A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan

Author:Anthony Ryan [RYAN, ANTHONY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2024-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

It was another four days before Aleida fulfilled Julette’s prediction, and when she reappeared, it was to ask a question: “Aren’t you going to?”

Interrupted in the act of poking at the blisters that had appeared around the stagna, Ruhlin looked up to find her standing on the far side of the cage. He was surprised to see how she made no effort to conceal herself from Achela, who sat on a stool at the edge of the torch’s glow. True to Eldryk’s word, the Morvek woman had remained in sight of Ruhlin since that first meeting. She said and did nothing apart from watch him. He swung wooden swords at Tuhlan, Julette, and the other captives, while she watched. He ate and she watched. He pissed and shat in the hole, and she watched. She watched when he strove to improve his Alberic in nightly conversations with Julette. He assumed Achela must see to her meals and ablutions when he slept, but wasn’t even sure of this having woken in the night a few times to discover her still perched on her stool, watching. She continued to do so now, a small sideways flicker of her eyes the only indication that she had noticed Aleida’s presence.

“Going to what?” he asked.

“Her.” Aleida shot a scowling glance towards Julette’s cage. “He said you could fuck her. Why haven’t you?”

Julette had remained prone on her bunk until now, but Ruhlin saw her tense at this, face tightening in anger. Catching her eye as she began to rise, he gave an incremental shake of his head. Frowning, she settled back and turned onto her side.

“We are not animals,” he told Aleida. “Even if we are in cages.”

He watched her fidget at the shadow’s edge, noting that she held something behind her back. A weapon? Has she come to kill me? Despite what Julette had said about the girl’s interest in him, he thought it doubtful that any jealousy she felt could have blossomed to such a violent pitch.

“Aren’t you angry with me?” she asked, coming closer.

“For what?”

“I didn’t warn you about the stagna.” Her feline features formed a grimace as she spared Achela a short look. “About her.”

“I’m not sure I would have believed you if you had.”

Her scowl softened into a frown, Ruhlin seeing a flicker of confusion in her face before she stepped closer still. Darting a glance to either side, she quickly thrust something through the bars, holding it out with evident impatience until he consented to take it. “For the blisters,” she said. “Now our debt is settled.”

Her gift consisted of a small clay pot about the size of an apple. Removing the lid, he found it filled with a grey substance resembling congealed cream. Dabbing a finger to it, he felt a slight tingle as he rubbed the stuff against his thumb. Some kind of salve, he decided. Looking up, he saw Aleida had retreated a step, though she still remained within arm’s reach of the bars. Her face was downcast and guarded, as if expecting a taunt, or even a blow.

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