Chapter 2: A Dangerous Enemy

They traveled south for several days on foot, but the going was not difficult. They would stop at villages, putting on shows, and getting food and shelter in return. It was the life that Roxane had always lived and loved, but sometimes she thought of settling down and forgetting the roving life. Perhaps Dustfinger would like such a life, too.

On the fifth day from leaving Ombra, they ran into trouble. It was noon, and they were just settling down for some lunch, when five men clad in silver and carrying spears marched around a bend in the road. At the sight of the Motley Folk, the soldiers lowered their spears and the leader, a mean-looking fellow, stepped forward. "What are you doing here?" he snapped. "You know that the Adderhead does not welcome your kind in his lands."

The strolling players looked at each other nervously – not one of them had realized they had come so far south. The knife-thrower, unofficial leader of the group, bowed low. "Please give our humble apologies to the Silver Prince. We did not mean to stray into his land and we will return to Lombrica directly."

But the soldier merely laughed. "You must learn to be more careful. If we let you go, then all of your vagabond friends will wander freely through Argenta, thinking that the Adderhead has gone soft. Make your plea before the Adderhead if you wish, though I wouldn't expect much mercy. He has no fondness for your kind."

Roxane found herself being jostled roughly between the soldiers as they went south. It was not a pleasant trip, but she dreaded the end. The Adderhead had been known to imprison, even hang, members of the Motley Folk who came into his clutches. She had never seen the Castle of Night before, but she had heard enough stories to know that it was not a pleasant place. She reached into her bag and clutched the glass ball, wondering if she would ever see her fire-eater again.

At last they reached the Castle of Night and it was as dark a place as all the stories described. Inside, it was lit only sparsely by torches and the halls were narrow and oppressive. The soldiers took them directly to the Great Hall where supper was being held. The Adderhead was at the head table and he watched them with cruel eyes as the lead soldier explained how he had found the Motley Folk, who stood trembling in the dark hall.

The Adderhead chuckled when he heard the story and leaned forward. "So, you have made so bold as to enter the domain of the Silver Prince," he rasped. "You know, of course, that I detest your people who are naught but highwaymen and troublemakers. Still, there are but few of you and you do not look particularly dangerous to me. My men sometimes grow weary of their duties, so perhaps you can cure that. Put on a show for us and if you please me, I will let you leave here unharmed."

It was a demand that could not be opposed. The eight entertainers prepared to put on a performance that might buy them their lives. Roxane sat against the wall, awaiting her turn and glancing about nervously to take stock of her surroundings. There were a good many soldiers in the room, all in the silver of the Adderhead, as well as men dressed in black. There were only four people at the head table. Of course, Roxane knew the Adderhead and the woman on his right must be his wife. She knew the man on his left, too, for she had heard enough stories of the fire raiser with skin, hair, and eyes as colorless as milk. Capricorn, the Adderhead's favorite. However, she did not know the last man, the man on Capricorn's left. He was a thin, black-haired fellow with a foxy face and narrow eyes. As she looked at him, he turned and looked back directly in her eyes. She quickly glanced away and watched Lastina dance.

When her own turn came, she sang beautifully, although her heart seemed frozen within her. Oh, if only Dustfinger's warm fire was close by. She tried to think of him, to sing to him, instead of thinking of the men who would kill her if she did not meet the Adderhead's standards. But she was also aware of the man with the foxy face whose eyes never once left her.

Finally, all eight had performed and they stood nervously awaiting the Adderhead's decision. For a moment he stared at them with dark eyes, but then he chuckled. "Not bad, not bad. I have not been so amused for some time. I will let you go, but do not expect me to be so merciful a second time. You will leave at first light in the morning and my soldiers will make sure you depart from my land."

Roxane did not like the thought of staying in the castle for the night, but no one was going to complain with the Adderhead's decision. They were lucky just to be alive. She took a slice of bread from the table and wandered off towards a corner where she hoped she wouldn't be noticed. How dark and oppressive it was. She wished desperately to get out, to get a breath of fresh air, and to see the stars. Finally, she discovered what she wanted, a short passage out of the hall that led to a balcony. It was overcast that night, but at least the air was fresh. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"You sing very well, minstrel."

Roxane spun around at the sound of a strange, cat-like voice to see the man from Capricorn's side standing in the doorway. He was wearing black like all fire raisers and in his belt was a small knife which he fingered.

"I'm Basta," the man announced, saying the words as if they were something incredibly important. Roxane nodded dumbly and took a step back from him, but she felt her back touch the rail as she did. Basta took a step forward. "I work for Capricorn," he said. "I'm his chief man." Again pride dripped from his voice as if he had just announced that he was a king.

Roxane tried to smile, but failed. She did not like anything about Basta, not his foxy face, his purring voice, or his obvious conceit.

Basta took another step forward. "I'm glad the Adderhead said you could live. If he hadn't, I would have had to argue with him to have you. You can come back with me to the hall and I'll make sure you get the best food."

Roxane could have laughed if the situation hadn't been so dire. As if this man could have changed anything the Adderhead decreed. And did he actually think that she would want to spend the evening in his company. "No thanks," she said, trying to sound carefree. "I've already had a slice of bread and I don't eat much."

For the first time, irritation flickered across Basta's face. "Then you needn't eat," he said. "You can sit at the table with us, Capricorn and myself. Maybe the Adderhead will want you to sing again for us."

He reached out and took her by the wrist, but she shook off his grasp and moved away. "No thanks," she repeated. "I'm fine on my own."

This time there was more than irritation in Basta's eyes and his voice was less like a purr and more like a hiss. "I must not have made myself clear. I want you to come with me."

It was a dangerous position, but she didn't think she could bear to spend the evening in the oppressive hall with Basta. "I'm not interested," she said as forcefully as she could manage. She turned and tried to go back inside, but Basta blocked the doorway. "What?" he spat. "Is there another man?"

Of course, she wanted to say. One who's ten times better than you. But she remained silent and pushed her way past into the corridor.

There was a clink behind her and she turned to see Basta pick up the glass orb from the floor where it had fallen. He gazed at it for a few moments, long enough Roxane knew to see the two names in the fire, before he put it in his pocket. She did not like the way he was smiling. "Well then," he said with a sneer, "I wouldn't want to take your mind off your true love, now would I?" And with that he stalked back up the corridor to the hall.

~o~o~

They left next morning at first light, escorted by seven soldiers. It had not been a pleasant night for any of the Motley Folk, and every one of them was ready to head back north to safer lands. The soldiers made sure that they were well out of Argenta before turning and marching down the road. Sighing with relief, the eight strolling players continued north, eager to put as much distance between themselves and the Castle of Night as possible. They parted company with Lark, the two minstrels, and the two tightrope walkers who were going further north towards the Wayless Wood, but Roxane, Lastina, and the knife-thrower, Windrunner, went east, stopping here and there at the villages to amuse the people and earn a few coins.

One night they stopped at a small town named Orris where Windrunner had friends that he knew would house them for a few days. The people of Orris were glad to have Motley Folk there and the three entertainers promised them a show that evening.

It was a good show. The people were friendly and cheered at each act, offering those who were not currently performing to join them at table. Roxane munched on a delicious homemade slice of wheat bread with jelly as she waited for her turn. She sang and danced a merry song that had all the villagers clapping their hands and calling for more, but she was so out of breath by the end of it that she had to ask for a brief respite. Lastina got up and did another dance as Roxane got her breath back.

"Not quite as good as your performance in Ombra, but still very impressive."

Roxane froze at the sound of a voice she had dreamed about every night, then turned slowly, hardly daring to believe that it could be true. But, of course, it was.

Dustfinger was dressed in traveling attire rather than his traditional fire-eater's costume, but other than that he had not changed at all. The long, red-blonde hair, the eyes that danced with fire, the mysterious smile – each was exactly how she remembered in her dreams. For a moment she hardly dared to breath, but then she dashed to him and threw herself into his embrace. He chuckled. "Well, you've fulfilled your promise – you've sung for me. Now, I suppose it's my turn to weave fire in the sky."

When Dustfinger stepped out into the circle where they had been performing, a hush fell over the crowd. Garbed as he was, none of them knew him to be a fire-eater, but as he stood there, all eyes were fixed on him. He began to murmur words that no one could quite hear and then fire sprang up from the ground next to him. An exclamation of awe went up from the villagers as he began to shape the fire and dance with it.

The villagers of Orris along with the three entertainers cheered madly at the end of Dustfinger's performance. He bowed and walked off towards the houses where he joined Roxane. "There," he said, "so fire stills remembers me. I haven't performed for a while now. I guess I was saving it for you."

They sat down and Roxane leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at the countless stars. "Where will you be going now?"

He shrugged. "Wherever my feet take me. Would you like to come?"

She beamed. "Of course."

He put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "It will be so much nicer, having a companion who doesn't just chatter and hiss at you. How about going north, up towards the Wayless Woods? I've always liked it up there."

Two pairs of eyes watched the lovers from the darkness behind one of the houses. As Roxane and Dustfinger stood and walked along the quiet street, hand in hand, two dark cloaked forms hurried off into the night, eager to inform their master of what they had discovered.