Quest (42 page)

Waiting inside their new refuge were Davred and Jonner. Aharri slipped some money into their guide's hand and the woman left quietly. The inside of the hovel was lit by two smoking candles. By their flickering light Benjan saw a pile of rags in a corner and laid the unconscious girl down on them. Aharri knelt beside his daughter and smoothed the matted hair back from her forehead. Herra joined him.

'Can you help her?' he asked, his voice breaking. 'Look what they've done to her back! And - what about the other -

thing?' He could not bring himself to put into words what had happened. 'She's so young!' He rubbed a hand across his tear-fil ed eyes. 'You will be able to help her, won't you, Elder Sister?'

'Of course we will, Aharri. But I can do nothing now. Best we keep her asleep until I have more time and can form a healing circle around her. Can you get me some slumberbane?'

'Yes, of course.' He grimaced. 'You can get anything in the Shambles, as long as you have money, and of that at least I have plenty.' He went out of the room and was back very quickly. 'It's on its way.'

Herra laid a hand on Carryn's brow. There was fever there. Well, she could remedy that easily. The girl's temperature came down so rapidly that it took Herra a moment to realise that the Enhancement had also improved her powers of
QUEST Shannah Jay 154

healing.

Aharri stood over them like a pillar of anguish. 'Can you - will she recover, Herra?'

'If our Brother wills it.'

A man came in and handed Aharri a bottle filled with a thick, oily liquid. More money changed hands. Herra managed to coax Carryn into drinking some of it without al owing the girl to regain full consciousness.

'Don't tear yourself apart with worrying, my friend,' she said to Aharri as they waited for the slumberbane to take effect. 'If anyone can help her to accept what has happened, we can.'

He sighed and put aside his worries about his daughter by concentrating on what must be done. 'So, Elder Sister, how may I serve you?'

'My companions and I must leave the city. For the moment, Tenebrak is too much under the control of Those of the Serpent. Besides, our next task doesn’t lie here. My Brother has whispered into my ear that we must leave the Claim of Tenebron completely and travel a long way, though he hasn’t said where.
We of the Sisterhood must prepare ourselves,
change our ways, so that we may win this struggle
.'

Her eyes were veiled and she spoke in the tones of prophecy. If they’d been in the temple, the Sisters would have written down her words. Aharri didn’t dare to prompt her when she fell silent, but exchanged awed glances with Davred as they waited for her to speak.

'Ah, Brother, you stil walk with me,' Herra said after a moment or two. She blinked and looked at Aharri, standing patiently by her side. Filled with compassion she laid her hand on his arm and pressed it gently. Never before, in all her long life, had she felt such an overwhelming need to touch other people, to exchange comfort with them.

'I'd like to leave the city disguised as traders, Aharri. For that, we'll need wagons and trading goods. And could you find some deleff to draw them, do you think? We have far to travel.'

'I can find you some deleff. They come to me for temporary refuge during these troubled times. They're unhappy where there's violence, and it often makes them return to the wildwoods. I can't guarantee that the deleff will draw the wagons for you, however. You must meet them and ask for their help. Have you any experience of deleff?'

'No, but Jonner has travelled with them before. He's a trader.'

'Ah. That may be all right, then.'

'Yes, the God guided him to us. I have access to plenty of coin if you need it, Aharri.'

'I don't need your coin, Elder Sister. I'll help you gladly. I'm still a man of power in this city, although I shall have to work in secret now.' A wry smile creased his face. 'Fortunately, I haven’t done all of my trading openly. There can be great profit in certain goods and Benner's city taxes have ever been excessive. That smuggling will stand me in good stead now. And I shan’t be working alone. There are many others upset by this senseless mayhem.'

His expression grew sombre again. 'Elder Sister, will you take my little Carryn with you? You could leave her with one of her brothers or sisters. They're scattered about the various claims. Once you're away from Tenebrak, there should be no difficulty in finding a trader going near one of them. Or you could keep her with you and train her - if she's worthy of being
chosen
. Merryan would have liked that.'

I've known for years that she’d join the Sisterhood. Merryan's is a prime line and your own line enhances its Gifts.'

'I thank you for that comfort. We shal continue to serve our Brother here in Tenebrak, doubt it not. Benner shall not have things all his own way.' He looked down at his daughter. 'The God knows,' he said harshly, 'that I would rather keep her here with me, but I dare not! I can’t bear to think that they might capture her again.'

'They won't. I shan't let them touch her again. But I agree it's best she leaves. Her destiny doesn't lie here; it lies with us. We'll teach her the Disciplines and see that she doesn't fret too much.'

He fixed eyes burning with pain upon her. 'Elder Sister, tell me the truth! Am I making the right decision? Should I not rather leave Tenebrak and make a new home for Carryn myself? Is my desire for vengeance against Benner wrong?'

QUEST Shannah Jay 155

She clasped his hand and closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke very softly, for him only. 'You've made the very best decision, Aharri. No one else could do as much here as you will. But don’t act for vengeance and try not to kill except in self-defence. Do what you must do for the sake of justice. For truth. Or simply to help those whom Benner oppresses. The God will walk with you every step of the way.'

She paused and nodded at him. 'Our Brother has need of you in Tenebrak at this time, Aharri, but if it makes you feel better, I can promise that you won’t die without seeing your daughter again, and holding her children in your arms.'

She could feel his pain lighten as he clasped her hands.

'Thank you for that comfort, Herra. You’ve given me hope, a beacon in this time of darkness.' His voice faltered then he became businesslike again. 'The first thing is for you to meet the deleff. If you're acceptable to them, we'll get you and your companions out of the city one by one, using people I trust. Benner has set up barriers on all the roads, but we have our ways. How many of you are there?'

'We are six, with Carryn. I might be able to help you when it comes to getting out of Tenebrak, but I must rely on you to find a wagon - no, two wagons would be better - and trading goods.'

Jonner, who had sat down on the floor with his back against the wall and his eyes on the door, watched them.

Deleff, eh? He’d missed travelling with deleff. Nothing as reliable as them, once they'd made up their minds to help you. He sighed wearily, glad to sit and rest.

Benjan, who’d been standing near Carryn, looking down at her, came and sat down, closing his eyes with a tired grunt and leaning his head against the rough wood of the wal .

Jonner looked across at Herra, still engrossed in her planning, and nudged Benjan. 'They don't tell you much, do they? Just, "We'll go and fish her out of the shrine. You stay here." Then it's "Come here!" and "Go there!" and "Wait around for your next orders". They'll be telling us when to fart next!' He looked at Benjan. 'What happened tonight?

How did you get her out of the shrine?'

Benjan spat on the floor. 'Who wants to talk of what happened? Festering pesthouses, those shrines. They scorn the poorfolk, but Those of the Serpent are carrion. I'd rather have a giant lenril come at me head on than one of those Initiates. I killed him, though.'

'Who?'

'One of the Masters of the Inner Shrine.'

Jonner whistled in admiration. 'Tonight?'

Benjan nodded, his expression fierce and triumphant.

'How?'

Benjan took a knife out of his jerkin. 'With this little beauty.' Jonner examined it with the eye of a professional, whistling again as he caught sight of the crest punched onto the top of the blade.

'You can't beat a throwing knife made in Jan-Halani,' Benjan said, in the tone of a lover. 'Took me months to save for this little lady, it did, but she's saved my life three times now.' He grew angry at the memory of the shrine and words burst from him. 'It sickened me, that place! Most animals only kill for food, and you don't find poorfolk torturing one another for sport, however hungry they get. Have you seen that girl's back? Have you seen what those devils did to her?'

Jonner shuddered eloquently.

'An' how old would you say she is - fourteen, fifteen?' It wasn’t often Benjan was moved to speak in more than monosyllables; now the words poured out of him like bile.

'She's thirteen, actually. Heard her father say so.'

'Thirteen! What's the world comin' to? Me, I've lived in the Shambles all my life. I've stole things, aye, an' killed folk too, but I've never whipped a little girl's back to shreds, let alone egged a crowd of men on to rape her!' Benjan beat his clenched ham of a fist on the floor, scowling over to where Carryn lay.

QUEST Shannah Jay 156

'She been sacrificed in one of their shrines, then?' queried Jonner, trying to find his way through this torrent of vituperation.

'What do you think?'

Jonner shivered. 'No one said for sure.'

'Who'd want to talk of it? How must her father feel, poor sod?'

Silence lay heavily between them, then Benjan growled, 'You leavin' with them?'

'I reckon so. Why?'

'Think they'll need another guard? I'm strong an' I’d not ask for much, not if I had a chance to fight against
them.

Once I've made my promise, I stick to it. I'm a Hashite, Third Rank.'

'Third, eh? Don't you fancy assassinations? That's where the money is these days.'

'No. I don't like killin' for no reason. Anyway, it's too dangerous. I had a young sister to look after, so I stuck with bodyguard assignments.' He changed the subject before Jonner could ask what had happened to his sister. 'So, d'you think they're going to need anyone else?'

'You'll have to ask them. I never know what they're going to want next.' Jonner stared at the three leaders with a rather hostile expression. He disliked being kept on the edge of things.

The conference finished at last and Davred asked the two men to join them. Herra and Aharri were now arguing about whether it was safe for Herra to rejoin her companions or whether she should be got out of the city at once.

'It's not safe for you to stay anywhere in the city,' insisted Aharri. 'The sooner we get you out, the better.'

'I will join my companions first, I think.'

'But . . . '

'Enough! I have made my decision.' She turned to smile at Benjan. 'I haven't thanked you properly yet, my friend.

We'd have been lost without your help tonight.'

Benjan seized his opportunity. 'I was hired to do a job an' I did it.'

'As your promise was made,' said Aharri, almost chanting the words.

'So my promise was kept,' finished Benjan in the same tone.

'You've truly earned your silver and upheld the honour of your guild.' Aharri handed over a pouch.

Benjan tucked it away quickly then turned back to Herra. 'Did I hear that you was thinkin' of leaving the city, lady?'

'We are to take some wagons and go as traders.'

'And - are you plannin' to do somethin' about them devils?'

'We intend to continue our fight against Discord, if that's what you mean.'

'Discord? What does that mean? I want to do my bit against Those of the Serpent, if that's your Discord. Maybe I can't do much - one man, like - but I'll get rid of a few of them before I'm through!'

Aharri judged it time to re-enter the conversation. 'Benjan's younger sister vanished a few months ago, taken by Those of the Serpent. She's not been seen since. That's why I knew we could trust him today.'

Herra patted Benjan's arm. 'I'm sorry to hear that, my friend. And yes, we shall be continuing the struggle - though our way will not necessarily be to kill our enemies. If you joined us, you would have to follow our ways.'

'As long as we're doin' somethin', not just sittin' on our arses, prayin'!' His eyes lingered for a moment on the still figure of Carryn, then he looked straight at Herra. 'So am I to come with you, then? You'l need guards, surely?'

'You must fol ow your own heart in that, my friend.'

QUEST Shannah Jay 157

Benjan swore and slapped one great muscular fist into the palm of the other. 'Riddles! Bloody riddles! Why can you Sisters never give a straight answer to a straight question? How's a plain man to understand what you mean?'

He had caught her full attention. 'In truth, friend Benjan, I meant to set you no riddle, only to say that you must make your own decision. If you wish to join us, we shall be happy to have you, but it is, it must be, by your own choice.'

He was determined that there should be no misunderstandings. 'Even though I've been a thief?'

'Even so.'

'And - even if I've killed a few people here and there?'

'That's harder to accept, for we of the Sisterhood do not kill, if we can help it. Have you killed in malice, or in anger, taking pleasure in the act?'

'Pleasure! Where's the pleasure in it? I've killed to save my own skin, lady. It's as simple as that. I'm no assassin. I hire out to protect people, not kill them. I've stayed in the Third Rank of the Guild on purpose. There's no pleasure to me in kil ing.' He breathed deeply and scowled at Herra. 'You Sisters have it easy. You can
still
people if you're in trouble. I've seen you do it. And you don't have to worry about food. People give things to you. In the Shambles, in the hungry years, it's kill or be killed. And I'm still alive.'

'Speak with courtesy to the Elder Sister!' exclaimed Aharri, shocked by his tone.

Benjan looked him squarely in the eyes. 'I speak the truth. I'm of the poorfolk, but I'm also of the Hashite Guild.