“You won’t do anything, will you?”
“No.” I lay motionless while the driver retied my hands.
“We’ll be in Baseer in a few hours. I’ll put her in the carriage and keep an eye on her ’til then.”
The driver shook himself as if the very idea gave him shiverfeet, but he opened the carriage anyway.Uncle was slumped inside, his face pale and sweaty. Fieso climbed into the carriage and shoved Uncle out. He moaned as he tumbled to the grass. Ashen skin, sunken eyes. I’d guess he didn’t have much longer.
“You should take him to a Healer.”
“Why? More reward for us.” Fieso turned to the driver again. “Get those horses. I’ll watch our girl.”
The driver frowned but did as ordered. Resik was probably still lying in the grass behind the carriage. For a heartbeat I wondered if anyone would stop and pick them up.
Fieso waved the sword at me and swung it toward the open carriage door. I climbed inside and sat. Fieso came in after, the sword never wavering.
“Now then,” Fieso said, leaning against the padded seat. “Let’s discuss the rules. You speak, I’ll kill you. You try to escape, I’ll kill you. You move at all, I’ll kill you. You do what I say, or I’ll kill you. Nod if you got it.”
I nodded.
“Good. Rules start now.”
I followed the rules all the way to Baseer. The landscape outside the window never changed, just green fields and farms stretching forever. I couldn’t even imagine how many people all those fields must feed.
The afternoon sun hovered over us by the time we reached the city walls. Golden stone disappeared into the distance, higher than most buildings in Geveg, maybe thirty or forty feet. Every few hundred yards, a tower loomed.
On the right, between the city and the river, was some kind of military fort. Rectangular, with a wide ditch around it. Barracks in neat rows. Armed soldiers posted around fortified walls, and towers at all four corners.
Was that the Duke’s army?
The carriage slowed at the gates, tall, with wide iron bars thick as my wrist. I saw at least five soldiers, but there were probably more.
One soldier walked up to the carriage door. She opened it, her hand on her sword. “Your business?”
“Delivering a prisoner for bounty.”
She looked at me and nodded. “Bring her out.”
Fieso slid down the seat and tugged on my rope. “Out.”
I got out, graceful as a frog.
“This way.” The soldier led us over to the guard station. Boards with reward posters nailed to them hung behind it. Faces of all kinds stared out at me, including my own.
“That’s her there,” Fieso said, pointing.
The soldier paused, then pulled the poster down. “Bring her to holding while I send someone for the magistrate.” She called over another soldier. They spoke briefly, casting glances at Fieso; then the second soldier waved us on.
“Follow me.”
“What about my carriage?” Fieso said.
“Tell your driver to ride on through. He’ll see the tether posts on the left.”
We stepped through the giant gate and into Baseer. My throat tightened, as if the air itself were poison.
Baseer. I’m in Baseer.
A square cage sat in the middle of a fenced pen. The soldier opened it and motioned me inside. I walked past her and plopped to the cool stone floor. Some welcome. Maybe it was a warning to all who came through the gates—obey the rules or pay the price.
“How long ’til I get my money?” Fieso asked. My money, not our money. Shame the driver didn’t hear that. I bet he’d be joining Resik and Uncle along the side of the road before nightfall.
“I don’t make the magistrate’s schedule,” the soldier said. She pointed to a bench not far from the cage. “Wait there.”
Fieso sat, and not long after, the driver took aplace beside him. People, carts, and carriages walked and rolled past us, but not many looked my way. I guess with so many faces on the reward posters, prisoners in the cage weren’t unusual.
I sat quietly, my head
“No.” I lay motionless while the driver retied my hands.
“We’ll be in Baseer in a few hours. I’ll put her in the carriage and keep an eye on her ’til then.”
The driver shook himself as if the very idea gave him shiverfeet, but he opened the carriage anyway.Uncle was slumped inside, his face pale and sweaty. Fieso climbed into the carriage and shoved Uncle out. He moaned as he tumbled to the grass. Ashen skin, sunken eyes. I’d guess he didn’t have much longer.
“You should take him to a Healer.”
“Why? More reward for us.” Fieso turned to the driver again. “Get those horses. I’ll watch our girl.”
The driver frowned but did as ordered. Resik was probably still lying in the grass behind the carriage. For a heartbeat I wondered if anyone would stop and pick them up.
Fieso waved the sword at me and swung it toward the open carriage door. I climbed inside and sat. Fieso came in after, the sword never wavering.
“Now then,” Fieso said, leaning against the padded seat. “Let’s discuss the rules. You speak, I’ll kill you. You try to escape, I’ll kill you. You move at all, I’ll kill you. You do what I say, or I’ll kill you. Nod if you got it.”
I nodded.
“Good. Rules start now.”
I followed the rules all the way to Baseer. The landscape outside the window never changed, just green fields and farms stretching forever. I couldn’t even imagine how many people all those fields must feed.
The afternoon sun hovered over us by the time we reached the city walls. Golden stone disappeared into the distance, higher than most buildings in Geveg, maybe thirty or forty feet. Every few hundred yards, a tower loomed.
On the right, between the city and the river, was some kind of military fort. Rectangular, with a wide ditch around it. Barracks in neat rows. Armed soldiers posted around fortified walls, and towers at all four corners.
Was that the Duke’s army?
The carriage slowed at the gates, tall, with wide iron bars thick as my wrist. I saw at least five soldiers, but there were probably more.
One soldier walked up to the carriage door. She opened it, her hand on her sword. “Your business?”
“Delivering a prisoner for bounty.”
She looked at me and nodded. “Bring her out.”
Fieso slid down the seat and tugged on my rope. “Out.”
I got out, graceful as a frog.
“This way.” The soldier led us over to the guard station. Boards with reward posters nailed to them hung behind it. Faces of all kinds stared out at me, including my own.
“That’s her there,” Fieso said, pointing.
The soldier paused, then pulled the poster down. “Bring her to holding while I send someone for the magistrate.” She called over another soldier. They spoke briefly, casting glances at Fieso; then the second soldier waved us on.
“Follow me.”
“What about my carriage?” Fieso said.
“Tell your driver to ride on through. He’ll see the tether posts on the left.”
We stepped through the giant gate and into Baseer. My throat tightened, as if the air itself were poison.
Baseer. I’m in Baseer.
A square cage sat in the middle of a fenced pen. The soldier opened it and motioned me inside. I walked past her and plopped to the cool stone floor. Some welcome. Maybe it was a warning to all who came through the gates—obey the rules or pay the price.
“How long ’til I get my money?” Fieso asked. My money, not our money. Shame the driver didn’t hear that. I bet he’d be joining Resik and Uncle along the side of the road before nightfall.
“I don’t make the magistrate’s schedule,” the soldier said. She pointed to a bench not far from the cage. “Wait there.”
Fieso sat, and not long after, the driver took aplace beside him. People, carts, and carriages walked and rolled past us, but not many looked my way. I guess with so many faces on the reward posters, prisoners in the cage weren’t unusual.
I sat quietly, my head
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