King of Ashes

  ‘West is as good a direction as any, I suppose,’ he replied.

  Rozalee said, ‘You should probably get back to the smithy unless you plan on being drunk tonight. I need a bath and a meal.’ She sniffed playfully in his direction, then said, ‘You could use a proper bath, as well.’

  Declan drained his mug and stood up, feeling slightly wobbly. He conceded she was right; he was one or two more mugs from intoxication. As he left, anticipating her finding him in the smithy later, she reached out and took his wrist. ‘You will leave, Declan,’ she said quietly. ‘If not shortly, soon enough.’ Then using a lighter tone, she said, ‘And you better tell me where you end up.’

  Realising he had been told to bathe, and that meant she was serious about what she said about her plans for him later, Declan walked with a slight stagger on his way back to the smithy and felt that this was indeed the very best time of his life.

  • CHAPTER FIVE •

  A Parting and Trials

  Hava stalked the girl like a cat, placing each step purposefully and shifting her balance so she could move in any direction and not let her opponent dictate her choices. The young women both held battle staffs, able to inflict serious damage if unleashed on an unarmoured opponent, but not usually lethal, if the skull wasn’t the target. Hava watched her rival, waiting for an opening.

  The day was unusually hot, so perspiration drenched both girls, despite a slight breeze from the ocean. All the students wore fighting clothes: loose-fitting trousers and a short-sleeved, split-front tunic, one side closed over the other, secured by a wide cloth belt knotted on the left hip.

  The training area was makeshift: a meadow above the beach, which was divided by a stream that fed into a river and emptied into the sea a mile further down the slope. For reasons not shared with the students, several masters had travelled to Corbara, the main port in Coaltachin, and each had brought along their oldest pupils. While the teachers did whatever they had come here to do, the youths had been given over to a pair of local preceptors to continue their training. This was the second day of exercises, and the students were now completely bored.

  There were no classes, only training. Beneath the routine of exercise and combat, Hava felt as if something was about to happen; she sensed a tension in the two preceptors, who seemed to be waiting for something. The students had been housed in the local school, now crowded with all the newcomers, but last night, the usual gossip and joking had been absent, as if they all shared some unnamed expectation.

  The older students were routinely sent away when they were finished with their schooling, but this trip felt different. Something was amiss, and Hava couldn’t guess what it might be, but at this moment she had no attention to spare for speculation: this was her third match of the day, she was bone-tired, and every bit of her concentration was focused on her opponent.

  The preceptor had paired Hava with a girl named Nessa, from another school on a nearby island. She didn’t know the girl well, though they had trained together on two previous occasions when the students from different schools got together to spar. Sparring with Nessa felt like facing herself to Hava, as Nessa was also slender, fast, and athletic, but there the similarities between the young women ended, for Nessa was also one of the most beautiful girls Hava had seen, a fact often reinforced by quiet remarks from the boys. Although she was long-legged, like Hava, Nessa’s hips and breasts were fuller, giving her a slightly more curvaceous physique. Her honey-brown hair was sun-streaked, and her green eyes were striking in her tanned, slightly freckled face. Her ample lips were now tightly pursed in concentration.

  Hava had been told that Nessa was one of the best fighting students in her village. While they had trained together, this was the first time they’d faced each other in a match. Nessa might have been the best in her school, Hava thought as she circled the girl slowly, waiting for her to make the first move, but no matter how much the boys – and a few of the girls – might have admired her, Nessa was never going to become a sicari. In Hava’s less than generous estimation, the young woman was stupid when it came to combat: she needed instructions repeated and often didn’t follow them, and her fighting style was entirely predictable.

  To test the theory, Hava feigned a left sweep at Nessa’s feet, and the girl acted as Hava expected, jumping straight back to put more distance between herself and her opponent. Hava had been lingering over certain moves, portraying herself as slow, and attacking the girl from above, inviting Nessa to jump over the sweeping staff and get closer. So either Nessa was far smarter than Hava thought, and knew it was a trap, or she was as poor a fighter as Hava judged.

  Nessa was fast and she reacted quickly, but Hava knew that was the sum of the girl’s talents as she moved back to ready herself for a counter-attack. She decided that most of Nessa’s training must have been against opponents of even lesser talents, who didn’t possess Donte’s strength or Hatu’s speed.

  Realising that she was tiring of the exercise, Hava feinted again, this time making a spearing move with the butt of her staff, and as she anticipated, Nessa blocked and thrust downwards to her left. Hava then spun to her own left and brought up her staff against the right side of Nessa’s neck, poised to deliver a stunning blow to the head.

  ‘Halt!’ shouted a woman named Elana. Both students stepped back and turned to face the instructor. Elana said, ‘Hava, you know blows to the head are not permitted.’

  Hava nodded. ‘Yes, mistress. That is why I halted the blow rather than knock Nessa to the ground.’

  With a slightly sour, slightly amused expression, the preceptor said, ‘You’ve made your point. I give you this match.’ She glanced at the angle of the sun above the meadow and said, ‘We are done for today. Bathe at the river and assemble for a meal at the school in an hour.’

  The combined classes had been assembled on the north side of the island just outside of the city of Corbara, scattered across the field in small mixed groups under the supervision of lower-ranked instructors, those who would some day be preceptors. The preceptors were with the masters in the city, where matters of importance were being discussed.

  The local school was just up the hill from the training meadow. The day was hot and the students quickly headed down to the stream, many stripping off their fighting togs as they hurried towards the water.

  Hava and Nessa reached the bank together and stripped off their garments. As they waded into the shallow creek, stooping to splash water over themselves, Nessa said, ‘You fight well.’

  Hava paused for a moment, considering a truthful response or pointless compliment, and chose a combination. ‘You’re very fast,’ she said, ‘as fast as anyone I’ve fought but Hatu.’

  ‘I remember him,’ said Nessa, settling into the cool water, resting on her back, leaning on her elbows. ‘He’s the … foreign boy?’

  Hava nodded as she duplicated Nessa’s position, deftly moving away the few sharp pebbles until there were only smooth ones beneath her. She looked around and realised she missed Hatu. ‘He’s a … friend.’

  Nessa smiled and cocked her head slightly. ‘What about your other friend, the big one?’

  ‘Donte? He’s travelling.’ He’s travelling was a code not to ask questions, for it meant Donte was on a mission of some sort for a master.

  Nessa ignored the warning and said, ‘Oh, really?’

  Hava, finding herself on the verge of disliking the girl and fighting off her irritation, cut off further enquiry by saying, ‘He left yesterday.’ And now she missed Donte, as well, and found her irritation towards Nessa growing.

  Nessa sighed, luxuriating in the cool water. Hava looked beyond the young woman’s curves to see some of the boys casting glances in their direction, despite other nude girls standing beside them. Hava took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Boys, she thought. Nessa was easily the most beautiful girl here, but to Hava she was little more than the girls sent to the brothels to listen for rumours from drunken travellers.

  ‘
You’re the best fighter I’ve met,’ said Nessa absently. ‘Of the girls, of course.’

  Hava’s brow furrowed a little and she echoed, ‘Of course.’ She had decided to push aside her growing dislike for the girl; some day she might find herself working with Nessa. She might never become a sicari, but Nessa’s beauty predicted that she would end up on the arm of someone influential, even very powerful. And she might even surprise Hava and become a noconochi, a special female assassin. Finally, Hava decided to offer some advice. ‘You know, you rely too much on your speed. You fall into a pattern.’

  Nessa made a sour expression. ‘I know. I only win because I’m faster than most. I really don’t care. I only fight because they make me.’

  Hava was astonished at this remark and found herself unable to speak. Being able to fight for one’s life was a core skill for any student who wished to serve the nation. She could understand someone like Hatu, perhaps, as an outlander, not holding quite the same beliefs as she did, but for a girl of Coaltachin, who had come so far in her training …? Any student who betrayed such an attitude within the hearing of Master Facaria would have been sent away from his school within days, to be used as a worker, sold as a slave to an outbound trader, or even killed. Either Nessa’s master was more lax in his training than Master Facaria, or they had already decided that her fate lay along another path. If she was not the fool she appeared to be, but as cunning as she was beautiful, maybe she would become a noconochi, and a poisoned drink, or a dagger in the night, would be her weapon of choice. Maybe, thought Hava, her master had already decided that was her course.

  As if sensing Hava’s surprise, Nessa said, ‘I can defend myself hut have no desire to ever need that skill.’ She smiled as she stretched and sat up, glancing over her shoulder to where the boys still tried not to be obvious about staring at her, while other students splashed and shouted a little further on. ‘Boys,’ said Nessa, ‘they are so easy.’ Then, letting her gaze follow the lines of Hava’s body, she said, ‘Girls, too.’ She leaned forward, her smile predatory. ‘We have other weapons besides a staff or blade.’ She lowered her voice and asked, ‘Have you been with a woman yet?’

  Hava kept her expression calm, unwilling to betray any feeling to this girl. It didn’t matter if she was merely seeking a reaction or if she was revealing sexual interest; both were met with a mask of indifference. ‘It is forbidden,’ said Hava calmly.

  Nessa laughed, and several of the boys glanced in her direction. She smiled and waved at them, and they quickly turned away. ‘As I said, so easy.’ She looked again at Hava. ‘Yes, forbidden.’ Her smile hinted at subjects Hava preferred not to pursue.

  Sex between students was strictly prohibited. No reason had ever been given for the rule, but over the years the more intelligent ones had pieced together the reasoning. Hava had discussed it with Donte and Hatu when they were younger; Donte had predictably made jokes, but Hatu seemed uncomfortable talking about sex. She found that odd as it wasn’t forbidden to talk about it and sex was often discussed openly at the school, and living close to island farms, she’d been watching animals mate since before she understood what it was.

  Most students thought the ban on sex was to avoid pregnancies, but Hava knew there were ways to prevent that from happening. Its true purpose was subtler, more about the forming of relationships and bonds, and to prevent any that might be placed ahead of loyalty to the family, clan, or nation. Hatu was often lost during such talk, as he was a foreigner. When they were much younger, Hava, Donte, and other students had asked the instructors about Hatu’s origins, but silence or a switch across the back of the legs quickly communicated that this question was not to be raised, ever.

  Hava pushed aside those thoughts. Now completely annoyed with Nessa, she stood and said, ‘I’m going back to the school to wait for food.’

  Nessa looked a little surprised but shrugged.

  Hava dressed quickly, picked up her practice staff, and walked towards the school. Reaching the classroom, she spied a familiar figure resting with his back against the wall, his travel pack used as a makeshift pillow.

  Hatu dozed in the afternoon heat. Hava poked him lightly in the leg with the tip of her staff. His eyes opened at once, his body tense until he saw who it was and sighed. ‘What made you decide you must wake me?’

  She squatted next to him, a playful smile on her face, and said, ‘I’m bored. I need someone to amuse me.’ Then she hit him on the shoulder. ‘When did you get back?’

  ‘This morning. Master Bodai told me to return here, and you were out there’ – he waved towards the training yard – ‘and I did not want to risk being ordered to fight. I’m too tired. I had the night watch on the ship. I need sleep.’ He leaned back and closed his eyes.

  She hit him again. ‘I said I need amusement,’ she demanded in a joking fashion.

  Looking slightly annoyed, he stifled a yawn and said, ‘Did Donte stop being funny?’

  ‘He’s travelling.’

  Hatu sat up fully. ‘When?’

  ‘Yesterday. Master Facaria brought the older students here—’

  ‘The Council meets,’ interrupted Hatu.

  ‘Where have you been?’

  Hatu softly said, ‘Travelling.’ Hava rarely let her emotions betray her, but the expression on her face communicated much to Hatu. ‘Sorry,’ he added.

  She gave one curt nod of understanding, though clearly she didn’t like it. Hatu sensed her irritation and said, ‘Did I do something to annoy you?’

  She frowned as she sat down next to him, and then let out a somewhat dramatic sigh. Hatu raised an eyebrow. ‘No,’ she said after a moment. ‘I’m just … tired, and there’s this girl who put me in a bad mood.’

  ‘Girl?’ Hatu sat up straighter, adjusting his position against the wall and giving his friend his full attention.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ said Hava, looking Hatu in the eyes. ‘I let her put me in a bad mood.’

  Hatu nodded once, an emphatic agreement. ‘Good, because no one puts you anywhere.’

  Her eyes widened a bit, then she laughed. She suddenly leaned forward and kissed his cheek. ‘I’ve missed you, you bonehead.’

  His brow furrowed. ‘Really?’

  She hit him on the shoulder again, this time just hard enough to cause him to pull away. ‘What?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, really.’ Then she narrowed her gaze and gave him a look he had come to know well since they were children: for the moment at least, this topic of discussion was closed. Finally she said, ‘I wonder how much longer we’re going to be here.’

  Hatu said, ‘Not long is my guess.’ He weighed what he could and couldn’t share with her, then said, ‘You know I was called out of the warehouse by Master Bodai?’

  She nodded.

  ‘I travelled with him.’ Hava’s expression told him that he was stating the obvious given how long they’d been gone. He continued, ‘I … we were on our way back and …’ He again considered what he could tell her, took a breath, then said, ‘Master Bodai sent word to the other masters to meet us here when we arrived, at dawn.’

  ‘So you spoke to the Council?’ Her eyes widened slightly as the Council had almost a mythic status to the students of Coaltachin.

  ‘No,’ said Hatu. ‘I just waited around outside all morning, then a while ago Master Bodai told me to come here and wait. It’s just that whatever they …’ He shrugged without finishing the thought. ‘I think most of us will go back to school.’

  Hava reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because we were sent back after you left with Master Bodai. Master Facaria summoned only the older students – Donte, myself and three others – to come with him to this meeting. The younger students stayed home. That’s the way it was for all the schools. Only the eldest are here. Before we left the school, we were told to put all our belongings in our go-bags.’

  Hatu looked troubled. Hava said, ‘Wait,’ stood
up, and crossed the room. She rummaged through her bag and came back with a smaller cloth sack. ‘You don’t keep much, but I grabbed this for you just in case.’

  He opened the sack and found a few of his personal items, mementoes mostly: a broken practice blade he had kept as a child for good luck, a particularly pretty stone he’d found in a stream, a large spool of good thread he had purloined from a booth years before, a well-made metal spoon, and a ribbon. He glanced up at Hava and said, ‘Thank you. These are just … things, but you were very thoughtful.’ He looked at her as if seeing her in an entirely different way.

  ‘We’re friends,’ she said, ‘and Donte was too busy being Donte to remember you were already gone.’ She sat down again and sighed. ‘We were only back for a short while before we returned here.’

  Hatu nodded. ‘We were only—’ He stopped himself from telling Hava they had been in Sandura. ‘We were only ashore for one day before we turned around and headed back. I’ve been at sea for the entire time since I left.’

  He settled back and his tone turned contemplative. ‘It’s odd, but we’ve been told all our lives that … that the school isn’t home, just a place to learn before we go and do whatever it is we’re told to do—’

  She interrupted. ‘But it is home.’ Shaking her head slightly, she said, ‘It’s more home than my parents’ hut. You and Donte are more like brothers than my brothers are. I can barely remember their faces.’

  Hatu felt a stab of concern. If they were no longer to be students, and were to be sent out into the world on missions like the one from which he had just returned, would that mean he’d not see Hava again? That idea felt like a kick to the stomach.

  He saw a look of concern pass over her face as she said, ‘What?’

  He was silent, then, almost whispering, he said, ‘Nothing, really. Just an odd thought.’ The other students returning to the training floor to await their call to a meal interrupted further conversation. Hava sat back against the wall, next to Hatu. After a moment, she gently patted his hand.