The Crown of blood

III

The landship creaked and groaned along the dusty track as the turnsmen — all but six had chosen to stay with Anglhan — laboured at their cranks. Anglhan stood on the aft deck in his most expensive clothes — bright red shirt, cloak of black wool, red-and-blue checked trousers held by a belt fastened with a gold buckle cast in the shape of an eagle's head, black boots with the tops turned down to reveal their fur lining. Around his head he wore a green scarf embroidered with a leaf design, ending in knotted tassels that hung to his waist.

He felt magnificent. The sky was blue from horizon to horizon. The air was fresh and clear. As the landship crawled slowly up the hillside, he looked to larboard and saw the great plain of Free Country stretching between the Lidean and Minean Mountains. He fancied he could see, beneath a white cliff, the city of Magilnada, though it was no more than a smudge of black against the white, and perhaps was not the city at all.

A shout from the mast top directed his attention past the bow. A large group of armed men stood across the road ahead, bows and slings in hand. As the landship approached, Anglhan recognised Reifan, one of the rebels he had set free. The tall, lean man signalled for them to stop, but Anglhan waved for the rebel to come aboard, not wishing to stop and lose momentum whilst still on the slope.

"I was not sure you would come," confessed Reifan as Anglhan helped him over the rail. He was a gangling fellow with a mop of red hair and sunburnt skin, his cheeks darkly freckled. The rest of the rebel group fell in beside the landship, walking in lines to either side, their weapons ready.

"I don't blame you for such distrust, lesser men than I might have second thoughts about this enterprise," replied Anglhan. He returned to the aft deck with Reifan beside him. "So, where are we headed?"

"Thunder Pass," said the rebel, pointing ahead where the mountains rose higher. "There are old mines there, near Litheis."

Anglhan turned to the steersman and gave instructions to bear to larboard, leaving the road. The man called to his two mates, and all three leaned heavily down on the tiller and hauled it to the side, teeth gritted. Slowly axles turned and the landship swung in the desired direction. The tillerman and his assistants ducked beneath the boom and reversed the manoeuvre, straightening the wheels.

"We should be there a little after midday," said Reifan, shading his eyes against the sun. "Aroisius the Free is waiting for you."

"And I am eager to see him as well," said Anglhan, clasping his hands behind his back. He grinned at Reifan. "Very eager."