Empire of Ashes

Chapter XXXIX - Valkyr

AHEM.

Alright, squad, here's the deal. I'm ahead with my writing, so I will be triple updating on Christmas eve -- my present to you. But there's a catch, see, because I'm only gonna triple update on one book, and that's whichever has the most new votes and comments (every chapter counts) before the 24th. Now, the UEA lot have gotten started already, and they're not doing badly, so I suppose we'll have to see if you guys can thrash them...

He was seeping so much violence that I began to realise that the Anlai I knew and disliked was the nice version of him.

For the first time in our acquaintance, I was glad to see the bastard. I did not feel equipped to fight these men, especially when my last lesson with Samira had been days and days ago. And Anlai had a certain venomous air about him, like a coiled serpent waiting to strike. He was the kind of man you wanted on your side, however intolerable he might be.

Colloe and Fendur were nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if they were sneaking through a different field to come out at the assassins' backs. Tem hadn't explicitly told Colloe not to return. In fact, fetch even implied such a thing.

Anlai sidled up to us, stopped beside his wife, scratched his chin and spat. "Evening, gentlemen."

When no one bothered to return the greeting, he raised an eyebrow at his cousin and asked a question in Cambrian quicker than I could process, let alone try to understand. Ark and Saqui exchanged a wary frown, equally baffled. Tem's reply was to wrinkle up his nose and shake his head.

Well, now I felt left out. Were they planning something sinister?

"Lharud?" I tried. I was fairly certain it meant kill, but my grasp on Cambrian was shaky at best.

"Dei, Lyra," Tem said quietly, slow enough that I could understand. No, Lyra. He must have noticed how the assassins were tensing up at their exclusion, and he swapped back to Anglian to mutter, "Gods, why are you two so violent? Can't you see that we're getting along nicely?"

Anlai cast an amused glance at the lowered blades. "Oh, sure, nicely. And while we're on the subject, Tem, I told you so. Lyra, what the hell did you do?"

Tem glanced at his sword as if he had forgotten he was holding it, then sheathed it in his belt. Ark twitched at the movement, but he followed suit a moment later. I didn't see what Saqui did with his knives — one second they were out and flashing sunlight, the next they were gone.

"I didn't say a bloody word, you sorry piece of weasel shit," I snarled.

He laughed at me. "Then how did we get all chummy with Anglians?"

"It was actually my fault," Tem admitted cheerfully. "Needed a piss. But all's well that ends well. These men are our newest recruits, and we are friends now."

"Recruits?" Anlai scoffed.

He shrugged. "If you can't beat them, hire them."

"What are you talking about?"

Tem drew his sword a few inches and wrapped his hand around the blade. With a wry smile, he squeezed, then held out the bloodied hand and waited expectantly.

"That will not be necessary," Ark said. "I believe you."

"As do I," Saqui mumbled.

And the three men nodded at each other. They had reached an agreement, against all the odds, but it would take much more than words and nods before I decided to trust the assassins.

"Did you actually need me for something, Tem?" Anlai demanded.

"Oh, not at all," Tem said, closing his bleeding hand. "I just needed Col to piss off."