The merchant nodded, eager to make amends for his error. ‘It’s Farrowgate, my lord. The village has been saved! Some brave Highlanders and their companions slew the dreadful abomination that had been preying on its residents. Of course,’ he added, with a conspiratorial grin, ‘where there is disaster there is opportunity. The village is in desperate need of supplies. The early bird gets the worm, hmm?’
Farrowgate. Barandas had forgotten about the tiny settlement on the outskirts of the territory. He had intended to send a small detachment of Watchmen to investigate the reports of monstrous activity, but he had been so busy with war preparations the last couple of weeks that it had slipped his mind completely. ‘You mentioned Highlanders?’
‘Indeed. Two of them. Grim fellows. They looked in pretty rough shape, what with their injuries and all, but I tell you: I wouldn’t like to be the man who got on the wrong side of them.’
Barandas stared. Highlanders… the Wailing Rift!
The loss of the Rift meant the creation of new Augmentors was now entirely dependent upon the successful return of the ships sent to the Swell. If he could do a single thing right this day, it would be to enact justice on the bastards who collapsed the mine.
‘Thurbal,’ he said, moving to stand before his scowling deputy. He could hear that strange ticking sound again, the same noise he had heard during the temple massacre. ‘The scoundrels who sabotaged the Rift have been spotted in Farrowgate. Retrieve your scimitar and gather Garmond and a score of Watchmen.’
The grey-haired Augmentor rose to his feet immediately. His scowl was gone, replaced by the happy grin of a child who has just been handed an unexpected gift. ‘Garmond’s already here.’
Barandas turned away from the deputy to see the giant Augmentor approaching. He was dragging something along the ground.
It was a body of a young man. The corpse was coated in dirt and the head was a bloody mess, but the boy’s identity was unmistakable.
‘Caught him trying to flee town,’ Garmond said. ‘He won’t be going anywhere now.’
Barandas stared at the broken skull of the quarryman and then up at Garmond. He’s a monster. But what can I do? Discipline him? The boy was a deserter. He turned to Lieutenant Toram.
‘The gold you were to present to this lad’s mother? Double it. Tell her… tell her there’s been a terrible accident. He slipped and fell into the quarry.’
‘Aye, my lord.’
Barandas closed his eyes. It had been a long and difficult day. He longed to return to his comfortable estate in the Noble Quarter and take Lena in his arms. Before he could do that, however, he needed to check in on Marshal Halendorf and review how recruitment elsewhere was faring.
When duty beckoned, a man had no choice but to answer its call. Duty was what defined him; it gave him purpose in a world of chaos and uncertainty.
A man who neglected his duty was no man at all.
Bonds of Blood
Brodar Kayne shifted on the old mattress and looked out of the window beside him. The sun was out, casting its warmth down on the small farming settlement. Villagers went about their daily routines in a perfunctory manner, still coming to terms with the disaster that had befallen the community. Only the timely arrival of their small group had saved Farrowgate from utter destruction.
He stared up at the sun until tears stung his eyes. The physician, Gaius, had warned him to keep away from bright light as a precaution, but he couldn’t resist. He had been without his sight for the best part of three days. There was a moment of absolute terror when he thought he might never see again, and that had unmanned him in a way he hadn’t thought possible. To his great relief, his vision had returned shortly after.
The infection in his wound had cleared and his flesh was well on the way to knitting itself back together. As an unexpected bonus, the prolonged rest had eased the aches and pains that had been troubling him for months. All things considered, he was feeling better than he had in years.
There was a knock at the door. He sat up on the bed and then pushed himself to his feet. ‘That you, lass?’ he said.
Sasha entered the room, looking annoyed. She frowned at him with those big dark eyes of hers. ‘You should be in bed.’
He made a face. ‘It’s been three weeks. I reckon that’s about long enough.’ He ran a rough hand over his beard and grimaced. How long had it been since he last shaved? Too bloody long. ‘Don’t suppose you got something with an edge on you, lass? I ain’t going to risk nicking myself with Magebane over yonder.’
Sasha sighed. On those rare occasions when she wasn’t scowling or looking as though she was about to hit someone, she was a fine-looking girl. With him confined to bed, the fractious relationship between her and Jerek had apparently deteriorated. He hoped Isaac was doing his best to keep them apart.
‘Men,’ she said. ‘Little more than apes, beating your chests to show the world how big and strong you are. I’d have thought a man your age would know better.’ She shook her head and pointed at him accusingly. ‘You’re worse, if anything.’
He tried to keep the smile from his face as she glowered at him. ‘Got to keep active,’ he responded. ‘There’s a saying in the High Fangs. “A man who hangs up his sword is a man with one foot in the grave.” I’ve still got some life in me yet.’
Sasha placed her hands on her hips. ‘You’ll have a lot more if you don’t insist on acting like an old fool.’
He stared at her for a time, said nothing. You could have been back in Dorminia by now. You didn’t need to remain here with us. Isaac would have gone with you, kept an eye out on the road.
As if reading his thoughts, her scowl grew even fiercer. And it ain’t like you’re some helpless damsel in distress yourself.
He cleared his throat. ‘Gaius says you came to check on me while I was recovering. You didn’t need to stick around. I appreciate it, I guess is what I’m trying to say.’
Sasha looked about as uncomfortable as he felt, which was to say very. ‘Well, I owed you that much. You’ve been true to your word. Of course,’ she added, ‘after what happened at the Rift, you won’t want to return to the city any time soon.’
‘Aye. You have that right.’
A travelling merchant had brought word of recent events to the village. Shadowport had been destroyed, the entire city buried beneath the waves. Now Dorminia was preparing to repel an invasion from Thelassa. He had hardly been able to believe it when Isaac had brought him the news.
Jerek had been furious. ‘Fucking priceless,’ he had rasped. ‘So what, now we’re gonna stroll into an ant’s nest of the red-cloaked cocksuckers while they’re getting ready to go to war? Might as well slit our throats now.’
The fact was, setting foot any nearer the city than they already were would be asking for trouble. They were lucky the soldiers that had come to investigate the disturbance at the mine had not pursued them as far as Farrowgate; it was even more fortunate that with conscription happening all over this part of the Trine, the village had so far avoided a visit from the Crimson Watch.
We’d stick out like a sore thumb, he thought. Even if the disaster at the Wailing Rift couldn’t be pinned on them, there was that incident with the two Watchmen and the Shard stripling. Someone was bound to have witnessed their bloody encounter.
Sasha was still watching him. ‘Since we can’t go west,’ he said carefully, ‘I reckon me and the Wolf will head east towards the Unclaimed Lands.’
‘You don’t have a copper to your name.’
He gestured at the faintly glowing dagger on the table next to the bed.
She narrowed her eyes. ‘That isn’t yours to sell.’