The Heiress of the Lake (4)

A dark romantic fantasy

Chapter 4: The shy assassin

The Snakeling Lord stood on the wooden watchtower of his castle, observing the vast swamplands laid before the Snakeling town. 

Both hate and despair mirrored in the gaze of his green eyes. How much longer must his people suffer from the whim of the tyrant? Ever since the High King or Lord Morten turned the lake Autumna into land, the Snakeling island had become a tiny patch of land with Morten’s realm surrounding it. The Autumnians stripped his people from every bit of dignity. They came with fire and burned half of the town. The Snakelings fought back bravely, but had no chance against the legions of Autumnians. Morten took pleasure in torturing them slowly. Burning houses one by one each night. Murdering the Snakeling men and raping the women before their families. The Autumnian soldiers roamed the streets of the Snakeling town at nights, bringing death and pain along with them. The only reason the town was not wiped from the face of the land was the booze. Autumnians robbed the Snakeling from everything - food, clothes, and the Snakeling booze or Strong water. The soldiers brought the loot back to their High King. It seemed the booze somehow eased the burning pain Morten suffered from. Now the Snakelings were to provide the Autumnians with the beverage, in exchange they could keep their lives. 

The Snakeling Lord clenched his jaw; the Lord’s own family had suffered enough. He barely saved his wife from the Autumnian soldiers, despite her being pure-blood Autumnian. His daughter he could not save. The drunk soldiers broke into the castle and took her at night; by the time the Lord found her in the soldier’s camp, his fifteen-year-old girl was violated, mangled and barely alive. She never recovered, and took her own life when the girl was strong enough to do so.  

Dusk crept upon the Damned land, and along with it - another night the Snakelings had yet to survive. A blood-red stripe of the setting sun glared above the horizon. 

Quiet footsteps came upstairs to the tower. The Lord pulled out his narrow Snakeling sword with a casual move; he was well accustomed to the movement over these eighteen years. 

“It’s me, father,” a young man appeared in the dusk, raising his arms. 

The Snakeling Lord hid his sword. 

“Are the men ready for the night?” The Lord asked coldly, looking into the distance. 

“They’re ready. Not enough to cover the whole town, but the children and women shall be protected,” the youngster replied sternly. He shared a resemblance to his Snakeling father; his eyes were green and somewhat snake-like, his hair was long, black and silky, and his skin was of a paler hue then the Autumnian dark one of his mother. Despite the likeness to a snake, the young man had inherited the handsome facial features of his Autumnian mother. 

“Is the delivery ready for tomorrow?”

“Yes, father. The Strong water is sealed and packed,” the youngster paused, “why would you not let us poison it? It should wipe out a whole legion and maybe the old bastard himself.”

“I do not wish to explain again, Magnush! A weak and suffering High King is more useful to us than a new tyrant. Let him indulge in his burning pain. He hasn’t got much time to live. It’s his successor I’m concerned about. His heiress is to be wed soon. We must get rid of her and the man Morten will choose as the next High King. I’m sure the man to take Autumna’s throne after Morten’s kin is erased, shall be more sensible. The alliance of the Autumnian High-Born are on our side; they’re fed up with Morten.”

The Snakeling Lord took a deep breath and looked east.

“Is Luksh ready?” he lowered his voice.

“Yes father, but I must beg you - choose me! I’m the best of our men, you know it. I have a good reason for vengeance…”

“How many times must I tell you - my answer is still no!” the Lord scolded him, “your desire to revenge shall make you weak,” the Lord paused to regain his calm.

“I’ve lost a daughter, I will not risk losing my son,” he placed his hand on the youngster’s shoulder. 

The latter shook it off, turning his back on the Lord furiously. 

“The Autumnian nature takes over your mind. Anger, hastiness… those are not the qualities of a Snakeling. You must obey the voice of reason like a true Snakeling.”

“I am a true Snakeling! I despise Autumnians and I am not one of them!” the young man exclaimed eagerly.

The Lord smirked.

“You cannot escape your mother’s Autumnian blood in you. And with it, their nature,” the Lord shook his head, “make sure Luksh is prepared for tomorrow. The heiress’s engagement shall take place after five days. He’ll have enough time to deliver the Strong water and find a way to get rid of the freshly engaged royal couple.”

The young man bowed to his father and left as quietly as he appeared. 

Snakelings survived yet another night fighting off drunk Autumnian soldiers on the streets. In the morning a lonely cart filled with bottles of Strong water began its journey to the citadel of Autumna. It was pulled by a large lizard-like beast, the Snakelings had tamed the monsters spreading across the swamp and used them instead of horses in the wetlands.

A Snakeling man sat in front of the cart, with his hood pulled over his face. The delivery of the Strong water was highly expected for the engagement feast of the Heiress. The cart with the precious load would be allowed to enter the Autumna town around the castle grounds without any trouble at all. However, no Snakeling was welcomed to enter the castle itself.

Snakeling Lord Merush once again stood in the Watchtower. He watched the cart disappear out of sight in the distance. 

One of his men run up the tower.

“My Lord! Luksh was found in his house naked, tied up and with a twisted arm. He won’t be able to raise his sword for weeks!”

The Lord hurriedly turned his sight to the horizon, where he last saw the cart.

“Magnush, my son, what have you done…” the Snakeling Lord Merush whispered. 

***

The rope around the stranger’s neck was tightened to its limit - a bit more and he would be strangled. He did not miss a chance to throw a snarky remark at the two Autumnians, and Marci pulled the rope tighter every time. 

Tired and hungry the three rode until dusk. Finally, they saw a pack of shimmering lights in the distance. The wind brought a scent of firewood burning. 

“Is that the village?” Auri asked.

“No, it’s a bloody bush patch with fireflies, stupid Autumnian whore!” the stranger retorted quietly, but Marci still heard him. This time he pulled the rope with all his strength, the man coughed and gasped for a breath. 

“Stop, Marci!” Auri got off the horse, ran up to the stranger and loosened the rope.

“Honestly, Frogling! I don’t understand why do you bother helping that scum. He’s done nothing but assault you,” Marcian shrugged. 

“He led us to a village, although he could’ve driven us into a muddy pool.”

“Even he’s not that dumb,” Marci replied, “or are you?” he addressed the man. The latter didn’t even bother to answer. 

The lights before them were not the only ones. Suddenly they spotted torch lights behind them in the distance; a pack of soldiers was gaining on the three.

“I told you they’re coming,” the stranger hissed, “how dumb is an engaged couple to run away from their own wedding?”

“You know nothing, snake!” Marci shouted at him. 

“No time for this! We have to hide! Can you help us? Is there anything we can grant you, to change your mind, sir? We need your help!” Auri looked into the stranger’s green eyes. His eyes widened with a sudden sense of revelation. 

“Alright. There is something.”

“What?” Auri still stared in the emerald-green depth. 

“I’ll tell you when I choose to.”

“Forget it, snake!” Marci yelled, “Frogling, it cannot be good! If you’re thinking of taking her virtue…” he pulled the man down from the lizard’s back and held him by the front of his shirt. 

“A Snakeling does not touch a woman if not wed to her!” the man smirked spitefully, “unlike you, dirty Autumnians. Virtue? I doubt there’s any left…” 

Marci punched him in the face.

“Auri’s virtue is none of your business!”

“Stop it, both of you! We have no choice - help us hide from the soldiers! I don’t think you want to meet them yourself.” 

The stranger gave something vaguely resembling a nod, Auri untied his hands and all three rode toward the village as fast as their animals could carry them. 

The village was built within the last years by the Autumnian settlers. It marked the crossroads of two larger pathways. The stranger indeed knew his way around and led them directly to the tavern.

“You can’t seriously think this isn’t going to be the first place they’ll look for us!” exclaimed Marcian. 

“It will be. But they won’t find us. Now is the time to use your silver and jewels,” the man addressed Auri. 

“Wait! The blood!” Auri pulled a piece of the soldier’s clothing from her saddle bag and handed it to the stranger to clean the blood off his face.

He smirked. 

“The folks in these places have seen worse, don’t bother,” nevertheless he took the cloth and wiped his face. 

The three entered the tavern through the back door. 

“Greetings from the Lord of Serpents,” the stranger said to a man inside the dark hallway.

“May the Foreverold lead us to wisdom,” the other replied. Obviously, it was an arranged answer for the Snakeling spies. 

“Our presence here should be unseen. We have a tail. Do whatever it takes,” the stranger gave the other man silver and jewels.

“I’ll see to it. Follow me.”

He showed them a secret room hidden behind the pantry shelves in the back of the tavern. 

“I’ll inform you when it’s safe to move.” 

“May the Foreverold lead us to wisdom,” the stranger repeated their secret lines.

“Greetings from the Lord of Serpents,” the other replied and closed the door, leaving them in the darkness. 

The stranger obviously had been here before. He found his way to the table and lit a candle. 

Now they could see their refuge for the night. The room had no windows. It was a tight space with a single bed, a chair and a table. 

“Don’t try anything funny, snake!” said Marci, drawing his sword. The stranger looked at him grinning.

“I’m unarmed. And if I had wanted to lour you into a trap here, you would have been dead already.”

He was right. Auri and Marci sat down on the side of the bed, while the stranger reclined on the only chair. Marcian’s stomach roared furiously. 

“What? We didn’t have anything decent to eat, except the soldiers’ bread!” he yelled, because the stranger gave him a spiteful look. 

Suddenly Auri jumped up.

“The horses! The soldier’s horses! If my father’s men see them…”

The stranger sighed heavily.

“My friend is not dumb. He said he’ll see to it, so he will.”

The three sat in an awkward silence, until there was a short knock, the door opened in a narrow gap and somebody shoved a tray of food into the room.

“Be quiet. A Wolfling is on your trail. He hears beyond walls. They’ll be here in an hour,” a voice warned them. 

And the door closed quietly. 

“A Wolfling? Morten sent him?!” Auri became ghastly pale. 

“Should’ve finished him off when I could,” the stranger murmured to himself.

Auri looked at him surprised.

“It was you! The one that saved me from the Wolfling in the ruins?”

The man didn’t answer, he turned to pick up the tray.

“Help yourselves,” he gestured at the food. 

Marcian squinted his eyes hatefully, but his empty stomach rumbled once more and he couldn’t stop himself from digging into the food. 

All three shared the simple meal; a roast with stewed vegetables, rye bread, wheat pies with marsh berry jam and water.

“Thank you. For the meal,” Auri looked him in the eyes, but the stranger couldn’t return her gaze and turned away without a word. 

“What is your name?” she asked. 

“Who cares!” Marcian spat out, but Auri gave him a short, reproachful stare.

“Magnush,” the stranger said quietly. 

“Thank you, Magnush. We’re truly sorry about beating you up. Aren’t we?” 

“No, we’re not!” Marci objected. 

Magnush didn’t reply.

“Did the Snakelings send you after us? I know your people had suffered greatly from my father,” Auri said cautiously. 

“You don’t have any idea!” Magnush could not hide the despair in his voice. 

“Tell me, why did you save me from the Wolfling?”

But Magnush didn’t answer. He showed the two to keep quiet. There was some kind of a rumbling behind the wall. The High King’s men had reached the village. 

Cold chills ran over Auri’s back, the girl shivered; a low, roaring voice spoke behind the thin wall. The Wolfling Regnar was on the other side interrogating the barkeeper.

“The scent led me here. Where is the girl?”

“We have all sorts of girls in the village, but none arrived today, sir. Search for yourself, if you can smell her.”

Poor Auri grabbed Marcian’s hand. 

“The damn place is full of Snakegrass stench,” Regnar retorted. Obviously, he couldn’t distinguish Auri’s scent among the other smells of the busy tavern. No wonder; a dozen men sat in the hall smoking and drinking. 

Auri was barely breathing, clutching onto Marcian’s hand with all her strength. 

“If you see the girl, inform us. We’ll search the grounds around the village,” Regnar growled and the three heard footsteps moving away.

“Sure thing!” the barkeeper replied idly.

“What are we to do?” Auri chirped after they had been sitting in silence for a long while.

“Tonight - nothing. We lay low. My man will tell us when it’s safe to come out,” Magnush replied, taking off his boots.

“The damn bastards! They found us quickly,” Marcian cursed.

“You were not hiding much. The trace of belongings your dragon threw down, the laughable shelter you didn’t bother to take down, even the two soldiers you left alive. They told me everything I needed to know, after I asked them politely,” Magnush smirked. 

“They probably informed the Wolfling as well,” Auri pondered.

“That they could not. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to speak with a cut throat from the bottom of a swamp pool,” Magnush shrugged casually.

Auri and Marci exchanged concerned glances; their new companion was a true assassin despite his young age. 

Auri began to shiver; their clothes were damp, but with all the hasty hiding they did not pay it any attention before.

“You should take your wet clothes off,” Marci suggested. 

As the girl began to undress herself, she nearly laughed - their ruthless assassin turned red as a lingonberry, and looked away, stubbornly staring at the wall. 

“I’ll wrap in a blanket, don’t worry sir Snakeling!” she said, but the man mumbled something resembling “dirty Autumnians” in reply. Marci also took off his wet clothes, and sat beside Auri in his underwear quite shamelessly. 

“No fornication in my presence! Otherwise I shall forget our agreement and kill you with my bare hands!” Magnush exclaimed, after he attempted to turn back and look at the two.

Marci laughed. 

“What a coy assassin you are, snake! Haven’t seen a naked girl in your Snakeling life, have you?” Marcian teased him. The latter gave a spiteful snort.

“Speaking of… you’re not a pure Snakeling, judging by your looks. I’ve seen your kind in the town. You have Autumnian blood in your veins, it’s obvious,” Marci pondered.

“I am a true Snakeling!” Magnush looked at him and yelled, but turned away again quickly after noticing Auri’s naked shoulders. 

“What exactly is our agreement, Magnush? You haven’t told us what you want for your help,” Auri said. 

“I repeat - I’ll tell you when I choose to. Meanwhile, I am offering my guidance to help you escape the Wolfling’s men.”

“And you expect us to trust you?!” Marci objected.

“What choice do you have?” Magnush stretched his feet and reclined on the chair. 

“He’s right. We don’t stand a chance without his help. Marci, we hardly survived one night in the swampland, even without the Wolfling chasing us,” Auri looked into her friend’s eyes as he shook his head. 

“Alright, snake! You’ll lead us to Thilia valley in Hebeny,” Marci commanded. 

“That’s a long way to go,” Magnush frowned, “what business is there for you? And why did you run away from your own wedding in the first place?”

“What? We didn’t make your job of killing us any easier, did we? I bet you still plan to murder us, but for some reason you’ve decided to put that off,” Marcian wondered. 

“I do not plan to kill you anymore. Maybe you won’t have to die at all.” 

Auri and Marci exchanged looks again, this time - surprised ones. 

They sat quietly for a while, listening to the rumbling noises of the drunks in the tavern hall. Auri began to yawn, she was more exhausted than she’d ever been.

“You take the bed, Frogling! I’ll sleep on the floor,” Marci suggested.

“You don’t have to. I don’t mind sharing with you,” Auri replied happily. Magnush cleared his throat.

“No fornication, I swear!” she giggled. 

“No, Frogling! Out of pure respect to our shy assassin, I’ll sacrifice a night of comfortable slumber in the bed next to you,” Marci said pompously and bowed to Magnush. 

“Stupid Autumnian!” the latter grunted quietly. 

Auri did grant Marci one of the two blankets from the bed, and a pillow. Magnush blew off the candle, laid flat on the floor, turned his back on the two and soon enough appeared to be fast asleep. 

Auri woke up looking into a pair of curious, green eyes. Still half-asleep she smiled, the gaze of the beautiful emerald-green eyes was truly deep. 

Auri’s eyes widened; Magnush shied away from her. Obviously, he had been watching the girl in her sleep. Auri sat up startled, still wrapped in the blanket. The candle illuminated a breakfast tray on the table. Marcian snored loudly, lying on the wooden floor.

“I wanted to wake you up. None of you heard the door opening. It’s breakfast time,” Magnush said apologetically, with his back turned to Auri’s nude shoulders. 

“Thank you. For waking me up,” she replied bewildered. 

Marcian woke with a deafening snore. 

“Breakfast?” he sat and moaned right after. The High-born man wasn’t used to sleeping on a hard, wooden floor. 

Magnush smirked at his suffering.

“I hope at least the breakfast is good. I must say - sleeping in this fine establishment is not much of a pleasure,” Marcian joked, “how did you sleep, Frogling?”

“Like a baby,” Auri smiled. Magnush gave her a short stare, but quickly turned his gaze to his own feet. 

“I asked my ally to bring you new clothes as soon as it will be safe,” Magnush stared at his breakfast plate, desperately trying to avoid looking at Auri. 

“Thank you, Magnush!” 

“Thank your silver and jewels,” he said shyly. 

All three of them had breakfast in an awkward silence, until Auri asked,

“Tell me, Magnush, why did you save me from the Wolfling? You should not care for my life, if the Snakelings had sent you to kill me.”

“I… it’s… I have a reason… I mean…” the assassin stuttered, poking his breakfast porridge with the spoon.

“Just spit it out, man!” Marcian mumbled with his mouth full. 

“No girl deserves to be violated! Not one! Not ever!” Magnush yelled in his face.

Both Auri and Marcian sat shocked at his sudden outburst. 

“That makes sense. The gentle assassin, who would have thought?” Marci murmured after the pause. 

“Thank you,” Auri said and lowered her sight. Magnush did not reply. The three finished the meal in silence, the tavern was empty at this time of the day. The lonely whistling of the barkeeper was the only sound breaking the silence. 

“How long will we stay here?” Marcian sat on the floor, polishing his sword with a cloth. He was obviously bored.

“You heard my ally. He will tell us when it’s safe. The Wolfling is keeping an eye on the village today,” Magnush replied. 

He sat stubbornly turning his back on Auri. She used the chance to put the soldier’s clothes back on. Those had dried overnight.

Marci didn’t care much about Auri’s nudity, but he was bored to death. As soon as Auri dropped the blanket and reached for the soldier’s shirt, Marcian grabbed one of the Snakeling’s daggers from his saddle bag and threw it at him.

“Hey, snake! Catch!”

Magnush was forced to turn back and lift his sight to the other two. He caught the dagger in mid-air not even looking at it, because his gaze was fixed upon something else; Auri stood naked in front of him, she was too startled to cover herself for a moment. She grabbed the shirt and wrapped it around herself.

“You can close your mouth now, snake! At least you won’t die without seeing a naked girl, your welcome!” Marcian exclaimed laughing. He indeed thought it to be a witty joke. Auri stepped closer and punched her friend in the face.

“Auch! What was that for?” Marci moaned. 

“I hope you feel entertained now!” the girl retorted, dressing herself. Magnush had turned away again, she could clearly see his ears burning red from embarrassment. 

---

Chapter 5