Songweaver - Iron League Book 1

The South Road

Chapter 2

"You're going to have to do it."

"We are all going to do it. The two of you are as deep in this as I. You both have as much to lose." Rassler became angry with Gael and Weller for putting all the pressure on him.

"We can't just walk in there with a 'how to do' and slit her throat," Weller was uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had moved.

"Yur fine with sellin skin to pirates, but you draw da line at killn. Yur a coward."

"Fine, Gael, you do it!"

"Aye be doin it, but they aint lettn no Dwarf in the castle."

"Shut up, you two, let me think." Rassler took a swig of his rum. "There are plenty that can do it. I think it should appear like an accident. I don't want anything coming back to us for any reason."

Gael signaled for another round. "Wez bestn be nowheres near when it be happnin."

"I agree," said Weller.

"No, it would look suspicious if all three of us were gone. I can work out a plan so none of us are near. Each one of us should have a rock solid alibi."

"Besn be a granite one," said Gael.

"It will be. Gael hire one of the best." With that Rassler stood and placed his left hand on his cheek. The black ring he wore flashed in the light of the tavern--a sign that one was a member of the Black Legion. His drinking companions did the same. He then bowed to his colleagues and left.

The air outside the Red Mule tavern was muggy and warm. After only a few paces Rassler began to sweat. No breeze blowing through the streets. The smell of horse dung and human urine wafted into Rassler's nostrils. "What a worthless hole this town is. How can Gael live in this cesspool?" Rassler removed his cloak and headed into the night.

s s s s

"She's a witch, kill her!" the toothless man shouted.

The column of flame rising high out of the campfire didn't hurt anyone, simply a distraction, a way for Shariana to be loose of the men that held her.

Distracted by the huge column of flame, both lost their grasp and Shar ran straight for her toothless opponent. The Songweaver's feet left the ground and in a half ball-half dive she slammed into the man with all her weight. Shar doubted she weighed half of him, but it was enough to throw him off balance and catapult her into the darkness of the trees. Once in the safety of the dark, while circling the camp, Shariana broke into song.

...She was a witch and to kill her,

You have to find her first,

...Only once you have her spirit,

You must satisfy your thirst...

A silly lullaby, one Shariana was creating in her head while she sang. Bardic magic didn't need a specific ballad or a certain tempo or beat. The trick was in lacing the spell in the chant, not the song itself.

Shire Reeve screamed, "Cover your ears! She'll kill us all..." And then he fell face first into the ground, as did all the other men at the campsite. Many of them were snoring so loud to drown out the rest of Shariana's song.

She walked back into the firelight, "Well, that was easier than I had thought."

At first Shar didn't feel the knife pierce her arm. The scream of the woman next to her told Shar she had a problem. When she turned to see what happened, her attacker made another lunge. Dodging in time, the knife cut through the front of Shar's clothing.