A Dragon From the Desert, page 9
“Just so,” she said. “Be careful of what you say around your friend Zhul. Don’t tell him anything important.”
“I don’t know anything important, mistress.”
“You know why you are really here.”
“I would not tell anyone that, mistress.”
“In silence lies wisdom,” she said. She was quoting an old proverb although I did not know that yet.
After I talked with Mistress Iliana, I was free to wander around the camp. I sat near the pedlar’s wagon and watched the crush of soldiers buying stuff from Zhul and his sons. Everything I heard was conditioned by what my mistress had said as, no doubt, she intended it to be. I was starting to think that a good deal of her wizardry consisted in her ability to plant thoughts in people’s heads and manipulate them.
A tall soldier shouted for bunion ointment.
“Come far, have you?” Zhul asked. “Feet sore.”
“Feet’s always sore these days, old man,” said the tall soldier. “Yours would be too if you had just marched from Tarnheim.”
“You pray at the shrine of the Angel? Ask the Holy Sun to watch over you?”
“Yeah and I prayed for a sack of gold too.”
“Maybe the Holy Sun will grant you that. You never know what loot can fall into a soldier’s hands when there’s war.”
That got a round of cheers. Zhul knew what his customers wanted to hear.
“More likely to take a head wound than see a sack of gold,” said the soldier. His voice was bitter, and I noticed his face was gloomy. When I thought about it, I don’t think I had ever seen him smile the whole march. He took his bunion cream and limped off to one side.
“Don’t forget to wrap them afterwards, keep the ointment against the skin,” Zhul shouted.
“Keep the stink in more likely,” somebody shouted. Zhul laughed.
“Doubt any ointment could make Samael’s feet smell worse than they do. He’s making cheese in his boots.”
Another soldier pressed forward. He was young and chubby, and his face was red. He inched towards Zhul, put a hand against his ear and whispered something. The rest of the soldiers speculated in ribald terms about what he was saying.
Zhul nodded, gave a small curt smile, produced something from a box and dropped it into the soldier’s hand. The soldier face still flushed, pushed his way back through the crowd and disappeared.
More selling took place. Whetstones guaranteed to keep your sword sharp and unbroken. Arrowheads that would pierce the thickest armour and bring down the biggest beast. Infallible lotions to cleanse wounds. Potions to settle a sick stomach. Eventually all business done, the crowd thinned out and I noticed that Zhul was looking at me. His eyes were piercing. There could be no doubt he recognised me. It would have been rude not to go and talk to him.
“How are you, boy? You’re old Lhin’s son, aren’t you? Raif, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Never forget a face,” said Zhul. “How is your old man?”
His voice was soft and confidential. He knew Da was sick.
“Not better, sir.”
“I would have thought you would have been at home, helping on the farm, not going for a soldier.”
Once again, I remembered Iliana’s words. It was the same sort of chat I remembered from all the pedlar’s previous visits to our house, but she had cast a shadow over him. “I’ve not gone for a soldier, sir. My mistress needed a servant, so I took an indenture.”
He nodded and smiled as if that somehow made things different. Maybe for him it did. “You have some silver to spend then!”
“No, sir. My Da has the money.”
“Of course, he has. You’re a good boy and you look out for your family.”
I felt my chest swell at his praise.
“I’ll be paying your folks a visit then. Maybe sell you Ma some fine new cloth for a dress.”
“Money will most likely have to go for taxes, sir, but she would be pleased to see you.”
He nodded, all sympathy and understanding. “Any message you want me to pass on.”
“I got no coin to give you, sir.”
He slapped me on the back and said, “No charge. Least I can do for old friends.”
It would give him a reason to call and see if they had silver to spend.
“Just tell them you saw me then, sir, and that I am well.”
He nodded, and he mouthed the words. I had no doubt he could easily remember them but often his customers were simple peasant folk and some liked a bit of a show.
“I saw you and you are well,” he said. “Anything else.”
He looked pointedly at my bruised face and shattered nose. I had not had that the last time he had seen me. Maybe he was just curious about what had happened. The words just hung in the air. They drew other words from me just by doing so.
“Tell them I miss them and Alaya and Tara and Sadec and little Jasmin.”
He repeated the words to show he had got them perfectly.
“Anything else?”
I was starting to wonder if this was wise. My Da had the gold Solar and no doubt that would come up in conversation and maybe that would set this clever man to wondering about the price of the bond.
“Nothing I can think of, sir, and I’ve taken up too much of your time already.”
“Nonsense. Anything you need to say, just say it. Who knows when you might get another chance?”
The words pierced me to the heart, as they were no doubt meant to. I remembered how far from home I had felt the previous night. “Tell them that I love them, and I miss them.”
If he had expected me to say anything else, he was grievously disappointed. “I shall do that.”
He paused for a moment and said, “What is like being her servant.”
“Like being anyone else’s, I imagine,” I said. “Although I have no real experience of that.”
“Have you seen her work any magic?”
I shook my head. “I pitch the tent and I bring food. I ride in the wagon when we travel. I expect there’ll be a lot more work whenever we reach where we’re going.”
“And where’s that?”
“You know I have never thought to ask,” I said. He laughed at that. I could not blame him. He must have thought me a very dull boy. I was starting to think I was one myself.
“What happened to your nose?”
“I had an accident, sir.”
“Must have been a pretty bad one given the dent you got it in it and the bruising on your face.”
“Do me a favour, sir, and don’t mention that to my Ma. It would only worry her.”
“As you say, boy. As you say.”
“Thank you for your time, sir,” I said and backed away.
“Do you really think Master Zhul as a spy, mistress?” I asked. I had settled back beside her on the wagon. She studied the pedlar and the soldiers. The way she narrowed her eyes crinkled the make up around them.
“Tell me what you told him again,” she said out of the side of her mouth. I repeated what I’d said to the best of my ability and all of the time she kept watching the negotiations. After I had reported the gist of the conversation, she nodded her head and said, “I suppose it could have been worse.”
“Worse, mistress?”
“If we are lucky Master Zhul will think that you really are my servant. As far as I can tell, if you have reported honestly, he has no reason to think otherwise.”
“I have reported honestly, mistress.”
“I know you have,” she said. I looked at her sidelong. I did not know whether she was lying in trying to create an aura of mystery about herself or whether she really had used magic to listen in on my conversation with the peddler. A faint smile flickered across her lips as if she sensed my consternation and was amused by it. Or perhaps that too was an act and she had no idea what I was really thinking but merely wanted to convince me that she did.
“If you knew, mistress, why did you question me so closely?”
Without looking at me, she said, “it’s not your place to ask.”
“If I am to be your apprentice,” I said as quietly as possible, “I should ask such questions.”
“So you’re an expert on such things now, are you?”
“No, mistress, I’m just curious.” She laughed softly.
“Such curiosity has its place but now is not the time. You can ask me anything you like when we are alone at camp but now you must behave as a servant would, with that peddler about. Do I make myself clear?”
I felt a small surge of triumph. I had forced her to make a concession. That is what I thought then anyway. She continued to squint at the merchant, and I could see that he was becoming uncomfortable under her scrutiny which was, no doubt, what she intended.
“To answer your first question, I do not know whether he is a spy, but it is best to assume the worst until you know better. In answer to your second question I wanted to know how well you remembered your conversation with the merchant. Memory is an important qualification in what we do.”
I noticed she was leaning on her hand in such a way as it would be extremely difficult to see her mouth. I suppose she was worried about lip-reading. When I thought about it perhaps that is how she knew what I had been saying to Zhul. I could see that my mistress was full of tricks as well as genuine wisdom and it was difficult to tell where one stopped and the other began.
“I see,” I said.
“What do you think?” She asked.
“About what, mistress?”
“Is the peddler a spy?”
“I don’t know, mistress. I don’t think so.”
“Why don’t you think so?”
“I have known him for many years, and he seemed much the same as he always did.”
“Perhaps he was always a spy.”
“Perhaps, mistress. But why would a spy be selling pins to my mother?”
“Because he wants everyone to think he is what he appears to be and a peddler who does not behave like one would soon be noticed by those whose job it is to do so.”
“You could be right, mistress.” I found what she was saying profoundly depressing. I did not want to think that old Zhul could have been involved in such a sinister business for all the years I had known him. It did not seem right.
“You do not want to believe me,” she said. “That is a mistake.”
“In what way, mistress?”
“You’re letting what you want to see cloud what you actually do. You should look at the world as it is rather than how you would like it to be.”
“Is that the way a wizard looks at the world, mistress?”
“It is the way any intelligent person does.”
“I am not sure that is possible, mistress,” I said. Again, I caught that faint flicker of a smile. “I am not sure it is possible to separate the way we view the world from what we believe.”
“You have obviously given a lot of thought to the mysteries of life during the time you spent watching goats,” she said. “You are correct, but it is best to attempt to see the world in a detached way when we can. We make fewer mistakes then.”
“I will do my best, mistress.”
“I certainly hope so.” She fell silent and continued to glare at the poor old merchant.
I think Zhul was relieved when it was time to pack up and go.
“Have you ever handled a wagon before?”
I nodded. “My father used to have a cart, mistress, before he had to sell his mule.”
“Take the reins,” she said. She took another small swig from her bottle, clambered into the back and fell asleep. I guess all that staring and questioning had took it out of her.
She trusted me with the reins though. It was a beginning of sorts.
Chapter Ten
We rode on through a land increasingly bleak. The Old Road turned northward though we were still heading generally east. The sky was bright and clear with ribbons of clouds high above. The mountains smudged the horizon. I was glad we were leaving the dark southern peaks behind us. Anyone who has ever lived in their shadow knows how ominous they can be.
The beasts gave no trouble. Perhaps my mistress had broken them with her magic, or perhaps they were simply good tempered. I sat on the buckboard and guided the wagon along the rutted road. My face hurt and every time Vorster or one of his cronies looked back, I flinched. Nevertheless, I settled into a routine of driving the animals and studying the horizon and sometimes allowing myself to daydream as I once had when I was watching my father’s goats.
I had something new to dream about. I was going to be a wizard. I was going to wield strange powers and face strange temptations and visit strange places. Of course, I had no idea what any of those things would be like, but I conjured up images from the cheap broadcloth of my father’s stories and our priest’s sermons and the tales I had heard on market days.
I pictured myself tall and powerful, commanding lightning and dragons and rescuing beautiful damsels and making Vorster cringe. I imagined myself fighting monsters of the Shadow, and that brought my imagination back from the brink. There really were monsters of the Shadow, creatures of great power and ancient evil, and someone had to confront them. There had never been a time before that I had imagined it might be me.
Worse, it was possible I had seen one of those monsters, in my dreams. When I thought about it, I could easily picture that white grinning skull-like face with its red hair and features so like mine. Mistress Iliana’s words about being devoured came back to me too and I began to consider the chilling possibility that the process might have started. She was a wizard, but it was a demon and perhaps it could even hide itself from her magic and the light of the Holy Sun.
These thoughts drifted around in my mind as I watched dragonlings rise on the thermals over the Bleak Lands, their outstretched wings making them look like long-bodied, long-tailed bats. I started to hum to myself and then recite the words of an old song just to drive the dark thoughts from my mind.
“Quit that droning,” my mistress said, from behind me. “I am trying to think back here.”
“Yes, mistress,” I murmured and gave my attention to the beasts.
Late that afternoon we made our camp far from any ruins or any wells. We pulled off the road and Spider set sentries and the men fell asleep in the shadows of the wagons. The only fire was the cook fire. I was sent to help build it and help the cook with the pots but once that was done my work appeared to be over until it was time to bring food.
My mistress gave me permission to rest but I walked to the edge of the camp, being careful to avoid Todd and his companions and keeping my eyes open for Vorster. I took out my sling and fumbled around for a few small stones. I took careful aim at a small bush a hundred strides distant and then unleashed a stone. I hit what I was aiming at and I heard a branch break. From behind me came the sound of applause.
I turned and I saw Ghoran standing there but he was not the one applauding. It was the innocent faced lad who had blushed when he had made his purchases from old Zhul.
“Nice shot,” he said then looked away. He seemed to have been embarrassed by the sound of his own voice.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You practise a lot with that sling?”
“I once took down a blight wolf with it.”
Ghoran raised an eyebrow.
“I did. It came down off Shadow Mount, was raiding my father’s flocks.”
“I am Jay,” said the embarrassed looking boy. “Lanky Ghoran here you’ve met.”
“You a soldier too?” I asked.
“I am a crossbowman,” Jay said. “I don’t know what he is.”
“I hero,” said Ghoran and grinned.
“Modest to a fault,” said Jay. He rubbed his soft hands together. “He’s a Northlander you know. They are strange.”
“No,” said Ghoran. “It you southerners who strange. You live in strange hot lands. You eat strange hot food. You live in strange hot cities.”
“I didn’t,” I said.
“No. You live on strange hot farm.”
“It’s all strange and hot to him as you may gather,” said Jay. “He can be a cheeky monkey but don’t let that bother you. When the going gets tough, he’s good with that axe. Even if he speaks like he’s retarded.”
Ghoran said, “I smart. I good with axe. And I devilish handsome. Jay jealous. No blame him. Hardly seem fair Gods bless one man so much.”
“And he’s a heathen,” said Jay. He lowered his voice. “His kind follows the Old Gods.”
Ghoran looked blandly into the distance. I wondered at that. It was the sort of thing that could get a man into trouble with the priests of the Holy Sun yet Ghoran did not seem bothered by what Jay had said.
My people worshipped the Holy Sun, but we did not go out of our way to antagonise the Old Ones. You never knew when they might come back. They had ruled this land before the Solari. They had taken it back during the Resurgence. They might do so again.
Jay strung his crossbow and sighted at the bush I had hit. He fired and the arrow buried itself in a branch. He fired again, and his bolt landed just below the first. He unleashed another, and it too impacted on the branch.
I noticed Todd and a couple of his friends coming over the ridge. They looked down at me and then they saw my companions. Todd turned and said something to his friends, and they withdrew from view again. It struck me that Ghoran and Jay might not be there accidentally. They might be looking out for me somehow. I could not think why. No one here had any interest in me, and this pair were not exactly my friends.
Mistress Iliana. Maybe she had put them up to it. Maybe there was some connection between her and Ghoran. Or maybe he and Jay simply wanted to get into her good books.
I was not the only one who had seen Todd’s little gang. Ghoran looked at the direction, they had disappeared in and spat. “Todd want girl just like mama. He look for desert troll.”
“You’re going to push him too far someday,” said Jay.
Ghoran shrugged, as if that were an eventuality too negligible to bother about.
I did not care what reason this pair had to be here. I was glad they were. I did not doubt that if Todd and his buddies had found me alone out here, it would have gone badly for me.
