Incarceron Part 26

While the Sapient poured water, Finn tipped out a few packages of dried meat and fruit from his pack and another lantern, which he lit from the first. Then he trampled down the icy metal leaves into a clotted ma.s.s, spread some blankets on them, and sat.

In the shadowed forest beyond the pool of light, small rustles and sc.r.a.pings disturbed him; he tried to ignore them.

Keiro swore viciously as Gildas cleaned his cuts, stripped his jacket and shirt, and rubbed chewed-up herbs of a disgusting pungency onto the wound across his chest.

In the shadows the dog-slave crouched, barely visible. Finn took one of the food packets, opened it, and held some out.

"Take it," he whispered.

A rag-bound hand, crusted with sores, s.n.a.t.c.hed it from him. While the creature ate he watched, remembering the voice that had answered him, a low, urgent voice.

Now he whispered, "Who are you?"

"Is that thing still here?"

Sore and irritable, Keiro pulled his jacket back on and laced it, scowling at the slashes and tears.

Finn shrugged.

"We dump it."

Keiro sat, wolfed down the meat, and looked around for more.

"It's poxed."

"You owe that thing your life," Gildas remarked.

Hot, Keiro glared up. "I don't think so! I had Jormanric where I wanted him."

His eyes turned to the creature; then they widened in sudden fury and he leaped up, strode to where it crouched, and s.n.a.t.c.hed away something dark.

"This is mine!"

It was his bag. A green tunic and a jeweled dagger spilled out.

"Stinking thief."

Keiro aimed a kick at the creature; it jerked away.

Then, to their astonishment, it said in a girl's voice, "You should be grateful to me for bringing it."

Gildas turned on his heel and stared at the shadow of rags.

Then he stabbed a bony finger at it. "Show yourself," he said.

The ragged hood was pushed back, the wrapped paws unwound bandages and gray strips of binding. Slowly, out of the crippled huddle a small figure emerged, crouched up on its knees, a dark cropped head of dirty hair, a narrow face with watchful, suspicious eyes.

She was layered with clothes strapped and tied to make humps and bulges; as she tugged the clotted wrappings from her hands, Finn stepped back in disgust at the open sores, the running ulcers.

Until Gildas snorted. "Fake."

He strode forward. "No wonder you didn't want me near you."

In the dimness of the metal forest the dog-slave had become a small thin girl, the sores clever messes of color. She stood upright slowly, as if she had almost forgotten how. Then she stretched and groaned. The ends of the chain around her neck clattered and swung.

Keiro laughed harshly. "Well, well. Jormanric was slyer than I thought."

"He didn't know."

The girl looked at him boldly.

"None of them knew. When they caught me I was with a group-one old woman died that night. I stole these rags from her body and made the sores out of rust, rubbed muck all over myself, hacked off my hair. I knew I had to be clever, very clever, to stay alive."

She looked scared, and defiant. It was hard to tell her age; the brutal haircut made her seem like a scrawny child, but Finn guessed she was not so much younger than himself.

He said,"It didn't turn out to be such a good idea."

She shrugged.

"I didn't know I'd end up as his slave."

"And tasting his food?"

She laughed then, a bitter amus.e.m.e.nt.

"He ate well. It kept me alive."

Finn glanced at Keiro. His oathbrother watched the girl, then turned away and curled up in the blankets.

"We dump her in the morning."

"It's not up to you."

Her voice was quiet but firm.

"I'm the servant of the Sta.r.s.eer now."

Keiro rolled and stared.

Finn said, "Me?"

"You brought me out of that place. No one else would have done that. Leave me, and I'll follow you. Like a dog ."

She stepped forward, "I want to Escape. I want to find the Outside, if there is one. And they said in the slavehall that you see the stars in your dreams, that Sapphique talks to you. That the Prison will show you the way out because you're its son."

He stared at her in dismay.

Gildas shook his head. He looked at Finn and Finn looked back.

"Up to you," the old man muttered.

He had no idea what to do, so he cleared his throat and said to the girl, "What's your name?"

"Attia."