Stan Nicholls - Army of Shadows

"That's something I've never understood."

"What is?"

"Why ships are her or she. Is it because males build them?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe."

"So it's to do with males seeing females as something they own and can control?"

"I like to think it's because a ship has grace and charm, like a female."

She grinned. "Quick thinking."

"It was rather, wasn't it?" He had to smile too. "I can never imagine anybody controlling you, Coilla."

"Gods help the male who tried. What about you?"

"How do you mean?"

"Was there a her or she for you in Trougath?"

His smile went away, and it was a moment before he answered. "Once."

"And?"

"Like my nation and my previous life, she was… swept away."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to dredge anything up for you."

"That's all right."

"I won't ask anything about — "

"No. What's done is done. I'm not one for dwelling in the past."

"I understand. You know, your story, your people's story, isn't that different to ours in a way. We lost our birthright too."

"I know. But not the details. You've never told me how your band came to leave Maras-Dantia."

"It's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it sometime."

"Sure. Though you might find it a bit boring."

"I doubt that."

They heard footfalls on the ladder leading to the wheel deck. Stryke appeared. Pepperdyne quickly stepped away from her.

"What's going on here?" Stryke said, seeing Coilla at the wheel.

"Nothing!" the two of them replied simultaneously.

"That is," Coilla elaborated, "Jode's giving me a lesson in seamanship."

"Maybe that should be seaorcship," Pepperdyne suggested. He and Coilla sniggered.

"Yeah, right," Stryke replied, failing to see the joke. "You've been at that wheel quite a while now, Pepperdyne. Got anybody to relieve you?"

Pepperdyne took back control of the wheel. "Hystykk and Gleadeg had a turn earlier. They seem to have the knack. But I'm fine for now, Stryke."

"Sure?"

"It's a long time since I did anything like this. I'd like to savour it a bit longer."

"Suit yourself. Just shout when you want a break. I'm going back to the others." He started to leave.

"I'll come with you," Coilla told him. She flashed Pepperdyne a quick grin and followed.

Down on the main deck, out of earshot, Stryke said, "You seem to be growing very friendly with him."

"We get on."

"That might not be for the best."

"What do you mean?"

"Do I have to remind you about the way humans are? Getting close to any of them — "

"Jode's different."

"Is he?"

"He's helped us. He's helping us now. Not to mention I owe him my life a couple of times over. I reckon that entitles him to a little of my time."

They came to a row of barrels standing by the rail. Stryke stopped and sat. Coilla lingered for a moment, considering the unspoken invitation, then sat down herself.

"I'm only saying this for your good," Stryke assured her. "We know that as a race humans can't be trusted."

"Hold it right there. We came on this mission because of a human. Serapheim, remember? How's he different?"

"He saved us in Maras-Dantia."

"And Jode saved some of us in Acurial, like I said."

"Serapheim gave us the means to help the orcs in Acurial, and to get our revenge on Jennesta."

"And how's that worked out? All right, we aided the Acurial rebels, but there's been precious little in the way of a reckoning as far as Jennesta's concerned. And we wouldn't be in the fix we're in now if it hadn't been for Serapheim."

"You could always out-argue me," Stryke admitted. "But I stand by what I said about humans. You've only got to look at the other one, Standeven, to see how low they can get."

"We're not talking about him. Jode's out of a different mould."

"We aren't going to see eye to eye on this, are we?"

"Nope."

He reached into his jerkin and brought out a flask. "Drink?"

She smiled and nodded.

Several healthy swigs of brandy mellowed them both.

"Talking of Serapheim," Coilla said, relaxing, "do you ever question why he sent us on this assignment?"

"We know why. To help fellow orcs and for revenge on Jennesta."

"Think about it. Why should he care about orcs? And Jennesta's his own daughter, don't forget."

"Being his flesh and blood might be more reason for wanting to punish her. He feels disgraced by her evil, and wants to atone for it by taking away the life he sired."

"And us orcs?"

"He said he was ashamed of what his race was doing to ours in Acurial."

"Ah, so the nasty humans can act nobly."

Stryke said nothing. He had another drink.

She went on, "There's something about all this, Stryke… I don't know; it doesn't ring true somehow. I mean, his servant turning up in Ceragan with a knife in his back; what was that about? Who killed him? Why? Come to that, how did Serapheim himself survive the collapse of the ice palace in Ilex?"

"That's an awful lot of questions."

"Here's another one. How come Jennesta's still alive after going through the… What did they call it? The vortex. Not only didn't die but ends up helping to run a human empire. How did that happen?"

"I don't know, Coilla. And I do dwell on these things. But sometimes I think there are some mysteries we'll never solve."

"Perhaps."

He stood. "I need to check on Jup."

"What's he doing?"

"Trying to use his farsight. Remember that big life force he detected? I thought it'd be a good idea to have some warning if we're going to run into it."

"Has he seen anything?"

"Not so far. But Haskeer's been needling him again, and it throws him off. That's what I need to check on."

"All right. I'll be with the kelpies if you want me." She nodded to the far end of the deck where the sea horses were herded together. A bunch of grunts with buckets on ropes were hauling up water to douse them with.

He finished by telling her, "You remember what I said about Pepperdyne." Then he turned and walked away.

He passed a stack of chests stowed nearby. What he didn't notice was Standeven sitting on the deck behind them, chin resting on raised knees, listening.

The rest of that day and most of the next passed without incident.

They were into the afternoon when land was spotted. The kelpies grew excited in their rather stately way, and the band prepared to disembark.

When they were close enough to see the island in detail, the old kelpie who had first befriended them was puzzled.

"My folk are on the beach," he rumbled.

"What's strange about that?" Stryke asked.

"You don't understand. My kin shouldn't be cavorting openly in the sea, and certainly not in the daytime, for fear of the Gatherers."

"Could they have come and gone?" Jup wanted to know, his heart sinking.

"If they had, you can be sure kelpies wouldn't be enjoying themselves in broad daylight."

As they nosed in and dropped anchor, things became clearer. The kelpies on the beach were joined by a group of two-legged beings, waving frantically.

"They're… dwarfs," Jup whispered, not daring to get his hopes up.

He didn't wait for the gangplank. Tossing a length of rope over the side he agilely shinned down it. Splashing knee-high through water, then onto the flaxen sand, he saw someone running towards him.

Spurral flew into his arms.

The following hours were filled with explanations and renewed camaraderie, for orcs and kelpies alike. At one point, Haskeer marched up to the couple, slapped Spurral heartily on the back and bellowed, "Well done! Always knew we'd find you."

Jup watched open-mouthed as he swaggered past.

"Maybe he's not so bad after all," Spurral said.

Haskeer barged his way to Stryke and asked, " Now can we get out of this place?"