The Crow God's Girl (21 page)

“Varenn. Captain Varenn. And this isn’t a ferry boat, by the way. I ply this river, I don’t just cross it. Depending on where I let you out, that’s how much you pay.”

“Red Gold Bridge,” Kate said quickly, before Balafray could say anything. He scowled at her, and she said, “We can reprovision there.”

He still scowled, as if he knew something was up. Captain Varenn watched them with a wary eye.

“Right,” the captain said. “Red Gold Bridge. Six crows and one horse, a day’s journey upriver, hard rowing in this current–ten horseheads should cover it.”

“Ten!” That was Ivar. “We’re not going to pay that–”

“Fine,” Varenn said, bored. “You’d rather swim the river?”

A brief scuffle and a cuff from Grigar, and Ivar whined and settled down.

Ten horseheads was a third of the money Mitain had given her. Doesn’t matter, Kate thought. She wouldn’t need the money where she was going. Once she persuaded Lady Sarita to let the guardian open the gordath for her, she would give Ossen what was left of the money. Kate counted out the ten heavy silver coins, each with a stamp of horsehead. They were Wessen coins, well minted–trust Mitain to have good money. The captain was impressed. Her eyebrow went up and she tested the coin with her teeth. Kate tried not to laugh. Her laughter faded when the captain looked at her and crooked her finger at her. Uneasy, Kate handed Hotshot’s reins to Ossen and followed the captain toward the bow. Cold came off the river and water squished between the gaping boards of the spindly dock. The wind was brisk, and Kate’s eyes watered.

“Normally, I’d think you killed someone for the horse and the money, but you aren’t crow, even if the rest of them are,” Varenn said. “So who are you?”

“My name is Kate Mossland. I have to get to Red Gold Bridge. As for my traveling companions–we’re together out of expediency, nothing more,” she said. She felt a tiny bit of guilt at that. Ossen had accepted her, given her friendship, such as it was. She didn’t like leaving her to take her brother’s wrath when Kate skipped out. On the other hand, she
could
can take care of herself.

“Expediency,” Varenn repeated. “Do they know that?”

Ouch. “We won’t be any trouble,” Kate said. “We just need passage to Red Gold Bridge.”

“Damn right there won’t be any trouble. Not on my boat. If there is, you all go over the side. Except the horse. I figure he’s blameless in all this.”

Kate gave a reluctant smile. “I can vouch for the horse.”

Varenn grinned, and slapped her on the shoulder. “All right then. Let’s get underway.”

Lading took half the afternoon. Goods from all over southern Aeritan were loaded on board, and the ship–the River Lady–creaked and groaned as crew stowed cargo in the hold and topside, lashing everything securely with thick rope. Hotshot was placed in the makeshift livestock section in the stern with a cage full of chickens, two goats, and a donkey. Kate and the crows took up a spot near the bow, stowing their gear against the gunwale.

“Stranger girl, you have not played honestly,” Balafray scratched out. “Why Red Gold Bridge? Why not further upriver, closer to Temia?” Typical of the crows to make their homeland the least hospitable place in Aeritan. If she lived to be one hundred, she never wanted to experience another winter as cold as the winter she spent in Temia.

Kate sat on her bedroll, back against the hull, and pretended to be preoccupied with her bootlace.

“Better to get across the river where we can get provisions,” she said. She looked up at him.

“Crows take from the land. It is our right.” He sounded–unwilling to concede, she thought.

“All the more reason,” she said. “I remember Temia, and I don’t remember a whole lot of smallholdings. Let’s just buy or trade for supplies. We’ll be in much better shape, trust me.” She sounded so convincing, she almost convinced herself that she was going with them. Good. Good. Lay their fears. She willed her expression to be guileless but firm.

He scowled but he made no further argument. Grigar gave her a speaking look though and she turned away, pretending to huddle with Ossen, who was already looking seasick, even though the boat just rocked gently at the dock.

There was shouting from the first mate, and lines were cast off. The boat rocked more wildly as the men brought out long poles and pushed away. Ossen grabbed Kate’s arm in panic. The current caught the heavily laden boat, swinging it out stern first, but the rivermen brought it around, the oars poked out from the oarholes, and the boat turned ponderously into the current. Another shout and the sails were hoisted, flapping to catch the breeze.

A rhythmic beating began and the oars caught at the water, propelling the boat away from shore. Kate stood and looked at the shore. They were mostly traveling downriver, but as the oarsmen gained speed and the wind pushed at the sails, the River Lady countered the current and crawled upstream. Her heart beat almost as hard as the drumbeat keeping the rowers in sync.

I’m almost home. I’m almost home. I’m almost home.

“So what are you going to do?” Aevin’s breath came easy as he and Colar sparred in the courtyard, using old-fashioned, heavy swords that Raymon and Maksin favored for training. His words showed no strain at all. Raymon and Maksin stood on the sidelines and shouted occasional advice; the other men at arms, including a few of Kenery’s personal guard, watched the two young lords go at it.

Colar pushed him back. It felt good to fight. It had been too long since he had sparred, and Aevin had become good, very good, even since their last disastrous battle. He’s probably hoping to get me back for that, Colar thought.

“Go to war, take Favor, become lord,” he said. He swept hard and his sword clashed against Aevin’s with a boneshaking clang that jarred up his arms.

“I mean about Kett,” his little brother said, parrying effortlessly.

“She hates being called that.”

“What? Her name?”

Colar didn’t explain.

“So?” Aevin pushed. Colar pushed back, and their muscles swelled under their light woven shirts.

“So if I tell you, will you run to lord father?”

“I’m not Yare.”

Colar gave a quick grin at his outrage.

“I’ve sent a dispatch rider to Red Gold Bridge, to hold her there. When we have Favor, I’ll send for her.”

Aevin stepped back and put up his blade, signalling an end. His clear eyes were skeptical.

“Will she like that?”

“Like what?”

“Being held. Being sent for. Since you know what she likes, I mean.”

The disdain was back in Aevin’s voice.

“Hey, you two!” That was Maksin. “Less talk, more work!”

They picked up their swords again, and set at each other.

“What do you mean, she won’t like it?”

“Colar, she was really angry. She had words with father. But she didn’t seem like she was sad.”

“Aevin, you’re a kid. You don’t know anything about it.” Colar redoubled his attack and pressed his brother back, swinging hard and savagely. Aevin gave as good as he got, and their swords blurred as they hit hard, with little technique. Now his breathing came fast, and sweat stung his eyes. He ignored it, as he had been trained, and focused on the fight.

“That’s better,” said Maksin, satisfaction in the old guard’s voice.

Colar went up to change when Maksin and Raymon finally let the brothers go. Warm bath water waited for him, a pitcher set next to the fire, and he sluiced himself down, dried off, and rummaged through his childhood chest for clean clothes. That night was the last dinner. Janye’s parents were to go home tomorrow. He had heard his bride arguing with her mother and father, wanting to go with them, but in this they held firm. She was to stay with her husband until they had won Favor. Good riddance, he thought, except that it wasn’t the plan he and his father had for them. He pulled out his old pair of blue jeans and laughed out loud. He wondered what they would say if he showed up in these. He was about to put them back when he felt stiffness in the back pocket.

Colar pulled out the Annapolis brochure and the scrap of thick paper with it. Frowning, he unfolded it.

He read her note over and over until the words sunk in and merged with Aevin’s and Janye’s.

She was really angry. But she didn’t seem like she was sad.

Did you love her? Or were you just grateful?

His stomach tied itself up in knots. Aevin was right–she hated him. But he had just spent weeks in the company of his wife and her family, and high god help him, he needed her.
As soon as we have Favor, I will ride to Red Gold Bridge. I’ll apologize, I’ll explain, I’ll beg her forgiveness every day
. Uplifted by thoughts of penance, he tucked the letter back inside the brochure, and stuffed it back into the jeans. Then he got into his real clothes and went downstairs to dinner.

“And so,” boomed Kenery, “We leave our new
family with new bonds to sustain us.” He lifted a goblet of wine, his face already red from his other toasts. “To Terrick! To Kenery! May the high god
favor
our boldness!”

His wife clapped her hands delightedly at his wordplay. Colar barely wet his lips. He refrained from glancing at his father. Not that Lord Kenery would suspect a thing. He spent most of his days sleeping off the previous night’s excesses, and most of his nights drinking
until
he snored loudly and was carried off by his serving men.

“To Favor,” Lord Terrick said. He lifted his glass and at the signal, the men at arms lining the dining hall stepped forward. Kenery would not have noticed them either, since they stood at attention every night of the visit. They were not dressed in full armor, but they were armed.

Janye noticed though, and looked around, her eyes widening with alarm. When her gaze passed his, Colar couldn’t resist–he lifted a finger to his lips to shush her. He had to admit, he was impressed. She was spoiled and rude, but she was not stupid.

“Father!” she cried out.

“Janye, Janye, child, please.” That was Lady Niyani, alarmed and a little annoyed.

“Mother, we must go, now.” Janye tried to get to her feet but Colar held her wrist to keep her seated.

Some of her fright must have gotten through because Kenery looked around. His gaze sharpened and he set his wine down, carefully, his hand on the table, the other at his waist. Lady Beatra sat stone-faced, at the other end of the table. She had been warned of the plan, and had only said that she would make Eri and Yare eat in the kitchen that night. She had been unhappy since the day of his return, he knew. Colar wanted to talk with her, but there was never time, and it seemed she was avoiding him. And now, he was leaving, off to war once more.

“There is nothing to fear,” Lord Terrick said, his voice like gravel. More men came in, all of them Terrick’s. From the sound of scuffling outside the door they held Kenery’s men at bay. They had orders not to kill any of them, for what good would that do, when they would need everyone to march on Favor.

“My new daughter,” Lord Terrick said, turning to Janye. “Lady Niyani. There is nothing to fear. We have but to make sure of Lord Kenery.”

All three Kenerys burst out angrily, their shouting overlapping, but the sound of scraping steel made them all cut short. Kenery swept the room with a look, his expression cold. He was no longer the affable buffoon.

“My men are in Kenery,” the big man said. “Do you think this paltry handful is enough to take Favor?”

“You’ll write to them and send them to march on Favor from the north,” Terrick said. “You will do that in good faith, and they will arrive, and in the meantime, we offer the hospitality of Terrick to your good wife and your daughter, who is my son’s wife now.”

“Father!” Janye burst out, her eyes wide. “Father! You said it was in name only!” She stood, pushing back her chair so that it fell over.

Colar ached to repudiate her and the marriage, but he knew he couldn’t, not if they were to take Favor and have something good come out of this.

“No, not in name only, not on my part,” Colar said. “In good faith, I wed you. Come, good wife, the sooner we have Favor, the sooner you may see your father again.”

He was used to her looking at him with contempt, but this time she faced him with fear. She looked from him to her father.

“You did this to me,” she said, her voice low, to her father.

“You gave me no choice,” he snapped at her. Lady Niyani gasped.

“Aladir!”

He ignored his desperate wife. “Who else could I have sold you to, daughter, who didn’t already know the disgrace you brought down on our House?”

Silence rang in the hall. Colar broke it.

“I don’t know what you did, Janye, but it must have been something, to disgrace Kenery any more than your father has done.”

Another silence descended.

He turned to his father-in-law. “Write the letter, sir. We’ll send it with one of our couriers. In the meantime, you will ride with us on Favor.”

Raymon brought over pen and ink and a sheaf of finely made paper. Kenery scowled and then pushed aside his goblet and his plate. Terrick stood behind him and watched him write.