The Harbors of the Sun

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It was morning when Bramble and Delin were taken down the corridor and up to the common room.

Through the large glass-shielded windows, Bramble could see the blue morning sky. Vendoin, Bemadin, and Lavinat sat on a bench, while several other Hians stood in attendance. Bramble hadn’t seen or heard anything of Lavinat since that first meeting in this room, and had almost forgotten her. But her presence here again seemed to show that she was important, though what her place was on this boat or in Vendoin’s plans, Bramble had no idea.

A young Hian male knelt by a low table, using a ladle to combine the contents of various jars into a set of three cups, then he stood and carried the tray to Vendoin, kneeling to offer it to her. There was something about it that Bramble found unnerving and alien. She flicked a quick look at Delin, and saw his expression was closed and neutral, almost as enigmatic as Stone at his best.

Vendoin must have seen Bramble staring, because she asked in Altanic, “Your males do not serve your females this way?”

“Not that way,” Bramble said. She wasn’t sure why it made the back of her neck itch, as if the spines she didn’t have in this form wanted to twitch in discomfort. Consorts made tea for their own queens and each other, informally. Except for Moon, who would do it for anybody unless you stopped him, and Stone, who as a line-grandfather did as he wanted. During formal meetings with other courts, Arbora generally tried to make the tea, since it was important to get it exactly right. But this was different somehow. It didn’t help that Vendoin was critically watching her discomfort.

With an edge to his voice, Delin said, “I don’t mean to interrupt your entertainment, but perhaps you could tell us what you want of us.”

Vendoin motioned them forward, indicating a stool near the table. There was only one stool, and Delin glanced at Bramble. She nodded at him to take it and he sat down with a sigh. Bramble stood behind him and realized she had a better view through the windows from this angle and could see that the flying boat was coming to a stop above a settlement.

It lay in a wide valley with a shallow river winding through that sparkled in the morning sunlight. Steep, rounded, forested hills stuck up out of the otherwise flat terrain, placed at random on either side of the bends of the river and sprinkled across the valley. The groundlings had mostly built their dwellings atop or in the sides of the hills, which were carved with pathways and stairs. Bridges joined the hills, and the ground around them was covered with colorful tents, apparently a market or trading area to receive the traffic from the docks along the river and the two elevated stone trade roads that curved in from the surrounding forest.

Before this trip, Bramble had only heard about large groundling settlements from Moon, and it was still exciting to see one, even under these circumstances. Groundlings moved on all the pathways and bridges, and big flat boats were moored at the river docks or moved slowly with the current.

Vendoin said, “You see we have stopped above a trading town, the last for some distance. We’re well past the borders of Kish now.”

That was discouraging. Bramble knew they had traveled a long way, far outside the bounds of any map she had ever seen, but at least she knew groundlings from Kish. She didn’t know if they were still alive or not, but it felt like Kish was the last familiar thing left in her world outside this flying boat.

Delin said, “That would mean something to me if I knew where we were going.”

Vendoin made a gesture, as if accepting that fact. “If only you had some information of use to me, perhaps I could be more forthcoming.”

Impatiently, Bemadin said, “Why play this game? We will have help soon and we no longer need him or the Janderan.”

Vendoin eyed Bemadin without favor. Then Lavinat said, “What Bemadin said is true, we have stopped here to find another scholar to help us.”

Bemadin’s glance at Lavinat seemed wary. Vendoin stiffened, as if Lavinat had insulted her somehow. The first time Bramble had seen them together, it had been obvious they weren’t in accord. It seemed like the division between them had grown worse over the journey; Bramble hoped it was something she and Delin could take advantage of.

Delin’s brow furrowed. “Do I know this scholar?”

Vendoin looked at Lavinat, as if waiting for her to answer, then said, “She is a great scholar of the foundation builders, but has not lived in Kish for some time.”

Delin smiled a little. “Does she know she is to help you or will you steal her as well?”

Bramble thought that if Vendoin had been a Raksura, she would have hissed and rattled. Vendoin started to say, “That is not—”

Someone shouted from down the corridor behind Bramble, a wordless yell of alarm. She whipped around just as the deck rocked under her feet. It’s Jade and Stone and Moon and the others, she thought in fierce joy. They found us!

Then she caught the scent carried in on the air from the corridor and shifted almost before her mind processed what it was. Fell stench. Sick, she blurted out, “Delin, it’s the Fell!”

She had spoken in Raksuran, but Hians in the corridor shouted the warning in their own language. Bemadin leapt up and ran from the room, calling out orders. Vendoin and Lavinat bolted after her, and Aldoan and the other Hian guards followed in a desperate rush. Delin shoved to his feet, knocking his stool aside in his haste. “Bramble—” His eyes were wide.

She stepped to him and caught his wrist. She didn’t want to risk being separated from him. Opposing impulses to hide and to fight warred in her chest. It was an Arbora’s duty to protect others and hide, and an Arbora’s instinct to fight. There was no queen or consort or older Arbora here to resolve that inner conflict.

Then Delin said in Raksuran, “Bramble, should we try to escape? If they have lifting packs aboard—We must find Merit and Callumkal—”

Bramble twitched and was able to think again. Yes, they had to use the confusion to get to the others. “Come on.”

She went out and up the corridor, tugging Delin along. Several cabinets lined the wall and Bramble stopped to fling them all open and Delin hurried to help. But there were no flying packs stored inside. Hissing, Bramble led the way to the nearest stairs. The Jandera had worn the harnesses for the packs all the time on their flying boat, and the packs themselves had been stored away in every cubby Bramble had ever looked into. The Hians didn’t do that, maybe because the skin between their armored patches was irritated by the harnesses. Or maybe they just didn’t care as much about survival as the Jandera did. “We’ll get Merit first. Do you have any idea where Callumkal is?”

“I have not heard him since we moved to this ship,” Delin said, his voice unsteady with exertion. “I think he must be on the far side, away from our room.”

They passed a window and Bramble caught a glimpse of dakti diving away from the flying boat. She felt a stab of despair; they might escape right into the mouths of the Fell.

Bramble plunged down the stairs, Delin hurrying after her. The boat rocked abruptly to the right and Bramble bounced off the wall. Delin hung on to the railing and she staggered, her claws catching on the soft surface of the deck. Multiple thumps shuddered through the deck, and she knew someone was operating the boat’s big fire weapons. Out of the corner of her eye she caught motion in the cross-corridor and hauled Delin back under the stairs.

Aldoan and another Hian trotted past, Aldoan carrying something and holding it out from her body like it was a poisonous fruit.

It was a dull, silver-colored metal cage with a jagged piece of dark crystal suspended inside it.

Bramble hissed under her breath. It was the artifact, the weapon.

Aldoan and the other Hian went through the outer hatch, letting the heavier door bang behind them as they ran out.

Delin gripped Bramble’s arm. He said, “That was it, the artifact— They must mean to use it against the Fell.”

Bramble leapt to the nearest crystal-covered window with a view of the deck.

Over the hills of the city, dark bodies shot through the air. Bramble spotted more dakti and two kethel. Light and sound burst from the top of a hill not far away; a Kishan fire weapon must be mounted atop it somewhere.

Bramble dragged her gaze down toward the Hians on the deck. Vendoin held the artifact now. She spoke to Lavinat, but the glass in the window muffled sound too much for Bramble to make out the words. From their gestures and posture they seemed to be disagreeing about something. Vendoin turned impatiently to Aldoan and handed the artifact back to her. Aldoan turned toward the hatch and Bramble started to duck.

The Fell ruler hit the deck barely three paces away from Aldoan. It slashed through the two armed Hians in the way, bounced forward, snatched Aldoan, and flung itself off the boat.

Delin made a strangled noise of horror. Bramble’s snarl was soundless, vibrating in her chest. It struck her suddenly that no matter how much she hated the Hians for everything they had done, this was not something that should happen. Not to them and not to anyone. It was too late for the armed Hians to fire their weapons, even as a mercy killing. The ruler carried Aldoan toward the outer edge of the city, so fast Bramble was sure only her eyes could track it. And now the Fell have the artifact. She hoped they didn’t know what it was.

She turned away from the doorway and grabbed Delin’s wrist to pull him with her. Nothing had changed, they had to escape now.

She made it two steps down the corridor when the deck suddenly leapt up and struck her in the face.

Bramble woozily contemplated the curve of the moss ceiling. Her whole body ached, especially her joints. She groaned, and realized the rush of noise was her ears ringing. Delin must have rolled her over, because he was leaning over her, eyes wide with dismay, shouting her name.

She tried to lift her hand and flail at him to stop. They couldn’t let the Hians know they were here. Then she saw two Hians stagger by behind Delin and groaned again. Well, piss on it. We’re too late. She tried to ask what had happened, but couldn’t get her mouth to form the words in her head.

Delin patted her face, as if trying to rouse her. Bramble realized she had shifted, that she was in her groundling form now. She tried to tell him she was all right but again no sound came out of her throat. It occurred to her that she was very much not all right.

Delin twisted to speak to someone she couldn’t see. “What is this? What has happened?” He sounded frightened. Bramble had never heard Delin sound really frightened before, and it turned her insides to ice.

A Hian stepped in to lean over her. It was Lavinat. “It was the weapon,” she told Delin. “It affects the Raksura as well as the Fell, as we expected. I think we will find it affects other races, any who descend in some way from the foundation builders or forerunners. There was a good reason why they chose to hide the weapon instead of use it.”

“This I suspected,” Delin said impatiently. “But Bramble was so far from it . . .”

Lavinat made a gesture of dismissal. “Vendoin knows less of it than she believes. She hoped the scholar who lives here could tell her more.” She added bitterly, “Aldoan obviously discovered how to get some use of it in a moment of extremis. If she lives, she can tell us.”

Delin looked down at Bramble, his face etched with fear and anger. “I don’t understand. Why this concealment, and abduction, and violence? If it is a weapon against the Fell surely no one could object to obtaining and using it? If it is carefully directed, the Raksura would not be harmed. There are no Fell flights near Raksuran colonies.” He glared up at Lavinat again. “Why did the foundation builders fear using it?”

Lavinat eyed him. “You haven’t guessed? Vendoin feared you had. The artifact is only one component of the weapon. The bulk of it lies somewhere else, somewhere nearby on the coast, if Vendoin is right. It is meant to kill on a large scale. Our scholars believe if this artifact is united with the rest of the device, it will destroy all the Fell on this part of the continent, from the far west to the eastern end of the Abascene peninsula.”

Bramble couldn’t take it in. It was like listening to a story read from a book. Surely this couldn’t be real. She was Bramble, an Arbora hunter of great skill from the Indigo Cloud Court. People like her hunted and worked and made art and had sex with their friends and at some point had a clutch or two or three on their way to old age. They didn’t become witnesses to the end of their world.

Delin’s face flushed a dark gold in distress. “That includes all the Reaches. All of Kish. The Jandera think they descend from the foundation builders . . .”

“As do other races within and outside the Imperial Kish borders.” Lavinat tilted her head in wry inquiry. “Would you have helped Vendoin if she had asked?”

“No.” His lips curled in revulsion.

“Then she was right,” Lavinat said, as Bramble saw the world go dark and drop away.