Arthur Daigle's Blog - Posts Tagged "suzy"

This is the first part of Renter Swords.
* * * * *
Dana woke to the smell of frying bacon, biscuits, eggs and a blend of spices she couldn’t identify. That last one wasn’t surprising since she’d grown up in an isolated town at the edge of the kingdom. Merchants came rarely and didn’t bring exotic spices, so her mother cooked only with what could be grown locally.

“What did you put in there?” Dana asked as she got out from under a pile of blankets.

“Garlic, sweet bark and dragon pepper,” Suzy Lockheart told her. “A little dragon pepper goes a long way, and that’s a good thing. The last shop I saw offering it wanted three silver pieces a pound. Do any of Jayden’s underworld connections offer it cheaper?”

Dana rubbed her eyes and stared at the feast being prepared. Suzy had four pots sitting over the fire or cooling next to it. “The only smuggler friend of his I met left the kingdom months ago. Suzy, I don’t think we can eat that much.”

“Don’t be silly, I’m cooking for the entire day. We don’t have much alchemic fire for food preparation. That’s stuff is expensive, you know, so I do all the cooking before it goes out. These pots are breakfast, that one over there is trail cake for lunch, and that one is…something or other, I forget, but we’re having it cold for supper.”

Dana, Jayden, Suzy and Yub the goblin were staying in an abandoned barn miles from Armorston. They’d made the ruined building their base after fleeing the city two weeks ago. Knights had patrolled the roads vigorously for days after the four of them destroyed much of the city’s sewer network. Staying in place had avoided these patrols.

The barn had seen better decades, with holes in the roof and one wall missing, but it was large enough to fit the four of them plus Suzy’s wagon and horses. It was also far from the nearest house, so there was little risk of them being discovered. Still, Suzy only cooked meals over alchemic fire that produced no smoke.

Dana looked around their meager dwelling and only saw Suzy and Yub. “Where’s Jayden?”

Suzy handed her a plate of food. “He was muttering about wanting to get away from me, made some vague threats and went outside to practice his magic. Brooding isn’t attractive in men.”

Dana ate quickly, partly because she didn’t want the food to get cold and partly because it was so good. “This is incredible. Where did you learn to cook?”

“Cooking is no different than alchemy. Mix the right ingredients, stir as needed and don’t let it burn. Of course soufflés don’t explode and take out nearby buildings when you get them wrong. The analogy isn’t perfect.”

Once she finished eating, Dana handed back her plate and went to look in on Jayden. The last two weeks had been hard on him. He was still angry he hadn’t learned what had been inside the armored wagons in Armorston. Whatever it was, it had taken a lot of time, money and manpower to bring it to the city, and he wanted to know what warranted such a high cost. He was also chaffing at the extended time spent with Suzy Lockheart, a woman he barely tolerated.

Dana found Jayden standing in the snow behind the barn. There had been large snowdrifts around the barn, but Jayden’s experiments had long since blasted them apart. The handsome sorcerer lord was reading one of his spell tablets, muttering under his breath and occasionally swearing in frustration.

“You’ll catch cold,” she warned.

“Cold doesn’t bother me.” Jayden’s messy blond hair whipped in the steady breeze, as did the gray cloak he wore over his black and silver clothes. He tapped the spell tablet and announced, “Failure does, and this blasted spell has vexed me for months.”

“You learned your first spell in hours.”

Jayden held up the tablet for her to see. “There is one word here I never came across in my studies of the ancient sorcerer lords. I’ve been guessing at its meaning, and guesses aren’t enough when it comes to magic. You must have a precise understanding. Reginald Lootmore paid for my help with this spell tablet, a potentially valuable addition to my magical arsenal, and I can’t tap that power because of one word!”

Just then Suzy walked by and handed Jayden his breakfast. Once her hands were free and Jayden’s weren’t, she smiled and ran her fingers through his hair before walking away. “Morning, tiger.”

After she was out of earshot, Dana asked, “Why does she keep implying that you two are…you know?”

“I’d thought she’d finally abandoned her interest in me, and then we destroyed a large portion of a major city. Some women appreciate flowers, others poetry. Lockheart finds massive destruction romantic. As for why she insinuates we have been involved, I can only guess she hopes to inspire me to share her feelings.”

“That’s, um, okay, wow.”

Jayden smiled. “At a loss for words?”

Dana blushed. “Eat before your breakfast freezes.”

“Lockheart’s skill as a cook is one of her saving graces,” he said as he ate. “I marveled at her meals the first time we met, as did Lootmore and McShootersun. It was a tad disconcerting watching her butcher game animals we’d caught. I understand the necessity of the task, but her giggling was unnerving.”

“Lootmore told a funny joke!” Suzy shouted from inside the barn. “You know, the one about the bishop, the gnome and the landslide. Let’s see, how does it go?”

“The joke was long, boring, and inappropriate for young girls!” Jayden shouted back. He turned to Dana and said, “Cover your ears if she repeats it.”

Dana looked out over the cold, snowy wilderness around them. “I’m really glad no one lives here who could hear you two shouting. They might wonder what’s going on in an abandoned building that makes so much noise, and ask soldiers to investigate.”

Jayden gulped down his food. “Don’t expect me to be civil to the woman. She’s nearly killed me twice, and she might try again.”

Once his mouth was full, Dana asked, “How long are we going to stay here?”

He swallowed before answering, “I still want to know what was transported into Armorston at such a high expense. Until we learn what it is, get a lead on a better target or are forced to leave by superior forces, we wait and observe.”

Isolated and ruined as it was, the barn overlooked a road called King’s Way that led to Armorston. This wasn’t the only way into the city, but it was the largest and most traveled road. From here they could see every wagon, horse or pedestrian while still being in cover, except there had been no travelers on the road since they’d come.

“An imperfect observation post, I admit, but Gaston and men in his pay are watching the other roads leaving Armorston,” Jayden said. “We’ll know if the armored wagons leave and can pursue them. If more armored wagons try to enter the city, we can attack them before help arrives.”

Dana folded her arms across her chest. “How much do you trust him?”

“Gaston likes gold and we have it. He also likes breathing, a fact that can end quite suddenly if he betrays us. He can’t turn us over to the authorities for the reward money without revealing his involvement with us. Make no mistake, he’s not an ideal ally, but I’ve learned to take help from wherever I can get it.” Jayden raised an eyebrow and asked, “Can your friends provide aid?”

“If you mean the goblins, they said Armorston has archers on every street corner, and they’re shooting at anything that moves. I won’t have them die because of me.”

Jayden finished eating and set the plate on a nearby tree stump. “Admirably said. We have to be careful with the lives of those who favor us, especially when they are so few. Which brings up another topic.”

“What?”

“I need Lockheart to complete her contract with Brandish. Closing off a pass into that kingdom may be enough to save them from invasion. For that to happen she needs to make her bomb. I know a little of alchemy, and I believe she can use cheaper ingredients than phoenix blossoms and etherium to produce a cruder and less effective bomb. See if she can come up with alternative materials.”

Dana raised an eyebrow. “You could talk to her too, you know.”

“I need time alone with this spell tablet. Besides, you have a better rapport with her than I do. My conversations with Lockheart start with her flirting, and end with us screaming and trying not to be crushed by falling rocks.”

“Those rocks didn’t land anywhere near you!” Suzy yelled.

Dana picked up Jayden’s plate and went inside the ruined barn. She found Yub giggling and Suzy fuming as she went through her belongings. Suzy didn’t look up when Dana came close, merely saying, “I don’t know why I bother.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s trying to discourage you.”

Suzy pointed a finger at her. “It’s not working. I miss my adventures with Jayden, Lootmore and McShootersun. We worked well together, no matter what Mr. Picky out there says. The three of us is close to that team. We just need one more person who can put up with Jayden.”

“Doesn’t Yub count?” Dana asked. Yub heard the suggestion and spit out chicken feathers he was eating.

“He’s not looking for the spotlight or being in the line of fire,” Suzy explained. “We need someone who’s ready to go out there and do incredibly stupid things for poorly developed reasons, just like the rest of us.”

Dana was shocked that Jayden and Suzy had spent this much time together without someone getting killed. A long-term partnership between them was impossible. Rather than point that out, she asked, “How did you hear us out there?”

“You two talk too loud. Tell Jayden I need charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur, lots of it. And he’s right, it would be a big, crude bomb compared to what I wanted to build.”

“Would it do the job?”

“Oh please, I’ve been blowing things up before you were…that shadow looks an awful lot like a helmet.”

Dana peered over Suzy’s shoulder. Sure enough, shadows in the barn were twisting and bending until they looked like pieces of armor. Seconds later the armor launched into the air and shot out of the barn. They heard banging and clanking, followed by a yell from Jayden. Both women raced outside with Yub right behind them.

“So that’s what that spell does,” Dana said.

Suzy rolled her eyes. “Oh, look, he’s even harder to reach. I didn’t think it was possible.”

“Your concern for me is touching,” Jayden said sarcastically, his voice echoing inside the shadowy helmet. Jayden was flat on his back in the snow and encased in overlapping plates of ebony material that shifted and quivered until it solidified into an intimidating suit of plate armor. Long spikes jutted from the shoulder guards, wickedly barbed blades sprouted from the gauntlets, and in place of fingers the armor had long, thick claws like a bear. Jayden sat up and brushed snow off his chest.

“Magic armor,” Dana said. She wanted to help him up, but there wasn’t a part of the armor lacking blades, spikes or sharp edges. “This looks like a keeper.”

Jayden stood up and stretched his arms, first at the shoulders, then the elbows, and finally his fingers. “I’m less certain of that. I can move easily enough, and I think I can grip weapons, but there’s no way to cast spells with my fingers inside these claws. Impressive as this armor is, it’s worthless if I can’t use magic while wearing it.”

“Maybe the sorcerer lords used this spell to protect their bodyguards,” Dana suggested.

Suzy took a rock off the ground and tapped Jayden’s right arm. “Did you feel that?”

“No.”

She hit him far harder. “How about that?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t painful. Suzy, put that down this instant.”

Suzy dropped the far larger rock she was lifting. “It was an experiment.”

The armor boiled away, leaving Jayden disheveled and annoyed. “No spell is useful in all situations. This one is no exception. Still, it is a puzzle solved that had been vexing me, and a new tool to use.” He glanced at the distant road and added, “We have a visitor, possibly even a helpful one.”

Dana looked over and saw Gaston coming up the road toward them. The dirty little man wore layers of clothes to keep warm and hide his identity. Gaston was the only man who knew they were staying here, and he made regular visits to provide information and overpriced supplies. Jayden, Dana, Suzy and Yub waited patiently until Gaston stopped feet in front of them.

Gaston held out one hand. “Fifty gold pieces.”

“That’s a stiff charge,” Dana said.

“And one I have no intention of paying without good reason,” Jayden added.

“What I know is worth the gold,” Gaston said.

Jayden frowned. “You wouldn’t risk your own life to save ours, so you didn’t come to warn us of danger. You wouldn’t share riches, so you’re not offering an opportunity for treasure, unless it’s too dangerous for you to take advantage of. You’ve learned about the armored wagons in Armorston!”

Gaston told them, “The whole lot of them left this morning, guarded by swordsmen, archers and knights. The streets were cleared for them, every citizen kept indoors until they’d left the city. You want them, and I know which road they took. Find that out on your own and you’ll waste so much time you’ll never catch them. Fifty gold pieces buys the name of the road they’re on.”

The goblin Dana had met outside Gaston’s inn ran up to her. She’d been so focused on Gaston that she hadn’t noticed the far smaller goblin, especially since we was wearing a white cape that helped him blend in with the snow. “They’re on Inverness Road, going so slow a turtle could outrun them.”

“That was worth good money!” Gaston yelled at the goblin.

“I’m still peeved about that joke you made about my king,” the goblin retorted. “Nobody insults King Will the War Winner and walks away happy.”

“Thank you,” Dana said, and she kissed the goblin on the forehead.

“Not in front of witnesses!” the goblin sputtered. He saw Yub giggling and shouted, “Don’t you dare tell anyone about this!”

Jayden stepped in front of Gaston and counted out ten gold coins. “You were helpful, so some payment is justified.”

“Twenty gold coins worth of helpful?” Gaston asked hopefully.

“No. Dana, Suzy, collect our belongings and prepare to leave. If the wagons are on Inverness Road I have a good idea what their destination is. We’ll need a day or more to catch up, and then we can plan our attack.”

Dana approached the goblin to shake his hand, but the goblin backed away from her. “No more random acts of affection.”

“There’s nothing random about rewarding a person who’s helped you. Let me get you some cheese.”

It didn’t take long for them to load up Suzy’s wagon and head out. They saw Gaston trundling off into the distance, while the goblin was nowhere to be seen. That was no surprise given how good goblins were at hiding. Suzy handled the reins while Dana, Jayden and Yub rode on the back of the wagon.

Most people stayed indoors during winter, and not just to keep warm. Roads in the kingdom were few and poorly maintained, and even an average storm could cover them in snow that lasted until springtime. Severe storms, and there were plenty of those, could drop a foot of snow. Had there been ice on the roads all hope of catching the armored wagons would be lost.

Today they had to travel regardless of the weather, no easy task even for a wagon pulled by two strong horses. The animals made slow progress and left a trail an idiot could follow. Fortunately they were short of idiots at the moment, or any witnesses whatsoever, courtesy of the same cold weather that slowed them down. By nightfall they’d only gone twenty miles and made camp in a forest clearing.

Suzy heaved a dramatic sigh and fixed Jayden with a stern look. “Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it: why couldn’t you just magic us where we need to be?”

Jayden got off her wagon and stretched his legs. “Most sorcerer lord spells focus on inflicting damage rather than improving mobility. It’s actually interesting you should bring up that topic, because it’s one of the reasons why elves of old defeated the sorcerer lords. Elven magic has a number of spells allowing them to quickly travel great distances. Time and again they used those spells to outmaneuver the sorcerer lords, going deep behind enemy lines to do massive damage, then fleeing to safety.”

“Not the answer I was hoping for,” Suzy told him.

“Please, regale me with tales of how alchemy lets you travel a hundred miles a day.”

Suzy stuck her tongue out at him. “Spoilsport. I need to see to the horses. Yub, start a fire and get my pots out.”

“Dana and I will make sure we don’t have company,” Jayden said. He walked further down the trail from the wagon. Once they were a hundred feet away, he said, “We’re traveling slower than I’d like. I’m not sure we can catch up with the armored wagons at this rate, but walking through this snow would be no faster and more tiring.”

With Suzy and Yub far enough away that they couldn’t listen, Dana felt confident to broach a subject that had been on her mind for weeks. “Since we’ve got some privacy, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Your tone suggests this conversation is going to be painful.”

She smiled at him. “Doesn’t have to be. When we first met Suzy Lockheart, she said she knew you liked girls because she’d heard stories about you.”

“I was right, incredibly painful, and completely unwarranted. Dana, in our time together I never inquired about your love life, because it would be boorish to do so and it’s none of my business. It’s not unreasonable for you to show equal respect for my privacy.”

“We kind of crossed the privacy barrier when Witch Way showed me parts of your life,” she pointed out. “It was like I lived them.”

“Thankfully my time spent with women wasn’t one of those shared experiences.” He glanced at her and frowned. “A number of stories circulate concerning my life, most total fabrications and the rest only partially accurate. Whatever Suzy thinks she knows should be considered hearsay or products of her deranged mind.”

“So the topic is closed?”

“Closed, dead, buried on unhallowed ground and never to be touched again.”

“I understand,” she told him. “You feel strongly about this, and I won’t bring it up again. Suzy can tell me what she’s heard, and I’ll correct anything I know is wrong.”

Dana took two steps back when she heard Jayden say, “You didn’t used to be this manipulative.”

“I learned from the best.”

He waved for her to return, and she ran back. He frowned again before beginning. “I’d like to know what brought up this topic.”

“We’ve been spending weeks with Suzy drooling over you, and Maya fell for you, but you never return their interest. I want to know why.”

Jayden hesitated before answering. “I suppose it does no damage given how many of my secrets you already know. I want to make it clear, though, that this is for your ears and no one else’s.”

Dana jogged in front of him. “So, is there a girl you’ve got your heart set on?”

“No.” Jayden looked off into the distance. “My life since leaving The Isle of Tears has been largely one of isolation. I took refuge in wild places, tracking rumors of sorcerer lord ruins to loot for gold and magic. I met few people, many of them criminals seeking the same riches I did. There were only three women I traveled with. Two ended disastrously.”

Dana’s blood ran cold. “What happened?”

“I met the first girl when I was seventeen. She was young, pretty, kind, and desperate to escape the small town she grew up in. We crossed paths at a shop where I was selling weapons I’d stolen from bandits. She’d heard rumors of me and followed me to a camp I’d made in a nearby forest. When I saw her, I feared she would report me to the authorities. Instead she begged to join me. She wanted excitement and adventure her hometown couldn’t offer, and freedom from gossiping neighbors.”

“A strange woman showed up at your camp and you thought, ‘Hey, this could work?’” Dana asked.

“Yes,” he said crossly, making her blush. “I was young, lonely, uncertain of myself, and having an attractive girl my own age express an interest in me was flattering. Her courage and competence nearly matched your own, and she was a great help many times. Our relationship developed from friendship to romance.

“Any hope it could lead to marriage nearly ended in tragedy. A manticore was terrorizing small villages in the northwest of the kingdom, and I made the mistake of hunting it with her. I found the beast and wounded it twice. It thought better of attacking me and decided she was easier prey. She ran for her life with a bloodthirsty monster in hot pursuit, barely reaching the cover of woods too thick for it to follow. I caught up with the beast and hacked it to pieces in my fury.

“As much as she cared for me, she’d come within inches of dying, a risk she couldn’t bring herself to take again. She begged me to leave the kingdom with her and start new lives far away. Peace, happiness, companionship, it was an offer any man should have accepted, and I refused. I couldn’t abandon my quest against the king and queen. I found her a new village to settle in and gave her a hundred gold coins. The last I’d heard, she had a husband and children she adored.”

Dana had started this discussion from curiosity and a desire to help Jayden open up to her. Instead she’d opened an old wound. Tears formed around her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they kept flowing.

“My second experience with a woman was shorter and less pleasant,” he continued. “We met in Pearl Bay after I’d looted a tomb of a sorcerer king. She’d heard I was spending money freely. She was pretty and poor, and my newfound wealth attracted her attention. I should have had the good sense to say no, but after nearly being killed for what seemed like the hundredth time I was tired of being alone. She knew much of the region and helped me locate more tombs. She also used me to get back at her enemies, which didn’t bother me when they were so repugnant.”

“This one ended badly, too, didn’t it?” Dana asked.

“Oh yes. We visited the Kingdom of Brandish, where I’d heard a collector had a spell tablet for the shadow hand spells you’ve seen me use. The man was pleasant enough, but unfortunately he knew the full value of his possessions. I had to pay a thousand gold coins in currency and jewels for the tablet, everything I had. When the woman found out she was furious. She hated being poor. She said that money was hers as much as mine, not an unreasonable point of view when she’d helped me find some of it. I told her I wouldn’t hesitate to make similar deals in the future.”

There was anger in his voice when he continued. “She demanded to know why I hadn’t killed the collector and taken the tablet and the rest of his property. I hadn’t thought her so vicious, or that she thought I was a casual killer who would cut down an innocent man. Her question ended our relationship.”

“I, I didn’t know,” Dana said as she fought back tears.

“You can see why I don’t share this.”

Waving her hands in the air, she cried out, “I just, when I asked, I couldn’t figure out why you didn’t already have a girl! I thought you turned Maya and Suzy down because there’s a princess waiting for you to come back to her, or a nymph.”

“Why would a princess wait for a dead prince or a wanted criminal? As for nymphs, I haven’t met any, and I’m told on good authority they’re far more conservative than you’d expect. It would be nice to find out in person, though.”

Jayden put his hands on her shoulders. “Those failed relationships made me cautious. People I care for can be placed in incredible danger by being near me. Some women would use me if they could, while many don’t share my goals. When I first met Suzy Lockheart I felt no attraction, for I had experience with disasters of the heart. I had no trouble seeing how badly it would end between us if I’d accepted her invitations. I didn’t pursue a relationship with Maya because I didn’t want to hurt her, physically or emotionally.”

“Wait, you said there were three girls you traveled with,” she pressed.

“Ah, yes, the last one.” Jayden smiled as he walked away from Dana. “She wasn’t looking for romance. She needed my help and decided to ‘fix’ me, as women often do. She saw qualities in me I’d thought long dead, and worked hard to unearth them. Clever, brave, loyal, it’s amazing a suitor hadn’t married her before we’d met.”

Curious, Dana asked, “What happened to her?”

Jayden laughed, a welcome sound after such a horrible tale. Without looking back, he asked, “Happened? You’re still here.”
* * * * *

The next day brought more agonizingly slow travel. Suzy’s horses had difficulty with the snow and needed frequent breaks to rest and feed. Halfway through the day they went through the wagon’s contents and threw out anything not essential to lighten the load, and Jayden and Dana walked alongside. This only helped a little.

When they stopped to make camp again, Jayden declared, “Our path will overlook Inverness Road in another mile. I’m going to scout ahead and see if I can find our targets.”

“I’ll have a fire and hot food ready when you get back,” Suzy said. Judging by the number of pots she was taking off her wagon, she was planning on cooking several meals at the same time again. She threw an arm around Dana and added, “And we can swap secrets once you’re gone.”

Dana froze. “What?”

“Oh come on, I saw the way you looked when you came back last night. You two had deep, emotional, heart to heart conversation. I want details!”

Dana slipped out of Suzy’s grip and ran after Jayden. “Wait up!”

“I did warn you about her,” Jayden reminded Dana once she caught up with him.

“I’m sorry for not taking you more seriously, and for joking about you two. Suzy doesn’t have boundaries, I mean any of them.” She hesitated before saying, “You seem worried. Is there a threat on this road?”

“Duke Wiskver has a large estate not far ahead. He is one of the king and queen’s staunchest supporters from the days of the civil war. Wiskver was originally a merchant who imported food and clothes during the conflict, saving many lives and freeing up farmers to be trained as soldiers. After the war ended his reward was to be made a nobleman and given the estate of a disloyal duke.”

“How tough is he?”

Jayden waved his hand. “Personally, not very, but the man is obscenely wealthy. He has trading rights with other kingdoms and earns a fortune every year. Wiskver can afford the best of everything, including guards, and he is fanatically loyal to the throne. That’s in large part because other nobles despise him for being a jumped up pretender while they have been nobles for generations. If the king and queen fall he is sure to follow, for his peers will never support him.”

“I bet that’s where the wagons are headed,” Dana said. “Armored wagons have to cost a bundle, plus whatever they’re carrying, and this guy sounds like he’s got the cash.”

“It’s a likely destination. Our disastrous visit to Armorston may have convinced the duke to relocate the wagons to a safer location, like his manor house.”

They reached the overlook and saw a wide road to the south. Dana and Jayden worked their way down the slope and inspected the road. There were plentiful footprints in the snow, a fair number of hoof prints and deep wagon ruts. Dana followed the ruts until she came across a pile of horse droppings.

“It’s cold but not frozen. We’re hours behind them.” She spread the droppings with the tip of her boot. “No bits of hay in the manure. I think they’re feeding the animals oats.”

Jayden raised an eyebrow. “You can tell that from droppings?”

Dana folded her arms across her chest. “You grew up in a castle. I grew up on a farm.”

“Fair point. I see lights on the horizon, likely our quarry. It’s far enough ahead that we can’t reach it quickly, and a long march in this cold is dangerous. We’ll return to Suzy and tell her the good news. With luck we can catch up with them tomorrow.”
* * * * *

The following morning there wasn’t any luck to be had. A storm rolled in and dropped two more inches of snow, enough to slow them down even further and reduce visibility. The only saving grace was that the armored wagons they were chasing would suffer equally under these harsh conditions. Hours went by while they inched forward. It was dark when they stopped again, this time close enough to see the armored wagons and the manor house.

The manor was three stories high in the center of a cluster of equally large buildings. Dana saw two large barns, an enormous stable, two granaries, a blacksmith shop and more. The wagons were parked next to one of the warehouses while the oxen were led to the stable. Surrounding these buildings and wagons were tents and cheery fires, and around those fires were hordes of armed men.

“This is a level of screwed I’ve never experienced before,” Suzy said as she peered into the darkness. “There’s got to be a thousand soldiers camped around the manor.”

“Not all of them are soldiers,” Jayden told her. “Half wear blue and black uniforms of Skitherin mercenaries, which is ironically worse than if they’d been soldiers.”

“They’re evil?” Dana asked.

“They’re competent,” he corrected her. “Soldiers fight when ordered to, often time going months or years between battles. Mercenaries are paid only when they fight, so they fight constantly. Frequent battles make them skilled warriors. Their leaders’ only loyalty is to their next payday, and unlike army officers who receive their positions from royal decrees, their positions come from success in battle. We can expect neither mistakes nor mercy from them.”

“You take me to the nicest places,” Suzy said.

This is the conclusion of Rented Swords
* * * * *
Dana stared at the mercenaries. “Duke Wiskver hired that many men?”

Jayden shook his head. “More likely these mercenaries were hired by the king and queen. Come spring they will earn their keep in the royal couple’s wars. I imagine Duke Wiskver has the unenviable duty of feeding them during the winter. He’s making the best of a bad situation by using them as guards for whatever those wagons contain.”

Suzy tapped her fingers on the side of her wagon. “Sneaking in there is going to be hard. Getting out with whatever’s in those wagons is impossible. We’re going to have to burn it all, Jayden. I’ve got firebombs to do the job.”

“If the contents of those wagons are flammable, we could repeat the disaster you caused in Armorston,” he said. “We’ll see what’s there and act accordingly.”

“By burning it,” Suzy said sweetly.

“Why does he have two barns?” Dana asked before Jayden could shout at Suzy.

Jayden paused. “I was here before the civil war, and there was only one barn then. Where the second barn stands used to be a far smaller building leading to a large natural cavern. The duke who once lived here used the cave to store beer barrels while the beer fermented. Wiskver didn’t follow his example.”

“That’s stupid,” Dana said. “Brewers make good money. Why wouldn’t he have men do the work?”

“Because he’s a snob,” Jayden said. “Beer is poor men’s drink, and he has aspirations to greatness.”

“We can sneak inside,” Suzy said. “I don’t see guards on patrol, and there aren’t dogs sniffing out intruders. Wiskver is either real confident or real stupid.”

“He expects little trouble with so many men at his command.” Jayden cautioned, “Ground around the manor lacks cover. We’d be seen coming at a distance, and by now both of us have bounties on our heads and wanted posters with our portraits.”

“But not mine,” Dana said.

Jayden grabbed her by the arm. “No.”

Dana pulled free. “There has to be farmers and ranchers living nearby. They’ll think I’m one of them looking for work. I can get in, find out what’s going on and get back.”

“Even if they don’t know who you are, sending a young woman among soldiers and mercenaries is too dangerous,” he said. “You have no ideas the risk you’re taking or the cost you’ll pay if even one man among that thousand seeks to do you harm.”

“What choice is there?” she demanded. “You said those mercenaries are going to be here until spring. We can’t wait that long. And what if they’re carrying weapons in those wagons, maybe more bombs like the one Suzy set off? Whatever is in there is so valuable they’re spending lots of money on it, and you don’t do that without a good reason.”

Suzy smiled at Dana. “McShootersun would love you.”

Jayden stared hard at Dana before marching back to Suzy’s wagon. “You need a disguise that will make them want to let you in, and Lockheart generously provided it.”

“I did what?” Suzy asked.

“Soldiers and mercenaries eat like horses,” Jayden said. He gathered up food that Suzy had cooked and wrapped it in an old blanket. “A peasant girl with food to sell, especially good food, is going to be a welcome sight they will want to return as often as possible. You’ll have to leave your sword here or risk arousing their suspicion.”

Jayden handed her the bundle, but didn’t let go when she tried to pull it from his grasp. His eyes locked onto hers with a fierceness she knew all too well. “If we see or hear signs of danger, if we even suspect a threat to your wellbeing, Lockheart and I will come down on them like the wrath of God.”

With Jayden that was no idle threat. Dana was less certain of what Suzy was capable of, but Jayden made it sound like the woman was a serious threat, possibly his equal.

Dana met his gaze. “You trusted me before. Trust me now.”

She left them and hurried toward the manor and its army of soldiers and mercenaries. It surprised her how far she got before the first man noticed her. Two spearmen wearing chain armor and dressed in blue and black stepped toward her and gave her curious looks when she stopped in front of them and curtsied.

“Good sirs, my name is Candice Latchkey. My family needs money to cover next year’s taxes. Forgive me if I ask too much, but I brought home cooked meals I thought you might like to buy. I know you’ll love it, and I don’t charge much.”

One spearman looked through the bundle of food while the second kept an eye on her. The first one pinched off a piece of Suzy’s bread and tasted it. He nodded and looked to the other spearman. “It’s good. We’ll have to clear this with the captain first. Sven, take her to the command tent.”

A spearman barely older than Dana led her to a large brightly lit tent. Inside stood three older men wearing plate armor and arguing over plates of cold chicken. They paused when the young spearman entered and saluted. Dana opened her mouth, but one of the men spoke first.

“Peasant,” he said. The man had ugly scars along the left side of his jaw, like he’d been badly burned in the past. His hair was black going to gray and cut very short. He walked up to her and saw the bundle she was carrying. “Trying to curry favor or do business?”

Dana curtsied again. “Business. I’m selling home cooked—”

The man jammed a finger into one of Suzy’s pies and stuck it in his mouth. “Sweet bark. I haven’t tasted that in a long time. Where does a peasant girl get sweet bark?”

Thinking fast, she said, “A man came to my village with spices for sale. We didn’t know why he sold it so cheaply.”

The scarred man laughed. “He’s a clever thief to sell to peasants. You’d eat the evidence fast enough. Fine, sell your food and be on your way, but if one of my men eats it and falls sick, you’ll pay.”

Dana did her best to look offended. “Sir! I’ve never disappointed a customer, much less harmed one.”

“Off with you,” the scarred man said.

Dana left the tent and went among the armed men around the manor. She gradually made her way closer to the armored wagons, careful to take a roundabout path so it didn’t look like that was her objective. As she walked she offered food to nearby men. Most refused her, but men came in ones and twos to buy what she had. This earned a fair number of copper coins, far less than the spices in the food were worth, and kept up the appearance that she was a peddler.

Bit by bit she got closer to the armored wagons. She stopped when she was twenty feet away and tried to look inside the nearest one. The back of the wagon had been lowered, and even in the poor light of the camp she could see it was empty. The contents had been unloaded.

So many wagons could carry tons of cargo. That meant it had to be transferred to a building with lots of space. Dana studied the two barns and decided to check the one built over the cavern. If Duke Wiskver was feeling particularly paranoid he might hide the goods underground.

Dana earned another handful of coins as she worked he way closer to the barn. Neither barn had soldiers or mercenaries camped close to it, which meant approaching them might make her stand out. Dana risked it and went closer. She got within fifty feet and stopped, but not willingly.

Her feet didn’t want to move. She pressed on, lifting a foot and trying to fall forward, but even this got her only a step closer. The closer she got the worse this strange compulsion was until she couldn’t move her arms, legs, even her fingers closer to the building. Panicking, she took a step backwards, and to her relief she moved away at full speed.

What to do? There was still another barn to check. Would the same mysterious force defend that one? She tried to look casual as she approached the barn. This time there was no trouble, and she reached a side door without incident. The door was barred from the outside. Dana had no trouble lifting the bar and setting it quietly on the ground.

She opened the door to find the enormous barn was filled front to back with people. Most of them were girls her age or younger, while about a third were boys no older than twelve. They wore simple cotton clothes and huddled around small brick lined fire pits. The girls and boys were chained together in long lines like prisoners.

Worse than this, if such a thing was possible, were their anguished faces. They looked at Dana in fear and self-loathing. Many turned away at the sight of her. Those who did meet gaze had writing tattooed onto their right cheeks just below the eye. Dana took a step forward and read the words on the nearest girl. It said, “Property of,” with a line below those repulsive words. They were slaves.

“Who are you?” Dana whispered.

“The man said we don’t have names anymore,” a girl responded.

“What man?”

Another girl told the first one, “Don’t talk. You’ll get us in trouble.”

“It can’t get worse than this,” the first one said. “The tall man, Wiskver, bought us in Skitherin. He brought us to a city, and today he brought us here. He’s going to sell us in springtime.”

These girls and boys were the cargo of the armored wagons. Jayden had said Duke Wiskver was still earning his riches through trade. They’d met slaves in Baron Scalamonger’s estate, and later a boy owned by an army officer Imuran Tellet. Scalamonger had said many noblemen used slave labor, but even in Dana’s worst nightmares she hadn’t believed the trade in human lives was this extensive. Duke Wiskver must be supplying the demand, and no doubt earning a handsome profit.

Dana took the girl’s hands in hers. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”

“How? We can’t go home. Our own families sold us. We have no money, no land, no one to turn to.” The girl looked down. “Run. Leave before they sell you, too.”

There wasn’t much of Suzy’s cooking left. Dana handed it to the girl and said, “It won’t go far, but pass it around. Please believe me, help is coming.”

Dana left the barn and closed the door behind her. She felt an empty feeling in her heart. She had to help these poor people, but what could she do when the duke had a thousand men? Dana hurried away from the barn and headed for the edge of the camp.

“Hey, girl, you have anything left?” Dana spun around and saw the young spearman from before approach her.

“Uh, Sven, isn’t it? Sorry, no, all out. I’ll bring more tomorrow.”

Sven laughed and caught up with her. “You sold out that fast? I thought you’d be here all night. This duke is an idiot, but he feeds us enough that we don’t have to poach game or buy food. You’re good.”

Dana kept walking toward the edge of the camp. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have a man yet, do you?”

That made her stop in mid step. “I have a boyfriend.”

“But does he have money? You’re a good cook, and you’re good at peddling. Most women are too shy for that. You should see girls run when we come into town! Sheep are braver. A man would do well to have you for a wife.”

“I’ll be sure to tell my boyfriend.”

Sven cheerfully said, “My captain shares loot and pay from our employer, not like some captains. I have enough to settle down and buy a farm. I just need a wife. Your man doesn’t have money or he wouldn’t let you come here alone. I’m a better choice than he is.”

“Wait, you’d asked a stranger to marry you?”

“Why not? Back in Skitherin Kingdom, grandparents arrange marriages. Here we have to find wives by ourselves. A woman who can cook and is pretty, that’s a good catch. Love can come later.”

Dana knew parents who meddled in their children’s love lives, forbidding certain boys and encouraging others. It wasn’t strange for parents to pick a wife or husband for their children. “Take your money home and let your family pick a girl for you.”

Sven waved his hand like he was shooing away a fly. “Why go back? You know what would happen if I tried? The nobles, the magistrates, the Ministry of Obedience, they’d take every coin from me. I risked my life to earn that money. I can spend it, I can give it away, but no one takes it from me.”

Sven stopped her and pulled a coin pouch from his belt. He opened it and held it up to show her. “See, gold. That’s enough to buy good land, livestock, tools—”

“And buy a wife, too,” Dana interrupted.

“No, it’s not like that!”

Skitherin Kingdom must be a miserable place if men like Sven would risk their lives by becoming mercenaries. It must be doubly miserable if families sell their daughters and even sons. Sven hated his homeland, natural enough given what he’d said. The other mercenaries probably felt the same. But how did they feel about the common people from back home?

Dana put her hands on her hips. “It is so! You think you can buy me like those poor Skitherin girls in the barn.”

Sven’s expression went from panic to confusion. “What girls?”

“The ones in the barn. Duke Wiskver bought them from your homeland, and he’s selling them here. I won’t be bought for pocket change.”

Confusion gave way to anger, and then grim determination as Sven grabbed Dana’s hand. “Come with me.”

Dana barely had to feign indignation as Sven dragged her to the command tent. “Hey, wait a minute!”

Soldiers and mercenaries watched with concern as Sven pulled her along. They reached the command tent to find little had changed, except the cold chicken dinners were now only bones picked clean. The scarred man leading the mercenaries raised an eyebrow when he saw Dana again.

“What did she do?” he demanded.

Sven pushed Dana toward the ugly man. “Tell the captain what you told me.”

Dana pointed at Sven. “He wants to settle down and asked me to marry him.”

The captain burst out laughing. Sven blushed and shouted, “Not that part!”

“He showed me what you paid him and said he could support me. I said I wouldn’t be bought like those Skitherin girls in the barn.”

The captain stopped laughing. “Girls? What’s this about? How would you know what’s in those barns?”

Oops. Dana prayed she was a convincing liar. “I heard voices in the barn and thought some of your men were staying there. I opened a side door and saw girls and young boys chained up. They said they were from Skitherin Kingdom, and that the duke had bought them.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed. “The wagons that came in this morning, they went straight into the barn before unloading so we wouldn’t see.”

“Is this how they’re able to pay us?” Sven demanded. “Our daughters and sisters are being sold like oxen, and to do what? Mop floors if they’re lucky! Captain, are we going to take money from a man who hires us to fight his battles while treating our women like animals?”

Sven’s yelling brought mercenaries running to the command tent until there was a crowd gathered around the entrance. The captain glared at Sven and Dana. He looked angry and conflicted. Finally he said, “I don’t take a peasant’s word for anything. She says there are slaves in that barn, I look before I believe her.”

The captain marched out of the tent with his men following. Sven took the lead with Dana still in his grip. They marched up to the second, older barn, and the captain tried to open the large front door. He glowered at Dana when it didn’t budge.

“I used the side door,” she said, and pointed to it.

Grumbling under his breath, the captain marched to the side door, pulled off the bar and threw it aside. He opened the door and peered inside. Seconds later he came back out. “Sven, let the girl go.”

“Then it’s true.” Sven released Dana and ran to the door. He came back swearing and stomping his feet. More mercenaries came over and looked inside. Some looked outraged, while others were merely curious.

“Karl, open the door,” the captain ordered. A man big as an ogre lumbered up to the barn’s main door, lifted a sledgehammer and struck the lock. Wham! Wham! A third blow took the lock off, and the enormous man pulled the door open to reveal hundreds of cowering girls and boys.

The commotion brought soldiers, archers and knights running over. Steps behind them came a man wearing a sable coat. He was older with silver hair, and would have looked handsome except for the look of utter contempt on his face.

“What is the meaning of this?” the older man demanded.

“I believe that is my question, Duke Wiskver,” the mercenary captain replied. He gestured to the slaves. “Women and children of Skitherin in chains, goods to be sold no different than sheep or goats, and you thought we wouldn’t care?”

“My property is none of your business,” Wiskver said haughtily. “You have been paid well to fight for the king and queen. Nothing else that goes on in this kingdom is your concern.”

“King and queen,” the captain repeated. “Strange how often I hear that. Most kings speak for themselves, yet your king’s proclamations always come with his wife’s name attached to them, like she is his equal.”

“You dog!” Wiskver spat on the ground. “You’re hired help, nothing more, yet you dare to speak so contemptibly of my king!”

Dana watched the mercenaries and soldiers. The two sides were the same size, but the mercenaries were better armed and armored, and they looked more confident. Jayden had said mercenary captains didn’t owe their positions to royal commands or grants. The captain had earned his position through courage, quick wits and constant victories. His men followed because he paid them, and they could leave if they were dissatisfied. Many of them looked furious. If he backed down he risked them deserting or replacing him.

A fight could break out any second. Dana raced away, slipping twice on snow trampled down to mush by foot traffic. She heard shouting and insults behind her as she reached the tents, and barely got past them when she ran into Jayden, Suzy and Yub. She slid across the wet ground and landed at Jayden’s feet.

Jayden looked worried as he helped her up. “Are you hurt?”

“No, but it’s about to get really messy.” Dana looked back at the growing crowd of soldiers and mercenaries. She wasn’t sure which side would win if they fought. Jayden and Suzy could tip the fight in the mercenaries’ favor, but she hesitated to explain what she’d seen. Jayden had gone berserk when he’d seen the slaves at Scalamonger’s estate, and he might do so again. “Promise me you’re not going to go feral.”

Suzy looked confused. “What?”

“She’s worried I’ll lose my temper,” Jayden explained. “Dana, I won’t get angry. Tell me what you saw.”

“The new barn is protected by some kind of magic that kept me back, and I learned what was in the armored wagons. They were carrying people, Jayden, hundreds of girls and boys from Skitherin Kingdom. They’re chained up in the other barn. Wiskver is going to sell them this spring. I told the mercenaries, and they’re confronting the duke.” Dana saw Jayden’s eye’s narrow and his face turn red. “No, you promised!”

Suzy went through her coat and brought out a small bomb. “He promised, I didn’t. Back home I saw too many people treated like dirt, but they were still free people. This stops if I have to blow up every building here to do it.”

“Ms. Lockheart, I believe we’ve finally found a matter where we’re of the same opinion,” Jayden declared.

Dana grabbed them both by the arm. “The mercenaries are minutes away from rebelling. If you attack they’ll join forces with the soldiers to defend themselves. Just sit still and let them fight each other.”

Jayden looked dubious as he studied the growing conflict. “They’re too busy to pay attention to us. We can get closer and take action if needed. Lockheart, I assume your wagon is well supplied with explosives?”

“Like you have to ask.”

“Bring it with us and hide it behind a tent.”

They snuck into the tent camp and found the mercenaries and soldiers in a war of words. Men shouted back and forth, with Wiskver and the scarred mercenary captain the loudest and angriest.

“You came highly recommended as skilled warriors, yet I find disobedient curs before me!” Wiskver bellowed.

“You want blind obedience, buy a golem,” the scarred captain retorted. “You want battles won, hire men who think and treat them well. Is that what you thought we were, slaves for rent?”

A lone mercenary approached the barn’s entrance. Wiskver shouted, “Get away from there!”

The mercenary ignored him. “Tanya?”

One of the slave girls sat up straight, her eyes snapping open and her jaw dropping in shock. Just as fast she crouched down and covered her face with her hands. The mercenary ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Tanya!”

The scarred captain went to the man and put a hand on his shoulder. The mercenary had doubtlessly fought many battles, seen horrors beyond description, yet tears ran down his face like rivers. “S-sir, this is Tanya, from my village. She grew up three doors down from me. She’s a good girl. I, sir, I can’t leave her like this.”

The scarred captain looked at his followers, now universally angry. His eyes fell on Wiskver. “They’re coming with us. Take whatever they cost you out of our pay.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” Wiskver thundered. He pulled a jeweled rod from inside his coat and pointed it at them. “Men, attack!”

Dana had to give the soldiers credit for bravery if not brains as they charged headlong into the mercenaries. The mercenaries battered them aside with contemptible ease, fighting with a unity and ferocity Dana had rarely seen. Soldiers were surrounded and knocked to the ground, their weapons broken, and a few were even robbed.

Suzy ran headlong into the fight with Yub at her side. “I want in on this!”

Jayden handed Dana her sword back and followed Suzy. Suzy threw bombs and sent knights screaming from their horses. Jayden formed his giant magic hand and bowled over archers taking aim at the mercenaries. Yub tripped soldiers and took their wallets.

Dana ignored the fight and ran into the barn. Slaves cowered when she approached, and they screamed when she drew her magic sword. She swung down as hard as she could. A shower of sparks shot up as it hacked through a chain holding twenty slaves together. Screams turned into shouts of joy, and slaves held up their chains for her to cut.

Wiskver ran into the barn and saw her chop through another chain. “No, stop!”

Dana pointed her sword at his heart. “I’m coming for you next!”

Wiskver ran screaming from the barn. Dana hacked chains apart one after another until everyone was free. She led them out to find the soldiers falling back. Wiskver wasn’t with them. Instead he headed for the second barn. He held up his jeweled rod and went right through the barrier that had kept Dana back.

“Oh no.” Dana saw Jayden pursuing fleeing soldiers and waved to him. “Jayden, stop Wiskver!”

The warning came too late. Wiskver pressed his rod against the barn’s door, and it swung open as if strong men were pushing it. He stepped aside and pointed his rod at the mercenaries.

“Idiots!” Wiskver screamed into the barn. “Worthless retches the lot of you! I paid good money for you failures! Not one of you would do a day’s work! If work is too good for you, then fight in my name! Kill! Kill!”

Seconds passed with no response, making Dana think Wiskver was out of his mind, before a lone voice called back, “You only had to say it once.”

The barn’s interior lit up with a sea of red lights. There was a strange clacking sound, like sticks hitting sticks, followed by a hateful, braying laughter, and the stuff of nightmares poured out. Animated skeletons ran screaming from the barn like a river in flood, each one with red light pouring from empty eye sockets, and unarmed except for their sharp teeth and nails. Horrible as even one of these abominations was, they emerged by the hundreds, laughing, screaming and throwing their heads back as they howled.

Dana would have screamed in horror or fear, but the cry died in her throat as a wave of pain washed over her. She grabbed her head and pinched her eyes shut as she doubled over. The slaves suffered the same agony and cried out. Seconds later pain turned to rage, an unquenchable hatred that made her entire body shake.

The skeletal horde crashed into the mercenaries with overwhelming numbers. The scarred captain rallied his men into a rough square that slowly fell back. Skeletons surrounded the formation and pounded on it from all sides. Mercenaries battered skeletons to pieces, only for more to take their place.

Skeletons also went after the soldiers. Wiskver shouted at them to stop and waved his rod at them to no avail. Soldiers fought with fierceness equaling the mercenaries, falling back only far enough to have walls at their backs. Skeletons attacked the buildings as well and tried to force their way through doors and windows. Wiskver pulled at his hair, helpless to stop the battle.

Then they came to the barn.

“Ooh, look at all the pretty pretties to kill,” a horrifying skeleton said as it stepped in front of the barn door. This one was missing a foot and had a horse’s hoof in its place, and there was an extra arm on its left side. “I must have been a good boy!”

Dana screamed in pain and revulsion as she charged the monster. It tried to grab her with its three arms. She slid under its clumsy swings and lashed out with her sword, hacking off two of its arms. The skeleton looked puzzled and held up the stumps in front of its glowing eyes. She swung again and lopped off both legs at the knees. The skeleton fell to the ground, and she plunged her sword through its ribs and spine, destroying it.

“Hey, save some for me,” a skeleton with a wolf’s skull said as it swaggered into the barn. It stared at the shattered bones and its jaw dropped. “Huh?”

Dana charged the skeleton and swung across its chest, slicing through rib bones before cutting off the front of its skull. The skeleton fell backwards into a third skeleton, knocking it over. She leapt onto the fallen skeleton and cut it to pieces.

Dana heard a faint noise of a girl screaming. In her fury it took seconds to realize the screams were hers. Pain and rage made it hard to think. She saw skeletons running to join the attack on the mercenaries. She growled under her breath and ran after them, catching up with one and stabbing it in the back until it fell.

Mercenaries and soldiers were pushed together by the rush of skeletons until they stood side by side. The men fought with the same fury Dana did, snarling and screaming as they battered and hacked their enemies to pieces. Skeletons mobbed men and dragged them down, but men ran to the rescue and pulled their victims to safety. It would have been impressive, except the stream of skeletons from the barn never slackened.

Jayden fought his way to the embattled men, his black sword slashing apart skeletons like they were wheat before a scythe. He seemed to be the only person not totally consumed by rage. Suzy Lockheart was steps behind him and hurling explosives at anything within range. Yub followed suit with more explosives. When he ran out he threw himself at the nearest skeleton and bit it, chewing the skeleton’s leg and eating it.

Dana destroyed ten skeletons getting to Jayden. She was hit twice and knocked back, but she went on heedless of the blows until she reached him. Jayden embraced her with his left arm when she came close.

“Jayden, make it stop!” Dana clutched her head and gritted her teeth. “I want…I need to kill them! I hate them all!”

“Your body is reacting to the presence of undead,” he said. “The pain will stop when they’re gone. My mind cloud spell protects me, but it takes too long to cast it on you.”

Skeletons tried to swarm the two of them. Suzy spotted the attack and hurled a bomb into the mob, blasting it apart. She tried to charge the next group of skeletons until Jayden pulled her to a stop.

“Why don’t they stop coming?” Dana asked. “The barn’s not that big.”

“Wiskver must have put them into the cavern below as well as in the barn,” Jayden said. “It’s large enough to house thousands of skeletons. We’ll be overrun if we stay and chased down if we flee.”

More skeletons attacked. These ones were pieced together nightmares with bones from men and animals fused together. Jayden destroyed the first two with his black sword, while Dana charged a third one and cut it apart. Suzy hurled firebombs into the skeletons and burned them to ashes.

“More!” Suzy yelled. “Keep them coming! I’ve got bombs for weeks!”

“Cave,” Dana gasped. “If most of them are underground, can we bring the cave down on them? Like we did in Armorton when we blew up the sewers?”

“We’d need an enormous amount of explosives,” Jayden told her.

“Suzy, we need all the bombs you have!” Dana yelled.

Suzy had trouble focusing enough to answer. “Bombs. More bombs in my wagon.”

“Enough to blow up the barn?” Dana asked.

“Yes.” Suzy ran to her wagon just as her horses broke free of their yokes. Dana assumed the animals would run off. Instead they raced to the nearest skeletons and stomped them to pieces. Suzy climbed onto her wagon and said, “I can set the bombs to go off, but I can’t move them closer.”

Jayden hacked apart another skeleton and impaled a second one that Dana finished off. He let his black sword fade out and formed one of his giant magic hands. The hand grabbed the back of the wagon and pushed it toward the barn. Suzy pulled a test tube out of her coat, shook it hard and threw it into the back of her wagon. She jumped off as the wagon rolled by Jayden and Dana.

The wagon rolled fast and struck the stream of undead coming from the barn, crushing a dozen of them before going through the barn’s door. Skeletons kept pouring out, and some climbed onto the wagon.

Dana grabbed Suzy by the arm. “When is it going to g—”

BOOM! The explosion leveled the barn, throwing huge pieces of burning timber through the air to crash into skeletons. Dense clouds of smoke and dust billowed into the air. The ground shook and began to sink, slowly at first but picking up speed quickly. What little remained of the barn vanished into the ground, and more land around it disappeared. Soldiers, mercenaries and slaves fled when the manor house crumbled into the earth.

Mercenaries and soldiers surrounded a hundred skeletons still standing and finished them off. Three skeletons tried to flee. They only got a few steps before Jayden caught up with them and swung his black lash, wrapping it around them and burning through them. With the last skeletons gone the pain lifted, and people across the battlefield collapsed in exhaustion.

Suzy stared at the gaping hole where the barn and manor house had been. “That was good.”

Jayden let his magic whip fade away. “Incredibly satisfying.”
* * * * *

Dana woke the following morning to see soldiers and mercenaries, who’d only the night before had tried to kill one another, were side by side picking through the remains of Duke Wiskver’s property. They looted anything worth taking, loading up with food, drink and warm clothing. One soldier kept apologizing, telling anyone who’d listen that he hadn’t known of the duke’s crimes. Dana looked around and found Jayden talking to the scarred mercenary captain.

Jayden asked, “What will you do now?”

“There are other companies of Skitherin mercenaries in this kingdom,” the captain said. “I need to tell them what we’ve learned, both about our womenfolk and that a duke was involved in necromancy. We’ll take the women and children with us and leave the kingdom. No amount of gold is worth this.”

“It’s a pleasure to hear that.”

The captain slapped Jayden on the back. “I’ve heard about you. You’re got quite a price on your head. You’re also quite a wizard. I don’t have a wizard working for me. You could come with us.”

“Tempting as that is, I have work to do here.”

The captain saw Dana as she walked up to them. He looked at Sven the spearman and shouted, “That the one you wanted?”

Sven blushed. “Uh, yes.”

“I saw her fight last night. Good eye, boy.”

The captain walked away, leaving Dana and Jayden alone. Dana looked at the gaping hole in the ground left by Suzy’s explosives. “Jayden, there was an army of skeletons down there. How hard would it have been to make so many?”

“Only the strongest necromancers would have the power.” He frowned and added, “Animated skeletons are typically made from the bones of only one animal or person. The ones we faced had been cobbled together from many sources, sometimes with extra limbs. If a necromancer that powerful is allowed to continue experimenting, there’s no telling what horrors he could produce.”

“They were stored on Wiskver’s land. He thought he could control them. He was in on it, Jayden, he had to be.”

“He was indeed. The duke fled during the battle, a wise move given that his own men would tear him apart if they got the chance. Wiskver’s dealing with a necromancer opens the possibility that the king and queen might be behind it. Would Wiskver take such a risk without their support? Did they order him to do this?”

Jayden looked off into the distance. “Father, what have you done?”

Dana heard horses whinny and armor plates clink. She turned to see Suzy and Yub driving an armored wagon and stop next to them.

“There wasn’t as much loot as I’d like, but Wiskver had agricultural supplies I can use,” she said. “Sulfur, charcoal, and a soldier told me I can find saltpeter in the next town. It’s enough to make the bomb I need. We’ve got time to reach Brandish and close off the pass. Let’s go.”

“I can’t,” Jayden told her.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Suzy demanded. She waved an arm at the liberated slaves. “You saw that! Girls were turned into property! It makes the garbage I put up with growing up look like a cakewalk. We can’t let this spread to other kingdoms!”

“Which is why you have to close the pass to Brandish as soon as possible. You have the tools to do the job without us. Dana and I have to find the necromancer responsible for this outrage before he causes further suffering.”

“You think you can stop the monster who did this without me?” Suzy asked.

“There’s no choice. If I come with you the necromancer will produce further atrocities. If you come with me Brandish is left open to attack. Neither of us can fail.” Jayden walked up to her and took her hand. “You have to do this.”

She stared at him. “This is why you’re like this, isn’t it? You saw this nightmare coming and focused your whole life to stopping it.”

“I suspected it, but last night proved I underestimated the threat. I’ve failed to end this horror. I need you, Ms. Lockheart. Help me stop this madness before it spreads. Hundreds of thousands of lives depend on you.”

Suzy stared hard at him and rode off. “We’ll meet again.”

“Feeling relieved?” Dana asked him as he watched Suzy leave.

“Yes, but not for the reason you think. Suzy understands me better than she did before, perhaps enough that what she’s doing in Brandish is no longer just a job. If so, the people of that kingdom have a worthy ally for the battles to come. Dana, we need to go. Finding the necromancer will be no easy feat.”

They left Duke Wiskver’s ruined estate and headed into the snowy wilderness. Dana looked back briefly at the soldiers who’d once served the duke. What would they do now? If nothing else they could spread the word of the duke’s crimes. That alone could do immeasurable good.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about a name for my sword,” she began.

Jayden smiled. “Again?”

She drew the blade and studied it. “You said the name should mention important battles or famous deed. I know it sounds silly, but destroying Wall Wolf didn’t seem like it was important enough. The golem wasn’t a monster, just a mindless tool. It could have been used for good if better people were controlling it.”

“That is a very good point.”

“Duke Wiskver is different. He decided to be a slaver. He decided to use the undead.” She thought back to the night before and shuddered. “How could anyone think he could control those things? Stopping him, freeing those children, I’m proud of that. My parents would be proud. I used the sword to do it. So I’m calling it Chain Cutter.”

No sooner has she said the words then the sword shook so hard she had to hold it with both hands. Sparks poured off it like a shower, and it made a crackling sound like distant thunder. The noise, sparks and shaking stopped almost as fast as it started, leaving Dana worried and confused. She looked at the blade. The words Chain Cutter were written across one side of the sword in flowing letters that faintly glowed like stars at night.

Hesitantly, she asked Jayden, “Is that normal?”

Jayden didn’t look bothered. “Normal is a relative term with magic.”