City of Ruin

TWENTY-TWO

Randur slapped down a mug on the table next to the settee. Munio woke and immediately gaped at the flames. They were roaring away in the fireplace, the spare logs neatly stacked to one side, even the mantel thoroughly cleaned. Randur had transformed this part of the manse into something almost habitable.

'Ah,' Randur remarked. 'I see the princess awakes from her slumber.'

'The hell hour is this?'

'Late afternoon, nearly time for dinner.'

Munio pushed himself to test his feet, swaying gently as he came to terms with the new day.

'Is that baking bread I can smell?'

'Yep.' Munio probably couldn't remember the last time he had smelled such a heavenly aroma. To be honest, neither could Randur.

Munio leant over to pick up his mug of tea from the side table. 'This will not do. The day must begin with something a little stronger.'

'You're a total pisshead – and that's why your life's such a mess.'

Randur shuffled through into the kitchen, where he found Eir intent on working through some Vitassi moves with a ladle. He humoured her, as they clattered around the room.

'No, no,' Munio called out to her from the doorway. 'Eir, your left foot is all over the place.'

She whispered something to Randur, then made to leave the room.

'Don't go on my account,' Munio yelled after her.

'I'm just going for a walk with my sister. You two need to catch up.'

'Is she around somewhere – Rika?' Munio struggled to contain his eagerness.

'Later,' Randur declared, then gave a nod to Eir, and she left.

The two men said nothing for some time, and Munio began ambling around the kitchen with a sense of purpose.

'You won't find any more drink,' Randur said.

Munio glared at him. 'And just who is this young parvenu who comes storming in from the past to invade my house like this?'

He slumped onto a stool at the table.

Randur ignored the tantrum and, slicing some warm bread, buttered it and slid the plate across to him.

'Why're you all here anyway?' Munio asked.

'Because you invited us, you miserable sod,' Randur replied. He grabbed a mug of something hot and sat down opposite.

'You've done all right, lad.'

'Is that a compliment?'

Munio grunted a laugh. 'The petulant child still exists, inside this glossy exterior. So how did you get away from this shithole of an island and come to meet the likes of those two posh lasses?'

'I managed to steal a name from a dead man who was meant to be sword and dance tutor to Lady Eir. Originally I was there to get a cultist to help my poor mother, but I found cultists only helped themselves. My world then took something of a drastic turn and my priorities changed. Eir's sister was due to become Empress. Then the man who's probably now Emperor set them up for a crime of treason, and I helped get Eir and Rika out of the city. We're now on the run to Villiren – since Rika's got a plan, which is more than the rest of us have.'

'Bohrsakes, child. Can't believe you didn't tell me this at first.'

Randur shrugged.

'Well, makes no difference to those of us way out here who runs the Empire. And so having the burden of such responsibility – is it eating away yet?'

'People can change,' Randur replied. 'And I'm not who I used to be. I can choose to be different if I want.'

'People never really change,' Munio declared, a statement of intent regarding his alcoholism, perhaps.

'Look, there's likely to be a big price on our heads, and that level of bounty can change a man's thinking.'

'A big price, for just you lot? You would've thought the Council had better things to be worrying about than a couple of kids.'

'Money's no problem to that man, Urtica – he'll have a regiment or two spreading out across the Empire. Don't forget, we're fugitives. I have to keep looking over my shoulder, but I never let my concern show to the girls – I prefer to carry that burden myself. So we're on our way north, to Villiren, to meet the commander there, and we'll leave here as soon as we feel up to it.'

'Why bother?' Munio asked.

'Rika wants to be able to clear her name – strangely, she actually wants to serve her people, to help them. She reckons the commander of the military – you must have heard of the legendary albino? – can help her out. Seems he brought her to Villjamur in the first place. We're focused on that as our objective, and it's all we're living for at the moment.'

'Long journey you have in mind.'

'I think you should come with us. In fact, I want you to.' Sudden, thrusting words.

Munio glanced at him in disbelief. 'At my age?'

'We could do with the extra protection. Also I only half remember the routes north from this part of the island, so your assistance in getting there would be bloody useful. You reckon you'd be up to it?'

'Pah, I'm too old. People like me never change, like I said.'

Randur didn't buy that. Like he deployed his sword strokes over the years, Munio had more than likely repeated the habits of his misery until he knew, by heart, how to shun the real world.

Randur pressed him further, more persuasive blows. 'I know you've talked about money, or lack of, but when you're on the road with us you won't have to worry about that. Maybe we can catch up a bit, because there are so many years to talk about. I used to respect you so much, old friend. After all I didn't have a father, and…' Randur trailed off, as if expecting Munio to say what he then said.

'Well, I never had a son.' With these words Munio disarmed himself, let his guard down, and no longer had anything to parry Randur with.

A pause, and Randur said, 'Or at least none that you knew about, you filthy old scrote. So you'll join us, will you?'

'I'll think about it.'

The two of them laughed and Munio looked much the better for it.

'Maybe it would do me good to get on the road again. What has my life here consisted of but sauntering around drunk and alone amid clouds of dust motes?'

Eir entered the room again and said, 'She's now busy meditating.'

Munio blurted out, 'Young Eir! This one here has been telling me all about the pair of you.'

'What kind of things?' She eyed Randur with suspicion, as he shuffled over to her side.

'Nothing bad.'

As the old man drew a sword, she turned sharply.

'Lad says you've been keen to learn the ways of Vitassi,' Munio said. 'Shall we now see if he was as lazy a teacher as he was once a student.'

'Rand, would you like to fetch my sword?' she said coldly.

'What, am I your servant now?' He stomped off but returned moments later with the same thin blade she had used to cut her way out of Villjamur.

She grabbed it and turned to face Munio, who said, 'Let's have a look at you.'

His blade darted aggressively towards her torso, and for the next few minutes her sword was slapped around the kitchen by a master of the technique. Every time she made a strike, he seemed to predict what she was intending. He barked out corrective instructions, but when he eventually started singing, she lost her poise completely, slipping over, her sword clattering at Randur's feet. He handed it back to her with a grin, knowing that if he said anything, he'd earn one of those glares she did so well.

'And that', Munio declared, 'is why you should not be distracted by anything I say while I'm advancing. You must hear only your sword-stroke. You listen to me when we finish.'

'The enemy aren't exactly going to be advising me in combat, are they?' Eir muttered breathlessly.

'That depends', Munio replied, 'on whether you know exactly who your enemy is. Well the three of you obviously need my assistance, and I admit that it feels rather good to be non-sedentary again. So I will agree to join you. Anyway, there is not a hope in hell you'll scramble your way north through all those forests without someone like me to guide you.'

Randur leapt across and slapped Munio on the back. 'Knew you wouldn't be able to resist.'

'Indeed,' Munio said primly. 'But I have some business in town this afternoon, so we may leave tomorrow morning.'