familiar moan filled the cabin as the hidden figure lurched toward Ayska. Caspran hissed, and a floating dagger whipped into his hand. Ayska screamed and ran forward, throwing herself before the mysterious person who had shared the shadows with Iron and Sander only moments before.
“No!” Ayska screamed, throwing her hands wide. “Please, have mercy, Brother Caspran, she will do you no harm. In the name of the great and glorious Serpent and the Sun he will raise, please show us mercy.”
Her? Iron blinked. The stranger in the shadows had been a she all the time? But her size…
Now in the light, Iron could see the woman’s features. She had skin like Ayska’s but kept her hair cropped nearly to the scalp. Her narrow eyes had a distant look in them, her wide, strong chin supporting full lips that hung askew. Her nose bent awkwardly above those lips, a sign it once broke and healed without being properly set.
She lingered behind Ayska, hands that could have put the former Elof to shame gently placed upon the captain’s shoulders.
Bless the Six , Iron thought. Those hands could crush Ayska like a heel on a dried twig .
Yet, when Iron looked into the woman’s distant eyes, he saw no malice, no anger, no rage. The soul behind them looked upon the world through a long and lonely tunnel.
Caspran’s dagger whistled from its orbit and hung before Ayska. Its deadly edge spun slowly, centered on Ayska’s right eye.
“And what beast is this?” Caspran asked. He turned his back to Iron and Sander, attention placed upon the gentle giant.
“She’s no beast, Brother Caspran. She’s simply different. She—she sees the world in a different manner than you and I. Her name is Kalila, and she would never do harm to any other.”
“Not intentionally, of course,” Caspran quipped. He held his hands tight against the small of his back and rocked on his heels. “So this is why you tried outrunning my ships? You feared I would kill this…” He cocked his head. “…This beast?”
“Yes, Brother Caspran.” Ayska eyed the dagger pointed at her pupil. Sweat beaded on her temples. “Few understand her condition. I feared—”
“I did not have the intellect? If you could understand, why do you assume I could not? We occupy different planes of existence, you and I. You trying to impart a lesson to me is like a rat trying to teach a poet how to rhyme. Laughable.”
“Forgive my idiocy. I did not mean to offend.” Ayska pressed her arms against her sides, her eyes widening as the dagger approached. “Forgive us all. We are loyal servants of the High King, Lord of All, Rider of the Glittering Serpent and Destroyer of the Six. We serve him faithfully.”
“You do now? Show me. Bow.”
A lump traveled down Ayska’s throat. She nodded and prostrated herself, palms flat on the floorboards. “As you command.”
Caspran leapt on Ayska’s bent back. She grunted, arms trembling, but didn’t move. He murmured to himself and inspected the other woman, the back of his knuckles caressing Kalila’s wide jaw. She flinched, shook and chewed her quivering lip.
“What an interesting creature.” He sighed, bounding backward onto the floor. “But I do believe you’re correct. She is no danger. That beast’s mind broke long ago.”
Each time Caspran called Kalila beast or creature, a little seed of rage sprouted in Iron’s heart. Any fool could see the childlike innocence in the woman’s eyes. Hells, she practically glowed with her innocence. Sinner save him, he couldn’t let this wicked man continue.
Iron tensed and leaned forward, but his master’s hand smacked Iron’s chest and pushed him back. Iron struggled for a breath before relenting. He hated this. Hated it. Ayska panted on the floor while Kalila stood unarmed and harmless before Caspran’s wicked magic and tongue while the two most powerful people on the ship hid like cowards behind bags and boxes.
Iron clenched his fists. Ayska’s not the
“No!” Ayska screamed, throwing her hands wide. “Please, have mercy, Brother Caspran, she will do you no harm. In the name of the great and glorious Serpent and the Sun he will raise, please show us mercy.”
Her? Iron blinked. The stranger in the shadows had been a she all the time? But her size…
Now in the light, Iron could see the woman’s features. She had skin like Ayska’s but kept her hair cropped nearly to the scalp. Her narrow eyes had a distant look in them, her wide, strong chin supporting full lips that hung askew. Her nose bent awkwardly above those lips, a sign it once broke and healed without being properly set.
She lingered behind Ayska, hands that could have put the former Elof to shame gently placed upon the captain’s shoulders.
Bless the Six , Iron thought. Those hands could crush Ayska like a heel on a dried twig .
Yet, when Iron looked into the woman’s distant eyes, he saw no malice, no anger, no rage. The soul behind them looked upon the world through a long and lonely tunnel.
Caspran’s dagger whistled from its orbit and hung before Ayska. Its deadly edge spun slowly, centered on Ayska’s right eye.
“And what beast is this?” Caspran asked. He turned his back to Iron and Sander, attention placed upon the gentle giant.
“She’s no beast, Brother Caspran. She’s simply different. She—she sees the world in a different manner than you and I. Her name is Kalila, and she would never do harm to any other.”
“Not intentionally, of course,” Caspran quipped. He held his hands tight against the small of his back and rocked on his heels. “So this is why you tried outrunning my ships? You feared I would kill this…” He cocked his head. “…This beast?”
“Yes, Brother Caspran.” Ayska eyed the dagger pointed at her pupil. Sweat beaded on her temples. “Few understand her condition. I feared—”
“I did not have the intellect? If you could understand, why do you assume I could not? We occupy different planes of existence, you and I. You trying to impart a lesson to me is like a rat trying to teach a poet how to rhyme. Laughable.”
“Forgive my idiocy. I did not mean to offend.” Ayska pressed her arms against her sides, her eyes widening as the dagger approached. “Forgive us all. We are loyal servants of the High King, Lord of All, Rider of the Glittering Serpent and Destroyer of the Six. We serve him faithfully.”
“You do now? Show me. Bow.”
A lump traveled down Ayska’s throat. She nodded and prostrated herself, palms flat on the floorboards. “As you command.”
Caspran leapt on Ayska’s bent back. She grunted, arms trembling, but didn’t move. He murmured to himself and inspected the other woman, the back of his knuckles caressing Kalila’s wide jaw. She flinched, shook and chewed her quivering lip.
“What an interesting creature.” He sighed, bounding backward onto the floor. “But I do believe you’re correct. She is no danger. That beast’s mind broke long ago.”
Each time Caspran called Kalila beast or creature, a little seed of rage sprouted in Iron’s heart. Any fool could see the childlike innocence in the woman’s eyes. Hells, she practically glowed with her innocence. Sinner save him, he couldn’t let this wicked man continue.
Iron tensed and leaned forward, but his master’s hand smacked Iron’s chest and pushed him back. Iron struggled for a breath before relenting. He hated this. Hated it. Ayska panted on the floor while Kalila stood unarmed and harmless before Caspran’s wicked magic and tongue while the two most powerful people on the ship hid like cowards behind bags and boxes.
Iron clenched his fists. Ayska’s not the
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