The Executioness by Buckell Tobias S. & Drummond J.K

Author:Buckell, Tobias S. & Drummond, J.K. [Buckell, Tobias S.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

Part Three

Anezka crawled into the wagon as the sun left its place in the sky and woke me up. “Bojdan needs you.”

“Thanks.” I crawled out of bed, and before I could leave the wagon, Anezka grabbed my shoulders.

“Thank you for saving us,” she said.

I wasn’t sure what to say, but I hugged her back. “You should carry a dagger, and practice how to stab someone,” I whispered to her. “All of you should.”

“We’re just talliers and cooks and supply keepers, we’re not… you, Executioness.”

I sighed. “I’m just like you. I’m in the middle of my life. A mother who helped in a butcher shop. There is nothing special about me, I swear to you.”

But I could see Anezka didn’t believe me.

I crawled out of the wagon and got to the road where lantern light showed a small group of muddy men in tattered peasant’s clothes, carrying crates of vegetables and dried meats, trudging quickly down the road. They intermixed with the caravan as they did so.

They all carried simple swords. I saw a single crossbowman in blue cloth further down, surcoat slapping the backs of his knees.

Their faces did look gaunt as they slipped off into the shadows just past the caravan’s edges.

At the front of the stalled caravan, Bojdan stood with Jal by the Roadmaster’s wagon. They welcomed me into their discussion.

“One of those scouts says there are Paikans coming down the road,” Bojdan told Jal. “They are a half hour away. We need to get moving again so that everything looks normal.”

“Don’t fret, Bojdan. The Paikans have always respected the neutrality of the caravan. I’m more worried about Jiva’s men here. If a few hungry idiots rush our wagons for stores, or loot, and we fight back, this will be an expensive mess,” Jal snapped. He eyed the passing remnants of the scouts. “Is that the last of them?”

“Yes,” Bojdan said.

“Good. Send the command, we’re moving along. Relax Bojdan. Relax.”

“I’ll relax when the Paikan party moves past us to their destination,” Bojdan said. “If they know about Jiva, we don’t want to get caught in the middle.”

“Yes, yes,” Jal said quickly. “I know. So let’s get those command flags snapping, guardsman.”

Bojdan ran forward, shouting orders. The fire wagon to the front lurched forward, and then Bojdan’s wagon of guards followed. A green flag with a triangle in the middle lurched up the pole with a swaying lantern at the top. All along the column the same flag raised, and the caravan began to move.

I went to follow Bojdan, but Jal grabbed my shoulder.

“We have a Paikan prisoner in a wagon and everyone in the caravan knows about it. I want you to guard him. Now that there are armed Paikans coming down the road, there are those in the caravan that might release him who are friendly to the Paikan cause. I don’t want to ransom him until we get to the city, we get more for him that way.”

I lowered my voice. “I couldn’t raise my hand against someone from the caravan.

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