Sword of Wrath (Kormak Book Eight) (5 page)

“The papers say that the bearer of this ring is my representative, and should be obeyed as they would obey me. They may prove useful if some of my servants are less than zealous in aiding you.”

Kormak understood that. There were few people in Siderea who would care to be caught obstructing the will of the king.

“The ring is a great trust,” Kormak said.

“You bore it for a short time already. Bear it for a little longer. I trust you to return it. You have already done so once.”

Aemon placed the bundle in Kormak’s hands, placed his hands together as if in prayer, gave a short bow and said, “The
Pride of Siderea
lies at anchor in the harbour. It will take you to Terra Nova on the first tide tomorrow. Walk in Light, Sir Kormak. May the Holy Sun watch over you.”

“And you, your majesty.”

Kormak bowed and departed. He thought about Aemon. The king was a more subtle and frightening man than he had suspected.

T
he coach dropped
Kormak and Rhiana off at the harbour. The mid-morning sun gleamed down on the docks. Gulls cawed. Fishwives bellowed the virtues of their wares. Ship’s chandlers drove small herds of pigs and goats along. Barrels of salted fish and beef added to the tang in the air. A company of soldiers assembled on the wharf. Near them stood groups of wealthy-looking men and women, flanked by bodyguards.

As they strode towards the long wooden pier, Kormak recognised one of the people waiting: Elias Zamara, who had captained the Ocean’s Blade when Kormak had sought the Kraken. Elaborate court clothing wrapped his tall, rangy body, and a large tricorne hat perched atop his handsome blonde head. He seemed to be the centre of the crowd.

Approaching the group Kormak was aware that all eyes were upon him. The nobles practically stared. Zamara grinned a welcome.

Kormak looked at him. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

Zamara performed a sweeping bow, removing his hat with a flourish. He seemed to be putting on a performance more for the nobles present than Kormak. “It is indeed. It seems we are to be shipmates once more.”

“You are going to Terra Nova?”

“I am, Sir Kormak. His Majesty has made me Admiral of the Western Ocean and Captain-General of next year’s treasure fleet.”

Kormak gave an impressed nod. Zamara had come up in the world. Once he had been merely a captain, now he would be virtually co-ruler of an Imperial province. The king had rewarded him generously for his part in the killing of the Kraken.

Of course, he was the king’s cousin. Zamara was going to be a very wealthy man; more than that, he would make an extremely useful ally. It occurred to Kormak that that might be the reason they were both setting sail today.

“I will be in command of the
Pride of Siderea
and all aboard.” Zamara glanced around at the watching nobles to make sure they got his meaning. “Except you, of course. You are the king’s agent.”

Zamara was going to enjoy lording it over his fellow nobles. Kormak did not blame him for it; he got the impression that the former captain had spent a good deal of time being looked down on by his wealthier compatriots. Some of the richly-dressed people smiled at him ingratiatingly. Others turned their backs on him to show they were not impressed. It was going to be an interesting trip.

“Captain Rhiana, I am charmed to see you will be travelling with us too,” Zamara said.

Rhiana smiled at him and made a faint mocking curtsey. “If only Frater Jonas were here, it would be just like old times.”

Some of the watching nobles looked away at the mention of the little priest’s name. The former inquisitor was feared by many. Zamara did not look displeased by that fact. “Indeed.”

Small craft pulled up at the dock. One by one, the soldiers and the passengers lowered themselves in. Kormak joined Zamara, Rhiana and half a dozen men garbed as ship’s officers and ventured out across the harbour.

The
Pride of Siderea
was one of the largest ships Kormak had ever seen, an ocean-going galleon built to bring back treasure from the colonies on the far side of the World Ocean. Three stories high, it looked more like a floating island of wood than a ship. A massive dragon’s head, large as a battering ram, emerged from its prow.

Zamara stared at it with the gaze of a man looking upon a newly-discovered lover. It was to be his flagship, no doubt, and a symbol of his command.

Cranes in the side lifted crates aboard. More and more soldiers and passengers flooded up the sides. Pipes sounded as the admiral came aboard.

Kormak was not thrilled to feel the deck of a ship beneath his feet once more.

“You look less than happy, Sir Kormak,” Zamara said. His tone was jovial, his manner lordly. “I had forgotten how little you Aquileans like ships.”

“I cannot say I am delighted by the prospect of a direct ocean crossing, even with an Imperial Windcaller aboard.”

“I would have thought that, given your profession, you would have said
especially
with an Imperial Windcaller aboard
.
” He laughed aloud and the officers present echoed his mirth. He was their commander after all, and it would do their careers good to appreciate his humour.

It struck Kormak that Aemon and Taran set the tone of their court. They were suns around which planets orbited. Zamara was now a planet, and these men were his moons. Deference was the order of the day.

Rhiana caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. She was quite clearly thinking the same as he was. She was a citizen of Port Blood, where things were far more chaotic and considerably freer.

Zamara said, “No need to be too uneasy, Sir Kormak. We will not be going directly across the ocean. Our passage takes us via the Outward Islands.” Seeing Kormak’s blank expression, he added, “We’ll be stopping at Fort Wrath to take on supplies before we catch the transoceanic trade winds.”

Kormak liked Zamara more than he liked Aemon and his brother. If he was not quite a friend, they were more than acquaintances. They had shed blood and risked their lives together. If that meant humouring him in front of this audience, Kormak did not mind.

“At least with you in command, I know we’ll make it safely back to port,” Kormak said. Some of the officers smiled at that. Others looked as if they envied him the chance to curry favour.

Zamara looked pleased, and a little suspicious. At least he had not become so used to flattery that he expected it from everyone. Kormak wondered how long that would remain the case once they got to Terra Nova and Zamara exercised his considerable power in the king’s name. No doubt there would be changes in the admiral’s personality and manner. Kormak had seen it happen before, and he doubted Zamara would be immune to the process.

Followed by his retinue, Zamara went below to find his cabin. Kormak stood by the railing and studied the hillside houses of Trefal. He was starting to feel the tug of indefinable excitement that he always felt when he was about to begin a new journey. Who knew what he would encounter this time, what wonders he would see?

Kormak heard footsteps approach, and turned to see a tall, thin, bald man walking towards him. He was better dressed than a common sailor, but worse than an officer. He wore a tunic with the symbol of the kingdom of Siderea on it, and britches of the same light blue colour. His leathery feet were bare. His face was calm. If Kormak had not known better, he would have thought the man a servant.

“Excuse me, sir, but I have been instructed to show you and to your cabin.” His voice was soft and respectful, but still somehow audible over the clamour of the ship. He was probably a sailor whose duties consisted attending the captain and his officers.

“By whom?”

“By Admiral Zamara, sir. Your cabin is waiting.” Kormak was impressed. On warships, space was always at a premium. On many, only the captain had a cabin. Even the highest-ranking officers shared theirs.

The sailor waited for Kormak’s response. Kormak looked at Rhiana.

“Captain Rhiana has her own cabin. One of my lads will be along momentarily to show her to it.” The man did not look embarrassed, but something in his tone suggested he was. It was most likely because Rhiana was a child of the Old Ones as well as a woman. Placing a Guardian of the Dawn and a spawn of the Old Ones together in the same cabin would outrage many delicate Siderean sensibilities. For centuries, their nation had languished under the rule of the Eldrim.

“Lead on,” Kormak said. The sailor led him down a wooden staircase, and into a corridor with a ceiling so low Kormak had to duck his head. They passed some cabins with open doors, and servants bearing chests and clothes and personal effects.

“A lot of cabins,” Kormak said. The sailor turned, and gave a shrug as if he were the owner of the galleon.

“A lot of important people travel on the
Pride of Siderea
, sir. Administrators, generals, rich nobles. They like their privacy, and the ship has space.”

Kormak could see that was true. The
Pride
was more than twice the size of any ship he had previously sailed on. He wondered how well it would perform against smaller, more agile warships.

A tall, slender woman left the cabin opposite. She was at very least middle-aged. Her skin was leathery, her eyes watchful. Ivory needles pinned her spun-silver hair to the back of her head in a bun. She preserved much of the beauty she must have possessed in youth. She looked Kormak up and down and said, “A Guardian of the Dawn. This is proving to be a most interesting voyage.”

Her earrings bore elder signs. A necklace containing a wraithstone charm hung at her throat. Rings bearing various mystical runes. Sudden wariness settled on Kormak; he was in the presence of a sorceress.

“Oh, in the name of the Light, don’t look at me like that,” said the woman. “I am not going to try and enchant you. I am the ship’s windcaller.”

Her manner was imperious; she was clearly used to be being feared and obeyed. Kormak stared back at her. She held his gaze for a long time, just to let him know she could, and then she turned to look at the servant out of politeness, not fear.

“The cabin arrangements leave a little to be desired, Hugo,” she said. She sounded amused, rather than angry.

“Admiral’s orders, Mistress Serena. I was told specifically to place Sir Kormak here.”

“The admiral letting me know he has a pet wolf, is he?”

Hugo kept his face bland, but his manner managed to show he was affronted. “I am afraid I would not know, madam.”

She turned and looked back at Kormak. Her smile was a fraction warmer. “Nothing to do with me,” Kormak said.

“I am sure you will find that there can be a lot of politicking on board these ship’s, Sir Kormak. You would not be the Kormak who saved the life of King Brandane of Taurea on the field of Aeanar, some twenty-odd years ago.”

“I am.” Kormak made a bow.

“I would have thought you would be dead by now. Guardians don’t usually live so long.” She did not sound malicious; she sounded thoughtful. Kormak let it pass.

“I look forward to some interesting chats,” Mistress Serena said. “But now I really must inspect the ship.”

Kormak stood aside to let her pass. She strode up the stairs with the step of a woman forty years younger. When she was gone, Hugo made a small gesture of apology and said, “Sorry about that, sir.”

“There is nothing to apologise for. That was one of the friendliest conversations I have had with a wizard in a decade.”

Hugo looked impressed and then he smiled. “Very good, sir. Your cabin, sir.”

The cabin was not large, but it had a bunk and a sea-chest bolted to the floor. It even had a small porthole with dimpled panes of leaded glass looking out over the sea. Kormak did not need to stretch his arms to their full length to touch the walls on either side simultaneously. Still, he had stayed in far worse places.

“Will you require anything else, sir?” Hugo asked.

“No, thank you,” Kormak replied. He took his pack and dropped it into the sea-chest, then threw himself down on the bed. He was immediately aware of footsteps on the deck above him.

“Then I’ll be off, sir,” Hugo said. He closed the door softly behind him, leaving Kormak to stare at the ceiling and wonder about his fellow passengers and crew.

* * *

K
ormak lay
on the bunk for a while, listening to the sounds of the ship. Officers shouted. Bosuns relayed commands, and men moved to obey. He heard the creak of anchors and the splash of oars, and then felt the slow rocking of a big ship starting to move.

Thoughts of his recent battles, of King Aemon’s arrogant humility and Gerd’s death, warred in his head. Guilt pricked him. He could have done more. He should have done more. He had let people die because he was too slow, too weak.

Restless and unsettled, he picked himself up off the bed, made sure all of his amulets were in place and adjusted his swordbelt till it hung on his waist. He did not expect to have to draw it fast, but if he did, it would be better there in this confined space. He did not want to have to pull it over his head with these low ceilings.

The fresh sea air smacked him in the face as he emerged onto the deck. He glanced around and saw all of the passengers clustered on the lower deck of the stern. The raised platform above it was reserved for the captain, and those he chose to invite to join him there. Unlike on many other ships, there was a walkway around the sterncastle which allowed people to move there. People hung over the sides and waved at the crowds.

The soldiers had already stowed their gear and were waving farewells to family and friends. The docks receded. Tearful cries carried across the water. Kormak well understood why. The people back there and on the ship would be wondering whether they would ever see their loved ones again. Ocean passages were not without their perils.

No doubt some of the men on this ship were going as colonists and traders. Even if they survived the voyage, it might be years before they returned home.

Standing at the prow, looking away from the receding shoreline, was a familiar figure. Rhiana. Kormak went to join her.