THE SERPENT'S TOOTH, Part 13

"Who's there?!" someone called out. It was a man's voice and he was obviously angry.

We hadn't moved from where Illyana had dropped us. We were just inside a tree-line, facing an open expanse of fields. The bank of the Huds river was less than a dozen yards to our side. Someone had obviously seen the light of Illyana's teleportation circle and was investigating.

I walked out into the moonlight. The others followed me - Benjamin by my side and Gant right behind the two of us. Jessica and the girls lagged behind, leading our horses.

A young holder, dressed in rough and simple buckskin and with his claws extended, was the one who had challenged us. Behind him, his wife and an older boy and girl were racing towards us - they were also ready for a fight. Further back, a pair of Folk farmhands with simple hunting bows had arrows nocked and were carefully watching us.

"My intrusion onto your lands was unintentional," I said as evenly as possible to the holder. This place was his. Discourtesy could easily result in violence, and I did not want that.

When he saw me, the expression on the young holder's face went from angry to startled.

"Seeker James?" he said in obvious surprise.

Alban is in the upper part of the Huds river valley. Not that long ago, the valley was wracked by a short, but brutal, war. The Dark Elves returned to our world and the resultant bloodshed was considerable. The lord of Alban was one of many lords who led his samurai and militia against the Dark Elves. I was somewhat well know in the region even before the war. Afterwards, I was perhaps too well known.

"I am no longer a seeker," I replied quietly. "And I regret that I do not know your name."

"My name is Michael," the holder said as he retracted his claws and respectfully crossed his arms over his chest. "I saw you in the days after the final battle against the Dark Elf army, but we never met face-to-face."

"You were at Malekith's End?" I asked. That was what Blood historians have taken to calling the final battle against the Dark Elf king and his forces. As a people, we are proud to have rid the cosmos of the accursed king of Svartalfheim.

Oddly, I am less than proud to have been the one who actually killed Malekith. The reasons for my actions were not as clear as they should have been. That's why I was no longer a seeker.

"I was just one of many who fought there," Michael replied - which was really the only way a Blood should respond. In his voice I heard that strange mixture of pride and sadness that I'd heard so many times before. Many more had fought in that war than had returned from it. Everyone in the valley had lost family, friends, and comrades. It would take at least a generation for the holdings and villages of the Huds valley to fully recover.

And that was as I demanded. I was the seeker who called the Blood to war against Malekith. Yes, there was no real choice, but the words were still mine.

I held open my arms, and a brother that I'd never met embraced me.

Michael and his wife insisted that we spend the remainder of the night in their home. That really wasn't necessary - Alban was just as short ride away - but I couldn't courteously refuse their offer.

Michael's home was a large wooden cabin, constructed from heavy beams. He was in the process of reinforcing the cabin walls with masonry. In addition, there was a small palisade around the cabin and the nearby outbuildings.

Michael's wife had given him two birthings. Their older children - the boy and girl who had helped confront us - were in their mid-teens. Another boy and two daughters were about the same age as Samantha and Sophie. The five of them quickly became friends and began chasing each other around the cabin. It was taking some effort to calm them all down and get them into bed.

Samantha was being carried by Jessica, while Sophie giggled in my arms. Meanwhile, Michael's wife was exasperatedly shooing her youngest children back to bed for the third time.

Michael, Benjamin, and Gant were out in the yard, enjoying some of Michael's rather good winter wine, and telling each other tall tales.

"You're good with children, my lord," Michael's wife - her name was Yukio - said with a smile as she gestured at Sophie.

"I have some of my own," I told her.

And I'd had many more throughout the long years, but I saw no reason to mention that.

Then Yukio brushed her short, dark hair from her eyes. "Years ago, I saw your eldest wife perform in a tavern in Nyack. She was incredible."

That made me smile. "The next time I see Anna, I'll tell her she has an admirer here. She'll like that."

Yukio took Sophie from me with practiced ease. Then she took Samantha from Jessica. Both girls unhesitatingly hooked their arms around Yukio's neck and shoulders. Samantha was still excited, but Sophie was beginning to blink tiredly.

"I'll put these two on a rug in front of the fire," Yukio said as she hefted a girl in each arm. "But we do have a spare bed that you and your concubine can share. I'm afraid your samurai will have to make do with our stable."

"That will be fine," I reassured Yukio.

Jessica's eyebrows rose, but she didn't say anything.

Once we were alone in a tiny room that held a bed and not much more, Jessica kicked off her sandals and began pulling her simple dress over her head. For a moment, she was exposed from the waist down. She was wearing nothing underneath her dress.

I put a hand up to stop her - and then pointed to the bed.

Jessica got under the blanket, and I followed. I curled up behind her, my front to her back, and wrapped my arms around her warm body. My face was in her hair, which smelled of summer and youth. Otherwise, her scent could best be described as eager.

Spooned up against each other, we fell asleep.

The next day, we were fed a breakfast that was probably better than what Lord Alban was enjoying. Then we bade Michael and his family farewell. Sophie and Samantha were particularly sad to leave their new friends.

Jessica drifted next to me as we rode towards Alban.

"Am I to be your concubine?" she asked quietly. It was only reasonable that she wanted to get that settled.

"No," I replied.

Jessica considered that for a while. "Then why..." she began.

"Yukio made an assumption and was ordering her household on the basis of that assumption. I felt no need to contradict her decisions. And besides, if she saw that I was sleeping alone, she might have felt compelled to offer herself to me. The rules of hospitality among the Blood can be demanding for both host and guest."

That obviously surprised Jessica. "So I was your excuse to avoid going to bed with Yukio?"

"Yes."

"What was wrong with bedding her? Yukio is a handsome woman, and I would say she's taken with you. And I don't think Michael would mind. He strikes me as a man who takes his responsibilities seriously. Besides, you Blood are free with that sort of thing."

I paused before answering. Actually, that was a good question, and I'd never articulated my reasoning on the subject to anyone.

"I've never liked that custom. I think it imposes too much on holders and their wives. So I avoid the situation whenever possible."

"What if I hadn't been there?"

"Then Benjamin would have been my excuse."

Jessica actually blinked in surprise. "Oh. Uh... are you and Benjamin..."

"No."

We rode on for a while.

"Are you laughing?" I asked suddenly.

"No, my lord," Jessica said as she hastily wiped a smile from her face. Actually, I suppose the thought of Benjamin and I pretending to be lovers was more than a little funny.

We were again silent for a while.

"By the way," Jessica added very casually, "under Blood custom how does a woman become a concubine?"

"Unless I am completely separated from my wives, they would have to approve."

That made Jessica frown. "What do you think your wives would say about me?"

I considered the matter for some time before I answered.

"Emma would mind-probe you, telepathically stripping you bare and revealing every detail of your mind and soul to her scrutiny. You would be left utterly without secrets, and from then on she would unhesitatingly use what she'd found against you if you ever dared to challenge or contradict her. However, I think she would ultimately approve of your presence."

"Olivia would have a very long and serious discussion with you about religion, history, and philosphy in order to determine your character and get a sense of your long-term intentions. There might be a scourging to see how well you can handle pain and adversity. Then you would pray together for guidance. Oh, and she'd want to see how you handle yourself in personal combat, but that certainly wouldn't be a problem for you. Frankly, I'm not sure what she would decide - Olivia sometimes has otherwordly aspects to her standards."

"Anna would want to try you out - first by herself, and then together with me. But once she's expressed total sexual dominance over you, I'm sure she would be receptive to the idea of having you around. Unfortunately, there would be a hazing period of several years where you would be expected to perform submissive and degrading acts at her whim."

"Oh..." Jessica responded in a small voice.

Behind us, I could tell that Benjamin was trying his best to choke down a laugh.

Then Jessica's eyes narrowed as she looked at me. "My lord, are you teasing me?" she asked sharply.

"Yes."

"Was any of that true?!"

I just smiled.

Just before we arrived at Alban, Benjamin waited until Jessica rode off to check on Samantha and Sophie, and then took me aside.

"So how was your night with Jessica?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Her virtue - such as is left after her time as a Black Widow - remains intact."

"Does that mean you didn't bang her?" Gant asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Bad decision," Gant said with a disappointed shake of his head. "She wants you."

Benjamin looked relieved. Then he gave me a worried look. "You might want to avoid becoming too close to her."

That surprised me. "Just a few days ago you were urging me to take her for a ride. What made you change your mind?"

There was a pause as Benjamin considered his words. "Something's occurred to me. What do you know about the history of the Stace family?"

"I don't follow Spider politics," I replied, "but as I recall, there was a scandal about two or three decades ago. It resulted in a major fall from power for the Stace."

Benjamin nodded. "Back then, the Lord of the Heights was a Stace. He had a lover and the woman became pregnant. When the lord's wife found out, she left her husband. That ended the Lord of the Heights' marriage - which was also a political alliance of the Stace and Wats families. Afterwards, the Council of the Towers withdrew its support for the Stace family and the lord was forced to resign both as the Lord of the Heights and as the chief of the Stace clan."

"I never quite understood any of it," I told Benjamin frankly. "It seemed like an overreaction."

I was being polite. The Wilder are much more delicate about such things than the Blood. At the time, most Blood considered the entire incident to be completely ridiculous.

Benjamin shrugged wryly. "It was part of some complex and messy internal politics. The outcome remains controversial. In any case, the child - a baby girl - who was the cause of it all went missing."

The implication was obvious.

I raised an eyebrow at Benjamin. "Are you telling me that Jessica might be some sort of high Spider nobility?"

"Yes," Benjamin replied helplessly. "In fact, she would be among the highest."

Then Benjamin took a deep breath and let it out before continuing. "The Stace family has many followers who think that the forced abdication of the old lord was illegal. The current Lord of the Heights is unpopular and always has been. It's not unlikely that he could fall from power and the Stace family would ascend again."

"Oh, for the Old One's sake..." I growled in exasperation. "If what you suspect is true, would her family acknowledge Jessica?"

Benjamin shook his head. "No clue, my lord."

"Hey... could we kill the right people and make Jessica the Lady of the Heights?" Gant asked suddenly. He seemed rather taken with his idea.

"It would be more complex than that," Benjamin told Gant.

"Drat," Gant grumbled.

Then Gant looked at me. "There is a word among the Dark Elf masters. It means a female who is the daughter of the king - and could take his place. Do you have a word for that in your language?"

"It's 'princess'", I told Gant.

Jessica was riding ahead of us. She was chatting with Samantha and Sophie about something. I forced myself to not look at her. 'Princess' was a term from the oldest histories. A term so old that most people in the modern age didn't know it. Yet in Jessica's case, it just might be appropriate.

Four samurai clad in chain-shirts were guarding the main gate into Alban. The eldest of the samurai took one look at me, bowed politely, and waved us through the gate. As we rode on, I caught a glimpse of the gate's junior samurai sprinting towards the manor-fortress of the lord of Alban - doubtlessly carrying word of our arrival.

There was a stir among the people in the streets as we passed. The Blood and Wilder performed the crossed-arm gesture of respect. The Folk bowed.

Soon, we found ourselves at the gate to the temple compound. The white-painted bulk of the temple itself towered over the wall. A pair of temple guardsmen politely, but firmly, stopped us.

"What is your business, my lord?" a Wilder guardsmen asked. The tabard over his armor was white, as was that of all temple guardsmen. However, a flame-shaped red badge over his heart indicated that he specifically served the Lady of Fire.

"I would speak to priestess Dare," I replied.

The guardsmen nodded. "I will send word."

The gate swung open and we rode into the temple compounds' front courtyard. A pair of temple servants took our horses to a visitor's stable, while we were ushered into a stone structure that had three open sides. It was a shrine to all three of the goddesses. Stone benches gave visitors a place to sit. Due to the openess of the structure, anyone inside would find it a difficult place to defend.

There was a sudden rumble of thunder. Off to the west, I could see a dark and tormented mass of storm clouds brewing.

I knew what that meant.

I took a moment to stand before the statue of Lady Ororo. It was done in a style that was somewhat out of fashion - she was wearing a cloak and high boots instead of the flowing robes that had become more popular over the last few centuries. The sculptor's attempt to depict the wind in Ororo's hair and clothing was workmanlike, but not inspired. However, he'd had a great deal more success with her face and form.

Actually, ever since I'd actually met the spirit of the goddess in dream-form, I'd become quite critical of her representation in art. To be fair to the artists who try to depict Lady Ororo, they were all doomed to at least some level of failure. The Lady of Storms has a presence that is all but impossible to capture.

I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer.

"She's our favorite," Samantha said softly.

I looked down. The two girls were standing next to me, holding hands as they gazed up at the statue. Lady Ororo is known as a teacher and a protector of children. Many youngsters naturally gravitate to her, without quite knowing why.

"What are you asking for?" Samantha asked me.

I smiled down at the two girls. "The Lady is known for the wise counsel she always offered the Old One. Whenever I find myself facing a difficult situation, I ask her to grant me wisdom and patience."

"So do I," a quiet voice said behind us.

I'd heard Dare's approach - of course - but I'd decided not to greet her arrival with an immediate reaction. I didn't want to appear too ready for a confrontation.

Winds whipped around us as a light rain began to fall. The storm front had arrived. Off to the west, a denser body of clouds flickered with lightning. Thunder called back and forth.

I turned and politely bowed my head. Priestess Dare was standing just outside the shrine, heedless of the falling rain. She was as lovely as I remembered, with delicate features, light brown skin, and long blonde hair that she wore in an complex braid. She was clad in the black and yellow robes of a priestess of storms. When last I saw her, she was wearing a silver lightning bolt pendant around her neck, but now it was gold instead. She was no longer a junior priestess.

Normally, Dare's eyes were a striking shade of blue, but now they were an ominous dark gray, reflecting the storm above us. The goddess was with her - the storm overhead was Dare's creation. And if necessary she could use it to call down lightning.

I'd always suspected that Dare was of the lineage of Ororo herself - the similarity was definitely visible in her facial features. And she was a quite powerful mistress of storms.

She had no guards with her - no warriors, acolytes, or fellow priestesses. That surprised me, but it didn't mean that the situation wasn't dangerous. By herself, Dare was a powerful servant of the Lady of Storms. It would be most unwise to underestimate her. And considerable reinforcements were just a shout away.

Gant was standing out in the open, positioned so that he had a good view of the shrine and the surrounding structures. Benjamin had moved until he was behind my left shoulder. As he did so, he gently shifted Samantha and Sophie behind us. The two girls took the hint and retreated further into the background. In the presence of a priestess, Jessica knelt, put her palms on the stone floor of the shrine, and kept her eyes down. Perhaps that would fool Dare into thinking Jessica was just a harmless servant, but I wasn't betting on it.

"Hello, Dare," I said quietly.

"Greetings, James," she replied. "Why are you here?"

"I wish to see Ingrid and her child."

Dare considered that - and then let out a sigh. "I'd hoped it wasn't that."

Then her face hardened. "James, you can't kill them."

I was silent for a long moment, trying to decide what to say.

There was a distant flash of lightning that brightened the courtyard. For a moment, I saw another form overlaying that of Dare. It was a bit taller than her, with long white hair, darker skin, and blue eyes. Her eyes were sympathetic, but filled with warning.

Thunder crashed over us as I nodded respectfully. And then the image of Lady Ororo was gone and I was facing Dare again.

"I remember when I first met you," I finally said.

Dare didn't respond, but she did seem surprised by my words.

I continued speaking. "An arrogant child of a heretic was publicly speaking some errant nonsense. She'd been taken prisoner by the samurai of Lord Alban and was awaiting the justice of the goddess. By all rights, her life was forfeit. But you brought mercy instead of death. You saved Rahne."

A grim smile flickered across Dare's face. "James, are you suggesting that I'm too inclined towards mercy?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm saying you're inclined towards good judgement."

Dare didn't respond, but some of the tension within her seemed to slip away.

"By all rights, Ingrid and the child should have been killed," I said. "But you, Emma, and Olivia chose otherwise."

Dare nodded.

"I know what Laufey did," I continued. "I know what power he invoked. Not only is her child of the lineage of Loki, but it was conceived under the influence of Dormammu."

Dare winced at hearing the name of the dread one spoken aloud.

"Why, Dare?" I asked quietly. "For the love the goddesses and the Old One, why have you let such an abomination live?"