Chapter Six

Three days later, she sat on the edge of a coastal cliff and listened to the thunderous roar deep within the bowels of the bluff. Crashing ocean waves breaking inside large caverns at its base caused terrifying sounds and vibrated the ground around it. She looked back at the road behind her. It forked into two branches. One ran around the coast, and the other led over the steep precipice to the city below.

Heavy rain washed out all traces of the stranger’s presence. He may have taken the Bluff Road and bypassed the Three Cities. She gambled that he would visit them, since he had said he was traveling. The cove was one of the major attractions for visitors in the kingdom.

She looked out across the great expanse of ocean and saw a giant storm approaching. Several white mast ships under full sail raced for the harbor’s safety. She would have to start her descent to beat the weather. She turned her mount and led the horses over the cliff’s edge. She slowly worked down the winding trail through Sunder toward the Cove.

Hidden in time, the cliff cities were called North Thunder and South Thunder. The stretch of white sandy beach at the base of the cliffs was fondly called Beautiful Cove. Not to be outdone by dirty beach people cluttering the cove, the citizens from the north renamed their fair city North Under. Eventually, they shortened it to Norunder.

The good citizens from the south, in a gay spirit of one-upmanship and never to be triumphed over, blessed their shanty town as Sunder. They made much to do about the nothing they lived in and touted the scenic tourist attractions and souvenirs one could purchase en route to the beach. Many weary travelers who walked the fifteen extra miles to descend on the south side chastised the locals for their deception. Word went north and south, and the dead cliff dwellers soon watched their community fall into shambles.

Winding her way down the zig-zagging wagon trail, she marveled at the shacks still standing on their lopsided foundation poles. She wondered at the trouble people went through to accomplish nothing. No industry existed in Sunder or Norunder. Everyone worked in the cove. Everything centered on the shipping docks. The employed consisted of dock workers and seamen. She had never been to sea. She sympathized with the men who plied the ships across the unknown ocean.

Seven hours later, she rode out near the white sand. She glanced at the growing storm as it drew nearer. Across the harbor, five ships raced to shore and safety. The on-shore wind increased. Stinging sand particles whipped her face. Kneeing her mount to a trot, she soon arrived at the main street leading down to the pier. Her gaze went from the storm-shrouded sea to the magnificent homes running from the beach up the mountainside; those hugging the inside lower slopes were much fancier than the shanty towns.

Only the rich or well-to-do lived in their pretentious mansions near the water. The king’s elaborately over-decorated villa took center stage in the middle of the cove. She had visited the cove as a child. The poor trash lived in their one-room shacks under the trees. They were ignorant but intelligent enough to live on higher ground.

It was rumored that one day, a wise entrepreneur saw the cove’s potential as a resort and shipping point. He devised a plan to acquire the land and extend it to the sea. He hired hoodlums to burn the filth clinging to the cliff. The filth moved higher up the cliff, and new dumps were built.

He over-inflated the land price and sold it to people with more money than sense. A few wiser ones ignored the cove and the cliffs. They constructed their stone homes in a natural depression west of the cliff road. When hurricane winds pounded the coast, they stayed secure from the wind.

Reining her horse uphill, she proceeded four blocks to Air Street and stopped. The ominous black beast crept menacingly toward the helpless wharf workers and drovers hurrying to protect the ships’ produce. People scurried in and out of the storage buildings.

She turned into a blacksmith shop on the main street and sold her extra horses. After placing her earnings into a belt pouch, she mounted and turned north. A half mile up the street, she rode into a dirty back alley. The good citizens would take issue with her if they knew she didn’t consider it a street. Halfway through it, she halted in front of a clapboard shanty. Lamplight escaped through cracks in the wall. Dismounting, she tied the horse to a bush, went to the door, and knocked on the broken doorpost.

It creaked open. She looked down into a pair of large, innocent brown eyes. The child smiled up at her. “Is your papa at home?” Krinna asked with a smile.

“Come in, Krinna,” a male voice invited. “Let her enter, Syvi.”

The child ran to the dark interior. She pushed the door open and entered. “I greet you and your family, Hawk. I pray you do well.”

“I do well, Krinna. I greet you. It has been a long time since your last visit. Have you heard from your family?”

“I’m fine. Of what family do you speak?”

“I apologize. Please forgive the offense.”

“It is past.”

“What information do you seek?”

“I like you, Hawk. You are direct and to the point. I seek a stranger. I think he came through Cove, but I’m not sure. Have you heard anything?”

“We have strangers passing through town every day. Do you have more information on him?”

“I call him Watermelon Man. He is always eating them. I didn’t take the time to visit the marketers. I arrived too late, and a great storm is coming from the sea.”

“Why do you seek this man?”

“If it were another who asked that question, then I would ignore him. You are an old, trusted friend, so I tell you he is my next mark.”

In the flickering light, she saw tears form in his eyes. He remained silent. He looked down and turned away to avoid her gaze.

“You need to warn her, Hawk,” a female said from behind a makeshift wood-burning stove. She stood and walked into the light. “Please, you must warn her.”

“Greetings, Jinna. What do you mean?” Krinna asked.

“He needs to tell you about the man you hunt.”

“Okay, Jinna. We are having soup. Join us, and I will reveal some information, but not all.”

“I would not hint for you to violate an oath.”

Jinna filled bowls for everyone. Krinna sat on her haunches near the west wall. Syvi sat in the dirt next to her. She spooned hot broth up to her lips and blew on it. A huffing noise drew her attention to the child. Mimicking Krinna, she attempted to cool her soup.

Krinna smiled.

Focusing on Hawk, she said, “Say what you can without breaking oaths.”

Hawk sipped several spoons of hot soup. Setting his bowl on a small wood table, he began to speak slowly. “I can’t tell you his name or occupation. If he is your mark, I advise you to be careful. He is the most dangerous man I know. Leave him alone. I beg you to stop now.”

Krinna balanced the soup bowl in her lap and held out her hands. “Hawk, with these hands, I have eradicated a lot of filth from the kingdom. I’m the best pest controller in the business. These hands are magical. I kill very proficiently with them. A mark has never gotten away from me. I have to finish my contract.”

Syvi looked at Krinna’s long, slender fingers and thought about her words. Unnoticed, she stood and moved toward Jinna near the stove.

“No, Krinna, you can walk away,” he replied quietly. “The Orange Guild sent four men south a week ago. Your guild's god requested help from them three weeks ago. You were their contract. You are alive, so I’m assuming they are dead.”

“You said it was three weeks gone, and they asked for assistance. I went to the temple a few days ago. It was burnt to the ground. The priest god and his five minions would be dead if such a thing were to exist. Think about it. A god died. It boggles the mind.”

“I found their bodies floating in the rain-filled basement where the temple existed. A violent storm carried it away. I have all their rings in my pouch.”

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“The four won’t come back, either.”

“Why do you say that and not give me a reason?”

“I’m trying to save your life. A young lady like you needs to live. Please make no mistake concerning him. He will kill you if you press him too close.”

“It must be an omen. He told me I needed to live. How long have you known him?”

A cold wind blast struck the shack. The lamp flickered, casting dancing shadows across his face. Lightning flashed. Thunder immediately crashed around them. “Jinna,” he said without looking at her, “pour the soup into a covered container. We’ll take it with us. Let’s prepare to leave.”

“Yes, my love. The horses should be here soon.”

“Where are you going? Aren’t you going to answer my question?”

“We are …” A knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” Hawk said to override the rising wind.

A fat, bearded man entered. His nauseating body odor filled the small room. Unconsciously, Krinna covered her bowl to ward off the stench. She looked to see if Syvi would cover her bowl and discovered she had moved. Hawk gave the man a gold coin and said, “Barrel, I wish you would bring the family and come with us.”

“Naw, Hawk, I don’t let a stranger’s talk scare me. The stuff he requested is on the horses.” He bit the coin, flipped it into the air, caught it, and shoved it into a pocket. “It is going to rain soon. You'd better go quickly if you are going to make it up the north trail.” He left without closing the door.

“Put everything on the horses. Krinna, help me to mount up,” he said and stood, balancing on his right leg.

“Hawk, where is your left leg? What happened?” she exclaimed.

“I lost it during the last battle at Cactus Patch. That is the time I met your mark.”

“But that was twenty years ago. You never mentioned a missing leg before.”

“I have seen you four times since then. I was sitting down each time.”

“How did it happen? Why doesn’t your father employ you?”

“Your mark cut my leg off. He found me when I was lying wounded on a stretcher. The carriers had left me to die when they escaped. Gangrene poisoned my leg. I was dying. He came upon me, and despite my killing wound, I managed to get to my feet. I attacked him. When I woke from my delirium, he had amputated my leg below the knee. My military days were over. Your father didn’t need a one-legged man to nursemaid until I died.”

“I awoke in a farmer’s house. He and his wife cared for me until I healed. I married his daughter. The warrior you seek paid for my room and board.”

“I needed to provide for Jinna. I couldn’t fight anymore, but I was good at gathering intelligence. I learned everything about the country and the people. I moved among the rich and the poor. I have contacts in six kingdoms. I warned everyone in my local network to get on top of the cliffs. We are the last ones to leave.”

“If the danger is so great, why aren’t you gone?”

He reached behind him for a handmade crutch. He placed it under his arm and hopped to the door. Krinna put her bowl down and assisted him out to the horses. She helped him into the saddle.

“He said I was to wait for you.”

“How did he know I was coming?”

“He said the basket on your horse is for Gorga. It will keep her dry.”

“You are kidding?”

“Mount up if you are going with us.” He reined his horse and rode toward Norunder.

Krinna checked the wicker basket tied on her horse’s rump. Gorga lay coiled in it. Walking around the animal, she studied the other side of the basket. A watermelon rested in a bed of grass. She smiled.

She mounted and followed the others. Seven miles up the northern cliff, Krinna wondered if they would make it before the hurricane caught them. The wind velocity increased. Scattered raindrops struck them with the force of slung stones. Lightning flashed, and thunder reverberated through the cove.

She rode around a turn back in the trail and nearly collided with Hawk’s horse.

“Look at that,” he said, pointing at the pier.

Horrified, she watched wind-whipped flames leap from a burning anchored ship to barrels stored and tied down on the docks. Barrels of lamp oil burst into flames. A stiff wind gust toppled them. Several burning barrels rolled up the wooden wharf toward another supply of sealed containers. She marveled at the speed at which it occurred.

The explosion surprised them. A shock wave blasted past them to fly over the cliff’s edge. Hundreds of flaming barrels flew skyward in all directions. Secondary explosions deposited their incendiary contents on the lower levels and sides of the cliffs. Wind swept the flames toward the rim of the cove. Several landed on the trail above them. Falling rocks showered them when the canisters exploded. Concussions caused her ears to ring.

One leaked its contents on Hawk as it sped over his head. “We must get out of here and over the cliff top. Jinna, ride out now. Don’t stop for anything.”

“What is the problem, Hawk?” Krinna asked as another flaming missile landed three-fourths up the trail. It exploded. Brush and grass ignited instantly. Flames raced ahead and threatened to sever their path to the top. “Never mind!” she shouted, kneading her horse up the narrow, rutted trail. She pushed the horse at an unsafe speed. Explosions occurred behind her, but she refused to look back. Her mount faltered near the rim. She slowed her pace.

“Push that horse and get out of the brush. You don’t have much time!” Hawk shouted.

Krinna refused to kill her horse to reach safety. Smoke surrounded her. She turned to see a solid wall of fire sweeping up the canyon. Slapping the animal on the neck, she calmly spoke to it and encouraged it to more incredible speed.

She reached the top and turned to face the cove. A thunderous wall of flame burst straight up into the air. The burnt odor of brush, grass, and flesh rode the wind. The stench assaulted her nostrils, and her soup became challenging to retain. She backed away and dismounted.

Wind-borne cinders and ash swirled and charged off toward the west. It swept to the south and joined with a giant spiraling cloud of smoke and embers circling the burned-out cove. Fascinated, she walked to the cliff’s edge.

“Come away, Krinna,” Jinna said. “We need to get to Traveler’s Haven.”

“Go ahead, and I’ll meet you there.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The three Cities resembled the burnt earth policy of a conquering army. Except for a few stone homes burning around the lower walls, blackened soil extended as far as she could see.

Her eyes returned to the arsonist culprit. It no longer existed. The pier, ships, and storage facilities were gone. Sea water rushed into the crater formed by the exploding barrels of gunpowder.

Lifting her eyes toward the horizon, she saw the twisting, churning black clouds extending from the sky to the sea. Lightning flashed high above her head, and light reflected from the sea under the storm.

Small wind-driven hail began to fall. Pulling the horse by the reins, she walked toward Haven. Her mount voiced disapproval at the hail stones. She smiled. Gorga stuck her head out of the basket. A fist-sized piece of ice hit the cover. She jerked back. Another significant piece of ice fell at Krinna’s feet. She ran.

She ran over the road and into a depression, which led to the cavern opening. The rock ceiling protected her from the ice. The others waited just inside for her. Light reflected from the inner cave. “We’ll need to move further back,” she said, leading her horse toward the light.

Krinna walked in on four men and a woman with four kids. Three men stood in a group, facing each other. “Greetings. I hope you don’t mind if we join you.” The attitude of the man and woman was one of gratitude.

“Please join us. We need help,” the woman replied.

“Who are we, wench?” one of the men snarled.

“Gorga and I are seeking shelter,” she answered.

The third man stepped into clear view. He held a nocked arrow to his bow. “Alright, Ratter, we have two women. Where is this Gorga? Looky here,” he laughed when Jinna came into the light.

“Okay, all you women, get over here. Leave your bratty kids with their daddy,” the one called Ratter said.

Krinna motioned for Jinna to join her. “Gorga, come with me. Well, come on,” she said when Jinna raised her eyebrows.

“What’s the matter? Is she some kind of crazy?” the bowman interjected.

“No, she didn’t understand me,” Krinna answered, standing near the other woman. Jinna stopped by her side.

“Hey, you women were told to come over here. You,” the first man said, pointing at Jinna, “are mine. Get over here, now.”

She frowned at Krinna and asked, “Why are you two calling me Gorga?”

“Ratter, the Rat,” Krinna said as she watched the long, orange serpentine body navigate through the rock-strewn floor behind the robbers, “I made a mistake. This is my friend, Jinna.”

“Alright, lady, you called her Gorga. Get over here, Gorga. I want you first. If you please me, then we can get serious.”

“Rat, you don’t want to kiss Gorga. She is the most beautiful creature in the realm. I have seen men die from her kisses. To kiss her is to die.”

A merry, childish voice exclaimed from the dark near the cave entrance, “Daddy, Syvi saw a pretty Bahoo.”

At the mention of a Ba’uu, the would-be rapists formed a defensive fighting position. Every wicked thought was scoured from their minds. Rapine fled before surviving.

“Hawk, bring Syvi to the fire,” Krinna said, turning to the woman. “Greetings again, I am Krinna. My friend is Jinna, and her husband is Hawk. Syvi is their daughter.”

“I am Arah, and this is my husband, Oro. Did you come by the bluff road?”

“No, we came up from the cities.”

“Is everything well there?” Oro asked.

“All but the buildings on top are gone.”

“He warned us to get out.”

“Who warned you to leave?”

“A stranger passed through yesterday and bought melons from me. The children were playing near my stand. He said I should leave within the hour if I valued their lives. I went home. Arah and I gathered supplies and came up the north trail.”

“Let’s get food fixed,” Arah said, “the children need to eat, and I don’t know about you folks, but I am hungry, too.”

“What about them?” Jinna inquired, indicating the cowering trio.

“They aren’t hungry,” Krinna said.

“Ratter, she played us for fools,” the bowman declared. He stepped out of the formation and aimed the arrow toward them. “You,” he motioned at Arah, “get over here, or I will kill your husband.”

Krinna turned to face him. He turned the bow on her. “You weary me. Gorga, kiss the nice man with the bow.”

“Enough of your games, wench. I’ll take--” A consuming fire raced up his leg. Every nerve in his body froze. It started in the calf of his leg and progressed to his brain faster than thought. Dead, he crumbled silently to the cold rocks.

“Now, you two put your weapons down. Pick up your friend and get out of the cave.”

“Female, there is a storm out there,” Ratter said. “If you think I’m going out in it, you are stupid.”

“I don’t bargain. Leave or take the kiss. I won’t tell you again.”

“Ratter, I’ll take my chances with the storm,” the second man volunteered. He tried to distinguish the viper’s body in the flickering light. Unable to see the reptile, he reached down, grabbed the dead man’s tunic, and dragged him toward the cave’s entrance.

Reluctantly, Ratter helped him. “We’ll meet again, female, when the Ba’uu isn’t around. I’ll have my revenge,” he said and spat on the floor.

She followed them into the front cavern. Swirling dirt and small rocks loosened by the turbulent wind whipped into her skin. Quickly, she covered her eyes with an arm. A mighty gust of wind sucked her clothing toward the storm. She opened her eyes and saw that both men had been pulled into the howling maelstrom. She returned to the others.