Princess Electra Book 2 Out of Barburee by Dory Lee Maske
The man shook his head and pointed to another man, still aboard ship, who leaned over the rail, shouting orders. He wore an orange tunic and a matching orange turban wrapped around his head. Serafina waved to him. When he looked in her direction, she shouted, "English?"
The turbaned man waved back and held up his hand with his fingers spread out. His voice was drowned out by the noise around him, but Serafina made out the words he mouthed. "Five minutes." She nodded and backed away from the ship to wait.
Five minutes later the gangplank was lowered and the man in the orange turban was the first to walk down. He greeted Serafina with a gesture that touched his index finger to his forehead, then to his chin, then his heart, finishing with a short bow.
"Farique the Trader at your service, madam," he said.
"Thank you Farique. I wish to inspect your live cargo."
"I am your servant," he replied, graciously. He motioned to the gang plank. "After you, madam."
Once aboard, Serafina could hear the cries of caged animals within the bowels of the ship. She could make out the shrieks of monkeys, the sharp whistles of birds and the growls and grunts of larger beasts. They stepped down a ladder and into a dark area that smelled of wet fur and fear. She passed the cages of angry animals, cowering animals, exotic colorful birds. Then she slowed to look into a cage that appeared empty in the dark shadows of the boat's hull. The animal inside was the exact color of the shadows surrounding it until its head turned to reveal cold green luminous eyes. Serafina peered into the cage, her own green eyes alive with excitement.
"This one will do. You have men who will carry her to the castle?"
"This one is a great treasure. Very expensive." Farique appeared eager to begin negotiations.
Serafina took out a purse full of gold coins and handed three to Farique. Farique bowed again and smiled.
"We will bring her up to the castle at once." He snapped his fingers and two men came out from the shadows.
Serafina rushed back to the castle to prepare a place for her new acquisition. As she passed by the archery field, Prince Blackwell saw her. He excused himself from his father's conversation and crossed over the field to meet her.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"I have bought a large cat," she answered.
Something about her answer roused suspicion within Prince Blackwell.
"How large?"
Serafina smiled. "Very large."
They watched the field as an archer shot an arrow with a tube attached. It exploded with a loud boom and a wooden target ceased to exist.
"The trials are going well." Prince Blackwell seemed pleased. "We have adapted the cylinders for use in our catapults."
"So I see. No doubt your father has now increased his scope of influence accordingly."
Blackwell laughed. "Indeed, you have saved me from hearing about his newest plans for conquest." He paused for a moment, perhaps wondering if he should even ask. "And what plans have you for this very large cat?"
"She is to be my own hope for conquest. My victory over a persistent enemy from Barburee."
Little furrows of worry gathered on Prince Blackwell's brow. "This sounds dangerous."
"I plan to draw Bataar in, then surprise him with an image of myself he will not soon forget."
"I have increased our patrols on every front. There is no way Bataar will be able to come near you."
"I encourage him to come near me. He must walk brazenly into my trap. The guards must stay away. He will continue to fear one who does not require guards."
"I will not allow you to risk your life," Blackwell said.
"I assure you, the risk will be his alone. When have I misjudged an opponent?"
Prince Blackwell shook his head. "Later you will tell me your plan and I will decide."
Serafina was ready with a bucket of raw chunks of beef when her cat arrived, snarling and hissing. She led the bearers to a cozy garden area just inside the castle wall. One side was bounded by the high castle wall, two sides by a curving pond, and the last by a thick stand of evergreens. She tipped the bearers, who left happy, and sat alone with her cat.
She spoke to it in a soothing voice as she tossed pieces of meat into the cage.
"I will come every day to feed you, my pet. You will never be hungry or thirsty again. When we have become friends, I will free you from your cage."
The animal stared at her with its unblinking eyes, watching the movements of her hand as she tossed the meat, memorizing the smell of the hand that fed her.
Chapter 43
Kingdom of Henge
Serafina and Prince Blackwell sat together in their sunny breakfast room as one of the palace guards delivered his report.
"We have followed their tracks to the edge of the city. There we left off as ordered. We could capture or kill them now without much difficulty."
"Very good. Take no further action at this time." Prince Blackwell dismissed the guard with a gesture.
The man saluted and left the room.
"You heard him." Blackwell searched Serafina's face for some sign of capitulation. "Bataar could be dead by lunchtime and your problem resolved."
Serafina flicked her hand as though brushing away crumbs in the air. "My problem, as you call it, will be resolved soon enough, and it will be a resolution of my own making. I want Bataar to carry back a warning to the Great Khan."
"A dead son is its own warning."
"A dead son will provoke revenge in a father's heart. A powerful sorceress, one that can not be killed, will provoke careful consideration of the risks involved in mounting an attack." Serafina took a sip of tea.
"And what of reports that our castle is poorly guarded?"
"All the more reason for them to assume powerful magic is the primary protection. And magic is a thing they can not conquer with their usual weapons."
"Let us leave the arena of military strategy then," Blackwell persisted. "I see too much danger in the plan you have devised. You can not be sure the animal will not attack you before it attacks Bataar. It has only known you for a few days. It is still quite wild."
"She is an intelligent animal. I know her mind."
"Bataar will suspect a trap. He has sent scouts to observe your daily routine. The absence of guards at your garden hideaway will arouse his suspicions."
"He may suspect a trap, but he will come, nonetheless. He means to kill me or die trying."
"Suppose he does die in his attempt. You will have risked your life for nothing."
"Then I will defer to your judgment in the future."
Prince Blackwell could not hide his surprise at this last statement. He looked suspiciously at Serafina, but her face held only her usual cool, detached expression.
"Truly! I did not take you for a gambler! But here is a wager I do not wish to win."
Prince Blackwell supposed further arguments would be to no avail so he stood and said with as much grace as he could muster,
"I will order my guards to stand down but I myself will be hidden nearby. That is the biggest concession my heart will allow."
"As you will, My Lord." Serafina stood as well.
"Hurmmp! As I will indeed." Prince Blackwell left frowning.
Serafina went out as usual at dusk with her bucket of beef. Before taking her usual seat on the bench facing away from the castle wall, she unhooked the long leash that tied her cat to the large fir tree. Though free, the cat kept to the shadows of the tree, sniffing the air for dinner smells. The black cat caught the first chunk of beef in the air and gulped it down. The second piece of meat, she chewed before swallowing.
Serafina heard the slight rustle of horses hooves advancing quietly behind the castle wall. She unhooked her cape and held it in place with the pressure of her body. The cat, too, was aware of the horse behind the castle wall. The cat's eyes began to dilate and her body grew taut. She caught the next piece of meat a
With a tiny squeak of leather, the rider was standing on his horse outside the wall. The horse was well-trained to silence, but its breathing was audible. A slight slapping noise, a noise that could have been a fish jumping in the pond, brought the rider to the top of the wall.
Serafina sat very still until she heard the bow string draw tight, then she slipped soundlessly down from the bench into the shadows, leaving her black cloak pressed against the wrought iron back of the bench.
The arrow whistled through the air, catching the hood of the cloak where Serafina's head had rested just a second before. The cloak was swept from the bench by the tip of the arrow. It came to rest in the fir tree, where a black shadow with large black eyes rimmed in green rose up from beneath the pinned cloak.
Bataar saw Serafina transform into a huge black cat, measuring him with merciless eyes. Before he could pull another arrow from his quiver the animal sprang at him. Bataar had never seen a black panther before. He stared an instant too long at this miraculous beast. Only seconds before it had been a sorceress. That instant cost him dearly. The cat lunged for his throat and missed by inches. Bataar was already in the air, jumping down to his terrified, but well trained horse, when the panther's claw raked his back.
Bataar and the panther heard the soft whistle at the same time. Bataar assumed it came from the black beast. The panther recognized the whistle as her call to feed. She balanced on the top of the castle wall, teetering to stop her lunge for the horse and man creature that had invaded her territory. She turned and jumped off the wall into the garden with a soft thud, her tail still twitching and her ears laid back flat against her head.
The panther walked back slowly to the fir tree, savoring her freedom. She licked the blood from her claw, her eyes still dark pools, and sniffed the air. Serafina tossed chunks of meat high into the air and the panther picked them off smoothly, one by one.
Prince Blackwell stood up from his hiding place further down the wall. Serafina cautioned him not to come too close until the cat had eaten her fill. When the cat finally lay down with a full stomach and closed her eyes, Serafina reattached the leash and went to join Prince Blackwell.
"I believe I aged five years in as many minutes," he held Serafina close.
"You need not have worried so. Ebony performed beautifully."
"She has a name now?"
"She deserves one. She will no doubt star in Bataar's dreams for many nights to come."
"I have ordered my men to escort the Barburee men from our territory by whatever means they deem sufficient." Blackwell held up his hand to quell the anger he saw rising in his wife's face. "Do not worry. I have ordered them not to kill Bataar. But these Barburians will not escape Henge without some reminders of their foolishness."
"Very well. I appreciate such forbearance as you have shown." Serafina looked away from Prince Blackwell out into the night sky, filled now with glowing stars. "I believe the Great Khan has the next move in this game of thrusts and parlays."
Chapter 44
Port of Taz
Take the Thief watched as his apprentice, Yeke, charmed an arrow. Take encouraged him to be generous when sprinkling the water. If Take saw white powder in the air, he would move in with sprinkles of his own. None of the archers would try launching an arrow attached to a tube of explosives before Yeke pronounced it 'charmed.' The archers were all converts now to the power of magic. Since Yeke had begun charming the arrows, none of the bamboo tubes had exploded prematurely.
Take saw Twenty Quivers approaching. Finally! Muller and Hilgard had not returned from their last spying expedition. Bear and Smiles had searched for them, but having no knowledge of the Barburee language, and given the immense size of the Great Khan's army, they had been unsuccessful in finding them. Take hoped that Twenty Quivers could shed some light on the whereabouts of the missing men.
Twenty Quivers greeted Take with a hand shake. "My men say you charm arrows. All good arrows now."
"Yes, things are going well. I have taught Yeke how to charm the arrows. I believe we could leave things in his hands now and return to Fernland."
"Yes. Good. We try now. All come with me."
"Actually, it's just the three of us here. We haven't seen Muller and Hilgard for a few days. I hoped you might know where they are."
"They stay. After siege they leave," Twenty Quivers said. "We go now."
Take wondered what Twenty Quivers meant. Had Muller asked to stay so he could report what he saw to King Geoffrey? Did Hilgard want a chance to learn more of the Barburee language?
"Do you know where they are?" Take tried again.
"Yes. Both. They stay. Go when siege finish."
Take saw that more questions would have to wait as Twenty Quivers was already giving orders for the archers to get their horses and follow him. The men scurried about gathering their bows, arrows, shields, bamboo tubes and powders.
Take called to Bear and Smiles and the three magicians caught up to Twenty Quivers. They had no idea where they were going. The archery field was the only safe place for a demonstration.
They made their way from the back of the encamped army to the front lines on horseback. They passed through the city of tents and a series of practice fields. Men practiced with swords, axes, catapults and spears. Children ran helter skelter among the tents both on foot and on horseback. Livestock roamed the grassy patches. Women washed, cooked, sewed, talked in groups. Some horses and camels roamed at will, others were tied to tents or stakes. Blacksmiths, butchers, a variety of craftsmen plied their trades and bartered with one another. The siege of Taz seemed to have little effect on the interior life of the encampment. As the archers drew close to the front lines, this changed.
Taz spread out below them. The inhabitants of the port city were acutely aware of the siege. Their supply of fresh water had been cut off. The Great Khan's army filled the hills that backed their city. Soldiers from Taz lined the top of the wall which protected the city from attacks by land. Twenty Quivers called a halt when he reached the forward edge of the army's sprawl. He shouted out orders to the teams of archers. They dismounted and gathered around him. The Great Khan himself stepped out from his ornate tent at the forward edge of the encampment and nodded at Twenty Quivers. He wore the same clothes as his soldiers, except that his leather hat was trimmed in gold. He was a heavy man with a slight beard and a dignified manner. Whatever was about to happen, he was there to witness it.
A wide valley separated the Barburee army from the city of Taz. The Great Khan and his army could see beyond the city to the busy port where incoming ships were arriving to be unloaded and outgoing ships carried passengers, mostly women and children, heading for ports unknown. The back half of the city was hidden behind the high outer wall.
Twenty Quivers gave a command to the waiting archers. Yeke and four others picked up their shields and armaments and walked down the gently sloping hill to the valley below.
A flurry of activity on the wall surrounding Taz followed the archers' descent onto the valley floor. Archers from the city of Taz streamed to the top of the wall. Soldiers shouted and waved frantically to unseen people behind the wall as they pushed a catapult into place.
When the Barburee archers were halfway across the valley, a barrage of arrows greeted them. As soon as the Barburee archers were within range of the wall, they stopped and readied themselves behind their shields.
Yeke began to dance and throw handfuls of water around the archers just as Take had taught him. The man with the bucket of water caught an arrow in his boot as he tried to keep up with Yeke. The arrow must have lodged in the curved tip of his pointed boot as it didn't seem to slow him down. At the completion of Yeke's ceremony, the three archers advanced toward the wall, peering over their shields. They quickly took aim, waited to have the wicks on the bamboo tubes lit and let their charmed arrows
The arrows all exploded on impact. One hit the edge of a wooden frame holding a huge vat. The wood exploded outward, taking the wooden frame apart. The vat, empty of oil, teetered on its rounded base momentarily, then toppled over the wall. The other two arrows both hit the catapult and exploded, tearing out pieces of wood, knocking two soldiers over the wall and leaving a pile of burning wreckage behind.
While the soldiers of Taz were stunned to inaction by what they had just witnessed, the Barburee hillside was alive with cheering and celebration. The Great Khan walked toward the remaining archers and spoke to Twenty Quivers. Twenty Quivers beamed with gratitude over the Khan's commendation. He gestured in Take's direction and bowed to the Great Khan. The Great Khan acknowledged Take with a nod and went back to his command tent.
Take was of two minds about his success. He felt sympathy for the people of Taz who were victims of this army come to destroy them. He was surely fighting on the wrong side, yet he celebrated the little victory of the charmed arrows. He had the feeling that for the Barburee people, war was a way of life that most never questioned. Hopefully his part in this madness was now over.
Twenty Quivers put his hand on Take's shoulder.
"Good, good. Great Khan much happy."
He pulled an ornately embroidered purse from his robe and handed it to Take.
Take opened the heavy purse and looked inside. It was filled to the brim with gold coins. He was so surprised he almost dropped the purse.
"This is all for me?"
"Yes. Great Khan thanks. You now go or stay. You choose."
"We will go." Take looked over his shoulder to find Bear and Smiles. He wondered if they had seen the exchange of gold.
Chapter 45
Port of Taz
Take put the purse of gold coins in his tunic and took his leave. Twenty Quivers wished him a good journey home. This made Take realize he had no idea how to get home. One thing at a time, he told himself. He saw Bear and Smiles waving. Bear's eyes were as big as saucers and he was smiling. Bear almost never smiled. That was when Take knew. Bear had seen the purse exchange hands. No doubt about that. Take walked toward his friends, resigned.