Something did not feel right. Miriam tried to place the strange sensation. It was a mind, and it was getting closer, but it was not a normal mind and it was travelling faster than any woman could.
‘Move, get off the terrace,’ she shouted.
At first no one did anything, except look at her and wonder what was she was doing.
‘Everyone, get inside the Dragon is coming,’ Tilla shouted.
Miriam was glad that her friend was with her. The other women did not listen to her. The corps-women sunning themselves slowly got up and made their way to one of the four staircase entrances. They moved without haste until one of them screamed, as the Dragon appeared silhouetted against the blue sky above the limestone cliffs.
Miriam waited inside the door, Tilla beside her. Neither girl knew whether to look outside or not.
‘Has it ever attacked in the afternoon before?’ Miriam asked.
‘You know as much as me,’ Tilla replied.
‘What is it?’ Galien said as she pushed her way past the women making their way down to the safety of the citadel.
‘The Dragon has come back,’ Miriam explained.
‘Send it one of tomorrow’s meals,’ Galien called behind her.
Miriam glanced round the senior corps-woman and saw Cecilia turn and head back down the stairs.
‘You two stay here, and when it has gone report to me in the Harem,’ Galien said to Miriam and Tilla, and then headed back down the stairs.
‘What is going to happen?’ Tilla asked.
‘They must have selected the sacrifices for tomorrow already and are going to put one of them into the pit for the Dragon to eat. I think you had better go.’
‘No, I will stay with you,’ Tilla said.
‘Please, I don’t know what will happen. When it attacks I could kill anyone close by,’ Miriam pleaded.
‘How?’
‘It has happened before. What happens to its victim is so strong I can’t control my mind. I pass on the experience to those nearby and it is so strong it can kill.’
Reluctantly Tilla left Miriam alone, but Miriam did not have to wait long. She sensed someone’s terror, and she opened the door and saw a massive blur of movement as the Dragon dove down. It disappeared behind the parapet, into the pit. The terror exploded into panic and Miriam had to fight to control her bladder, as the victim lost control of her own. Suddenly the Dragon reappeared carrying its victim in its talons. Miriam forced herself to watch the huge grey creature flap its broad bat-like wings as lifted its load out of the pit. The victim was still alive, and Miriam waited until her mind was too far away to feel. Then she descended the stairs.
***
Ulrich looked at the blancher, as she struggled to stand up. She was taller than himself and maybe ten years his senior. Her blonde hair was tied back and plaited down to her waist. She wore loose trousers that were tucked into the tops of her boots. Her chest armour was shaped into the form of a woman and had been plated with silver. However there was a deep dent where she had fallen on top of her sword and the silver was flaking away to reveal the base metal underneath.
She struggled to undo the straps fastening her armour together. Ulrich realised that the dent must be restricting her breathing; he bent to her side and started unbuckling the leather straps. The woman took a deep breath as the metal fell away from her body and landed heavily on the ground.
‘Thanks,’ she panted. Underneath she wore no shirt except for the bandages that she bound tightly around herself to flatten and support her breasts. The strips of material stretched from just under her arms down to her waist and a few turns over her shoulders helped keep them in place. Ulrich thought that they must surely hamper her flexibility.
The two archers helped carry Duncan’s body back to the mercenaries’ quarters and laid it on his bed where Orinda would be able to prepare his body. Before she started, she turned her back on Ulrich and quickly began to remove her bandages. Soon she was naked from the waist up and Ulrich stole a brief glimpse of one of her breasts as she leant over and picked up a shirt from her own bed. Ulrich licked his lips as Orinda lifted the shirt over her head and covered herself up.
‘Right, let’s get started,’ she said as she turned to face him.
Guiltily Ulrich realised he should have been facing the other way, even though she was his prisoner.
They gathered some rags and a pail of water and then turned to the body lying on the bed. Orinda unbuckled the bent and torn chest armour and pulled it off the body. The force of the blow from Werner’s axe had bent the metal inwards and some of the jagged edges had torn chunks of flesh from the body. Then she cut away the old blood soaked woollen shirt Duncan wore underneath.
Ulrich saw the gaping wound cut into the mercenary’s torso. As Orinda lifted the body to remove the rest of the shirt, a fold of intestine popped out of the wound. Ulrich jumped back at his first sight of internal organs.
‘You’ll have to get used to the sight of guts, if you want to be a soldier, boy,’ Orinda sneered.
To show that he was not afraid he stepped forward and started to help by pulling off Duncan’s boots. Under the corpse’s neck Orinda found a small purse of coins.
‘What shall I do with these?’ she asked.
‘Shouldn’t they go to his family?’ Ulrich replied.
Orinda seemed happy with the suggestion and set the purse to one side. Ulrich, seeing the boots were in good condition, put them near to the purse. Then he untied the drawstring of Duncan’s trousers and grimaced as he felt the still wet blood. Moving to the foot of the bed and taking a firm grip of each trouser leg yanked them down uncovering the blood stained lower torso. A movement caught his eye and he jumped back.
“What’s wrong?’ Orinda asked.
‘Sorry but it’s just some more of his gut is sticking out, I’m just not used to it,’ he replied.
Orinda looked down the body, ‘Where?’ she asked.
‘There at the top of his legs,’ Ulrich said pointing to the bloody mess of piping protruding from the corpse’s groin. His stomach could take no more and he gagged as he felt it try to heave the remains of his last meal, back up through his mouth.
‘All this blood needs to be cleaned up,’ Orinda said, ‘maybe you had better step outside.’
Ulrich shook he head, too frightened to open his mouth, but backed away a couple of paces anyway.
Alwin and Werner returned with the two mercenary archers, having dug the grave for Duncan’s body.
‘Come-on, what’s keeping you? You should have that bagged up by now,’ demanded Alwin.
Orinda quickly pulled some white linen out of Duncan’s possessions. Apparently, he thought that travelling with his own shroud would improve his luck in battle; he was wrong. The archers stepped forward and helped Orinda wrap the body.
Ulrich stood with Alwin and Werner at a discreet distance watching the morbid proceedings.
‘That blancher looks a bit if a handful, would you like some help with her?’ Alwin asked.
‘No, she’s no problem,’ Ulrich replied.
‘When we have buried him we are going to find a pool to swim in.’ said Werner. ‘The locals say there is one just over half a mile down the valley.’
‘You bring the blancher and we‘ll hold ‘er down for you,’ suggested Alwin.
Ulrich looked at him, puzzled as to what he meant.
‘You know spoils of war, and all that,’ Alwin prompted, but still Ulrich was confused. ‘Do I have to spell it out? In the water, no clothes.’
Would Orinda go for a swim with the men? Ulrich doubted it, but the chance to see her fully naked did appeal.
Alwin went on, ‘Werner and I grab her, hold her on the ground to stop her fighting you off, and you get your todger out and then shove it in. You seemed pretty keen to have a go with that lass back in Ricksham.’
Ulrich assumed that a todger was a word his mother would not want him to know about. Shoving it in, sounded like an activity she would definitely not approve of, so it must something fun. He needed to speak with Peta before this trip to the pool.
The mercenaries solemnly carrying their comrade out ended any further conversation. Dafied led his men closely behind the funeral party, Ulrich by his side keeping an eye on Orinda. Ulrich could not deny that she was attractive, as he watched her long plait sway across her back.
He desperately wanted to know what it was like to lie with a woman naked, but he did not know what to do. He had heard his parents at night and from the noises they made whatever happened sound good. Peta had said she would tell what to do, but again Alwin and Werner were presenting him with a chance to find out for real. However, this time they would be spectating, back in Ricksham he would have been on his own with a girl who hopefully, would have taught him what to do. Orinda, being an unwilling participant would not help and he could not trust his comrades not to make a fool of him.
They watched the funeral from a discreet distance and when the party of mercenaries returned Dafied stepped forward and offered Reynard their parole. He accepted on behalf of his party. Orinda came up to Ulrich, expectantly. He looked across at his uncle for guidance.
‘Give her her sword,’ Dafied ordered.
‘Why?’ Ulrich mouthed back at him.
Orinda replied herself, ‘I promise not to attack you or your party or leave the area without your permission. In return I get my sword so that I can defend myself against any attackers.’
This concept seemed very wrong to Ulrich, but the rest of the warriors around him seemed quite happy with the situation.
His uncle came across and whispered in his ear. ‘It’s normal, but you only do it when the situation warrants it,’ Dafied explained. ‘As these mercenaries have met the contract we have nothing to fear from them. I won’t release them until I am sure that the villagers have not paid them, as they did not fulfil it very well. You also have to make sure that no harm comes to your parolee, and so I want you to keep close to her. All that you have to do now is return her sword as a sign of trust. Just make sure you keep a close watch on it. We will need to take it with us when we leave.’
Well that settles that, Ulrich thought to himself, if he was to protect Orinda he could hardly expect to force himself upon her.
‘Unfortunately I don’t have your sword, its still stuck in the ground,’ said Ulrich sheepishly. ‘Why don’t we go and get it.’
***
Orinda walked alongside Ulrich as they moved away from the graveside towards the battlefield. The evening sun warmed their backs as they went.
‘What were you and your friends planning?’ Orinda asked.
‘Sorry?’ Ulrich stalled.
‘Back in the village, just before the funeral, the three of you were huddled together, plotting something.’
They reached the shallow valley and Ulrich could see the sword sticking out of the ground.
‘Oh that,’ Ulrich paused trying to make something up. ‘Oh just something that happened when I first met them.’
‘So why all the looks in my direction?’
Ulrich tried to think of an excuse, but could not.
‘I know their sort, and what they would have in mind,’ Orinda said.
‘Um, they said, I think that. Well, they used words I didn’t know, but I think you may be right about what they were suggesting,’ he admitted.
Orinda turned to Ulrich and pulled his arm so that he was facing her.
‘Were you going to join them?’ she challenged him.
‘No.’ He was not lying, because he had not actually made his mind up.
Orinda studied him closely as he replied. His answer appeared to satisfy her, because her face softened.
‘Do you trust them?’
‘I would in battle, but I sometimes think they are trying to have a joke at my expense.’
‘The thing that happened when you met, did that involve a girl?’
Ulrich felt she could read him like a book. He nodded, guiltily.
‘What happened to her?’
‘Well, Uncle Dafied stopped us before we got to her room and told me off for leaving the garrison without permission, then sent me back, but he let the girl keep the money Alwin and Werner had given her.’
‘Good for him. So, Dafied’s your uncle. He does seem an honourable man, he wouldn’t have approved of your friends’ plan, is that why you didn’t join in?’
‘I hadn’t thought. You sound surprised at my uncle’s actions.’
Orinda looked at him. ‘He killed my queen. I watched him do it,’ she said, but her flat calm voice showed no trace of any anger. ‘I watched a cold blooded monster cut her down, but this man, he’s so different. It’s the nature of war. Just look at us, only a couple of hours ago we were trying to cut each other’s throats’
They reached the sword and Ulrich pulled it from the soil, some of which still clung to it. He examined it closely, checking its edge. It seemed rather plain; nothing indicated it held any special powers. Ulrich wanted to look at it closely, but with Orinda standing so close he didn’t want her to suspect he knew it could be a dragonblade.’
‘It could do with some work. Is there a smith in the village?’ he asked.
‘Yep, but he took off with his family a couple of weeks back,’ replied Orinda.
‘If you can show me his workshop I can do it.’
***
Miriam paused at the entrance to the Harem to take a deep breath. The two corps-women guarding the door looked at her.
‘You had better be careful,’ one of them said, ‘we nearly had a riot in there.’
‘Why?’ Miriam asked.
‘Galien has drawn another two lots for tomorrow morning. Here, why don’t you take this with you?’ The woman offered Miriam a sharpened stick.
‘No thanks,’ Miriam replied trying to hide her disgust.
‘On your head,’ the woman replied and opened the door.
Miriam entered the Harem and found herself in a huge vaulted hall, as big as any temple she had been in. At the far end, it opened out into an atrium, the light from which was reflected off the white walls of the hall. The hall was furnished with low tables and chairs. There were also large cushions upon which some women were reclining. Around the walls stood tubs planted with scented flowers. Along the walls, murals depicted scenes of life outside, trees, fields and almost forgotten homes.
The atmosphere amongst the many women that Miriam could see was tense. A low murmuring filled the room as she passed, but she also heard raised voices emanating from the crowd surrounding Galien. She could see Galien remonstrating with the frightened held back by leather-clad guards. Miriam made her way over to the crowd, aware that several women who had not become involved in the fracas were watching her.
Galien stopped talking when she saw Miriam approaching, and asked, ‘has it killed her?’
‘I don’t know,’ Miriam replied, ‘it flew off with her.’
‘Did you see where it went?’
‘No it flew up over the cliff and out of sight, then she was out of reach of my senses.’
‘Blast,’ Galien swore, and then turned and headed towards the exit.
Miriam knew she should follow but she wanted to find Idela. She turned and saw the girl amongst the protesters, standing beside the tall girl who had arrived at the citadel with Miriam and had accused her of being a witch. She started towards her, but felt a tug on her arm. She looked back and saw Tilla holding onto her arm.
‘Get out of the Harem,’ Tilla pleaded, ‘you don’t want to cross Galien whilst she’s in this mood.’
Miriam could also sense Tilla’s fear. These women were also frightened, but they were also angry and could turn on them in Galien’s absence. ‘I need to speak with Idela,’ Miriam explained, ‘it’s important.’
‘We have to be quick,’ Tilla conceded.
They briskly approached Idela who was talking with Iseld. The tall girl spotted them approaching, her vivid blue eyes flashed angrily.
‘What do you want?’ Iseld demanded.
‘I wish to speak with Idela,’ Miriam replied.
‘You should be kept out of here witch.’
Miriam was stung by Iseld’s taunt, but she did not let it distract her.
‘Idela, I must speak with you,’ Miriam pleaded with the blonde girl.
‘Be careful, she can see what you are thinking,’ Iseld warned.
‘It is true,’ Miriam confessed, ‘I have seen inside your mind. My mother had similar abilities; she predicted someone would come to kill the Dragon. I think you may have something to do with it.’
It wasn't exactly the truth, but Miriam needed to get Idela's attention.
Iseld made to protest but Idela put up her hand to stop her.
‘Go on,’ Idela said.
‘I have met a midwife from Twofords, she did not know you, but there is something about the woman who trained her that is important. I looked inside your mind when you arrived, I saw your mother.’
‘Yes,’ Idela said impatiently.
‘She is not your mother,’ Miriam said.
‘Go away, leave me alone.’ Idela turned to leave, and Miriam saw the look of confusion on Iseld’s face.
‘She says she does not want to let you into her mind, keep away from her,’ the tall girl demanded, but her voice faltered betraying her doubts.
‘You don’t think she’s telling the truth?’ Idela asked her friend.
Iseld paused, and looked at Miriam.
‘She can see into peoples’ minds, I have felt her. My family have been trained to counter such threats.’
‘So it could be true,’ Idela asked.
‘Yes,’ Iseld whispered.
‘You had better be telling the truth,’ Idela said to Miriam.
Miriam relaxed and probed the girl’s mind. It was full of anger, she saw the faces of women coming to her. Galien had made frequent visits.
‘I need you to think about home,’ Miriam said, ‘when you arrived, you thought about a betrothal.’
There was Idela’s mother, a loving smile on her face.
‘I’m afraid it is true,’ Miriam declared, ‘the woman you thought of as your mother did not bear you, although she loves you a dearly as if she had.’
‘But she never told me,’ Idela pleaded.
‘Because she thought of you as her daughter,’ Miriam explained. ‘There were two more people present.’
‘Bruna and Ulrich,’ Idela declared.
‘Bruna, yes. She’s the midwife.’
‘That’s right, she and mother were close friends. They were trying to arrange a betrothal between Ulrich and me, but Bruna thought I was too old.’
‘That was a lie,’ Miriam said, ‘she was hiding something.’
‘What was she hiding,’ Idela pleaded.
Miriam tried to see, but whatever sense she was using was being blocked by Bruna’s duplicity. Bruna’s determination to protect someone was so strong, even at this distance Miriam struggled to see through it. She felt a tug on her arm.
‘Cecilia’s here,’ Tilla whispered urgently.
‘Just a little longer,’ Miriam said, and closed her eyes in concentration. ‘She couldn’t allow the marriage. She had been caught out by her own actions.’ Miriam pushed with all her might. ‘The wedding would have been unholy. It would have gone against nature.’
‘Now, we have to go now,’ Tilla demanded and pulled Miriam away.
‘What reasons are there for not allowing a boy and a girl to marry,’ Idela called after her.
Tilla did not give her the chance to respond, but rushed her through the hall and out of the Harem. Panting they leant against the stone wall.
‘That was so close,’ Tilla whispered, ‘don’t you ever do that again.’
Miriam was not listening, she was thinking about all that she had seen inside Idela’s head. Miriam saw Ulrich through Idela’s eyes.
‘Of course, it’s so obvious,’ she declared.
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