The Blade Itself

Yulwei gave a humble smile and spread his hands. “We have seen no such person master. I and my son are unarmed, as you can see.” Ferro looked down uncomfortably at the curved blade of the sword stuck through her belt, shining in the bright sun. The officer didn’t seem to notice though. He swatted at a fly as Yulwei blathered on. “Neither one of us would know what to do with such a thing as a bow, I can assure you. We trust in God to protect us, master, and in the Emperor’s matchless soldiers.”

The officer snorted. “Very wise, old man. What’s your business here?”

“I am a merchant, on my way to Dagoska, to purchase spices,” and he gave a grovelling bow, “with your kind permission.”

“Trading with the pinks are you? Damn Union!” The officer spat in the dust. “Still, a man has to make a living, I suppose, if a shameful one. Trade while you can, the pinks will be gone soon, swept back into the ocean!” He puffed out his chest with pride. “The Emperor, Uthman-ul-Dosht, has sworn it! What do you think of that, old man?”

“Oh, it will be a great day, a great day,” said Yulwei, bowing low again, “may God bring it to us soon, master!”

The officer looked Ferro up and down. “Your son looks a strong lad. Perhaps he’d make a soldier.” He took a step towards her and grabbed hold of her bare arm. “That’s a strong arm. That arm could draw a bow, I’d say, if it were taught. What do you say, boy? A man’s work, fighting for the glory of God, and your Emperor! Better than grubbing for a pittance!” Ferro’s flesh crawled where his fingers touched her skin. Her other hand crept towards her knife.

“Alas,” said Yulwei quickly, “my son was born… simple. He scarcely speaks.”

“Ah. A shame. The time may come when we need every man. Savages they may be, but these pinks can fight.” The officer turned away and Ferro scowled after him. “Very well, you may go!” He waved them on. The eyes of his soldiers, lounging in the shade of the palms around the road, followed them as they walked past, but without much interest.

Ferro held her tongue until the encampment had dwindled into the distance behind them, then she rounded on Yulwei. “Dagoska?”

“To begin with,” said the old man, staring off across the scrubby plain. “And then north.”

“North?”

“Across the Circle Sea to Adua.”

Across the sea? She stopped in the road. “I’m not fucking going there!”

“Must you make everything so difficult, Ferro? Are you that happy here in Gurkhul?”

“These northerners are mad, everyone knows it! Pinks, Union, or whatever. Mad! Godless!”

Yulwei raised an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t know you were so interested in God, Ferro.”

“At least I know there is one!” she shouted, pointing at the sky. “These pinks, they don’t think like us, like real people! We’ve no business with their kind! I’d rather stay among the Gurkish! Besides, I’ve scores to settle here.”

“What scores? Going to kill Uthman?”

She frowned. “Perhaps I will.”

“Huh.” Yulwei turned and headed off up the road. “They’re looking for you, Ferro, in case you hadn’t noticed. You wouldn’t get ten strides without my help. They’ve still got that cage waiting, remember? The one in front of the palace? They are anxious to fill it.” Ferro ground her teeth. “Uthman is the Emperor now. Ul-Dosht, they call him. The mighty! The merciless! Greatest Emperor for a hundred years, they are saying already. Kill the Emperor!” Yulwei chuckled to himself. “You’re quite a character alright. Quite a character.”

Ferro scowled as she followed the old man up the hill. She wasn’t looking to be anyone’s character. Yulwei could make these soldiers see whatever he pleased, and that was a smart trick, but she’d be damned if she was going north. What business did she have with those godless pinks?

Yulwei was still chuckling away as she drew level with him. “Kill the Emperor.” He shook his head. “He’ll just have to wait until you get back. You owe me, remember?”

Ferro grabbed him by the sinewy arm. “I don’t remember you saying anything about crossing the sea!”

“I don’t remember your asking, Maljinn, and you should be glad you didn’t!” He peeled her fingers gently away. “Your corpse might be drying nicely in the desert, instead of grumbling in my ear, all sleek and healthy—think on that a while.”

That shut her up for the time being. She walked along in silence, scowling out across the scrubby landscape, sandals crunching on the dry dirt of the road. She looked sidelong at the old man. He’d saved her life with his tricks, that couldn’t be denied.

But she’d be damned if she was going north.

The fortress was concealed in a rocky cove, but from where they were, high up on the bluff with the fierce sun behind them, Ferro could see the shape of it well enough. A high wall enclosed neat rows of buildings, enough to make a small town. Next to the them, built out into the water, were long wharves. Moored to the wharves were ships.

Huge ships.