Clip Its Wings
an excerpt

One of his armsmen made to rise, but the First waved him down.

The boy had apparently fallen through the ceiling, and done so quite quietly, landing neatly on his hunkers like a wild cat.

The room was too dark to make out who or what he was, but as he stood erect the layers of frayed cloth wrapped around his body shone green in the candlelight.

He was one of those damnable Kaid! They had thrown coloured dyes over their clothes before dawn, he knew, watching as he had been from a battlement on the east wall.

They had had set great pyres of Carmady crops ablaze, throwing light on their wild dancing and howling, then gorging themselves over cook fires until they ran out of tinder. The whole city had been able to see what they were doing, out on the hills in the middle of the night.

“Loose tiles,” the boy’s shape crooned, “Wanna get them seen to,”

As he advanced his features became clearer. Dye stained his skin in a plethora of shades from black to sunshine yellow, but green most of all. His hair was long and hung in spindly loops, like thick string coiled about his head. He wore a spiny, wicked looking grin.

“What do you want?” Asked the First. His guards were growing skittish at the barbarian’s stance: He was a bird eyeing his prey with chilling relish. Surely the forces at the wall hadn’t broken through already? But of course, Kaid were nimble: the boy had snuck here to the palace to take his pick of the treasures within, no doubt.

“Rooran, you’s in a hard place, how come you holding out like this?” The First inhaled sharply.

“How do you know my name?” He asked warily.

“Ah…you forget already? I suppose I rather do look a bit different, nowadays.” He said, his tone adopting an oddly cultured edge.

“You…you’re no boy!” Said Rooran in a flash of recognition. He made a signal to his guards. There was a sword on the intruder’s back and if memory served she knew which to way point it.

“No-a,” Said the Kaid. “Under all this padding I’m a rather voluptuous wench, no doubt.”

What could she want here? She was High Seat Lerna’s pet savage—back in Lacuna she had all the pretty trinkets she could ever want. That left only himself as her prey.

He took in the room through the Kaid’s eyes. She had received the same instruction he had back in Tirra, and if she were applying it well she would have taken in the whole room in a heartbeat. It was dim; the windows had been shuttered up against the winter chill. It was filthy too from both soldiers’ boots and the servants’ careful neglect. He himself stood by the only furniture, two chairs and a stubby table; the only evidence the place had once been a lady’s tearoom.

The guards were armed lightly for agility’s sake, a short sword each on the hip and toughened leather their only armour. He had the same himself and the girl who sat trembling at the table nothing at all.

The girl! The Kaid winked at her and watched as she shrank further down into her filthy finery. Could was this what the savage had been sent for?

“What are you after Kaid? The girl?” He barked at her, his wariness boiling into indignant fury.

“The Lady, Rooran. She’s Noble, you know.” The woman said. What was her name?

The First did not reply. He wasn’t sure what part the High Lady was attempting to play in this situation, but he intended to show her how her meddling was not welcome.

His forces would soon arrive to face the invading army and once they had pared away the weak and the heroic he would send the remainder home with a small token for their leaders. Her head.

“Show me your throat girl,” He told her, drawing his belt knife. “Let’s end this with dignity.”

She smirked, grinning to herself. “You’re no less up yourself, it seems like.” She said before picking up a formal tone once again, “I am here for her, not you, anyway. There’s an anxious father on the other end who’s eagerly awaiting us, so if you would not mind…” She began to advance.

The girl perked up, “Papie?” She choked, relieved tears beginning prick her eyes.

“Certainly. If you would accompany me, my Lady Coramys, we shall take our leave at once.”

The First felt sidelined and did not take it well. “If you know her father, then you shall know that he gave his blessing to our union—Coramys is my wife and as such I forbid her departure!”

“You’s going red, Rooran,” She replied, then slung the young woman over her shoulder. Her jewellery clanked heavily and the Kaid winced, forgetting the Lady’s dress buttoned down the front. “I reckon she was their half of your little bargain anyways. You didn’t honour your half, so of course they’ll be taking theirs back…”

“She does not leave!” Shouted the First, and his guards leapt at the command, swords already in hand.

The Kaid made a noise in her throat. “Hoped you’d have the gall to do it yourself!” Then she leapt towards the door, balancing the unresisting girl against her neck with an easy grace.

“The door’s locked girl.” Said the First, finding his arrogance again. “You’ve nowhere to run to.”