Jeff Salyards - Veil of the Deserters

Skeelana said, “Why thank you, Arki. So good of you to look out for me. I can’t wait to vomit.”

Mulldoos snorted. “Got a real way with the lady folk, you do. Real charmer.”

Soffjian gave me a look that sent shivers chasing each other across my skin. “Do you have anything useful to provide?”

I looked at Hewspear, and then said, “Lloi asked for fluids. Wine, water. But I think that was because she was chanting. Though perhaps just because it was arduous, and she was thirsty. I don’t know. But she did want fluid.”

“Nothing useful then.” She reclaimed Skeelana’s attention. “You are a Memoridon of the highest order. While you are attempting something beyond your normal scope, I have no doubt you can perform the task at hand. And without ridiculous chanting. Though if you do grow thirsty, you have only to ask, and Arki will run and fetch you something. Though I wouldn’t suggest wine. Nasty coming back up.”

Mulldoos laughed, and Soffjian ignored him. “Ready then?”

Skeelana nodded, and while it appeared she tried to stifle a smile, she couldn’t mask it completely. She was excited. Almost giddy. “History it is.”

There was no chanting, thankfully. And I didn’t have to run off to fetch anything. Skeelana didn’t even strip the captain’s tunic off, or resort to any other primitive parts of the ritual that Lloi had employed. And she didn’t take half the night to do what was asked of her either.

She sat on a stool by the captain’s side, one hand raised just above his head, eyes closed, face calm for the most part, only occasionally shifting or jerking, as if she felt an unseen needle prick her or swallowed or smelled something foul. But otherwise, it was unremarkable.

No one seemed particularly at ease, but Vendurro least of all, and he excused himself, claiming the need to check on the men. Mulldoos paced a few times until Soffjian hissed at him and told him to be still. He seemed ready to lay into her when Hewspear caught his eye and shook his head, looking at Skeelana and Braylar. Mulldoos scowled but leaned backed against the wall.

It took no more than two hours, though they passed with excruciating slowness. When Skeelana opened her eyes, blinked them quickly, face pale, and announced it was done, Mulldoos leaned forward and asked, “That it? You sure you got it all?”

Soffjian tsked and said, “First, you worry about her dawdling and intruding into whatever horrible secrets my brother is hiding, and now you chide her for working too efficiently? You can’t have it both ways, Syldoon.”

Just the same, he echoed the question as Skeelana rose unsteadily to her feet. “Yes,” she replied. “I did. Though I’m fairly sure this Lloi of yours didn’t draw it all out before. Some vestiges were… old. Very old.” Then she looked at me, growing paler by the moment. “If you’ll excuse me now, I do believe I have to expunge something myself.” She hurried from the room on wobbly legs, pulling the door shut behind her with a bang.

I heard her taking the stairs two at a time as Braylar roused. While he looked groggy, like a man deprived of sleep who finally was allowed some respite before being woken again, it took him only a moment to register where he was, and more importantly who was in the room with him.

He sat up straight in bed, eyes locked on his sister. She leaned against the wall and smiled. “Welcome back, brother.”

Hewspear stood next to the bed and asked, “How do you feel, Captain?”

Whatever fog he had burnt off quickly. Without looking away from his sister, he replied, “I feel as if my loyal lieutenants have once again found it impossible to obey a direct command. I hadn’t thought there was much ambiguity with this one. I would love to hear the justification for this latest bit of egregious insubordination. Truly I would. Right after my sister bids farewell.”

Before Hewspear or Mulldoos could speak, Soffjian said, “Your men saved your life, Bray. They had misgivings about inviting me into your parlor, you can be sure, but they knew they had exhausted every other possible remedy. You were down and lost in a multitude of memories, none your own. They summoned me. Skeelana healed you. You truly are an awful patient.”

“Unless quite a bit transpired while I was lost, Skeelana is still your kind, sister. And therefore, very, very unwelcome in my skull.”

“Welcome or no, we saved you. Well, I had very little to do with it, in fact. But Skeelana saved you, and cleaned up quite a bit of debris your little grass fairy missed, despite you cordially inviting her in. I would think some thanks are in order.”

Her smugness seemed designed to rile him up. Instead, he asked, quietly. “Why?”

“Why what? Thank us? That seems self-evident.”

He shook his head slowly, leaned back against the rickety headboard. “No. Why help me? I know my men disregarded me entirely and entreated you. But why agree? Why help me?” This didn’t seem like a gambit or repartee. Braylar looked genuinely puzzled. And distraught.

I expected Soffjian to offer a quip, or something soaked in sarcasm. Instead, she leaned against the wall, composed her response, and said, “Do you recall when the Syldoon came to our island, Bray? When the Sanctuary was… disrupted?”

After a long pause he replied, “Of course. What of it?”

“Well, then of course you remember what we saw, what happened there, right in front of us.”

Braylar pushed off the headboard, back rigid, eyes bloodshot slits. But he kept his voice level. “There aren’t enough years to be had to forget such things. I do hope you are arriving at something resembling a point.”

Soffjian stared at him, or through him. “Oh, I believe, even muddled as you are, you know what point I am getting at. Unless you have somehow forgotten the vow you made after.”

Mulldoos and Hewspear gave each other a curious look as their captain replied, “A vow was made. By a foolish, grief-damaged boy. Driven to greater heights of foolishness by his sister. What of it?”

She gave a cold smile. “Revenge was yours by right. I would have stood a better chance of pulling it off, truly. But not having a cock, that proved problematic. So I aided you, counseled you, helped you plan it-”

“Helped me botch it. One stupid child counseling another.”

“Children or not, you swore over the body of our father, swore before our ancestors and gods-”

“That is why they call it a vow.”

“Swore it would be done. You would kill the killer and then bring down their whole empire. Something melodramatic and impractical like that if memory serves.”

Mulldoos slapped his good leg and laughed. “You really say that, Cap?”

Braylar snapped, “I did indeed. As idiot children are wont to do.”

“You were a child,” Soffjian said, “but a vow made is a vow made, isn’t it? Only, you never fulfilled it. And a tenyear later, you swore a different vow, didn’t you? To those selfsame fuckers who murdered our father.”

Braylar said, “To the Tower. There is a distinction here. What-?”

“Oh, but you’re all murderers at heart, aren’t you? So, two vows, one to your kin alive and dead, the other to the bastards that abducted you. I was there for both, if you recall.”

“Impossible to forget,” Braylar replied. There seemed to be more meaning freighted to this, but I didn’t know the import.

“And several years later, forced to choose between the two, you opted to keep the one made to the conquerors and plunderers. The murderers with nooses. Isn’t that right?”

Mulldoos looked confused. “Cap, is she talking-”

“I did my duty, Soffjian,” Braylar said, ignoring Mulldoos.

“To your new brothers. Your adopted kin. Yes. But to me, our father, our homeland, that vow, that promise, it no longer had meaning to you. Did you mean it, even back then? Right after our father had a blade buried in his stomach, did you mean it then?”