[Makebelieve] Fic: Brothers Of The Blood: mark Off Cain 7 (Crit please)

[makebelieve archive]

[Ian is not happy]

Brothers of the blood: Mark of Cain

CHAPTER SEVEN

"I'm certain I've seen worse patients in my life," Arissa said, pushing
herself up. "But for the life of me, I can not remember when."

"Ah, I see how it is. First words from your bonnie lips on waking, ye wound
me manhood, lass," Ian shifted around gingerly to study her pale features.
"I would have ye know I am the best of patients given the natural curatives.
This," he waved a hand at the vest. "This denies me my self."

"I think it makes you less fey." she returned, getting shakily to her feet.
"Which is all good far as I can see. I don't like a man who can go poking
around in my head whenever the mood strikes him."

"I would never intrude...."

Her harsh glare stabbed into him. "Never? right...But, ya know, I seem to
recall you did intrude on Dalton on the ship."

"Aye, I that did." ian glared her down. "And in doing so, I violated a
sacred command to do no harm. This, I regret with all me being."

"It is very bad?" Arissa asked, her tone softening. "Violating this
commandment of your beliefs?"

"As bad as violating the ten commandments of old Christendom was to the
Christians."

"From what history tells, the Christians weren't very worried about breaking
their god's rules. You, on the other hand, have rituals for everything,
right down to how you are willing to kill a man. It's scary."

"All life is connected, Arissa," Ian watched her make her way cautiously to
his side. He reached up, steadying her as she swayed against him. "When I
kill, 'tis the will of the divine spirit agreed between two souls before
conception."

"You have some very strange ideas."

"Aye, so I've heard before. 'Tis why my people were banished from your
world."

"Earth was your home world, too."

"I be thinking... no. 'Twas hated my kind were on your world. For those who
could nay hear the voices, we were witches. They feared us. Persecuted us.
Tried to use us, and when they could not, they destroyed us. There be nay
ties for the Medusian's to that planet."

"Your people are still being enslaved to better feed the greed of the
Coalition."

"Aye," Ian grumbled. "The harvest. But some of the harvested escape, do we
no?"

"Like you?"

"Aye, like me. Yessenia was a right godsend, coming for me when she did. For
that alone, I owe my life's allegiance to Dal."

"You were planning to escape before he sent her to get you out, though."

"Aye, that I was," Ian confirmed. "'Twas to be a suicide run at the very
best, Riss. Slaves who dare escape are executed on the spot when they be
caught. And most are caught afore they make the perimeter." His jade glance
moved over her slowly. "But you know all about being enslaved, do you no?"

Arissa shrugged. "The Assassin's Guild was a rough place to grow up, Ian.
But I was not exactly a slave to my master. More an apprentice."

"'Tis a pretty word to cover the truth, apprentice. But to my mind a slave
you were, and a slave you would have remained all the days of your life if
Dal had not rigged the game."

Arissa fidgeted, plucking imagined lint from her sleeve. "Don't get me
wrong, Ian," she murmured, changing the subject away from her past. "I hate
everything the Coalition represents, but you gained a lot from what they
taught you, too, didn't you? Your training is why we made the surface."

"Do ye think so, then?"

She opened her mouth to answer, the snapped it shut, swaying slightly as if
she battled a strong wind, then found her balance. "Damn, but my head
stings."

Ian ran a quick look over her. "A small cut. There." He brushed a gentle
finger over her temple. "'Tis nothing to go on about."

"Nothing to go on about," she mimicked, cautiously dabbing at her forehead.
Her fingers came away stained bright red. "A bit rough? That's what you
said, wasn't it? Dammit, Ian Jedediah Horizon, I've been mutilated."

Ian considered the bloodstained fingers. "Does no look all that bad to me.
Near as I can tell, ye'll be your lovely self in a matter of days. Not even
a wee little scar."

"You won't be offering me a taste of your healing gift, then?"

He gestured helplessly toward the vest. "'Tis me greatest regret I canna'
give ye aid in your hour of need, lassie."

She laughed dryly. "The medical unit didn't make it, I take it?"

"I would no offer that infernal aid. 'Tis nay natural."

"Yeah, so you have said." She twisted around to glance at the twisted hulk
that had been the Hellequin and shrugged. "At least I came out better than
the ship. I thought you said you could fly that rusted-out bucket of bolts."

An ironic smile whispered over Ian's full lips, rousing the wild spirit in
his soul. "I do the best I can, dear lady," he countered, taking care not to
breathe deeply. "But me best 'twas nay good enough when the Hellequin was
dragged out from under our feet."

Arissa sighed heavily. "I suppose you have a point. Besides, it was crazy
stupid for us to take the Hellequin out in her condition."

"'TWas," Iam nodded sagely. "Knowing the danger we were."

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in." She bit down hard on her lip. "I don't know
who was the more stupid. Us, for following an obviously obsessed man, or our
beloved leader, for considering the idea was anything short of suicide."

"Are ye wanting me to answer that, then? For in truth, I be nay sure I can."

"You and me both." Her troubled glance moved to the sky. "We're lucky we
made it to the planet, Ian. If Yama had cut out any sooner than he did
during the jump, we could have finished up as human popsicles in the outer
darkness."

"I'm thinking we almost did when we phased out, if ye want to know the
truth. 'Twas cut too damn close." Ian paused, wriggling his fingers under
the vest, trying to relieve the tingling itch of his healing ribs. It did no
good. "But what choice did we have, I ask ye? Dalton was right determined to
make the trip. There was nay a blasted thing we could have said to stop his
coming. If we had no gone with him, he'd have tried it alone."

"And he would have died without us there to help when the system collapsed.
I know all that, but I still wonder why we let him lead us into these no-win
situations."

Ian laughed bitterly. "'Tis in me mind that Dalton has a convincing manner,
Riss. When he proposes these little adventures of his, they actually sound
plausible. 'Tis no until we're into the middle of it we realize we've been
had. By then, 'tis too damn late to do anything about it, short of flagging
a passing taxi or trying to hoof it home."

Arissa chuckled softly. "Unfortunately, being in space isn't exactly
conductive for either option."

"No very, nay." Ian glanced at the still body of their commander and smiled.
"All the same, he does come through, does he no?"

"Something you want to get off your chest, Flyboy?"

"No..Maybe...Yeah, what the hell." Ian shifted his back against a boulder,
sighing. "At the end there, when we were down to the manuals, certain I was
we were going to end it in a blaze of glory. His eyes flickered over the
prone commander. "Dalton knew what I was thinking. I swear he did. He said
I'd get the ship down safe. He believed in me and damned if that dinna give
me the edge I needed. I kept hearing him urging me no to give up the ship
all the way down. I could no fail. No and face Dalton's eternal damnation.
No way. Facing the devil would be easier."

"Your skill brought us through, not some mystic voice in your mind."

"'Tis nay bragging when I say I be one of the best pilot's alive, Ariss, and
I had my reservations made for a suite in hell." He shook his head. "I have
nay explanation for how we made it out of that ship alive."

"That isn't important. What does count is the fact you got us to earth
safely. Without a loss of life."

Ian scanned the thick expanse of lemon-yellow trees. "Aye. We made it down.
But, we still have nay paid the price for our survival. I can no help
wondering what this little achievement is going to wind up costing. What
think you, Domani? What cost will be demanded in return for our lives?"

Domani squatted down, balancing on the balls of his feet. "The cost? In
human life, we lost nothing. The crew survived." He met Ian's eyes and
smiled. "And as for human suffering, well, that was minimal."

Ian rubbed his hand over his chest, scowling darkly. "You'll be speaking for
yourself on that one, my friend." He slanted a glance at Domani, arching his
brow. "'Tis in my mind you be sounding more and more like your father every
day."

"You honor me," Domani said softly, obviously misconstruing the deliberate
the slur on his parent's character, "And the man who brought me into
existence. I will be sure to tell the commander you mentioned it."

"If he wakes..." Ian said with a grimace. He turned his glance away then,
scanning the alien landscape suspiciously. They were surrounded by what
could easily be miles of wilderness. Anything might be hiding in the shelter
of the forest, waiting to spring from the dark onto their unsuspecting
heads.

"We be marooned, has that occurred to any of you." Ian waved his hand,
encompassing the area. "Planetbound on a world where we are nay welcome. And
ye both know we be nay welcome here. "Twould be making a drastic mistake if
you disregard that."

Arissa wrapped her arms around her legs and leaned her chin on her knees.
"Yes, but we're alive, Ian. We are still alive."

Ian snorted, staring down his sharp nose at her. "On what be an active
Coalition planet?" Ian snorted. "Even given the best possible scenario,
assuming their not governed colonists, dear lady, 'tis still trapped we are
among hostile people. We've no way back to the refuge of the stars.

"Worse, we be well and truly tied down in this unprotected area by our
injured. Me included, I might be adding." He shook his head despondently.
"Nay, 'tis definite. We be as good as dead, lovely lady. We just have no
been told to lie down yet."

"You're letting your pain do your talking, or you wouldn't count us out so
easily."

Ian stared at her harshly, then sighed. "Aye, ye be right." A small,
repentant smile touched his lips, coaxing her sympathy. "I'd be right
grateful if you could find your way clear to forgive the rumblings and
grumblings of an injured man." He laid the back of his hand against his
forehead, mimicking a faint-hearted dandy with practiced ease. "'Tis a
killer day I've had, kind lady," he said, his voice high and mincing.

She smiled, ruffling his hair. "You are forgiven, fool."

"I do not mean to cause any undue alarm," Domani interrupted their light
banter. "But, as Ian has mentioned, we are in danger if we stay in this
place. I feel we should move our injured to a more secure area as soon as
Ian is able."

"Your right, friend," Arissa said, instantly grim. "They were tracking us
all the way down."

"They know the general area we came down, is it?" Ian blew a slow, puffing
stream of breath through pursed lips. "But, then, they also know we were in
trouble from the get-go, hey?" He pinned Arissa with searching eyes. "What
think you our chances they'll leave it go? I'm meaning, we were in bad
trouble when we came down. They recorded our descent, I be assuming, so
they're knowing we came down too damn hard, and too damn fast, for that
matter. Mayhap they'll consider us dead and leave it at that."

"Do you honestly believe anything that you just said?"

He bared his teeth in a tight grimace. "Nay a word of it. No for a
heartbeat."

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd hit your head coming down," Arissa
admonished. "Domani, how long before Ian can get out of the blasted vest?"

Domani ran an appraising glance over the pilot. "About thirty minutes. His
injuries were not severe." He grinned. "Just painful."

"And we can't move the others before then?"

"Not far enough to make a difference. Not unless one of them regains
consciousness."

"What's the chance of that happening?"

"Undetermined. I have administered to the serious lacerations, but
concussion is a tricky injury. The healing takes its own time." He waved his
hand carelessly. "You were lucky. Received very little trauma."

"Yeah. Lucky me," Arissa stood, brushing the dust from her clothes. "Well
then, looks like fate has made this one my call."

Ian looked up suspiciously. "What be ye thinking of doing?"

She shrugged. "One of us must play decoy until the rest can move out. I'm
the best candidate for the job."

"You'll be telling me how you'll be pulling it off?"

"By doing what we came to do."

Ian sneered. "We came looking for -A Aztore."

"I do know why we're here, Ian," she assured him tightly. "If you'd be kind
enough to remember, I traced the beam that brought us down. It came from the
west. The point of origin wasn't very far from here, if I've got my figures
right. I thought I'd head in that direction. Intercept the patrols. I'll use
our search for Falcone as the reason I'm here. Tell them the rest of you are
dead. Maybe I can buy enough time for you to get under cover."

Ian struggled to his feet, groaning as his movements put a strain on his
ribs. "'Tis a lunatic idea."

"Might be, but unless one of you have another idea, it's the only plan we
have, isn't it?"

"A bad plan be nay plan at all."

"Listen. Dal won't let us forget why we came to this damn planet in the
first place. You saw how he was on the ship. His behavior has been erratic
ever since Domani gave him this lead."

"You would rather I had falsified the report, Arissa?"

"Impossible. You are not capable of lying to him, Domani. It would be like
lying to yourself, wouldn't it? Especially in regards to Falcone. For that
matter, I wonder sometimes if his obsession with Falcone wasn't passed on to
you."

"I am not capable of becoming obsessed, Arissa."

"Yeah, and who told you that?" Arissa demanded. "You have as many human
traits as the rest of us. Just have more than normal restraint over them,
like your father."

"Hold up now, Riss. Ye be getting off the track, here. And I for one dinna
think I'm following your reasoning on this self imposed mission you be
considering."

"I'm not exactly sure I do either," Arissa confided. "Only thing I'm sure of
is someone has to intercept any patrols headed this way. One life for five."
She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "And who knows, I might get lucky and
actually find Falcone hiding among them. He just might decide it's best to
keep me breathing until he can get to Dalton."

"No if the rumors ring true," Ian griped, scowling darkly.

"Rumors or no, I have to do this," Arissa persisted. "The sooner we locate
Falcone, the sooner Dalton might be able to think of the really important
things. Things like how we get off this planet. Making contact might be the
best thing I can do."

"Ah, it'll never happen that way," Ian groaned, grabbing her forearms,
wanting to shake her and make her listen to reason. "Arissa, these people
reckon they've brought down a hostile ship. Mayhap hostile invaders. You go
waltzing in on the patrol, they'll be putting one and one together and know
you be from the ship. God alone knows what they'll be doing, and I'm meaning
before they start with their bloody interrogations." He tipped her chin up,
forcing her to meet his concerned eyes. "Face it. Their method of bringing
us down was nay exactly an invitation of hospitality."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take."

"Arissa...."

She silenced him with a finger over his lips. "Hush, my friend. You're the
one who believes we're living under a lucky star. I'm just borrowing some of
you optimism, banking on them assuming we were the unfortunate victims of a
trigger happy tech."

"And why would I be doubting the possibility of it happening that way, I'm
wondering," Ian grumbled under his breath, searching her stubbornly set
face. "Och, ye be hell bent on going. But ye must at least wait until I can
go with ye."

"No."

"Listen to me, blast ye. If they turn mean, there be nay way ye can hold
them at bay alone. Ye need me."

"I can't wait, Ian. We could very well be running ut of time."

"So, ye'll be taking Domani, then? He will no hold ye back."

She shook her head. "You need him here more than I need him with me. You
have to protect the others, and you can't do that alone in your condition.
Couldn't even if you hadn't been wounded, more than likely. If the planet
security forces arrive before you can get them under cover, Domani might
well give you the edge you need." She patted his cheek, smiling into his
troubled eyes. "Don't look so fierce. I'll be fine.'

"You really shouldn't be making promises you might not be able to keep," a
man said from the outer edges of the thicket. The gun in his hand did not
lend any reasurrance to the downed crew.

end part 7


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