Tales of the Old World (60 page)

“Right, you lot,” said Klaus at Reiner’s side. “We’ve got your lodgings
sorted. This way.”

But before they could follow, there was a clatter of hooves at the gate and
everyone turned to face the potential threat. It was a single horseman, a
flush-faced youth in black and silver with fevered excitement in his bright blue
eyes.

“Father!” he cried as he reined his horse to a halt. “Father, I saw a white
stag in the woods just now. It was beautiful. You should hunt it with me.”

Manfred’s knights relaxed. Their hands dropped from their hilts.

Groff looked embarrassed. “Udo, pay your respects to Count Valdenheim. My
lord, may I introduce my son, Udo.”

Udo dismounted and bowed distractedly to Manfred. “My lord count. Welcome to
our humble house.” He turned back to his father. “So, may we have a hunt,
father?”

As Klaus led the Blackhearts away, Reiner looked back to see Lord Groff
bowing Count Manfred towards the main door and shooting angry looks at his son.
Udo seemed oblivious. He followed his father into the keep with a faraway smile
on his too-red lips. It looked like he had been eating cherries.

That evening, Reiner and his companions ate in silence with Klaus and the
castle’s servants, more interested in hot food than conversation after their
claustrophobic journey. The servants talked enough for all of them anyway.

“Hans the baker disappeared last night,” said a serving maid. “Third this
month.”

The groom snorted. “Disappeared? Everyone knows where he’s gone. Off into the
woods.”

The cook nodded. “His woman said he woke up from a dead sleep sayin’ he heard
music, and ran off, naked.”

Reiner was busy trying to think of a way to be alone with Franka that night.
They would be back in the coach on the morrow and he had no idea how they would
be lodged in Altdorf. Tonight could be their only chance at intimacy—their
only chance even to speak privately.

“Tain’t funny, young Grig,” said a burly huntsman to a giggling young
footman. “Those fools are dangerous as well as mad. They’d eat you as soon as
look at you. And the wood ain’t the same neither. The trees are changing. Honest
Drakwald oaks growing thorns and…” he made a face, “fat purple plums. It ain’t
natural.”

“If there’s a danger in the forest,” asked Hals, his garrulous nature
surfacing, “why are yer walls still all a jumble?”

“There’s not many left to build ’em, sir,” said the footman. “The war took so
many. The village was nearly deserted even before this business in the woods
begun. Now—”

“Even the bandits what used to steal our sheep are leaving,” said the cook.

“And what with m’lord’s lady taken away by fever,” said the groom. “And young
master Udo taking on so queer…”

“There’s nothing wrong with master Udo,” barked a long-faced fellow who
hadn’t spoken before. Then he chuckled, trying to smooth over his outburst. “The
boy’s moon-eyed over a girl in the village is all.” He winked. “She wears him
out.”

“He don’t go to the village, Stier,” said the groom. “He goes to the woods.”

“Don’t talk of what you don’t know, boy,” Stier snapped. “I’m his manservant.
I think I should know what he does.” He stood, stiff. “It will be time to serve
the port. Come, Burgo.”

The footman wiped his lips and joined Stier as he unlocked the wine cabinet.
They selected a few bottles, and went upstairs.

Reiner stared at the cabinet. They had left it open. He smiled.

“You lot are lucky they ain’t got a full complement of servants,” said Klaus
as he herded them into a below-stairs dormitory. “You’d be sleeping in the
stables else.” He turned on Reiner. “And I’ll be right outside the door, you, so
no sneaking out windows, no sneaking in serving girls, no gambling with the
grooms. We’re on our best behaviour. Understand?”

Reiner looked suddenly contrite. “Actually, sergeant, if I might have a word
alone, I have a confession to make.”

Klaus sighed and beckoned him into the hall, then closed the door behind
them. “What is it now, Hetsau?”

Reiner slipped a bottle of wine from under his jacket. “Well…”

“What’s this?” asked Klaus suspiciously. “You trying to bribe me?”

“Bribe you?” said Reiner, astonished. “Sergeant, bribery was the furthest
thing from my mind, I assure you.”

“Then…?”

“I, er, well, I nicked this to share with the lads, but your admonitions have
shamed me, and I want you to return it to its rightful place. I don’t want to
embarrass Manfred with any bad behaviour.”

Klaus looked longingly at the bottle. “Why, that’s damned decent of ye,
Hetsau. I’ll put in a good word for you with Count Manfred for this.”

Reiner gave Klaus the bottle. “I was just hoping you wouldn’t report me.”

“No fear,” said Klaus, not taking his eyes off the bottle. “No fear.”

Later, after the other Blackhearts had gone to sleep, Reiner slipped out of
his cot and peeked into the hall. He was gratified to see Klaus sprawled in his
chair snoring like a lumber mill, the wine bottle empty beside him. Reiner
tip-toed to Franka’s bed and shook her gently. Like a good soldier, Franka came
awake without a murmur, merely opening her eyes and reaching for her dagger—which she didn’t have, as Manfred had disarmed them.

Reiner put his finger to his lips and nodded towards the door. Franka looked
around, frowning when she saw the other Blackhearts still asleep.

“What’s this foolishness?” she mouthed.

He winked and motioned to the door again. Franka hesitated, then, with a
shrug, swung out of bed and joined him at the door. They eased out together.

Reiner led Franka quietly through the dark hallways and twisting stairs of
the silent castle until he found the musicians’ gallery above the main hall. He
pulled her in and crushed him to her, kissing her passionately. She resisted at
first, surprised, but after a moment the tension went out of her arms and her
lips parted. They melted into each other, as if the boundaries between them were
blurring. Franka moaned in her throat and her hands ran down Reiner’s back.
Reiner gripped her hips and pulled her into him.

“Wait.” Franka was suddenly pushing back, her hands on his chest.

“Wait?” asked Reiner, baffled. “Why?”

“My lord, please. I cannot.”

“You cannot? But you just did!”

“You surprised me. But we must not continue.”

Reiner’s brow furrowed. “But then why did you come away with me? Why…?”

“I came so that we might speak of… all this.”

“Speak? You want to waste these few precious moments we have speaking?”

“Hist!” said Franka, turning. “I heard a noise.”

“None of your tricks,” said Reiner, but now he heard it too: a shuffling and
bumping. He and Franka stepped to the lattice.

Moving somnolently through the great hall below, dressed only in his night
shirt, was Udo. His eyes were open but he moved through the room like a blind
man pulled by some invisible rope.

“He sleepwalks,” murmured Reiner.

“We should make sure he doesn’t do himself a mischief,” whispered Franka, and
turned towards the door.

“But…” Reiner sighed. She was already in the hall. He followed.

As they started down the stairs to the hall, they saw Udo coming up. They
backed around a corner until he topped the stairs and walked away down the hall.

They started after him. Reiner cursed. He had felt Franka’s desire. It would
only have been a matter of time before she succumbed. Now who knew when they
could come to grips again.

Udo turned a corner. When Reiner and Franka reached it, Franka peeked around,
then pulled quickly back.

“What is it?” asked Reiner.

“A… a woman,” said Franka, frowning.

“What?” Reiner eased his head around the corner.

At the end of a short hallway, open doors revealed a scene from some old
romantic painting—a couple embracing on an ivy-covered balcony, the lovers
haloed softly in the moonlight—except in the painting, the man would
undoubtedly have worn breeches.

The woman was shockingly beautiful, a voluptuous succubus in a plum velvet
dress, with glossy black hair and a full-lipped, heart-shaped face. Udo was
fully under her spell, trying to close with her like a lust-crazed schoolboy
while she held him off.

“Later, beloved,” she was saying. “We must speak of other things first.”

The scene felt familiar, but Reiner was so beglamoured by the woman’s beauty
he couldn’t remember why.

A hand pulled him roughly back. “Do you want them to see you?” hissed Franka.

“I was, er, well…”

Franka rolled her eyes.

The woman’s voice floated around the corner: a throaty contralto. “No,
beloved. First you must tell me what was said at dinner. Why is Valdenheim here?
Does he mean to destroy us?”

Reiner and Franka froze at the mention of Manfred’s name.

“Dinner be damned,” whined Udo. “You don’t understand how much I need you. I
ache for you.”

“I know exactly how much you need me, silly boy. Now tell me or I shall
leave.”

Udo yelped. “No! You mustn’t! I will tell! Though they said little enough.
Father begged Valdenheim for help fighting the ‘horror’ in the forest, but
Valdenheim put him off, saying the Empire hasn’t the resources.”

“So he hasn’t come to hunt us down?”

“No. He’s only passing through. Taking spies to be questioned in Altdorf, he
said.”

Reiner and Franka heard the woman’s relieved sigh. “Very good. Now did you
tell your father of the white stag as I asked? Has he agreed to the hunt?”

“I told him, but… but, beloved, is it really necessary to kill him?”

“He will never consent to our union, my sweet. Or to the kingdom of pleasure
we hope to found here. It is best…” She stopped suddenly, then murmured
something Reiner and Franka couldn’t hear.

“What?” said Udo loudly. “Overheard?”

Reiner and Franka began backing hastily away, but before they could take
three steps Udo was around the corner, swinging his fists wildly. “Assassins!”
he cried. “Spies!”

“Hush, beloved!” hissed the woman, following him. “You’ll wake the house.”

Reiner and Franka dropped Udo with a few well-placed fists and knees, and he
rolled away, groaning. The woman was another matter. She flashed towards them
like an oiled shadow, stiletto glinting in her hand. Reiner and Franka dropped
their hands to their belts, forgetting again that they had no daggers.

The woman lunged at Reiner, her blade seeking his neck. He grabbed her wrist,
trying to force it back. It was like trying to bend iron. He looked in her eyes.
They shone with a weird light. His mind began to swim. Franka kicked the woman
in the stomach. The beauty snarled and backhanded her, breaking eye-contact with
Reiner. Franka flew back, head bouncing off the wall, and she slid to the floor.

Reiner caught the woman’s arm as she stabbed again, this time averting his
eyes, but even using his whole body to hold the stiletto away, still it inched
towards his neck.

Sounds of doors opening echoed down the hall.

“Unhand her, villain!” cried Udo, staggering up. Franka grabbed his legs. He
kicked her in the face.

“Idiot child!” hissed the beauty. “Be silent!”

Udo pummelled Reiner. His blows were weak, but a lucky punch to the kidney
made Reiner’s knees buckle and the witch’s stiletto jerked forward, gashing his
collar bone.

With a look of triumph, she ripped her arm free of Reiner’s grip and raised
the stiletto, but feet were running towards them and they heard the scrape of
unsheathing swords. The beauty looked up, cursing. Reiner kicked her in the
stomach. She stumbled back, eyes flashing angrily at Udo. “Fool! I told you to
be silent.” With a frustrated hiss, she ran to the balcony and leapt over.
Reiner half expected her to fly away like some bird of prey, but she dropped out
of sight and was gone.

Udo’s fist caught Reiner on the cheekbone. “Spoilsport! You’ve chased her
away!”

Reiner ducked back and grabbed Udo’s arms. Franka lurched up and caught Udo’s
collar from behind, pulling his shirt down over his shoulders to trap his arms.
Reiner was about to head butt the youth when he saw a livid mark on Udo’s
exposed chest. A small puncture wound, purple-black with infection, rose
directly over his heart. It looked like a third nipple.

“Ware,” muttered Franka, looking past Reiner. “Manfred and our host.”

Reiner looked back. Manfred and Groff were hurrying towards them in robes and
nightshirts, swords drawn, leading a handful of knights and house guards.

Udo shoved Reiner back and pulled his shirt closed. “Father,” he cried.
“These men have assaulted me! Arrest them!”

“What is the meaning of this?” demanded Groff, bustling up. “Manfred, aren’t
these your prisoners?”

“They are,” said Manfred. “And I promise a reckoning when I discover who let
them out.”

“My lords,” said Reiner quickly, “there is greater evil afoot here than our
petty truancy. Your house is infiltrated, Lord Groff. There is a witch on your
grounds. She came to meet your son and just now leapt over the balcony. If you
hurry…”

“What nonsense is this?” barked Groff. “You try to draw attention from your
crimes by accusing my son of witchcraft? Manfred, slay these insolent…”

“But ’tis the truth, my lord,” said Reiner. “She has marked him. You have
only to look at his…”

“Enough,” said Manfred. “What are you doing out of quarters, and who let you
out?”

“My lord,” said Franka, imploring. “She is getting away.”

“Answer my question, curse you!”

Reiner ground his teeth. “Here’s your answer, y’damned fools.” And before
anyone could stop him, he grabbed Udo’s collar and ripped his nightshirt clean
off.

Groff jumped forward, shouting and swinging his sword as Reiner dodged back.
“He assaults my son before my eyes! Stand, villain, I will…”

But Manfred was staring at Udo, who stood dumbly, with the unclean wound
exposed for all to see. Groff followed his gaze and choked as he saw it.