Hunting Read online

  Hunting

  by Andrea K Höst

  Hunting

  © 2013 Andrea K Höst. All rights reserved.

  www.andreakhost.com

  Cover art: Julie Dillon

  ISBN: 978-0-9872651-1-1

  Published by Andrea K Hösth at Smashwords

  All characters in this publication

  are fictitious and any resemblance

  to real persons, living or dead,

  is purely coincidental.

  Description

  Ash Lenthard doesn’t call herself a vigilante. She’s merely prone to random acts of derring-do, and occasional exhibitions of tomfoolery. Her friends, the Huntsmen, have never stepped over the line while patrolling the streets of Luinhall.

  That was before the murder of Ash’s beloved guardian, Genevieve.

  Now, Ash Lenthard is out for blood and even when the hunt sends her to the palace, on a collision course with a past identity she would do anything to forget, Ash cannot, will not, back down.

  Author's Note

  Spelling is Australian English.

  Prologue

  A barefoot, smoke-scented girl sat above the River Milk. Deep night transformed the river into a murmuring blackness, and its glacier-fed waters exhaled cold as they split around Luin's Island. In the dual light of the moons, the girl studied the single statue that filled the island, tracing the winding cloth that hid Luin's breasts but revealed the angular, more masculine planes of the stomach.

  An accented voice interrupted her reverie. "Thinking of jumping?"

  Sitting between the stanchions that separated road from river, the girl had expected the gloom to conceal her. But she kept her response calm, simply glancing over her shoulder at a lush-figured, curly-haired shape standing silhouetted against one of the hanging streetlights.

  "Thinking of climbing."

  The woman laughed. "Because it's there?"

  "Because if I tied a ribbon in its hair, everyone would see it." The girl shrugged. "But I need a bigger ribbon, and I maybe need to be taller to get from the robe folds to the arms."

  "A ribbon? As a boast? Or...a message? Well, I agree that you need a few more inches to attempt Luin, but I'm sure we can find you something else notable to adorn. Save Luin for later?"

  The woman's quick understanding startled the girl, but the offer of assistance she dismissed with a shake of her head. "I'm not short of ideas."

  "Just a place to sleep?"

  Not inclined to tolerate interfering do-gooders, the girl decided it was time to leave, and stood. "I'm fine."

  "Also short of shoes, I see," the woman added. "How were you planning to get to the island?"

  "The Kylo ferry's just upstream. If you let it down by the guide ropes, it's only a short jump."

  "Huh. What about Astenar's Mask above the Bowl? That's in shadow at the moment. I could lower you down by the ankles. You'd get wet, of course, but it's the second-most visible thing in the city. And the wash might make you smell a little less like bacon."

  The girl gasped, and then laughed.

  "You want to dangle me in the Milk? I'd end up a block of ice."

  "I've night passes to Rithmay's Bathhouse, just a street away," the woman said. "And I've spare shoes. And a place to sleep. Most of all, no price, no conditions attached. Though I would like to see a ribbon in Luin's hair one day."

  The girl, who had had no intention of trusting helpful strangers, looked back up at the statue, which almost all of the world would have told her she was mad to consider climbing. And the wound spring that had driven her since sunset suddenly relaxed.

  "I'll take that bargain. One day, a ribbon for Luin's hair. Because it's there."

  "Do you have a name, then?" the woman asked, turning upriver. "I'm Genevieve."

  There was a limit to trust.

  "Ash," the girl said, and followed.

  Chapter One

  Ash Lenthard struggled to hide her rage.

  Strangers were walking through Genevieve's house. Tramping into the still-room in their heavy boots, fumbling through the small shelf of books, crushing the plants lined in orderly rows in the huge garden. Uncaring outsiders in Genevieve's bedroom, standing over unmoving flesh, ignorant of all that had been wonderful about the woman whose home they invaded. Just another in a series of unexplained deaths.

  But Ash's fury was for herself, not the city's Watch. In the last two months, six people had been murdered in Luinhall. The one link they shared was their knowledge of remedies, of medicines and herbs. It had seemed only logical to Ash for her herb-wise guardian to leave the city until the killer had been caught, but Genevieve, who had so much to risk in an early death, had refused. They had quarrelled about it not two days ago, Ash searching for the right argument while Genevieve, calmly immovable despite all that she'd told Ash about her past, had refused to abandon clients who relied on her skills.

  Too little effort too late. Now Ash, a sun-browned young woman dressed as a boy, huddled in the big chair in the kitchen, bereft of all her usual self-command. She could not move past the fact of death. It had been beyond any nightmare Cuinefaer had brought her, to walk into her guardian's bedroom that morning and find...all that blood.

  Everything smelled so wrong! All the old scents were there: sharp rosemary mingled with sweet marjoram, thyme, heartsease, pennyroyal, countless other herbs. But they had become thin, weak notes against a heavy, underlying iron.

  A butter-soft voice cut through red thoughts.

  "The condition is much better than I expected. A day or two of work and we can put it to use."

  Disbelieving, Ash turned to see a plump, sweet-faced woman, smoothing her carefully coiled white hair and surveying the room as if she owned it. Which, Ash hated to admit, she did. Something glittered in the woman's eyes as they found Ash's, but her expression held nothing but cloying sympathy.

  "Poor child. A terrible thing to have happened. But perhaps not unexpected. Didn't I say just yesterday, Morton, that Sera Haiden took a dreadful risk remaining in Luinhall?"

  "Yes, my love," said Morton, a towering bulk in the background. He wore a long-barrelled pistol tucked in his belt, and gripped a heavy, silver-topped cane that could easily be used as a cudgel if the chancy flintlock failed him.

  "Allow the lad to remain and recover himself while the cleaning crew works," the woman continued. "So long as he does not get in their way, I do not see the harm of it. Though remind the crew that both house and contents are my property."

  Ash rose to her feet, hands curling into fists. How could she? Genevieve wasn't even out of the house and this creature was already flourishing her triumph? Gloating beneath her show of sympathy.

  The woman's sweetly complacent smile widened a fraction, a deliberate goad. Ordinarily Ash would have no difficulty controlling herself, but the temptation to take the bait filled her, until that smug expression at least wavered. She was no bravo, no mound of muscle, not even the boy she pretended to be, but to have this excuse for a person in the house that had become a refuge...

  A quick step behind, then a strong hand closed over Ash's shoulder. "Don't be a fool, boy. She'd see you hanged," said a voice too low for the other occupants of the room to hear. Then, louder: "Can I assist you, Landhold Dunn?"

  The woman became brisk. "I could hope that the Watch would find some level of competence and prevent further tragedies. As it is, I expect that you at least exercise your duty toward my property and ensure that nothing is taken from it."

  "You'll see no harm," said Captain Garton, voice flat. Garton, kind beneath his gruff demeanour, had been a firm friend of Genevieve's and certainly no ally of 'Charity' Dunn. But opposing the wealthiest Smallholder in the Commons would do him no good.

  "Well now, I wish I could believe that, Captain."
Landhold Dunn gave a tiny, regretful shake of her head. "But the Watch has done so little to inspire confidence these past weeks."

  The exchange brought Ash back to a more usual frame of mind, and she slipped out of Captain Garton's hold, heading for her bedroom. Charity Dunn was a triviality, nothing which would distract her from a newly absolute imperative: finding Genevieve's killer.

  The pocket-sized bedroom held a host of memories, but few belongings. Genevieve had not been wealthy, always giving away any excess – buying redemption, she would say – so a single bag was enough to take care of most of Ash's belongings. Two items could not be so easily managed.

  From the gap between mattress and wall she removed a heavy roll of leather, which she wrapped in her spare breast-band. Briefly cracking the shutters, she dropped the bundle into the lavender growing outside her window. Something to collect later. The book of tales and Genevieve's Herbal were too fragile to stash outside and too large to conceal in the bag, so she simply wrapped them in a shirt and carried them in her arms.

  It did not surprise Ash in the least when Landhold Dunn made a diffident noise at her return. The woman had spent years wishing Genevieve gone, and this performance was simply some late-served revenge.

  "Such a discomforting thing," Landhold Dunn said. "You understand, of course, Captain, that the boy's bag will need to be checked. That will clear any shadow of doubt."

  "Surely there's no–" Captain Garton began, but Ash forestalled any further argument by putting the books on the table and upending her bag beside them. Sturdy, serviceable cloth, a few useful ointments, and a purse holding a scattering of coins.

  "Morton, if you would..."

  Ash supposed she was meant to be humiliated, or protest the injustice. The salves in the stillroom and the potential held in the garden had not insignificant value. But sorting through the house and establishing exactly what belonged to Landhold Dunn would only be time wasted. Ash felt nothing but impatience, her mind already on options once she had left this house behind her.

  The colourless man who was Landhold Dunn's husband moved forward, sorting delicately, and then unfolding the shirt to reveal the two books.

  "I recall there was a small library," Landhold Dunn said. Her eyes were bright, summoning a small flare of spite from Ash, wishing the Smallholder would finally accrue enough land to stand before Luin and be tested for her worth as guardian. Though from what Ash had seen of the world, Luin would probably accept her. Charity Dunn would not be the first truly awful person to gain the privileges of the Luinsel.

  And now was not the moment to care. "The books are written in Khanteck," Ash said, forcing a note of indifferent confidence. "These were Genevieve's and she gave them to me."

  "Well now, it's not that I don't wish I could take your word on that–"

  "What is going on back here? Captain, can't you keep these people out?"

  It was the Investigator, bringing with her an air of effortless authority, despite the fact that she was, of all unlikely things, a woman in the Rhoi's Guard. She came into the kitchen, wiping her hands on a rag, and Ash stared at the red stains on that greying cloth, forgetting Landhold Dunn in favour of the tragedy that had destroyed her happiness. Genevieve was dead, her throat slit neatly from side to side, face robbed of its serenity by a permanent expression of surprise.

  "Who is this?" the Investigator asked Garton.

  "Landhold Dunn, Sera. She, uh, this is her house."

  "Oh? The herbalist did not own it?"

  "I fear Sera Haiden was far from being in such a position," Landhold Dunn said, her treacle-tone thinning just a fraction.

  "Have you information for us? If not, I'll have to ask you to vacate the area until the initial investigations are done. The Captain here will send you word."

  Charity Dunn clearly resented the crisp dismissal, but her Smallholder's rights naturally gave way to palace authority.

  "There is just a question of ownership of some valuable books," the Landhold murmured. "I simply can't permit anything to leave the premises until some evidence of ownership has been produced."

  "Books in the language of Khantar," Captain Garton murmured.

  "The herbalist's homeland?" The Investigator's clear grey eyes assessed Charity Dunn. "Well, if you can offer some proof that you own such, Holder, I'm certain they can be returned to you. Perhaps you have some form of inventory? If you oblige us by providing it, the Captain here will be able to ensure nothing listed is removed."

  The Investigator turned away, clearly dismissing the Landhold from her thoughts. Unlike Garton, the woman was not a low paid Watch Captain responsible for a small part of the city's general safety, but a member of the Rhoi's Guard, trained to deal with tricky problems troubling Luinhall and ensure the Rhoi's safety. The rod of authority awarded her could not be taken by any but the Rhoi.

  Stymied, Charity Dunn took her leave with carefully maintained dignity, and a smile for Ash that would chill a lesser girl's heart.

  "What was that about?" the Investigator asked Garton, flipping open the cover of one of the books.

  "Landhold Dunn's father left this house to Sera Haiden for the term of her life. Gave him back the use of his hands, she did. Landhold Dunn always...resented the bequest." Garton's eyes flickered over the five men and women standing in the room, obviously wondering if word of what he said could possibly get back to Charity Dunn.

  "And this is Khanteck?" the Investigator asked, flicking a page of one precious book. "You can read this, boy?"

  Ash, who had been barely responsive during the Investigator's previous attempt to question her, nodded and tried to suppress her desire for action. This woman should be regarded as a useful source of information, or at least another hurdle to Ash's speedy departure.

  The Investigator passed the books to a man who had watched the exchange without comment. This was some form of foreign Landhold, his black hair and bronzed skin suggesting a Firuvari heritage, though the closely tailored thigh-length robe of heavy cream cloth decorated with near-invisible geometrical embroidery was an Aremish style. Ash only half restrained her frown. Ghoul. What was he doing here, prying into Genevieve's death?

  "You have relatives you can go to, boy?" the Investigator asked.

  "He's an orphan," Captain Garton answered before Ash could glibly invent a half-dozen other aunts. "Sera Haiden was his only living relation." Ash glared at him and the Captain shook his head. "Genevieve would haunt me if I let you run off to join that street gang you get around with, Ash. You'll come home with me for now."

  "I'm not going to push your brood out of what little space they have, Captain. Besides, you live in one of Charity Dunn's shoeboxes and she'll treble your rent the instant she hears I'm there. I've places to go, thanks all the same."

  "Did your aunt teach you her trade, boy?" the foreign Landhold asked, his voice only lightly accented. He closed the book he had been flipping through: Genevieve's herbal reference, her most precious possession, which she'd bestowed on Ash with more formality than Ash had ever seen from her. As he asked this question, the Landhold shook his head, ever so slightly. A barely detectable order.

  "No," Ash said, since that was what she had been planning to say anyway. Admitting you had herbal knowledge had recently become a dangerous thing. But this man must suspect otherwise, since he'd been looking at the Herbal as if he could read it, or at least could make a simple deduction from the detailed illustrations. "She taught a girl named Jenna a bit, though." Ash had regular employment exercising animals at a nearby stable. Only a few people knew that she'd made any shift to learn what Genevieve could teach her.

  "I'll take charge of him, Verel," the Landhold said, to Ash's complete surprise. "I'm told I need a seruilis."

  Ash stared and even the Investigator looked a little unsure, but shrugged. "As you wish," she said. "At least I'll know where to find him, if he's with you.

  The man nodded. "Tell me if you find anything unusual," he said, picking up the other book from the
table and glancing at the frontispiece. It was a book of heroic tales, and Ash resented him handling it almost as much as his calm assumption that he could command her into service as a seruilis, if that was what he truly intended. It was a period of training-by-observation usually reserved for Kinsel, family of Luinsel who wanted to learn more about maintaining Luin's Laws of Balance.

  She studied the stranger warily: a commanding figure with a thin sword at his side, undecorated and serviceable. The tight tailoring of the robe showed him to be athletic and he was handsome enough, with a faintly aquiline nose and high cut cheekbones, his hair short at the nape, but the bangs worn longer and swept back. Glossy black wings.

  Ash checked his hands and saw none of the roughness that spoke of heavy labour. Long, thin fingers, the nails not manicured, but not ragged with continual work, either. His boots were more than fine. If he wanted a seruilis, did that mean he was Luinsel?

  Not that it mattered. She had no intention of playing servant-apprentice. Biding her time, Ash scooped her clothing back into its bag.

  "I'll send word about the funeral arrangements," Captain Garton said

  Ash blocked her mind from thoughts of what that funeral would mean and nodded, then let the stranger lead her outside.

  Chapter Two

  A curious, watchful crowd had gathered. Nervous strangers, and a few familiar faces, made distant by fear. Luinhall was dealing not only with murder, but also a spate of disappearances. Nerves were on edge, and if Ash tried to abandon the Landhold here, there was a fair chance that they'd catch and hold her.

  Fortunately, the Landhold led her down the side alley to speak to yet another Watchman, this one in charge of a collection of horses. If she went over the wall into Renus' garden...

  "Can I have my books back, please?" she asked as he returned, and then was distracted by the animal he led.