down, bracken crackling beneath her boots. The lake lay below, its water dark and treacherous. On the horizon a silhouette, black on black, might have been an island.
‘The water’s cold but not deep. Dinghy’s moored to a branch. I’ll fetch it, but there’s no way to get in without getting your feet wet.’
A moment later there was a slithering rush and a dull splash.
‘Fenn?’
‘Hush.’
Muir slung the horses’ saddles and bridles over his shoulder, leaving Risha to manage the saddlebags.
‘Will they be all right?’ she asked, as Mica snuffled her palm.
‘Someone will find them in the morning and take them in. Probably assume they broke their pickets.’
There was a satisfied sound from below, and Fenn’s sloshing steps. The clouds cleared and Risha caught a glimpse of the woman, thigh-deep in the black water as she towed a dinghy close in along the steep shore.
Muir slapped both horses’ rumps, sending them trotting back toward Leighton.
‘Take care getting down,’ Fenn called in a hoarse whisper.
The advice proved superfluous. The bank went from steep to vertical and Risha hit the water in a slithering splash, gasping at the cold. A following splash and low curse told her Muir’s entry had been no more graceful than her own.
‘Muir?’
Something nudged Risha’s thigh. Just in time she bit back a cry. It was the dinghy. She gripped the side with shaking hands.
‘Put the bags in and climb after. I’ll hold it steady. Keep your weight low.’
It proved less easy than it sounded. Risha earned herself scraped knees and a scathing sound from Fenn. Muir hopped awkwardly on one leg before lunging aboard, the little boat rocking wildly.
‘Try to get your weight balanced,’ Fenn hissed.
When they had arranged themselves, she climbed in neatly, the dip and drip of the oars the only sound as she rowed them away from the shore.
The dark mass of the island loomed on their left. Risha glimpsed its sharp flank and a steep rocky shore.
Lakebird
’s silhouette stood beyond.
They managed the transfer to the larger vessel without mishap.
‘Go below and dry off while I take us out. No lights yet,’ Fenn said.
Risha missed her footing and stumbled the last two steps. She was shivering. Groping through her saddlebags she found trousers and jerkin. Her hands shook with cold as she stripped off her sodden dress and tried to chafe a little warmth into her damp skin.
Someone clattered down the stairs — Muir. He crashed into something and cursed.
‘Over here.’ She hurriedly pulled on her clothes, feeling shy despite the dark.
‘That bath-house of yours would do nicely about now,’ he said, as he fumbled his way to the table.
She mumbled assent through chattering teeth.
Fenn joined them soon after, squeezing in beside Risha. ‘You’re cold.’ She opened a locker and found blankets. ‘We’ll eat once it’s light.’
Risha peered up through the hatchway. A faint hint of grey was threading the sky behind them, too thin, as
yet, to drown the stars. ‘The clouds have cleared.’
‘Aye, for now.’
‘What’s the news from Leighton?’ Muir asked.
‘Goltoy is pulling his men out of Havre; every man in the tavern had a theory about why.’
‘Any seem likely?’ Muir asked.
‘None more than any other. If we didn’t have Risha’s dream to go on, it wouldn’t make any sense.’
He looked thoughtful. ‘News of the wedding?’
‘Seems it went ahead without disruption.’
Risha wriggled her toes to get the blood flowing. ‘Did no one think it wrong that Lady Havre should be forced to marry into Westlaw?’
‘They might have thought it, but they wouldn’t say it, not with Westlaw’s soldiers lining the streets.’ Fenn stood up. ‘I’ll be glad to get some distance on the town.’
Risha followed her on deck. The stars had conceded the sky, a faint golden wash rising from behind the eastern hills, the strip of cloud above shining watermelon pink.
‘Do you suppose Lyse will be all right?’ Risha asked. She couldn’t find the words to properly say what she meant.
Fenn began to lift the anchor. ‘There are worse things. Here, hold this while I set the sails.’
With a hiss of rope and sigh of canvas the sail loosened and spread, catching a bellyful of wind that sent them scything through the water. Fenn adjusted the lines.
‘She’ll be fine,’ she added. ‘He might not be the man of her choosing, but that wouldn’t put her at odds with plenty of women her age.’
Risha’s guilt was unappeased.
Quarter of an hour later the sun tipped the hills, Fenn
steering them towards it, while Risha went below to make breakfast.
The wind rose steadily and they made good time. When Merren’s headland came in sight it was not yet midmorning.
Croft was waiting at the bay. Fenn anchored and took the dinghy ashore to fetch him.
‘Thought you couldn’t be far off,’ he said, as he swung aboard. His face was still misshapen, the bruising garishly coloured. ‘Nolan and Lillet have gone to Caledon for news. Seems like you were right.’ He looked at Risha. ‘Word is that Donnel’s invaded Westlaw.’
They settled around the table in
Lakebird
’s small cabin to hear the rest of his news.
‘After Minna had another visit from Vormer’s
henchmen
, Nolan decided the best thing would be to meet up at Churton. Doesn’t seem right to keep putting her at risk.’
Muir grunted agreement.
Croft grinned at Risha’s frown. ‘Told the Cap you wouldn’t like it,’ he said. ‘But it doesn’t make it a bad decision, just because you didn’t make it.’
‘I didn’t say it was a bad decision.’ She folded her arms, then unfolded them.
‘You’ve done your best by both your father and Lyse. You don’t have to win the whole war, lass.’
‘I don’t want there to be a war.’
‘Aye, well, that might be a little out of your hands.’ He scratched his head. ‘Let’s wait and see what the news is from Caledon.’
Churton lay on the broad eastern arm of CaledonWater. Risha stared at the dark fronds of weed that swayed beneath their hull as Fenn navigated the neck.
‘Original settlement was at the head of the arm, until weed clogged the bay. The town lies just behind that point.’
Moments later they saw it, thirty or so houses pleated along the side of the hill. The town didn’t look particularly prosperous or welcoming, but Risha thought she might forgive it a lot if it offered a comfortable bed.
‘There’s
Egret
,’ Fenn said, as she steered them within the stone arm of the jetty.
‘And Nolan.’
The man jumped on board as soon as
Lakebird
came alongside. ‘It’s a relief to see you.’ His eyes roamed Risha’s face. ‘You saw Ciaran?’
‘She’s well, and said the same of Lyse.’ Risha wondered briefly whether it would still be true. Turning from his scrutiny, she went to help Fenn secure the boat.
‘Rumours are thicker in the city than flies on a dead horse,’ Nolan told them, once they were all crowded into
Lakebird
’s small cabin. ‘Risha’s vision is likely truer than any.’
‘Westlaw’s troops were pulling back across the river at Leighton,’ Fenn said. ‘There was no shortage of theories about why.’
‘It’s hard to judge speculation from fact,’ Nolan said, ‘but it seems likely Donnel landed in Westlaw four days ago.’
‘Lyse’s wedding day,’ Risha murmured.
‘Do we know the size of his force?’ Muir asked.
‘I’d be guessing, but it’s probably safe to assume he has the better part of Bruer’s fleet behind him. It’s said they
took the city in two days.’
‘They took Westlaw’s capital?’