Free The Crow by Alison Croggon Page B

knife from a sheath at her belt and pointed it at Hem; he could see that it was a cooking knife, sharp enough to cut bone, but not a fighting weapon. "I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me."
    Such was the expression in her eyes, Hem had no difficulty in believing her; he was glad that she had not been able to reach her knife in their struggle. He felt a strange mixture of astonishment, admiration, and pity.
    "No one can stop you," he said. "It's too late. The Black Army – " He waved his hands around, hunting for the words. "The Black Army comes very soon." He pushed the point of the knife aside, and she slowly put it back in its sheath. "So – your name? I am Hem."
    "Zelika," she said slowly. "Zelika of the House of II Aran." She looked at Ire curiously. "What is that bird? It is not a falcon."
    "He's my friend," said Hem. "His name is Ire." He looked at the girl again; now he could see the gauntness of her features, and he wondered when she had last had a good meal. "Are you hungry, Zelika?"
    She paused, and then nodded.
    "Come with me. I'll get you food."
    Hem saw distrust and desire warring in Zelika's face, but hunger won. When she stood up, he saw that she was slight, but she carried herself with a pride that added a little illusory height.
    He began to lead her through the streets toward the School buttery. Perhaps she could stay at Saliman's house: there were plenty of spare rooms, and he thought that Saliman would not mind. She could get some new clothes and have a wash, and Hem could see to the wound on her cheek, which was festering; he had some balm in his chamber.
    "You are not from Turbansk," said the girl flatly, interrupting his thoughts.
    "No, from Annar," answered Hem. "My Suderain not so good."
    "My Annaren not so good, as well." Zelika spoke in Annaren, with an atrocious accent, and smiled. For a brief moment Hem saw two dimples in her cheeks, and a mischievous light danced in her eyes, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. He glanced at her curiously.
    "So why do you stay here?" he asked. "Everyone says Turbansk is – we can't..." Stumped again by his lack of vocabulary, he trailed to a halt.
    "I don't care if I die," said Zelika. "I want to kill as many of the Black Ones as I can before I do." Hem looked at her again, at the strange, utterly focused determination in her face; it was almost madness. He had never heard a human being say anything with more conviction, and something like fear constricted his heart.
    "Why?" he asked, although he thought he knew the answer.
    She gave him an unreadable glance, as if measuring his capacity to understand. "My mother, my father, my brothers, my sisters, my aunts, my cousins, my uncles, my grandmother – " She drew her finger brutally across her throat, and her eyes blazed with hatred and grief, although her voice was flat and unemotional. "I saw it. My home was burned to the ground. I will avenge the House of II Aren."
    Hem said nothing: there was nothing to say.
    "Why should I live?" said Zelika. "I have nothing to live for. I will fight them, and kill as many as I can."
    "You need a better knife," said Hem.
    They walked the rest of the way in silence.
    At the buttery, Soron gave Hem a plum and a small bowl of cold dohl without any questions, although he stared curiously at the girl. They sat at one end of the long table in the eating hall, and Hem watched as she ate.
    "You should not eat so quickly," he said. "You will be sick." He mimed vomiting. Zelika said nothing, but slowed down; she had been wolfing her food ravenously. When she had finished the bowl of dohl, she looked at Hem inquiringly. She obviously wanted more, but did not ask.
    "How long since you ate?" he asked.
    "I think... two, three days," said Zelika.
    "No more now," Hem said sternly. "More, in a little while."
    To his surprise, she did not argue with him. "I tried to take some bread from the market, but the man saw me and chased me. I ran and ran; that's why I ran into you."
    "There are no