WOLVERINE'S WORLD - THE WILL OF THE OLD ONE
Emma and I had a room at the only inn in Cats Kill. It was late and we were comfortably dozing in each other's arms, slipping back and forth between awareness and sleep.
Emma opened her eyes and smiled. I tilted my head towards the ceiling and sniffed.
"Rahne's back," we both announced simultaneously. Then our eyes met and we began laughing.
Rahne and David had gone for a long walk in the moonlight. I had strongly suggested that they avoid any locations where they might be able to make themselves too comfortable. Fortunately, David had a midnight watch to stand back at the boat, so he was forced to leave earlier than either he or Rahne would have liked. Rahne was now by herself.
I stood up and pulled on my pants. Emma yanked a short red-and-white kimono from where it hung on a bedpost, wrapped it around herself, and belted it shut. Which was a shame - Emma had the kind of body that any man would rather remain uncovered.
"We should have rented two rooms," Emma grumbled as she fell back onto the bed.
Rahne was staying with us. In fact, she had declared the bear-hide rug in front of the room's small fireplace to be her personal sleeping space. That left the bed for Emma and I.
I frowned and strained my ears to hear what was happening downstairs. I could catch the slight back-and-forth of a low conversation, but couldn't make out any words.
"She's not coming upstairs," I told Emma.
Emma pulled me back down onto the bed, bit me on the shoulder, and then rested her head against my chest. "Let her be. She and the innkeeper's oldest daughter are sharing a piece of apple-rhubarb pie and talking about boys - mostly about how to please them with your mouth."
I smiled wryly. "Thank goodness the cause of education is being advanced. Perhaps you should provide an advanced lecture on the subject?"
Emma chuckled. "I've always been more practical than theoretical. Let me show you."
Sometime later, Emma decided to change the subject. She took one of my wrists and turned it around until she could see the knuckles and the back of my hand.
"I've never asked about this," she said.
There was a metal-on-metal snikt as I extend the claws of the hand that Emma was holding. She flinched automatically.
Then Emma traced a finger along the length of one of my claws. "The Blood I know all have natural claws. I've heard of metal claws, but I've never actually seen them until I met you."
"I got them many years ago," I replied quietly. "The process is difficult."
And agonizingly painful.
I retracted my claws.
"Is that part of becoming a seeker?" Emma asked thoughtfully.
"No, although many seekers feel it brings you closer to the Old One."
"Who did it to you? Was it the Iron Men?"
"No."
Emma was good a knowing when it was time to stop asking questions.
The lord of Cats Kill spent the night gathering his forces. The next morning, I went downstairs and found a dozen of his vassals and personal samurai waiting for me in the inn's common room. About the same number were waiting outside. It was a quite respectable show of force for such a small village, probably constituting almost all of the available fighting Blood.
Actually, in a way, it was rather flattering.
A herald - a young Folk boy - bowed nervously. Their were no actual customers in the common room. And even the inn-keeper had made himself scarce. That struck me as a wise decision. There were many ways this could go wrong.
"Honored seeker," the herald said formally, "the lord of Cats Kill requests your presence."
A dozen pairs of eyes watched me, glittering with anticipation as they waited for my decision.
This was to be expected. A holder was dead at the hands of the legendary Rose, and a seeker had fought the same holder's samurai in the middle of town - killing at least one of them. It was only reasonable that the local lord would want to talk to me. It was just as reasonable that he would want to do it on his own terms.
"Sir?" Rahne said from the top of the stairs.
I glanced up. She and Emma were standing side by side. Rahne had her claws out. Emma was in her kimono and nothing else. Both had dangerously determined expressions.
"Don't worry," I told them.
I glanced at the senior Blood samurai. "We better get going before my women start a war. I don't want any of you to get hurt."
Some of the samurai looked offended. A few stirred angrily. But the grizzled veteran just grinned lopsidedly and waved them back. And he didn't take his eyes off me for a moment.
The samurai escorted me out of the inn and towards the lord's manor. On the way, we passed through the marketplace.
A traveling puppeteer was giving a show. A few adults and a horde of children - Blood, Wilder, and Folk - were watching raptly. The subject of the puppet-play was an old one. It was about a son who discovers that his father's samurai had treasonously murdered his father in order to replace him with one of their own. At first the son is torn by indecision, but when he finally decides to act, the bloodshed is enormous. In the end, the son avenges his father, but his family, holding, and many innocents all suffered greatly because of the traitors.
I knew what that meant.
"Emma!" I shouted back in the direction of the inn.
Emma poked her head out the door.
"Give him a coin!" I yelled as I jabbed a thumb towards the puppeteer. Emma gave me an exasperated frown.
I so seldom have the opportunity to reward a messenger of the Old One.
The manor of the lord of Cats Kill was not large or ornate, but it was well fortified. It occupied the top of a knoll that overlooked the Huds river, and was ringed on the landward side by a semi-circle of smaller huts and houses. The lord's samurai and servants lived in them. If anyone ever tried to mount an assault on the manor, they'd immediately collide with a pack of furious Blood and Wilder who would be defending their homes.
The lord's hall had a severe appearance. The only decorations were war-banners and skulls. They were a grimly silent history of the years of violence that preceded and followed the lord's rise to his current station.
The lord himself was about a century old - in the prime of life for a Blood. He fixed me with a skeptical gaze as I entered his home. The herald had accompanied me inside. The samurai were all waiting outside. Given the circumstances, the immediate absence of the lord's most dangerous subordinates was a good sign.
A slender Wilder women knelt on the floor next to her lord, her eyes covered by a blindfold. A ceremonial long sword rested in her lap. She was a truth-teller - a telepath like Emma, though nowhere near as powerful. Her purpose was to aid the lord in assessing the truthfulness of what others said to him. It was actually rather impressive that the lord had one of them in his service. They are both expensive and rather picky about who they work for.
"My lord," the herald said. "Allow me to present James the seeker."
I leaned against my staff and nodded at the lord, but said nothing. This was his show.
The lord made a dismissive gesture and the herald gratefully left the hall. Then the lord examined me for a long moment before speaking.
"That dead holder was named Calvin," he began, "and he was not my vassal. In fact, he was quite arrogantly proud of his independence. What is more, he shouldn't have brought his fight into my holding without my permission. I do not mourn his death and it is not my responsibility to make an accounting for it. And I care even less about his samurai. However, I do not like it when killings occur in my town."
"I understand, my lord," I said. "I apologize for the disturbance. The situation was unavoidable."
The lord nodded. "Tell me your version of what happened," he ordered.
I didn't hesitate. "The Rose openly challenged Calvin's lordship - as is her right as a Wilder who lives under Blood law and tradition. Calvin and his men tried to kill her. She was injured, but managed to escape. Calvin was in pursuit of Rose when I encountered her. I acted in her defense."
Before responding, the lord took a moment to consider my words.
"That is also my understanding of what happened," he finally said. "Although you omitted the part where Calvin and his samurai attacked the Rose without warning."
It was interesting that the lord knew that. He had obviously conducted his own investigation.
"I didn't witness that particular event, my lord. Rose did say something about it."
The lord nodded again, still gazing at me thoughtfully. His hand reached out and gently touched the hair of the truth-teller. There was something about that... I could tell she was more than just a valuable member of his household. He cared for her. It was possible that she was one of his wives. At the very least, she was a concubine.
"I accept your apology," he said. "However, you and your adopted daughter are both fined fifty silver for this affront to my peace."
I bowed in silent acceptance. Emma was going to be furious.
But the lord wasn't done. "That samurai you killed violated a local Folk woman, but he took refuge with Calvin and refused to submit himself to my justice. I award you and your turbulent daughter fifty silver for settling that issue."
That balanced out nicely. "Thank you, my lord," I said.
The lord paused for a moment, still examining my face. Then he let out a long sigh before finishing. "Leave town before this day is done, James. When next you see the Rose, please extend my respects and ask that she avoid my lands in the future."
"Yes, my lord," I responded with a bow.
"Then we are done here," the lord said, dismissing me.
"No, we're not," I said flatly.
The lord's eyes narrowed and his body language changed ominously. By his side, the truth-teller quickly reached out and touched her man's leg, trying to calm him.
"I am no longer a wandering ronin explaining his actions to a lord," I explained carefully - it was important that I be as clear as possible. "I now speak as a seeker. Do you understand?"
There was a very long pause. Then the lord of Cats Kill gave me an abrupt nod.
"You plan to take Calvin's holding," I said. That wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact.
"Yes," the lord said unhesitatingly. That, of course, was the other reason so many of the lord's sworn Blood had been gathered.
"I have take the measure of Calvin's samurai," I said. "They will not fight. Instead, they will surrender and offer you their services."
"Probably," the lord said carefully. When a lord or a holder dies, his samurai either determine rank among themselves or accept vassalage under a powerful outsider. The lord of Cats Kill planned to move before Calvin's samurai could sort themselves out. Taking the Calvin's samurai into his service was a superficially wise decision for the lord to make. He would avoid a fight in which he might lose Blood. And his forces would be increased.
"Calvin made the worst kind of ronin his samurai," I continued. "Most of them are lost to both the Old One and the goddesses. They will be poor vassals, bringing you and your holding nothing but treachery and misery. And if you let them go, they will become bandits and raiders - a blight on the innocent of this land."
The lord's face was becoming grim as realized the truth of my words. He had been so focused on the Rose-given opportunity to expand his holding that he'd failed to think past that.
I let out a sigh before finishing. "Still... you might be able to bring some of them back to our ways. Trust your truth-teller. Listen to her counsel and your instincts. Accept only those who can be salvaged."
"Kill the rest."
The lord considered my words. Then he wordlessly bowed his head and crossed his wrists before his chest.
I returned the gesture. The Old One's will was now as apparent to him as it was to me.
As I left the lord's manor, I wondered how many would die because of what I had just said.
Emma and Rahne were waiting for me back at the inn. They were obviously relieved to see me walk through the door.
"Everything is fine," I said. That wasn't really the truth, but it was close enough.
Rahne - younger and perhaps distracted by other things - quickly relaxed.
Emma didn't at all accept my worlds. Her face tightened warily as she carefully examined me.
"We have to leave," I told them.
"Leave!?" Rahne almost yelled. Her eyes were wide with dismay.
"Go see David and say goodbye," I suggested as I sat down. The inn-keeper was back. Which was good - I needed a drink. I waved in his direction as Rahne fled out the door.
Emma sat next to me. "What happened?" she asked very quietly.
"I served the will of the Old One," I said as the inn-keeper put a tall cup of ale in front of me.
"And?" Emma pressed.
"And a battle will be fought that could have been avoided," I said after I took a long drink. "There will be deaths, and I cannot swear that only the deserving will die."
Emma took my hand in both of hers. Emma understood. After all, she also served something far greater than herself.
For a long time, I drank in silence.
"Did I ever tell you what I did when I was with Rose?" I eventually asked.
Emma shook her head.
"I was a fisherman," I ruminated. "I had a tiny boat that I found half-swamped after a storm. Rose would go out with me into Nyack harbor, and accompany me to the evening market with our catch. By the time I had to leave, she was pretty good with a net and a sail. I enjoyed teaching her. I enjoyed being her father."
"I often think of those days."
The parting of David and Rahne was as melodramatically tragic as you might expect. There is no love like young love.
"We're still heading downstream," I reassured Rahne. "With any luck, we'll end up on David's boat again."
Rahne didn't say anything. She and David just clung to one another with forlorn desperation.
"Do you often get thrown out of towns?" Emma asked me curiously. She was in the process of gathering our few belongings and sweeping them into our packs.
"I've never been thrown out of town," I replied with vast dignity. "Although every now and then a holder does invite me to go elsewhere."
Emma snorted. Then she pried David and Rahne apart. It was time to go. We had to get well out of Cats Kill and find a place to camp before sundown.
On the way out of town, a trio of elderly Folk women approached us and handed me a bundle that contained a dozen ripe apples, some cheese, and a few sausages.
"Thank you," they told me one-by-one. The eldest of them kissed my hands.
I gravely returned their thanks. Then they bowed and backed away.
"What was that about?" Rahne asked as we walked out the gate. The bundle the women had given to us was in her pack, but she'd handed around some of the apples. She was munching on one of them. Rahne was a bottomless pit where food was involved.
"That samurai I killed was a particularly bad character," I replied after I swallowed a bite from my apple. "He hurt a local woman. This is the kind of reward you get from very poor people. I hope nobody goes hungry tonight because of it."
Rahne looked dubiously at the apple in her hand.
"They gave us what they could because they thought it was important," Emma told her. "We should honor their decision and their generosity."
Rahne nodded - and bit into her apple.
At the gate, a Blood shepherdess was entering town, driving a small flock of sheep before her. She had black skin, long dark hair, and tawny eyes, but in age and dress she wasn't that much different from Rahne.
At her throat was simple pendant made of red glass. It was in the shape of a bird with its wings spread wide.
There are places where that symbol can get you in a lot of trouble.
I did my best not to react. Out of the corner of my eye I stole a glance at Emma.
Emma seemed not to have noticed.
I didn't believe that for a second.
It was a sign, of course.
But who was it for?