The Black Wing (7 page)

His smile was lazy, patronizing, his gaze over her slight, womanly form skeptical.
“Really?” Onyx's nervously fingered the choker at her neck. “What business is it of
yours?” Led threw his head back and laughed. “At last, the little snake shows her fangs!”
“Don't ever call me that again,” Onyx growled.

“Sorry. It was just a pet name.” “I'm not your pet.” Led leaned back, grinning. “But are
you a good fighter?” Onyx drew back at this line of questioning, discomforted by the
entire encounter. She took long breaths in the qhen way, struggling to containor even
understandthe tangle of human emotions. For some reason, her human form responded
strangely to this man. Perhaps it was because she'd been surprised, knocked off balance by
finding him so unexpectedly. The only thing she knew for sure was that if she didn't gain
control of her brain and tongue, she would lose what might be her only chance to discover
Dela's whereabouts. “I can fight,” she said evenly. “That's interesting.” Led snuffled two
coins between the fingers of one hand, watching her closely while he spoke. “You see, I'm
something of a hunter myself. A bounty hunter. In fact, I was bringing a law-breaker here
for the bounty some months back and, uh, lost two fighters in a freak accident. Struck by
lightning, they were. I haven't found suitable replacements, and I need guards to help me
deliver a valuable package to a prospective buyer in Kernen tomorrow.” Led's admiring gaze
swept over her. “Personally, I'm impressed by what I see” he shrugged meaningfully “but
I'm going to have a hard time persuading the rest of my party that you're stronger than
you look.” “You're offering me a job?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide her
surprise. “Maybe.” He was looking at her legs in the tight russet pants. “If you're their
leader, why do you have to persuade anyone?” she challenged. Led's green eyes shot up. “I
don't.” They narrowed to slits. “But I can't afford to waste time settling arguments if
you can't pull your own weight.” Onyx propped her elbows on the bar and placed her chin in
her cupped hand. “You must know there's more to a good fighter than strength,” she said
softly. “Stealth and cunning are probably more important.” She paused. “And magic doesn't
hurt, either.” “You can do magic?” he whispered hoarsely. His eyes narrowed, and he looked
around quickly. “Better drop your voice, making a claim like that. Nobody trusts magic or
mages, not in this part of the world anyway.” “Until recently, humans thought dragons were
but stories, too,” she said, watching his reaction. Led shuddered. “I've heard those
rumors, too. But why should I believe you're a mage?” She knew she was being tested on a
number of levels. “Why should I care what you believe?” Led took a long wooden pipe from
his pocket and tamped tobacco into the bowl, considering her defiant reply with amusement.
He was reaching for a candle on the bar when he felt something touch the pipe clamped
between his lips. Led looked down his nose and saw Onyx's index finger in the pipe's bowl.
A small flame leaped from her fingertip and ignited the tobacco. She withdrew her finger
and blew away a thin trail of white smoke. “You're welcome,” she purred. Led was too
stunned to speak, too impressed to care if anyone else saw the display. “If s customary to
respond with 'thank you/ I believe,” she whispered. Led chose, instead, to nod, but there
was undisguised admiration in his emerald eyes. He pushed himself away from the bar. "The
men'll be assembling here just after dawn

if you're interested.“ ”Whafsthejob?“ ”Thaf s not your concern,“ he said, taking three
coins from a small drawstring bag and stacking them on the bar. ”I'm tired, so we'll have
to discuss your pay tomorrow.“ Onyx bit back a stinging retort. Like her, Led clearly
would not brook insolence, and she was dangerously close to crossing the line between
being intriguing and annoying. Besides, she would find out soon enough if the job involved
Dela. Just then, Led's rough hand touched her cheek, made rosy by the roaring fire, if not
the exchange. ”Are you going to show up, little Onyx?“ ”You'll have to wait until tomorrow
to find out," she said slyly. She slipped off the chair and sauntered up the stairs,
followed all the way by the sound of Led's laughter.

Onyx sat on the inn's long wooden front potch, her back to a square support post. The sky
to the east was still dark purple, though approaching lavender. Few people were moving
about yet, as first light began to creep between the buildings. A layer of winter ice and
snow covered the whole town, giving the place a false sense of peace and stillness.

Despite Bert's advice to avoid the bounty hunter, whispered over a breakfast of fried
bread and eggs, the raven-haired young woman was waiting for Led. If she was to free Dela,
she had no choice but to join his band. To Onyx's irritation, the sun was poking over the
rooftops when she finally caught sight of Led striding through the street. He wore a
glossy, polished leather breastplate and shoulder guards over a forest-green tunic. His
muscle-hugging wool leggings were tucked inside the calves of laced

boots that cuffed below the knees. Wet from bathing, his hair looked darker than it had
last night, and his beard and mustache had been neatly groomed. Behind him was a ragtag
group of grubby ogres, snorting and scratching their thick green hides. Most wore uncured
animal pelts decorated with feathers and small animal skulls and carried large clubs or
crude spears. One had a copper cauldron strapped upside down on his melon head in lieu of
a helmet. Strangely, Onyx found ogres much more repulsive now that she had spent time
among humans.

“Dawn passed quite some time ago,” she said stiffly. Led gave a mock bow and laughed.
“Good morning to you, too.” “These are the creatures you were concerned might not accept
me?” “You were expecting Knights of Solamnia?” “No. I knew, uh” Onyx stammered “I expected
they were ogres.” He looked at her strangely, then shrugged. “You take what you can get.
Ogres are fairly good fighters, and they listen well enough, just so long as Toba clubs
them now and then.” Led pointed to a hollow-cheeked man with an exotic slant to his eyes.
He wore an overlarge coat with the fur collar turned up. Dwarfed by the ogres, the wiry
little man snarled as he kicked one brute aside with a blade-tipped boot.

“That's Toba,” Led offered. “My lieutenant. He keeps the ogres in fighting shape, one way
or another. He lived in Sala-sia, near Taladas, which is crawling with ogres. That's where
he learned how to handle them.” Searching her memory, Onyx vaguely recalled the homely man
from the vision in the globe. Led's voice drew her into the present.

“I'm glad you decided to join me.” His green eyes were fixed on hers, probing. The
black-haired young woman could not suppress a scowl. “I almost left. I'm not accustomed to
waiting for anyone.” Led smirked ruefully and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Blame
them. They don't move very fast in the morning.” Onyx jumped from the porch to her feet
and slammed her dark hands onto her hips. “Then don't tell someone dawn, when you mean
midmorning.” It was Led's turn to scowl. “Let me tell you the three rules this party has,”
he said evenly, employing great effort to control his temper. His green eyes narrowed
beneath thick, arched brows. “First, you do what I say, when I say it, with no questions.
Second, if the cargo I'm paying you to guard is threatened, you will fight like a damned
hellhound and won't stop until I say it's over. Third, if there is a battle, nobody
searches bodies or gathers loot until the enemy is dead or run off.” Onyx hooked her
thumbs under her rope belt nonchalantly. “So whaf s this precious cargo I'll be guarding?”
Led tensed. “You're violating rule number one.” Frowning, Khisanth decided on a new
tactic. “What do I get in exchange for following your rules?” “A share of the loot,” Led
replied. “One share? And how many shares do you take?” Led snorted. “More than one. Don't
be obtuse.” Onyx lifted one eyebrow. “Do you really think one share is a fair split for a
mage? The same share as one of those mindless ogres?” Onyx cast an artless, wide-eyed look
at the throng milling in the slush behind Led. The brown-haired man fidgeted
imperceptibly. “No. More than that.” “How much more?” “Whatever I decide.” Led twirled one
end of his red-brown mustache. “I'm the boss.” Onyx shrugged under her purple tunic.
Turning on her heel, she took a step toward the inn's front door. “Not my boss. Find
yourself another mageif you can.” Led considered her as she stomped across the porch. She
was more like a man than any woman he knew. She knew magic, too, and Led had never met a
mage in all his travels, let alone one willing to do mercenary work. He let out his
breath, sending tendrils of white fog into the chill air. 'Tell you what, Onyx.“ The young
woman stopped in her tracks, her back as straight as a pillar. She did not turn around.
”Give me a better demonstration of your, urn, skills,“ he said softly. He eyed the
villagers passing in the icy street. ”Then I'll reconsider your pay level.“ Onyx
hesitated, considering how far she should take this tack. Her goal was to earn Led's
trust, become a member of his party. Perhaps she should just agree to whatever he said.
Led took note of her hesitation. ”Of course, if you can't cast spells, then you wouldn't
be of much use to me....“ He spat casually and turned to leave. Onyx's reptilian-slitted
pupils flared inside yellow irises. ”Now who's being ridiculous? I was merely scouting out
a secluded spot for a demonstration.“ She looked at him archly. ”Unless, of course, you'd
like me to throw a fireball down the street?“ ”Lower your voice and come with me, then."
Leaving the ogres and Toba behind, Led

took Onyx by the elbow and propelled her toward the mews between the inn and a
wattle-and-daub house. Onyx ducked through the door of the deserted building and jerked
her arm away. Flexing the tension from her shoulders, she concentrated on controlling her
breathing. She'd been bluffing about a fireball, which was still beyond her ability. She
closed her eyes and focused on a simple spell, basic to the dark nature of a black dragon.

“Hey, whaf s going on?” cried Led, his voice cracking with surprise. Onyx opened her eyes.
She and Led stood in absolute blackness. Her dragon sight allowed her to see Led in the
dark. He was groping about wildly, unable to determine up from down. Led wavered like a
stalk of overripe corn in a summer wind, then crashed to the ground. With a wave of her
hand, Onyx dissipated the spell. As the darkness slipped away like mist, leaving sunlight,
she extended a hand to Led. He slapped it away. “I was talking about a demonstration of
your fighting skills/' he said. ”Don't ever use your magic on me again.“ Flustered, he
twisted his clothing back into place under his armor. ”You'll get the same shares as Toba
until you prove yourself in battle.“ He crossed his arms over his chest. 'Take it or leave
it.” “I'll take it,” Onyx said, rocking back on her heels. Led jerked his head to indicate
she should lead the way back to Toba and the ogres. It was not just bruised pride that
made the human wonder at the wisdom of taking into his party someone more powerful than
he. Led was a man to whom power was everything. Still, he reasoned, stealing it was far
less taxing than earning it. A short time later, Onyx stood in flesh-pinching brigan-dine
armor, waiting for a stable hand to bring in another horse for Led's approval. Led had
chosen this “lightweight” armor from his personal collection because, “It's the best
quality suit the jackanapes who calls himself the village armorer can alter to your size
without ruining it.” The armor was composed of a layer of small metal plates riveted to an
undercoat of soft leather. Over that was a mantle of noise-muffling quilted cotton
batting. If the armor had not been so uncomfortable, Onyx would have been amused by the
irony of protecting her human flesh with a parody of her dragon form. At least it kept her
warmer than her tunic and leather jacket had. Following a few nips and tucks at the
armorer's, Led selected a short sword from his weapons cache and buckled it around Onyx's
waist. “Even if you never use it, just wearing it will make people think twice,” he'd
said. Now Onyx stood girded as a warrior, watching as the sta-bleboy led a black mare to
her and held out the reins. Onyx took the lengths of leather awkwardly. Nodding with
satisfaction, Led patted the mare's shiny flanks and said to the boy, 'Tell your master
we'll take her.“ Counting coin from his pouch, Led dropped ten into the boy's hand. ”Not
one piece more.“ The boy scampered off between piles of dirty yellow hay. ”I'll take her
price out of your first pay,“ Led told Onyx. Adjusting a strap, he laced his fingers and
held them out to boost her onto the back of the horse. ”She's a nice piece of flesh. Her
coloring suits you, too.“ Onyx placed her left foot in Led's hands and swung her right leg
over the horse with great difficulty, unused to maneuvering in the cumbersome armor. Led
watched her clumsy handling of the beast with surprise. ”Surely you haven't traveled
entirely by foot all your life?“ ”Not by foot, no,“ Onyx said. The mysterious glint in her
eye suggested her magical abilities. Led looked properly impressed. ”I've got to check on
a special order the cartwright's been promising me," he told Onyx after watching her first
awkward attempts to ride the mare. Promising to return in short

order, he left her to her own struggles in the paddock. Onyx was relieved to see the
backside of his long-legged stride so she could practice without his green eyes on her.
Used to being a mount of a sort to the lightweight nyphids, she did not like the feeling
of sitting on a horse one bit. The ride was jarring, not smooth like flying. More
disturbing to Onyx, though, was the idea of turning control of herself over to an animal
not half as intelligent as she. Slowly, she learned to control the animal instead of
allowing it to control her. Her shoulders ached from the effort to direct the animal, as
well as the weight of the armor. The sun had risen past the midpoint, and the mare beneath
her had churned the paddock to ankle-deep mud by the time a now-helmeted Led returned on
horseback himself. To her surprise, he was accompanied by his entire band of ogres and
flanked by Toba, who sat upon the buckboard of a small, windowless box of a wagon, reins
in hand. Khisanth sprang from the mare's back and led the creature by the leather bridle
through the paddock gate. “Yoshiki Toba, Onyx,” Led said simply by way of introduction.
“She's our new hand.” Led's lieutenant eyed her willowy, muscular form skeptically, but
said not a word. Obviously adding a woman warrior to their ranks was nothing new. Onyx
wondered at Led's reasons for not telling Toba of her spellcasting abilities, but she knew
she had already strained Led's tolerance for questions. “You're doing better on the
horse,” Led observed. “Just in time, too.” “We're leaving now?” Onyx glanced from the last
ranks of ogres up to the small wagon behind Toba. Led pushed back the helmet he'd donned
since she'd last seen him. “Any problem with that?” “No!” she said quickly, her mind
racing. How will I tell Kadagan and Joad I'm leaving? I don't even know where I'm going!
“I was just surprised, is all.” “Me, too,” said Led. “That fool cartwright has been
stringing me along, taking a month to build this little wagon, if you can believe that.”
“What kind of cargo requires a wagon specially made for it?” she asked artlessly.
“Something thaf s going to make me rich, once I get it to its new owner in Kernen,” he
said with a mysterious smile, then wagged his finger. “You've forgotten rule number one
again, Onyx.” Led dropped his helmet back over his face. “Take the right flank, and make
certain you remember rules two and three.” With that, he gave a shrill whistle and circled
his arm once over his head. The group set off for the southeastern gate. Onyx had to spur
the horse to a trot to gain her place on the right of the wagon, opposite Led. Once
outside town the small train turned toward the mountains. Thin woods lined the road,
thickening as the way led farther from town. Aside from an occasional sneeze or curse from
one of the ogres, the group was silent. Onyx wondered whether Kadagan and Joad were
watching from somewhere. If Dela was in the strange wagon Toba was driving, surely Joad
would know. If she wasn'tI'll deal with that if it turns out to be true, thought Khisanth.
They established a steady pace, headed through the foothills, toward a place Led called
Needle Pass, the only sizable gap through the Khalkist Mountains within a hundred miles.
The gray clouds had been chased from sight by a strong, chill wind. Onyx swayed in her
saddle with each of the mare's steps up the steep, rocky incline. She tried repeatedly to
listen for any sound from the wagon, but her keen hearing revealed nothing. After a short
time on the trail, Onyx's entire body ached. She concentrated on the horse's mane, let the
color and texture absorb all her thoughts. Slowly, the pain in her

legs diminished. The weight of the armor no longer strained her back or curved her spine.
Hawks cried out as they circled above the lumbering party. The wagon's wheels creaked and
rumbled over the frozen ground, occasionally crunching a rock or shattering a frozen
puddle. Led's horse was perfectly abreast of the two that pulled the wagon under Toba's
direction. The human's face was impassive, eyes always scanning ahead, his posture in the
saddle ramrod straight.

Hours later, as the sun slipped over the western horizon, Led chose a campsite. The spot
lay near a small pool that was constantly fed fresh water from a swiftly flowing mountain
stream. Led gave a shrill whistle. The wagon rolled to a stop next to Onyx, the ogres
behind it. Toba jumped from the buckboard and began firing off orders. The ogres
established a makeshift camp in the narrow clearing, digging fire pits with their claws,
while Led's lieutenant unhitched the wagon and posted himself as guard over the precious
cargo. While Toba was about, there would be no examining the cart to see if Dela were
inside.

Led sprang from his saddle and stepped around the wagon to help Onyx from hers. He settled
the woman atop a large rock, then fished around in his leather pack. “Jerky?” He held out
a red-brown shriveled strip that looked like animal hide picked clean and left too long in
the sun. She hes-