The Black Horseman ti-1 Read online

  “The boy has escaped,” Arsinol stated, letting his anger rise, which did not bode well for the Massi women before him, but of course, they were unaware of the danger.

  “That is far from certain,” Ja answered, his eyes lingering on the naked bodies of the three before him. The thin woman’s breasts were small, really not much more than nipples and he paid them no mind. His taste did not follow along the lines of his King’s, rather his attention remained fixed on the full breasts of the woman in the center. She was older, though far from old, perhaps thirty, perhaps not, but her breasts were large and swayed as she moved however slightly. Her head hung down so that her face was hidden beneath a swath of black hair, but her hips were wide and her thighs had a milky softness which made her dark triangle of pubic hair stand out all the more. Ja felt a surge from his groin. The King would not choose that one, he was sure. Perhaps, with a bit of persuading, she could be saved just for him, after all what was the fun of conquering new lands without a little rape… a little pillage.

  “The storm was a bad one, and it seems unlikely that the Londalay could have survived, she being lighter and less able to handle high surf than our large war ships,” Ja said never taking his eyes from the center girl.

  “No,” Arsinol said standing; the eyes of the women tied before him rose in unison, hoping for pity, hoping for mercy, but they saw none in his eyes as he picked the horsewhip from the table. “My heart tells me he has survived. I’ve given my youngest daughter to the High King in exchange for the destruction of the Massi. They must be killed…all of them. There must be proof.”

  Ja shrugged. He knew the King doted on the Princess Audra, who, admittedly, was very beguiling for one so young. But even Arsinol must admit that he received a very good price for her, beauty or no. Brude’s attention went back to the hanging women and he unconsciously licked his lips, watching as the three sets of feminine eyes followed the whip in the King’s hand, much like a cornered rodent eyes an approaching snake.

  “And Navarra will be laid up for at least a month from his injuries,” the King added as he moved in front of women, becoming excited by the fear freely displayed on their faces. “Injuries caused by Massi treachery,” he added then slowly moved behind the prisoners, taking in the pale plump backsides of the two on the left and the small tight one on the far right. He studied that one, hips narrow. His view was disrupted as the young woman, her curiosity and fear getting the best of her, turned to look back at him.

  “Eyes front!” he yelled and lashed out at her, the whip leaving a bright red slash across the lower half of her small globes. The woman cried out in surprise and fear, her breath hissing through her lips as the pain began to spread. Arsinol smiled. Yes, she would be the one for tonight, he thought and with the decision made, concentrated the whip on the center woman, and the one on her left. Their cries rang out in the large hall as stroke after stroke fell. Ja watched avidly, as the two attempted to avoid the lash, but their range of movement was limited. There was no escape for them.

  Fifteen minutes later they both hung limp and silent, blood running from numerous cuts, most of which were on their buttocks, but a few were on their lower backs and upper thighs. The girl on the right continued to whimper, waiting for the lash to visit her again. Arsinol watched her as she steadfastly remained looking forward. He smiled to himself. She would do. Then he swung the whip just one more time and slashed across her upper thighs. She screamed in surprise and waited fearfully for more, but the King took his knife and cut her from the scaffold. He pulled her out of the room and to his private chambers without another word. Ja waited until he was gone then moved to the women left standing. He placed his hand on the left breast of the woman he favored, lifting it slightly to feel it’s weight. She remained frozen, head down, though he could tell from her breathing that she was still in quite a bit of pain. He cut her down. He would take her from behind so he could see the welts.

  “Give her to the men,” he said, indicating the lone woman left standing. The two remaining guards looked at each other and then back to the woman and smiled.

  III

  Late the following afternoon Tar Kostek ran along the beach with two of his pupils. They were running on the wet sand right at the water line in an effort to build leg muscle. Both pupils held promise, but the younger female, Vio, was a natural, and Kostek was sure that one day she would be the Island’s top runner. Her stamina now was already extremely impressive and she had no trouble keeping up with either of them, even though Kostek was a Tar, which meant proven one, and Krys was the current top runner in Kostek’s quarter. Young though she was, Vio was second and closing. They were not racing for speed now however, but instead for endurance. Vio, naturally playful, as were most thirteen year olds, noticed a large group of gulls flying up ahead and increased her speed, curious as to what had drawn them all together. Krys, seeing her pulling ahead increased his speed as well, a natural competitor. Kostek let them go. They had already made over five miles and he was beginning to tire. No one could out run age it seemed.

  He watched from slightly behind as Krys came up along side Vio, but she was not having it and increased her speed even more. Krys matched her. Kostek sighed and sped up as well, as did Vio and soon they were all racing along close to full speed until Vio suddenly stopped. She bent over breathing hard, but was staring intently at something up ahead. Krys ran past her a ways, thinking she was at the end of her endurance, but he had not gone too far before he came up short also. Kostek slowed, but continued to run until he was even with Vio, who was now walking slowly forward.

  The naked bodies that attracted the gulls stood out starkly against the white sand. At first Kostek thought that the birds were feeding on both, but after a moment he could tell that they were for some reason leaving the smaller of the two alone, and instead concentrating on the larger body. He and Vio quickly caught up to Krys, who had stopped moving, then they all rushed forward together. The gulls screamed in protest and scattered up into the air. Kostek ran to the smaller body, because it was very clear that the larger of the two was already dead. Vio and Krys came up behind him.

  Kostek turned over the body over. It was a young man, a boy really, whose skin was burnt a blistering red, and whose lips were chapped and swollen. At first Kostek could detect no signs of life, but then he felt a very faint heartbeat.

  “Is he alive?” Vio asked, her gaze going from the boy to the decaying body of the larger man and back.

  “Yes,” Kostek said. “Please give me your water.” Vio did as she was asked and Kostek very carefully wet his fingers and put them to the boy’s lips. There was no reaction, but the Tar kept at it very patiently. Finally the boy’s tongue moved seeking water.

  “Vio, you need to run back and bring help. Krys and I will move the boy to shade,” Kostek said simply, looking about for any possible shelter. “Tell them to bring the wagon.”

  Vio nodded, looking down at the boy with concern. Krys handed her his water skin, but said nothing.

  “Hurry Vio,” Kostek added without raising his voice. The girl jumped in any event, then without a word headed back the way they had come at a strong, steady pace.

  Kostek continued to drip water between the boy’s lips but knew that they had to get him out of the sun, and soon.

  “Krys, find some shelter, as close as possible. Needn’t be much, we just have to get him into some shade,” he said and the lad immediately set off. He returned only a few minutes later and together they carried the survivor gently up the beach until they reached a tall dune with wild grasses growing on the seaside. At this time of day the height of the dune effectively blocked the sun. They put the boy down carefully in the sand and then each pulled up clumps of sea grasses. They laid them out carefully, forming a crude bed and then moved the boy one last time. Then they settled down to wait, Kostek tending to his patient almost constantly.

  It was completely dark before anyone arrived. Tar Bnall came upon them first on horseback. Vio, riding dou
ble, was holding tightly to his waist, guiding the way. Earlier Kostek had ordered Krys to build a large fire some distance away in the sand, so it was, in fact, very easy to locate them. The fire was large enough to provide warmth and light even at a distance. Krys continued to feed the fire even as they arrived.

  Bnall pulled his mount up short and dismounted. Vio jumped smoothly off the back of the horse then grabbed the reins, though she truly wanted to run and see how the boy was doing. Patiently she led their mount to a clump of thick grasses and hobbled him before running back to satisfy her curiosity.

  “The wagon should be arriving within an hour. Tar Amon has Endid driving it so we will have to hope it gets here in one piece,” she heard Bnall explaining. Amon was the High Tar of the Island and Endid was the youngest Tar, in only his first year and the first new Tar in nearly seven.

  Kostek smiled at Vio. “You’ve come quickly. You must have run very fast.” He said studying her. She nodded, glancing from the Tar to the boy.

  “He’s stable and should survive,” he reassured her. “Now I need you to watch over him while Tar Bnall and I, bury the other unfortunate.” Vio nodded, grateful for the confidence her Tar was showing in her. She immediately sat down and took the water from her master, who smiled once more, then rose and left to do more grizzly work.

  Vio wet her fingers and placed them on the boys’ lips, fascinated by him. A shipwreck survivor! She could hardly believe it. Her eyes moved down his body, which was still naked and seemed to be glowing red in the firelight. She could see goose bumps rising as the wind blew softly across his skin.

  “Krys,” she said. He was still busy feeding the fire. “Fetch the blanket from Naddy.” Naddy was the horse she had arrived on. “I think his burn is making him cold,” she explained. Krys threw the piece of driftwood he was carrying onto the fire and then moved off to do as she asked. He returned in a few moments and helped her unfold and cover the boy.

  “Who do you think he is?” Vio asked and Krys shrugged.

  “There’s no telling,” he answered.

  Vio dripped water in his mouth again and the boy groaned softly. “I’ll bet he’s someone important. Maybe he was on his way to the Temple Island to see the King.”

  Krys laughed. “More likely he was just a scullion working on some merchant ship.”

  Vio said nothing, just studied the boy. “His hair is sure cut nice for a scullion, and look at his nails.” The boy’s nails were well trimmed and Krys had to admit if the boy was a commoner he was a particularly vain one.

  Tar Endid and the wagon arrived just before Kostek and Bnall entered the firelight, both tired from digging in the sand by hand. Vio stepped back and watched as they loaded the boy into the back of the wagon, then she climbed up next to Tar Kostek and Krys for the return trip to Sol.

  Gwaynn woke two days later just before lunchtime. He found himself in a small room that held only a bed, a small end table and a cart with a pitcher of water on top. There was one window, a large one, along the south wall of the room. It was open and warm air flowed in carrying the smell of flowers and the sea. Gwaynn studied his surroundings. He was alone for the moment, but didn’t really mind. His thoughts were occupied with his recent past and it was nice to have a moment to try to absorb all that had happened to him. He had no idea how he had gotten to the room, the last thing he remembered was floating with Karl on the sea, and being extremely thirsty. As a matter fact, he was still thirsty now.

  He tried to sit, but found he was too weak, so he dropped back onto the pillow, and waited. He passed the time by gazing out the window at the clouds moving across the clear blue sky. He waited for nearly a half an hour and tried to rise several times before he finally succeeding in hoisting himself to a sitting position. He was happy with his accomplishment, but did not know how he was going to reach the pitcher of water. He was still going over his plan when two people abruptly came into the room. An old man and young woman entered, both stopped short when they saw him. They appeared to be as surprised as he was by the sudden meeting.

  “Excellent,” the old man said with a genuine smile. He walked over to Gwaynn, his back slightly hunched with age. “How do you feel this morning?”

  “Thirsty,” Gwaynn answered in raspy voice.

  “Yes, yes of course. Forgive me,” the man added and poured Gwaynn a tall glass of water. Gwaynn drank it in one breath and handed the glass back for more. The man obliged.

  “I’m Pugg,” the man said by way of introduction. “Doctor.”

  Gwaynn nodded but said nothing; he just continued to drink his water, this time a little more slowly.

  “And this is Vio,” Pugg added, curious about the boy before him. “She was the one who found you…saved you actually. You would not have survived if she had not happened by.”

  Gwaynn looked at the young woman. She smiled at him. He nodded but did not smile back. Pugg waited for the boy to introduce himself but was disappointed.

  “Are you hungry?” the doctor finally asked.

  Gwaynn thought about it a moment. “Yes, I’m famished,” he replied.

  “Famished,” Pugg repeated. “Vio, could you tell Alynn to fix up something for…our guest. Say what is your name?”

  Gwaynn hesitated for a moment, a hesitation that both Pugg and Vio noticed, but he could not think of a good reason not to tell them…at least his first name.

  “Gwaynn,” he finally said.

  “Please to meet you Gwaynn,” Pugg said smiling again.

  Vio turned to go to the kitchens, but stopped at the door. “Nice to meet you Gwaynn,” she said, echoing Pugg’s thoughts.

  Gwaynn was silent for a moment and she turned to go once more. “Nice to meet you both,” he answered. “And thank you,” he added. She smiled and left. Gwaynn finished with his glass of water and felt infinitely better. He held the glass out for more, and Pugg refilled it once again.

  “How do you feel?” The doctor asked.

  “Much better,” Gwaynn answered feeling stronger by the moment. He leaned over, fighting a brief dizzy spell and set the glass on the table near the bed. He sat back up slowly. His back felt tight and there was still a bit of pain from it when he moved. He put up a hand and reached around. His skin felt hot.

  “You have a severe burn, but it is healing nicely. The pain should subside in another couple of days. How long were you in the water?”

  Gwaynn tried to recall exactly how long, but he couldn’t really remember much of it, including how or when they ever reached land. “I’m not sure,” he finally answered.

  “I don’t even remember getting to the beach.” Gwaynn struggled to remember and then it hit him. “Karl…where’s Karl?”

  “Karl?” Pugg repeated though he suspected the boy was referring to his dead companion.

  “He…he was my friend. He was with me when the ship went down in the storm. We floated on a raft together.”

  The doctor hesitated for a moment, not wanting to give the boy the bad news while he was still so weak, but when he looked into his eyes he realized there would be no getting around this subject.

  “We don’t know how long you were on the beach before Vio and Master Kostek happened by. You were barely alive, and frankly I’m surprised you are recovering so quickly,” he began. Gwaynn had aged immensely over that past week and immediately realized what was coming. His face must have betrayed his thoughts.

  “I’m…I’m sorry. He was already dead when we found you. It was over before we had a chance.”

  Gwaynn sat on the edge of the bed in silence, just looking at his hands. The doctor stood by him silently, just waiting. His patience paid off.

  “He saved my life,” Gwaynn began softly. “More than once he saved my life. He saved it on the sea…I don’t even know how we reached the shore, the Captain said we were still at least a day from the islands, and that was on a ship. I remember being in the sea. I remember Karl finding the raft, and kicking for…maybe two or three days, but then I don’t remember an
ything. I don’t remember kicking anymore or coming ashore.”

  Pugg took a deep breath. “Well your friend must have been alive then. I don’t believe either of you could survive the breakwater unconscious, so he must have helped you ashore. Plus you were found together, side by side.”

  “He saved me in the sea, and he saved me…before,” Gwaynn said then slowly moved back and dropped down to a prone position. He was still there when Vio returned with a tray of food and some honeyed water.

  “I didn’t know what you liked so I got you a little of everything,” she said smiling, oblivious to the mood in the room. She brought the tray over to Gwaynn and placed it across his midsection.

  “Perhaps we should prop you up,” Pugg said and moved over and grabbed him by the arm. Vio moved to the other side and assisted him also. Gwaynn said nothing and allowed them to prop pillows behind him until he was fairly comfortable and in an upright position. He wasn’t sure he could eat and truly was not interested, at least not until he looked down at the tray of sweat meats, several cheeses, dates, grapes, and some dark berries with which he was unfamiliar. His stomach rumbled, and he plucked some cheese from the tray. He took a bite, enjoying the flavor and without thought he ate more and more until he was surprised to find the tray empty.

  Pugg was already gone before he finished, but Vio had stayed around, talking about people Gwaynn didn’t know and things he could not relate to, but he didn’t mind. Her voice was pleasant enough and it kept him from thinking about other unpleasant things. When he had finished eating, Vio took the tray but made no move to leave and continued to tell him about daily life here on the island. Gwaynn just listened, taking an occasional drink of water. Soon, however, he grew sleepy.