Treasures of Fantasy - Margaret Weis [184]
And in possession of the secret!
Skylan looked over to where Treia had been standing. She was no longer there. She must have gone back down to the hold. Probably to change her clothes, make herself pretty for her lover when he captured them.
And as if he had any doubts about Raegar’s intent, the tattoo on his arm began to burn. Skylan clutched his arm, as did the rest of the men.
“We can at least stop Aelon,” said Acronis grimly. He turned to Aylaen. “Use the blessed sword. Quickly!”
Aylean drew the sword of Vindrash from the sheath. She seized hold of Skylan’s arm and sliced into the tattoo, cutting it open. The sword flared with an angry light. The only pain Skylan felt was the pain of the wound. And that pain he could bear. Cheerfully!
“The blood will wash out the crystals imbedded in the wound, but you should soak it well in water,” said Aylean, watching in satisfaction as the blood flowed down Skylan’s arm.
“Congratulations. You are a free man.” Acronis glanced back at the galley, which was gaining them, and added somberly, “At least for the moment.”
The Venjekar had cleared the point. The muddy water of the river boiled into the sea, carrying the ship with it. An ogre ship sighted them. The Venjekar was closer to the ogres than to the galley, so close that Skylan didn’t need a spyglass to see the ogres come rushing to the side to stare. The triangular sails shivered as the ogre ship changed course.
The other men were slicing open their tattoos; blood spilled on the deck. Aylaen thrust a roll of cloth at Skylan, and he hurriedly wrapped the bandage around his arm. As he worked, Skylan explained his plan.
“Keeper will hail the ogre ship and tell the godlord that we helped him escape. He’ll warn them Raegar is coming with another dragon to destroy their fleet. He’ll urge the ogres to attack Raegar and, while our enemies are fighting each other, we will escape.”
“Will the ogres believe him?” Sigurd asked.
It was Acronis who answered. “I think you stand a good chance. Ogres revere their godlords. If he tells his people that you saved his life, they will let you go.”
As Skylan ran to the hold to alert Keeper that he was about to be re united with his people, he reflected that he was glad he had Acronis with him.
The older man and his knowledge would be useful when the Vindrasi, once more free men, sailed to their nation to recover the Torque and the Vektan spiritbone that had been stolen from them.
For the first time in his life, Skylan realized the immense importance of the Vektan dragons and the true value of the spiritbone that Horg had given to the ogres. He had known the spiritbone was sacred, but he had never fully appreciated its worth until now. If the gods of the Vindrasi possessed all five of the Vektia, they would control the power of creation. Aelon and the Gods of Raj would be forced to go find other worlds.
“Keeper!” Skylan called, sliding down the ladder in his haste. “Keeper, we’re coming up on an ogre ship. I need you on deck!”
Keeper was where Skylan had left him, sitting on the sea chest, his eyes closed, his head and shoulders slumped.
“Only a lazy-ass ogre could sleep through all this commotion,” Skylan said, laughing. “Come on! Wake up!”
He gave Keeper a punch on the arm.
The ogre toppled over sideways, sliding off the sea chest and landing with a thud. He lay still and unmoving in the water that sloshed around the deck.
Skylan put his hand on the ogre’s neck, feeling for a pulse, though he knew he was wasting his time. The ogre’s flesh was already starting to grow cold.
“Is he dead?” asked Treia.
She had been looking out through a chink in the boards, watching Raegar’s ship gaining on them, watching her lover coming for her. She couldn’t let Keeper talk to the ogres. She couldn’t let the Venjekar escape.
“Yes, he’s dead,” said Skylan, his voice grating. He could never prove she had murdered him. She was too clever for that.
Treia shrugged.
“You can never tell with head wounds,” she said, and she turned back to watch the galley.
Skylan looked down at Keeper.
“Now you are