Thought we were avoiding towns, Renna said.
None but ghosts in this one, Arlen said, and Renna could hear the pain in the words. Sweetwell was taken by the night a couple years ago.
You knew the place before it was taken? she asked.
Arlen nodded. Used to come here sometimes, back when I was a Messenger. Town had ten families. Sixty-seven hardworkin folk, they loved to say. They had some queer ways about them, but they were always glad to see the Messenger, and they made the harshest poteen you ever drank.
You ent had my das, Renna grunted. Worked same as drink or lamp oil.
Sweetwells was so strong, the Duke of Angiers had it outlawed, Arlen said. Struck the town from the maps and ordered the Messengers Guild not to visit there any more.
But you still did, Renna said.
Corespawned right we did, Arlen said. Whos he think he is, cutting a town off like that? Besides, a Messenger could make six months pay with one poteen run to Sweetwell. And I liked the Wellers. They had their whole town warded, the place abustle day and night. You could hear them singing a mile away.
What happened? Renna asked.
Arlen shrugged. Started working farther south, and stopped visiting for a few years. Wasnt until after I started warding my flesh that I came back this way. Id spent months in the wild at that point. Got so lonely I used to talk out loud to Dancer, carrying the conversation for the both of us. I was cracking, and I knew it.
Renna thought of all the times shed talked to the animals on her fathers farm the same way. How many heartfelt talks had she had with Mrs Scratch, or Hoofy? Even with Harl around, she knew lonely.
Realized I was near Sweetwell one day, Arlen said, and decided to wrap my hands and face in cloth and tell em some tampweed tale about how I was burned by firespit. Anything to talk to a person and have them talk back. But when I got to the town, it was quiet for the first time.
They passed a stand of trees, and the village came into view, ten sturdy thatch-roofed houses and a Holy House in a neat circle around a central boardwalk with a great well at its eye. There were wardposts along the outer perimeter, and each house had two storeys, the top for living and the bottom a work space/shopfront. There was a smithy, a tavern, a stable, a baker, a weaver, and others less easily identified.
Renna felt unnerved as they crossed the boardwalk to the stable. Everything was so well preserved. There was no sign that demons had come, and it seemed that at any moment, people would come pouring out of the buildings. She could see their ghosts in her minds eye as they went about their lives.
Boardwalk was full of bones and blood and demonshit when I got in close, Arlen said. Still stank, as if it had only been a few days. Days! If only Id come sooner, I could have
Renna touched his arm, saying nothing.
One of the wardposts looked like it cracked and blew over in the wind, Arlen went on. Wood demons mustve found the gap and fell on the folk at evening supper. A few fled into the night, but I tracked them and found only remains.
Renna could picture it vividly, the Wellers all gathered around the wooden tables on the boardwalk, sharing a communal meal, completely unprepared when the corelings struck. She could hear the screams and see the dying. Dizzied by it all, she dropped to her knees as her stomach churned.
Arlen put his hand on her shoulder a moment later, and Renna realized shed been weeping. She looked up at him guiltily.
Ent nothin to be ashamed of, he said. Took it a fair bit worse myself.
What did you do? Renna asked.
Arlen blew out a breath. Blacked out a few weeks. Spent the days burying bones, drunk on poteen, and the nights killing every corespawn that came within ten miles of Sweetwell.
Saw fresh tracks on the way in, Renna noted.
Arlen grunted. Theyll be bonfires come tomorrow morning.
Renna put her hand on the hilt of her knife, spitting on the boardwalk. Honest word.
They moved on to the stable, and Arlen eased Twilight Dancer down to the floor. He grunted with the exertion, but managed the task easily enough. Renna shook her head, doubting she could have done the same even when charged with magic in the night.
Well need some water, Arlen said.
Ill fetch it, Renna said, turning towards the central well. Want to taste water so sweet they named a town after it.
Arlen grabbed her arm. Water ent too sweet any more. Found Kennit Sweetwell, the town elder, floating in the well. Rotted for moren a week before I could climb down and haul what was left of him up. Wells poison now. Pump behind the tavern still runs clean, but it ent anything to name a town over.
Renna spat again, fetching a bucket and heading to the tavern. Again, her hand drifted to her knife, caressing the bone handle. Night couldnt come soon enough.
When Dancer was seen to, they took time to wash and ate a cold meal in the empty tavern. Theres a rent room upstairs, Arlen said. We can get a few hours sleep before night falls.
Rent room? Renna asked. When there are whole houses for the taking?
Arlen shook his head. Dunt feel right to take someone elses bed after they been cored. That room was where I slept when I was a Messenger, and its good enough.
Love you, Arlen Bales, she thought, but there was no need to repeat what had already been said. She nodded and followed him up the stairs.
Even the rent room was bigger than any Renna had ever slept in before, with a large feather bed. Renna sat on it, amazed at its softness. She had never slept on anything softer than a straw mattress. She lay back. This was softer than a cloud.
Her eyes wandered the room as she sank further into the feathery embrace. Arlen had clearly spent some time here. There was his signature clutter on every surface pots of paint, brushes, etching tools, and books. A small writing desk had been made into a workbench, and there were wood shavings and sawdust all over the floor.
Arlen crossed the room, folding a rug out of the way and finding a loose floorboard beneath. He pulled and an entire section of the floor came up with it, cleverly disguised with sawdust to hide the cracks. Renna sat up, and her eyes widened as she looked within. It was full of weapons oiled, sharp, and heavily warded. She slid off the bed, moving to him and crouching for a better look, her eyes dancing along Arlens warding.
Arlen selected a small goldwood bow and a quiver of arrows, handing it to her. Time you learned to shoot.
Rennas lip curled in distaste. He was trying to protect her again. Keep her from fighting in close. Keep her safe. Dont want it. Dont want no spears, neither.
Why not? Arlen asked.
Renna held up her brook stone necklace in one hand, and drew her knife with the other. Dont wanna kill corelings from some hiding spot. I kill a demon, I want it to die knowin who did it.
She waited for him to argue, but he only nodded.
Know exactly how you feel. Arlen continued to hold the weapon out to her. But sometimes youre outnumbered, or need to kill a demon quick before it cores somebody. He smiled. And got to say, it ent a bad feeling, to just point at a coreling and kill it from afar.
Renna took a deep breath. He was right of course. Yes, he was protecting her, but it was in the way he always had.
By teaching her to protect herself.
Love you, Arlen Bales.
She took the bow, marvelling at its lightness. Arlen handed her a small quiver of warded arrows, then began hauling out the rest of the weapons and rolling them in oilcloth.
What do you need all them for? she asked.
Gonna need these and a lot more, Arlen said. Doin what I shoulda done a long time ago. Gonna give warded arms to every man, woman, and child strong enough to hold one. Been making these stores all over Thesa, but I kept them all to myself. No more. I dont need weapons to kill demons. Im past that, now.
Hows that? Renna asked. She waited for his eyes to flick to the side as he decided how to evade the question. Love him or no, she would smack the top of his bald head if they did.
But Arlen looked right at her, his eyes dancing. Gonna show you tonight. He reached out, caressing the wards of vision stained in circles around her eyes. Gonna need your night eyes to understand.
Renna took his hands and rose to her feet. She backed away, pulling him along until her legs struck the bed. They sank into the feathered mattress, and kisses quickly turned to caresses. Blood pounded in her ears, a thrumming that made her feel as alive as she did in the night.
The sun was setting as they came back to the taproom for supper. After they had eaten, Arlen rose and rummaged behind the bar. He reappeared a moment later with a heavy clay jug. Demons like to rise in the fields out back. What say we have a drink while we wait for em?
They walked together in the gloaming, watching the lavender sky darken. The Wellers fields were south of the town proper and ran for acres, mostly potato, barley, and sugarcane. The fields hadnt been tended in years, but a wild patchwork crop still clung tenaciously to the land. There were wardposts at regular intervals throughout the fields. Most were in poor repair worthless, but here and there she saw fresh ones, their painted wards still crisp and clear. Her eyes ran over the posts, finding the pattern.
You made this place a maze, she said. Like the one in the desert you told me about.
Arlen nodded, finding a clear spot and sitting. Good for cutting demons off from the horde, and a moments succour is never more than a step away. He took the heavy jug and filled two tiny clay cups with clear liquid.
They have a spirit in Krasia that the Sharum sometimes drink before going into battle. Call it couzi. Say it gives a warrior courage. He held a cup to her. Ive found poteen to have a similar effect.
Thought you said the Sharum embrace their fear, Renna said, sitting down next to him with the jug in between.
Most do, and there ent no better way, Arlen said. But embracing leaves a body cold. Dont want to be cold when Im in a place like Sweetwell. Want to be mad as the Core itself.