‘Then come to the Hollow,’ Leesha said. ‘We’re not yet able to extend this far, but our reach is growing. Any who come will not be turned away, and allowed to keep their community and leaders. Good land will be allotted you, safely warded, and we’ll give you warded weapons and training to use them. It will soon be the safest place short of Duke Euchor’s fortress in Miln.’
‘And either way, every able-bodied man’ll be drafted to fight that which ent meant to be fought.’ Gery spat on the taproom floor.
‘Ay!’ the innkeeper shouted.
‘Sorry, Sim,’ Gery said. ‘All due respect, Mistress Paper, but we’re simple folk in Northfork, and not lookin’ to be demon killers like you Hollowers.’
‘Might be easier to just kidnap this Krasian princess,’ Sim said. ‘Ransom the town for her. Those black-robed bastards are tough, but we got ’em outnumbered.’
‘You don’t want to do that,’ Rojer said.
‘He’s right,’ Leesha said. ‘You lay a hand on her, and the Krasians will kill every man, woman, and child in Northfork and burn it to the ground. It is death to lay hands on a dama’ting.’
‘They gotta catch us first,’ Sim said.
The knife was in Rojer’s hand in a blink, and he had Sim by the collar, pinning him to the table, the blade drawing a thin line of blood on his throat.
‘Rojer!’ Leesha shouted, but he ignored her.
‘Forget the Krasians,’ Rojer growled. ‘You don’t want to do that because she’s my ripping wife.’
Sim swallowed hard. ‘Just ale talk, Master Halfgrip. Din’t mean it for real.’
Rojer snarled, but he released the man, his knife vanishing.
Gery gave Sim a hand up. ‘Go wipe the bar down and keep your fool mouth shut.’ Sim nodded quickly and scurried off. Gery turned back to Rojer. ‘Apologies for that, Master Halfgrip. Got a couple woodbrains in every village.’
‘Ay.’ Rojer was still caught in the rush of adrenaline, seething, but his Jongleur’s mask was back in place, and he returned to his seat.
‘No one’s pushing you to go one place over another,’ Leesha told the Speaker. ‘But staying here puts you right in the path of a storm you’re not prepared for. You saw what one angry Sharum was capable of. Imagine ten thousand of them bearing down on you, along with forty thousand Rizonan slaves.’
Gery paled, but he nodded. ‘I’ll think on it. Rest easy tonight. Ent no one going to be fool enough to cause trouble between now and you leaving for the morning.’ With that, he pushed up from his seat and gave Nicholl a hand as they left the inn.
‘That one’s got nightmares waiting in his bed tonight,’ Elona said.
‘Why should he be different from the rest of us?’ Leesha asked.
Just then a young Sharum in full armour entered the inn with Kaval, carrying spear and shield. The two men headed up to Amanvah’s chambers. The young warrior came back down at a run a few minutes later, shooting out the door like an arrow.
‘You didn’t really poison the Sharum, did you?’ Rojer asked.
Leesha looked at him a moment, then took a deep breath and stood, heading down the hall beside the bar towards her room, Wonda at her heel.
Rojer sighed, taking the full mug of ale before him and throwing it back in three gulps, the cool liquid leaking from the corners of his mouth and down his chin. ‘Best I go face the music.’
Erny looked over at him, using the reproachful look he sometimes used to check his daughter. ‘You’re a fine fiddler, Rojer, but you have a lot to learn about being a husband.’
Gared walked Rojer up to his room, expecting to see Enkido guarding the door, but the eunuch was not in sight, which meant he was inside. Not comforting.
‘Want I should go in with ya?’ Gared asked.
Rojer shook his head. ‘No, that’s all right. You just stand by in case some other fool takes Sim’s suggestion and tries to kidnap Amanvah. I have this.’
Gared nodded. ‘I’ll be out here in the hall. But I hear a commotion, I’ll be through that door in a second.’
An image flashed in Rojer’s mind, the splintering of wood as the rock demon had smashed through the door of his father’s inn, fifteen years past. Rojer had no doubt Gared could break through the heavy wood with similar ease.
He left unvoiced what they both knew. Kaval had taken Gared down like he was a child, and Enkido had done the same to Kaval. Infuriating as the burly Cutter was at times, Rojer had no desire to see him killed in a fight he had no hope of winning. If he couldn’t get out of this without fighting, he wasn’t getting out.
Rojer pretended to adjust his tunic, needing to touch his medallion. Immediately he felt calmer. ‘We all need something for the pains of life,’ Arrick said when Rojer asked why he drank so much wine, ‘and I’m too old for Jongleur’s tales.’ He reached for the door handle.
Inside, Rojer immediately noticed Enkido standing off to one side of the door, arms crossed. As always, the eunuch seemed to take no notice of Rojer.
Amanvah and Sikvah had changed into their coloured silks, which Rojer took as a good sign, but they glowered at him as he entered.
‘You and Leesha are working against us,’ Amanvah said.
‘How?’ Rojer asked. ‘Your father knows we do not bow to him. He offered us a pact, and we are considering it. I made no oath to serve his every interest.’
‘There is a difference between not supporting his interests and opposing them, husband,’ Amanvah said. ‘My father does not know you are telling tales of false Deliverers, or that Mistress Leesha has poisoned his warriors.’
‘Your father knows all about the Painted Man and his connection to the Hollow. We told him as much when he first visited.’ Rojer lowered his eyebrows. ‘And you’re in no position to lecture anyone about poison.’
Amanvah did not let her mask slip, but the pause before her retort was enough to let him know he had struck a nerve.
‘But you tell your people to flee us,’ Amanvah said, ‘though we have no plans to march. You tell them to pack and go to the great oasis city, or come to your Hollow to strengthen your own tribe to stand against us.’
Rojer felt his temper flare again. ‘And how do you know that? Are you spying on me?’
‘The alagai hora tell me much, son of Jessum,’ Amanvah said.
‘Creator, I am so sick of your cryptic answers and your ripping dice!’ Rojer snapped. ‘You put more stock in the bones of demons than you do in people’s lives.’
Amanvah paused again, holding her calm. ‘Perhaps we can’t stop your blasphemy when you return to the Hollow, husband, but there will be no more village stops on the road. And even when we reach the Hollow, Sikvah and I will never sing your infidel song, or suffer it in our presence.’
Rojer shrugged. ‘Never asked you to. But I was in the Battle of Cutter’s Hollow, wife. I lived it and know it for true. I’m not going to pretend those things never happened just because it hurts your father’s case. If he’s really the Deliverer, it doesn’t matter. And if he’s not …’
‘He is,’ Amanvah hissed.
Rojer shrugged and smiled. ‘Then you’ve got nothing to fret over, do you?’
‘My father is the chosen of Everam,’ Amanvah said, ‘but Nie is strong. He can still fail, if his people are not true.’
Again Rojer shrugged. ‘These are not his people, at least not yet. If he wishes them to be, he must earn it. I will fight against the demons when Sharak Ka comes. Who I fight for is yet to be determined.’
Amanvah snorted. ‘You are many things, son of Jessum, but a fighter is not one of them.’
It was an unexpected slap in the face, and Rojer felt his Jongleur’s mask slip. His face showed his true anger as he got to his feet, such that even Amanvah flinched.
‘As your husband, I order you to come with me,’ he said, taking his bow and fiddle and turning to leave the room.
Enkido stepped smoothly to block his way.