In the Shadow of Mountains: The Lost Girls

Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The Insolent Tailor

  The next morning found the girls in better spirits. All the tears of the night before seemed to be forgotten, at least for now, or at least on the surface. Rolf and Soo-Kai were up first, and they quickly roused the girls.

  “It is dawn, and time for you all to be up!” Rolf told them.

  It was much too early for them, the sun had only just risen, and they moaned about the time.

  “Dawn! It’s the middle of the night!” Jemma exclaimed, and dived back under the blanket. Rolf pulled it from her.

  “Up! Or you will face the day without breakfast.”

  Sophia sat up straight away. She was suddenly wide awake. “What do you eat for breakfast?” she asked, eagerly.

  They were all up fairly quickly after that. Karen collected more firewood, and Rowena and Jane helped Rolf put on the coffee and start breakfast. There was a mixture of bread, eggs and slivers of meat that Rolf roasted over the fire. They all ate heartily, it was one thing the girls seemed to do with great regularity and enthusiasm.

  Rolf watched them all while they ate and drank. It had only been a day, but he was growing fond of them all, and he was becoming familiar with each of their different personalities and ways. He looked at each of them in turn, watching them and wondering.

  Karen was open and generous, always willing to pitch in and help, but thinking quietly about her future and what life might bring.

  Rowena was the shy one. Quiet and polite, but intrigued by Soo- Kai’s journal and the stories it contained. Like Karen, she was fascinated by what fate might bring her, but she was also scared. Scared and timid.

  Becky was the intelligent one, always asking clever questions and probing for more information. She even remarked on the food, comparing it to the food of her home, and discussing with the others the possibility that the worlds were once linked. She wanted to know and learn and understand everything. She was a planner, a plotter.

  Sophia was also interested in the food. But she only cared about eating it. Rolf had very quickly come to know that it was the only thing she cared about, food and her glorious body. When she was only a little bit older, she would be quite a catch and quite a handful for some lucky man. Rolf only hoped that he would have enough food to feed her.

  Jane and Amy were both athletic and independent. Jane wasn’t very talkative, but when she wanted something, or had something to say, she came right out and said it. Rolf wasn’t quite sure about Amy yet, but she seemed strong in character, and she had formed an attachment with Craig, an attachment she wasn’t shy about declaring. As for Craig, Rolf wasn’t sure about him yet, either. But if Amy thought he was worth saving, and she obviously did, then he was probably alright.

  Vanessa was the one in charge, there was no doubt about that. In the absence of their teacher, she had decided that she was the one responsible for the welfare of all the other girls. It seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders; Rolf could see it in her eyes. Vanessa had three main worries in her life right now: Wondering what had happened to the other girls and their teacher; looking after these girls; and above all else, looking after her sister.

  Bernice was the rebellious one. There was a lot of emotion and hidden frustration in her. Rolf wondered if it was because she was a twin. She certainly wanted to be different from her sister; she dressed and behaved in a way that made that obvious. There was no animosity there; it was just that Bernice wanted to be different. But she also appeared to want to be different from everyone else, too. Maybe that was why she had formed a fixation on Kai-Tai and the ways of the Destroyers, it was plain for all to see, even in her choice and style of dress.

  And lastly there was Jemma. She was already one of Rolf’s favourites. Small and cute, she was just plain cheeky.

  Rolf sighed. If Soo-Kai ever managed to conceive successfully, he could be faced with six daughters. It was a daunting image, but one he could embrace whole-heartedly. He was beginning to doubt that it would ever happen, and for a while now Soo-Kai refused to even discuss it. And now here he was, with nine girls, all of them nearly full grown. When they left them with Gustavo and Mai-Zen, he would miss them dearly. But Soo-Kai was right; they couldn’t stay here, not even Craig.

  Karen helped Rolf to clean and store away the plates and cups they had used, and Amy and Craig helped to pack everything back on to the cart.

  Soo-Kai was eager to get going, but they hadn’t gone far before the girls started to wander off in ones and twos to do ‘private things.’ They had to stop and wait each time. It began to annoy Soo-Kai. When Karen and Sophia trotted off together, she could take it no longer.

  “Why can you not all go at once?” she demanded to know as they all stood around the cart waiting for the girls to return.

  Bernice developed a sullen expression, but her smart reply was to the point and unarguable. “Because we don’t all feel like it at the same time! Okay?”

  Soo-Kai looked at her but said nothing. Rolf tugged gently on her pigtail.

  “Try not to worry, my wife. We go as fast as we can.”

  “It is not fast enough. We leave a trail even a human could follow,” Soo-Kai complained.

  They all looked back at the obvious tracks the cart made, with all their footprints beside it and over it. The grass was all trampled, and the weight of the cart drove the wheels in deep.

  Becky picked up a fallen branch. “We could do something about it,” she said, and walked to the back of the cart and began to brush at the soil and the grass.

  Vanessa grabbed another branch. “Good idea, Becky! We’ll each take turns. Two girls at a time, all the time!”

  They both brushed away at the grass and soil, scattering the leaves and dust, covering the wheel tracks and combing out the flattened blades of grass.

  Rolf smiled encouragingly at Soo-Kai. “They try,” he said.

  Soo-Kai wasn’t impressed. “Le-Roth will not be fooled by such tricks.”

  Amy heard the name. “He’s the one you said you saw at the castle, isn’t he?” she asked.

  “Yes. He is also the one who led those in our pursuit last night, as he will do so again this day.”

  Rowena shivered. “I remember him. He was there when we were all in the cages. He looked evil.”

  “I cannot judge on his appearance, only on his intent,” Soo-Kai replied. “He means to catch us, and if he is successful he will kill us.”

  Craig said, “Then we’ll have to make sure he isn’t successful, won’t we?”

  The girls all added their agreement. Rolf looked round as Karen and Sophia returned. He quickly took up his cart with Craig.

  “Come on, we must move faster now. No more dallying.”

  They did move faster after that. The girls kept to their task of beating out their trail without protest. Even Craig took his turn with Amy while Sophia and Jane pulled the cart with Rolf. But Soo-Kai was never satisfied. As the hours passed, she kept urging them to move faster, she was always sniffing and snorting at the air, and she was always looking anxiously around at the trees and the bushes.

  Rolf knew something was wrong, but he didn’t want to ask her why for fear of frightening the girls. It wasn’t long before he knew the answer.

  It was nearly midday when Soo-Kai suddenly drew her sword and stepped away from them. All the girls stared at her in surprise, even more so when she shouted at them.

  “Stay behind the cart with Rolf!” she commanded them. “Do not move or scatter!”

  Vanessa looked around worriedly. She couldn’t see anything among the trees. “What is it, Soo-Kai? What’s the matter?”

  “Someone comes,” Soo-Kai replied.

  Rolf quickly positioned the cart near a large and old looking tree. “Come on! All of you!” he called to them. “Behind the cart! Quickly!”

  They could have panicked, but they didn’t. Instead they all did as they were told, crouching down between the cart and the tree. Craig kept his arm
around Amy, pushing her closer to the other girls as he stayed on the outside.

  Rolf looked worried as he watched Soo-Kai standing on her own in front of the cart, her sword drawn and held ready. Bernice also watched Soo-Kai. But she was filled with another emotion. She marvelled at the way Soo-Kai stood with her sword; a perfect fantasy pose, all confidence and latent power. How she wanted so much to be like her, to be like Kai-Tai.

  Rolf called to Soo-Kai. “Who is it that comes?”

  “Someone from the past,” she replied bitterly.

  Before Rolf could question her further, they all heard the sound of horses. In a moment they could see them, men on horseback, riding through the trees towards them. Half a dozen men, five of them Knights, their chain-mail and breast-plates clearly visible, and on one of them was the blue chevron and lion. Rolf recognised the rider immediately.

  “Prince Carl,” he muttered, and his heart sank.

  The Knights drew their horses up in front of Soo-Kai, staring eagerly at her and the girls hiding behind the cart. Soo-Kai didn’t seem the slightest bit frightened of them, and raised her sword higher.

  One of the Knights turned to Prince Carl. “She is a beauty, my Liege!” he said excitedly. “And she has kittens with her! Our Hunt is a success at last!”

  Prince Carl nodded, but he was more thoughtful than his companion, and his voice subdued. “‘Tis true, Sir Anthony. I had feared that we would return to the Palace without success. But our quarry stands her ground and neither fights nor flees. This is not the way with a Destroyer. And if these children are indeed hers, then where is the father?”

  Rolf heard the exchange and took his cue. He stood up and stepped from behind the cart. He was almost eager to do so. He wanted to get closer to Soo-Kai. He couldn’t stand the way they stared at her. It frightened him and angered him all at the same time.

  “We are indeed honoured, my Liege,” he said, bowing gracefully, and put his arm around Soo-Kai. “It is not often that a member of the Royal Court ventures so deeply into the forest. My family and I had thought you to be robbers, but now we know we are safe from attack.”

  Prince Carl recognised Rolf immediately, and he laughed out loud at the attempt to deceive him. For a moment his humour confused the men with him, and they stared at him in surprise. Even Rolf felt awkward, and behind him the girls all stood up and stared at the laughing Prince.

  Carl laughed and laughed, then he pointed at Rolf and announced, “Don’t you see, Sir Anthony? ‘Tis the cowardly tailor! Do you not recognise him?”

  Sir Anthony urged his horse forward and squinted at Rolf. “‘Tis true,” he said in wonder. “He is older and fatter, but I know his face.”

  Prince Carl shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Well, the Gods preserve us!” he exclaimed, and pointed at Rolf. “Now I see where you went! You deceived us and spared her, didn’t you? Then you sneaked away and came back for her! You cunning little devil! You’ve been tasting the pleasures of this Destroyer for all these years, and there was I thinking the Hunt had scared you all the way back to your little village!”

  Rolf couldn’t help it, he went bright red. Carl laughed even more, but Sir Anthony looked angrily at Rolf.

  “He should be put to death for such treachery!” he said to Carl.

  Until then, Prince Carl had been more amused than angry, but now his expression hardened. “Sir Anthony is right; I should kill you for such treachery. Tell me, tailor, why should I not seek the pleasures of this Destroyer once more? Why should I not take her away from you?”

  “She is my wife,” Rolf said in a firm voice.

  “She was mine before yours! Won by right of the Hunt!” Prince Carl quickly countered.

  “You discarded her, my Liege!”

  “And you were supposed to despatch her, not play happy families with her!”

  Sir Anthony had looked more and more annoyed as Prince Carl and Rolf had spoken, and he constantly eyed Soo-Kai. Now he urged his horse forward.

  “How long will you banter words with this oaf, my Liege? He should die! And his alien brood with him!”

  “Then enough!” Prince Carl replied, and leaning forward on his horse he pointed at Rolf and said, “Stand aside, tailor! I will grant you your life because you were once my friend, but if you stand in our way, I will let Sir Anthony run you through!”

  At one time Rolf would have been too frightened to speak out against any member of the Royal Court. But those days were long gone.

  As Prince Carl began to dismount, Rolf let go of Soo-Kai and took a step forward.

  “If you or any of your men dismount, Prince Carl, I will command Soo-Kai to kill you,” he said with as much menace as he could muster. “And no matter what your men may do afterwards, your life will end the moment your foot leaves the stirrup.”

  Prince Carl stopped with his leg halfway over his horse and stared at Rolf more in surprise than because of his threat.

  Sir Anthony drew his sword. “Treason!” he exclaimed.

  Prince Carl lost the last of his humour and was now angered.

  “You insolent knave! Now I will let Sir Anthony kill you!”

  Rolf took another step forward and said quickly, “Remember what you did to her that night, Prince Carl? She says not a word, but she has a great hatred for you. Look into her eyes and you know I tell the truth. They have not wavered from you from the moment you came into view. I have only to unleash her and your brother will become the Crown Prince.”

  Prince Carl stared at Soo-Kai. Her gaze was fixed on him only, and her expression did indeed hold a deep hatred. He remembered how hard she had fought, and how they had felled her with an arrow. Now she was fit and healthy, and she stood with her sword raised, just waiting for the moment. Her intent was clear and evident. Carl could almost taste it in the air. The tailor was right, she would kill him, and none would stop her. He sat back on his horse.

  Next to him, another Knight urged his horse forward. “My Liege! Let me challenge her! I will despatch her in an instant!”

  Prince Carl waved him back. “No, Sir Charles! She will cut the legs from your charger before your sword is drawn! No, a Destroyer must be despatched on foot, and the insolent tailor knows it!” Carl then stared at Rolf.

  “You will pay for this insolence, tailor!” he said in an angry voice.

  Rolf was far from being intimidated; instead he was growing more confident. “If I am insolent, then my needs merit it. We wished only to pass in peace. We have caused no damage and broken no laws.”

  “You have broken my law!” Prince Carl exclaimed.

  “You speak of the law of the Hunt, the law of rape and murder. Well, I have seen this law, and watched in horror as men I once thought to be noble tortured their victim and relished their pain. You are right; I did sneak away in the night and returned to help Soo-Kai. But I also left Ellerkan because I could no longer look upon the faces of men I once admired without seeing the disgrace of their deeds.”

  Now it was Prince Carl’s turn to grow red-faced. For once he was speechless, dumb-funded by Rolf’s words. But it wasn’t the insolence, but the truth that hurt him. When he finally spoke, it was through gritted teeth.

  “Pass in peace, tailor! But don’t ever let me find you again, or I might not be so forgiving!”

  Sir Anthony started to protest, still eyeing Soo-Kai, but Prince Carl shouted him down.

  “Enough! I tire of this game! Onward! Let us find a part of the forest that bears less insolent fruit, fruit that will not choke those that consume them! Onward I say!”

  Prince Carl jabbed his spurs into his horse, and it galloped forward. His men followed. Sir Anthony the last, and clearly the most reluctant to leave.

  Everyone relaxed at the sight of them galloping away. Craig and the girls came from behind the cart, shouting and waving. Bernice and Jemma jumped up and down and Sophia made a rude gesture. It was such a relief. They hadn’t realised how scared they were
until the threat was over.

  Soo-Kai lowered her sword and stared at Rolf in awe, her eyes glistening. Rolf went to her straight away, taking her in his arms and hugging her.

  “I was so frightened,” he said, squeezing her tightly and then stroking and holding her pigtail. “I thought I was going to lose you. I thought they were going to hurt you all over again.”

  Soo-Kai didn’t respond at first, she seemed mesmerised by Rolf. But then she stuck her sword in the ground and hugged Rolf as tightly as he hugged her.

  “You killed the Prince,” she said in a soft voice.

  Rolf held her at arm’s length. “I did no such thing!”

  “You did. You killed him before my eyes. I tasted the change in him. As soon as you spoke, his ardour and his spirit died before me. Your words cut him deeper than my sword ever could. You killed him for me, and I love you dearly for it.”

  They kissed, and Soo-Kai hugged Rolf tighter than ever. And when the hugging and kissing was over, she held Rolf’s face in her hands and stared closely into his eyes.

  “I will love you forever, my husband. I will never leave you, and when you are old, I will look after you and love you as I do now. And when you die, I will not see the sun rise a day after.”