Her face twisted as she remembered, and she touched her neck as if she could feel thin slits that would allow her to breathe underwater.
“I saw young ones flailing about in the dark water, being pulled down by two malformed appendages. The old ones walked on land once every three years when those leg things grew rigid.” She shook her head. “The young ones could walk on land at any time, but the ‘legs’ hurt.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “And this quiss was ravenously hungry, always hungry, driven to find food even after it had just eaten. It ate so much that the surplus oozed out of its skin, and that hurt too.”
Bardon remembered the slimy dark trail on the deck and suppressed a shudder.
“Anything else, N’Rae?”
“The quiss had begun eating each other in the confines of the small cavern they were in. The man ordered them to be separated into smaller caves and vats of water. This quiss escaped while being transferred to a different prison.”
She opened her eyes and reached out to take Bardon’s hands. “They understand when people talk. It understood what the man said. It knew they would all die, but the next batch the man would have born in his laboratory would live. The man said so. And the woman laughed. It hated her laugh.”
Bardon patted her hand. “Do you have any idea where all this took place?”
“No, just that it swam away from the morning sun and toward the evening sun for many days.”
Bardon nodded, thinking the quiss must have come from somewhere in Creemoor. When they reached Ianna, he would have to get word to Paladin. Two things he wanted to relay. He’d write a report of the lone quiss boarding the Morning Lady. That would be astonishing in itself. But N’Rae’s encounter bewildered him. He knew Paladin would send warriors to investigate the facts. The squire couldn’t help but be skeptical of the quiss’s story.
How much of this plight of the quiss is true? I’d rather it all be the wild imaginations of a twisted mind. Amara does not need another evil army to combat.
He stood and looked down at N’Rae. She still wept, enveloped in Granny’s tender embrace. A string of principles streamed through his consciousness. Only a few seemed appropriate to comfort the young emerlindian. He wrestled with which ones to repeat aloud.
“‘Turn your thoughts to Wulder. Your praise will strengthen you.’ ‘Let not images of evil dominate your thinking. They distort the truth.’” He sighed, trying to think of words that would help in this situation, not words that applied to life in general. “N’Rae, dwelling on the misery of the quiss will weaken you. Paladin calls us to a quest. You must be physically and mentally ready.”
The words didn’t help him. Why should they help this girl?
He paused before leaving the room to pour hot water in the mug. Here he stood next to the shelf where the minneken sat at her table, nibbling on a piece of cracker and cheese.
“Thank you, Mistress Seeno, for alerting me to the danger.”
She cocked her head at him. “Didn’t believe me, did you?”
He smiled and considered how to answer. Before he had the right words in order, she laughed. “I didn’t believe my own eyes, so I guess I can’t blame you for being skeptical.” She shook her head, a big smile brightening her usually somber expression. “And I did enjoy seeing you wield that sword. My! You’ve been trained well. Couldn’t have done better myself.”
Bardon felt his eyebrows rise and brought them down again before the testy matron could see them. He tightened his jaw for a moment to block the laugh that threatened to burst forth. Sir Dar would counsel courtesy, and Squire Bardon had mastered the semblance of courtesy. “You have a sword, Mistress?”
“Of course.” She bristled. “What kind of a protector would I be if I had no sword?” She chewed on her cracker, swallowed, and took a sip of tea. “I also carry knives, darts, a bow and arrow, and all I would need for ministering to the wounded.”
This time he could not keep his eyebrows from shooting upward. And what kind of damage can you do to an enemy with a sword the size of a needle? He bit back on the discourteous question and chose one more suitable. “Where do you keep all that?”
She stirred her tea with a tiny spoon. “Oh, I have secrets, you know.”
Bardon remembered the cape she’d worn that night. “A moonbeam cape!”
Jue Seeno’s face twisted in disgust. “Yes, if you must know.”
“Where does one get the fiber to weave a moonbeam cape on the Isle of Kye?”
Jue Seeno stood and placed her tiny hands on her round hips. “Young man, Kye is a very civilized place. We have butchers, bakers, blacksmiths, lawyers, lamplighters, legislators, doctors, dancers, ditch diggers, schools, churches, and a university. We grow crops, manage businesses, and practice the fine arts. And in the woods, we even have moonbeam plants from which we take the fiber and manufacture cloth. It comes in very handy when an occasional bird of prey gets past the violent currents of air that buffet, and thereby protect, our shores.”
Bardon felt a twinge of guilt. The tiny woman had truly been heroic this night, and still, he dismissed her ability to serve just because of her size. I must make a more concerted effort to respect her for who she is.
He cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Mistress Seeno. I didn’t mean to imply that the Isle of Kye was uncivilized.”
She folded her hands across the fancy braided belt encircling her plump waist. She gazed at some distant point across the room and tapped her foot.
Bardon waited. He couldn’t say much after he had already apologized.
Her foot stopped. She sat down in her comfy chair, looked up at him, and cleared her throat.
“I am sorry for my tirade. I seem to be a bit out of sorts in this large world of yours…and truly, the quiss did disturb me greatly.” She chuckled and took up her cup. “That tea you made for N’Rae will be crawling out of the mug and walking if you don’t see to it soon.”
Bardon stirred in the sugar and presented the mug to N’Rae.
“Would you like tea as well, Granny Kye?” asked the young squire.
“Yes, thank you.” She stroked N’Rae’s long blond hair away from her face. “Sip it slowly, infant. Those are heavy tea leaves and will stay at the bottom if you don’t stir them up by gulping the brew.”
Bardon returned to the stove to fix another mug for Granny. Jue Seeno motioned him closer once the water was poured.
“I like you, Bardon,” she said, casting a glance at the emerlindian women. Granny Kye hovered over the girl as she put her to bed in a sitting position to drink the tea. “I shall count it a pleasure to work with you in the charge to protect the girl.”
Not knowing what to say, Bardon merely nodded.
“Although it goes against the grain to do so, I place myself under your authority. I should have done so immediately, for Granny Kye said it was obvious that Paladin had arranged for you to lead our quest.” She blinked, glanced down, and then directly into the squire’s eyes. “Frankly, I have a bit of a problem with pride.” A twinkle came to her eyes, and a smile quirked her thin lips. “You can help me with that.”
“I would be honored to assist you, Mistress Seeno.”
She leaned forward and whispered. Bardon had to bend quickly to get his ear close enough to hear.
“I hate being mistaken for a rodent.” Her eyes darted from side to side. “A mouse.” Her expression hardened, and she stiffened, standing erect. “Should you ever hear someone refer to me by that name, skewer him!” At Bardon’s jolt of surprise, she added, “At the very least, persuade him he is mistaken.”
Bardon cleared his throat and worked to keep his expression bland. “And if the mistaken person is a young girl who leaps to stand on a chair as you pass, should I skewer her?”
The minneken’s tail twitched, and her eyes narrowed. She pointed a finger at him and wagged it. “N’Rae told me not to mention your ears because it causes you distress. I would appreciate the same sort of courtesy returned to me. This is n
ot a matter to be taken lightly.”
Bardon wondered if all three women had discussed his ears. He frowned but realized talking about the matter would further confirm the minneken’s impression that his ears were a point of contention.
What would Sir Dar say? He’d say to be polite. It never damages your objective to be polite. Outmaneuver your opponent with manners.
“Yes, Mistress Seeno. I understand. I shall endeavor to be more sensitive to your concern. But surely the problem will not arise. Aren’t you to remain hidden? I assume you are not in favor of the general populace learning that minnekens do, indeed, exist.”
“Quite right, but at some time on my reconnaissance, I could inadvertently be seen.”
“At that time, wouldn’t it be more convenient to be mistaken for a mouse?”
Her mouth popped open and then slammed shut. Her whiskers quivered, and if her eyes could have done damage to his person, he would have fallen to the floor. Quite without warning, Jue Seeno dropped into her chair and started chuckling. She then began to laugh and ended up wiping tears from her eyes with a tiny handkerchief.
“Oh, lad,” she gasped, “you have a hidden streak of mischief. This quest will be a most surprising venture.”
Bardon turned back to the stove and reached for the container of sugar.
Mischief? As in humor? I thought it was a very practical suggestion that she let people think she is a mouse. He remembered the mouse he thought he had seen sitting on the windowsill of the inn. Perhaps she does on occasion lurk in the shadows as a mouse. Ah well, it might be one of her little secrets. But why would she pretend to be a mouse when she has the moonbeam cape?
People, even minnekens, are too complicated to be understood. Sir Dar thinks I have acquired social skills. Jue Seeno thinks I have a sense of humor. And I think there are too many people in the world. Way too many people.
He finished the tea and handed it to Granny Kye.
“Is there anything else I can do for you ladies tonight?”
N’Rae gave him a wan smile and shook her head. The minneken squeaked. Even though he did not actually catch what she said, she didn’t look like she was at all interested in him anymore. She had a long strip in her hands, and he realized she was weaving yet another elaborate belt. Granny Kye shooed him out of the room with a wave.
He moved to the door. “Try to get some sleep. Drink the tea,” he said in parting.
In his small cabin, he lit the lantern, folded up the bunk and latched it to the wall, then sat on the floor to write his missive to Paladin.
The first mate came to Bardon’s cabin and returned the polished sword.
“What has the captain done about the incident?” Bardon asked.
“He took the bodies ashore and informed the dock manager, who informed the constable, who informed the mayor. Quite a to-do, and for good reason. That thing could have gone ashore instead of boarding the Lady. The word’ll spread quite readily.” He squinted at Bardon. “Do you know if the beasts attack during the day as well as at night?”
“According to the books, they do. But our intruder did not do things according to the books.”
The first mate scratched at his stubble-coated chin. “That it didn’t. Hope this was just a fluke, and there are no more of them quiss lurking about. We’ll keep a close watch.” He touched the bill of his cap. “Sorry to disturb you, but I figured you’d rest easier with the weapon at your side, considering…” He shrugged and headed down the narrow hallway.
By the time Bardon finally crawled into bed, he could hear the sailors in the predawn preparing to lift anchor and take the river vessel down the Gilpen.
Later in the morning, the squire sat on one of the crates lashed to the deck and leaned up against another. He held a book in his hands and read from it sporadically. As time progressed, everyone began to relax. Nothing unusual occurred to mar the beautiful, cloudless day.
Granny Kye and N’Rae strolled the deck to get some air in the afternoon, avoiding the stern area where the two sailors and the quiss had died.
That evening, Jue Seeno announced she would not be patrolling outside the cabin.
“There’s an abundance of crewmen out there searching the water as if an invasion of quiss is imminent. I’ll be on watch here, though. I do not intend to neglect my charge.”
The uneventful night and the next day eased the tension even more. The journey downriver to the seaport took two days. The crew went about their business, but with many anxious glances at the railings around the deck. As they traveled, they passed houses on the shore and boats on the water. The people in this area seemingly went about their business in a normal way. No threat of quiss appeared. An hour away from Ianna’s dock, Bardon let go of the wariness that kept him on guard.
As they drew near the sea, a salty tang sharpened the dank smell of the river. Traffic on the waterway became congested. Small boats used for transporting people short distances joined the bigger vessels used in commerce. Barges, ferries, and packets chugged along. Voices cried out from ship to ship and from ship to shore. No one mentioned quiss or mysterious disappearances or gruesome deaths. Apparently all was well in Ianna.
Bardon carried their meager baggage above deck, and they all stood at the rail, watching and enjoying the bustle of the harbor.
As they came alongside the dock, Bardon saw an unwelcome sight.
“Look!” cried N’Rae and pointed. “That marione sitting on the cargo bales on the dock. Isn’t that Holt Hoddack?”
Granny Kye glanced at Bardon behind the girl’s back. She winked at him, and he turned abruptly away. He heard her calm voice, deep and smooth.
“Yes, infant. It is.”
14
LANDING IN IANNA
The ship slid into its mooring, but the sailors had not yet lowered the gangway when Holt jumped off his perch. He strode to the edge of the dock, waving at them.
N’Rae waved back. “Hello, Holt. How did you get here?”
“By kindia, of course.”
His upturned face, filled with laughter, caught the rays of the sun. Two dimples framed his happy expression. The sea breeze tossed his blond hair.
“Why are you here?” asked N’Rae, smiling and still waving.
“To see you. Why else?”
N’Rae dropped her hands to clutch the railing and bounced on her toes. The minneken’s basket on her arm swung sharply, and Bardon wondered how Jue Seeno fared within.
He rolled his eyes, shook his head, and picked up the heavier pieces of their belongings to be taken ashore. He headed to where the sailors hefted the gangway into place. As soon as the wood scraped the pier, Holt bounded up, passed Bardon, and greeted the two emerlindian women. He took Granny Kye’s fragile hand in his two square ones and shook it while expressing his joy in seeing them again. But when speaking to N’Rae, the marione took both her hands and held on much longer than Bardon thought necessary.
N’Rae laughed at something the marione had said.
The squire scowled. You silly little widget. You’re all smiles now, but this bounder will crush your happiness. I should warn you off of bestowing your friendship on someone who wears his charm like a pretty garment to make himself look better. Sir Dar’s gallant behavior is to ease another’s discomfort. How do I explain the difference to this infatuated child?
But then again, it’s no business of mine if she gets entangled with this spoiled youngster…Well, not really a youngster. I guess he’s just a year or two younger than I am.
Bardon’s fists tightened. But N’Rae’s been entrusted to my care for some inexplicable reason. Master Hoddack is a wily man whose concept of valor certainly falls short of mine. I thought Holt didn’t want to have anything to do with this pursuit of N’Rae. So why is he here? Is he a pup, a dog, or a cur?
N’Rae giggled. The sun made a halo as it filtered through the loose strands of her light blond hair. Holt flung a hand out in an expansive gesture accentuating some story he related. He looked friendly a
nd innocent, like a bothersome puppy.
Bardon bottled behind clamped teeth the command he wished to blast at Holt. He also fought the urge to physically remove N’Rae from the smooth marione’s guile. She is so incredibly naive. Someone should be keeping an eye on her.
He looked at Granny Kye. The old emerlindian gazed about her with a smile on her face, obviously enjoying the sights of the harbor and unaware that Holt was a potential threat to her granddaughter’s happiness.
I am beginning to think it’s true. This granny will not be a help on the quest. Who ever heard of an incompetent emerlindian?
Bardon felt the back of his neck tighten. “We have a lot to do,” he observed. “I’ll inquire after suitable lodging and find transportation.”
Holt stood straighter. “Let me help.”
Bardon thought the farmer’s son even puffed up a bit.
Holt beamed at the ladies. “I’ve found a modest inn, clean and un-crowded. And as I waited for your boat to come in, I scouted around the dock. I’ll be back in just a few minutes with a vehicle for hire.” He hurried away before anyone could answer.
“A most accommodating young man,” said Granny Kye.
“Yes,” said N’Rae, her eyes glowing as she watched the young man disappear in the crowd. She turned to Bardon, took his arm, and squeezed it. “Isn’t he nice? And isn’t it nice to have friends?”
Bardon put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little shake. His response to her joy confused him.
He sighed, sent up a quick petition to Wulder for guidance, and gently squeezed N’Rae’s shoulders. “Be careful with whom you make friends, little one.”
“I know,” she giggled. “‘The friendship of a viper is not worth the spit on his tongue.’”
Bardon released her and laughed. “Yes, that is one of the pithier principles.”
Granny Kye nodded to where Holt could be seen walking in front of a cart pulled by an old horse. Big chunks of dull paint had chipped away from the cart’s chassis. A gray and muted-red striped canopy shaded the passenger seat. The upholstery looked handmade, faded but clean.