Black Rose Pt. 38

Chapter 38

The Extraordinary Adventures of the Serpent Queen

Part the Second

That night, they set up camp outside the city, as was their custom. They'd made it clear that they expected nothing in return for killing the worm. The most they ever accepted were small parcels of food.

Five was turning some salt pork, some lentils and some wild leeks, into their dinner.

Freya was repairing their gear. But then Five noticed Freya putting it down and coming over to her.

Then, a tentative hand on the shoulder.

Five looked up.

'There is something I have never asked you.'

Five waited.

'Maybe no one has ever asked you.'

Freya wondered, for a moment, then got it.

'Dannel,' Five said, and stared down into the pot, at the pieces of pork sweating in their own fat.

'Do not talk about it if you do not wish to,' Freya said.

Five was silent for a while.

Yeah. I know you want me to. Because it worked for you in Memika, with Sophy.

But with me.

Oh, fuck it.

Let's just see.

'He was ugly,' Five said. 'He'd a lame leg, and girls wouldn't look at him, but, on top of that, he just had one of them faces, you know. Sneery.

'But he used to tease me, if we were alone. "Oh, number Five, I know you want me. Don't deny it."'

Five frowned.

'Didn't fool me. I saw how he looked at women. I mean... proper women. Whatever. Women not like me. I knew he wanted 'em, and they wouldn't have him, and I was the next best thing, cause I looked like one. I mean,' Five added, looking at Freya, 'when everyone thought I was a boy, they still thought...'

'Yes,' Freya said. Five nodded.

'But the thing is,' Five said after a pause, 'as far as he knew, I wasn't one. And, he was fussy. He wanted to, you know. Make the beast. But, with me, he just couldn't bring himself...'

Five rubbed her forehead, not wanting to remember it too well. But Freya was still watching, waiting to hear more.

''Cause I wouldn't rise to it,' Five explained. 'He'd kiss me, but not like a lover. Angry. Like he hated both of us. But mostly me. For not being girl enough.'

Five turned the meat over so it wouldn't stick.

'Well, he were a knight's third son and I were an orphan. I didn't have no one to tell, so I put up with it. But then he, uh...'

Five narrowed her eyes and dropped the chopped green leeks into the hissing fat.

'He said he wanted more. He tried to force me, but, he were on the puny side. But that one day he really gave it a go, and he, uh...'

Five breathed out hard, and stirred the leeks, and sniffed their aroma appreciatively.

'He stripped me bare, but I kicked him off. That's when he saw me.'

Five glanced at Freya, who was watching her, still and silent.

'I mean, saw me proper,' Five said. 'Better than anyone had. I'd always covered up.'

Five stared into the cooking pot and watched the leeks slowly beading their juices.

You had to wait, at this point. The art was in waiting until the leeks were just on the point of browning. Then you added water, then the lentils.

Five shrugged.

'So,' Five said, 'that put him right off. Told me I was cursed. Never went near me again.'

'He had told you before me?'

Oh god, lady.

It's so fucking...

I don't pretend to understand.

'You tell yourself you're just wrong,' Five said, shrugging again. 'That people don't get it. Everyone always said Oh, Five, he's an odd one. Strange lad. Fat bastard. I knew it weren't as simple as that, but...'

Five looked up at Freya, who was staring at her with that look of consternation and pity she'd had that day at the pool.

It was the pity in her eye, that was it. It nettled.

Five stood up a little straighter, and looked her right back.

'Freya,' Five said evenly, 'nobody ever told me about bleeding, or having children. Or how to make meself look good. Or how to talk like a lady. Nobody wanted to. Everyone knows what a fucking curse is, though. You don't go round telling folk you're cursed. It just gets said. And then people know it. And you just get on with it.'

Five shifted the pot over the fire and stirred the pork and leeks some more.

'I'm not saying I knew, deep down, all along.' Five said. 'It were a feeling. Reckoned I were maybe an only one. Bit one, bit the other. And as a boy, I were useful. Had something to do. As a girl, I'd've lived out me life in the kitchen. Or worse. So I didn't want to think about it.'

Five looked up, and Freya was still staring at her.

'And then you saw,' Five said softly, 'and you said, and I was scared. Nobody'd ever been that honest with me.'

Freya got up and walked over to Five and Five put down the pan. Freya took Five's face in her hands and they kissed. After a long moment, they parted.

'And then you fled, and I raged,' Freya said, colouring at the memory and half-smiling.

'Got over it, though,' Five murmured, looking up at her.

Smoke was coming from the pot. Five looked down; the salt pork was darkening and sticking.

'Bugger. Pass the water, would you.'

Freya handed Five the water and they went back to their work.

***

Later on, they had eaten, and their gear was repaired, and they had washed the pots, and they were tired.

It was a warm night, but it was still early spring.

Freya seemed distracted, in a strange mood. Not surprising given the day they'd had, a hard kill of a large worm. And the conversation, about how Dannel had been such a fucking little...

Well, Five thought, it's her thoughts, if she wants to tell me, no doubt she will.

She washed her face and hands and wrapped herself in her blanket, and an extra blanket, because it wasn't so tremendously comfortable, in this little nook in a hill outside Cabrinia.

She lay down and closed her eyes.

What a day. We saved a house, but one man died and another got burned. The girl will have scars. I ache.

After a few minutes, she was drifting into sleep when she felt a touch on her shoulder and instantly woke up. Weeks of training.

But Freya was by her, crouching next to her, looking upset. She was holding her own blankets over one shoulder.

'What's wrong?' Five said.

'Nothing,' Freya said. 'I...'

Five looked closer, and saw it.

'Hey,' she said, more tenderly, 'you all right.'

'Could we,' Freya said.

'Of course.'

Freya lay down next to her and they arranged their blankets so that they were both covered and together.

Freya looked at Five's face. Five was getting to know that look. It was when Freya felt haunted, or needed to be close.

'All right?' Five said.

Freya smiled slightly and reached up and touched Five's cheek.

Ah, Five thought. Right then.

Whenever they were going to be together, it always took Freya time to muster up the courage to do it. She'd face down a worm or a brace of armed men without a thought, but when it came to kissing and all that went with it, it was always with something like fear, at least to begin with.

Years of not letting yourself think about this, Five thought. Years of telling yourself you couldn't.

'Owt you want me to do,' Five murmured. Freya blinked and went red.

'You do not mind?'

'Of course I don't,' Five said, smiling. 'I love being with you.'

Five reached down and her hand moved over Five's breast, stroking her shirt, then to Five's flank, looking at Five's body intently.

She seemed less afraid, this night; more fascinated.

'You want to get a bit closer,' Five said. Freya nodded.

Five sat up and took off her shirt and lay down again, and Freya swallowed and trembled slightly at the sight of Five's bare chest.

Funny; no trouble stripping to have a swim, or to clean yourselves after a bloody fight, but strip off for each other and Freya blushed.

Like the almost-virgin you are, Five thought.

Freya leaned her head down and touched her face to Five's breasts, closing her eyes and sighing. She brushed her face across them and then kissed Five's bare skin.

The thing, Five knew, was to never rush things too much. But, it was also lovely to be with someone who seemed to feel wonder and delight at your mere body.

Freya hung over Five's body, kissing her breasts and stomach, and then looked for a long moment, and then looked up at Five's face, a little anxious.

'Go ahead,' Five said.

Freya knelt back and took Five's boots off, and then the stockings, and then reached up and slid Five's breeches down.

Five lay there, naked, looking up at Freya, who was looking down at her, hungry and needy, scared, but also a bit like a kid who'd been given all the sweets.

Freya leaned down and kissed Five's stomach, and then licked down lower, and Five gasped as Freya's tongue went down between Five's legs.

Then Freya rolled Five onto her belly.

Well, Five thought, this is new.

Freya's hand stroked down Five's back to the base of her spine, and then she slid it between Five's buttocks, and her fingers explored the cleft.

Five was a little startled, and then Freya was kissing her mouth, and Five shut her eyes and moaned a little as Freya's fingers stroked her in the most private places.

Oh my, Five thought.

Freya's mouth was hungry on hers and she reached beneath Five's breasts with her other hand and cupped the right one, as her right hand continued to play with Five's arse and taint. Five gasped.

'Did I hurt...' Freya began.

'No no,' Five said, a little breathless, 'it's good.'

What does she have in mind? Five thought.

One of Freya's fingers stroked the muscle of Five's arsehole and Five instinctively clenched it.

Does she want to? Do I want that? Dunno. But, by the Right, this is very new.

Five looked at Freya, who was staring at Five's body with wonder, her fingers still deep between Five's buttocks.

Was this because of our talk? When I talked about Dannel? Are you... jealous?

Do you now want me all sorts of ways?

'Do you want me to be your boy,' Five said softly. 'Is that it?'

Freya did not answer, but she pressed her fingers into the cleft, and Five shuddered, looking at her, nervous.

I'll do it, if she. Could I? I think I could.

God. Don't know.

This is very, very new.

What does she...

What do you want, lady?

Freya looked up and down Five's body, her fingers kneading the cleft of Five's arse, her other hand stroking Five's breast, and Five looked back at her, a little scared, because there was a hunger in Freya that she'd never seen before.

Then Freya suddenly pulled her hands out and rolled Five onto her side and laid up against her, and grabbed Five and pulled her body into her own and kissed her, parting Five's thighs with her leg.

Five gasped. Freya was so strong that she felt pushed around like a sack of flour, but Five didn't mind, since it was so luxurious to be with her in the first place.

Freya pulled Five into her, her tongue deep in Five's mouth, one hand on the back of Five's neck, and Five rather enjoyed the feeling of being Freya's naked plaything, especially when Freya reached down between Five's thighs with her other hand, and began to stroke her.

But this also was new, to Five; the forcefulness with which Freya was handling her.

Freya'd gained confidence, from stripping Five and touching her, and surprising her, and now she was holding Five exactly where she wanted her, and she stopped kissing and actually leaned a little back from Five.

Five was getting very aroused by Freya's regular stroking, and she opened her eyes.

Freya was staring at her, her eyes narrow and glinting, watching Five, her lips parted, breathing rapidly, her hand working at her, making Five whimper.

Five had never felt so like a young deer being stalked by a hungry loup.

She wants you as hers. All hers, Five thought.

This int like usual, when it's more of a dance. This is her taking you.

Give in to it. Let her use you. By the Right, if she keeps doing that with her hand, you're going to be spending pretty fucking soon anyway.

Five closed her eyes again and moaned and gave in to the signals her body was giving her, and she squirmed naked in Freya's grip, and moved her hips back and forth against Freya's hand, and Freya's fingers worked at her tingling flesh, and Five threw back her head and moaned louder, and she felt Freya's gaze on her and she felt the warmth coming through her and she made a choked gasp as it happened, it came through her, she melted, it went through her whole body and she surrendered completely.

And then, she felt Freya pull her in and kiss her hard, her tongue in Five's mouth, still stroking her, and she whimpered at how vigorously Freya was still going at it, until she realised, through the fog of pleasure still moving through her, that this was Freya's own way, her own climax, and she decided, with the part of her brain that could still decide things, to lie back and let Freya take what she wanted, and Freya's muffled gasps grew louder as she continued to kiss Five, who was by now feeling limp and breathless and a little bruised, and then Freya unfastened her mouth from Five's and cried out, shutting her eyes tight, and shuddered.

And then they were lying there, sweating, Five on her back, naked and rather stunned, eyes wide open, Freya over her, still holding her and panting for breath, her eyes tightly closed.

Then Freya lifted her head and peered down at Five, and her hands on Five softened from a grip to an embrace.

'You are all right?' she said anxiously.

'Yeah,' Five panted, blinking. 'I'm... I'm fine.'

'I did not hurt you?'

'I'm fine,' Five said, smiling. 'You've just, never been that... um... strong, before.'

Freya peered at Five's body, evidently worried that she might have inflicted bruises.

'Look,' Five said, showing her her arms and torso. 'Totally fine. Don't worry.'

Freya gathered her up and held her, but tenderly.

'My love,' she whispered. 'My love.'

Five closed her eyes.

Oh, this was so good. The cherishing after the... pounding.

Freya kissed her softly and stroked her and pulled the blankets over them both. Five lay in her arms.

Even normally, you felt so safe, when she was like this. Like nothing could get to you.

But after this, when it had been pretty fucking stormy, to be held by Freya when she was in a caring mood was to feel utterly secure. Her body was like a fortress where you could sleep in peace.

Which Five badly needed, after a long day, and fire and death, and a mauling like the one Freya had just given her.

Then Five stretched out her legs, and her feet touched something.

She paused.

She opened her eyes and looked down, and looked at Freya, who was still fully clothed, lying there with her eyes closed, still coming down.

Well, Five thought, I may not be some great and beautiful mistress to a noble, but, still, there's a thing called manners.

She stared at Freya for a long moment, until Freya seemed to feel Five being deliberately motionless, and opened her eyes and looked back at her, puzzled.

'You kept your boots on,' Five said. 'The whole time.'

Freya glanced down and up, and had the grace to look slightly guilty.

'You fucked me into a puddle of drool, and you kept your boots on.'

Freya closed her eyes in embarrassment, and then looked up at her, with a look on her face like I just got a bit caught up....

'It's like you were raised in a barn,' Five said, starting to smile.

Freya gathered Five's hands together and kissed them. Five nuzzled her face into Freya's hands.

'It's all right,' she sighed. 'I'm not complaining.'

She nestled into Freya's arms and rested her head on Freya's shoulder.

If you want to play The Scoundrel And The Milkmaid, she thought, turns out I'm up for that, as long as you're this sweet to me after.

It was some time later that Freya uncoupled herself, and managed to get the mostly-asleep Five to put her breeches and shirt back on, and then they lay down again and Freya pulled the blankets over them.

***

Regesne

A couple of months later

Quite a crowd had gathered outside the barn. Paolo looked at them.

Bloodsuckers, he thought.

When I tell them there's something in my barn, and it's killing my stock, it's Oh noo, sounds awful, best o' luck, but when I tell them I've put out a call for the Serpent Queen herself, it's a fucking party.

Giovanni walked over, eating an apple.

'Peace on you, Paolo.'

'Peace.'

'Bloodsuckers, wot?' Giovanni said, grinning.

'I was just thinking that,' said Paolo, 'and who are you to talk, shithead? Gabriela delivered your youngest, and you swore we was brothers, and then I need a bit of help with a worm, and you're so busy with the calves you can't lift a finger?'

Paolo smiled, though. Giovanni shrugged.

'Worms bit different, though,' Giovanni said. 'And if she shows up, they'll be talking about this till the lake of hell turns to slush.'

'Seems quiet now, anyway,' said Paolo.

Nobody wanted to go to near the barn door. The stink of shit and dead animal was not overpowered by the smell of meat roasting on the bonfire.

And then there was the fear.

Anyone going up to the barn didn't want to go any nearer. It took your courage out of you, the way a bug in your guts took the shit out of you. It was all right at a distance, but up close it was unearthly.

'How many dead?' Giovanni said.

'Three, I think,' he said. Giovanni clicked his tongue and laid a hand on Paolo's shoulder.

'That's rough, man,' he said.

'Pap went to the big house, see if they'd help,' Paolo said. 'You know what they said?'

'I reckon no.'

'"If freemen cannot secure their own flocks, that is no concern of his lordship."'

'Wanker.'

'Just once, he's a chance to step up, and not be a complete tosser. Just once.'

'Can always trust Colgano to let you down.'

'You can indeed.'

'He won't admit that there's a problem, is what it is,' Giovanni said. 'Ever since the war ended, these fuckin things are crawling out of holes, and doing what they want. I mean, what happened? Was it sorcery? These things bred for the war, and now they're out of control? Cause we didn't used to have them when I was a kid.'

'I dunno,' said Paolo gloomily. 'All I fucking know is that that fucking thing's in there, eatin my fucking cattle, and the fucking Serpent Queen's nowhere to be fucking seen.'

'I hear she can, you know, kill worms by looking at 'em,' Giovanni said.

'I don't care if she can kill them by fucking 'em, as long as she can kill 'em.'

Giovanni chuckled.

Gabriela came over from where she'd been cooking sausages. She wiped her hands on her apron and squinted into the late afternoon sun, looking around.

'Any sign this Serpent Queen, then?' she said.

'Not yet. How many sausages you made?' Paolo said.

'We got more,' she said sharply. 'Listen. Sergio said in Robbro, when they had a worm, they smoked it out. Get a bunch of damp straw, whatever, fill the barn with smoke, beast gets sleepy, and then you can burn it or bury it. If Serpent Queen don't show up, could be worth a try.'

'Maybe. Still want to try her first, if she gets here before the fucking thing eats everything.'

'These are good sausages,' said a youth standing nearby, munching on one wrapped in a slice of bread. 'These yours?'

'Yeah,' said Gabriela. 'Pig was killed last week. That one's bacon and wine.'

'Delicious,' said the youth. Paolo only realised she was a girl from the tone of her voice.

The girl popped the last bit into her mouth, chewed while wiping her hands on her breeches, and swallowed.

Then she turned to the barn.

'This where your worm is?' she said. Southern accent, like a Hargest sheep-fucker.

'Yeah,' said Paolo. 'Don't stand too close. We're waitin for the Serpent Queen.'

'Serpent Queen?' said the girl, raising her eyebrows, impressed. 'Fab. I've heard she's seven foot tall and wears crimson armour.'

'I've heard that too,' said Giovanni, nodding wisely.

'Maybe she'll magic it out with her wand,' said the girl, smiling.

'Does she have a wand?' Giovanni said.

'You'd think she would, wouldn't you?' said the girl, thoughtfully.

She turned to another woman standing a little further off and said, 'Wouldn't you think the Serpent Queen would ave a wand?'

The woman glanced at her, considered and nodded yes.

'I've also eard,' said the girl, 'that every worm she kills, she saves its liver for erself. It's what gives er er magical powers.'

'That would do it,' said Giovanni.

'And it's specially impressive, cause worm livers taste like puke,' said the girl.

There was a terrified bovine bellow from the barn, followed by an angry growl, and then the sound of a scuffling, and more cows mooing frantically. Then a crunch, followed by the sound of chewing, and the pathetic dying moans of the heifer as the worm bit into it.

'Nasty,' said the girl. 'Sounds like there's not a moment to lose.'

She started to wander down towards the barn door.

'Oy,' Paolo cautioned, 'don't go too close.'

'Just avin a look,' said the girl.

As she neared the entrance to the barn, there was a muffled growl from inside, and a cloud of smoke escaped from the barn windows. The girl slowed and paused, apparently thinking, then she stepped over to the door.

'You get killed,' Paolo said anxiously, 'Warned you. Not my responsibility.'

'Don't worry,' said the girl. 'I won't.'

She peered inside.

'Flamin shit,' she said slowly. 'Yeah. That's another one gone.'

'Just, we're waitin for the Serpent Queen, so don't mess nothin up.'

'Yeah, yeah,' said the girl. 'Serpent Queen. Righty ho.'

There was a louder growl and the girl calmly stepped back and away from the door as a blast of hot breath burst out of it; they could see it turn the air to haze.

The girl ambled back towards them and ran a hand through her short hair.

'Just, don't interfere, all right,' said Paolo, irritated at her casualness.

'What?' she said innocently. 'Serpent Queen's gonna come and save us all, no?'

'If she is,' he said, 'she hasn't made an appearance yet.'

'Tell you what,' said the girl, 'I'll bet you... a pound of those sausages, that me and my pal can sort out that worm for you before Serpent Queen gets ere.'

'Nah, you're all right,' said Paolo. 'Just, leave it. We'll wait for her.'

'Come on, give us a chance.'

'How you gonna do it,' he said. 'Your pal gonna stroll in with a sword and fence with it? Don't fancy his chances.'

'We know what we're doin,' she said cheerfully, and she went over to the woman she'd spoken to earlier, and said something to her.

Paolo noticed that the other one was taller, and at first glance he'd thought she was dressed just like a local woman, but on a closer glance he noticed her hooded jerkin, her travel-stained leather breeches, and inside her coat, what was that hanging off her belt...

The woman glanced at him, her expression sour, and she flicked her hood up to cover her head, and pulled her coat around her, even though it was a warm afternoon.

Then she walked forward, not hurried, stepping lightly up to the entrance to the barn, where she stopped and listened to the sounds of the cow being chewed to pulp. She stood, staring at the ground for a moment, then walked back to her shorter friend, who was standing watching.

A small group of people had gathered in a clump to watch the two of them, because something was happening, however undramatic. The tall woman reached the smaller one, leaned down and spoke into her ear. This time, Paolo definitely saw the glint of metal on her belt.

The tall one had a sword.

A couple more people nudged each other and came over. Then some more.

The smaller one listened, and Paolo noted how the tall one laid a hand on her friend's upper arm as she talked, and when she'd finished, the smaller one nodded, and the tall one squeezed her arm and gave her a pat on the shoulder before turning around and watching the barn thoughtfully.

The smaller one ambled over to Paolo.

'The woman of the ouse,' she said, 'where'd she go?'

'Why?'

'Got a question about bakin.'

'Look, we're waiting for the Serpent Queen,' Paolo said.

'Don't see her,' said the girl cheerfully. 'Give us a go. Come on.'

'What you asking me about baking for,' he said, exasperated. 'You gonna do anything about the fucking worm or not?'

'This is me doin it. Where's your wife.'

Gabriela came over from where she'd been putting fresh sausages on the fire.

'What you want?'

She gave Paolo a what-the-fuck look. The Serpent Queen was going to turn up at any moment, and it wouldn't look good to have these amateurs dicking around with the worm when she did so. Or worse yet, for her to arrive and find two chewed-up, half-burnt female corpses.

'You do a lot of bakin?' The girl seemed calm and confident.

'Yeah,' said Gabriela.

'Do you have sugar? I need lots of sugar.'

'Yeah,' said Gabriela, 'but sugar's not cheap. What you want with it.'

'That worm in there,' said the girl, 'is a Ludovician. Ludovician worms are stupid, but they love sugar. Bloody love it. They only eat flesh when they think they can't get sugar. If I ave a lot of sugar, I can lure it out.'

'If it likes sugar so much, why didn't it raid my larder?' Gabriela said, scowling. 'That's where I keep it.'

'You ever noticed what raw sugar smells like?'

The girl smiled at them.

'It smells like feet. If you want sugar to smell sugary, you ave to cook it. Ludovicians can't smell too well, but you give em sugar syrup... well, you'll see.'

Gabriela stared hard at the girl, then at Paolo, then at the girl again.

'Who are you?' she demanded. 'What is all this shit about sugar? You gonna kill the worm, or make a fuckin cake?'

The tall, hooded woman strolled over and looked inquiringly at the girl, at Paolo and at Gabriela.

'Lady wants to know who we are,' said the girl.

Paolo saw Gabriela stare into the hooded woman's face and open her mouth to speak. And then she paused, and blinked, and looked uncertain. Paolo looked at the woman's shadowed face, and then he saw it too.

The barely visible golden flicker of a snake tattoo, crawling from under her jaw to over her brow. The woman looked at them both, her face impassive. Then she gave a faint hint of a smile.

This, Paolo thought, is someone who's very, very used to being obeyed.

'May we try?' the woman whispered.

'You're her,' said Gabriela. 'You're the...'

The woman shook her head, rolling her eyes: Don't be ridiculous, of course we're not. The girl put her hand on the woman's shoulder and grinned at them.

'I'll get you that sugar,' Gabriela said.

'I'll get it,' said Paolo.

'No, I'll get it,' said Gabriela. 'Just, mind the food and don't fuckin burn everything.'

Paolo smiled as Gabriela went to the larder.

Gabriela. My love. Shoot your mouth off, embarrass yourself and take it out on me. I know you don't mean it personal.

Ten minutes later, the girl and Paolo took a brazier and carried it over to a spot about thirty feet from the barn entrance.

Then they took a cooking pot, containing a third of a sack of sugar and a pint of water, and set it on the fire. The girl stirred it with a stick. ('You might not get the pot back,' the girl had said. 'Sorry.') As she did so, she looked over her shoulder at the by now large crowd that had gathered.

'Get back,' she said. 'Get out the way. It's all gonna be very quick, and if you don't want to end up roasted, don't stand there.'

The crowd parted, reluctantly. The girl stirred the water and melting sugar, and her woman friend quietly walked over to just outside the barn door and reached into the bag slung over her shoulder.

She pulled out a length of knotted rope, a mallet and two pins.

The girl turned to face the barn entrance.

'Come on,' said the girl cheerfully. 'Come on. Nice smokey. Got some lovely sugar. Come on, boy.'

There was laughter from the crowd, but as the sugar smell drifted through the air, there was an audible stirring inside the barn, and the crowd shut up.

There was a scratching sound, and then, from around the barn wall, the worm poked its head out.

Its head was long and low, and its belly was distended, and its face was smeared with gore. It sniffed the air and its yellow eyes blinked.

The crowd drew back. There were whimpers of fear.

Paolo watched the girl. She never took her eyes off it. He could see the sweat on her forehead. He looked at the worm, and it leered at her and came forward, half-out of the barn.

Paolo could taste the crowd's fear, and he felt it himself, and the worm sniffed again, and smiled at the girl, and looked at the pot she was stirring. It seemed to grow bigger and stronger as everyone drew back from it.

The girl held her ground, and Paolo watched her, fascinated. He saw her breathing deeply, gritting her teeth, calming herself.

If you just looked at the worm, you didn't want to mess with it. It was sucking in all their fear and grinning ferociously, thriving on it. But the girl, for all that she was obviously scared, didn't move.

'There you are,' she said brightly, staring at it, her voice quivering only a bit. 'Nice smokey. Ave some sugar, eh? Leave them cows alone.'

The worm stared at the pot and sniffed rapturously, and its eyes widened.

Abruptly, it ran forward, right at the girl.

There were screams from the crowd. The girl finally abandoned the pot, but didn't run off.

Instead, she circled around so that she was on the other side of the worm from her partner.

The worm stuck its tongue in the pot and hissed with pleasure.

The woman nodded at the girl, and they looked at each other for a moment, and Paolo thought he saw them counting silently to themselves, then they ran towards the worm and the woman threw one end of the rope to the girl, who caught it.

The worm was crouched before the pot, licking up the contents, and very quickly the two of them tightened the rope, lashing the worm's long neck to the ground. The hooded woman quickly nailed her end of the rope down with a peg.

The worm looked up, but the woman tossed the mallet and peg to the girl, who did the same on the other side. The worm tried to turn its head around to look at them, but they had lashed it at the base of its skull, and it suddenly found that it couldn't move its head.

The women reached into her coat and drew her

sword, and Paolo saw her stare at the worm, and breathe in.

She seemed, somehow, to get bigger.

The worm roared with anger, and glared at them all, and everyone saw the glow starting in its throat.

The woman raised her sword, and stepped forward, and swung with all her force at the worm's neck, grunting with the effort. The sword bit deep into the worm's neck.

The worm screamed. The woman raised her sword and struck it again, and then again, and the last blow severed the neck.

The glow faded, and the worm thrashed. The woman and the girl stepped back from the headless body of the worm, which convulsed, and then a weak cloud of flame belched out of its long neck, and then the decapitated head stopped clacking its jaw.

It was all over.

The woman flicked back her hood. She was breathing heavily, and the girl came round the body of the worm and went up to her, looking up into her face and touching her arm. The woman blinked and looked at her and nodded. The girl smiled at her, and said something.

The woman glanced warily at the body of the worm, and then looked at the girl again, and smiled back, and then they kissed quickly, and the woman examined her sword with distaste.

The girl looked up at Paolo and Gabriela and walked up to them, keeping an eye on the worm as she did so. As she reached them, she turned so that she was walking backwards the last few steps, still watching the worm.

'There you go,' she said, glancing at them. 'You owe us a pound of sausages.'

'That's it?' said Gabriela.

The girl looked at her patiently.

'Well, it's dead,' she said. 'You're still down four heifers. Sorry we didn't get here sooner.'

'I thought it would be different,' said Gabriela.

'Yeah,' the girl said. 'We used to be more about avin a big battle. But the thing with worms, most of em are a bit stupid. Long as you know how to trick em, you can kill em quickly enough.'

'But,' said Gabriela, 'the fear.'

'Yeah,' said the girl.

'That thing. I mean, it wanted us to fear it.'

'Yeah,' said the girl, nodding. 'They can eat fear. But, one reason or another, not hers.'

She pointed to the woman, who was still scrupulously wiping down the blade of her sword.

'What about you?' Paolo said. 'I saw you. You were as scared as we were.'

'Yeah,' said the girl, smiling. 'But...'

She shrugged.

'I'm used to it.'

'Then, for god's sake,' Gabriela said, 'let us pay you.'

'Oh no,' said the girl. 'We don't take money. I mean, we'll take a few sausages.'

'Of course,' Gabriela said, looking around. 'Here.'

'But not a pound,' said the girl. 'That was just to get your attention.'

'We had a deal,' said Gabriela sternly.

'Yeah, but we ave to move on. We'll never eat a pound of sausages before they go off. Look, give us a few, and cook the rest for everyone else, all right?'

'Paolo,' Giovanni said, 'do it. Just, do it, and I'll get everyone to throw in a bit towards new stock.'

He turned to the girl.

'Will you stay?' he said. 'Stay for the party. Both of you. Come on, these are good people. I'm sure you got better things to do than come to a party with us, but if you stay, people will remember it better, and they'll be more grateful than these two fuckin shiftless bastards.'

'Giovanni,' said Paolo, smiling, 'fuck your mum.'

'Seriously,' said Giovanni to the girl, 'I dunno why you would do this for strangers without pay. We don't ave the money, anyway. But come on. Stay and this could be a great night. Say you will.'

The girl smiled.

'Gents,' she said, 'it's not up to me. Ask her.'

The tall woman had sheathed her sword and was approaching them. The sun was touching the far hills in the west, and the crowd had cheered up enormously, and was already getting rowdy.

'Lady,' said Giovanni, 'stay a while and have a ball with us? My friends here ave suffered from this fuckin thing, and you and your friend have fixed that. You'd be doin us a favour.'

The tall woman looked at them in turn, and then looked at the girl. The girl shrugged.

'Thank you,' the tall woman said.

'Just one question,' Paolo said.

The tall woman looked at him.

'It's you, right? You're the Serpent Queen.'

She shook her head no.

'But,' Paolo said, 'I thought...'

*

Freya looked at Five, smiling.

Five looked back.

What...

Freya indicated them with her head. She raised her eyebrows and held out one arm.

Five stepped up to her and Freya's arm went around her shoulders.

*

'We are,' the tall woman whispered, and squeezed the girl to her, the two of them smiling.

***

Five was instantly awake. The touch on her shoulder.

She blinked, dry-mouthed, sat up. Freya's dark form was leaning over her. Her shadow leaned forward and Five felt the kiss on her brow. Freya touched her hand briefly, straightened up and walked off.

She was in a barn, surrounded by sleeping bodies.

The party had gone on well into the night and it was not yet dawn, but Freya liked to leave a place before anyone noticed them going, and the middle of the night was the best time for that. So Five had carefully watched how much she'd drunk, with the result that she only felt a bit shit, but not exactly hungover.

Still, only a couple of hours sleep. Freya herself had mostly stayed in a corner, watching benevolently.

Now Freya was walking around, making sure they hadn't forgotten any of their gear, as unsmiling and purposeful as ever.

Five got up and went to the crock and splashed water on her face. Then she checked that the baggage was secure, and the horses fully rested, and gave them water and the feed bags.

Then they stood in the barn door and surveyed the sleeping people, half the village.

'This were easy,' she murmured to Freya. Freya nodded.

'Don't say it were too easy. A bit of easy now and then in't bad.'

Freya raised a sceptical eyebrow, then turned her back on the sleeping people and indicated with her head: Let's go.

They mounted up in the darkness, and rode quietly out of the village and onto the road. When they were a good way down the road, Five felt her head nodding and decided that talk was the best way to stay awake.

'Well,' she said, 'we've done it. You're a bit of a legend now.'

Freya looked amused.

'Question is,' said Five, 'what to do about it. We need to go somewhere where they'll write a song about you.'

'Or you,' Freya said, giving her a sidelong look.

'No-one's gonna write a song about me,' said Five. 'I'm not no queen. But does this mean you're getting ready to go back to Hargest?'

Freya was silent.

*

'I mean, thirty-one worms in eight months, tin't bad,' said Five.

Freya looked at Five. Five stared ahead into the night, weary and thoughtful.

I still see it in your eyes, Freya thought.

When we face a large beast, or sometimes when you have not eaten, or when something angers you. It is the look you had, the day in the garden, after I guided you to the point where you would kill.

It chilled me, then. I know it is still within you. You know it too. I did not put it there, but I drew it out of you.

You still tell yourself that you have not become what you have become, and I cannot blame you. It is easier for you to feel that you are just... helping me. That it is not your hand that also wields the blade.

But it is. And the time is coming when you will have to embrace it.

*

Five glanced at Freya. Freya's hair had grown, and rather than keep it short she'd tied it back behind her head in a stiff short plait, which she'd clipped to the top of her head. It was dyed a deep, iridescent green, like the wing-case of a beetle.

Five cut her own hair shorter then ever, because it was just less bother. Freya's scar had all but vanished, and the months of being outdoors had darkened her skin so that her tattoo was even less noticeable than normal.

Have to find a tattoo bloke in the next big town, Five thought. One more to add to the thirty.

The six rows of five little snarling dragons were arranged below Five's left collarbone. Mute testimony to the work they had done, and the miles they had travelled, and the worms they had slain. Freya wore hers below her right collarbone, the sprawling Memika tattoo covering most of the left side of her torso.

Let's see, Five thought. Besides that, we need to sharpen weapons soon, properly with a stone. My sword is sharp but most of my knives are blunt. Freya's second sword has a dent needs looking at from a smith. My horse has a slight limp: new shoes? Probably. We're low on herbs and pepper. If we hadn't left before dawn I bet that lot would have given us some.

New wadding. I've been bleeding for two days, and Freya is due soon.

She glanced at Freya again, the moonlight as always making her look heart-stopping.

Five's thoughts went back to a night a month or so ago, where they'd heard tell of some noble family who had fled their country villa because it was apparently infested by worms.

The Serpent Queen had promised to sort it out, and they'd trekked up the very long hillside path until they got to the place, which was indeed deserted, and absolutely spectacular.

They walked through one cool white room after another, marvelling at the floor tiles and the murals and the decoration.

They went to the kitchen and found the remains of a meal that had evidently been in preparation when whatever lived here had invaded, for it was mostly eaten and scattered about. But, on investigating further, they found larders groaning with food, and an ice-house full of untouched meat, and a cellar of wine, and barrels of good ale. Freya inspected a basket of fruit and picked an apple out of it, which she bit into and chewed appreciatively.

There was no more signs of the worm infestation, until they entered the library, the walls of which seemed to be all bookshelves, and a few books had been scattered on the ground with their pages ripped out. The library had a door that opened onto a terrace.

They went out onto the terrace, and finally found the worms.

There were three of them, none of them bigger than a big chicken, and they were lying on the tiles, apparently dead. The terrace was scattered with empty and broken wine bottles.

Metheans. A huge nuisance, but with a fatal weakness for alcohol, which they craved but couldn't stomach.

Freya leaned over, munching on her apple, and peered at the creatures, one of which seemed to have choked on its own sick. She quickly severed their heads.

Then a fourth Methean came out from behind an upturned chair, staggering, bloated, swaying on unsteady feet.

It stopped and looked at them, startled.

They looked back at it.

Five looked at Freya, who regarded the thing dispassionately, while licking bits of apple skin from her teeth, her half-eaten apple still in her hand.

She glanced at Five and cocked her head at the worm, which was wobbling slightly: Want to do the honours?

Five shrugged and walked towards it, drawing her sword. It was so drunk that it hadn't even the power to inspire fear.

As the Methean staggered backwards and tried to make fire, Five hacked its head off in one stroke, turned around and walked straight back to Freya, who nodded in respect for a nice clean kill.

They thoroughly searched the entire villa and found no more worms, so they saved the heads and burned the bodies, and then went inside and made themselves a damn good meal, with roasted meat and cheese and bread and greens and some of the more choice vintage from the cellar, including a '56 Aragon which was quite stunning. They finished the bottle and dumped it with the others on the terrace.

And then Freya decided that a bath would be nice, so they stoked the still-warm boiler and had a delicious bath together, and then, feeling pleasantly full of food and a little drunk, they undressed and took the best bed, and Freya was feeling playful and Five was feeling naughty, and on poking around they found a few things, and it wasn't very long before Freya was lying on the bed with her wrists tied to the bedposts and a scarf over her eyes, moaning with pleasure as Five drizzled ingredients from the kitchen onto her body and licked them off, and then when Freya had had enough of that she simply burst her bonds and took off the scarf and grasped Five and rolled her onto her back and looked down at her, hungry, and...

... that was a good night, Five thought. Her fondest memory was of them laughing so much after they had spent, lying there on the sticky sheets in a haze of satisfaction and wine and food and peace.

Freya glanced at her.

'Thoughts?'

Five blinked and left her reverie. Dawn was showing in the hills ahead. Freya was smiling at her.

'I was just thinking about, um.'

Freya waited.

'That villa in Quamette,' Five said.

Freya's smile faded for a moment, and then came back, stronger, turning into a grin. She looked pleased and slightly embarrassed.

'Hm. Yes.'

'That was lovely,' said Five.

Freya nodded slowly.

'I wonder,' said Five tentatively, 'just, if... if we might do that again soon.'

'Mm.'

'Well,' said Five, 'you did seem to like it at the time.'

Freya smiled.

'Oh, I did.'

'I mean, obviously,' said Five, 'we'd need a few things.'

Freya started to laugh silently. Five could see in the moonlight that she was blushing.

'Let's see,' said Five. 'A bottle of oil. Um, ribbon. Quite a lot of ribbon, I remember. Raspberry syrup. What else?'

Freya was rocking forward on her horse, in silent laughter. Five grinned.

'Plenty of cushions,' Five added. 'Some ice. A scarf.'

Freya's silent laughter modulated briefly into a hoarse squeak. She held up a stop-it hand, closing her eyes and leaning on her horse's neck, her chest heaving.

'Well,' said Five, 'it's a fairly long list. Think I'd best draw it up when I've the time to remember everything.'

Freya recovered, wiping her eyes. She was smiling.

'Wicked,' she said. She shook her head in mock sorrow at Five's depravity, then sat up straight.

Five exulted silently. Making Freya laugh was so rare a feat.

All the years I've... not known you, but seen you around, and I never saw you laugh until I made you do it myself.

'Of course,' she said, 'not many places have all those things.'

Freya shrugged.

'Hargest would,' she said casually.

Five stared at her.

'We could wake the whole castle,' said Freya, the barest hint of a smile on her lips.

It was Five's turn to laugh, this time in disbelief.

'Are we going there, then?' she said, excited. Freya nodded yes.

'It will never be the right time, so we may as well go there soon.'

They rode on in silence for a while. Five felt Freya's eyes on her and she looked at her. Freya was smiling.

'Good to be back on the road.'

'It is,' said Five.

The dawn was waiting for them, just beyond the next hill.