Storm Holt (The Prophecies of Zanufey Book 3) Read online

  ‘When the demons came, our land was lost,’ the High Elder said. Marakon nodded, he remembered that part all too well. ‘Their evil destroyed our minds, hearts and bodies in ways only demons know how. The land was poisoned and turned against us. Those of us that survived fled west across the sea. There we became one with the small groups of people we had once traded with. Now the peoples of Unafay survive along the coast of this new land where food is abundant, and we spread as far to the north as one can go. We, the Gurlanka, are the most southerly of the tribes. Here we came and here we remain to this day.’

  ‘Then you must warn the other tribes.’ Marakon leaned forward and wrung his hands. ‘Tell them there’s a threat more deadly than all the Seadevils combined. An enemy more dangerous than the demons who destroyed Unafay. You must try to unite yourselves into one people. There’s greater safety in numbers.’

  ‘Yes, he’s right,’ one of the other Elder men said. ‘It will take time but the half-elf warrior speaks wisely.’

  ‘We must plan and plan now,’ Red Beard nodded. ‘But first know this, Marakon half-elf from the Old World, the Hidden Ones have told us that whatever has cursed you has cursed you well. Even now you bring danger even as you bring honour and justice. Until you are truly free, wherever you tread so too does danger. Be watchful and never let your guard down.’

  Without another word they all began to rise and leave. Red Beard gripped his arm, stared into his eye and nodded, then followed the other Elders down the stairs. Marakon had the strangest feeling he would never see the wise old High Elder again, and that Red Beard knew this. He followed the Elders down the stairs, helped himself to another bowl of soup and bread, and went outside into the open air, weariness settling once again in his heart.

  Chapter 7

  The Daily Brawl

  THE square was a large court ground about one hundred and fifty feet square. It was already filled and being filled further with colourful marquees, stalls and canopies selling all types of wares from food and spices, to gifts and exotic pets, wine, cider and beer, and a vast array of cloth and styles of clothing.

  Issa immediately went to the first stall, dropping Duskar’s harness and reaching covetously for a swathe of deep indigo silk.

  ‘It’s from Atalanph, Missy, the finest silk around. Make you look pretty,’ a bent over half toothless woman crooned from inside the stall.

  ‘It sure is beautiful,’ Issa said stroking it.

  ‘Usually three gold a yard but you can have a yard for two,’ the old woman said.

  Issa gulped. She doubted she even had that in her pouch.

  Asaph came over and took hold of her arm.

  ‘When we’re rich you can have all the Atalanph silk in the land. But not now,’ he said quietly but firmly, and began to steer her away from the stall. ‘We need to eat first, shop later.’

  Issa nodded in morose silence, ‘ “When we’re rich,” ’ she repeated emotionlessly. The last nice piece of clothing she’d owned was that beautiful dress Ely had given her. She drove back a pang of sadness. Coronos gave her a half smile as he handed back Duskar’s rope.

  ‘Can’t we magic up some gold?’ Issa asked him.

  He laughed. ‘No alchemist in the land has ever been able to create gold or silver, and they have been trying since the dawn of time.’

  Issa sighed and stared longingly back at the indigo cloth. Surely turning one thing into something else, like iron into gold, would be easy for a wizard. Isn’t that what magic was for anyway? They’d be richer than kings if they could, but they didn’t seem so rich, so she guessed they couldn’t. The smell of fresh baked bread wafted over to her and her stomach rumbled. She forgot about gold and being rich and moved towards the pastry stall, the others following close behind, hungry looks on both of the men’s faces.

  ‘I’ve enough for a few meals and comfortable beds for all three of us tonight. If we can strike a bargain we can get horses and some clean clothes,’ Coronos said reaching into his pockets. ‘But after that we’ll need to go elsewhere for funds,’ he finished with a frown.

  ‘I have a little from my savings, though I’ve no idea how far it will stretch,’ Issa said, also frowning. ‘If we need money, I can earn some by healing horses or other sick animals and pets. Though we would need to stay in a town for a few days to find business.’ She wasn’t overly concerned with money, what she had would keep her going if she spent it carefully, and her healing skills were always much sought after.

  ‘I have nothing. The Kuapoh don’t use money, and I’m sure they are right,’ Asaph said with a sigh. Issa raised an eyebrow, and tried to imagine never needing money or needing to buy anything either.

  ‘It has been a long time, but if the King of Frayon is still alive he will have kept my treasury,’ Coronos said. Asaph and Issa both looked at him, wide-eyed. He held up his hands. ‘It’s not much, but I was careful to never keep all my savings in one place, especially since I travelled so far to see Hari, and especially not with the Maphraxies attacking Drax. King Thaban and I were good friends, and I pray he still lives.’ Coronos turned back to the pastries and licked his lips.

  Issa forgot her stomach and thought about Ely’s mother. She stroked the silver leaf bracelet on her wrist and recalled Harianna’s face. She had seen her so briefly when Ely had given her the bracelet. She made this, a healer’s bracelet. Did she know I would one day wear it? Did she know of her own daughter’s demise.

  ‘Issa?’ Asaph said and stroked her arm. She looked up. ‘What would you like?’ he repeated. She turned her attention back to the pastries and forced the memories of Ely and her mother away. Coronos was smiling at her, a hint of poorly concealed pain in his eyes.

  ‘I’ll have what you’re having,’ she said with a shrug.

  She’d lost her appetite, but as soon as she started eating it came back again. The pastries were delicious - soft on the inside, but flaky on the outside, spicy and sweet and very filling. She struggled to finish her own and couldn’t believe it when Asaph went back for another. Afterwards they began to hunt for the cheaper clothes’ stalls.

  ‘Hey you there. You with that black horse,’ a man yelled from somewhere.

  Issa froze as a guard pushed through the crowd towards them. His domed helmet and nose-guard concealed most of his face, but his eyes were hard and thin lips set. Her heart began to pound. He knew she had a sword, maybe even the orbs too.

  ‘You can’t drag a horse through here. No one wants horse shit in the market area. If you are selling livestock you need to be in the opposite quarter. If you are not selling then horses should be tied up in the stables by the South Gate,’ the guard scowled.

  ‘Yes sir. Sorry sir,’ Issa said meekly. Relief made her legs go weaker.

  The guard turned away shaking his head and disappeared into the crowd.

  ‘Phew,’ Asaph said. Issa sighed and nodded.

  They took their packs off Duskar’s back, and she took him to the stables, grabbing a nosebag of oats for him on the way. She reluctantly took him into a crowded stable. What if he kicked or bit the other horses? She’d be in trouble if he hurt a stable boy. She spied an empty one right at the end and took him to it. With his nosebag on he didn’t seem to be too fussed about the other horses, although he did try to follow her when she turned to go.

  ‘Stay, Duskar,’ she said and ruffled his forelock. She chewed her lip, she was so used to him being there that she didn’t want to be without him. A stable boy came running over.

  ‘Yes miss, that stable is free,’ he said panting. A man yelled from somewhere. ‘I’ll be right there,’ the boy yelled back.

  ‘I hate market days,’ he said and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Issa grinned. He looked up at Duskar

  ‘He doesn’t like anybody but me,’ Issa warned the boy. He and Duskar eyed each other warily.

  ‘Yes, miss,’ he said nervously, but smiled when she gave him a copper coin. Duskar would be all right, she convinced herself. It would do him good to be ar
ound other horses and he couldn’t always be at her side.

  On her way back to find the others she passed a stall selling cotton and linen clothing at a price far cheaper than she had seen in Kammam. After a quick look she bought a sleeveless tunic-dress that came to her knees. It was similar to what many South Frayon women were wearing, simple and light for the hot weather. She picked out a long-sleeved cotton cardigan of a similar length in pale blue. It would do for the cooler nights.

  Her leather boots were still good and best for riding, but her feet were hot and sweaty all the time. She picked up a plain pair of sandals and put them on immediately. The ageing stall owner took a shine to her, and with a smile back at him she got the lot for a few pennies less. She left with a hearty “thank you,” and hunted for the others.

  Pushing through all the people was exhausting, but she eventually found them at a large armour stall. Asaph finished putting on his new brown boots and smiled approvingly at her sandals.

  ‘I’ve had these old things for ten years.’ He waggled his ripped and worn boots of a strange Kuapoh design. ‘And now I have some armour too.’ he proudly showed her his metal-studded gambeson and thick, similarly studded, sword belt.

  ‘Frayon Highland Leather, it is the best in all known Maioria,’ the merchant said from behind the counter. He smoothed his long black moustache and continued to extoll the virtues of Highland Leather without pausing for breath, clearly eager to make a sale. Asaph added a pair of half-price, second-hand vambraces. Coronos paid the man, and they left before he could talk anymore.

  Outside, Coronos showed her his new linen shirt, and a cloak of soft grey wool. They had purchased nearly everything they needed apart from horses, dinner and a good bed for the night.

  ‘I can’t wait to wash and put on clean clothes,’ Issa said, itching to be in her new clothes. When it was this hot she didn’t mind wearing a dress. ‘A steaming bath, soft bed and hot chocolate,’ she added dreamily.

  The others laughed.

  ‘I don’t think turning up at the mayor’s place dressed like peasants would go down too well,’ Coronos mused. ‘And besides, it’s getting late in the day. By the time we find a suitable inn it’ll be dinner time. Let’s go at first light tomorrow morning. Maybe the innkeeper, or the mayor himself, will know where we can find horses at a fair price.’

  ‘The cobbler said the inns were better closer to the castle,’ Asaph said.

  They turned and headed up a wide cobbled path in the castle’s direction. The crowd was thinning now and some marketers were beginning to pack away their wares.

  ‘A present for you,’ Asaph said as they walked, and passed her a pair of dark studded vambraces. ‘From a stall selling sword training armour. I think they are for a youth and they are not Highland Leather but they are still good and strong. I couldn’t find any in your size but these,’ he explained.

  ‘A present for me?’ Issa grinned and took the vambraces. She never thought to buy armour. She pulled them on. They fit, but were stiff and hot. ‘Good in a sword fight but too hot for now.’

  ‘They’ll loosen up and flex with age,’ Asaph said.

  She smiled at him. ‘Thanks, but I have nothing to give you.’ She didn’t even think to buy anyone a present, but now she thought of it she wondered what on Maioria she could have bought him. She would try to get him something another time.

  ‘I don’t need anything other than a wash… and a bed with you in it,’ he grinned.

  ‘How can you say that?’ she yelped, feeling her cheeks flush. She hoped him buying her presents wasn’t just to get her in bed. She glanced at him, but there was only genuine humour in his eyes.

  Coronos pretended not to hear them, but she saw a grin spreading across his tired face. Seeing his frown disappear, however briefly, was enough to make her smile. He’d been frowning since they’d left Celene and she worried for him. They headed to the north of the city, away from the market and towards the permanent shops and inns that lined the city walls.

  ‘ “The Corsolon”, ’ Issa said, reading aloud the peeling sign of the imaginatively named tavern. They all peered inside the darkened doorway, but the dirty glass door revealed nothing except a muddy reflection of themselves.

  ‘Looks as good as any other,’ Asaph shrugged. Coronos raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Let’s check it out,’ the younger man said, intrigued. He stepped up the stone stairs and strode confidently inside. She followed him which much less confidence.

  Blinking in the darkness from the brightness of day, the only thing that greeted her was noise. Lots of it. Angry shouts were followed by the sound of smashing glass and the falling of something heavy on wooden flooring. A strong hand grabbed Issa’s arm and yanked her to the side as a chair came hurtling past where she had just been stood.

  Issa blinked into Asaph’s shocked face, her eyes finally adjusting to the dark. She glanced around at the mayhem. Two tavern girls were crouched behind a glass covered, beer soaked bar as the brawl continued full sway. The stocky bar owner was busy in a fight against somebody she couldn’t see because a table turned on its side blocked her view.

  The tavern was filled with men and there were no women to be seen, apart from the hiding tavern girls. Many men were dressed similarly in simple cream shirts, caps and neck ties, marking them out as sailors. Others looked to be farmers or locals or both, and all of them were drunk and fully absorbed in the fight. There were tables and chairs everywhere, and many were smashed. Food and alcohol littered the floor making it incredibly slippery. A sailor and a mean looking man slipped over and came crashing to the floor beside them.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Asaph said.

  ‘Uh huh,’ Issa agreed, letting him steer her protectively out of the door. They stood outside blinking in the sunlight.

  Coronos was already there waiting patiently. He raised an eyebrow. ‘A glance through the door should always suffice to tell you where the daily brawl is.’

  Asaph coughed. ‘You could have warned us.’

  ‘It is better you learn the ways of the Old World for yourself,’ Coronos gave a wicked grin. ‘Let’s take a side street off the main road. Maybe we’ll find a quieter more respectable place. They took a small cobbled road leading east through a quieter part of the city. After a wiggle through old and precariously leaning houses they came to a smaller tavern called The Goat Underwater.

  ‘Sounds ominous,’ Issa mused.

  Coronos grinned at her and reached for the iron door handle. It turned with a screech and he peered inside. After a moment he looked back at them. ‘Looks more our thing, and they even have South Frayon ale. I’ve not had that for over twenty-five years,’ he grinned and looked ten years younger. Issa and Asaph looked at each other, then followed him inside.

  ‘Come in, come in. We have fresh ale and good food for all,’ the jolly bar woman beckoned and greeted them with a big smile. She was short, fat and her light brown hair was tied back, although most of it was coming free in straggles that framed her shining red face. She smelt of wine, hence the red face, Issa thought.

  There was a sunlit doorway on the other side of the bar, suggesting a beer garden and making it a lot less gloomy than the other tavern. Issa felt herself relaxing and heard Asaph give a small sigh of relief. There was only one other person there, a skinny old man bent heavily over his pint at the bar. He glanced at them, looked them up and down, then turned disinterestedly back to his pint. Perhaps the sour, partially drunk look on his face might be why the bar woman was eager for more patrons.

  ‘Ah my dears,’ she said in a soft Southern Frayon accent. ‘Come eat, drink, there’s plenty of space here or out in the garden, and it’s a wonderful day for sitting outside. Food and drink to be had by all?’ she gushed.

  ‘Actually we need a place to stay for the night, as well as food and drink,’ Asaph said.

  The woman’s smile deepened. ‘Well, we have only one room left tonight, if you don’t mind sharing. Though I’m not sure it will be to your liking as there
are only two small beds.

  Asaph thought about it for a moment then glanced slyly at Issa who refused to meet his gaze.

  Coronos gave a brief nod and said, ‘We’ll take it and make up a third bed with cushions and our clothes.’

  ‘Splendid,’ said the woman clapping her hands together. ‘Now take a seat in the garden and I’ll bring food and drinks.’

  A short time later Coronos was smiling down into his rich orange coloured South Frayon ale, whilst Issa and Asaph were enjoying a flagon of Corsolon wine. The wine was cold, sweet and refreshing as they sat under a frayed canopy, partially protecting them from the hot afternoon sun. The garden was more of a paved area with a few rather sad dried up potted plants that had died a long time ago. Prickly cacti weeds with bright pink flowers pushed up between the paved stones, and she thought they actually brightened up the rundown place.

  Lunch was a simple, but enjoyable salad of tomatoes, cheese, eggs, pickles and plenty of bread. Afterwards she stretched her back and yawned. ‘Finally a sit down on a proper chair, if you can call it that.’ The rickety bench they shared creaked alarmingly as she wiggled. Coronos nodded in agreement and Asaph joined her yawn.

  The wind had dropped and it was getting hotter. She pulled off her hot tunic. It caught on her undershirt as she did so and pulled down the front just enough to reveal the raven mark.

  ‘What’s that? You’ve hurt yourself,’ Asaph noticed immediately, setting down his glass.

  She pulled her shirt closed. ‘It’s nothing. Just a bruise.’

  She’d been mulling over whether to tell them about the mark for days, but she really didn’t feel talking about it right now. All she wanted was to have a normal few days enjoying a new city and forgetting anything bad had ever happened in her life. For the past few hours she’d begun to feel like her old self again. She’d begun to feel like Issalena Kammy rather than the Raven Queen she was supposed to be.