A monk arrived with some clothing, and Sandreena was annoyed to see that it was a dress. Seeing her horrified expression, Zane shrugged. ‘It was the best we could do on short notice. I had to buy it off one of the shopkeeper’s wives.’ Lowering his voice as the monk departed, he said, ‘And I think the brothers never considered that you might prefer tunic and trousers. I think you may have been the first Knight-Adamant they’ve seen in recent memory.’ Lowering his voice even more, and looking over his shoulder as he handed her the dress, he added, ‘Certainly the first woman.’
She pulled off the shift and donned the dress, ignoring Zane’s presence. ‘There aren’t many of us,’ she acknowledged. ‘It’s thankless work and not for those of weak constitution. It doesn’t appeal to many men or women.’ She held out the sides of the dress, which was obviously several sizes too large for her and said, ‘How am I supposed to ride in this?’
‘Ah, no,’ said Zane. He drew an object from his belt pouch and said, ‘Stand next to me.’
She moved a step closer and he said, ‘This way is a bit faster.’
Suddenly they were in another room somewhere else. It was earlier in the day, judging from the brightness of the light, and noticeably warmer. There was a trio of men in the room.
Sandreena looked around, then her eyes widened. She stepped towards one of the men and drew back her fist. Before anyone could react, she delivered him a punishing blow to the jaw. He went backwards, skidding across the floor and slamming into the wall.
Shaking his head and blinking his eyes for a moment, Amirantha looked up and said, ‘Why, Sandreena. Good to see you again, too.’
*
Pug stood dumbfounded. Few things could surprise him at his age, but the sudden appearance of Zane and the woman, who immediately knocked Amirantha across the room, managed to.
Brandos grinned. ‘You’re looking a little off, girl. Normally, you would have broken his jaw.’
Seeing the old fighter she returned his smile and came to hug him. ‘You old fraud. How are you?’
He hugged her back and said, ‘Well enough. I wonder how you are from time to time.’
Pug said, ‘Obviously, I don’t need to make any introductions.’
Sandreena said, ‘Only who you are.’
‘My name is Pug and this is my island.’
She frowned. ‘The Black Sorcerer?’
He smiled slightly, it’s a long story. Let’s say for the moment that we all represent interests that have a common goal.’
‘Which is?’
Getting off the floor, rubbing his sore jaw, Amirantha said, ‘Discovering where some of the demons are coming from.’
She fixed him with a baleful look. ‘This another of your confidences?’
He held up his hands, palms outward. ‘No. In fact, an unexpected demon nearly gutted me a few weeks ago.’
‘Too bad,’ she said.
Brandos grinned. ‘I’ve missed you, girl.’
She gave him a dubious expression. ‘You’re a good man, Brandos, but I can’t say much for the company you keep.’
‘If we can put aside the personal animosity for a while, we have others coming to meet with us,’ Pug said.
‘Who are you?’ asked Sandreena, again. ‘I mean, who are you to bring me here?’
Pug knew an exasperated tone when he heard one. ‘Father-Bishop Creegan will be here shortly. I think I’ll leave it to him to explain your role in this. However, before he arrives, perhaps you’d care to brief us on what you encountered up in the Peaks of the Quor.’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t care to.’
Pug shook his head slightly and said, ‘Zane, if you would show Sandreena to her quarters, we’ll wait for the rest of our guests.’
‘Yes, Grandfather,’ he said, and motioned for Sandreena to follow him. She cast another baleful glance at Amirantha as she left the room.
As they walked down the hallway, she took notice of her surroundings. The building was low and had doors that opened on gardens. She said, ‘Grandfather? He doesn’t look any more than ten years older than you.’
‘Appearances can be deceiving,’ said Zane. ‘Pug is my step-father’s father and he’s old enough to be . . .’ He shrugged. ‘You’ll see.’ He led her to a room and said, ‘You can rest here and if you get hungry, just pick up that bell and ring it. Someone will escort you to the dining hall.’ He pointed to a small tulip-shaped bell that rested on a table next to a bed. is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?’
Reaching down she tugged at the ill-fitting dress and said, ‘Yes, if you could find me clothes that fit, I’d be grateful. Trousers and a tunic, please?’
He said, ‘I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be back shortly.’
She sat on the bed after he left and put her elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands. ‘Oh, Goddess,’ she said softly. ‘What have I done to deserve this? Amirantha, again?’
By the time Zane returned with clean clothing, she was asleep, curled up on the bed like a child, and he could tell from the dried tear tracks on her face that she had been weeping.
*
Pug sat at a table near the door to the kitchen, dining with his wife, two sons, and Amirantha and Brandos, at a table large enough to accommodate twice their number. A large kettle of stew sat steaming in the middle, with platters of hot bread, cheeses, meats, fruits, and vegetables placed around it.