Part 18 (1/2)
”I did,” said Hogan. ”She is prepared.” In each conflict, the Order took great precautions to make sure the full trio of leaders could never be found together at the same time. If two fell, the third would have a better chance to bear the rest of the grove off to safety and start again somewhere else. Or to mount a counterattack.
”I told her to ready the Victor's Crown,” said Arogth. The crown of a Victor was a special weave. An ancient device used by the old G.o.ds to bestow great might upon its wearer.
”Do you think it will come to that?” asked Hogan.
”The reports coming out of Plum,” said Argoth, ”if they're true, suggest this is rare magic. Terrible. Who has wielded the power to animate such a beast? The older texts describe it, but when was the last time?”
”Never.”
”And it rises in a place where a Divine has recently vanished. The New Lands are vast. I wonder if we've awakened something here.”
Hogan sighed. ”Do you think Purity is involved?”
Argoth shrugged. ”Purity had skills the rest of us did not comprehend. I wish Matiga were here. How can we make a decision to cull this tree without her?”
Matiga was strong-willed. Sometimes to the point of being obstinate. She was currently three months into a grudge against Hogan. She had found an excellent woman to join the Grove. One she hoped to marry to Hogan. She was the widow of a Koramite boat builder. Matiga had prepared the woman and asked Hogan and Argoth to test her for admittance to the Grove. Of course, the woman knew nothing of this. She could not. The Grove's survival depended on strict secrecy.
Hogan and Argoth had agreed to consider the woman and had tested her in many ways for almost a year. In the end, Argoth and Matiga had been satisfied, but Hogan found her wanting. They'd argued, but Hogan would not budge. The trio had to act in perfect unison on such matters. And so the woman was rejected. Matiga had been furious. In this case, Argoth thought she had grounds. Matiga might be strong-willed, but she was also perceptive in her odd way. The woman would have been an a.s.set.
Purity was an a.s.set as well. And it was a terrible decision before them. Purity had been a friend for so long. But the Grove couldn't risk putting all three roots together in this situation. And even if they could, he doubted he would have been able to convince the lords of the Shoka to let him bring in yet another person to see the prisoner.
”If this tree can be saved,” said Hogan. ”We will do it. But if it cannot, are you prepared?”
Argoth touched his pocket that contained the required poison. ”I am prepared,” he said, his heart groaning with the weight of those words.
They said nothing more. Argoth led Hogan past the guards and mastiffs, and into the first bailey. They turned left and walked to the second gate and another set of guards.
The whole design of the castle was to create a series of killing fields, areas where attackers would be forced to expose themselves to fire from many directions. The path from the first to the second gate was just such a killing field, forcing a troop sideways to travel to the second gate. The moat, the fortress road, and the s.p.a.ces before the gates and barbican were killing fields as well.
Argoth and Hogan pa.s.sed the guards and walked into the dark tunnel. A rat spooked and scurried before them. They followed it out to the inner courtyard which lay in darkness. An armsman on a horse trotting to the gate nearly collided into Hogan. At the last moment, the rider jerked his horse to the side and headed into the tunnel, the clopping of the horse's hooves sounding on the cobblestones.
Across the deep courtyard, the sea tower rose into the sky, moonlight gleaming dully off its ramparts. From the top of that tower a watchman could see miles out to sea. On a clear day he could see the out islands.
In most fortresses, prisoners held for ransom were kept in the tops of towers. If they wanted to escape, it meant they would have to make their way through all the defenses below. More importantly, it was more comfortable living at ground level, and so the lower rooms were usually taken by those with authority. But sleth were a different matter. They could descend heights and break timber floors that other men could not. Experience had shown that they needed to be held behind tons of rock. The cleansing room, the only place in all of the New Lands capable of holding sleth, was built in the cellar of the sea tower.
Argoth led Hogan across the courtyard to the tower. They pa.s.sed a group of soldiers drawing water from the well. A number of yards farther they arrived at a low wall a dozen paces from the door of the tower. Half-a-dozen guards stood along the wall with two more mastiffs in their midst.
”Hold,” one of them said.
”Captain Argoth, here on at Warlord s.h.i.+m's request. We've come to question the woman.”
”Aye,” said the man, then he walked back to the tower door and knocked. The door of the tower was set deeply between two wings much like a fortress gate was, but in a smaller dimension. There were dark arrow loops in those wings that would allow archers, if there were any there now, to cover the door with crossfire.
Moments later, a small block of wood set behind bars opened at eye level revealing lamplight within. Part of a face filled the opening.
”Your visitors have arrived,” the man said.
The face disappeared and the block closed. A moment later the crossbar inside sc.r.a.ped, then the door opened. A giant of a man with a bushy beard held the door with one hand and a lamp with the other. His name was Droz. Many straps hung from his armsman's ap.r.o.n-for not only was he experienced, but he was also a dreadman of immense ferocity. Argoth had seen him chop men in two. Both his right and left forearms were covered with warrior tattoos.
”Ah, Captain,” Droz said. ”We've been waiting for you.” He motioned for Argoth and Hogan to enter.
Argoth led Hogan through the opening in the wall and to the door. When they entered the dimly lit room, Droz shut the door behind them and swung down the cross bar.
The room was windowless, wide, and bare, with only a plain hearth burning to one side. There were no wooden tables or benches. Not a chair or cupboard. Nothing a sleth might use as a weapon. The only seats or shelves were those carved in the stone. It was purposely large enough for half a dozen men to wield spears and bows freely. A few guards slept on the floor. Three stood behind Droz holding their weapons. One stood at the far end of the room next to an iron lever set in the wall.
It was clear the warlords considered Purity a serious threat. Argoth wondered about s.h.i.+m. If he wanted to trap Argoth, this would be the perfect way to do it.
Droz motioned at Hogan with his lamp. ”I expect you want irons for him?”
”No,” said Argoth. ”He's working with me.”
”But he's not working with me,” said Droz, ”now, is he?”
”Actually, Droz,” said Argoth, ”he is.”
Droz stood a head taller than either Argoth or Hogan. He folded his ma.s.sive arms across his chest and looked down at them. The three men behind Droz s.h.i.+fted ever so slightly into a stance that would allow them to quickly spring into action.
”Search him,” said Arogth. ”In fact, if you're worried about it, order him to strip. Send him to the cleansing room naked.”
”Now, now,” said Droz. ”We're not in the business of sending pretty men to the witch. This isn't a brothel, Captain.”
The other men smiled, but they did not laugh.
”Well, there's your problem,” said Argoth. ”Not all prisoners can be cracked directly. Sometimes you've got to build a little trust. And Zun Hogan here will do that. So perform your search. It's late and I want some answers.”
”You're not going to get any,” said Droz.
”Is that so?”
”We've been pressing her. Quiet as a fish, she is. Oh, she'll struggle and cry out as loudly as the next one, but she won't talk.”
Argoth truly hoped it was true. If nothing else, Purity had to keep their names hidden. ”We'll see if different methods produce different results.”
”How many of us do you need?” Droz asked.
”It will be just me and the bowmaster this time.”
Droz grunted. ”Just the two of you? Are you sure that's safe?”
”She's got the King's Collar, hasn't she? So she's nothing more than a woman. And an injured one at that.”
Droz nodded. He pointed at Hogan. ”He's her lover then?”
”She had one love,” said Hogan. ”And he wasn't a man even you would want to cuckold.”
Droz looked at Argoth. ”We're going to have to search him. Can't be giving her keys or daggers or other sweets.”
”Of course,” said Argoth.
Hogan took a wide stance. A guard patted him down. When the guard finished, he stood back, looked to Droz, and nodded.