The Daylight War

With a final glare at Rojer, Amanvah and Sikvah stormed off, heading up to their rooms with Enkido in tow. Rojer watched them sadly as they ascended the steps and vanished from sight. It was true he would never stop playing The Battle of Cutter’s Hollow, but he need not have sprung it on them onstage. He knew what it was like, to feel left out in the middle of an act.

When the shock wore off, Rojer realized he and the other Hollowers were completely alone for the first time since the journey began. Wonda and Gared seemed to have more injury to their pride than their bodies, and kept watch as the others spoke.

‘Well that was terrifying,’ Rojer said.

‘You were lucky,’ Leesha said. ‘It’s one thing to use the Song of Waning to tell the locals to get out of the Krasians’ path without their realizing what you’re doing, but quite another to sing of another Deliverer right under their noses. You may as well have spit on everything they believe in.’

‘So we should pretend the Battle of Cutter’s Hollow never happened?’ Wonda demanded. ‘That we fought for nothing? That my da just up and died, rather than went down taking a copse of woodies with him? That the Painted Man didn’t do just what happened in the song?’

‘Gettin’ sick of pretending up is down and black is white,’ Gared said.

‘Of course not,’ Leesha said. ‘But we’re vulnerable on the road. We’ll be back in the Hollow soon enough. Between now and then, I suggest we tread carefully.’

‘Ay, everyone all right?’ the innkeeper asked, bringing over a fresh tray of drinks. He was accompanied by Gery, the Speaker for Northfork, and Nicholl, the Herb Gatherer.

‘Ent been better,’ Rojer said, motioning for them to sit. ‘Night’s got no flavour if I don’t almost get killed.’

Gery blinked, but he and Nicholl took the offered seats. ‘Just what in the Core is going on? You said they were with you, but it looks to me like you’re with them. They holding you prisoner?’

Rojer knew they were expecting him to reply, but he felt numb and cloudy and had no answers. Leesha shook her head, and he was happy to let her have the floor, at least until she spoke.

‘It’s more complicated than that, Speaker,’ Leesha said, ‘and not your concern. We’ll be safe enough. The woman in white is the daughter of the Krasian leader …’

Rojer stiffened and leaned forward. Be careful, he thought.

‘… and married to Rojer. After tonight, none of the warriors will dare harm us without word from the Shar’Dama Ka, and that won’t come quickly. We’ll be safe in the Hollow by then, and better prepared for what’s coming than the people of Northfork.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ the Speaker demanded. ‘You tell us one thing, sing another, and show us a third.’

‘It means the Krasians are coming this way,’ Leesha said. ‘They may not be as brutal as they were with the Rizonans if you aren’t stupid enough to fight, but the effect will be the same. Every boy taken to be trained in demon fighting, every man made a second-class citizen, every woman a third. Your village will be put under an overseer and you will all be subject to Evejan law.’

‘You’re telling us we shouldn’t fight that?’ Gery asked. ‘We should just take it like a mare when they come to stick us?’

‘She’s telling you to run while you can,’ Erny said. ‘You’re right on the road they will march their army through. You’re smart, you’ll harvest whatever’s still growing, pack up everything you can, and get out of their path.’

‘And go where?!’ Gery demanded. ‘My family’s been in Northfork long as anyone can remember, and the same goes for most of the folk here. We should just abandon the place?’

‘Yes, if you value your lives more than the land,’ Leesha said. ‘If you want to keep to your duke, head for Lakton proper, if they’ll have you. I sent word of the threat to them months ago. The city on the lake should be safe, at least for a while.’

‘Only seen the lake once, and it scared the piss out of me,’ Gery said. ‘Don’t think any of us’re suited to living on that much water.’

‘Then come to the Hollow,’ Leesha said. ‘We’re not yet able to extend this far, but our reach is growing. Any who come will not be turned away, and allowed to keep their community and leaders. Good land will be allotted you, safely warded, and we’ll give you warded weapons and training to use them. It will soon be the safest place short of Duke Euchor’s fortress in Miln.’

‘And either way, every able-bodied man’ll be drafted to fight that which ent meant to be fought.’ Gery spat on the taproom floor.

‘Ay!’ the innkeeper shouted.

‘Sorry, Sim,’ Gery said. ‘All due respect, Mistress Paper, but we’re simple folk in Northfork, and not lookin’ to be demon killers like you Hollowers.’

‘Might be easier to just kidnap this Krasian princess,’ Sim said. ‘Ransom the town for her. Those black-robed bastards are tough, but we got ’em outnumbered.’

‘You don’t want to do that,’ Rojer said.

‘He’s right,’ Leesha said. ‘You lay a hand on her, and the Krasians will kill every man, woman, and child in Northfork and burn it to the ground. It is death to lay hands on a dama’ting.’

‘They gotta catch us first,’ Sim said.

The knife was in Rojer’s hand in a blink, and he had Sim by the collar, pinning him to the table, the blade drawing a thin line of blood on his throat.

‘Rojer!’ Leesha shouted, but he ignored her.

‘Forget the Krasians,’ Rojer growled. ‘You don’t want to do that because she’s my ripping wife.’

Sim swallowed hard. ‘Just ale talk, Master Halfgrip. Din’t mean it for real.’

Rojer snarled, but he released the man, his knife vanishing.

Gery gave Sim a hand up. ‘Go wipe the bar down and keep your fool mouth shut.’ Sim nodded quickly and scurried off. Gery turned back to Rojer. ‘Apologies for that, Master Halfgrip. Got a couple woodbrains in every village.’

‘Ay.’ Rojer was still caught in the rush of adrenaline, seething, but his Jongleur’s mask was back in place, and he returned to his seat.

‘No one’s pushing you to go one place over another,’ Leesha told the Speaker. ‘But staying here puts you right in the path of a storm you’re not prepared for. You saw what one angry Sharum was capable of. Imagine ten thousand of them bearing down on you, along with forty thousand Rizonan slaves.’

Gery paled, but he nodded. ‘I’ll think on it. Rest easy tonight. Ent no one going to be fool enough to cause trouble between now and you leaving for the morning.’ With that, he pushed up from his seat and gave Nicholl a hand as they left the inn.

‘That one’s got nightmares waiting in his bed tonight,’ Elona said.

‘Why should he be different from the rest of us?’ Leesha asked.

Just then a young Sharum in full armour entered the inn with Kaval, carrying spear and shield. The two men headed up to Amanvah’s chambers. The young warrior came back down at a run a few minutes later, shooting out the door like an arrow.