Coperic nodded toward the other chair. “Sit, old friend. I been doing some thinking about that since last we met. I don’t mind talking about them now they’re out and not going back. I put a couple plants in the Plaz. Picked up an impression of the lock on the Guard Armory. ’S afternoon a bunch of us, we got in, cleared out what was left there. Not much, damn the bitch, but some bolts and a few crossbows, a bundle of lances and a good pile of knives. We keeping some, getting some ready for you to take.”
Vann came away from the wall, his usual containment vanished. He said nothing but threw himself into the chair; it creaked precariously and seemed about to come apart beneath him. He ignored that, drew a huge breath. “How?” A moment later he added, “The trax.”
“Packing them in water casks and a flour barrel-with a bit of flour too, courtesy of the Plaz.” He rubbed his nose, glanced at the time candle burning on its stand next to his bed. “Should be finished hauling the barrels soon. When you come in, I got word to Bella; she’s going to leave men on the wharf, guards. You grab ’em, tell, ’em to help you load the barrels. My folk and me, we figure the next couple days things going to be looser than before, agli keeping one eye looking south instead of both on us.”
Vann stroked his beard. “Can’t take the barrels through the village gate. Kappra shaman got a nose for edged steel.” His hand smoothed repeatedly down the oiled plaits of his beard. The oil had gone a trifle rancid and the plaits were frayed, some of them coming undone, an outward sign of the disorder in mind and spirit. “Stinking Kapperim, got half the women ’n children shut up in my hall. Shaman’s got it set to burn, we give him any trouble. Saw Vlam and Vessey.” He glanced at Rane, smiled. “My sons,” he said. “We figured to go after Kapperim barehanded. Save part anyway. Them outside the hall.” He leaned forward, cupped large hands over his knees. “Cut more throats than we can choke with those knives you got, ’n half a chance we maybe can take out the shaman and stop the burning. We owe you, Coperic old friend.”
Coperic grinned at him. “We talk about that a passage from now.’
Rane broke in. “Be easier if you could catch the Kapperim asleep,” she said. “Especially the shaman.”
“That viper?” Vann ran his tongue over his teeth, his upper lip bulging under the bristly moustache. “Evelly, that’s my wife, she tells Vlam he set wards that wake him if anyone even think too hard about him.”
“Who cooks for the Kapperim?”
“Our women. But they make them taste everything before they eat.” He scowled. “Children too; keep the women honest, they say.”
“Seems to me a nice long sleep wouldn’t hurt your women and children and your men could dump one meal.”
“Drug the trash?”
“Right. There’s a couple drugs I know could do it, probably lots I don’t know, put them to sleep without hurting them so your women and children would be safe.” She grinned. “I figure you and your men can do all the hurting the Kapperim are very likely to need.”
The Intii’s lips moved back and forth as if he were tasting the idea, then spread into a grin. “Yah.” he said. Then he sobered. “Always that Maiden-cursed shaman. He suspect his dam if he weren’t hatched.”
“I ate a kind of fish stew in a fisher village once when I was a lot younger and tougher. Called tuz-zegel, if I remember. I see you follow me.” Rane chuckled. “The inside of my mouth still remembers. You couldn’t taste stinkweed through that. If you showed up with a collection of the right spices, a little present for your wife, wouldn’t it be the most ordinary thing if she fixed up a batch of tuz-zegel for the whole village? You could warn the men you trust to dump theirs.” Vann sighed and Rane chuckled again. “I suppose it’s your favorite dish; well, a little sacrifice won’t hurt.” Vann snorted, his eyes gleaming, the sag in his spirit banished. Rane ran her hands through her hair. “First thing, get those spices; you give Coperic a list. I suspect he won’t have too much trouble filling it. Next, what drug. I’m a long time out of my training, but there’s a healwoman in the hanguol rookery. ‘
Tuli’s eyes opened wide. Ajjin was right, she thought. Trust Rane to remember after all that’s happened and fit it right in with her plans.
“Healwoman? Never heard of any. Not there.” Coperic scowled past her. “Healwoman, mmm, she’d disappear into the House of Repentance soon’s an Agli got a sniff of her.”
“This one hasn’t got the name since she didn’t finish the last bit of training. Debrahn the midwife.”
“Oh, her. Yah, I know her.”
“You can find her?”
“Rane.”
“Yeah, I know. Silly question. She’d know about herbs, have a good mix tucked away somewhere. One of those sleepytime drugs I was thinking of, a lot of midwives use with difficult deliveries, doesn’t hurt the baby, but puts the woman’s head to sleep. There should be at least one woman ready to birth in your village.”
“My middle daughter.” He smoothed a forefinger along his moustache. “M’ wife would have my ears for bringing a stranger in.”
“Would the Kapperim know that?”
“Don’t see how.”
“Would your wife make a fuss?”
“Front of that trash? Never.”
“Good enough. Ajjin Turriy asked me to coax Debrahn out of the rookery. This is a better excuse than most.”
Coperic nodded. “Be a good idea for any lone female to get out of the rookery before it turns into a rat pit. I owe the Ajjin a favor or two myself. Give them a tenday in there’n they’ll start cutting each other up for stew.” He frowned at Rane. “Best I fetch her now. Morning might be too late.”
Rane shook her head. “We.”
Coperic raised a hand, pushed it away from him. “Bad enough for a man to be out this hour, if some Follower sees you…”
“I’ll get my other clothes. He’ll see two men, that’s all. Good thing I was never voluptuous.” Rane chuckled. “What she knows of you, old friend, wouldn’t persuade a rat into a granary.”
Coperic grinned. “Hard to argue with you when you’re right. Meet me in the taproom.” He glanced at Tuli. “Alone.” He turned to the Intii. “Write me up that list of spices, Vann. I’ll put my people to scratching up what you need.”
“Come on, Moth.” Rane touched Tuli’s shoulder. “You need sleep.”
Back in their room, Tuli stripped off the hateful dress while Rane changed into her tunic and trousers. Neither spoke. Tuli crawled into the bed wondering how she could possibly sleep with so much to worry over.
Rane crossed the room and stood beside the bed. She slapped her swordbelt around her lean middle and buckled it as she looked down at Tuli. “Don’t fret, Moth. With his knives Coperic could split a zuzz-fly on the wing and I’m not so bad with this.” She tapped the hilt of the sword. “I’ll wake you in good time; you won’t miss the boat.”
Tuli found she’d made up her mind without knowing it. “Rane…”
“What is it?”
“I’m not going with you. You were right, you’ve got a better chance traveling alone. And I…” She paused. “I don’t want to be herded in with a bunch of giggling girls, you know that’s what Da would do. I’m going to stay with Coperic if he’ll have me. If not, well, Ildas and me, we’ll go after the wagons, do as much hurt as we can, maybe tie up with Teras again. He ’n a bunch from the Haven are sure to be out against the army.”
“I promised your father…”
“This is more important. Me and Ildas, we can hurt ’em a lot more ’n a bunch of men who the norits will stomp on before they get close. You know that.”
Rane sighed. “I’ll talk to Coperic. Mind if I tell him about Ildas?”
“Course not.”
Rane looked down at her. The silence became overcharged. Tuli felt tears gathering in her eyes. She wanted to turn her head away but she didn’t. Rane bent over her, touched her cheek. “It’s too bad you weren’t a few years older,” she said, her voice husky, uncertain. She bent lower, kissed Tuli lightly on the lips, straightened and went quickly out of the room.
Tuli lay still a moment, then she sniffed and scrubbed her hands across her eyes and sat up. “Sleep,” she said to the empty room. “Maiden bless.” She blew out the candle, wriggled back down under the covers, Ildas humming against her side, a spot of warmth that spread rapidly through her whole body. She yawned, worked her lips, thought about wanting a glass of water but stayed where she was, too comfortable to move. “What do you think of that?” she asked Ildas. He crooned to her, his meaningless silent sounds soothing her jagged unreliable emotions, beating in her blood, singing her to sleep.