Chapter 5: Fartoo

Sin-Haree was a city of mostly tents. I went around to the far side before finding a vacant pen for the drama. As much as they had been eating lately they would probably just go to sleep. I stripped everything off and left the saddles and packs near them. I took a few stones and the small pouch of fire stones as I called them.

The whole city was merchants, in a central marketplace I showed an older merchant one of the firestones and watched as his eyes went wide before narrowing. He looked at me craftily and asked how much I wanted. I smiled as I put it away, “What it is worth noble merchant.”

He looked at me and I glanced at the other man as he shifted, “The moment you touch the drop knife, I will kill you.”

He froze as he looked at me, I looked at the merchant as he licked his lips. Before he could say anything I turned and headed towards the only solid buildings in the entire city. There were only three, one was a large building with a lot of windows. I walked through the open door and looked around.

Around the outer edge of the single large room were tables with merchants behind them. I crossed to one with a tall thin merchant. He was talking to another merchant at the next table and glanced at me when I stopped. I saw the way his eyes took everything in before he straightened, “Master, how may I help one of the sidhe.”

I looked down at his small display of gems and dropped a single fire stone. His eyes dropped and then froze, “You are very lucky to have found a swarm stone noble sidhe.”

I smiled, “I did not find them merchant. I cut them from the bodies I killed.”

I heard the other merchants around us but watched as the merchant on the other side of the table jerk and looked up into my face. His glance took me in once more and he finally smiled, “Quirrin.”

I nodded and he reached to pick the stone up. He spent several minutes looking at it and glanced at me, “Do you have more?”

I smiled and he grinned before starting to bargain. When I walked out it was with a promissory note for supplies that were to be delivered to my drama pen. When I approached the pen there were six tribesmen standing just outside the pen. The drama were bristling and displaying their combat stances. I walked up behind the tribesman holding a long thin blowpipe.

I let a slim stiletto drop into my hand and stabbed up into his skull. I drifted past him as I drew my two swords. I sliced across the throat of one and stabbed another through the neck. I shifted sideways as the other tribesmen began to react. I blocked a sword and took the hand with my other sword.

The last two were looking around for away out as I closed. I feinted and then knocked his sword to the side before stabbing him through the gut. The last man had turned to run as I let the other man fall with my sword still in him. I pulled a small dart and threw it, the running man only stumbled slightly as he continued to run. It did not matter though, he was dead, he just did not know it yet. I looked around as people from other pens stood watching.

I cut the one man’s throat that was still moaning about his lost hand and retrieved my weapons. I hissed to the drama and went over the bars of the pen. I moved through them checking and reassuring them. It took awhile to calm them and get them to lie down. When I climbed out of the pen there were several official looking men waiting. I bowed and one stepped forward, “You are asked to leave assassin.”

I looked at him and then smiled, “I had tribesmen trying to kill my animals and killed them. Now you want me to leave.”

He frowned but nodded, “The tribes are many.”

I looked at each of them, “When I have my supplies I will leave.”

They looked at each other and then the one I was talking to nodded. It was not long before several men rushed to the edge of my pen ignoring the bodies on the ground beginning to bloat. They each had packs they set down before turning to run off. I moved to each pack and checked my supplies before saddling the drama and opening the gate.

The rocky rolling hills I headed into were called the Fartoo. The streams were small but ran clear with drinkable water. There was also a short tuff brown grass that covered everything. I saw a lot of wild goats and tall ugly looking animals that stood on two legs but had heads like goats or sheep. I stopped before it got dark and set up camp beside a small creek.

I relaxed in my half sleep while the drama sighed and settled for the night. I came fully awake at the soft shush of grass dozens of feet away. I watched as two tribesmen stalked closer in the dim moonlight. I did not know why they had chosen to make me their enemy but it was one mistake they would regret. When they slipped into camp the drama shifted in their sleep and they stopped moving.

I rose as quiet as smoke and drifted closer before they even knew I was there. I cut the first man’s throat as the other spun to face me. He hissed something in a language I did not understand and lunged with a curved sword. I turned and took a half step back before slicing his arm. I slid in as he jerked back and hissed in pain. One dagger blocked his sword as the other slid between his ribs.

I stepped back and let his body fall before kneeling and wiping my weapons clean. I saddled the drama and replaced the packs before starting off. It was a couple of hours before dawn colored the sky. The drama were growling and I smiled and hissed softly. It was only a little later that we crested another small ridge and I saw two goats eating beside a fast moving creek.

I slipped off the drama and moved closer before drawing the bow back and firing. I pulled another arrow before the first had even struck. As the first goat bleated I aimed and shot the second arrow at the other goat as it started running. It dropped to the ground with the arrow through its spine. I moved forward and knelt to cut the throat of both animals before pulling my arrows out.

I went back to the drama as they shifted and pulled their packs and saddles off. I hissed and touched the male and he rushed towards the two dead goats with the females behind him. I looked around as the drama ripped the remains apart. The huge six legged spider thing I had first encountered crossing the desert rose from a tall grassy area not far from the drama.

I stood quickly and pulled an arrow as it silently stalked towards the drama. It was only twenty paces away when my arrow struck it in the head. It spun and dropped to the ground before convulsing and screaming. The drama spun to face it hissing and then they looked towards me as I started walking. I hissed to reassure them and after a soft hiss from the male the others turned to go back to eating.

I waited until the spider creature had stopped moving and moved closer. I looked it over and glanced at the long tail. I hesitated and then cut the tail off before breaking the shell and hissing to the drama. I had barely turned when it rushed the body, I sat on the ground by the saddles and examined the tail. I smiled when I found the venom sack near the tip. I used an empty vial from my pack and carefully drained the venom into it.

When the drama were done I saddled them and started off. I continually watched around me and as I was thinking of stopping late that afternoon we came around the side of a ridge. I was looking down into a small valley with a wide fast moving creek. What drew my attention was the rock column beside the creek.

The drama hissed and I was remembering a similar rock formation before the swarm of small creatures attacked. I hung my bow as I saw them pour out of the bottom of the column. I slid off the drama and they hissed angrily as I quickly moved forward to meet the rushing swarm.

I pulled my swords and slid into the dance of blades in time to slice through the first two creatures as they reached me. After that it was a whirl of steel that spun into the ravenous beasts. I continued to kill the mindless animals until I took the head from the last one.

I looked around at the littered bodies and then at my drama. They had pulled together in a defensive fighting position and were hissing. I smiled and hissed in reassurance before walking towards them. I led them around the bodies and down to the creek before unsaddling them. I cleaned my swords and headed back to the dead. I gutted each one and found a few more of the swarm stones.

I looked at the stone column and walked towards it. Around the base were remains of many, many animals. There were also a lot of swarm remains and I picked up over two dozen stones from the ground before looking into the small opening at the base.

Around the base of the column or tower as I called it after looking inside was flowering plants that gave off a lovely scent. I collected all the flowers and buds as well as a couple of bulbs. I headed back to the drama and the wild female hissed inquiring about more food. I nodded to the bodies and she hissed happily as she started for the dead swarm. She was joined by the others before she reached the first one.

I stripped and wadded into the cold water of the creek and began washing. By the time I was done and had cleaned my clothes, the drama were back by the saddles. They had lain down content and sleepy. I made a light dinner and moved away before resting in my half sleep. I woke at the first hint of dawn and went back to the sleeping drama.

It was noon and I had stopped by a cool stream. I glanced around as the area became silent. I pulled my bow from the saddle as the drama shifted, the attack came suddenly. Six riders galloped around a nearby ridge and headed straight for me. My first arrow took the lead man in the chest and he twisted before falling under another rider’s horse.

The second took a man in the throat and he went over the back of the horse. I only had time for a third and it struck him just under the ribs. I rolled sideways, tossing the bow clear as I came up and threw two spikes.